#I mean they’re wonderful and all but transitions keep the story much cleaner and more seamless

[telugu-girl-13]

avoid time skips normalize transitions 💪🏾

[stevenkodalys]

A list of (I think) all the changes that Moulin Rouge has undergone since Boston to previews to opening. If I missed anything or got anything wrong then please add on and/or correct me bc my memory is terrible.

Also let me preface this by saying the Boston show I saw was during the first week of previews so there are things that probably changed after I saw it there. I also saw the first two Broadway previews and then two shows after it opened. 

Act 1

- Boston and first previews: Zidler says “I adore each and every poverty-stricken one of you.” Now: Zidler says “I want to make desperate love to each and every one of you.”

- There’s a longer pause between Lady Marmalade and Because We Can.

- Zidler did not introduce the Duke by name until after previews in Boston. He originally said “come to me, plutocrats!” before it transitioned into the Duke’s money medley. Now the Duke is introduced as the Duke de Monroth.

- Bohemian medley in Boston started with Rhythm of the Night. First/second previews had them singing “Some things sure can sweep me off my feet. Burning down the house.” Now they sing “Watch you you might get what you’re after. *Rouge, baby! strange but not a stranger. I’m an ordinary guy. Burning down the house.” According to the Playbill, Rhythm of the Night is still in the show. Idk where though. There’s a bigger dance break, plus Baby Doll gets their own sequence.

*EDIT: I couldn’t tell what they said from my audios so I had googled the lyrics to Burning Down the House and assumed it was “Booms, baby!” but they actually say “Rouge, baby!” Thanks to @rhythmstarfruitcitrus and @promisesyoumadetome for confirming that for me lol.

- When Christian first starts telling his story about going to Paris he said Satine died in his arms in the Boston version. This was taken out for Broadway.

- Karen’s dress for her entrance has changed. It was red in Boston, it is now black and silver and a tad shorter.

- “Brick House” has been added to the Diamonds medley. It’s sung by the male ensemble.

- When Satine loses her breath, Nini now helps her up. The choreography during this scene has also changed since Boston.

- In Shut Up and Dance, Satine saying “I’ve heard that about your kind…’never carrying any money me’” has been removed.

- “Your Song” is sung differently from Boston. Emphasis on some notes has changed.

- Right before The Pitch when Satine tries to escort Christian to the balcony, only Ricky comes in through the window now. Sahr goes off stage and walks on stage from the side.

- Elephant Love Medley has gone through a lot of changes. After the Duke says he’s basically buying the Moulin Rouge, it transitions to Karen singing a reprise of “Diamonds are Forever.” One of my favorite additions is the pause between Christian singing “One Night. Just me just one night.” and Satine saying “There’s no way ‘cause you can’t pay” and Christian’s just standing there stunned lol. Boston version had Christian and Satine standing together with their backs facing the stage while Duke makes an offer to Zidler. This has been taken out and instead Aaron and Karen sing “We can be lovers.” “We can’t do that.” “We can be lovers and that’s a fact.” Come What May has been taken out and is now substituted with Karen singing “how wonderful life is” and Aaron singing “we can be heroes” simultaneously. Boston version had Max coming in off stage and tossing the pink umbrella to Aaron, now Reed slides (literally) from offstage and just hands it to him. Scene ends with Aaron and Karen in the sparkly blue coat and dress with Kyle and Bahiyah doing acrobatics.

Act 2

- Bad Romance has been taken up about 800 notches.

- Dialogue introducing Come What May has changed a bit.

- Boulevardiers just graced the stage in Boston. They now sing reprises of “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Ride Wit Me.”

- “Shake it Out” has been removed. Instead it’s just dialogue between Zidler, Satine, and the Lady Ms.

- Aaron’s dialogue in Boston before Chandelier about “going mad” has been removed. Instead, Zidler tells Satine he’ll deal with Christian which then transitions to Toulouse’s loft. Sahr sang the first part of Chandelier in Boston but now Danny sings it. Karen still makes her entrance as the green fairy but instead of being on stage for a split second like in Boston, she’s actually on stage more. Christian tries to chase her around but keeps getting held back. The dancing from Boston was removed and now just has the ensemble on stage drinking absinthe. Aaron singing “gotta get out now here comes the shame. here comes the shame” was taken out. Instead the ensemble sings out the last note in Chandelier and it transitions into Roxanne, which also has a much cleaner intro.

- First/second preview added some verses from Chandelier into Roxanne towards the end. A chunk of that was removed and he now sings “put on the red light” a few times but they did keep him saying “help me out, i’m holding on for dear life.”

- The scene when Satine has to break Christian’s heart is somehow even more upsetting than Boston. He tries to convince her to leave with him by singing “Come What May” and she interrupts him and tells him he means nothing to her.

- Crazy / Rolling in the Deep has a different ending. Boston/Broadway previews had Aaron on the way left and Karen on the way right. Now they’re both in the middle right next to each other, Karen on the left and Aaron on the right. Ends with Karen holding up her bloody rag and Aaron holding up the gun.

- Satine basically tells off the Duke and he just leaves. I thought they would fix this but apparently not lol.

- I probably don’t even need to add this bc it was so short-lived but In Boston (at least during the first week of previews), right before the start of the Finale, Christian came in from the back of the house, slamming the doors open yelling “SATINE!” as he went up to the stage. I think this was taken out a week later and when I asked Kevyn about it he said that part would never be coming back lol.

- Finale scenery has changed. Broadway version has a more vibrant background that’s a drawing of Satine’s view from her dressing room. Boston version was red/green and kinda dull. Satine’s dress has changed from the all black one to black with hints of blue and red. When Christian turns the gun on himself, Satine now sings “Come What May” to him before singing “Your Song.” The ensemble sings “Your Song” from the stage and audience while Christian and Satine sing “Heroes” and “Your Song” which I’m just now realizing is basically a reprise of the end of the Elephant Love Medley and now I’m FUCKING SAD.

- Boston didn’t mention the Duke having left Paris and never returning, but they added it for Broadway previews, but took it out again.

[pheacas]

16, 17, and maybe 24 for DEH?

16. Best movie musical?

I don’t really know if I’m supposed to be referring to stage musical adaptations or not so I might as well just give one of both.

Once is my favorite overall, which started as a movie and then was transferred to the stage a few years later as a Tony crusher on Broadway. It’s a very calm, serene experience that always gets me. There’s never any real big story going on. It’s just a vacuum cleaner in Dublin attempting to make it as a musician and a Czech immigrant just trying to survive.

Little Shop of Horrors is my favorite movie adaptation (if we consider the original ending and not the theatre ending). That’s not say much, because LSOH is one of my favorite musicals already, but unlike something like Rent (which is a musical higher up on my list), I feel that the LSOH movie gets exactly what the show is going for. It’s weird, it’s quirky, and it’s wonderful. Plus, that puppet is wow.

17. Worst movie musical?

Here’s the thing I don’t watch a lot of movie musicals that I know I wouldn’t like, but I guess if I was forced to name one, it’d be Rent? That can be taken weirdly because yes, I listen to the cast album all the time on Spotify (because I’m forced to they don’t give us the OBC), and there’s certain things I do enjoy about the movie, but it sucks all of the charm from the musical and makes it feel much more corporate.

The spoken dialogue always feels unnatural and unnerving, they take away major plot points and songs for... No real reason (like I understand taking out Contact even though it’s pretty important, but I literally don’t understand taking away anything that gives Mark, Joanne, or Collins character and while still keeping in all of Over the Moon (and I love Santa Fe but like... That could’ve been taken out for more important songs too like Goodbye Love B and even Halloween because we still get more Collins development than Mark (and Halloween is literally only a minute and a half and they filmed it why not just shove it in))).

I mean again I’m such a Renthead if there’s nothing else Rent I’ll definitely take it but ugh I’d rather even watch Rent Live as much as I’ve made fun of it because at least the life is there and at least they didn’t take out important bits and they actually had some really good additions, especially in the Mark department (and I’ll take Jordan Fisher over Anthony Rapp tbh).

24. You’re now the script doctor for [Dear Evan Hansen]. what do you change?

Oh God there’s a lot I would change, but I really can’t say everything, so I’m going to focus on the ending of the Jared and Alana archs.

So, in one of the earlier concepts, Jared was the one who released the letter out of spite. I think that’s much better than Alana doing it randomly and destroying her character arch of caring for people as she sees Evan sobbing to take it down and people automatically attacking the Murphy family.

We set it up early on; Evan actually sends Jared the letter to show Jared what he’s talking about, but Jared never actually reads it, kind of just doing his usually routine of being a dick. Then I’m not going to get into many of my smaller changes but maybe even just a line or two before Evan walks into the scene right after Only Us with Jared and Alana talking about the emails, and Jared giving Alana doubt in it (because definitely what’s already going on, because the backdating emails thing is like? Exactly what Jared said?).

Good For You happens, and then after that, instead of the scene with Evan giving Alana the letter, Jared posts the letter to the internet because he feels that’s the only way he can get back at Evan after their falling out without straight up saying “Evan lied and here’s why”, because it’s the closest thing he can really get he feels before actually saying the truth.

So like yeah Evan is absolutely freaking out and desperately calling Jared because he knows Jared did it and he goes to Alana in a panic, and she’s so confused as well because it was released under Evan’s name, and Evan eventually reveals the whole truth to her, even bringing up Jared in it, and she’s disgusted. Like she just stares at him for a couple of moments, trying to process all of what Evan has said, and then she tries to walk out, but Evan rushes to grasp her wrist to get her to stay, which horrifies her even more and she rushes to pull out of it. Again, there’s another pause while Alana collects herself, and then she eventually decides to give him a little rant in how fucked up it was that he dragged her through all of this, and how rancid it is that he dragged the Murphys through this and used a lie on their dead son for his own benefit, and she forces him to go and speak to the Murphys.

I think at the epilogue, before we see Zoe, we get a scene with Jared, a bit more akin to the book (which is a horrid statement I’ll never reference the book again). It’s not at the orchard, and I’d say maybe quite a few months after? We’re skipping around wowsies but maybe to show the change they can be back in summer clothes and its the summer before college. It’s probably like... Evan’s graduation party and they’re just huddled in the back with awkward red solo cups in hand and the first thing that slips out of Evan’s mouth is a “fuck you” for releasing the letter, and Jared’s face is quick to drop, and this is the first time we really see him show real emotion other than Good For You. He admits he never read the letter before even posting it, and he just wanted to give Evan a little scare before it turned into... That, and he tells him that he regrets even posting it because if he knew what it had actually said, he would have never released it. When he actually read it, he admitted he felt sick, and he wondered if Evan had always felt that way whenever Jared was pushing him around and Evan admits that yes, those thoughts were there and they really hadn’t completely gone away. There’s a bit of awkward tension on both sides, and it ends with Jared again apologizing, saying he just didn’t know and if he did he wouldn’t have ever treated Evan like that. Evan loosely accepts the apology, but he asks why Jared treated him that way, and Jared doesn’t really have an answer. Eventually, after a couple more moments of staring into those sad cups and Jared admits he kinda had a thing for Evan and just never wanted to really... Tell him because he knew he’d be rejected and Evan is just like “oh” and doesn’t know how to process it. Again, more awkward pauses, and eventually it ends with Heidi calling for Evan, but before he leaves he again awkwardly glances to Jared and they both apologize to each other, hug, and Evan runs off, leaving Jared to just stand there awkwardly alone as he transitions with the little set away and the scene changes to the orchard.

[thecinephale]

Redefining Romance with The Shape of Water and On Body and Soul

By the time Katharine and I met in November of 2015 I didn’t care about romance. This word that had consumed me since I was a child no longer made any sense. My celibate adolescence was spent scribbling love poems and consuming movies like (500) Days of Summer, Beginners, and Annie Hall. But I’d since realized my poetry sucked and that Woody Allen’s body of work was nothing to admire. I was casually sleeping with a close friend and grappling with the absence of a core part of my identity. Ever since I was four and told my sister’s best friend I had a crush on her, liking girls and turning that like into a personal narrative was part of me. It was my way of being close to women and how I’d come to terms with what kind of man I could be. I wasn’t effeminate, I was sensitive. I wasn’t girly, I was romantic. 

And yet after years of crafting yarns from ordinary, or even non-existent, experiences, I was about to have my first truly cinematic meet-cute. Katharine and I met at Sleep No More during her very first performance. A friend of mine who worked there had been trying to get me to go for nearly a year and finally this night, for some reason, I caved. During the show I had four one-on-ones, immersive show lingo for private moments with performers, and I was more than satisfied with my experience. The show was just about over when I saw her, sitting on a suitcase at the end of an empty hall. Unsure if she was a performer or a tired audience member I slowly crept toward her. She stood up, took my hand, and we had a one-on-one. Later at the bar, my friend introduced us and we spent the rest of the night talking. A week later we were on a train together headed upstate.

This story is romantic in every way I could’ve hoped for as a teenager. And yet what I remember most from these weeks is the joy I felt getting to know Katharine. I was honestly a bit embarrassed having met her at Sleep No More since that place thrives off of people’s sometimes toxic fantasies. Especially because none of it felt that grand. I didn’t even think our first conversation could possibly be romantic until my friend asked me why I didn’t get her number. Our first date was upstate because she mentioned wanting to get out of the city before it got too cold and it seemed like a good idea. I didn’t know that she was the one. It was a date. I’d been on many first dates and planned to go on more. And while I did like her, I wasn’t obsessive. I liked her more on our second date than our first, and on our third date than our second, and today I’m more obsessed with her than I’ve ever been before.

There is a really simple explanation for this. Something about maturity and real, adult relationships. But this alone assumes that what I’d grown out of was romance, when in fact what I was really grappling with was male, heteronormative romance. I’d confronted the behaviors I’d copied for so long and realized they didn’t fit with who I was. But now what? A year and a half after Katharine and I met I came out to her and began transitioning.

***

It’s been a relief coming out, like I was holding my breath my entire life and can finally inhale and exhale like everyone else. So much of my life makes sense now in a way that it never did and I never thought it would. And one of the most rewarding aspects of my personal transition has been transitioning Katharine and I’s relationship as well, going from a seemingly heterosexual relationship to an openly lesbian one. There’s both liberation and emptiness in a relationship that is free from the vast majority of messaging received. Everything from fairy tales to Cosmo to the oeuvre of a known child molester has a lot less power when none of that stuff was ever meant to represent you. But there’s a reason why people enjoy that stuff. It feels good to be seen and it’s a relief to sink into fantasy. And while I’ve embraced the general umbrella by binge watching The L Word with Katharine and finally understanding my deep connection to Fun Home, Carol, and The Watermelon Woman, there’s still a searching for a love story like ours. A love story that feels outside of normalcy, that feels confusing and difficult and complicated yet ultimately just as fantastical and lovely. And it can’t just be solved by, say, a trans love story. I’d certainly welcome more of those (for now shout out to Sense8 and Her Story), but it’s deeper than that.

***

Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a ridiculous movie. That it’s currently the Oscar frontrunner is honestly astounding. Yes, it’s impeccably shot, designed, scored, written, and acted, but it’s also a movie that I’m at a loss to defend. On his podcast Keep It wonderful culture writer Ira Madison III was making fun of the movie and impersonated Octavia Spencer’s character with a simple “You fucking that fish?” I burst out laughing. Because it’s hilarious and because the scene in the movie isn’t actually that far off! 

For anyone who hasn’t seen it, the film is about a mute woman named Eliza (the always great Sally Hawkins) who works as a cleaner at a government facility during the Cold War. The US attains a creature simply called “Amphibian Man” and Eliza falls in love with him (them?). So it’s sort of like Beauty and the Beast if Beast never really spoke, there was explicit sex, and Belle had a black best friend and a gay neighbor. There’s also a subplot with some Russians. And a musical number.

It’s goofy as hell and yet I spent a large portion of the movie in tears. It reached its scaly arm down my throat and grabbed my heart. Any moment where the Amphibian Man was on screen I had a voice in my head that just kept repeating, “That’s me. That’s me.” Now I don’t know what it says about where I’m at in my transition that I have an easier time relating to a fish man than Jamie Clayton’s awesome trans hacker on Sense8, but alas it’s the truth. Because if I’m being honest, I usually don’t feel like I’m being perceived as a woman, I rarely even feel like I’m being perceived as trans, but I do feel like I’m being perceived as a creature.

Watching Eliza not only fall in love with Amphibian Man but be the instigator of the relationship felt revolutionary and comforting in equal measure. Returning to Beauty and the Beast (also King Kong, also everything like this), it’s usually the creature that kidnaps or captures the virginal lady and has to convince her to love him. This always feels a little gross and undercuts the message of acceptance. But here Eliza is a sexual woman. From the beginning it’s shown that masturbation is a part of her daily routine. She doesn’t fall for the Amphibian Man because of a repressed desire. She falls for the creature because she feels a connection. She wants to help them live a life of freedom alongside her. She wants to teach the Amphibian Man how to live in her world because it would bring her happiness. 

Katharine didn’t rescue me from a lab. But she has helped me escape… something. She has helped introduce me to a confusing world of feminine expectations and desires that feel comfortable and natural and also confusing and impossible. And above all else she has done this because she loves me. She isn’t still dating me because she’s a good person (no matter what other cis-es like to suggest). She’s still dating me because she sees me for who I am and loves me. I’m insecure about a lot of things, but I know this to be true and it means everything to me.

***

Ildikó Enyedi’s On Body and Soul, another Oscar nominee (a longshot in the Foreign Film category) has faced a similar reaction to Del Toro’s film. It won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, yet almost every review even when positive points out the film’s silly weirdness. Also a love story, this time between two humans, Enyedi’s first film in 18 years is about a pair of employees at a slaughterhouse who realize that they’re somehow having the exact same dream about two deer. The people are Endre, the emotionally detached manager with a disabled left arm, and Mária, the new quality control inspector who is autistic and quickly becomes the butt of her coworkers’ jokes.

Again, I understand the reaction. The very concept of a love story at a slaughterhouse (featuring graphic scenes of slaughter) is already a stretch. Add the hokiness of nocturnal destiny, a subplot involving stolen bull Viagra, some deeply unpleasant narrative turns, and a formal approach as reserved as its leads, it’s unsurprising that many don’t know how to receive this film. It’s too open-hearted for the arthouse yet it’s not exactly fine-tuned for Nicholas Sparks. But for me, this film lived up to its title and infiltrated my body and soul, I connected deeply, and wept softly. And I’ve been unable to shake it, that initial feeling only growing since the first viewing.

There is an obvious contrast between the dream sequences with Endre and Mária as deer and the real life sequences of animals in cages having their guts torn out. It’s easy to read this simply as a statement between the purity of their love and the harshness of the rest of the world. But this ignores the unreality of the deer scenes and the specificity of animal imagery. Because a main thread through the film is that Mária and Endre don’t know how to be animals. Or in other words: Endre does not know how to be a man and Mária does not know how to be a woman.

The two male foils to Endre are his best friend, Jenö, and a new hire, Sanyi. Jenö is married and despite proselytizing the merits of keeping women in their place he does whatever his wife wants. Endre watches with the remove of a scientist as Jenö carries out a charade where he is able to assert his supposed masculinity while filling his more passive role. Sanyi, on the other hand, is naturally alpha, flirting with every female co-worker and ignoring his male superiors. Endre seems to pity Jenö and resent Sanyi, but it quickly becomes clear that who he has the most disgust for is himself. He grows wildly defensive when he is caught ogling a woman, insisting that he simply looked like all men would. The woman didn’t even seem to notice and doesn’t seem to care. He then declares multiple times later in the film that he would prefer to remove love and sex from his life rather than deal with the impossibility of filling the role of “man” in these encounters. He’s given up on it all until he meets Mária.

Mária also has two foils, Klára, a voluptuous psychologist who interviews everyone after the bull Viagra incident, and Zsóka, the oldest employee at the slaughterhouse. Klára is everything Mária is not. She’s comfortable in her body and comfortable around men. She expresses her feelings, sometimes even to the point of aggression. When Mária retells Endre’s dream, she is unable to push back against Klára’s anger or defend herself. Zsóka, who is even more comfortable with her sexuality than Klára, is much kinder to Mária. Instead of judging, she attempts to coach her in the ways of womanhood. This, of course, means posture, how to walk and talk, and, most importantly, what clothes to wear. Mária attempts to master these skills, like she does later with sex, with an obsessive precision.

Mária’s experience of gender is intrinsically tied to her autism. Her lack of awareness in how to act as a woman is similar to her struggle to generally fit in as a person. I’m hesitant to find symbolism in her character or draw parallels between our lives since her experience is so different from my own. But in my unqualified opinion the film treats Mária with a respect and fullness that leaves her as open to analysis and connection as any other character. It’s not autism that becomes ingrained in the semiotics of the film but rather the world around this one autistic character, the world around Mária. And I couldn’t help but feel parallels both to Endre’s attempts at manhood and Mária’s learning of womanhood. I couldn’t help but watch this relationship unfolding in a harsh world and think of my own. Mária and Endre’s budding romance faces plenty of conflict throughout the film but there’s an overwhelming feeling of destiny between them. The conflicts are not a result of their incongruity but rather the difficulties and pressures of their surroundings. Any conflicts within themselves are related to their individual difficulties with the world at large.

The dream sequences aren’t just beautiful and serene. They are otherworldly. Literally. The plane on which Mária and Endre connect is outside of real life. Their connection is dependent on both of them finding it within themselves to detach from their discomfort with society. In their dreams it is easy, but in life that’s really hard. Because it’s not healthy to completely detach (as fun as rainy days cuddling can be). The necessity is being able to carry on normal life with your partner and face a mutual unbelonging from our world. From our ableist world. From our gendered world. From our heteronormative world. From our transphobic world.

My connection to this film is reliant both on its silly romanticism and its severe honesty. Because that’s how I feel. Being with Katharine feels like it’s on another plane of being, in how I feel about her, in how happy it makes me to be near her, and yet real life can be really hard. This film shows the beauty in getting through that hardship with another person, the pressures it can place on a relationship, and the ultimate reward of working through it all together.

***

The Shape of Water and On Body and Soul have allowed me to articulate something about myself and my relationship that I’d previously failed to do. They taught me that romance, not just love but gooey-eyed, goofy capital R Romance, can be for all of us. That romantic doesn’t have to mean arrogant poems or chasing after girls in the rain. It can mean connecting with somebody when you feel less than human, it can mean facing a society that doesn’t want you with the help of another. And, most importantly, that this can all be silly and over-the-top in a way that will make half the audience laugh and half the audience cry. These films destroyed a line between romance and mature relationship that I’d taken as fact even though my own relationship is such an obvious combination of the two. They allowed me to see myself in a new way, to see Katharine in a new way, and to appreciate our relationship even more than I already did. 

So I’ll say it here. On social media, like an adolescent that will someday regret such an embarrassing overshare. I’m deeply, madly, overwhelmingly in love.

Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all.

[animationnut]

To Gravity Falls, From Piedmont: Final Chapter

Summary: It’s a long way until next summer. Until then, Dipper and Mabel share their daily antics and life problems with their lifelong friends and attentive great-uncles through an endless string of e-mails. Distance makes the heart grow fonder after all, and there’s no place Dipper and Mabel love more than Gravity Falls.  Note: When I first started this story, it was to help me, and hopefully others, to cope with the ending of Gravity Falls. Thank you for staying with me on this journey, and I hope you've had as much fun as I did.

                                                     Chapter List

To: GF Crew (10+ contacts in this list)

From: Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan)

Subject: On the road

Mabel and I are minutes away from boarding the bus and then it'll be a matter of hours before we see you guys. We can't wait!

See all messages in this thread (Expand)

Mabel Pines: EEEEEE I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE MY PEOPLE AGAIN!

Grenda Gosling: We'll have an epic sleepover once you get here! We'll play loud music that'll annoy the neighbours and I've got a stash of magazines with posters of all the cute boys!

Candy Chiu: And we will eat candy and pizza until we get sick!

Mabel Pines: I can't wait!

Fiddleford McGucket: I'm as jittery as a rabid raccoon, I'm so excited! Got a lot to share with you kids when you get here! Oh, and maybe you can help with my gnome problem. Pesky creatures.

Dipper Pines: A leaf blower will fix that problem right away.

Gideon Gleeful: I eagerly await your arrival, my lady. And I suppose it'll be pleasant to see you again, Dipper.

Robbie Valentino: How about Mabel comes and Dork Tree stays in Cali?

Dipper Pines: Aw, I love you losers too.

Pacifica Northwest: We can go shopping. You need more variety than colourful knitted sweaters.

Mabel Pines: I don't know about that, but I like to shop, so you're on!

Soos Ramirez: We're cleaning up the attic right now, dudes! It'll be all ready for you when you get here.

Dipper Pines: You don't have to do that, we can help clean when we arrive.

Soos Ramirez: Nah, it's no problem.

Grunkle Stan: We'll race you. By land and by sea. Let's see who gets there first. Loser has to sweep the Mystery Shack for a week.

Dipper Pines: Deal.

Mabel Pines: How close are you?

Grunkle Stan: Only a few hours away.

Grunkle Ford: And by a few he means ten, and a sailboat doesn't quite get the mileage of a vehicle.

Grunkle Stan: They're on a public transit bus, Poindexter. Probably the same amount of mileage.

Grunkle Ford: Fair point.

Wendy Corduroy: My dudes are coming back home and we are going to party hard!

Grunkle Ford: We will celebrate in a jubilant but responsible manner.

Grunkle Stan: Buzzkill.

Dipper Pines: Oh, here comes our bus!

Mabel Pines: If you need us, text us. But we'll see you soon!

Wendy could hear the vacuum cleaner before she stepped foot inside the Mystery Shack. She paused in the threshold, staring at the streaks of water across the hardwood floor. Shaking her head in amusement she took off her boots and set them aside. She inched her way along the wall until she got to the living room, where Abuelita was pushing the vacuum cleaner aggressively across the carpet.

"Hey, Abuelita," said Wendy, raising to be heard over the noisy machine.

Abuelita glanced up and greeted, "Hello, dear. Soos is upstairs. There are snacks in the kitchen for you to eat if you're hungry."

"Don't mind if I do. Thanks."

Wendy took a detour to the kitchen, halting when she discovered the piles of saran-wrapped plates and containers of food. Eyes wide, she lifted up the wrap of a plate of chocolate chip cookies in bemusement, taking a couple. She promptly shoved them into her mouth to avoid sprinkling crumbs and headed for the stairs.

"Heads up!"

There was a great clattering and Wendy had a glimpse of a large wooden structure hurtling down the steps her way before instincts caused her to dive to the side. She rolled twice, smacking her head against the wall, and she sat up, flinching as the piece of furniture landed with an almighty crash.

"Soos, are you scratching the floor?" called Abuelita.

"Uh, sorry!" answered Soos, hurrying down the steps. "I'll polish it off."

"What the heck?" asked Wendy, straggling to her feet. "I came to work every day this week, so you really don't have a reason to kill me."

"Sorry Wendy," said Soos sheepishly. "I was trying to get the bedframes outside so I could clean them. They're pretty dusty and cobwebby."

"I think it's sweet you and your grandmother are in a cleaning frenzy to get everything ready for the Pines crew, but seriously." Wendy crossed her arms with a grin. "They're not going to care about dust and whatever. I mean, Mr. Pines ran this place for years and he probably never picked up a feather duster in that time."

"We don't mind." Soos wiped some sweat from his brow and asked, "What's up, dude?"

"I was wondering if you needed any help. I got my crew outside who are reluctantly ready to work."

"Cool! Would you mind working on the yard?" asked Soos. "We haven't gotten a chance to start cleaning outside yet."

"It's the outside. It's not gonna get clean. But I will get rid of all litter the jerk tourists left behind. We'll set up the tables and stuff while we're at it."

"You're the best."

"Flattery gets you everywhere. You need help taking these things outside?" she asked, gesturing towards the bedframe.

"Nah, I got it."

"Sweet. We'll be outside if you need anything." Wendy started down the hallway, careful not to slip on the newly-washed floor. She paused when she reached the end and glanced over her shoulder. "Do you know Abuelita made enough food to feed the army?"

"She does that. Pretty great, huh?"

"Definitely. I'll happily drown in her churros."

Wendy ventured outside, where her friends were gathered around Thompson's vehicle. "Can we go home?" asked Robbie.

"No. We're gonna clean this yard up." Wendy swept her arms to the side to accompany her statement. "Grab a rake, grab a broom, let's move it people."

Tambry looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. "And what will you be doing?"

"Supervising. I already clocked in my hours at this place." Wendy hopped onto the hood of the car and lowered Dipper's cap over her eyes. Five sets of hands immediately pushed against her body, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"I don't think so," said Nate with a snort as Lee laughed. "C'mon dudes, let's get those tables." He punched Thompson on the shoulder and the three set off.

"You can do the raking," said Robbie with a snicker as Tambry helped Wendy to her feet.

The redhead glowered at him. "Fine. You can clean the port-a-potties."

"Whoa, not on your life—ouch! Okay, okay, whatever, let go before you crush my windpipe!"

…

Pushing open the heavy oak doors of her former home, Pacifica stepped onto the glossy marble tiles and lifted her designer sunglasses to rest on top of her head. She stared at the scuff marks that streaked across the once-pristine floor and she let out a sigh.

"Hey, McGucket!" she called, walking further into the mansion. "Are you here?"

His raccoon skittered down the grand staircase, claws clicking against the wood. Pacifica yelped and stumbled backwards, giving a wide berth between her and the creature.

"Don't worry, she don't bite none," said McGucket, coming down the staircase next. "She's just sayin' howdy!"

"Great," muttered Pacifica, curling her nose. "I can't believe you still haven't changed the alarm codes. Do you know how much of a security hazard that is?"

McGucket shrugged uncaringly. "Lotta work to get new numbers. Besides, this way ya can visit whenever ya want."

"You're getting a new code. I'll get you a new code. That way I'll have the numbers and there's no chance of my parents attempting to sneak back in here. I don't know if they still believe me when I say you got them changed." Flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder, she asked, "Are you ready?"

"Kinda. I couldn't find them decorations you were talkin' about. Ya know how many rooms ya have in this maze?"

"One hundred and twenty-five," answered Pacifica promptly. "We keep them on the third floor."

They made the trek up the stairs and down the corridor. Pacifica led McGucket into a room at the end of the corridor, where elegant party decorations were packed in totes or balanced against the wall. McGucket watched as Pacifica opened up a box and unpacked several crystal drinking glasses.

"Ya take this stuff back home with ya," spoke McGucket. "I have no need for it."

"Neither do we," said Pacifica, making sure all the glasses were accounted for and arranging them back amongst the bubble wrap. "We can't afford parties like we used to and now that my parents aren't as rick as they used to be they've been sort of ousted from their social group. So you can use this stuff for whatever you want. I figured we could use the dishware and the tablecloths Mom found in Morocco. This may be a hick town but it's a special occasion and it won't kill to show some class."

"And usin' this junk will probably make your parents angrier than a pack of hornets," said McGucket knowingly.

Pacifica flashed her winning, mega-watt smile at him. "Maybe."

She took the box and started to stand, accidentally hitting her head on the shelf above her. It jostled from the movement and one of the boxes started to tip off. McGucket swung Pacifica out of the way and the box crashed to the spot where she had just been, glass crunching within and several broken luxury candles rolling across the floor.

"Thanks," said Pacifica, handing McGucket the box. She then wrangled out the Moroccan tablecloths and then the two started back into the corridor.

"Is that all ya need?" asked McGucket, shutting the door behind him.

"We never exactly invested in streamers, balloons and your typical party supplies. Candy, Grenda and Gideon are getting that stuff. I have to go to the Shack and work out the playlist. Do you wanna come?"

"Sure thing!"

As they crossed the foyer towards the entrance, Pacifica couldn't help but glance down at the marked-up floor. "You know what, I'm getting you a cleaner too. You do not want to know how much these tiles cost, but they don't deserve this kind of treatment."

…

Candy and Grenda tore through the party decoration section of the general store, rifling through bins of neon party hats and noisemakers and sorting through rolls of streamers. Whenever they found something they liked they would toss it over their shoulder and into the cart.

"Oof!" Gideon grunted, a roll of purple streamers bouncing off his forehead and landing in the already-packed cart. "Are ya ladies almost done?"

"No! We have not gotten the confetti yet," said Candy.

"And a confetti cannon!" exclaimed Grenda.

Shaking his head, Gideon continued to follow after the girls as they wound their way down the aisle. Their cart was already full of balloons, streamers, noisemakers and packets of glitter. "I think we have enough."

"We're not leaving without the confetti," said Candy seriously.

Sighing, Gideon swung the cart around and went to check the other side of the aisle, where party favours and gift bags were laid out. As he was searching, Candy and Grenda found the cans of silly string. Exchanging mischievous glances, they each took one and snuck up behind Gideon.

"Surprise!" cheered Candy, and she and Grenda unleashed a wave of foul-smelling turquoise silly string upon the younger boy.

Gideon spluttered, raising his hands to block his face. "Stop that! My hair!"

"We were practicing for when Dipper and Mabel get here," said Grenda cheekily. "I think we did pretty good!"

Giggling madly the two raced down the aisle. Gideon slowly touched the substance sticking to his hair and his eyes narrowed.

"Don't make me set Ghost-Eyes on ya."

…

Pressing her face against the bus window, so that her cheeks and nose were squished against the glass. At the sight of the sign that welcomed them to Gravity Falls, she let out shriek. "Dipper! We're here, we're here!"

Dipper jolted out of his nap, rubbing at his bleary eyes. "What?" He nudged his sister aside, able to catch the sign before they passed by it. He grinned. "Yes! Finally!"

They gathered their luggage and the bus rolled to a stop. They climbed off the vehicle and stood on the edge of the road, immediately noticing the blue and pink streamers tied to the trees. "Well…this is a weird welcome," said Dipper in bemusement.

"It's like a cookie crumb trail, but without the cookies and with streamers!" Mabel swung her purple duffel bag over her shoulder and grabbed Dipper's hand. "Let's go!"

Hearts pounding with eager anticipation, they traversed through the trees, Waddles sniffing after them, following the path the streamers marked out, laced amongst the trunks and low-hanging branches. They walked through town, which was oddly empty, and continued towards the Mystery Shack. Even after the months away, they knew the dirt path well and could walk it with their eyes closed.

The second the Mystery Shack came within view the twins came to a halt, eyes widening at the dozens of people crowding the yard. There was a great roar of cheering when the pair finally stumbled out of the thicket and onto the property, and the first ones to rush towards them were Soos and Wendy.

"Dudes!" exclaimed Soos, swinging the twins into a bear hug. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"We are too!" said Dipper feelingly. "It's so good to see you guys."

"My people," said Wendy with a wide grin, looping her arms around their shoulders and squeezing. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Soos set the twins down and Dipper removed the ushanka. "I think this is yours."

"And I do believe this is yours."

They exchanged hats and Dipper set the worn cap over his tousled brown hair. "Man, this is a lot lighter than I remember."

"Oh yeah, this will definitely keep me warm during the morning chills," said Wendy in satisfaction. She then gave Dipper and Mabel a proper hug. "Man, I missed you."

"We missed you too," said Mabel happily.

"Mabel!"

Mabel swung around and beamed at Candy and Grenda, who barrelled towards her. They collided in a hug, laughing delightedly. "Girls!"

"We are together again!" said Candy. She then glanced at Dipper's amused expression and added quickly, "And we are happy to see you too!"

"You don't need to lie. I know who the favourite is," said Dipper dismissively.

"It's pretty obvious," said Grenda jokingly, punching the boy in the shoulder.

Pacifica and Gideon walked over and Dipper grinned. "Bet you two are the happiest to see us."

"Can't you see it in my face?" drawled Pacifica, managing to maintain her indifferent expression.

"It's always a delight to see Mabel. I could do without ya," said Gideon with a smirk.

"I missed you losers too," said Dipper with a laugh. He exchanged a fist bump with Gideon and went to give Pacifica a hug, but hesitated. Pacifica stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a quick embrace before moving back.

"It's nice to have you both back," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and fighting back a blush.

Mabel gave both Gideon and Pacifica a hug, squealing happily. Robbie sauntered over, hands slung in his pockets. "Dork Tree," he sneered, giving the boy a noogie. "Star Shine." He gave Mabel's hair a light ruffle. "Can't believe you actually came back."

"Hey kids!" said McGucket, swooping the twins into a hug. "Welcome back!"

"Thanks for the party," said Dipper, glancing around at his friends, heart swelling with warmth. "You didn't have too."

"Any excuse to party, we'll take it. Besides, you deserve it. We've been waiting months for you to come back," said Wendy.

"Guess you dudes beat Mr. Pines and Mr. Pines," said Soos. "We haven't seen them yet."

"All right, we won." Mabel high-fived Dipper. "But I hope they get here soon. I really really can't wait to see them."

"Just like Grunkle Stan to make us wait," quipped Dipper.

"You can bring your luggage inside," offered Soos. "The attic is all ready."

"Thanks. Where will you and Abuela sleep?" asked Mabel.

"We will have our old house. We'll stay there for the summer. No biggie. I kinda missed living there, actually."

"Okay, we'll be back. Don't party without us!" ordered Mabel.

They made their way through the crowd, shaking hands, accepting backslaps and hugs from the townspeople who stepped forwards to welcome them back to Gravity Falls. Waddles wound around people's feet and scampered after the twins. They stepped over the threshold of the Mystery Shack and they were immediately assaulted with familiar scents, a mustiness and woodsy aroma that brought back a slew of memories.

"We're here," whispered Mabel. "We're actually here."

"Race you upstairs!" challenged Dipper.

They tore through the house and all the way up to the attic, where Mabel burst open the door. They stared at the two beds sitting almost side-by-side, a nightstand sitting between them. Mabel spun in a circle, letting out a sigh of contentment.

"Just like we left it, bro. Splinters and all."

Dipper dropped his bags on the bed and flopped back on the mattress, grunting when Waddles hopped onto his stomach before rolling off. "Is the Invisible Wizard still in the closet?"

Mabel wandered over and opened the door. "Hello?" she asked, waving a hand in the empty space. "Nope, don't think so. Too bad. He's going to miss one heck of a party."

They started back downstairs, pausing in the living room at the sound of the back door clicking shut. Glancing at one another, they moved towards the kitchen, where two very familiar figures came into view. With an ear-piercing shriek and eyes misting over with happy tears, Mabel charged forwards and launched into Stan's awaiting arms as Dipper raced over to Ford.

"Dang it, the runts did beat us," laughed Stan, holding Mabel close. "Told you your navigating stinks."

"I'm not the one who lost the map," shot back Ford, running his fingers through Dipper's brown strands. "You're a sight for sore eyes, kids."

"Sorry we're a bit late. Ran into some trouble. And it wasn't me losing the map." Stan set Mabel down so she could go to Ford and Dipper could step into his embrace. "How was your trip?"

"Tiring, hot and boring," replied Dipper. "But it's worth it."

"Where's Waddles?" asked Ford, glancing around.

"Hope you left him at home," sniffed Stan.

As if on cue, Waddles trotted into the kitchen and went up to Stan, nibbling on the edge of his pantleg. "He missed you," cooed Mabel.

"Don't know why," said Stan gruffly, leaning down to stroke the pig's head.

"Did you see outside? Everyone's here!" exclaimed Mabel. "They're having a party for us!"

"I figured by the number of cars cloggin' the driveway there was something goin' on," said Stan. "That's way we came through the back. Figured there'd be less of a chance of gettin' mobbed before we stick our junk in here."

"Better not keep them waiting," said Ford, setting Mabel to the ground. "I think we've done enough of that."

"Is there food?" asked Stan.

"A ton," confirmed Dipper. "At least three tables."

"Well heck, I'm starved. Let's go greet our adoring public."

Ford linked hands with Mabel and Stan wrapped his arm around Dipper's shoulders. They all knew they would have an entire summer to spend together, to share stories and spend all the time they wanted together. But tonight, they would celebrate their return not only with each other but with their friends, who were just as eager to have them back as they were to be reunited.

The second they stepped outside there was another chorus of cheering, and Soos and Wendy and McGucket hurried forwards to embrace Stan and Ford. There was a lot of excited chatting, good-natured insults and crying (mostly from Soos) and the party soon fell in full swing, pop music pumping through the speakers and laughter ringing throughout landscape.

The magical creatures of Gravity Falls eventually arrived to greet the Pines family for themselves, from the gnomes to the Manotaurs to the unicorns. It was an odd collection of people and creatures, if you were an outsider looking in. But to Dipper and Mabel, it was perfect.

Glass of punch in one hand, his other resting on Dipper's head, Stan listened to Soos speak animatedly, explaining the changes he made to the Mystery Shack with Wendy interjecting every now and then. Ford held Mabel in his lap, a contented smile on his lips.

Though they had been away for months, it was as if they had never left.

"We're home kiddos," spoke Stan quietly, watching as the sun drifted down over the horizon, washing them in a warm orange glow, promising the dawn of another amazing summer. "We're home."