Work Text:
Pacifica never thought that she’d live to see the end of the world. Sure, there were enough end of days predictors in Gravity Falls to fill the whole world, but she never believed any of them. Her father had always said that even if the world did end they’d be able to buy their way out. They’re Northwests, and they’re able to do things like buy entire towns and friends and pay demons to leave them alone.
Pacifica learns the day that Bill rips a hole in the world that that’s not the case. This demon doesn’t want money. He doesn’t want anything other than to party as the world burns around them. Pacifica loses both of her parents the first day. Her father is turned to stone soon after Bill rearranges his face. Her mother is captured as they run away. Pacifica fights back her tears as she sneaks through the alley ways, trying to find another person and a way to stay safe.
Her clothes are tattered and torn, completely unrecognizable by the time that she makes it to the Mystery Shack. Stan Pines takes her in along with the other kids and random townsfolk that have escaped the triangle god’s wrath.
“Is it safe here?” she asks wearily.
“I think so,” he says, not sounding entirely sure, “I think that it’s demon-proof or something.” Pacifica decides that the possibility that this place is demon-proof makes it worth sticking around. A few days ago, Pacifica would have scoffed at the idea of staying at the Mystery Shack. Now, Pacifica’s just glad to be alive and have a roof over head.
“Where are Dipper and Mabel?” she asks cautiously. No matter how loath she is to admit it, she’s grown fond of both of the twins. Dipper’s been a good friend to her, and Mabel is... Mabel is something else entirely. Pacifica gets a little nervous whenever she’s around her, and she ends up lashing out extra hard. She doesn’t know what Mabel is to her, but she wants to know that she’s safe.
“I’m sure that they’re safe,” he says with a strained voice. He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself as much as he’s trying to convince her. Pacifica doesn't think that it's a good sign.
The little girls all end up staying up in the attic. Dipper and Mabel’s stuff still litters the room, and Pacifica feels terribly guilty as she curls up in one of the beds. She’s here and safe in this bed, and she doesn’t know if either of the twins is even alive anymore.
“I can’t sleep,” the muscular one- Grenda , says.
“We could play a board game,” the short one- Candy suggests. They’re curled up together in the other bed.
“The world is ending,” Pacifica says. There’s nothing more childish than playing games while the world burns.
“It’s better than telling ghost stories,” Candy says, and that actually gets Pacifica to laugh. They don’t need to tell ghost stories. They’re living one.
“Do you have a soulmate, Pacifica?” Grenda asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
“No,” Pacifica says. She’s angry that the other girl would presume to ask. Soulmates and soulmarks are incredibly personal matters, to be spoken of only with the soulmate and with close family. Soulmarks tattoo an image, a symbol of the couple's relationship on their skin the moment that it becomes clear that they're compatible. It's much too intimate to just tell anyone about.
“Me neither,” Candy says, and then she gets a devious grin on her face, “but Grenda does.” Grenda smiles as though she knew this was where the conversation would lead. She pulls up her sleeve to reveal an image of hand with a pointed finger.
“What does that mean?” Pacifica asks, a little bit snootily.
“It’s my soulmark,” Grenda says, rolling her eyes, “I got it at your party.”
“You did?” Pacifica asks, sounding curious. Even though she feels uncomfortable talking about soulmarks with these girls, she's still interested in hearing the story.
“Yep,” Grenda says smugly, “I met Marius there. I flicked him on the chin, and then he wrote his phone number on my face. It was romantic.”
“You’re Marius’s American girlfriend?” Pacifica asks skeptically. Both of the girls glare at her then, openly.
“What are you implying, Pacifica?” Candy demands.
“Nothing,” Pacifica says, and she really means it for once. She didn’t intend to cause offense.
“He just speaks really highly of you,” Pacifica says.
“He’d better,” Grenda says with a grin. They talk about mundane things for a while, what they’re looking forward to when they world finally goes back to normal. None of the girls speak of the high possibility that this is permanent. Pacifica, however, can’t go on ignoring reality forever.
“Do you think that we’ll live through this?” Pacifica asks.
“Of course,” Grenda says.
“I have seen all the apocalypse movies,” Candy says confidently, “I have what it takes to survive.” Pacifica, however, has not watched all of the apocalypse movies. She feels her worries growing.
“We’ll make sure you don’t die either,” Grenda says, rolling her eyes.
“Really?” Pacifica asks, “why would you care?”
“You’re alright, Pacifica,” Candy says.
“And Mabel would be sad if you died,” Grenda adds.
“What?” Pacifica asks, “why would Mabel care?” She feels a warm, embarrassed flush spread over her. She wants Mabel to care about her.
“She decided you were friends after that thing with the mini golf people,” Candy explains. Pacifica feels a warm feeling growing within her. Mabel called them friends. Pacifica tries to push it away, because she should not be that excited that Mabel likes her, but it’s no use. Her stupid feelings just won’t listen to her.
“Do you think that she and Dipper are alright?” Pacifica asks softly. She couldn’t get a real answer from Stan, but she thinks these girls might be honest with her. They don’t seem capable of any sort of deception.
“Yeah,” Grenda says, “they must be fine.”
“I believe in them,” Candy says, sounding oddly serious. Most things that Candy says are goofy, and a little off-kilter. It’s weird to hear her speaking so frankly. It gives Pacifica a confidence boost though. If the twins’ chances of being safe can make Candy Chiu sound normal for a little bit, they must be pretty good.
“Night guys,” Pacifica says.
“Sleep tight,” Grenda says.
“Don’t let the demons bite,” Candy adds. Pacifica giggles, even though the thought sends a cold chill through her spine. She tries to get to sleep.
The next day progresses much the same as the rest of them. They all huddle awkwardly in the living room, trying to come up with some sort of game plan. That is, until someone busts down the door. It’s actually four someones: Mabel, Dipper, the redhead and the big guy that works for them. Pacifica can’t help it, and a big smile spreads across her face.
Grenda and Candy rush forward and engulf Mabel in a hug. It only takes a moment of debate for Pacifica to decide to throw her arms around Dipper. Then, their hugs consolidate and become one big hug.
“Alright,” Stan says in his gruff voice, “Everyone get off the kids.” The girls grumble, but they break their hug. Then Stan grabs both of the kids ad bear hugs them so hard he almost lifts them of the ground.
"You're crushing us," Dipper says, sounding a little bit strangled. Mabel and Stan both laugh, and he hugs them even tighter. Pacifica can see little teardrops prickling at his eyes, and they smile and laugh as the world goes to hell outside. He finally breaks the hug, and then leads them all into the living room. They have to squeeze, but they make do. He sits down on the chair, and the twins both find spots on it as well, looking every bit like a loving family. Pacifica envies them.
Everyone waits on baited breath as the twins weave their tale. Pacifica can see the anger grow on Stan’s face when he realizes that his brother suggested that they wait to save Mabel, and then it grows again after Dipper recounts Ford’s capture. Once the story shifts to Mabel’s prison bubble, Mabel takes over, telling them how Dipper finally snapped her out of her dreams.
“And that’s how I popped Bill’s bubble and we ended up back here!” Mabel says, ending with a flourish and a gigantic hand gesture.
Soos starts clapping, and says, “What a story, little dude.”
“You were there,” Wendy says.
“It was still touching,” he says.
“Are there any questions?” Mabel asks with an amiable smile. One of Multibear’s hands (paws?) shoots into the air.
“Wait,” Dipper says as a big grin crosses over his face, “Multibear!”
“It is I, young one,” he says.
Dipper smiles, and says, “Dude, I have so much to tell you.” They leave the living room, and find some spot in the shack to talk about whatever it is that a young boy and a bear with multiple heads have in common. Pacifica can’t wait to hear the story about how those two met. The group in the living room starts to disband as the people split off into groups. Soon, Paciifca’s left sitting alone on the floor. Mabel’s still in the room as well, and her eyes widen as she realizes what Pacifica is wearing.
“Pacifica,” Mabel says, “what happened to your clothes.”
Pacifica flushes angrily, and says, “The apocalypse, Mabel.”
Mabel looks embarrassed at that, and says, “I’m sorry, I was just worried. They look ruined.”
“They are,” Pacifica says simply. She doesn’t want Mabel to notice how tattered her clothes are. She wants Mabel to think that she’s cool and pretty.
“Come up with me,” Mabel says. She offers her hand, and Pacifica doubts if she expects her to take it. Pacifica takes it though. It’s a weird impulse, but she really wants to be close to the other girl. She’d like to touch her, just to know for sure that she’s there.
They come up to Mabel and Dipper’s attic, and Mabel starts rummaging around in her sweaters.
“Which one do you want?” Mabel asks, holding out a few of her fluffiest, most elaborate pieces.
“None of them,” Pacifica says. It comes out snootily, but what she really means is that she couldn’t take any of Mabel’s sweater. They’re hers, not Pacifica’s. It would feel wrong.
“It will be way comfier than what you’re wearing,” Mabel assures her. She grabs a white, fuzzy one with a yellow llama on the front.
“Please take this one,” Mabel says.
“Mabel-”
“Please, Pacifica,” Mabel pleads. The other girl just wants to help, and Pacifica sighs.
“Alright,” she says, “I’ll wear the dumb sweater.” Mabel’s face lights up, and Pacifica realizes that she made the right choice.
“Now turn around,” Pacifica orders, “I can’t change with you looking at me.”
“I’m not looking though,” Mabel says.
“Please ,” Pacifica says. Mabel turns around then, and Pacifica takes off her ragged clothes and puts on the sweater. It’s fuzzy, and soft, and feels like being engulfed in a cloud. Pacifica’s never felt so at home in a piece of clothing before.
“What do you think?” Pacifica asks.
“It depends,” Mabel says, “can I turn around?”
“Yes,” Pacifica says, “god, Mabel. You’re so annoying.” She says the last part without any bite, and judging by the grin on Mabel’s face the other girl doesn’t take it as an insult.
“Pacifica,” she says, “you look great.” Then she blushes a little bit. Pacifica feels a burning on the back of her neck, and she hears Mabel scream.
The sensation is over in a second, and then Pacifica asks, “What was that?”
Mabel pulls up her own sweater sleeve and says, “Um, look at this.” She shows Pacifica the image of a yellow llama on her forearm. It’s obviously a soulmark, theirs together, forever engraving this moment on their skin.
“Check my neck,” Pacifica tells her.
Mabel pulls her matted hair up from her neck and says, “Yeah, you’ve got one too.”
“Wow,” Pacifica says.
“Wow,” Mabel echoes. They both sit in awkward silence for a moment. How do you go about acknowledging that you’re soulmates?
“So,” Mabel says with a big, silly grin, “I guess you really liked the sweater.”
“Oh my god, Mabel,” Pacifica mutters, her face turning red. They sit in awkward silence again, and Mabel does not break it with an awful joke.
“Do you even like me?” Pacifica asks softly. Grenda and Candy said that Mabel liked her, but that doesn’t mean that Mabel like likes her.
“Yeah,” Mabel says, “most of the time, at least.”
“Most of the time?” Pacifica asks.
“When you’re not being mean to me or my friends,” Mabel says honestly.
“I’m sorry,” Pacifica says, feeling embarrassed, “I was a jerk, it’s just-”
“What?” Mabel asks.
“It doesn’t make it any better, but,” Pacifica says, “I really liked you, and I got nervous around you. So I was extra mean to you and your friends.”
“You were mean to me because you liked me?” Mabel asks, sounding skeptical of the idea.
“It was stupid,” Pacifica says, blushing bright red, “it was just like those boys that pull girls pigtails because they think that they’re cute.”
“You think that I’m cute?” Mabel asks. This time, it’s her turn to blush.
“Yeah,” Pacifica says softly, “I do.” Mabel bumps her shoulder up against Pacifica’s.
“I think that you’re pretty cute too,” Mabel says. Pacifica feels something warm pass over her, and she leans her head against Mabel’s shoulder. The world is burning around them, but Pacifica feels pretty content.
“All sentient lifeforms meeting!” comes Grenda’s shout, "Meeting time!"
Mabel groans as she says, “I guess we’ve got to go down there.”
“I guess so,” Pacifica says, resigning herself to the fact that this moment with Mabel can’t last forever, “the world is ending.” Mabel holds out a hand for Pacifica to take.
As Pacifica grabs it, Mabel says, with a lopsided smile, “Or maybe it’s just beginning.”