Chapter Fourteen: Party Favors
The hooded figures sat in Stanford Pines' old bunker, one of them fiddling with a radio receiver, the other staring at a large monitor on the wall.
The cameras they installed in the Mystery Shack's attic hadn't been noticed yet. Right now, all three angles displayed Mabel Pines in front of a mirror, twirling around in her Pacifica Northwest skinsuit, while Candy, Grenda, and Dipper watched. The old man did a good job. It looked just like the blonde.
"I could use some help over here!" The one by the receiver called, "What are you staring at, anyway? Jealous because you can't go to the fair?"
"She's just as big a part of our plan as Dipper," The other said, "But we've made no attempt to gain her trust. Not to mention Dipper himself has lost all of his, thanks to your miscalculation."
"I didn't know Cupid was going to try to kill him. What more do you want me to say?"
"It doesn't matter. Do what you need to regain his trust, and I'll work on Mabel."
They turned a dial on the receiver, but the change only resulted in static, "And how will you go about that?"
The figure by the monitor stepped closer to the screen, vision tunneling in on the girl bouncing around, grabbing at her fake set of blonde hair. This would take an alternative strategy. Despite being inseparable, Dipper and Mabel are two very different people.
"You know him, and I know her. I know how to approach this. Let me take the lead on this one."
The other figure snorted, "As if I'd interfere. If I can't lock on to the FBI's comms channel, phase two won't be possible! Do whatever you need. She'll be easier to trick anyway. She's way more gullible."
The figure by the monitor glared at them, "Don't underestimate her. Two people faced danger time and time again last summer, not one." They turned back around and continued staring.
Two sides of the same coin. A sensible, overanalytical person needs their reckless, carefree partner to balance things. To push the other into doing things they normally wouldn't do. It takes two to save the world.
"Mabel Pines is just as important as Dipper, and we can't forget that."
Mabel felt important.
Usually, she opted to let Dipper take the lead on missions, given the whole supernatural thing is...well, his thing. But when Mabel does get her own quests, not only does she knock it out of the park; she runs across the field, jumps over the fence, and catches the ball herself.
A solo mission behind enemy lines! How exciting! The stakes were so high too. Dipper's love life either thrived or died, depending on the outcome here.
Mabel knew the risks and the severity of what could happen if she got caught, which is why she took extra precautions and care preparing for her role. She spent the better half of the day watching her favorite episodes of Cali Girls to get Pacifica's snobby accent right, and the other half watching Spy Teens and its three sequels to learn how to blend in with uncommon territory. By the end of it, she felt like jumping straight into the fire.
The weird old guy at the tailor shop killed it with the skinsuit, too. Mabel immediately tried it on when she got back to the Shack, and gawked for ten minutes by how realistic and weird it felt to look like an entirely different person.
The suit itself felt both like wearing ceramic wrap and nothing at all. At first, it constricted against her entire body like a blanket snake, and Mabel wasn't sure she was going to make it without suffocating. But after a few minutes, it eased up and loosened, becoming nothing more than extra weight. Like one of her less poofy sweaters.
It fooled Dipper, Candy and Grenda well enough. When they saw her, they genuinely thought Pacifica had somehow snuck out of the manor and hiked over to the Shack on foot. That is, until they saw her braces. It kind of ruined the image.
Something Dipper refuses to let up on, "They're gonna see them."
Mabel frowned, which somehow fit perfectly for her Pacifica face, "They won't! I'll just smile without teeth, or use one-word responses!"
Dipper grumbled, "For the last time, don't smile! The last thing Pacifica would be doing around her family is smiling! She hates them!"
"Oh, right. Got it." Mabel faced the mirror again and plastered a hateful expression, "Mean face! Grrrrr..."
Grenda couldn't take it anymore. The entire skinsuit thing unnerved her, "Agh, that's so weird! Cut it out, cut it out!"
Candy came up and observed a strand of the fake blonde hair, "I have never been this close to Pacifica before. Is this what it feels like to be popular?"
Dipper shot up from his bed and hissed, "Guys! Take. This. Seriously! One wrong move and it could ruin her life! Man, I knew this was going to go wrong!" He began mumbling and pacing, "There were too many variables...too many risks, not enough reward...too many eyes...no funnel cake!"
Mabel shook her head, "He's doing it again. Grenda, snap him out of it."
"On it." She caught Dipper mid-pace, picked him up by his shoulders, and began shaking him violently like a duffel bag, "SNAP OUT OF IT!"
When she sat Dipper down, he just stared at the roof, eyes bugged and glossed over. "Wow...uh, thanks, Grenda."
Mabel smiled, approaching her nervous mess of a brother. "Relax, Dip. Everything will go according to plan. You don't need to freak out and get all floopy, because I've got it covered! Have some faith in your mystery twin!"
"Indeed," Candy agreed, "Mabel is a fabulous actress. She has performed many reenactments of Duck-Tective."
"I always play the human cop!" Grenda yelled.
Candy beamed, "And I play Deputy Beaver. Very exciting."
Dipper went limp and fell flat on his bed, "It's not just that. I've never been on a date before, so I have no idea what to expect or even...do. I'm tired from helping Soos set up the fair, I'm sweaty because it's a hundred degrees out, I'm nervous because I'm going on a date. Oh, and did I say that I'm going on a date already? I did, didn't I? I'm freaking out!"
The trio gathered together and collectively watched the poor boy enter a fetal position, groaning like he had a stomachache.
"This is bad, girls," Mabel said, "Dipper's gone mute."
Candy shook her head sympathetically, "The emotional turmoil has become too much."
"Should I shake him again?" Grenda asked.
"No, girls, I've got it. The power of sisterly advice is far stronger than any shaking."
She approached him carefully, sitting at a reasonable distance so she didn't get rolled on, and kept her hands to herself. If she touched him while he's in this state, he might freak out.
"Dipper, we already went over this. Pacifica's new to all of this too. Whatever nervousness you're feeling, she's feeling it too."
The small comfort didn't seem to help. Dipper did stop rolling next to her knee though, looking up at her from under his hat brim. "I'm just gonna mess it up."
"No, you're not. I've seen you face danger head on time and time again. Even before last summer, when things got tough, you still faced it even though you were scared. That takes bravery. Besides, what you have with Pacifica is real, and once you get near her, you'll be fine. Both of you will get in that smooth groove you always get in and you'll start insulting each other with smiles on your faces, which I'll never understand, but hey, if that's your love language, then whatever. I'm happy for you. It's good, Dipper. You've got a good thing going, and I know you won't ruin it, because you care about the people closest to you. You can do this, bro-bro. You can..."
Mabel trailed off from her speech when she realized Dipper had been staring up at her with a crinkled nose and narrowed eyes the entire time. She blinked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just...it's so weird to hear your voice with Pacifica's face."
Mabel frowned, "Welp, there's one motivational speech wasted. Wendy, I'm ready to go!"
The redhead's footsteps pounded up the stairs. Wendy opened the attic door, poked her head in, and nearly fell through when she saw Mabel, "Woah! Dude, that thing's dead on! Say something real quick."
"Pizza chips! Puppy kittens! Uh, buff waffles!"
Wendy gawked, "That is so freaky. You're totally gonna fool Pacifica's family," She leveled a finger at Mabel's mouth, "Might wanna keep your mouth shut, though. Oh, and the sweater. That's gotta go too."
"What's wrong with my sweater?"
Every eye in the room laser focused on the fluffy wool, including Mabel's. It was one of her favorites. A light brown colored cloth with the logo of a gopher giving a thumbs up in the middle, the words GO-PHER IT etched in big print.
Even she's self-aware enough to know Pacifica would never wear this, "Alright, I'll take it off."
"How long did Mr. Oakle say you had before you have to remove the suit?" Dipper asked, breaking his fetal position to sit on the edge of the bed.
Mabel remembered the events earlier that morning. Soos drove her to the skinsuit shop, crazy old Oakle gave her the Pacifica outfit, and gave some ominous warning about how she can only wear it a certain amount of time or else she'd get stuck in the thing forever.
She just couldn't seem to remember her time limit.
"Uh...twelve hours?"
Dipper's eyes widened, "You don't remember?! Mabel, you could be stuck like that until you die!"
She wasn't too worried about it, "How long will this party take anyway? A couple of hours? I'll be back before you know it and get it removed then! Piece of cake!"
He still didn't look convinced, so Candy and Grenda attempted to ease his worries with a little bestie backup.
"We will text her reminders every hour," Candy said, "Do not worry, Dipper."
"Yeah!" Grenda shouted, holding her phone in the air like a trophy, "The power of instant messaging!"
"I'll get in on that too," Wendy added, "Just focus on your date, man. Mabel's gonna work her magic. Spy style."
Mabel understood her bro's concerns. She had a tendency to deviate from the main path and divulge in smaller, more selfish exploits, mostly boy related. But not this time. With a mission this important, and everything solely riding on her behavior, she has to step up and give it her best. She owes it to Dipper. She can't even count how many times last summer he bit the bullet and did favors for her, even when he didn't want to.
The sincerity must've bled through to the skinsuit's expression. Dipper saw that she meant it. Even if she couldn't remember the specifics of the time limit, she would be extra careful.
"Alright," He caved, "I trust you."
Mabel struck a pose, "You can count on me!" Then, in a much more Pacifica-esque voice, she ordered, "Now then, peasant, escort me to the manor!"
As they got closer to the Northwest property, the butterfiles started flying around in Mabel's stomach.
She doesn't get nervous often, but when she does, it's overkill. With each passing mile, the pressure added on ten-fold. Everything had to be perfect. Her mannerisms, her accent, the words she said, even her stare. She knew how extreme Pacifica's family could be, and the dire consequences of a slip-up.
Wendy noticed the uneasiness, probably from the way Mabel kept squirming in the cart's seat and sitting on her hands. "You alright, man?"
"Huh? Oh...yeah, totally, dawg. I've got this. Eight seasons of Cali Girls has prepared me for this moment!"
The redhead looked totally composed with her casual posture and lazy smirk. Mabel envied that state of mind. "You'll be fine. Your impression is spot on. They'd have to have X-ray vision or something to tell the difference."
Despite the support, she couldn't shake that queasy feeling in her gut, telling her something was going to go wrong. No matter how hard she tried to force it down, it kept bubbling up.
She'd have to just deal with it. They were already here and making their way up that steep hill.
Wendy drove the cart around the side of the manor's walls as best she could. It proved hard with all the shrubs and small pine trees blocking the way, but luckily, the cart was smaller than a regular vehicle, so they were able to squeeze through some better than if they were in Grunkle Stan's car.
Finally, it reached a point where they got as close as they could without damaging the cart. Mabel and Wendy hopped out and began squeezing beneath prickly pine needles and limbs.
"You got the grappling hook, right?"
Wendy pulled the device out of her back pocket, handing it over with an encouraging smile, "Good luck. Make sure to tell Pacifica exactly where I'm at. It's probably easy to get lost in this place, even if you grew up here."
Mabel grabbed her trusty grappling gun and aimed it at the top of the stone wall, pulling the trigger when she felt comfortable. A sharp hook shot out of the end, then the attaching wire, and stopped when it cleared the wall, latching on to the other side tightly.
After a few practice tugs to check its stability, Mabel used the gun's natural pulling momentum to slowly tug her up the wall, her feet braced against it's middle and climbing along with her. When she reached the top, she let go of the gun with her right hand and threw it over, hoisting the rest of her body up.
With little effort, she was able to undo the hook from the crevice it caught and reattach it to the tip of the gun. She threw Wendy a triumphant, silent wave before jumping on the freshly cut grass.
This was it. No turning back now.
From there, it was a matter of checking her text string with Pacifica, following the instructions given to her earlier that afternoon. She was told to scale the wall at the middle left of the manor, then go past the flower garden, around the koi pond, through the gazebo, and end up under the window to Pacifica's room.
Assuming the Northwests had upgraded to security guards rather than a single butler, Mabel ran to her landmarks like a crazed squirrel, trying to stay as low as possible and ducking behind carefully manicured bushes when she heard even the slightest noise.
It took longer than she wanted, but she reached the flower garden, resisted the enticing aroma of the beautiful plants, made it past the koi pond...again, resisting trying to catch one of the colorful fish, and shot through the gazebo. Not much to resist there. It was just a weirdly shaped hut.
At the end of the it all, she reached the mansion, pausing for a moment to catch her breath and locate Pacifica's window. It was supposed to be on the highest level, slightly left from the center.
Mabel caught her gaze on one that looked promising, but she had to stop herself from doing anything crazy. This wasn't like other missions where she could do whatever she wanted, this was delicate. She needed to confirm, first. Have Pacifica come to her.
Opening up her messaging app, she quickly drummed her fingers across the screen.
Mabel: I'm here! Open up your bedroom window so I can see where you're at!
Like the act had been forbidden, Mabel shoved the phone against her side, looking around in each direction twice to make sure no one had caught her. Eventually, the phone buzzed.
Pacifica: Alright, give me a sec
As soon as Mabel tilted her head back, the exact window she predicted before opened, producing Pacifica's blonde mane.
"Mabel?" She whispered both as loudly and quietly as she could, "Mabel?!"
"Down here!"
Blue eyes found her. Mabel watched Pacifica take in the outfit, a mix of horror and pleasant surprise.
"I...don't even know what to say. It looks exactly like me."
Mabel beamed, "I know, right? Now, I need you to back up from the window so I can grapple it!"
"So you can what?"
"Grapple it!" Mabel retrieved the device, wiggling it high above her head, "With my grappling hook!"
"Oh God, you brought that thing? It's not gonna like, destroy my room, is it?"
"I wouldn't worry about that," Mabel said, honestly unsure of what would happen if a misfire occurred, "Now scoot!"
Pacifica disappeared from view and Mabel took that as her opportunity. She pulled the trigger once again and her aim was true. The shiny metal of the hook arched over the window sill and caught itself on something sturdy. Likely the inside of Pacifica's floor. Oh well.
Like with the perimeter wall, Mabel used the gun's natural pull and the walking movement of her feet to scale the mansion. However this time, she had to keep her stare locked in on that window. The difference between this climb and that climb probably clocked around fifty feet. If Mabel fell before, she'd get a bruise. If she fell now, she'd become a pancake.
Luckily, the worst didn't happen for once. She managed to pull herself in Pacifica's room without accident.
Said girl looked like she'd just eaten a lemon, "I can't believe that old guy's machine actually worked. It's like looking in a mirror." Quickly, she fixed her face, lifting her nose high and closing her eyes, "But don't get any ideas. I'm still the hotter version."
"No kidding! Hola Mamacita!"
Pacifica had taken out all the stops. Her hair had been brushed to perfection, silkier and smoother than ever. Her skin, evenly tanned and flawless. Her teeth pearly white, her nails polished pink, her lips shiny with gloss...everything was on point and presentable. She wore a cute outfit. A purple shirt and matching skirt, with high socks and white tennis shoes. Nothing over the top. Casual, but more than enough to make Dipper drool.
"I know," Pacifica said, examining herself smugly, "Might be a little much for a gross fair, but I need to make sure the nerd knows what he'll be missing if he messes up."
"Oh, Dipper's gonna be drooling!" Mabel jumped up and down, "I can't believe this is happening! You two are so gonna kiss, fall in love, and get married, all by the end of the summer!"
The marrying part was an exaggeration to mess with her, and it worked. Pacifica's entire face grew red, "M-Married?!"
"Sure, why not? I can be the maid of honor, Waddles can be the ring bearer, and Grunkle Stan can be the officiator! I'm sure he's ordained in one of the states."
Pacifica's expression tightened, hands shaking in front of her, "Just...stop, okay? And keep your voice down! If Father or Grandfather hear you, I'm done. Do you understand? Grounded, for at least a year. You can't go and be all Mabel-y around these investors. If they try to talk to you, just be neutral and say as few words as possible."
"Please. I just watched two hundred party scenes on Cali Girls, I know how to act and who to gossip about." Mabel cleared her throat and put a hand on her hip, putting her acting cap on, "Shondra's dress is so tacky, and that guy she's with, he's like twenty years older than her!"
"Yeah, don't do that. Just act bored and uninterested. That's what I'd do if I actually went."
No sooner than she finished the instruction, a series of knocks sounded on the door. Both Pacifica and Mabel nearly jumped. They didn't even hear footsteps.
"Miss Pacifica," An elderly voice called, "Your father requests your presence. The guests will be arriving shortly."
Pacifica sighed with relief, "It's just Lars. If it was my dad we'd be in trouble." Cupping her hand, she responded, "I'll be right there! I'm still doing my makeup!"
"Alright. Take your time."
Again, no footsteps, so the girls could only assume Lars had left. It must be an old people thing. They walk so slow; you can't even hear their trail. It's kind of like a superpower.
"If I don't go down there in the next minute, Father's gonna come in here and start yelling. I need to go, and you need to act like me. Which, I know will be hard. I'm like, way more amazing than you, so just try your best."
"Yeah, yeah, just take the grappling hook and zip down."
"Wait, you expect me to use that thing? I can't do that!"
Mabel reared her head back, "What did you think you were gonna do? Sneak out through the front door in front of everyone?"
"I don't know!" She whined, "That was up to you to figure out for me!"
Mabel picked up the grappling hook and held it out toward her, "And I did! Here!"
With incredible reluctance, she lightly grabbed the handle with her index finger and thumb, holding it like a kitten by the scruff of its neck, "Do I like...pull this button thing?"
'Button thing' meaning the trigger. Mabel's eyes flicked between the grappling hook and the clueless girl, "Have you never shot a gun before? We're in the backwoods of Oregon, Paz! Everyone knows how to shoot!"
Pacifica's nostrils flared, "Call me that again and I'll shoot you with it!"
"Just- there's no time! Here!" Mabel snatched it away temporarily to undo the hook, attach it to the windowsill, and hand it back to Pacifica, "All you have to do is climb out of the window and stay close to the wall. Once you reach the grass, I'll undo the hook and toss it down to you. Got it?"
"B-But-" She stammered, "I can't! I'll fall or something!"
This time, whoever approached the room's door did so loudly, lumbering down the hall and stopping just outside, delivering a single, powerful knock, "Pacifica Elise, you've got ten seconds before I come in!"
Pacifica changed her tune, "On second thought, I'll get to climbing."
At first, Mabel tried to help her through the window, but when her hands kept getting swatted and pushed away, she just stood back and watched the train wreck. Pacifica was too concerned with ruining her outfit and hair to properly shimmy through. At least five or six seconds had passed. Any moment now, the guy on the other side would barge in and catch them in the act.
She had to do something.
Mabel winced, "Sorry!" Charging forward, she shoved Pacifica in the side and forced her out of the room.
"Mabel!" She shrieked, "MABEL!"
Pacifica plummeted out of view soundlessly. There was no scream, but there was also no audible impact on the ground below. A good sign. She probably wouldn't be able to go on a date with Dipper if she had a broken arm.
Mabel started toward the window to check on Pacifica, but caught the floor with her heels when the door flew open, revealing a tall man with a mustache in a suit. She recognized this guy from the party last summer. Pacifica's father.
It was weird. She's never had to fight so hard against herself. Mabel's first instinct was to be all bubbly and officially introduce herself, comment on the man's hair (because wow was it fabulous) and probably shake his hand too long.
But right now, she's someone else. One wrong move is all it takes to mess everything up. She can't forget that.
"The guests will be arriving any minute now," Pacif- Her dad said, "What are you still doing up here? You don't even have your dress on!"
Mabel inched herself closer to the window, enough to the point that she completely blocked any sight of the still attached hook.
She cleared her throat. This was the moment. The accent had to be perfect. "I don't even want to go to this stupid party."
Mabel almost giggled to herself. That was perfect. So Pacifica.
It easily fooled her father, "Well, like it or not, your last name is still Northwest. This party will make or break our return to high society, so I don't need you acting like a brat. Now put your dress on and come downstairs!"
"Ugh, whatever. I don't even know where the stupid thing is, anyway."
Her dad rolled his eyes, marching over to the closet and immediately yanking out a long, light blue dress on a hanger. The outfit was beautiful, and more expensive than anything Mabel would ever touch.
Mr. Northwest regarded the fine clothing with distaste, "Not our best purchase. Your mother's unable to go shopping due to her...situation, so I had Lars pick this up. It'll do for tonight."
"Alright," Mabel felt the hook twitch against her back, "Uh...I'll be down in a minute."
"Any longer than that and you can say goodbye to your phone for a week!" With that threat lingering in the air, he slammed the door behind him.
Mabel spun around and shot her head out the window, scanning desperately for Pacifica, who ended up being much closer than she expected. Either she got scared and descended so slow, it took her all that time to reach the bottom, or she reached it long ago and waited to say goodbye. Definitely the former.
"Your dad's a real kindred spirit, you know?!" Mabel hissed.
"Oh yeah, he's pleasant. Will you be okay?"
"I've got this, girl! Go woo my brother! Oh, and if he's a bad kisser, don't make fun of him! It's his first time!" That technically wasn't true. Mermando had the honor of being both Pines twins' first smooches, in very different ways of course, but it still counted.
"Ew! I'm not kissing him!"
With effort, Mabel pulled the hook from the bottom of the frame and chucked it as gently as she could. It made a dent in the green at Pacifica's feet.
"Take it with you! Good luck!"
She picked up the hook and held it, unsure of how to reattach the metal hunk to the gun. Reluctantly, she took a step back without tearing her eyes away.
"Just remember...don't be stupid! And don't act crazy!" Just as her shoulders turned, she whipped back around, "Oh, and I am not kissing Dip-"
"Just go! I've got this!"
Finally, she felt comfortable enough to leave. Mabel received a nod and watched Pacifica scurry away, getting smaller with distance. Hopefully Wendy hadn't gotten caught by any security guards and still held her position.
Everything was in place. Now, it was up to her to hold her end of the deal.
Mabel gazed over the curve of her shoulder and past the edges of the skinsuit's fake hair at the stunning dress.
This would be fun.
Ten minutes later, Mabel found herself standing on a Mystery Shack sized staircase next to Pacifica's family, facing hundreds of guests and the massive cavern they called a living room, lobby, whatever. Everything was huge, and it hadn't changed since the last time she came here.
It was crazy to see the opposite side of the spectrum. The other perspective. She's used to rotting wood and creaking floors, not pristine carpet and chandeliers. Before it had been easier. She'd been here with Candy and Grenda as herself, uncaring of her surroundings and fellow partygoers. Now, she had to be prim and proper, biting her tongue and remaining unpassionate. The very opposite of her being.
While the grandfather droned on in his speech, giving greetings and announcing his hopes of achievement from this party, Mabel scanned the attentive crowd. Everyone wore the fanciest suits, carried canes and wore monocles, had feathers in their hats and women on their arms, often much younger than themselves. Three hundred strong, at least. It seemed like they invited every rich family in the country here.
Auldman was his name. Mabel gathered that from the dozen or so old men that sought him for a handshake before the doors closed. He was every bit as unnerving as she'd heard. Behind the formality and the friendly smile, she saw the way his eyes blackened at certain moments, or the way his hand twitched, like deep down he wanted some sort of unsaid justice on the world. To see it burn, either with or without reason.
The three of them kept glancing at her, as if she'd explode. The constant leering and watching made even Mabel, who loves attention, uncomfortable. She was starting to understand why Pacifica resented them so much.
"Now then, I won't hold this up any longer!" Auldman said, his arms stretched out beside him, "Everyone, make yourselves comfortable! Mingle, dance, chat, drink," For a moment, he turned his chin and muttered, "Except you, Priscilla," Then continued as if nothing happened, "Have a good time! This is going to be the event of the summer!"
Once finished, everyone began milling about, talking amongst each other, going to the refreshments table, laughing obnoxiously, doing rich people stuff. It all jumbled together.
Pacifica's mother exhaled next to her, looking dead eyed at the table with the wine, "Normally, I'd sneak a few sips, but it's just not worth it. These parties aren't as fun as they used to be."
It took Mabel a second to realize the woman was addressing her, "Tell me about it."
She bent down a little to whisper something, "If you sneak out, I wouldn't blame you. Just saying." Without missing a beat, she plastered a fake smile and started down the rest of the staircase, "Bye, dear. I'll see you when the chaos is over."
Huh. That was weird.
Before she knew it, the other two had rounded on her, casting looming shadows from behind.
"I expect your best behavior tonight," Her dad said, "I'll say it again, this party is crucial. It's our chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones."
Her grandfather stepped in closer, hands in his pockets, "And to make sure you do your part on that, there's someone I want to introduce you to." Bringing his right hand up to his mouth, he stuck two fingers against both front teeth and forced a quick, shrill whistle, "Cody!"
When Mabel turned around, she got an eye full of the most gorgeous, handsome hunk of a boy she'd ever seen. For a second, she forgot all about the act and gawked at the sheer beauty of the specimen before her.
A tall, lean boy with medium length, surfer-like blonde hair curving over his forehead stood with a gentle hand outstretched. He had sun kissed skin, smoother than Waddles' belly, a dazzling smile, freckles splotched across his nose, and blue eyes that could suck her in and keep her locked away for eternity.
Just like Cupid's description! It matches!
No challenge, even Bill Cipher couldn't measure to the difficulty of keeping herself composed while putting the dots together. She had to keep the freak out inside her brain.
But wow! This could be the love of her life!
"Pacifica, meet Cody Lavendra of Lavendra Real Estate. Our biggest rival agency. He'll be your date tonight, and potentially your future husband."
It took absolutely all of her willpower to not jump up and down with glee at the prospect of marrying this slice of heaven. She wasn't Mabel, she was Pacifica. How would Pacifica react?
"Him? I'm not marrying him. I'm thirteen. That's like, illegal."
Auldman rolled his wolf eyes, "I said potential husband. Years from now. There's no harm in getting ahead of the curve and choosing your life partner."
"And we'll get in good with our rival family," Her dad added, "If the marriage goes through, we can combine our wealth."
Out of nowhere, Cody grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, which nearly made Mabel's knees wobble, "It's nice to meet you, Pacifica. If I may say so, you're even more beautiful than I imagined."
Mabel might have made some unintelligible grunt in response. Oh boy. Challenge accepted, bucko.
She bent a single knee, giving a courteous bow, "Nice to meet you too."
He chuckled angelically, "These are my parents. Mother, Father, Pacifica Northwest."
Two middle aged people stepped forward and shook her hand. The woman a splitting image of her son. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin, and a faint hint of freckles covered with concealer. The man was the opposite, having a paler complexion, brown eyes, and dark, crew cut hair. Both of their smiles, while perfect, were completely false. Everyone had the same look. Maybe they were fooling each other or it was just a matter of tradition, but Mabel could detect fake sincerity blindfolded.
"We were so sorry to hear about what happened last summer," Cody's father said, "Losing most of your wealth and all."
"A real tragedy about Priscilla too," The mother said, "Alcohol is a terrible vice."
Both Pacifica's dad and grandpa kept their polite grins, but eyed both adults with a hateful glare. Mabel was starting to get it. She'd seen this on Cali Girls. The teens have fights and humiliate each other, while the grown-ups just get all passive aggressive.
Pacifica's dad straightened his suit, "We had our bumps, but from here on, the road will be straight and na-"
Auldman spoke over him, "If I may correct you, Mister and Missus Lavendra, I've lived in New York for the past several years. I had nothing to do with any foolish deal or impulsive financial decision. That credit belongs to my son here. He's to blame for all of this."
Mabel didn't expect to feel bad for the man, but here she was, overloaded with secondhand embarrassment. Mr. Northwest looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here right now, staring at the floor and turning pink while Auldman patted him roughly on the back.
Cody earned her attention again by nudging her elbow, "What do you say we visit the chocolate fountain? I hear it's magnificent."
"S-Sure." Dang it! No stuttering! C'mon Mabel, be strong!
With a gentle tug, he pulled her through a maze of rich people, zig zagging until they reached the refreshment table. All across the platform sat an envoy of salivating treats. Cheese and crackers, assortments of fruits, and the holy grail; the chocolate fountain. A silver bath pouring streams of the creamy brown substance.
"Makes you want to swipe the entire thing and take it home, huh?"
Something in Cody's voice changed a shade. It lost its formality.
Mabel chuckled, "Heh, or dump it in a tub and bathe in it!"
"I've had that dream before." Reaching out, he picked a plump strawberry and dipped it in the pool at the bottom of the fountain, "So, what do you like to do?"
"Lots of stuff! Knitting sweaters, making custom stickers, dancing, petting animals, playing poker with my uncle, running into the occasional gnome, oh, and I love Duck-Tective! I've even started co-writing my own fanfiction for it with my buddy Soos!"
Once she ran out of breath, Mabel realized just what she'd done. She got so caught up she didn't filter her words.
But Cody didn't give any indication he was going to snitch, instead, his entire face lit up, "Woah! You like Duck-Tective? I love that show!"
"Have you seen the new season?!"
"Are you kidding? I've been watching the new episodes every week! Twin-tective is so going down as one of the most hated characters to ever grace the screen!"
"I know, right?! The way he's ruining Duck-Tective's reputation makes me sick! I just wanna pop that evil duck on the beak!"
Cody laughed, "Wow, we have a lot in common. I like arts and crafts too. Drawing mostly, like little characters and backgrounds. Nothing crazy."
Mabel was at a loss. Honestly, she thought blending in at this boring party would be the low point of the summer, but if the chemistry keeps rocking this way, it could very well be the peak! Cody's perfect!
"But you're...you know..."
Cody finished it for her, "Rich? Yeah. Not exactly stuff my parents would be proud of. But If I'm being completely honest...I can't stand high society. All the gossiping, all the humiliation rituals, the water polo..." He shook his head with disgust, "Ugh, the water polo. Have you ever played? It's like drowning, the sport."
"So do you just hide your hobbies? That sounds tough."
He bit into another strawberry, "Isn't that what you do? Our parents will never change. They only care about money and status. If you're smart, you'll play along and do all the things you're supposed to do, then have a little fun on the side. It's more work and stress, sure, but at least you're not miserable all the time."
Mabel straightened, turning her Pacifica mode back on, "I don't really hide it. I'm kinda just hoping my parents will give up."
Cody snorted, "Fat chance. Hey...you wanna ditch this and do something that's actually fun?"
"Wait, ditch the party? But what if Paci- my parents catch us?"
He laughed and grabbed her shoulders, nearly cupping their entirety with his strong hands, and turned her in a one-eighty, "Look at them. They're so caught up with their dumb politics, they won't notice. They never notice us anyway unless they want something. Come on, we won't go far! Just to the courtyard!"
Oh, he was really close to her. Mabel could feel the warm breath even through the skinsuit. "And do what?"
"Have you ever tried to ride a peacock?"
The past forty minutes were spent trying to navigate the scope of the Northwest lawn in the near pitch black night. Both Mabel and Cody ran around low on the ground, giggling to themselves like idiots and narrowly avoiding security. Whenever flashlights beamed or voices approached, they'd leap into a bush or drop on the ground, then bust into a laughing fit once the coast was clear.
They reached the cluster of grazing peacocks, still snickering, nervous messes. Mabel stroked one of the birds on the back, "So, what now?"
"Alright, just listen carefully. I have years of experience in peacock riding." He squared up his body and knelt next to one of the colorful creatures, poking at the base of its neck, "Here's the deal. One person makes a lot of noise and chases the peacock into the direction of the other person. When the peacock gets close, step to the side, throw your leg up, and you'll catch it. It's all about timing."
"Sounds easy enough! Who's doing the chasing?"
"Me, of course. You'll be doing the riding."
Mabel froze, "Wait, what?"
"Totally. Hey, I've done this before, but it's your first time. Of course you get the honors!"
She's not one to shy away from a new experience. "Alright, but if I get pecked to death your family's paying for the funeral!"
Cody nodded and backed up a step. As if warding off a bear, he made himself as big as possible and began hooting gruff shouts, startling the poor peacock into a frenzy. The flock of feathers on the tail end shot up, flashing Mabel with a series of mossy green and turquoise. Before she knew it, the bird charged at her faster than she could anticipate. Out of sheer instinct, she dashed out of the way, nearly stumbling on her heels. The peacock darted by and she missed her chance.
"Woah! It's faster than a pig, that's for sure!"
Cody had a hand over his mouth, hiding his chortles, "Yeah, they're pretty quick. It's no problem, not everyone gets it on the first try. Here, let's go again. This time you'll be ready!"
Mabel lifted a curious eyebrow, "Just how many people have you taught this to?"
"More than you'd think. Now focus! Peacock incoming!"
Once again, he went through the motions and spooked another nearby peacock, sending it straight toward her. This time, Mabel was ready. She knew how fast the peacock was and when it would pass her.
At around five feet of distance, Mabel went ahead and kicked her leg in the air, spinning her hips and completely repositioning herself. When she let herself go limp, she thankfully didn't get a sore butt on the concrete walkway, she landed right on the peacock's back, just ahead of the big feather veil.
Only a second after onboarding, Mabel realized that getting on wasn't the hard part, it was staying on. She'd ridden ponies, even donkeys on special juice, but peacocks were different. They were nimble, and this one didn't appreciate the added weight, so that made it extra annoyed.
For the ten seconds she remained straddled, she held on for dear life and screamed like a lunatic. It reminded her of those bumper cars at the amusement park back home. They were so old, the modern safety precautions hadn't been updated, so they went faster and bumped harder. Every year as kids, Mom and Dad would drive an hour to take them to the old park, then she and Dipper would get in the cars and see who could knock the other out cold. It was fun until he got a minor concussion on the last trip.
Finally, the peacock made a sharp turn and dumped her off on the grass, leaving her rolling until she stopped face first in the dirt.
Mabel vibrated with laughter, "Hehe, that was awesome!"
Cody closed the distance faster than she anticipated. His hand hooked under her arm and he helped her up, lifting her like a stuffed toy.
"You okay?"
Mabel blew the stray specks of soil on her upper lip, "How'd I do?"
"You're a natural. Even after my brother showed me, it took a whole week to get the hang of it."
"You have a brother? I didn't see him."
Cody's smile dimmed, "Yeah...he sort of got disowned. He got tired of the pressure my parents put on him and left a couple of years ago to go live in Portland. He's happier than ever now. Married, baby on the way, nice, quiet neighborhood..." He sighed, eyes sparkling with pride, "We talk on the phone a lot, but I haven't seen him in person for a while."
Mabel studied his body language. He'd created a front, probably manufactured by his parents, to show off to strangers whenever the brother was mentioned, but hidden deep sat a thick layer of sadness and longing. He clearly missed his brother every day.
It made her think of Dipper. She couldn't imagine a universe where the two of them weren't what they are right now. Two halves of a single piece, an unstoppable duo, the single best pair of twins in existence, among other names. For anything to get in between that...it doesn't sound possible.
But if she's being serious, it does. There were moments last summer where their bond was tested. With something as simple as sharing a room to parting ways for the school year due to paranormal apprenticeships. Even before that, there were times they fought and bickered.
But that's just basic, surface level stuff. Nothing that lasts. There's no way they could actually be broken apart.
Right?
"I'm sorry," Mabel soothed, resting her fingers on his arm sleeve, "I couldn't imagine not seeing my brother for that long."
Cody nodded, then registered what she said. His blue gaze disappeared under suspicious eyelids, "Wait, I was told you're the only child. They never mentioned a brother."
Dang it! She's doing a horrible job at keeping her cover!
She had to say something convincing. Anything! "Oh...yeah! No, not a blood brother, he's actually more like a really close friend! An exchange student that stayed with us for a while! I just consider him a brother!"
"That sounds...interesting. What's his name?"
"Tombu!" Mabel chirped, "Tombu from Africa! Half the time I couldn't understand what he was saying, but we didn't even have to talk! It was like telekathy!"
Cody blinked, "Telepathy?"
"Yeah, that!"
He chuckled, lips stretching in an admiring, but teasing smile. Mabel tilted her head.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just...you're not at all what I expected. Everyone in my family said you were an ungrateful brat, but you're amazing! You've got a magnetic personality!"
"That's what my other uncle says about me!"
Mabel felt the warmth of his hand through the skinsuit on her cheek. The gesture went unnoticed, and it made her gasp softly. He was close. Really close. Close enough she could count his freckles if she wanted, or even his eyelashes.
She didn't blink or swallow or breathe, but her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. Was he really about to do this?
"You're amazing," He whispered, and leaned in.
The grip he had on her cheeks practically held her off the ground, because the rest of her body lost all feeling. The kiss with Mermando had been magical, unexpected, and romantic, but this...this was almost professional, like kissing an actor or an angelic, heavenly being. Cody's lips were soft and hesitant, barely pressed against hers, treading the water before diving deep.
It either lasted two seconds or two minutes. Mabel couldn't tell. Time lost all meaning and warped from a straight line to a chaotic spiral. One thing she did know for sure, is that however long it lasted, it wasn't long enough. As soon as the kiss began, Cody pulled away.
Mabel blinked rapidly. Her lips were still puckered like a dead fish, "Woah..."
Cody let go of her and lost all of his suaveness, "S-Sorry! The moment felt right, so I sort of, you know, went for it."
"Pacifica? Pacifica, what the devil are you doing?!"
The foreign voice invaded their little bubble and popped it. Both teens turned, only to be blinded by a flashlight and approached by two tall shadows.
The piercing white orb threatened to burn Mabel's cornea. It's a shame she vowed a long time ago to never blink in front of a flashlight, under the pretense that she would one day best the tool with her mean stare. A personal conviction that would sadly, cause her to never see again...
Ah, never mind, they put the flashlight down. There's still hope for humanity!
When she was able to see shapes and colors again, she scanned the two people, recognizing the one on the right as Pacifica's dad, and the one holding the flashlight as some random security guard, based on the sunglasses, despite it being dark, and the little radio wire connecting from his suit to his ear.
Mr. Northwest had his arms crossed, "My intention was for you to get to know the boy. Not run off with him in the night to fiddle around with peacocks! There are people in there that I need to introduce you to!"
Cody stepped in front of her, hands up amicably, "Sir, it's my fault. I'm the one that brought her out here."
Pacifica's dad never looked away from Mabel, even as he stormed toward her, pushing Cody aside forcefully with a shove, "Move, boy. One night, Pacifica, that's all I asked of you! One night of behavior! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Mabel couldn't think of a single thing. Her act was pretty much dumped down the drain by this point, abandoned at the first sight of a cute boy. Now, she's busted and probably gotten actual Pacifica grounded for a week.
How stupid could she be? Yet again, she'd lost sight of the mission and indulged her own selfish desires.
But...as long as Mr. Northwest still thinks she's Pacifica, then the mission wouldn't be a total loss. If anything, this is par for the course. Pacifica acts out all the time!
Acting cap back on! "God forbid I actually have fun. Ugh, you're the worst."
Mabel worried she took it too far when he started seething with rage. Uh oh. Maybe she underestimated just how evil the Northwests are. Narcissists sure, but child-beaters? Dark.
Just when she feared she might have to bust out her arsenal of karate moves, Mr. Northwest calmed down and raised a bushy eyebrow. He knelt down slowly, eyes transfixed on her mouth.
"What is that in your mouth?"
Mabel's blood turned cold. The braces!
She just shook her head wildly and put her ventriloquist phase to use, "Uh...nothing!"
"Open your mouth."
She shook her head again.
"Now, Pacifica!"
A slew of options ran through Mabel's brain all at once, screaming at her like gateways to an infinite number of universes. Keep refusing until he gives up? Probably won't work. Run away? They would probably catch her with their long grown-up legs. Hope the peacocks come back for revenge and accidentally peck Mr. Northwest instead of her? Honestly, that's the best choice of the three.
All of a sudden, the already black night obscured further. Every light from inside the Northwest mansion shut off simultaneously.
Mabel could hear Mr. Northwest's voice ascend and turn, "What on Earth?!"
"Sir, the power's been killed!" The security guard said.
"I know that, you dolt! I can clearly see all of the lights cut off from here!"
"Sir, I mean that someone manually shut it off! There's no feasible way we lost power to any other circumstance!"
This was her chance!
Mabel began pacing backwards, "I've gotta get out of here..."
She couldn't see him, but she felt Cody brush against her, "Wait, where are you going?! This is your home!"
"It'll also be my death site if I stick around! I gotta go, Cody!"
She started to take off, but he stopped her by catching her wrist, "Wait! What if we never see each other again?"
Mabel gently broke her wrist free and found his shoulders, reaching up half a foot to do so, "Then this was a heck of a first date!"
She tried to emulate his daring, romantic kiss from earlier, but totally fumbled, catching his eye with her pointed lips rather than his mouth.
"Ow!"
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry! I totally missed!"
"Doesn't matter. It was worth it."
Out of fear for taking out his other eye, she kept her lips to herself, settling for a friendly shoulder pat. She felt as much Cody muscle as she could, then sprinted in the darkness, praying that she wouldn't run into a shrub.
Mr. Northwest's voice trailed behind her, "Pacifica, where are you?! Get over here, now!"
Mabel ignored it and kept running as hard as she could. She didn't know who or what shut the power off, but it just saved her butt. She might be ruining that favor by running off, but she knew she would only make it worse by sticking around. Either way, it was about time for Dipper and Pacifica's date to be over, so best case scenario, they make the switch up within the next hour and the real Pacifica returns in time to get yelled at.
Her buildup of luck must've all poured out in one go, because she managed to run full speed toward where she thought the entrance was without tripping over anything, though she may have ruined a bed of flowers.
The sliver of moon in the sky gave enough light to show her that the gates were close. Fifty feet ahead of her. She was almost home free.
Then, everything got tight.
Ten times worse than the tightness she felt when she first put the skinsuit on, all over her body, squeezing the life out of her muscles and draining the lifeforce from her body. The moon sliver disappeared, her eyes fluttered as she lost consciousness. She fell on the ground, hard on her shoulder.
It was then she remembered that morning, and Mr. Oakle's words.
"If the suit isn't removed twelve hours after you put it on, you'll be trapped inside forever!"
And now her carelessness would be the end of her. Sure, Dipper knows she's here, but he has faith that she'll handle everything without an issue, so even if he suspects something's up, he won't make it in time. She just ditched the only nice person on the property, and even if the security guards wanted to help her, they were all running towards the power outage.
This was it. The end of the line.
There was still so much left to do, though! So much life left to live! She never got to go to that awesome ice cream shop everyone's talking about. She never got to attend prom. She didn't get to fully write her will! Who's gonna tell Waddles that he gets everything?!
Mabel blinked, her last streams of consciousness keeping her vision clear enough to notice something moving in front of her. Her brain was so fuzzy, she couldn't tell if it had been staring at her the entire time or if it just appeared. Whatever it was, it blended with the night, the edges of its silhouette curling and flapping with the wind.
The figure bent down directly above Mabel. It may have been a trick of her current dazed state, but she could've sworn she saw a pair of eyes beneath the black silhouette, staring into her soul.
They spoke; their voice muffled and enhanced with a voice changer to be extremely coarse and robotic, "Don't worry, I've got you."
Mabel felt something wrap around her hand and then her entire body drag against the walkway. The last thing she heard before she passed out was the creaking of the entrance gates.
When she awoke, Mabel felt light as a feather.
She was laying on something cold, solid and flat. It took a few blinks and eye rubs to gather her bearings. She craned her neck up and looked around, finding herself inside a familiar room, filled with cylindrical tanks and skinsuit shelves.
She was back at the tailor shop.
"Ah, you're awake! Good!"
Mr. Oakle came to stand next to the table, removing a pair of goggles, "Can you still feel your fingers? Are your nerves working? Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?"
Mabel counted three, "Three? Is this a trick question? By the way, what the heck happened?"
"I can't speak for you, but late last night someone dropped you off here. And it's a good thing they did! A few minutes more and you would've been trapped in that skinsuit forever!"
She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to search her mind for any semblance of memory after passing out near the gates. Nothing came. She must've been out cold the entire night. Quickly, she brought her hands in front of her and tugged at the red shirt she was wearing under the Pacifica outfit. The old man really had taken it off.
"What time is it?"
"Five in the morning. You were out a few hours. The skinsuits have that effect, and sadly, I haven't been able to create an antidote to their natural shrinkage. I can only use the machine to cut through the vulnerable spot."
Mabel laid back on the table, staring up at the ceiling with a blank stare. What the heck was going on? She would've recognized anyone that knew about the plan. If it were Dipper or Soos or even Wendy, they would've identified themselves, but this person didn't, so it was a stranger. But why would some rando help her out? It made no sense.
Unless...
She didn't want to believe it, but it was the only explanation. The creepy author helped Dipper out by letting him have that fourth journal, which in turn led to the werewolf sword, the solution to beating those spider-bats, Cupid's psychotic methods, among other things she probably doesn't know about. What if now...they're helping her instead?
But why? Why switch from Dipper to her?
"Did you see what they looked like? The person that left me here, I mean."
"No," Mr. Oakle answered, his voice at the other side of the room, "They were fleeing by the time I reached you. It looked like they were hidden beneath a poncho, or a robe. Cloak? Yes, cloak, that's the correct term."
A cloak matched what Dipper told her that person was wearing in the woods the morning he saw them watching him. The same time he found that sword.
It had to be the new author then.
Mabel closed her eyes, finding that they were beginning to sting from exhaustion. Which was funny, considering she'd been out cold for several hours. The information overload must be getting to her. She didn't want to even think about what all of this meant, or just how much time this weirdo spent watching her. But bottom line; she had to tell Dipper about all of this. At first, it had been an afterthought, a Dipper-oriented problem that she'd help with if he needed it.
Things have changed now. It wasn't like before when the author was some faraway, unreachable figure that every mystery revolved around. Grunkle Ford is family, and his work had been for the greater good. This person...isn't faraway at all. They're right here, inserting themself in her and Dipper's lives, playing some weird game.
Mr. Oakle returned to the table side. Something metallic clanked beside her hip. "Here's your phone. Oh, and a note. I believe the person that brought you here left it for you." The slip of paper sat between his fingers, inches from Mabel's face.
She took it carefully, flattening it out in her palm and squinting. The paper itself fit inside the curve of it like a glove, no bigger than a fortune in a cookie. The contents were even smaller, scribbled in a...rather beautiful and creative cursive pattern.
Your brother has a friend from afar
and now so do you!
Just remember
It takes two to save the world.
-x-