victory_road | [Video]

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[Video]

[The video coming on is somewhat accidental. Whoever is fumbling with it was clearly trying to get it out of wherever it was--a pocket? A bag?--and they must have flipped it on in the process. After a few seconds they manage to get it out of wherever it was stuck and the video goes a bit crazy as the ‘gear clatters to the ground.

A soft glow illuminates the room briefly as a Minior comes into view, the red little star Pokemon smiling dumbly at the screen before it’s suddenly grabbed--well, more like hugged, actually, as a little girl comes into view.]

Did it break, Little Dipper? Oh, hey, I think it’s recording--hi everyone that can see this!!

[Mabel grins and picks her ‘gear up with her free hand, her Minior currently tucked underneath her other arm and looking rather pleased about it.]

I’m Mabel and this is Little Dipper! Oh and this is my brother Dipper!

[Cue her turning the camera on her brother.]

Dipper say hi!

[There’s a boy in the background, with a Phantump floating next to him. They seem to be studying where they are. At least they were, before Dipper turns to see the gear pointed at him.]

Mabel! What are you doing? No one needs to see this!

Don’t be such a spoilsport, Dipper! It’s just a new adventure!

[Under her arm, Little Dipper thrummed though whether it was in agreement or just because he could was hard to say.]

Plus we can’t be the first people to end up here…

[By now it should be clear that they are in a jail cell. Dipper folds his arms]

For trying to steal an old ladies kittens? Or should I say, accessory to SOMEONE trying to make off with a bunch of kittens?

If you had helped we totally could have gotten away but noooo!

You shouldn’t have been doing it in the first place! Now we have to break out of jail! ...uh...ignore that last part people ….. I meant serve our time….

[Whispers to Mabel.]

I really think you should stop broadcasting this now….

[Insert a snort from Mabel as she turns the ‘gear back on herself properly and playfully rolls her eyes.]

Don’t mind him! He’s just nervous because the Jenny ladies said we have to stay here for a few days. Anyway, maybe someone out there watching knows how we can get out of here, Dipper! Did you ever think of that??

[Cue her sticking her tongue out as Little Dipper thrums again.]

Yeah and their advice is probably going to be, you got arrested, do your time.

[Meanwhile his own pokemon is examining the bars and lock. Dipper is just going to move to hide the pokemon from the view of the gear.]

Maybe, maybe not! Only one way to find out! [A pause as she looks over at them and narrows her eyes, slowly grinning.] What’s Crafty doing?

Uh...nothing...nothing...just um looking around! Right Crafty?

[The Phantump looks over and nods...very normal]

...You two are trying to break out aren’t you??

Mabel turn the gear off!

Oh you are so going to break us out of here! Go Crafty go! You can do it!

Mabel!

[There is a sudden child scramble for the gear and in the chaos it gets turned off.]

[ooc: replies will be from both Dipper and Mabel. Threadjacking is a possibility.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's in the Pines genetic code to never stay in a jail as long as they're supposed to.

[he's having.... A lot of feelings. Like five, at least. Which means doing the other patented Pines thing and sidestepping neatly around said emotions with a joke.]

[Okay so Mabel is...extremely confused right now and it shows on her face. This guy looks a lot like Grunkle Stan but it's not?]

...Why do you look like Grunkle Stan?

[When it doubt, ask outright.]

[Wait...wait...wait.]

Mabel....that's Grunkle Ford. You know...Stans twin brother?

....He's the whole reason Stan was building that portal thing in the basement.

We have two Grunkles? Wait--Grunkle Stan has a twin?!

Yeah.

Um....Mabel, what's the last thing you remember?

[He knows timeline things exist but he's still worried about a memory gun being used.]

[Mabel frowns slightly, glancing down at her hands.]

We..we were all in the basement with that weird machine Grunkle Stan built and you and Soos told me to hit the button but Grunkle Stan told me not to and I told him I trusted him and didn't hit it.

Oh.

[Well it wasn't that...long ago.]

....you did the right thing Mabel.

Dipper, what's...

[She pauses, biting her bottom lip before shaking her head.]

We need to focus on getting out of here, right?

Yeah.

We can talk after, Mabel. I promise.

[She might not remember them drifting apart and how stupid Dipper had been about it, but he's not going to make the same mistake again. He promised her that no matter what happened in the future they'd face it together and he was going to keep that promise.]

[Oh.

You know, after Fiddleford he probably should have figured this was coming. The lack of recognition in her eyes cuts through his joy like a knife and settles in the pit of his stomach, a dead weight. For him it's been a year and a half of missing her but for her time has gone backward. Or simply hasn't moved forward the right amount. Time is stupid, is the point, and it keeps playing this trick on him. That's what it has to be, because Mabel's a jokester but this isn't the kind of joke she'd think was funny.]

I... mm.

[It looks like Dipper's on it, which is bolstering, but still.]

He's my brother.

[Mabel is distracted momentarily by her brother cutting in though she glances back at the 'gear to peer at Ford when she's told that he's Stan's twin brother.

Okay yeah that makes sense.

Wait.]

You...were the reason he built that weird machine? Why he didn't want me to hit the button?

The override? I assume so.

[He's not going to quibble about who actually built what. Stanley was the one who fixed it up and got it working, with almost no formal training. The credit really does go to him at this point.

He... you know, he didn't actually know until now how very close he came to not ever going home.]

[She looks down, trying to sort through this all before glancing off screen--most likely at Dipper. This whole thing is unnerving her more than she wants to admit and she doesn't know what to do right now.]

I...I'm sorry I don't know who you are.

[Why doesn't she know you but Dipper does? This is weird and not right. They always know the same things!]

It isn't your fault. It's timeline confusion, it's... not actually all that uncommon.

[It's dumb science bullshit and not anything that can be helped. He just kind of selfishly wishes it would happen to someone else for a change. Having to re-earn his family and friends after he already did is just kind of rubbing it in, isn't it?

But, well. Stanford Pines never got anywhere by not forging stubbornly ahead.]

Here. I think I have something that may cheer you up.

[He reaches into his coat and pulls out a dozing Pumpkaboo. It's extra-extra small size, smaller than the smallest pumpkin, like one of those decorative ones that aren't good for anything but putting in centerpieces and on the corners of dressers and between punchbowls at the Halloween party.]

Really?

[Because man does she feel like it's her fault right now.

She manages to focus on the 'gear rather than Dipper, curious what he has to show her and she's definitely not disappointed. Her expression definitely perks up at the sight of the Pumpkaboo and the little girl even manages a faint smile.]

It's so little! What is it? It's..that's a Pokemon, right?

Really. It just means we'll be playing catch-up for a little while.

[And it will mean going through the whole sordid life story again, and reliving all his worst moments again, but she loved him anyway the first time and maybe he can believe she'll love him anyway this time too.

Haha this is more emotions than he thought he'd be dealing with today.]

It is! It's a Pumpkaboo. The come in all sizes, but this is the smallest one I have personally ever seen. His name is Samhain. He just hatched today.

[IT'S SMALL AND ALSO A BABY

Look. He and Mabel have some overlapping interests, but there are also a lot of ways in which he has to meet her halfway. This is one of those ways. He's got a pretty good idea of the kind of things she likes.

It helps that she's really loud about the kind of things she likes.]

..Okay. I think--that sounds like a plan to me.

[But there was still the whole 'Her and Dipper not being from the same point in time' thing that was going to have her off kilter for quite some time. This was just a mess and she had no idea what she was going to do.

At least for now, right this minute, she could focus on that cute little Pumpkaboo this guy--her..other Grunkle..was showing her.]

He's so cute and tiny and he looks like he should be on a hat or something! A witch's hat! [She's brightening a bit more now or wait no maybe that's just the glow from Little Dipper bobbing into view to get a peek.] Someone told me I could find a boyfriend for Miss Bonnie and then I could have all the Skitties I wanted. Is that what you did to get Samhain?

[At the mention of Miss Bonnie, something definitely moves underneath Mabel's sweater near her neck.]

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Grunkle Ford!

You're here too?

[Thank sweet little baby Moses in the reeds, Dipper at least knows him. Which raises several questions about timelines, but that's probably for the two of them to work out between themselves. There's palpable relief in Ford's tone when he answers.]

Yes! Yes I am. I've been here since the August before last.

And never once been to jail, might I add.

....But I just saw you yesterday?

[Now with Mabel...]

Is that a timeline thing...too? Like with Mabel?

[The thing with Mabel had better be a timeline thing because his first thought was the memory gun and that someone used it on her to delete Ford. But if she only remembers not hitting the button that makes no sense and agh.]

[The jail thing he just shrugs.]

We ended up in jail in Gravity Falls for a night, after the first few days there too. Thanks to Stan and his "family bonding time" really being counterfeiting. At least this one we're...

...uh totally going to serve our time in.

[They're breaking out.]

No you aren't.

[Dipper, please. Nobody in this family ever stays incarcerated longer than a day or so, regardless of sentence.]

As for seeing me yesterday: it is very likely something to do with timeline displacement, yes. You can take comfort in knowing that as far as I'm aware being here does nothing to disrupt the natural flow of time in our native dimension -- or at least I have never heard any reports of such a thing happening.

[After all, if Mabel and Fiddleford were drawn here so long ago (in terms of their timeline) then either they are from a Gravity Falls where two of the most instrumental people in stopping Weirdmageddon aren't present for it, or this universe is somehow paradox-free. It's not impossible.

Really he kind of likes the idea of a paradox-free pocket dimension vacation. It's not the retirement he wanted, and it won't be unless Stan is hiding in that cell somewhere, but it's something.]

Ha...ha...I have no idea what you're talking about....

[Looking around to make sure there's no Jennies around before leaning in.]

Okay no we're not. We're breaking out ....and I think McGucket's coming to get us with a giant robot. ....because it's McGucket I guess.

[Dipper sighs a bit.]

Oh good. Someone was telling Mabel that pigs are only for eating and now she's terrified someone's going to eat Waddles while we're gone. I told her Stan would punch anyone who tried, but now she's freaked out. She's probably going to have nightmares....At least the time thing might help calm her down a bit.

I'm sure Waddles will be fine.

[That pig survived the apocalypse. He's strong. Rugged. He's got this.

At the mention of Fiddleford his face does something very odd. It's like a mix between a smile and a frown, like it doesn't know which it wants to be. Fiddleford is another person who didn't remember him, and things have complicated their relationship significantly since. He already lost his best friend and got him back again once and now he's back in the uncomfortable position of not really knowing how to proceed.]

I admit I was considering flying over myself, though it may take me a little longer considering I would be riding a living creature as opposed to a robot that doesn't need rest.

I keep telling her that. But it'll take some time.

[He knows her.]

We could meet up with you? Does McGucket know where you are?

[He saw that look Ford....]

We've been staying in the same city.

[So... kind of. But Fiddleford doesn't know where in Goldenrod Ford is, not unless he's found out by other means. Ford has been giving him space. That's the only thing he can do that he's sure won't cause any harm. That's the last thing he'd want when the state the man's in is mostly his fault to begin with.

He built that gun, but you drove him to it.]

But it's... large.

[Mm boi]