5. Video

[starry_forehead]

[Hey it's the not so social mystery twin and...um. Well he looks ....really sad.]

Hey, it's Dipper. I know Mabel has a lot of friends here so I thought I should make a post. ...If you don't know already. Mabel's...Mabel's gone.

Again.

....I've got one of her pokemon with me and I tried for like hours to get her on the gear so I think she's really gone.

[There's a Minior floating around Dipper, next to his normal Phantump.]

I don't really know anything more then that. I really wish this place-....

-anyway, If you need me, I'm probably going to be ...I don't know I'll think of something. Maybe I wrote off going off by myself to explore, too quickly....

Um...yeah. That's all.

[And he'll shut the gear off. Feel free to reply, he's just....not good at this.]

Comments

[notvaljean]

Shit.

[Yeah, that about sums it up.]

You want to come ride around in FCAB for awhile? Bertolt's been making some new pastries that are really good, and if you don't tell Ford, I'll make you some coffee.

[fuelthefire]

....Sunshine's gone?

[WTF is going on, is it something in the water? Why are so many people disappearing all of a sudden?]

That's super butts, little dude.

[private text message]

[meteorman]

[OH BOY THIS SUCKS. It's like Ford Pines is limited to a set number of close personal relationships and every time he forms a new one, an old one has to disappear. Time to call up Arceus and complain. After he checks in with Dipper, obviously.]

If you want to get lost somewhere for an extended period of time, Ilex Forest is very nice this time of year.

[private text message]

[starry_forehead]

That might be fun to explore...kind of. Everything's a lot less fun with Mabel gone.

[It's not like they were always together but he knew she was around, he could talk to her about things. He could get ideas. Get her feedback on his plans, even if she laughed at some.]

Before this I thought I'd finally figured out what I wanted to do here but...it's not really the same by myself.

[starry_forehead]

Yeah.

Yeah it really is.

[Dipper is starting to wonder the same thing.]

She came back once but ...I don't really want to get my hopes up.

[starry_forehead]

Yeah.

[He can agree with swearing without swearing.]

Um....I'm not sure. Hypothetically, how bad do you think it would be if I just went and wandered in the woods for a few months.

[Pines men, they take bad news well and do not do rash things they regret latter.]

[notvaljean]

Hypothetically, I think that would be a bad idea.

[Jean's voice is soft and gentle.]

I've been there, Dipper... isolating yourself sounds good, but it doesn't help. Not in the long run, it doesn't.

[starry_forehead]

.....yeah. It makes things worse.

[He has some prime examples in his family.]

It just....sounds easier.

[meteorman]

I can't tell you it will get easier. I've spent years here without Stanley and I still miss him as much as I did the first day.

[Someone else would probably say something like 'it will be okay' or 'you'll feel better in a while' but Ford, possibly due to his own utter lack of social graces, has never been one for platitudes. Sometimes that works out well for him.]

It helps to remember that he'd probably punch me in the shoulder for moping too much.

[starry_forehead]

Yeah.

I mean Mabel would probably do the same thing.

It's just....maybe this place made a mistake. Maybe it was supposed to send me back. Mabel has a lot more friends here and she's even beaten some gyms. It would make more sense.

[Hey it's Dipper's insecurities, he was doing so well with it too but yeah.]

NO!! ILLEGAL

[meteorman]

[Oof.]

Who comes and who goes here has nothing to do with merit, Dipper. It's all random chance. That she's gone and you're still here doesn't mean anything about you.

PINES FAMILY INSECURITIES

[starry_forehead]

We don't know that for sure though. I mean we don't even know how people come and go from this world. It could be one of the legendary pokemon just ....picking people.

[He's not totally convinced but the thought won't leave his mind and well. It's Dipper.]

[bertall]

_{[Ah, shit.]}

I'm with Jean, Dipper. You're more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you need.

_{[If something were to happen to Jean, he wouldn't want to be left alone despite how much he'd feel he needed it.]}

[starry_forehead]

It....would probably be better then going and getting lost in a forest.

[Because part of him really wants to be left alone and another part doesn't want to be alone....and he just wants his sister back.]

[notvaljean]

It's easier at first. But then you're alone with your thoughts, and you keep going over everything in your head, and it's just... it's not a good thing. It's not healthy.

Why don't you come travel around in FCAB with Bertolt and I? You can see more of the world, and maybe train up your Pokemon for a gym?

[starry_forehead]

That's.....exactly what would happen.

[Not including his luck that he'd get seriously lost or wander into something dangerous.]

Maybe I should try for a gym or two...it would be something to distract me.

You guys really don't mind?

[fuelthefire]

Mnng. I know the feeling.

[Boy, does he ever. Two of his best girls have come and gone two times each, now. 8(]

You're her brother, right?

[meteorman]

[This family is all you'd need to write an entire book on feelings of inadequacy.]

If that were true it wouldn't have swapped Stanley out for me. He was flourishing here. Do you know he used to paint eggs with glitter and sell them at increased rates as 'guaranteed shiny'?

[This is text but the fondness can probably come through in typed words all the same.]

[bertall]

It sounds like it'd be a good idea, but it's...

_{[Bertolt rubs the back of his neck, brows knitting together.]}

It gets lonely and sometimes it can make things feel worse. I've been in your position before and sometimes having someone around helps, even if it's just sitting around with them in silence.

[starry_forehead]

Yeah. She's my twin.

[starry_forehead]

[You so very much could. Also that bit makes Dipper laugh a bit, even sadly.]

That sounds like something he would do.

....you're probably right. I just. I don't know. Maybe I just want a reason even if that reason isn't logical.

This place is really cool but I hate that we know so little about how people come and go. It's not fair.

[Nothing is fair about this]

[starry_forehead]

That's.....probably true.

It's just she was...back! She came back and she remembered everything. Why did they have to take her away again?

[Yeah it's still really raw right now.]

I think this place has something against having twins around.

Audio

[thedifferencebetween]

Well that sucks, kid, sorry to hear it. I mean I didn't know her but I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you're pretty upset. And that sucks.

Makes ya wonder what the algorithm is.

Audio

[starry_forehead]

Thanks.

If there was some way to figure out how we get brought here, then maybe we could figure out more details but no one I ask seems to know anything.

Maybe it is totally random.

Audio

[thedifferencebetween]

Yeah, well. I know just how much it sucks.

Probably. What do ya expect when a magic space llama is pulling on the strings?