"I want my dress to be perfect! The best! People are going to be like, 'Who's that classy lady?' and 'Mabel, darling, you have to tell me where you got that!' And I'll just be like-" Mabel paused, and batted her eyelashes. "'Oh, this old thing? Just fixed up a little something, you know, no big deal. I'm kind of a genius when it comes to bedazzling guns.' And bam! Everyone's going to be like, super impressed!"
Norman snorted in the front seat.
"People are going to be talking about the outfits Paz and I are gonna wear for for weeks! I'm telling you!" Mabel beamed, clutching her purse tight. "And you two are going to dress all boring," she huffed.
"Not boring," Dipper muttered back. "Mom said we didn't have to dress up. So we aren't." He glimpsed back at his twin, who pouted behind him.
"You guys could at least, I don't know, wear dress shirts and ties or something," Pacifica suggested, leaning forward. "Also, could you change the radio station? I really hate this song." She had never been fond of the single, one from a rapper who wasn't very good at rapping or singing.
Dipper twisted his lips, trying to think of an excuse to get out of cleaning up for his birthday party. "I don't have the money, and my old dress shirt has goblin blood on it," he stammered. The stain was evidence from the time he'd managed to anger a goblin king, and his army had crashed a Northwest family gathering. Long story short, the Northwests really didn't like him, and there were certain parts of the forest he wasn't welcome in after that.
"Here." Pacifica shoved a wad of cash in Norman's hands, -since Dipper was driving, and he was all about road safety- and smirked. "Make sure he buys something nice, would you?"
Norman nodded, which caused Dipper to groan. "Fine. But I'm going to complain about this the whole time, and you're gonna have to listen to me," he whined.
After Dipper parked the rust-orange truck in a spot at the Oakland Mall, the four teenagers scrambled out into the parking lot, agreeing to meet up at the food court in an hour.
The Pines twins were born on the last day of the summer of '99, and had grown up extremely close. When they were 12, they had started the tradition of staying in a small Oregon town with their great uncle, and had also met a girl named Pacifica Northwest. When they were 13, they had met Norman Babcock, who was from Massachusetts, but had been traveling with his family. Every summer since, Dipper, Mabel, and Norman had stayed in Gravity Falls.
Except now another summer was coming to an end, and Dipper and Mabel were about to turn 16. Instead of leaving Gravity Falls and heading back to the tiny town of Blithe Hollow, the four had traveled back to the twins' hometown of Piedmont, California, for one last weekend together. Mr. and Mrs. Pines had held onto their promise of "the biggest and best-est party" for Mabel's sake. The party technically wasn't on their birthday, but rather three days later. It was being held at a newer venue, one that was large and had great reviews. It wasn't as extravagant as a party Pacifica's family would throw, but it was good enough for Mabel -and Dipper, who was really okay with just hanging out at home with his friends.
Once Dipper and Norman had gotten their attire, and Mabel had found a pair of boots to go with her dress, the grop met up for lunch. Conversation topics included plans for the party, and a lecture from Mabel about how the night would feel more special if everyone made some sort of attempt at dressing formally, or at least, not in hoodies and t-shirts advertising horror movies and video games.
Pacifica had zoned out, chewing her soft pretzel in thought, when she heard her name brought up.
"And I can't wait to see what Paz got me!" Mabel chirped through a mouthful of french fries.
Pacifica quickly swallowed her food and forced a smile. Right. The present for Mabel. Because it was Mabel's 16th birthday, and people were supposed to give the person a gift. She didn't say anything, but felt a small pit of dread in her stomach.
It wasn't that Pacifica didn't get Mabel a present -she did-, it was just that the present was... A little underwhelming. Before they'd left Gravity Falls, she'd bought two small, matching lockets, shaped like hearts. Expensive, of course, but to Paz, it felt like something so simple, so disappointing. For her 16th birthday, Mabel had written an entire song about how great she thought the Northwest girl was, and then made her favorite foods for lunch. A locket just didn't seem as thoughtful.
Norman shot her a worried look across the table. He raised a brow, as if asking if Pacifica was okay. She nodded quickly, and pushed her tray back.
"I'm not really hungry. Are you guys ready to go home?" Pacifica mumbled, still forcing a smile.
Dipper let out a low whistle as he trailed behind his friends through the back doors of the building. He had to admit, this place was nice. Tables had been set up around the edge of the room, and in the middle of the space was a dance floor. Mr. and Mrs. Pines had already visited the site that afternoon to decorate. With high ceilings and lighting that gave the room a pinkish tint, he could definitely see why his parents had picked the place. It felt pleasant, and he wouldn't admit it, but he was actually starting to look forward to this whole party thing.
"Oh my God!" Mabel yelped, excitedly tugging on Pacifica's arm. "Paz, this place is perfect!"
"I take it that she likes it?" A taller woman smiled, hugging a clipboard to her chest. She had introduced herself earlier that day as Zoe, the owner of the venue. Her sisters worked for her, and would be serving party guests throughout the night. Long, frizzy hair hid her face, and she wore long, loose sleeves that covered her hands.
"I don't like it, I love it!" Mabel beamed, her grip still tight on her girlfriend.
"Mr. and Mrs. Pines, would you mind stepping aside so we could work out some details?" Zoe nodded towards a small hallway. The two adults followed her, leaving the Mystery Quartet behind.
Mabel spun around, the sequins on her dress catching the light and shining. She grinned wide as she twirled, nearly bumping into a speaker near the DJ booth. Pacifica, Norman, and Dipper all slumped down in chairs at a table, joined by Mabel a moment later.
"It just feels too good to be true," she gushed, running a hand through her dark locks.
"Watch," Pacifica muttered. "Just knowing our luck, some sort of monster or something's gonna crash the party. I swear, if one more goblin king ruins an event for me-"
"That was one time!" Dipper snapped, rolling his eyes. "And I doubt it. Situations involving the paranormal almost never occur in Piedmont. Weird things are just kind of attracted to Gravity Falls."
"Yeah, and if anything tries to ruin our birthday, I'll just pull out my grappling hook! I left it in the truck, in case anything spooky goes down." Mabel patted Pacifica's hand.
Norman shifted in his seat. "I dunno. This place kind of gives me a weird feeling," he murmured, glancing around.
"Is it like, ghosts, or...?" Pacifica frowned slightly.
He shook his head. "This place isn't really old enough. I haven't seen any yet, anyways," the medium explained. "I dunno." Norman shrugged, not wanting to worry Mabel or Dipper.
As guests trickled into the venue, and gifts piled up on a counter near the door, Pacifica nervously ran her fingers over the small box in her pocket that contained the lockets. She'd placed a photo in each- one that the group had taken earlier that summer on the roof of the Mystery Shack. They'd all squeezed into the shot, smiling so wide that their sunburned cheeks ached. Just thinking about it made Paz nostalgic.
Pacifica had been standing beside Mabel standing near the edge of the dance floor when she'd decided that it was time to give Mabel her present. She spun around to face the girl, only no one was there. "Mabel?" She called over the loud music. Her girlfriend was nowhere in sight. Pacifica stood on her toes, trying to see past the guests blocking her view.
"She's talking with her grandma," Norman spoke up, startling the blond. "Dipper got roped into it, too. It'll probably be a while."
Pacifica sighed. At least that meant that she wouldn't have to give Mabel her lame gift yet.
Norman rocked back and forth on his toes, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. "So, do you mind telling me what's been bothering you?" He started. "I-I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, though. I get it. But something's definitely up. Don't try to tell me that everything's fine."
She hesitated before answering. "Could we go outside?" Pacifica glimpsed back at an exit on the other side of the room.
"Yeah."
Pulling the taller boy through the crowd, Pacifica lead the way to the door and held it open.
Feeling the cool night air against her skin, Pacifica sat down on the curb after making sure the ground wouldn't get her dress dirty. Norman eased himself down next to her, his long, skinny legs having to press close to his chest. The two sat in the quiet for a moment, both relieved to be away from the party.
"I wish I actually knew people in there," Pacifica grunted. "Parties aren't that fun when practically everyone's a stranger."
"Mhm," Norman agreed, leaning back a bit. "But I mean, I've also never really been big on parties to begin with." He picked at a hole in his dark jeans, frowning.
"Like, I'm happy that Mabel's happy, and it's been kind of fun, but... Y'know?" She looked over at her friend, who simply nodded like he always did.
"Dipper's not really big on dancing, and it's mostly Mabel's friends here. And family members. I've just been kind of following him around," Norman replied. "They're nice, I guess, just... It's kind of awkward."
"Exactly! But I'm also kind of used to that, too. My parents are always having dinners and parties with people who I hardly even know. I hate it." She rested her elbows on her knees and looked out at the dark, empty street in front of them. The two went quiet once more.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Norman asked, sitting up better. He raised a brow, seemingly worried about the blond beside him.
Pacifica hung her head. "I dunno. It's all kind of dumb."
"Paz, I'm sure it's not dumb," Norman insisted.
She pulled a small box out of her jacket pocket, the one containing the gift for Mabel. "I got her a locket," Pacifica mumbled, removing the lid. Carefully, she picked at one of the heart-shaped charms, opening it up. The happy faces of her friends smiled up at her. "B-but it's totally lame."
"What?" Norman's eyes went wide. "Pacifica, you're kidding, right?"
"No?"
"Mabel's going to love this!" Norman leaned closer to get a better look at the necklace. "Why do you think it's lame?" He frowned slightly.
Pacifica set the locket in his hands. "Mabel always goes all out for my birthday, and then I just got her a stupid necklace? It's just going to look like I-I dunno, got her something expensive for the sake of getting her something expensive. This is super boring compared to something like, a song she wrote where she managed to rhyme the words 'Pacifica' and 'terrific-a', Norman!"
Norman bit his lip, thinking. He'd already given the twins their presents on their actual birthdays -a case of paranormal encyclopedias for Dipper, and a new set of paints for Mabel. "Okay, well, why did you get her the locket?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you pick that out over something else?" Norman spoke, turning the charm over in his palm.
Pacifica shrugged. "I could put a picture in it, and I know how sentimental Mabel is over things. She also really likes jewelry. But-"
"But that's thoughtful, Paz. There's nothing lame about that," Norman told her, elbowing her side.
"But what if she's disappointed or something?"
Norman shook his head. "You know she's not the type to get disappointed over a birthday present."
Pacifica picked at her nails. Norman was right. Mabel would never be disappointed over a gift, especially if it was from someone she was close to. Gently, Norman placed the necklace back in the box.
"So are you going to give it to her?"
"Yeah," Pacifica smiled. "I will."
She stood and helped Norman to his feet. The two started back towards the building, brushing dirt off of the backs of their legs and stretching. Pacifica gripped the door handle, but when she tried to open it, she discovered it was locked.
"Shit."
"Guess we'll have to go around to the front?" Norman suggested, already turning away. Pacifica walked next to him, the locket box in hand. She ran her fingers over it. At least now she wasn't as anxious about giving it to her girlfriend.
When Norman and Pacifica reached the main entrance for the venue, Norman tried to pull the door open for Pacifica. However, it wouldn't budge, and no one was in the front lobby.
Pacifica banged her manicured fists on the glass. "Hello?" She called out, hoping an employee or party guest would hear them. "Anyone?"
"Here, let me text Dipper to come let us in," Norman told her, fishing his phone out of his jeans. He swiped his thumbs across the screen as Pacifica waited, arms crossed.
They stood in front of the building. Pacifica leaned against the brick wall, hearing the soft thuds of upbeat pop music coming from inside. "Do you think he even got it? There's really shitty reception in there, and he might still be talking to his gra-"
There was a loud cry, one that Pacifica immediately recognized. That was Mabel's voice. Her eyes widened, and she suddenly jumped closer to Norman. The noise was followed by several others. People were screaming, and it wasn't the typical excited-party-cheer. These were, without a doubt, terrified screams.
"N-Norman, call Dipper or Mabel!" Pacifica clamped her hand down on the skinny boy's arm. He was already in the process of pulling up the contacts screen. Dipper was the first name on the list. Norman pressed his phone up to his ear, anxiously hoping his boyfriend would answer.
After a few rings, Dipper picked up.
"Norman! Where-" His voice cut out, likely from the venue's terrible reception. "You?"
"Pacifica and I are locked outside! Dipper, what's going on?" It was hard for him to hear Dipper over the screams in the background.
"Put him on speaker!" Pacifica hissed, trying to listen. Norman held the phone between the two of them after quickly mashing down the button on the screen.
"Arp-"
"We can't hear you!" Pacifica replied, running her hands through her hair nervously.
"The peo- at work here- pies!" Dipper cried.
Norman and Pacifica shot each other confused looks.
"Tell them- get my- appling hoo-" Mabel shouted to her brother in the background.
"We'll be in there in a minute," Norman answered before hanging up. He glimpsed at where Pacifica had been standing, but noticed she was already sprinting across the parking lot towards the truck the twins had gotten for their birthday. The medium quickly followed, shoving his phone back in his pocket.
Pacifica yanked on the handle to the driver's side door. "He locked it!" She growled in frustration. Norman furrowed his brow, trying to think of a solution.
"The spare key!" He blurted. "This is exactly why Dipper begged his parents for one," Norman said, grinning. Crouching down, he reached under the truck, fingers reaching for the magnetic box stuck to the bottom of the vehicle. He found it and plucked it away from the metal.
"Lucky break," Pacifica murmured as Norman slid the container open and removed the key. He fumbled to unlock the truck and tugged the door open. Pacifica crawled into the front seat, glimpsing around.
"Where is it?" She muttered to herself as she opened the glovebox and armrest compartments. "I don't see it!" Pacifica called to Norman. The blond leaned forward, arms dangling near the floor. Her fingertips brushed against the gun's hook, and she grinned. "Got it!"
The two didn't even bother to lock the truck again or place the spare key back in its spot. They dashed back across the asphalt, eager to get back inside the building in front of them.
Pacifica paused in front of the door, Norman standing behind her. She held her arms out in front of her and aimed. The grappling hook felt heavy in her hands, and she had never used it before. Nervously, she pulled the trigger, sending the metal hook flying towards the door. Glass shattered, leaving a hole in the window.
Norman kicked at the edge of the gap, knocking more glass shards to the floor to create a bigger space to step through. The Northwest girl gripped his hand and dragged him through the opening.
Grappling hook still in hand, Pacifica ran through the lobby at full speed and pushed her way into the main room. What she saw definitely wasn't what she was expecting.
Winged figures in the shredded remains of what looked like the venue's uniforms swooped at the crowd of frantic guests, screeching loudly.
"Paz, look out!" Norman yelped, suddenly tackling his friend. They slammed onto the ground, just in time for one of the harpies to miss her and slam into a wall. He crawled off of Pacifica and took a look around. "W-where's Dipper and Mabel?"
"I don't know, just get under a table or something!" Pacifica shrieked when she saw that the harpy was already getting back up and looking at Norman like he was a fresh slice of pie. His eyes widened in fear, and he scooted under the nearest table with Pacifica.
"I don't understand," Pacifica hissed, holding the gun close to her chest. "A bunch of monsters crashed the party?" She extended her arms out in front of her. The blond swallowed nervously, afraid of one of the beasts coming close to them.
"I-I think I do," Norman stammered. "Dipper showed me an article a few months ago, it was about harpies disguising themselves as business owners in an attempt to get food," he explained. "That's probably why this place has terrible reception, a-and why they locked the doors! To keep people inside and prevent them from calling for help." The medium lifted the tablecloth, peeking out at the chaos.
Pacifica groaned. "After all the weird shit you guys have dragged me through, this is how it ends. Eaten by killer waitresses," she muttered.
"No way," Norman shook his head. "Once we find Dipper and Mabel, we'll come up with a plan to get the harpies out of here," he told her. "But that means getting out from under this table."
"Are you crazy?" Pacifica bit. "There's no way in hell I'm going out there and-"
"Just stay close to me, okay?" Norman pleaded. "We'll just duck from table to table. I need you to use the grappling hook and shoot anything that comes close to us."
She sighed. "Fine. But if I die, I'm totally going to haunt you as a ghost," she muttered.
"If I let you die, I totally give you permission to do that," Norman replied, laughing slightly. "Follow me."
The medium crawled out from underneath the table, Pacifica crouching behind him. They moved awkwardly along the wall, occasionally slipping back under the wooden surfaces to check for the Pines twins. Pacifica considered calling out their names, but if anything, that would just reveal their hiding spots, and that was if anyone could hear them over the noise.
Pacifica was nervously aiming the grappling hook when Norman suddenly let out a shriek behind her. "Norman!" She whipped her head around, ready to shoot whatever was there.
"Don't shoot!" Dipper moved his hand off of Norman's shoulder and held it up in the air.
"It's just us!" Mabel poked her head out beside him. The twins had been hiding under a long buffet table near the DJ booth to avoid any harpy attacks.
Norman let out a relieved sigh and threw his arms around Dipper once he and Pacifica had joined the Pines under the table.
"You got my grappling hook!" Mabel chirped, pressing close to Pacifica.
"I had to use it, too," Pacifica frowned. "Here. You're better with it than I am," she said, forcing a laugh as she passed the tool over to the brunette.
"Maybe I can give you lessons with it someday," Mabel answered with a smile as she traced her fingers around the hook.
"Assuming we don't die first," Dipper muttered. The others murmured in agreement. "We need a plan."
Norman set his hand on top of Dipper's. "Well, I'm assuming that the harpies are like those ones they found in that hotel in Colorado back in April. Remember? They disguised their nest as an inn and everything to trap prey. It'll be hard to drive them away from such a large source of food and their own home," he mumbled.
"I forgot about that!" Dipper replied. "It makes sense, though."
"So what do we do?" Pacifica asked, wrapping an arm around Mabel.
Dipper chewed his lip in thought for a second. "Well, it's easier to drive harpies away than kill them. We need something so... I don't know. Something bad enough that they'll want to leave."
Mabel pulled her phone out of her bra, grinning wide. "I've got an idea!" She chirped. Pacifica knew right away what the girl was going to do, and while she wasn't exactly fond of the plan, it would work.
"Be careful!" Pacifica called after her girlfriend. Mabel rose to her feet and weaved around knocked over chairs and speakers. Phone in hand, she stepped up to the DJ booth, which had been long abandoned. By now, she'd been spotted by the winged creatures, and if she didn't hurry, she'd be mauled. Her hands shook as she plugged an aux cord into the device.
One of the harpies landed beside her, grinning wide. Her wings reached out towards Mabel, who was backing away. "Get back!" Mabel yelped, pointing her grappling hook towards the creature. The harpy, however, didn't seem phased. "I'm not afraid to sho-oot!" Her boot had snagged on a cable, and she fell, landing on her butt. Just as a talon was about to come down on her chest, the heavy bass of a particular annoying pop song blasted through the speakers surrounding them.
The harpy covered her ears and climbed down from the booth, stumbling as she moved away. Mabel struggled to stand as she was met by Pacifica. She could see the blond's lips moving, but her ears were ringing from the intense music. Mabel couldn't hear anything.
Dipper and Norman watched as the harpies flapped about above them, crashing through the skylights. They covered their heads to avoid any glass that would fall on them.
Once the monsters had all left, Mabel unplugged her phone, killing the noise blaring around them. Slowly, her family members and friends from school emerged from their hiding spots, ragged and dirty from the attack. Norman and Dipper joined the girls up in the booth, looking out at the damaged room.
"Our party," Mabel mumbled, hanging her head.
"Mabel, I'm so sorry-" Dipper frowned as he stepped closer to her.
"Is everyone alright?" Mrs. Pines called out from the opposite side of the room. For the most part, no one had been seriously injured. A few people had visible bruises and gashes, but otherwise, the harpies hadn't had a chance to get their prey.
"Situations involving the paranormal almost never occur in Piedmont," Pacifica muttered under her breath.
The teenagers spent the next half hour talking to the party-goers, helping people calm down and straighten up the venue, even though the owners likely wouldn't be returning for some time. There was no use in trying to come up with an excuse for the attacks. The four did pretend that they didn't know what had really happened, however.
In the backseat of the truck, Mabel and Pacifica sat side-by-side, knees bumping. In her pockets, Pacifica could feel the tiny box. She sighed and tugged it out. Mabel didn't notice, and was instead, spaced out, staring at buildings on the side of the road through the window.
"Mabel?" Pacifica whispered.
"Mhm?" Mabel turned her head. It was mostly too dark for her to see Pacifica. Every now and then, a patch of orange light would be cast on them when they passed by a street light. "What's up?"
"I never gave you your present."
Mabel's eyes lit up, and she grinned. "Can I see it?" She chirped.
Pacifica passed over the box and held her phone up as a light source so Mabel could see the box's contents. "What is it?" Mabel excitedly babbled as she removed the lid. The Pines girl suddenly gasped.
"D-do you like it?" Pacifica asked nervously while Mabel opened a locket and looked over the picture. She sucked in a small breath.
"Pacifica, it's so pretty!" Mabel whispered, smiling wide. "I love it."
Pacifica was flooded with relief.
"Will you help me put it on?" Mabel asked. Pacifica nodded as her girlfriend turned. Gently, Pacifica draped the locket around the girl's neck and connected the two ends of the chain. She was careful as she put her own on.
"We match!" Mabel gushed, rubbing the charm between her thumb and index finger. "Y'know... Despite the whole party going wrong, I think this was my favorite birthday that we've ever had," she announced.
Dipper glimpsed back at the girls through the mirror.
"Really?" Pacifica mumbled, cracking a smile.
"I spent it with my three favorite people, I can drive now, and I had a really cool party, -before those harpies attacked, anyways. Thank you, guys."
Dipper nodded in agreement. He had to admit, the past few days had been pretty fun. His grip on the steering wheel loosened, and he leaned back in his seat as Norman reached to turn the radio on.
A particular annoying pop song played through the speakers, causing everyone to groan.