Day One; After Body Announcement, Before House of Horrors in the afternoon

[ineptus]

[A lot about today has Mabel rattled, and the previous night didn't help any at all. So once investigations get under way and after the debacle with the whole newspaper deal, Mabel takes Dipper back to her room to talk, sitting down on the bed. Because there are Things to discuss.]

...Dipper, I don't like this game. I don't like any of the rules or any of the roles or anything.

Comments

[terci]

...and we're already big enough targets on our own. Who wouldn't go after a couple of kids who can't even defend themselves..

[ineptus]

But we can defend ourselves! [Even though tears are threatening to spill down her cheeks and she wants to let them, her voice is firm when she says this.]

What about the gnomes? Or the lake monster? What about those wax statues? What about that awful shapeshifter? What about those dumb golf balls? What about Gideon? What about Bill?!

[Rubbing at her eyes, she sniffles a little.]

We can defend ourselves just fine. You can defend yourself. You're so smart Dipper and it's always you protecting me in the end...so...so don't say we're defenseless!

[terci]

[He looks at her, tears had already made their way onto his cheeks as he was lost in his troubling thoughts, but at his sisters words, the tightness of his chest felt a little lighter. He wipes his eyes on his arm and gives Mabel a nod and a smile.]

Yeah... yeah you're right! We've already defeated people trying to kill us, even Gideon's giant robot!

[ineptus]

Exactly! I mean come on, this is nothing.

[How many pep talks are they going to give each other? Maybe this will finally be the last one. Maybe they will finally take all of this seriously and they won't need to reiterate all of this again.]

With your brains and my adorable face, we'll make it out just fine.

[terci]

[So many pep talks... but Dipper's decided this will definitely be the last one. Even if he still has his doubts, he's going to try his damn hardest to figure out everything. To figure out who the VIPs are so they can beat them, who the mastermind behind everything is, how to get back home.. he'll solve all those mysteries! He can't let himself give up or get scared when it's just the beginning!

If not for himself, but at least for Mabel's sake.]

[Speaking of Mabel, he's just gonna punch her arm affectionately hard.]

We're not the Mystery Twins for nothing!

[ineptus]

[She just laughs, rubbing her arm and returning it in an equally affectionately hard punch.]

Mystery Twins! We'll tackle this and take it down! We'll take it down town even! They'll see what happens when you mess with us!

[terci]

Yeah, yeah!! [He stands up then, the excitement getting to him.]

What are we doing sitting around? There's been a murder, and it's up to us to find out who did it!

[ineptus]

[She bounces to her feet after him, holding out a fist for his to bump.]

Yeah! These guys won't be able to solve it without us, right?

[terci]

[He bumps that fist so fast and gives her a nod, before pointing to the door.]

Let's get going! I'm going to have to do a full investigation, I'm talking inspecting the body, asking everyone questions, the whole shebang!

[A pause.]

I might need to use you as a notepad again, Mabel.

[ineptus]

[Mabel stands up with a serious look, once again pulling her sweater off to tie around her waist.]

You can count on me, Dipper!

[terci]

...you haven't washed the stuff from yesterday off, yet? [Mabel..]

[ineptus]

Nope!

[terci]

[He puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head, laughing a bit.]

Then I guess I'll have to write on your shoulders today. Or maybe even your face! [That being accompanied by a cute little poke of the cheek. Mabel you nerd]

[ineptus]

You can write on my face if you need to! Or my back.

[terci]

Orr maybe I should invest in getting some paper finally. [He turns around to exit the doorway, but stops as he remembers something.]

Oh yeah, we didn't really uh.. talk that much about the whole detonator thing, and I kinda want to get that out of the way before we do anything else. Also I think we should probably tell each other who our buddies are, just in case either of us... y'know, get converted.

[ineptus]

[Dipper how many things are you going to remember before they can leave? She smiles with a nod.]

You know, we should have some kind of code too! In case we're ever in trouble! Something only we would know, so we know for certain we're not being like...told to say something or something! Like in all of those movies with the hostages? How the families are forced to say, "oh yeah we're just fine!" But really they're not and they're like blinking their eyes in 18/29ths time and their husband is like, "they're sending me a secret message with their eyes!!" And...

[She's going to ramble on a bit if you don't interrupt.]

[terci]

[Dipper walks back to her bed and sits down, feeling like they might be here a little longer.]

Yeah, yeah that's good. I like the idea of a secret code. But what should it be?

[ineptus]

[Oh we're moving? She plops down beside him, tapping her cheek and thinking about that.]

It can't be too complicated, you know? So we don't forget it or mess it up...

[terci]

Hmm... maybe making some kind of face at each other?

[ineptus]

What kind of a face though? I can make all sorts of faces!

[Here let her show you!]

[terci]

Something that's not too embarrassing. [He laughs a little at her faces, though]

[ineptus]

[Laughing herself, she puts on her thinking face again.]

Well, what kind of faces can you make? And would be okay with making?

[terci]

{He shrugs]

I can make a lot of faces too, you know I can! [He does lots of dumb and silly things...]

I don't know what kind of face I'd be okay with. Anything that isn't too obvious, I guess?

[ineptus]

Well...what if we knit our eyebrows? Or puff out our cheeks?

[terci]

[He nods.]

Yeah, either of those could work! Probably the latter would be better, because the former is kind of a thing we both do normally. [Dipper the angry 12 year old]