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maplecornia · 3 years

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chapter 28

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 2.13K

𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: You watched them from the sidelines ever since you were a young teenage girl. Now you’re grown up, they’ve returned after 2 long years and everything has changed. What happens when you pull back the mask and find the darkness within? What happens when you see that they’re broken?

𝔞/𝔫: Jin looks kind of like a vampire in my banner ngl

What does he know?

You find yourself spacing out as you stand at the printer, waiting for Namjoon's schedule.

Just when you thought you had found some normalcy to your already chaotic life, you find yourself here. Biting your bottom lip, you groan, falling on top of the printer, the warmth as it sparks to life easing you even if it's for a little while.

"Why me?" you murmur, your brow furrowed and eyes glistening with helpless emotion. "Why now?"

What happened to the auditions you had sent before? In a time where you believed that you could achieve your dream without anything or anyone else holding you back. Were you not good enough then?

What makes you good enough now?

Groaning, you slide off the printer and run your hands through your hair. Your neat look has been thoroughly rumpled, just like your day, and you wonder if there will ever be a time where you're allowed to breathe.

Where you're welcome to let go.

With the small slip of paper sliding out of the printer, you grab it and turn swiftly around, ready to take it to Namjoon.

If only life were easier.

With a sharp cry, you bump into a couple of people walking by, and scalding hot liquid splatters between the two of you. A bitter, almost pitch black liquid soils your shirt and destroys the schedule you hold in your hands.

Coffee? Again?

Sighing, You wipe some of the drops off your face before glancing up to see if the pair is all right.

It's two girls and from the looks of it, they seem to be staff themselves, perhaps working on the publications team. You try to catch a glimpse of their badges, but they're moving too much and you can't get a good enough look.

However, you're able to catch a glimpse of their features perfectly fine. One of them is tall, with a soft tan to her smooth skin, and darker features. She has obsidian eyes that glitter when the light catches them and a square jawline that matches her demanding aura. Her hair is long and straight but looks soft to the touch. She doesn't wear many expressions on her face, however, and looks to be a bit standoffish. She would be hard to get close to.

The second one is the one who was carrying the coffee and though her face is pulled into one of disgust, you can tell that she's gorgeous. She has soft honeydew skin and almond butter eyes. Her face is perfectly symmetrical, and her lips full and glossy. Her eyes are large and wide, a deep brown color, with long dark eyelashes brushing against her cheek each time she blinks. They would otherwise be beautiful if they didn't sparkle with hatred and malice.

After a moment, you recognize what you've done; panic rising in your throat, you scramble to do something. You quickly reach for your emergency towels, but you've left your satchel in your small office. Cursing silently underneath your breath, you reach down to pick up the discarded cup and help her as best as you can.

"I'm sorry I--"

"Watch out will you?!"

Stunned, you step back, not sure what to do. It's been a while since you've been yelled at like that. A while since you've felt that shock. Swallowing hard, you shake it off and proceed to pick up the cup, keeping your distance.

Maybe it's better to just leave her alone.

"Wait..." at the sound of her voice, you look up, rather disinterested. "Who are you?"

Rolling your eyes, you turn to the trash can. You can't believe you expected an apology. Her friend, the one who was helping her clean up, peers at you before nudging her.

"She's who we were talking about, remember? Jaejin's replacement."

At the mention of your friend's name, your ears perk, and you drop the coffee cup in the trash can. Just what have they been saying about you two? Biting the inside of your cheek in annoyance, you turn around, facing them head-on.

"Oh!" The coffee girl's eyes widen. She looks you up and down as though inspecting a piece of meat. Her lip curls as she turns to her friends, eyes darkening with disgust. "Why didn't they ask one of us? She's hardly experienced."

You raise an eyebrow. Do they think you can't hear them? The dark beauty shrugs, her black eyes dull with disinterest.

"I heard she knows Jaejin. He gave her the post."

You try to be angry, you try to deny the accusations...but they aren't wrong.

Somehow, that makes it worse.

"Who is she, a colonizer?!" Ms. Coffee scoffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder. You try not to flinch, but you can't control it. You swallow hard, curling your hands into fists at your sides.

"Besides, isn't Jaejin dating Mijeong?"

Your breath stops as you hear the words, the same words Sunoh said when you met him. The same words which remind you of everything you have lost.

If they continue to speak, you don't listen, you can't hear them. The roar starts in your ears as your blood rushes to your head, and spots cloud your vision. You can't see, you can't think, you can't function.

Why is it still so hard?

Why can't you let go?

You feel yourself begin to sway as the room swirls into fragments of time and space, and you lose sight of where and who you are.

The only thing left is pain.

Always pain.

"Who says he isn't?" The hand wrapping itself securely around your shoulder, the soft calming voice at your ear, brings you back to reality and you're able to breathe again.

"Jojo?" The tall dark beauty's eyes widen and she steps back a bit. It seems as though she's started a fight she won't be able to finish. Jojo narrows her eyes, her hand tightening around your shoulder as she pulls you behind her in a protective gesture.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing." Miss Coffee quickly intervenes, sending a wide smile your way. One that somehow comes across as menacing, matching the anger in her eyes. "Just a careless newbie is all."

Her voice is dripping with sarcasm and her friend beside her pinches her in her side, whispering something incomprehensible in her ear. The Coffee Girl shakes her off, growing furious by the second. You narrow your eyes her way. This has to be more than a stupid coffee spill, but what could she possibly have against you?

"Come on, Jojo. She's the one in the wrong. If it were any one of us, you wouldn't give a second look." She snarls before turning to you and reaching around Jojo to push you backward.

"Ya!" Jojo cries out in surprise, stepping in front of you, but not before the damage is done. Caught off guard, you stumble back into the printer. Her friend gasps, and steps back. You wonder if she's considering removing herself from the equation. Pulling yourself up, you glare at her before stepping forward.

"What's your problem?" you hiss, your hands clenching at your side to try and contain your anger. Jojo steps in front of you once more, just in case you decide to start swinging some punches. Frustrated, you push her aside. It's not like you're going to do anything. Jojo sends you a sideways glance, but you ignore her, focusing on the target in front of you. “What are you, a child?”

"Did you hear something?" The girl smirks, nudging her friend beside her who swallows nervously. You don't know why, but that only makes you angrier, and you consider stepping across Jojo to smack some sense into her. Instead, you deepen your glare and roll your eyes.

"Pathetic..."

Are you wrong? She's acting like a child. So naturally, your snide comment doesn't sit well with her. Eyes widening in anger, she raises her hand to slap you across the cheek, and you flinch.

But the strike never comes.

Opening your eyes slowly, you turn to find someone has come in between the two of you, hand wrapped tightly around the girls. You look to Jojo, half expecting the source to be her...but it's not. Her eyes are wide and she seems to have frozen.

So then who?

"Now now." Your eyes widen at the voice and your heart starts pounding hard in your ears as he steps in front of you, shielding you. The girl stares up at him with shameful fear, as though her entire world has just been shattered. "You should really watch your temper."

He drops her hand and she steps back, her friend catching her from behind.

"You never know who might be watching."

He gestures to the room, at the groups of people watching, whispering to each other. They don't hide their interest, nor their disgust as they send looks towards the girl.

Satisfied, he turns to you, a reassuring smile breaking out on his face. The same face known and cherished worldwide. Up close, it's even more unreal.

Kim Seokjin.

"As you said, Yen is new, and when you were first starting out, you made way more mistakes believe me." Jojo snaps, her eyes glittering with anger as she turns to Coffee. She steps forward, leaning beside her ear.

"I would be careful who you make an enemy, sweetheart." She whispers harshly, loud enough for anyone close to the two of them to hear. "Namjoon quite likes his assistant, wonder what he'd do if something happened to her."

Though the threat wasn't directly said, it's clear what Jojo meant and as she pulls back, smiling sweetly; the girl's pale face tells you that she clearly understood.

"Is that all then?" Jin says from beside you, causing you to jump. When did he get so close? The girl glances at the two of you and seems to grow furious at the sight. Her pale face quickly flushes with anger and she scowls before storming away, ramming her shoulder violently into yours before she goes; her friend scuttling after her.

"Ya!" Jojo calls, but the girl is already gone, and you don't mind. Scoffing, she shakes her head before turning to you. "So immature...what are we kids?"

You don't respond, instead, you turn away from the pair of them, finding your printed schedule discarded and drenched on the ground. Sighing, you pick it up, holding it gingerly in your hands.

Everything soiled.

"Now I have to start all over."

Behind you, Jojo and Jin give each other a look before Jojo kneels beside you and places her hand on your shoulder. When you don't look at her right away, she peers into your face and you turn to her, your face blank.

"Yen, are you alright?" you nod before pulling away, throwing the schedule in the trash can.

"I'm fine."

Jojo sighs before standing as well.

"Why didn't you stop them?" you pause at the question.

Why didn't you stop them? You're not sure you know yourself. You wanted to, you wanted to fight back...

But you have no fight left.

Sighing, you shake off the feeling of despondency before turning to her and smiling weakly.

"Were they wrong?" Jin furrows his brow in concern at the phrase. He tries to read your expression, understand what's wrong but it's near impossible. You've closed yourself off to everyone around you, and while you try to act tough, you're afraid. Sighing you turn away from them, unable to handle the pitying looks. "Besides, I don't have to answer to them."

I don't have to answer to anybody.

After a moment, Jin walks to your side and places his hand gently on your shoulder. Surprised, you flinch away from his grasp, but it doesn't phase him. He looks down at you with a somber expression before noticing your drenched shirt. You follow his gaze and the heat of embarrassment floods your cheeks. You quickly fold your arms across the stain, acting as though it doesn't exist. He smirks a little at the attempt.

Now she...she's interesting.

"Jojo?" He calls, still staring at you, and you narrow your eyes.

What is he expecting, a cookie?

"Would you mind printing out the schedule for Ms..." His eyes search for your badge before he locates it and takes it, reading your name. "...Lin today?"

Jojo nods but looks towards him a bit perplexed.

"Sure...but what are you planning to do?"

Smiling he twirls your ID in his hand before you snatch it away from him which only makes his smile grow wider. Taking your hand, he turns and pulls you behind him, Jojo staring at the two of you in shock.

"I'm going to help her change."

𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: another BTS member encounter! and yes, it's the cliche stop of the slap, shut up 🙄

chapter 29 here

check the Infinite Stars masterlist for more chapters

check my BTS masterlist for other BTS content

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jaepies · 3 years

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𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 - attack on titan

eren x fem!oc

attack on titan au

inspired by 'see you in my 19th life' webtoon

author's note ; eunji is the 18th life name whilst hyejin is her general name :)

intro : sweet summer day

─━━━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━━━─

memories are strange entities. they lay dormant in the cave we call the mind until all of a sudden - something as minuscule as a waft of a scent walks by, triggering a forgotten incident from decades ago.

as humans, we wonder about the memories of our previous lives which remain with our souls eternally. we ask questions about: who were we? how did our past selves use to act? perhaps they were delinquents who wreaked havoc on the neighbourhood or perhaps they were a pair of goody-two-shoes who could do no wrong.

maybe we even had a significant other whose love used to fill our days with boundless bliss?

it all seemed like a classified secret which the brain could never gain access to no matter how hard it racked all its neurones in an attempt to search for all the answers.

however, hyejin ban must have been a glitch in the system.

when her first life occurred, she didn't think much of it and lived it to the fullest as much as a working-class girl could in the 1800s (society was something of a different nature in those time). she grew up with plenty of friends and siblings, fell in love with a boy who had lived next door and worked as an average house-wife whilst the husband provided the money required to live comfortably with not much to worry about except for disease.

to say that hyejin was surprised when every detail of her previous self came flooding back to her would be an understatement. there is no word in the english dictionary to describe the shock which devoured her.

she had heard conspiracies of those who claimed to remember fragments of their past lives in her village before however she never thought them to be a thing of truth. it was as if all the memories had been transferred onto a hard drive and inserted into her new body, making her age at least 80 years as her 'life' flashed right before her juvenile eyes.

nonetheless, she tolerated having two sets worth of memories and had a rather quiet, peaceful existence with only her family to bid her a farewell as she silently passed. she watched as the 19th century came to an end and the world transitioned into a new one, marking an end of an era.

flash forward a few more lives and her soul had endured more than anyone could ever comprehend. each body presenting a new perspective on the mixed bag of earth. each body which she took on was distinctly different from the last as all her lives came in all different shapes and sizes as well as randomising which gender she was. from world wars to famine to milestones such as the first man walking on the moon, hyejin's mind remembered it all. only to leave it behind as the never-ending cycle of death and reincarnation continued.

some lives were shorter than others as unfortunate environments cut the thread of life much too soon, leaving much of the life to fall to the pits of hell. sometimes hyejin was treat unfairly as she suffered the struggles of poverty and faced many of the evils which the world had to offer. yet instead of living filled with resentment and agony, she took these as opportunities to grow wiser as a being. eventually, school became repetitive as the knowledge taught had already been ingrained within her.

as hyejin became used to her circumstances and gained a better understanding of what was happening, she set rules to live by. one of which was to let go of any burdens and troubles of past lives which could mental strain to her present and subsequent self.

﹝•••﹞

hyejin was rebirthed for the 18th time as 'eunji yun' and quickly she learnt that she had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. she grew up surrounded by maids ready to cater for her every wish and need, it was a life where money would never be an issue and her family showered her more love than she had ever encountered before. at the age of 6, her family brought a younger sister into the world who not before long began to mean the absolute world to <> and she took it upon herself to fill the other half of the parental figures that was left empty by her hard-working father.

the sun was shining brightly when hyejin's mother guided her to the family car, telling her vaguely that she had business with another mother at another household not too dissimilar from theirs. the girl let her curiosity get the better of her and asked why she had to come along - her mother just turned to look at her with a mischievous glint in her eye and replied with a face plastered with a simple smile that held no information. hyejin despite being wise beyond her years reacted with a childish sigh and dramatic slump in her seat as the car started to drive away.

soon a house in the distance came into view, the car slowing down as the wheels entered the extensive drive. hyejin thought her house had been grand however this house was the epitome of luxury even the air had the distinct smell of the rich. on the journey, she had been told this was the residence of a wealthy chairman whose son was of a similar age to her.

upon walking in she couldn't help but gasp from the grandiose of it all, the chandeliers hung on the ceiling twinkling away as the striking staircase sat in the centre of the foyer. her awe was shattered as she heard a chuckle infused with honey from a woman whose aura held as much awe as the impressive atmosphere of the interior did.

'you must be miss eunji yun, what a pleasure to meet you. i'm carla jeager.'

'pleased to make your acquaintance, thank you for inviting my mother and i to your household.'

all the etiquette lessons were quickly put into action as hyejin's voice uttered the stock response which she had practised numerous times growing up.

carla found the amusement in this textbook conversation and responded with another sweet chuckle

'no need to be so formal, your mother and i are very good friends, please make yourself at home.'

she spoke with such a heart-warming tone that felt so down to earth, it was like listening to melodic tunes of birds chirping - you wouldn't believe that her family was one with the highest status and wealth.

'carla, should we brew a pot of tea?'

her mother interjected whilst handing over her faux fur jacket to the maid who had discreetly made their way beside hyejin in the foyer. she had not even noticed that she had already slipped off her diamond-encrusted heels.

'ah, what a good idea! let's move to the kitchen'

eagerly the pair of mothers walked side by side already engrossed in a different conversation it was clear that they had much to catch up on.

swiftly after pulling her sneakers off, hyejin started to take a few steps before carla turned around, halting her,

'there's no need to follow us, i'm sure you would have a far more entertaining time with my son who you will find in the library up the stairs. will you be able to find your way?'

hyejin hadn't noticed the glow which consumed her eyes as she smiled at her, there was an extremely low probability that she wouldn't do what carla had asked of her.

'of course ma'am, don't worry too much about me and please proceed with your intended business.'

as hyejin heard the receding the steps of the mothers she couldn't quite help but catch wisps of their conversation.

'she conducts and speaks so eloquently for a 12-year-old.'

'sometimes i forget that she's even a child at all.'

holding onto the handrails, she looked back with a knowing smile as she began her descent up the stairs. following carla's instructions, the library was easily found. the walls filled to brim with all types of books from fairytales to encyclopedias on insects and ladders at every corner to aid with the books at the very top shelf that was too high for even the tallest of humans. the centre of the room held plush sofas and chairs clearly carefully chosen for the purpose of being able to read enjoyably.

hyejin's eyes fixed themselves onto a figure, not much taller than the 3rd shelf, desperately trying to grab at a book that was just out of his reach. his tiptoes only doing so much to increase his height, the girl scoffed in amusement at the sight in front of her and strolled over to the black-haired boy.

'need a hand?'

she hadn't meant for there to be a snarky tone however the words which tumbled out appeared as condescending when in reality she had just wanted the tiny boy who had yet to have a growth spurt.

'who are you? i don't need any help.'

his brows were furrowed together and his voice filled with defensiveness - hyejin thought to herself that it would be entertaining to watch this stuck up boy act in a childish manner.

going against the prideful boy's wishes, she reached over his head to slide the book that he wanted out of the bookshelf.

it wasn't long before reams and reams of disgruntled refusals came flowing out his mouth.

'get out of my way'

well, he was certainly direct with the way he spoke and with his words.

'you're in the way-'

the exasperated boy did not get to finish his second rude remark before being smacked on the face by the book which he had so urgently wanted.

this is what you most definitely call karma.

'you should mind your manners kiddo'.

it barely took a second before an ear-splitting screech encompassed the whole house.

─━━━━━━⊱✿⊰━━━━━━─

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impishnature · 7 years

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Boss Ford (Part 2)

AO3

Rating: T (warning for some intrusive thoughts)

Summary: When Ford woke up that morning, he never thought that Stan would be challenging him to run the Mystery Shack for a day. Even worse, he’d found himself agreeing before he’d really thought it through. Oh well, it couldn’t be that hard to run the Shack for just one day… could it?

AN: And part two- I had to split it cause it got too long for my liking but I hope this is a good resolution all the same ^o^

Part 2: The Reward

...He really had to stop underestimating his family.

It was just safer to overestimate them, more often than not they did nothing but surprise him and exceed his expectations.

The room was fully restored to it's former glory. Sure the amount of glitter on some of the attractions seemed suspiciously out of place and one or two others seemed slightly more like actual creatures from his journals than he remembered them being, but all in all the room had found its spark again.

Quaint and odd, the Mystery Shack was once again living up to it's name.

Sure Stan was still lamenting the fact that the gift shop had no wares in it as of yet, but the museum itself was fully functional.

A fact he was happy to point out to Ford.

...Repeatedly.

Even then, though nervous, Ford had reasoned with himself that it couldn't be that hard to con some of the local townspeople that would no doubt come to check up on Stan tomorrow through a quick tour of the newly renovated room.

To better prepare himself though, and to squash the still niggling doubts that rang like warning bells in his head he had enlisted the twins to be his helpers as Stan went to relax in front of the TV, leaving only a short 'I'll wait for the surprise tour tomorrow' in his wake.

Suffice to say it had not gone well.

The kids were great sports about the whole affair. Dipper laughed at all his jokes, no matter how obvious it was that he was only doing it to keep his spirits up. Mabel was a lot more proactive, shaking her head and guiding him through every step, her twin breaking her monologues only to translate when it was starkly clear she had lost Ford entirely. It was obvious they just wanted to help and thought he was trying his best, but honestly their 'advice' was making his head spin more than before they'd started the dress rehearsal.

"No, no, no! Grunkle Ford you've gotta make it spookier! Try and make someone jump!"

"Oh, OK, so like-"

"But it can't all be scary, there's got to be some humour in it too. It's just got to be engaging, really. You've really got to grab their attention."

"...Like a bad horror movie?"

"No! Like a good bad horror movie!" Mabel had gestured her arms wildly along with her words, as if it was obvious what she meant.

Ford had no idea what she meant.

"I think she means when something in a bad horror movie startles you and you can't help but laugh at getting caught out by it."

"I... see."

Ford had no idea what he meant either.

How can something be funny and scary??? How can something be good and bad???

"There's got to be something for everyone to enjoy. That's all."

"Yeah! You've got to get the crowd excited! Hanging off your every word and ready to throw all their money at you!"

"Mr Mystery always has a trick up his sleeve for skeptics."

"Does he now."

How in the multiverse do you keep absolutely everyone entertained? And for that matter, how on Earth had Stan managed it? Not just once, but to keep this place open for near on thirty years?

"So? How'd it go?"

Stan looked up from his seat on the sofa, smug smile still in place as he took in Ford's disgruntled and flustered expression from the doorway.

"The kids had... a lot of pointers to give."

"I wondered what was taking so long." Stan turned back to the TV, trying to school his face into less of a knowing grin. "Not as easy as you thought it would be then?"

"Quite." Ford sighed as he nudged Stan to move over, sitting beside him in the chair with a groan.

If he was honest, there was something about the entire challenge that was so utterly off that he was tempted to bite the bullet and forfeit now.

But he didn't know how to do that without Stan asking 'Why?' and having to somehow explain the sheer absurdity of it all. The weird bubbling strangeness that he kept having to force down so it didn't engulf him with the bitter tang of hypocrisy.

Something about it all kept nipping at his heart, like he was doing something wrong.

He couldn't explain that to Stan though, not when he didn't know himself what the feeling meant.

"Hey, no need to look so down. Like I said, it's not your forte, that's all. You got tons of things you're good at- and I haven't even known you that long, so there's probably lots I don't know about too." Stan smiled genuinely as Ford shoved him, the barb about his memory still a sore point but at least he had gotten used to Stan's humour enough not to look at him with abject horror anymore. It still stung, deep down, when Stan said he hadn't known him long, but he could push past it, keep the conversation rolling instead of shutting down.

"I guess I just don't hold a candle to the real Mr Mystery." Ford's mouth tweaked up in a humourless smile, a soft sadness permeating the air when the person was sat in front of him and didn't even know just how much they were all wishing for him to be back to his former self.

"Then stop trying to be him."

He said it so easily, so simply and yet the sentence seemed more mind boggling than all the tips the kids had given him combined.

"I- sorry?"

"What? I'm just saying the truth, Sixer. I just said you had to prove doing a tour was easy, not that being Mr Mystery was easy." Stan shrugged, not really looking at him, his focus split between the show he was watching and Ford's slack jawed confusion. "You're you, not someone else, so do a tour that you'd do- not one he'd do. Regardless of how the kids say you should do it, either. Maybe you can't be Mr Mystery but that doesn't matter, does it?"

How could he say something that made all the tangled up half thoughts, that he couldn't comprehend himself, suddenly clear as day?

Deep down he'd known exactly why this entire charade was eating him from the inside out but he hadn't been able to put the feeling into any words other than 'No, this is all wrong."

He'd shouted and snarled about Stan taking his name when he'd found out he'd been using it, he'd told him in no uncertain terms to give it back.

It made his skin crawl to think about taking over a part of Stan's life, even for a day, when Stan didn't even know it was a part of himself he was willingly giving away.

Stan had no idea Mr Mystery was himself. Had no idea that even though technically Mr Mystery was 'Stanford Pines' it had always been, and always would be Stan Pines plain and simple.

It just felt so wrong when Stan didn't even know himself, to try and pretend to be him.

And even when he hadn't truly understood it himself, Stan had been able to see what the problem was and broken it down into the simplest of messages.

Don't pretend to be someone you're not.

Ford didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and found he desperately wanted to say something that he knew he couldn't, not until Stan remembered on his own.

Isn't it funny that you found yourself, found a place in the world just for you when you were pretending to be me?

All he'd do is confuse his brother saying something like that, when all his memories shifted like sand and what was left behind were tattered fragments of a tapestry his brother couldn't quite yet fit together into each cohesive image.

"I wasn't challenging you to be him." Ford came back to his senses and Stan looked perturbed where he sat, worrying his lip. "It was just some harmless fun, I didn't think you'd take it so seriously. Kind of just wanted to see..."

"To see?" Curiosity piqued, Ford couldn't let the question dissipate into nothingness even as Stan seemed to war with himself over whether to say it or not.

"I dunno. Just seemed like something we've done before. Challenging each other to do stupid things." Stan gave a cheeky though hesitant grin, one that spoke of countless worries that maybe, just maybe, he was remembering things all wrong.

When you had nothing to go on, it kind of made it difficult to balance and comprehend what could just be pure wishful thinking and what was actually real, solid reminiscence.

Fortunately, Ford saw through the look and the question being asked behind it.

I wanted to see if you'd take up my challenge. That's something we used to do, right?

"If you mean did you have a habit of getting me into trouble more often than not. Yes. Yes, you did." Ford raised an eyebrow as Stan's expression grew impossibly brighter.

"I knew it."

Ford hummed in amusement at the triumphant lilt to Stan's voice. "You sound proud of that."

"Of course I am. That's what siblings do."

Ford didn't know why that sentence stung slightly, clawing at his chest. The words had almost been said with relief, as if Stan was worried that they hadn't been that close. Hadn't had the usual sibling rivalries and playful teasing banter and everything else that came with being close friends and irritating siblings all in one fell swoop.

He knew in hindsight that that peaceful balance had been shattered, and he knew one day Stan would relearn it. But right now he wanted to bring that closeness back to the forefront, that bridge that had been burned as they grew up.

Right now he wanted Stan to think of the good times, and everything Ford willed to desperately get back once Stan was himself again and they could properly try and rebuild the bridge together. Plank by plank, just like that first Stan'O'War they had found together and fixed back up from nothing but a shipwreck rotting alone in a cave.

Besides, Stan had been the best brother growing up and he needed to know that.

"That they do. And in the same vein- If anyone asks about the trouble we got into as kids, I blame you for all of it."

A surprised gleeful bark of laughter left Stan. "Fair, very fair." He paused then, mischief pooling in his eyes. "Actually no, I take that back. You can't blame me for everything."

"Oh?" Ford's voice was filled with disbelieving amusement. "Go on then. What time have you remembered that was my fault and not yours?"

"Nothing in particular." Stan shook his head, humming childishly. "Just, you're the one that takes on my dumb challenges, you could always just back down and concede defeat." He prodded his brother's shoulder with another bright smirk. "I don't force you into anything, therefore you can't blame me entirely."

Ford sighed, mock long suffering. "True. A lapse in judgement on my part." He raised an eyebrow imperiously. "One that you seem to bring out more often than anyone else... Must be a sibling thing."

If Stan's smile grew impossibly wider, Ford didn't feel the need to mention it.

Anything for Stan to be well and truly relaxed in the knowledge that, if Ford surmised correctly and he was remembering a fraction of their teenage years, his feelings on the matter, and how thick as thieves they were, were well founded.

"So?"

"So what?" Ford's eyebrows furrowed abruptly, not understanding what Stan was trying to ask.

"You gonna back down and concede defeat this time?" Stan tried to keep a nonchalant, straight face as the words left him, though his mirth was obvious in the tone. "Judge this properly or whatever?"

Ford stared at him for a few moments, as if weighing up his options when really there was only one option he really felt was open to him.

As nervous as he was about this silly challenge he'd walked into, having Stan teasing and pushing his buttons again like they were small kids goading each other was a breath of fresh air, a small chink in his armour he hadn't realised he'd been so desperately missing until it was laid out before him.

His face split into a daring grin to rival some of Stan's most mischievous ones.

"Not on your life."

"Is that so?" Stan's expression grew cocky. "Well, no blaming me whatever happens tomorrow then."

Ford snorted, rolling his eyes. "Please, I'm still going to blame you no matter what."

"Oh? You don't think you'll be able to pull off that tour then?"

Ford narrowed his eyes at the fake innocence colouring the words.

Don't be Mr Mystery. Be you.

At least Stan was giving him a fighting chance.

"Oh, you just wait and see, Stan." He stood up straight, snagging his journal as he did so and tapping the front cover, his thoughts spinning with the new possibilities that had been unlocked by Stan's flippant words. "I may not be Mr Mystery but I've got a few tricks up my sleeves."

Stan's eyes twinkled at the obvious agreement with his earlier statement, nodding earnestly as he settled back into what he'd been doing before Ford interrupted him.

"I'll look forward to it then, Sixer."

Ford didn't know whether to chalk the next day's experiences up to his thought process being so utterly right it was painful or so terribly wrong that in hindsight he really should have just conceded defeat before he ever got himself into this mess.

His back hit the wall as he looked up to the ceiling for strength, the silence around him a welcome encompassing relief as he thought more on the whole ordeal.

Route one in which he was right- Stan was entirely to blame and his judgement of situations really went out the window whenever that blasted sibling rivalry reared its teasing head. That much was obviously true.

But route two where he was also laughably wrong for thinking otherwise- the tricks up his sleeve were not as well suited for this particular challenge as he had previously envisioned.

'Well suited' meaning they were downright terrible and went right back to his first hypothesis that he really hadn't thought any of this through.

Really the more he thought about it, the more he realised there was a paradox to the entire thought process. Both ironically right and wrong at the same time in equal measures.

Either way, he blamed Stan.

That was the easiest thought process that didn't require him to think about just how badly his endeavours had gone.

Who'd have thought it would be that hard to keep a crowd of the townspeople entertained?

These people came up to check on Stan almost daily and hung off his every word, even when all he had to offer was awkward small talk with friends he obviously no longer remembered in the slightest. And yet he couldn't keep them occupied for an hour if that?

Maybe he should have asked Stan for at least a day to prepare. Ford frowned, groaning as he rubbed at his temples in irritation. He knew full well it wouldn't have mattered, no matter how much his brain tried to argue that he'd just needed more time, a better nights sleep to figure out the best plan of action. In reality, he knew he just hadn't read the room right, still partially listening to the kids advice from the day before.

He'd set out that night to find some creatures in the forest that would fit all of the twins' requirements for a good Mystery Shack tour:

Scary but somehow humourous.

Shock and awe.

A small smattering of different things to keep everyone entertained.

And above all, something to keep them all engaged.

...Instead he realised, he had done the complete opposite and by trying to please everyone he had pleased absolutely no one.

Between the stomach-faced duck and the category 1 and 2 ghosts he'd managed to coerce into helping him the night before, he wasn't sure it could have gone any worse.

Well, no, that was a lie. Dipper had tried to make him feel better by telling him about the time he brought a gremoblin into the Shack but really all that did was screech a warning bell in his head about all the things that could have gone wrong in that scenario.

He was almost tempted to rescind the offer of letting the kids keep leafing through his journals with those kinds of antics, even if there was a budding pride leaving him stunned that Dipper had even managed to catch one, let alone escape without seeing his worst nightmares.

It also made him wonder if there was any test that could be done to check whether 'reckless abandon' was a hereditary trait considering he really couldn't say he'd done anything differently over the years.

And that wasn't even mentioning Stan's behaviour.

He didn't understand. Ford sighed again, hitting his head back against the wall. The ghosts weren't scary in the slightest, in fact he'd hoped that they would class as the 'good bad horror movie' vibe that Mabel had requested. But instead some of the patrons had freaked out at the thoughts of the afterlife, questions he didn't actually have any answer to what with the unlimited multitude of differing concepts he had come across on his travels around the multiverse.

He'd also decided that, whilst gross, the duck was a rather fascinating and mind boggling specimen.

...No one else agreed with him on that matter.

He was lucky that Soos had been able to calm down the now gagging and close to panicking townspeople. Lucky that he had been given an escape route to flee through as Soos stepped up and took them on a tour himself, filled with a mix of Stan's script that had plainly been memorised and his own small quirks that came from years of listening to the tourists themselves.

No wonder Stan only ever showed them fake attractions and not the real thing. Who'd have thought that most of them didn't actually want to see the extraordinary up close and personal?

Though perhaps Mabel was right, stood at the sidelines as Ford gave the pair a pleading look for help as all hell broke loose.

After Weirdmaggedon, maybe a lot of them were just a little bit mystery'd out.

Or maybe they had never come for the mysteries at the Mystery Shack in the first place and had come more for the owner and his showman's smile that could sell you something you definitely didn't need for far too high a price and you'd go home thinking about how good a deal it was.

Just like now, when though all those who knocked asked if the tours were back up and running yet, Ford knew the real question was 'is Stan Pines back yet?'

What had he been thinking taking up this challenge? No one wanted to see him.

No one wanted to see the guy who had done this to their-

"You forgotten where the door is?"

Ford blinked, thoughts of horrified, pale green tourists slipping from his mind as a good-humoured voice echoed from the room behind him. "I'm sorry?"

"Just sounds like you're trying to come through the wall, thought maybe you'd forgotten where the door was."

Ford poked his head around the kitchen door frame, eyes narrowed as his brother pottered about, a quirk to his lips that said he was trying his best not to laugh. "I thought I was alone actually."

"Alone to freak out about what just happened? Cause believe me I can hear your thoughts from in here." Stan shrugged. "Besides, I thought they were pretty neat actually."

"Yeah?"

He scrunched his nose up, still not really turning round. "Well, other than that- category 1 ghost? That one was just irritating. I didn't think ghosts could be that irritating." He finally glanced over at Ford, pointing at him. "I don't know how it works, but don't ever let me become one of them, you hear?"

A surprised bubble of laughter left Ford in that moment, the ball of tension in his throat relaxing ever so slightly. "I'll do what I can."

Stan nodded, satisfied. "Good."

"Although... you are quite irritating yourself."

"Hey!"

More laughter escaped him at the indignant grumble from Stan, the outside momentarily forgotten until a smattering of 'ohhs' and 'ahhs' from the other room reminded him of just how poorly he'd done. He groaned with defeat, flopping into one of the kitchen chairs with a dramatic flourish that Stan seemed to struggle not to comment on.

"Well, I guess just cause I liked 'em doesn't mean they were to everyone's tastes."

Ford nodded in disappointed agreement, rubbing a hand under his glasses to scrub at his eyes, as Stan sat down next to him. "Clearly."

"Ehh, everything turned out all right in the end. The kid's got everything under control."

Ford rested his head on his hand, elbow on the table as he watched Stan's face flicker between pride and confusion, clearly not sure why he felt quite so warm about Soos's success. "You think he'd make a good Mr Mystery?"

"Hmm." Stan hummed thoughtfully, mouth twisting downwards as he thought about it. "Maybe. With a bit more practice." He slipped a drink in front of Ford without a word, face far more open and less joking than Ford had imagined. "So what happened?"

Ford snorted derisively, raising an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "Like I need to tell you."

"You don't need to, but I want to know what you think happened."

"I dunno- the kids think maybe it's a bit too soon for any horror after what happened a week or so ago." Ford waved his hand at Stan as he opened his mouth, his expression saying that even he knew that much. "I know, remember? Lapse in judgement whenever you challenge me to something. Didn't think it through." He rubbed at his face again, a twisted smile on his face. "I dunno, I didn't understand the kids' advice yesterday but I still tried to follow it. Scary but funny, engaging, make sure everyone's entertained." He waited for Stan to speak but when nothing happened he sighed, raised the drink in a small semblance of a grateful salute before hiding behind it. "I dunno. I don't know how y- he did it. I guess you were right, it's not my forte."

"Please, I'm never right about anything."

Ford frowned, turning quickly to his brother who just shrugged teasingly.

"What? I can't remember what happened last week, let alone anything important. How on Earth would I know what you're good at or not?"

Ford's frown deepened. "I'm pretty sure what I just did proves you right-"

"You're right." Stan hummed, cutting Ford off in his tracks. "I guess it does prove me right- you're no good at being Mr Mystery."

"I- wait, I wasn't trying to be-?"

"Weren't you? Why did you get those particular things from the forest?"

Ford sat up straight, irritation at being interrupted again and again blossoming. "Because the kids-"

"Told you to? Why's that?"

"Cause that's what a Mystery Tour should be like."

"No. That's what one of his Mystery Tours was like."

Ford sat staring at him for a moment, the cogs in his head visibly whirring as the dots connected. "...Oh."

"Now, he gets it." Stan raised his hands up in a gesture of gratitude, but Ford didn't know what to, as he shook his head. "Stop thinking about what a tour should be like and just go with your gut on what you think people would like to see."

Ford huffed, staring into his drink as his thoughts soured. "I mean that's what I did do, from the kids advice. They didn't tell me to go get those particular anomalies."

"Oh, for the love of- where's that book of yours?" Stan held his hand out, gesturing impatiently. "Come on, I know you've got it on you. You always do. Let's go through it together and make a list of things that would be good as an exhibit and why they'd be good."

"And what in your opinion then would make them good for an exhibit?" Ford held out the journal with a small amount of trepidation. He'd ripped out the Bill pages, just in case curious eyes found their way in there, but still there was a small niggling worry that unlike Mabel's scrapbook, the book's contents could spark a painful memory he didn't want to be the cause of for his brother.

Stan, however, seemed to have no such worry, humming thoughtfully as he flipped through the pages. "Something not too outlandish. The tourists we get up here kind of seem gullible, I mean those attractions we made yesterday? Hardly master craftsmen are we? And yet from those old photos they lapped up the old exhibits. My guess is when Mabel said 'Scary', that any number of silly loud noises in the middle of a story could have made them jump, let alone an actual prankster poltergeist like you gave them today." He winked playfully before zoning back into the book. "So something not too much, something fun considering we all could use some of that right now, and harmless 'cause you never want to actually hurt a customer, that gets you bad rep."

"Are you saying I should just stick to the fake anomalies?" Ford couldn't think of anything quite so bland from his journal.

What counted as too outlandish when you studied creatures no one thought existed?

"No." His expression turned frustrated as he shook his head. "Just that- you were trying to make an impression today. You threw them all in at the deep end. You just gotta take it slowly, build up to the weirder things." He shrugged after that, putting the journal down on the table before leaning on his palm. "But this is just what I think, what about you? You think the townspeople can handle half the stuff in your diary here?"

"It's not a diary." The automatic response came out before anything else, making Stan smirk at the sudden grumble. "But true- there's a lot in there that wouldn't make a good tourist attraction."

"Exactly." Stan smiled proudly, glad to be getting through to him. "And at least I'm not biased at all."

"Sorry?"

"Well, I don't know who Mr Mystery was, so I'm just telling you what I think would work for you. You like solving puzzles and explaining things to people. Find a creature in here that you know a lot about that people will be interested to see. You like facts and figures, not made up stories, so use what you've got to your advantage."

And wasn't it ironic? That Stan was trying to help Ford give his own tour, his own spotlight in the Mystery Shack, one that had nothing to do with Mr Mystery, when really he was giving him all the advice he had learned over the years?

Ford wasn't about to complain though. For some reason a fire had ignited in Stan, one that wanted to show Ford that he could do everything and anything he set his mind to and that even if it was a challenge between them, he was going to help him every step of the way until he was successful.

It was like being a kid all over again, when challenges were more to bolster one another than actually prove the other wrong.

"Alright." Ford moved his chair closer to Stan's so he could look over his shoulder. "The kids idea didn't work, and my own choices on what would be interesting to people went down in flames- so what would you suggest for tomorrow's tour?"

Stan practically beamed at him, happy to help as his eyes scoured through the book, tracing creature after creature until he paused on a page and turned it to Ford. "Are these easy to find?"

Ford played with his glasses, squinting to be sure that he was reading it correctly. "Very, They're dotted round the entire glades around here. I'm sure the townspeople have seen them bef-."

"Then this one."

"This one? Really?"

"Yeah, no throwing people in the deep end, remember? Start with something that's at least vaguely familiar to them."

Ford's face scrunched up in confusion, taking the journal back from Stan to read over the page. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. You've tried the other ideas, why not try this one?"

"Hmm... I guess it's worth a shot."

"That reminds me, there's one thing though that you definitely shouldn't do."

Out of all the things Ford thought the crowd would find interesting, this had not been it.

Then again, he had endeavoured to start overestimating his family and Stan's latest idea was no exception to how his doubts at the beginning were completely unfounded.

He'd never have thought that people would actually be fascinated by the little, fluttering, glowing creatures he had managed to catch in small, now colourfully painted jars courtesy of the niblings, and yet here they all were with big wide eyes and soft gleaming smiles.

He'd forgotten what it felt like, the first time he'd come across them himself. How exuberant he had been to finally see one, to know that they existed, but soon he was encountering them almost every day he wandered into the forest and quickly he'd forgotten that first shining gleam of wonder.

Just another ordinary creature in the woods.

He'd forgotten that to most people, they were still very much a fairy tale.

Even then he'd wondered if they were too tame, too small, too childish but both adults and children alike kept being pulled back to the circle he had around him, eyes focused in awe at the small flickering creatures that adorned the table in front of him. Even the teenagers who were trying their best to seem unaffected kept shuffling back, the soft warm gleam of the room a relaxing salve to the wounds gained from the events of the last few weeks.

He didn't know how, but somehow Stan had given him a way to help with everyone's healing process.

And wasn't that a warm feeling stitching him back together that crushed the sharp snagging voices that he'd caused all of this? He was so busy trying to help in any way possible, he hadn't even thought that he was allowed to be himself and heal himself while doing so.

Not to mention it also helped when not one person acted like it was his fault even though they all knew what had happened. Not one person snarled and pushed him away, for taking their Stan away from them, knowing full well that they were all trying their best to bring him back.

No, all in all, he wondered whether Stan had come up with the challenge just to get him to stop throwing himself into work so that he didn't have to think. Whether he had noticed the signs and needed Ford to realise he couldn't do everything alone or because really, all of them just needed a break to carry on moving forward.

Something fun, something that stopped them thinking about what had happened recently and what the future might hold.

Kept them all in the present, spending time with one another and doing what they could to just enjoy the moment.

Making the most of the last few days of summer.

A small persistent hand raised in front of him, a small face filled with questions making him giddy with the thought of a curious child wanting more information. "Yes?"

"Why are you calling it a pixie?"

"Because that's what it is?"

"No, it's obviously a fairy."

"Don't argue with an eight year old who says it’s a fairy."

Ford shook his head, smiling brightly. "It's not a fairy, fairies are wildly different creatures." He thought back on his earlier spiel of the creatures, the overloading titbits of information he had given the crowd as he picked up one of the jars to examine it more closely. "Though I guess, when you think of old children's stories, these are actually much closer to what a stereotypical fairy should be, what with the-"

"So, it is a fairy then?" Ford glanced down at the victorious girl before him.

"You may think you will win but you will not win that argument. Trust me, Sixer."

"... I guess with that kind of argument, yes?" Stan's words from the day before rang in his head as he bit his lip to stop the outpouring of fae knowledge fizzle out. Instead he tried another approach, an idea forming as he smiled agreeably. "But really, they just prefer to be called Pixies."

"Oh, OK." And with that the kid was gone, nodding thoughtfully as she left the crowd to go find her parents and leaving Ford completely nonplussed to that having actually worked.

"Wow, looks like you did prove me wrong, Sixer. You can win an argument against an eight year old."

Ford snorted as his brother sidled up beside him, clapping him on the shoulder warmly. "I'm not sure I won it so much in actual knowledge against semantics."

"Hey, the kid got the message somehow, that's the main thing." Stan picked up one of the jars himself, spinning it around with scrutiny. "You think we could sell these as pets at all? We could make a fortune."

"As much as I admire your thought process, I think a lot of parents would bring them back once they started being their mischievous selves. And besides-" He wiggled his fingers at him, the brightly coloured plasters adorning them another present from Mabel. "They bite a lot."

"...Pity."

Ford raised an eyebrow as Stan hummed, putting the jar back down, though the smile seemed at odds with the disappointed sigh of a word he'd released. ""You don't seem that upset. What's gotten into you?"

Stan shrugged, a bashful sheepish look overtaking his features as he looked around the room. "I dunno, it's just nice seeing the place filled with people again, you know? It's such a big place, it's felt weird with only a few of us here most of the time." A voice from nearby called out to him, making the sheepish look blossom into a more self-conscious but proud smile. "That and it turns out I'm kind of good at this whole touring thing, you know?" Ford had noticed his brother moving around with his own group, people intermingling from the centre where Ford stood and off to Stan wherever he was in the room. He hadn't realised Stan had actually been talking about the exhibits, just assumed that as usual people were going to check on him, see how things were going, too busy passionately rambling about the pixies to really take notice of the rest of the room. Stan clapped him on the shoulder again, leaning in conspiratorially as he whispered before pulling away to rejoin his small tour group. "Though maybe they're just humouring me, I wouldn't put it past them."

Ford watched him start to walk away with a small smile before he couldn't resist blurting out exactly what he was thinking. "I don't know, Stan." He waited until his brother turned back, a question on the tip of his tongue that Ford overruled. "I think they're just happy to see Mr Mystery's back in action."

Stan's expression shifted into a myriad of emotions in a blink of an eye that Ford wished he could have caught on camera. Utter confusion and gnawing doubt flickering to bubbling shock and beaming pride before settling on disappointed irritation peeking through the sunny happiness that had been brought up by finding something he was good at.

"Hey! You weren't supposed to tell me!"

Ford laughed, a gleaming bright sound that fluttered through the room and made the atmosphere all the warmer.

They'd get there. The shack, Stan's memories, everything and everyone would get there.

They just needed to let each other help along the way.

AN: I. had. far. too. much. fun. Honestly, sibling banter is so great. Like I could not resist them just having mock arguments vs all the real ones ♥ Just all the ‘i didn’t say it was your fault- i said i was going to blame you’ that comes with siblings haha! Anyway, this was where the story was meant to go before I got distracted in writing the intro ^o^ I hope it was worth the wait x

#gravity falls fanfiction #gravity falls #Stanley Pines #stanford pines #post-weirdmageddon #amnesiac stan #grunkle stan #grunkle ford #mabel pines #dipper pines #soos ramirez #boss ford

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