[MAY 2022 | GRAVITY FALLS, OR] they're going door to door with lamp-black eyes

[mabeljuice]

♫ wild waste and welter- jeffrey foucault

 

After arriving back in Gravity Falls, Dipper learns that Bill is, indeed, back, and that the cryptic encoded messages all over the Shack were just taunts. Stan is still missing and there aren't any leads on where he's gone, but before Dipper can even start his investigation, he's pulled into a completely different mystery- a series of murders that Mabel and Wendy have been investigating.

In pursuit of their prey, the trio investigate a motel near the woods, only to find themselves face to face with a strange humanoid monster, capable of contorting its body into small spaces that seems to be preying on the livers of its victims. Dipper and Mabel manage to take it down, but not before having a heart-to-heart about the nature of their estranged relationship.

The twins carry the monster's body back to the Shack where Dipper sets up shop in the basement. His autopsy and toxicology report reveal that the monster is actually a mysterious mutated human with a strange chemical substance in its bloodstream. I'm sure it's fine.

Dipper works late into the night, but there's still more to be done. Wendy has revealed that there is government facility in Gravity Falls now that none of them has been able to get into. The Gleefuls are currently running the town, and Gideon has his own little "flock" of believers, who seem to be both enamored and fearful of him. And that's only just the surface. Things have been getting much weirder in Gravity Falls, and the Mystery Twins are back together and on the case.

Mabel usually sleeps in on days the Shack isn't due to open, so Dipper has some time before she wakes up to do some investigating on his own if he chooses. 

Comments

[mabeljuice]

Lazy Susan cackles, like that's terribly funny for some reason, though there's a definite anxiety to the way she laughs that even a terrible wisdom check would catch being this close to her. "Silly," she pats him on the shoulder. "Take a seat, you kids. I'll be with you in a jiff."

Mabel steers her brother away the second Susan releases him and all but shoves him into a corner booth, breathing a sigh of relief. Her hands fumble for the napkin with the silverware and she unwraps it anxiously, pulling out the spoon, breathing on it, and placing it on her nose. The silly gesture seems to relax her somewhat.

(Spot check pls, Dipper)

[lowvi]

Dipper frowns at Mabel as they sit down because this reads a whole lot like another thing Mabel conveniently failed to update him on. He looks around as they sit down (spot 18) before leaning forward.

"Mabel," he says, his voice low. He manages to make it not sound too annoyed. But only just. Her silly spoon antics will not distract him.

[mabeljuice]

The older woman seems to be about to slide out of her stool, which Dipper sees clearly- so well, in fact, that they probably make eye contact before the man Dipper spotted in one of the booths, slides in beside him, cutting him off from the woman and basically aborting her attempt to leave.

"Hey, Mabel. Are you seriously not gonna introduce me to your brother?"

The spoon doesn't detach from Mabel's nose as she attempts to tilt her head back enough to keep it balanced and talk at the same time. "We were actually just talking about you, Mr. Whorl. Dipping Sauce, this is Holiday's dad."

The man proceeds to stick his hand almost in Dipper's face. "Dennis Whorl. Pleased to meet you."

[lowvi]

Dipper tries not to lean back too much as he gingerly takes Mr. Whorl's hand. "Dipper Pines. But I guess you know that." Since apparently he's a fanboy. He glances over at Mabel, then looks back at the man. "Your daughter's... nice."

[mabeljuice]

Another man, who had apparently not been sticking his head out to watch Dipper and Mabel's entrance, slides into the seat beside Mabel with a resigned sort of expression. He's youngish- not much older than Dipper and Mabel, with a neatly trimmed beard. "Nice in a much more tolerable way than her father," he says, looking long-suffering.

Dennis waves a hand at him. "My research assistant, Wolf Muldoon."

Mabel beams at both of them, finally letting the spoon drop into her outstretched palm. "Guys, Dipper's only been in town a day. Let him breathe."

Muldoon looks like he agrees with this sentiment entirely, but Dennis just holds up his hands defensively. "I was gonna wait 'til you kids left, but I wasn't just gonna let Sweet Tooth over here snake her way in." He jerks a thumb subtly towards the older woman at the counter who is now chatting animatedly with Lazy Susan.

[lowvi]

"Right, I forgot I'm a celebrity now. Everyone wants to meet me." Dipper rolls his eyes, then nods at Muldoon. "Nice to meet you." He won't... comment on the tolerableness of any of them yet. Right now, he's mostly just feeling cornered, though at least these are people Mabel likes. Could be way worse.

Speaking of which.... he looks over at the older woman, then back at Mabel. "Yeah, what's her deal?"

[mabeljuice]

Mabel slouches into her seat, looking embarrassed- whether for herself or for Dipper it's not really clear. Possibly both. The fact that Dipper looks at her and not to the two men, however, brightens her up a bit, even if her answer isn't very good. "She works with those government guys out in the woods."

"More like runs them," Dennis says, with a grim bitterness. "She's head of the whole operation. Not that you could tell it- she sends her boy toy flunkee to do most of her business, but she's always here in town, ordering coffee with eight spoons of sugar and a slice of pie."

"He knows that," Muldoon adds, expression aggrieved, "because we're always here waiting for them."

Mabel swallows and fiddles with her phone. "Yeeeeaaaah, Stan and I mostly kept out of that business." For good reasons. Mostly being Stan hates government officials and Mabel is protective of her grunkle.

[lowvi]

That doesn't surprise Dipper. Stan wasn't happy to see the feds the first time they showed up. No surprise he hadn't warmed up to them now that they were everywhere.

The fact that Muldoon and Whorl are waiting for them is... more surprising. Mabel seems to trust them, enough that Dennis' daughter is working for her, but how are they connected to the woman?

"Waiting for them?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.