2. Video

[starry_forehead]

[Hey everyone remember that really excited kid who wanted to gather information together and was being a happy nerd about it? Yeah he's not doing well. The gear is in his hands and there's a pink Minior floating around him like a satellite, along with a Phantump floating next to his shoulder. As though they're trying to calm him down.

It's not working. He's spent a day searching and now he's getting desperate.]

Come on. Come on....work why don't you!

[The view shakes as he hits the gear a few times.]

Mabel, I know you're there.....just answer the gear! I don't know where you went but ....Little Dipper is here and now he won't stop following me. .....is this a prank? Because....

....This...this isn't funny.... 

Mabel?

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[meteorman]

[Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, god dammit, Ford knows what this means and he knows that no matter how many times Dipper calls she won't answer. The last time he lost the twins, he lost them more or less together. He was alone and that was one thing, that was fine, because he'd been alone before. This is worse, and Ford's just no good at the kind of platitudes that might make it better. What he can do is the kind of damage control he knows, which will just have to be enough.]

Deep breaths, Dipper. Calm down.

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[starry_forehead]

Grunkle Ford?

[And he's....just...yeah breathing too quickly because what is going on?]

Grunkle Ford, I can't find Mabel! She...she was just here like this morning and now....now I can't ....I can't ....

[He's trying to calm down, he really is. But he doesn't want to think, because if he thinks... he'll know what's really happened.]

I can't find her....

[meteorman]

I know. This isn't the first time this has happened.

[This isn't even the first Mabel it's happened to. And in the back of his mind a voice says what if Dipper is next? What if you lose them again? It's like now that he's finally in a position to care about his family, he's doomed to never be able to keep them for very long.]

You can rest assured that if what I think has happened has happened, she isn't in any danger.

[starry_forehead]

[Hearing that. Dipper just kind of slumps. Because he trusts Ford and as much as he doesn't want to believe it....Dipper kind of knew already. So Ford ....not saying he's wrong, kinda just ....proves it.

He suddenly hates being right. He just....leans against the side of the bed, his hat covering his eyes. He's suddenly just quiet....and almost numb sounding.]

Yeah.....

Penny said the last time I was here and ....Mabel left..... I went and got lost in the woods. She's probably safer back home with Stan.

[He pauses for a moment because...it's not fair.]

.....Grunkle Ford.....why couldn't they bring both of them? ....and keep them here? Why am I here but Mabel's gone?

[Video]

[in4apounding]

[Penny at least has the foresight to try dialing Mabel's gear herself before answering Dipper. This would be a lot meaner than she'd except of a prank from Mabel, but she needs to be sure.]

network_err:: PokéNet ID# not in service

[Oh.]

Dipper, I'm so sorry. Where are you?

[Video]

[starry_forehead]

[He'd tried that too, he just ....wants to believe it's ....not that.]

We're.....I'm in Blackthorn.

.....we were going to go looking for dragons but she's...not here.

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[lordofthefries]

[Knowing what it meant when other people's Pokemon suddenly showed up in your mailbox, Sasha wish there was something else she could say to alleviate Dipper's anxiety. She doesn't want to be That Person to tell him. In fact, she doesn't even want to know that she has to tell him, but between having three of Mabel's and two of another friend's Pokemon, today is a rough day to test out her ability to lie.]

I'm sorry.

[It's all she can say right now. She wouldn't fault him if he was confused over what she was apologizing for.]

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[starry_forehead]

[It's okay Sasha, two other people will have beat you too it. One of them being his Grunkle, so that's a hard one to ignore.]

[Dipper meanwhile is not just sitting against the side of the bed. The Phantump resting on his shoulder now. His voice is quieter then normal. She's probably never heard Mabel really sad, but it's similar. They're alike in a lot of ways. Even if they do seem like polar opposites at times.]

It's not fair.....we're supposed to be a team.

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[lordofthefries]

[Oh, thank the Pokemon gods. She's no good at this emotional therapy stuff.

And no, she's never heard Mabel at any level except 200% EXCITEMENT, but hearing Dipper like this breaks her heart. She liked Mabel. A lot. Felt that for once in her life, Sasha was making her own set of friends. But that is nowhere near the level of closeness Dipper had with Mabel and as an only child, Sasha will never understand that, so she won't try.]

You're still a team. [The words come out without her thinking over them first. Nothing new for Sasha, really, but then she takes a minute to consider tacking something on that makes more sense.] Just because she isn't here right now doesn't mean you're still not a team. A team doesn't break up just because of distance.

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[starry_forehead]

[And Dipper knows Mabel really liked Sasha. You couldn't travel with Mabel without hearing about who, what and everything she liked. So he tries to listen better, even though part of him just wants to curl up.]

.....You think so?

[Which was for the best because she raised a good point.]

It's just....I mean we weren't attached at the hip or anything but we've never really been apart for a long time and ....just here ...there's no way to know....when I'll see her again.

[He's got first hand experience in his family of twins being separated for years....did not go well.]

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[bertall]

<sub>[...Oh no.

He doesn't like this-- He's lost people before too, but never anyone who was that close. Nobody that was directly family, except maybe Reiner if he's allowed to count those weekends where things got weird..

It's an awful feeling.]</sub>

...Dipper?

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[starry_forehead]

[Dipper isn't here, he's in hat town.....no but he's against the side of the bed and picks up the gear. Oh, someone he knows.]

Hey.

[He just sounds quiet and sad. Which....given how excited and excitable he's been about everything here, from sentient balloons trying to kidnap him to giant jellyfish portal monsters....it's not that great of a sign.]

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[bertall]

_{[Hat town sounds awfully lonely, Dipper.]}

Hey, uh...

_{[Man, Bertolt has definitely been there. It takes his Aggron nudging his elbow to pull him from his thoughts, and he tilts his head a little towards the 'gear.]}

Where are you right now?

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[starry_forehead]

[Hat town is very lonely.]

We're.....

[No...not that anymore.]

...I'm in Blackthorn City

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[notvaljean]

[Ah, dammit. Jean has seen this scene play out enough times to know what's happened here, but that doesn't make it any easier. Especially not when it's someone as close as Mabel was to Dipper.]

[It's awhile before Jean contacts him; he figures that there are other people--closer people--who will have gotten to Dipper before him. He spent more time around Mabel, so this is the Pines twin he's more uncertain about. But he can't just say nothing.]

Hey. How're you doing?

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[starry_forehead]

[Most people spend more time with Mabel. It's one of Dippers bigger insecurities. He's just not good at the social thing like she is.]

....I'm....

[He pauses though so that's a better sign.]

I don't...know. I don't think it's really hit me yet. I knew it was amazing that we showed up together and found each other on the first day. And I know there was another version of me here that lost their Mabel too.

I guess I just ...didn't want to think she'd get taken away from me. We're ....a team. She's my best friend.

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[notvaljean]

[Jean can relate to that, actually. For three years he was one half of a best friend pair that was the jerkass half, and hence everyone wanted to spend more time with his friend than with him. He gets the kind of creeping insecurity that can bring.]

I'm sorry.

[Because really, what more is there to say?]

Is she going back home to something good?

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[starry_forehead]

[Dipper pauses and then looks to the side.]

Not ....really.

I'm from after everything....happened but she was right before it really got started.

It's ....we got through it all and no one died... and I don't remember her missing during it so I know there's a version of me there with her....

But, it's going to get really bad.

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[schachmeister]

[Armin knows that by now Dipper must have been told what has happened to Mabel, so he'll skip that part. He doubts Dipper wants to hear that again. Which just leaves him with:]

I'm sorry, Dipper. It's rough, I know.

[He wishes there is something he could say that would make it all better for Dipper, but he also knows from experience there is nothing that can do that. Nothing but time.]

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[starry_forehead]

[Yeah, he's got the message by now. He still hates it.]

Thanks....

[Just....kinda numb.]

I thought this place was really neat. It had all sorts of mysteries and weird creatures.....people actually took me seriously instead of writing me off as a little kid.

I don't care about any of that. If it took Mabel, it should have taken me too. Or left her here. We're a team.

Whoever's in charge of bringing and taking people....I hate them.

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[schachmeister]

I felt the same way when this place sent Eren home. I mean, he is not my twin, so I understand our situations aren't exactly the same, but it was still painful. We had never been apart before.

Even now, it still feels strange. Sometimes I find something cool, and I'm already halfway up to go show him when I remember he's not there.

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[starry_forehead]

[He nods slightly.]

Yeah. Mabel and I haven't really been apart for a long time either.

People ask me where I am and I keep almost saying "we're in" before I remember that....it's just me.

I know I have to move on and go and do stuff but part of me just feels guilty.

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[whatsacactus]

[He may not have lost anyone specifically here, but he has lost people before. And he knows the 'I'm sorry's always feel empty. Besides, everyone's already gotten that covered.]

If she's really gone, the best thing you can do is hope and hold on for her.

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[starry_forehead]

Well apparently she is.

[As much as he wants to just flat out deny it. Dipper has to own up to reality. Even if the reality sucks.]

.....what do you mean hold on for her?

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[whatsacactus]

You're twins, right?

No idea what that's like, but. [God. Hey, he really hopes his two best friends aren't going to hear this.]

I've lost people closest to me. Too many times. [His mother. His father. Shiro, Matt.] The last time, I knew they'd have to come back.

Mabel'll be back. So hold on for her.