Gravity Rises (S1)

DRB: Part Seven

Dipper could see the entire town. It was freezing, but totally worth it.

He let out a contented sigh and sat back on his section of roof, looking out over the world. It was times like these that even he didn't have anything to say. The view before him was just so breathtaking. Pacifica's family warehouse was situated on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the whole Gravity Rises valley. Small houses littered the landscape below, poking up through a thin grey layer of clouds. Dipper couldn't even see the people.

"I feel like queen of everything up here," Pacifica said from beside him. "I know it's cold, but I wanted to show you."

"It's awesome!" Dipper exclaimed. He looked sideways at Pacifica with a grin. "Hey, if you're queen, does that make me king?" Nice, Dipper. Nice one.

Pacifica giggled. "I suppose it does," she replied, eyelashes sweeping as she blinked.

"Hey, what's that big house over there?" Dipper asked, pointing. A structure almost like a mansion was perched on a hill overlooking the town, but not as high up as they were.

"Oh, that? That's the Northwest Manor. They're just prissy rich people." Pacifica waved a dismissive hand before adding, "You know, Dipper, I've never shown this to anybody."

"Really? I can think of a lot of people who'd really like to see it."

Pacifica giggled again. "That's not the point, silly."

Whoops, he'd missed that she was being flirty. Time to play it off. "I knew that; I was just teasing. Hey, Pacifica, do you want. . ." C'mon, Dipper, you can do this. "I mean, if you have time, do you maybe want. . . to. . . go out sometime? Like on a date?"

He said it. Phew!

"Isn't that what this is?" Pacifica asked. "I mean, not officially, but we are spending an awful lot of time together." She punctuated the words with a smile.

Dipper smiled back. "I know, but I mean officially. We could, I dunno, go grab something to eat sometime. I-I mean, if you don't have a show then. I-I mean, I understand if there isn't really a time that you can—"

Pacifica cut him off with a giggle. "I'd love to, Dipper. You're adorable when you're flustered, you know that?"

Dipper grinned. "I'm always adorable."

That didn't sound too prideful, did it? Nah, he was good. She'd said yes, after all.

Smooth, Dipper. Smoooooth.

~~~~~

"Hey, Robbie!"

Mabel looked up from her sketchbook. She sat behind Robbie, who was at the checkout counter; here, she was mostly out of sight. "Dip-kid! How's it going?" said Robbie. "Who's this?"

"Pacifica Pleasure," said another voice. "Star of the Tent of Telepathy? Surely you've heard of me."

Mabel's heart lurched. What was she doing here?

Dipper approached the checkout counter and saw Mabel in her hiding spot. "Oh, hi, Mabes! Pacifica, this is my sister Mabel."

Any hope of hiding was gone. Mabel scrambled to her feet. "H-hi," she stammered.

"What are you doing back there?" asked Pacifica, clearly unimpressed. Mabel flushed.

"She's keeping me company," Robbie said easily. "Come to join us, Dip?"

"We're here for a tour, actually," said Dipper. "Melody said she would take us for free."

"Cool. She'll be out here in a minute."

"Okay." Dipper looked to Pacifica. "Wanna look around the gift shop with me?"

"Sure," Pacifica replied, though she didn't sound enthusiastic about it.

As soon as Dipper and Pacifica walked away, Mabel moved to hide behind the counter again. No such luck: "Hey, Mabel, come help me show Pacifica around," Dipper called. Mabel groaned quietly but left her sanctuary.

She thought she saw Robbie give her a sympathetic wince as she went.

"I really like these figurines, Paz, don't you?" Dipper held up a metal statuette of a fairy. She didn't look that different from real fairies, Mabel thought — except that she had a smile on her face.

Pacifica picked up another figurine and gazed at it with a critical eye. "I've never understood how people think it's pretty to dress up like you're 'one with nature,'" she said, rubbing a finger over the statuette's flower petal dress. "But I suppose they're pretty."

"Not as pretty as you, of course," Dipper piped up. Mabel shot him a look of faint disgust. How far had he fallen for this girl?

Melody came into the gift shop, along with a small group of tourists that had just gone through the Hall of Mysteries. "Oh, hi, Dipper and Pacifica," said Melody. "You ready for your tour? I can do a quick one for just the two of you."

"And Mabel," said Dipper. Both Mabel and Pacifica shot him wide-eyed looks of surprise, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Sure." Melody waved them over. Mabel didn't want to join them — especially if Dipper was going to say more cheesy things about Pacifica's beauty — but she didn't feel like she had a choice. She followed her brother and his date into the Hall of Mysteries.

She did like it in here. The cramped hallway, full of artifacts and photographs, made her feel at home — even if it was mostly fake. The Museum displays made her feel better. . . but she didn't like having Pacifica in here. It felt like she was invading the place.

But, Dipper did seem happy with her. Mabel couldn't see why: Even if Pacifica hadn't acted so strange to Mabel during the first psychic show, she still wasn't very cheerful. Whatever smiles and laughs that she gave seemed fake. That didn't seem like the type of girl Dipper would like, yet here he was. Mabel wondered if she should tell him about her freaky experience with Pacifica, but it felt so surreal that she wasn't even sure it had happened.

Still, every time Mabel looked at Pacifica, it was hard not to remember those crazed eyes.

Mabel shook her head as Melody began her tour. Pacifica and Dipper had gotten this far; maybe she genuinely cared for Dipper.

Or maybe she was using him for something.

Mabel tried to focus on the tour, but Pacifica standing in her periphery made it rather hard to put her suspicions to rest.