The following morning greeted me with the promise of yet another dynamic day at the Mystery Shack. Stan's earlier announcement about the imminent arrival of his great nephew and niece, Dipper and Mabel, had me bustling behind the counter, meticulously arranging an eclectic collection of oddities and curious trinkets. The distinct sound of a car pulling up outside the shack captured my attention, and my eyes flicked up just in time to catch Stan's booming welcome.

"Hey, kids! Welcome to the Shack!"

My gaze shifted towards the entrance, where the two twins were emerging from the car. Mabel, brimming with vibrancy and outgoing energy, sported a wide grin that seemed contagious. On the other hand, Dipper, exuding a mix of excitement and nervousness, projected a more introspective demeanor. Stan took the lead, ushering them inside with his characteristic warmth. And then, he turned to me.

"Ray, meet my great nephew and niece, Dipper and Mabel. They'll be pitching in around here for the summer. Could you be a champ and give 'em the grand tour?"

I flashed a congenial smile and nodded. "Of course, Stan. Hey there, Dipper and Mabel. I'm Ray. Delighted to make your acquaintance."

Dipper offered a tentative wave, while Mabel's playful punch on my thigh had an immediate effect. "Hey, Ray! You're looking snazzy!"

Her spiritedness elicited a chuckle from me. "Thanks, Mabel. Welcome to the Mystery Shack."

Stan's laughter intermingled with our conversation, subtly laced with amusement. "Alright, you three, Ray's gonna show you to your rooms. Ray, just keep 'em from stirring up a ruckus."

"Absolutely, Stan," I replied with a wink. "Follow me, you two."

Guiding them through the winding passages of the Mystery Shack's interior, I seized the opportunity to get a sense of their personalities. Mabel exuded the same enthusiasm I recalled from the show, her excitement almost palpable. In contrast, Dipper seemed more reserved, his observant gaze suggesting a hidden world of curiosity.

"So, how was the bus ride? Long journey?" I ventured, attempting to establish a casual rapport.

Dipper nodded, his tone a shade more reserved compared to Mabel's unbridled enthusiasm. "Yeah, it took a while. Several hours on the road."

I nodded in understanding. "Spending the summer here must feel like an adventure. I'm guessing your place isn't exactly just around the corner? From what I gathered about the bus schedules, Piedmont seems like a reasonable guess?"

Dipper's eyes widened a tad, and he exchanged a swift, almost conspiratorial look with Mabel before responding. "Yeah, we're from Piedmont. Staying with Grunkle Stan for the summer."

A playful grin played on my lips. "Grunkle Stan, huh? A blend of 'great uncle' and 'grumpy uncle,' I assume?"

Mabel chimed in with a mischievous grin. "You got it! It's like it was made for him."

As I swung open the doors to their assigned rooms, Dipper expressed his thanks with a nod, while Mabel positively danced into the space, already animatedly discussing plans for decorating. The contrast between the twins was stark – Dipper's cautious approach against Mabel's unhesitant dive into possibilities.

Leaving them to get settled, I made my way back to the front counter. The weight of the impending events pressed against me, a constant reminder of the magnitude of the upcoming three months. Dipper and Mabel were the pivotal threads in the fabric of my own survival. The urgency to ensure my continuity led me to fixate on their destinies.

But how fragile were those destinies? The uncertainty of their choices and actions in this enigmatic world gnawed at me. I couldn't allow them to stray from the path that guaranteed my own survival. Dipper's curiosity couldn't afford to lead him astray, and Mabel's boundless optimism couldn't deviate from its course.

Unzipping my backpack, I retrieved my textbooks and notes, seeking refuge in studying – a temporary respite from the mounting pressures. Wendy's voice shattered my concentration.

"Whoa, dude. Homework in the Shack? During summer?"

I glanced up to see Wendy's gaze locked onto my books, her expression a blend of empathy and disbelief.

"Wendy? Nah, it's not regular homework. Just some extra studying."

Yeah, my summer assignment? Finished it like...three months ago. Thank you, Memento Mori, for granting me that extra time. A magical advantage of time travel.

Also, this era...2012-ish, a good decade earlier than my world. Despite inferior internet and technology, academic subjects and test difficulty are comparably lower here. An extra advantage.

She leaned casually against the counter, her expression oscillating between disbelief and amusement. "Extra studying? You're actually doing that while it's summer break?"

I shrugged, managing a faint smile. "Yeah, I know it's summer and all, but there's a lot I need to get ready for."

Wendy playfully rolled her eyes. "Alright, Ray. But seriously, you're missing out on the best part of summer. Life's not just about hitting the books."

I chuckled softly, my eyes flitting between my notes and Wendy's gaze. "Believe me, Wendy, I totally get that. But my ambitious plans for the future require some serious prep time."

Wendy perched herself on the counter edge, her legs swinging lazily. "You seriously need to loosen up. When was the last time you caught some rays? Did you ever even play the lunchtime games?"

A smug grin crept onto my lips. "My PE scores are golden, Wendy. No need to worry there."

"It's not only about scores, Ray."

I let out a mock sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Just lightening up a bit."

Honestly, though, I wasn't that concerned about Wendy's opinion of my study habits. She should focus on her own stuff, just like I didn't pester her about school. To maintain courtesy, though, I decided to close my algebra textbooks for now.

As expected, Wendy seemed to relax once my books were shut.

"Wendy, why don't you go check out the twins' room upstairs? They're probably getting settled. They'll be around for a while."

"Seriously? Awesome! I'm heading up there right now!"

She scampered up the stairs to the twins' room. It's funny – I've only known how Wendy is in work for just one day, but I can just see her enthusiasm is tangible in every aspect except work.

"Hey, Soos. How'd you manage with her in my absence? She doesn't exactly seem...devoted."

Soos, who was busy wrestling with a light bulb by the main entrance, turned my way with his usual good-natured grin.

"No worries, dude. Wendy's got her work rhythm. She also likes to chill on the roof, nap, and flip through magazines."

"Yeah, I kind of figured."

...Soos is the go-to guy for all the physically demanding tasks around here. He's straightforward and hardworking. With my presence, his load might lighten up a bit. A win-win situation.

Things flowed along rather predictably for a while.

"Ray, Ray, Ray! Why does everyone seem to despise me? I just want a date!"

And there's Mabel. She's been asking out almost every guy in the shack, yours truly included. She keeps whining about the rejections that follow. It was a tad harsh to turn her down for a date like the second day I met her, but thankfully, it seems like she's not truly expecting a yes. Phew.

"Come on, Mabel. You've got plenty of time to find a boyfriend here. You're gonna be hanging around for like...three months!"

"Yeah, maybe...Oh, by the way, Ray, what's your secret for that glassy skin?"

...Mabel was even more clingy and inquisitive than I anticipated. She practically clings to me whenever I try to catch my breath after dealing with customers. And she fires a barrage of questions at me. Plus, her attention span is akin to a goldfish's, so I need to stay nimble with topics.

"Mabel, cut him some slack. I know you're deep in your 'boy crazy' phase, but don't let the 'crazy' part take over..."

"What? Oh, come on, Dipper! This is our first summer away from home!"

"But you don't need to hit on every guy you see!"

Dipper, on the other hand, is slightly easier to handle. He actually puts in some effort, even if he does seem a bit uncomfortable with the work, probably due to Stan's eagle eye. In fact, upon reflection, he's a more dependable worker than Wendy.

He's also impressively smart – brighter than most kids his age. He's even taking a stab at algebra problems from my textbooks, which is quite impressive. Some of the problems there are even beyond high school level... interesting.

"Ridicule me all you want, Dipper. But this summer's got a good vibe. I won't be surprised if the man of my dreams walks through that door."

Almost as if on cue, footsteps sounded from behind the door. All of us turned to see who the newcomer was, and...

"BURp...Cough! Ow! Ow! Not good. Ow."

"...Seriously?"

Stan stumbled into the room, clutching his side and displaying a few signs of distress. Mabel, however, let out an exasperated sigh, while Dipper couldn't contain his laughter. Stan glanced around the room, seemingly puzzled, before giving up and surveying the people present. Wendy was comfortably sprawled on a chair across from the counter, absorbed in her magazines. Soos was diligently working on fixing a cabinet on the wall. And then there was me, stationed at the counter, meticulously crafting my history essay. Essentially, we were all present and accounted for.

"Alright, alright, people, wake up! Someone needs to go put up these signs in the creepy part of the forest."

"Not it."

"Not it!"

"Uh, also not it."

"Nobody asked you, Soos."

As expected, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos rapidly raised their hands in a collective motion of refusal. Hmm...the eerie part of the forest, huh? Is that the same place I walked through during the weirdmageddon to reach this place, the Mystery Shack? The signs I recall seeing during that chaotic event...I suppose they're being hung today. Well, I don't have much to do.

"I can handle it, sir."

"No, Ray, you stay put... You're too valuable to be wasted on tasks like this. We've got a couple coming in soon, and I want you to use your persuasive skills to maximize sales."

"...Alright."

Score for me. Pawning off the task of putting up signs in the forest and instead using my powers of persuasion on customers to squeeze out more money. Stan looked at Wendy with a mix of dissatisfaction and amusement.

"Wendy! I need you to hang up these signs!"

"I would, but I...ugh...can't reach them...ugh..."

Wendy mimicked an ineffective stretching motion from her seated position, which, as expected, achieved nothing. Stan stared at Wendy with a slightly irritated expression before muttering, "I'd fire all of you except Ray if I could. Fine. Let's make it...eenie, meenie, miney..."

His finger pointed at each of us in sequence as he muttered the rhyme. And at the end of his counting, the finger landed on...

"You!"

And that unfortunate soul was Dipper. Poor guy.

"Wait, what? Grunkle Stan, every time I'm out in those woods, I get this eerie feeling like someone's watching me."

"Ugh, not this again."

"I'm telling you, something strange is happening in this town. Just today, my mosquito bites spelled out 'BEWARE.'"

...Beware? Hold on, that's possibly significant.

Dipper showcased his arm to Stan, contending that the bites formed a more 'BEWARB' than 'BEWARE.' Yet, I could see where this might be headed. Events like these are anything but normal.

...While it could sort of resemble 'BEWARB,' it's utterly unnatural for a person to acquire that many mosquito bites on a single arm, and even weirder for them to mimic the English language. But to everyone else, except Dipper and me... well, it's business as usual.

Sooner or later, something unusual is bound to happen. My anxiety heightened as Dipper disappeared from sight, swallowed by distance. I had to send someone after him. Hopefully, since this is probably the first episode,(considering this is the first weirdness I just saw) the show wouldn't be too harsh on me.

Ugh..I should have watched Gravity Falls..! If I only knew the contents, I didn't have to do this lame dectective game with the 'world' itself!

I glanced around. Wendy was absorbed in her magazine, and Soos was diligently doing his tasks. And I, I needed to handle the counter. That left Mabel as the sole option.

"Hey, Mabel?"

"Yeah? What's up? Heheheh!"

...On second thought, this might not be the best idea. She's potentially more of a problem than Dipper. Pretty dangerous, actually. But, they are twins...perhaps they'll make a more effective team?

"Are you busy?"

"Nah, need me for something?"

"Yeah...can you go check on Dipper? I'm a bit worried the forest might be too misty for him, and he might lose his way. Could you go after him and make sure he's alright?"

"Sure thing! I..."

In that very moment, customers streamed through the door, seeking their share of oddities and curiosities. I greeted them with a forced smile, while gesturing to Mabel to go. But...

"Hey, handsome! Want to go out with me?"

"...Ughhhh...Yeah..."

...She was indeed trying to flirt with another guy, perhaps a potential customer. And she succeeded! What are the odds! Precisely when I asked her to go check on her possibly endangered brother, she's embarking on a mission to get a date with another boy!

...Let's just hope Dipper's okay.