Mabel's Guide to having an Awesome Day With Your New Nephew
Gregory's first day was mostly filled with errands to help get him more settled, like shopping for clothes and toiletries. And it wasn't just a few extra outfits either, but a whole new wardrobe. And it wasn't just things that were strictly necessary either such as when they went shopping to get him some school workbooks so he could catch up on his education he was encouraged to grab a few books to read just for fun. Gregory was hesitant to accept it all. Even with the knowledge that the Pines family was apparently super rich, Gregory worried that if he asked for more they'd think he was costing them way too much.
The more cynical part of him reminded him that more stuff meant more things he'd have to leave behind when things inevitably got bad and he had to run away again.
Logically he knew that thought wasn't really being fair to the others as they were being nothing but kind to him and the fact that Dipper was one of the ones that had helped keep him safe from the killers hunting him should have been more than enough proof that these people weren't just going to toss him to the curb the moment things got a little tough. But some of the foster homes had seemed nice at first too until they got more and more over his mistakes and rough attitude, just writing off as some troubled kid that wasn't worth their time. Those years of hurt and rejection couldn't be overcome so easily with just a day's worth of kind friendly smiles and generous spending.
But the small hopeful part of him believed there might come a day when those more negative feelings would have faded away from the love this new family was so willing to give him.
All in all, though, the errands ended up taking up most of the day and he didn't really get to do much exploring or seeing what kind of fun there was to be had in the town or the woods.
And apparently, Mabel was determined to change that.
The next morning, Gregory was just finishing breakfast when Mabel came bursting with a big smile on her face as she said, "Hello new nephew! You and I are going to hit the town and have lots of great bonding experiences!"
Gregory barely had time to process what she said, let alone respond to it, before he found himself being dragged out and riding a golf cart into town.
Their first stop was the local arcade where they spent a few fun hours having Gregory try all the games he wanted. Mabel would encourage him and help give him useful tips on the games he played solo and when they played together, Gregory couldn't help but be a bit impressed by how good she was. It could have been annoying to have Mabel hovering the whole time and outclassing him in some of the games, but her enthusiastic cheerfulness was infectious and it just encouraged Gregory to relax more and have even more fun. Once they had their fill, they traded in the tickets for some silly prizes. Mabel got a headband with stars bouncing around on springs which she immediately wore and Gregory got a bookmark that said "Books Have Their Uses" with an image of a short kid standing on some books to play an arcade machine.
They then went to Greasy's Dinner for lunch and Mabel passed the time questioning Gregory about what kind of things he'd like for his sweater and sharing some of her favorite sweater designs to help give Gregory ideas. After that they went for a walk around town, Mabel pointing out some places that were fun and sharing stories about nearly everything. They even got some ice cream to eat as they walked.
"And that church there is where we had the big epic climax of facing the giant vampire bat," Mabel said, gesturing to the church wildly and nearly losing her ice cream in the process. "It was epic how me and Kiki had to climb on the roof to get the backpack and then tossed the taser to Dipper just in time for him to drive it off. Of course, it turned out to be a giant fruit bat instead, but it was still a great official first adventure for Mike to have with us."
"You know that reminds me," Gregory spoke up. "Dipper and Mike mentioned that you guys go on adventures all the time and the way you talk it seems like this place should be brimming with all sorts of monsters and magical creatures, but I haven't really seen any yet."
"That's because you've only been here for like one full day and you haven't even gone out into the woods yet," Mabel laughed. "And you have seen some stuff even though you didn't realize it. Remember that fighting game we played that had that random schoolgirl in it?"
"Yeah," Gregory replied in confusion. "I remember thinking how weird it was because she didn't fit the style of all the other fighters and I swore she winked at me… Are you saying she actually did!? That she's kind of ghost or something haunting the arcade machine!?"
"Not a ghost, just some kind of weird AI," Mabel replied with a big grin. "She was even kind of evil at first, trying to force Soos to be her boyfriend and trying to kill Melody on his first date with her. We thought we killed her at first when Soos melted the CD she was from, but somehow she survived. But she's cool now and one of the fighters in the game is her boyfriend."
"That's crazy!" Gregory said in awe. "I had no idea she was something like that. Are there lots of creatures that just hide in plain sight?"
"Some," Mabel replied. "But most do just hang out in the woods so you'll see more there. We also have a few that like to hang around the Manor and of course, you can always ask Dippledop to tell you more. He might even show you some of the cool stuff he has in his lab. But that's a bonding experience to have with him later. Today is just about you and me!"
Gregory snorted but nodded and focused on Mabel as she started her next story. They didn't walk much further as Mabel started getting tired, even her seemingly boundless energy couldn't compete with the sluggishness her pregnancy brought her. So they got into the golf cart and headed up to the Manor. Mabel and Gregory then spent time in the front garden, Mabel showing off her beloved pet pig Waddles which was nearly as large as Gregory himself.
"Nice to meet you Waddles," Gregory laughed, petting the large pig who seemed to love the attention.
"Isn't he the best!" Mabel said as she relaxed in the grass. With a grin, she added, "You know… you can totally ride him if want…"
"Wait. Really!?" Gregory said in surprise and excitement. "I can ride him?"
"If you think you're up for it," Mabel replied, a mischievous glint in her eye. "It can be pretty wild and you might be able to hold on for very long."
Rising to the challenge, Gregory replied smugly, "I can handle it."
Without wasting any time, Gregory scrambled onto the pig's back and followed Mabel's instructions on how to hold on without accidentally hurting Waddles. Once Mabel was satisfied, she commanded, "Waddles! Run!"
Gregory yelped as Waddles immediately began happily running around the garden, the pig squealing in excitement. Gregory tried to hold on tight, but it was a lot more difficult than he thought it'd be and it wasn't long before he was thrown off, having the extra bad luck landing in one of the decorative ponds. As Gregory his soaked self out onto the grass, Waddles nudges him with his snout, almost seeming apologetic. Gregory snorted and replied, "Next time pig, I'm going to stay on the whole time."
Mabel just laughed and guided Gregory inside, getting him a fresh pair of clothes. The two then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening lazing on a couch watching TV, Mabel showing him the wonders of Ducktective as she knitted Gregory his new sweater. He was amazed at her speed and skill and it wasn't long before she finished and Gregory found himself wearing his new cozy sweater, enjoying how soft and fluffy it was.
"So what do you think?" Mabel asked as she took him back to the Mystery Shack for the night. "Am I the best Aunt ever or what!"
"Defiantly," Gregory grinned before his grin turned a bit mischievous. "For now at least. We'll have to see what Pacifica comes up with in retaliation."
"You think she'll be able top this awesome day?" Mabel asked with a dramatic gasp. "Then we'll just have to have so many awesome days together that no one will be able to top me! Just you wait and see! I'll be the best aunt in the whole world! No… in the whole multiverse!"
Gregory snickered and nodded, finding that he actually believed her.