#I would’ve made more entry cover icons but the other ones my friends were able to salvage r crunchy asf so

[flaneditz]

silly little lillian icons I care her sm :3

[hysterialevi]

Blood on the Looking Glass pt. 2

From Geoffrey’s POV

GUARD OF PRIWEN HQ

Returning to our base after a long day of work, Woodbead and I made haste in the darkness of the night as birds sang faintly in the distance, signaling the start of a new dawn. 

To my disappointment, the Guard of Priwen hadn’t been making as much progress as I’d hoped...and we’d already been here for an entire fortnight. I knew catching Reid would be no easy task -- especially in a city like Paris -- but it was evident that the Ekon had grown accustomed to evading our men. 

After all, we spent so much time fighting him in London. It only made sense that, the more we hunted him down, the more he would adapt to our tactics. And he was no longer some confused, fish-out-of-water newborn. 

Jonathan had evolved into an experienced, superior Ekon with the blood of an ancient vampire...and he certainly knew how to put it to good use. We couldn’t afford to make the mistake of underestimating him. I already made that mistake once -- and it cost me my life.

“You think the others have found anything yet?” Andrew asked me, disrupting the deathly silence.

I sluggishly slid a hand down my face, opening the entrance to our base.

“Hopefully. I have faith in the Guard’s skills, but Paris has been barren lately in terms of leads. Reid certainly knows how to cover his tracks. And so do his allies.”

A brief memory flashed in my mind, causing a scoff to escape me. 

“To think, I used to believe Jonathan would end up getting killed by some random Priwen. The first time I met him, he was nothing but a feeble corpse seeking refuge in the rundown Pembroke. I never expected him to become the threat he is today. Shows you how foolish I was to not kill Swansea. ...What was that man thinking? Offering vampires shelter? In a hospital, out of all places. It’s no wonder their patients always turned up dead.”

Woodbead followed me inside, locking the entrance behind us.

“None of us could’ve predicted this,” he reassured. “Especially not from someone who used to make a living saving people. Trust me, you’re not the only one who didn’t see this coming.”

I shook my head. “But it’s my job to know, Andrew. As your leader, it’s important that I’m able to detect these types of threats from a mile away. Otherwise, we’d all be dead.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Ah...I should have put a stake through Reid’s heart the moment I saw him. Would’ve spared London a colossal amount of trouble...but I suppose regrets are useless, aren’t they. All we can do now is put that leech down, once and for all, and avenge the countless lives he’s taken.”

“Come,” I beckoned. “Let’s see what the others have been doing.”

Entering our headquarters, Andrew and I were greeted with the distant sound of conversation coming from the rest of the members as we passed by our fellow Priwen. There weren’t as many of us in Paris as there were in London, but even then, I still had confidence in our success. 

After all, a smaller family meant it was easier for us to communicate, and on top of that, these people were chosen for being the best of the best. It was like having our own, elite group within the Guard...and that was precisely what we needed to kill Reid. I just hoped he hadn’t formed his own family.

Strolling through a tall, wooden archway, I headed towards the main area of the base which had been decorated with Priwen banners, swords and shields on the walls, shelves stuffed with books about vampires, elegant drapery, paintings of previous leaders, and a simple but bold chandelier hanging aloft.

But what really caught my attention was the large, circular table in the center of the room. It had been crafted out of a majestic mahogany with intricate designs of leaves, vines, and gargoyle heads carved into its sides. And on its surface, lay a vast map of the city marked with all sorts of icons. It was the perfect device for the Guard.

Upon arrival however, I noticed that there was already a pair of people seated at the table discussing something clearly urgent as they exchanged hushed words, careful not to alert anyone outside the base.

Among them was Eleanor Gray, a middle-aged woman who joined the Order just a couple years ago. She appeared stern and motherly on the outside with the gaze of a hawk, but carried a fire that burned like no other within. 

Her signature feature was a lengthy scar on her nose that she received from a fight with a Vulkod, and her short, black hair only had a few strands of silver in it despite her age. Just by looking at Eleanor, you’d never be able to guess she had such a dark history with Doctor Reid.

Apparently, the leech actually started out as a friend of the family, but things took a dark turn when her son grew too attached to him. It left the boy completely vulnerable to the Ekon’s true intentions, and one night, he decided to spend some time with Reid...only to never come back. 

Even worse -- when her husband tried to look for their missing son, he too met the same fate. By the time Eleanor learned what had happened, Reid was already long gone.

Their deaths instantly drove Eleanor straight to my doorstep. She just appeared outside our base one day, standing in the middle of the pouring rain with nothing but a shotgun in her hands, and a desire to get revenge.

The man sitting beside her now, Alexander Hale, was the first to befriend our new recruit. 

Hale was a much different story compared to Eleanor. In fact, I didn’t really know what his story was in the first place. Alexander had never been a man of many words, and he only ever spoke when he thought something needed to be said -- which made him quite a mystery to the rest of us. 

Regardless of his wordless tendencies however, Alexander still managed to be one of the more prominent members in the Guard. His head of neat, auburn hair was quite hard to miss, and his globular, blue eyes stood out like a pair of crystal orbs. There was also the fact that his presence alone was enough to make an impact. I had seen rooms full of people fall completely silent upon his entry, and even I couldn’t deny that he did hold a somewhat intimidating temperament. 

I supposed that was why Hale made such a skilled vampire hunter.

Approaching the large table, I immediately got the attention of the other Guards as Eleanor’s head perked up, both of them now focused on me and Woodbead.

“McCullum, Andrew,” Eleanor said, sounding somewhat relieved. “You’ve returned. Did you find anything whilst you were out investigating?”

Woodbead pulled out the diary from Elise’s apartment.

“Another lost soul, I’m afraid...” He replied, placing it on the table. “It was a young woman named Elise this time. According to her diary, Reid had been seducing her for quite a while. And she fell for it.”

Eleanor’s nose crinkled in disgust, her eyes sinking downwards.

“...That bastard,” she whispered. “Always preying on those who can’t fight back. Oh...poor girl. I hope she was the only victim you discovered.”

“For now,” I confirmed. “What about you? What were you discussing before I arrived?”

“Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news,” she replied. “The good news is we may have identified one of Reid’s accomplices.” 

“...And the bad news?” I asked.

Eleanor leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “We think they may be another Ekon named Edward Blackbourne. The locals here call him ‘The Pestilent.’ Apparently, he’s been around since the early eighteenth century, and has a habit of targeting young women. He’s also become somewhat of a bogeyman. The strange part however, is he hasn’t been in France for that long. The woman we spoke with said he only arrived two years ago.”

The pieces clicked in my head, leaving a feeling of dread in me. 

“...The same time Reid left London. That can’t be a coincidence. Where is this woman you mentioned?”

“She works at the nearby pub,” she answered. “Her name is Adelie. Though, be warned, she has a reputation for being somewhat...crazy.”

I raised a brow. “Why’s that?”

Eleanor chuckled, though not out of amusement. “She believes in vampires...but no one believes her.”

I gave her a nod. “I see. Well, I’ll go have a word with her; find out what else she knows. In the meantime, I want you and Alexander to patrol the area around here. I don’t know why, but I’ve noticed most of Reid’s victims have been from these parts. If we’re going to gather anymore clues, we should do it here. Andrew -- you’re with me.”

Woodbead straightened his posture. “Ready when you are, sir.”

Eleanor rose from her seat. “As are we.”

“Then let’s get to work, people,” I ordered. “We don’t have long before Reid or Blackbourne decides to strike again, and I certainly don’t plan to wait for them. These murders have to end now. So let’s move!”

Swiftly taking our leave, Andrew and I wasted no time in hurrying over to the pub Eleanor mentioned as we glided through the dawn’s fading darkness, anxious to avoid the sun. 

I knew it was incredibly risky to wander outside during this hour, but I couldn’t afford having my own men grow suspicious of me. There was already tension among the Guard with all the recent killings, and the last thing I wanted was for us to lose trust in each other. If my time with Carl Eldritch taught me anything, it was that infighting could be just as damaging to our Order as any vampire out there...and he was right.

“Sir.” Woodbead called out, causing me to pause for a moment.

“Yes?” I said. “What is it?”

The young man glanced at the sky, clearly preoccupied with something.

“...If you want me to speak with Adelie alone, just say the word. I could easily get the information we need, but I don’t want to see my leader burn alive just because we were a few minutes behind schedule.”

Despite my urge to retreat to the shadows, I refused.

“No, it’s better if I’m there. Anything could happen with all these vampires lurking around, and if trouble were to find us, I’d prefer you didn’t face it alone.”

He continued to push the subject. “You’ve seen me fight, McCullum. I know the scars on my face say otherwise, but I can defend myself. You don’t need to worry about me.”

I remained unswayed.

“I’m coming with you, Andrew. There’s no telling what we can expect, and I--”

Suddenly feeling light-headed, the world began to spin around me and I found myself stumbling for a second before tipping over, hurriedly using a nearby wall for support as Andrew practically threw himself in front of me. 

“Sir!” He exclaimed, fretting like a worried parent.

“...I’m...I’m all right...” I mumbled, waving a dismissive hand. “Just...need a minute...”

Andrew furrowed his brow in concern, instantly pinpointing the problem.

“You need blood, Geoffrey. You’re not getting enough.”

I gazed at him with heavy eyelids, shrugging weakly. “...And where...are we supposed to find that?”

Without saying anything, Woodbead simply gestured to his own neck, slightly pulling down the collar that concealed it. Again, I declined.

“We’ve talked about this before,” I reminded him. “I’m not feeding on you. Or anyone, for that matter.”

Still, Andrew insisted. “I can handle giving a little blood.”

I pushed myself off the wall, attempting to move on as if nothing happened.

“Well, I’d rather not take the risk. By nature, vampires are addicted to blood. If I taste even a drop of yours, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”

“But--”

I regained composure, taking a deep breath. “I’m fine, Andrew. Really. My thirst won’t kill me, but it could kill you. Now, enough about this. Let’s return to the mission at hand. We only have an hour or so before the sun’s up. We should make haste.”

At last, the young man gave in, letting out an unsure sigh. 

“...As you wish, sir. Just...keep an eye on yourself, yeah? I don’t want you falling over while we’re out in the open.”

“It won’t come to that,” I reassured. “I promise.”

In reality though, I knew Andrew was right. I wasn’t going to be able to ignore this thirst for much longer. Ever since the minute I woke up in that godforsaken hospital where Jonathan left me, my throat had been parched. 

So far, I had been lucky enough to resist the temptation, but with every passing day, I could feel my body withering more and more as an aching sense of hunger consumed it from the inside-out. 

It continuously climbed its way up my list of concerns, and I had no idea when I would reach my breaking point. But no matter what, I told myself I couldn’t give in to the thirst. I just couldn’t. I refused to betray my people’s trust like that...and I wouldn’t.

A familiar voice suddenly whispered in my ear, their ghostly words interrupting my thoughts as my vision turned red.

“...Rotten or pristine, each heart contains the seeds of life. Drink at this river. Dry it all...!”

A series of chills ran up my spine. 

It was Jonathan. He was listening to me. I could feel it. 

No, I said to myself. Don’t do it. Resist the thirst. You must...!

Reid’s ominous chuckle echoed in my head.

“It is wise for the huntsman to sometimes let his prey go...but no famished hunter can run for long. Not even you...”

I gritted my teeth in frustration.

“Leave me be, you filthy leech...! I won’t walk down the same path as you. I won’t become a murderer.”

Another laugh escaped Jonathan, his tone dripping with malice.

“Give up this pointless charade, my progeny. You and I both know it won’t work forever. Embrace this gift I have given you, and welcome your true potential with open arms...”

With that said, my vision gradually returned to normal, and the red drained from the world like blood leaking out of a vampire’s feast. Before loosening his clutch on my mind however, Jonathan left me with one, final piece of advice as a temporary farewell.

“Satisfy your hunger...” he warned, “...or become it.”

[animationnut]

To Gravity Falls, From Piedmont: Chapter 21

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. 

                                                   Chapter List

To: Mabel Pines (ShootingStarRainbowUnicorn); Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan); Stanford Pines (Highsixer); Stanley Pines (StantheMan); Soos Ramirez (QuestionMarkDude)

From: Wendy Corduroy (Lumberchick)

Subject: Greatest snowman to ever exist

1 Attachment (Photo File)

This wicked snowstorm means no school, and no school means complete freedom. My brothers and I worked together to build this snowman, which is totally the best snowman ever created and you can't tell me otherwise.

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Mabel Pines: Oh my gosh! It's amazing! How much tape did you need to use to get it to hold up the axe?

Wendy Corduroy: About two rolls. But it's okay. They look like bandages covering a really nasty wound.

Dipper Pines: Whose ushanka did you steal to give it a hat?

Wendy Corduroy: My brothers had to draw straws. Glen lost.

Stanley Pines: You don't know how much I wish I was in Gravity Falls right now. Soos, take a baseball bat to it!

Soos Ramirez: No way, Mr. Pines. Snowmen have a right to exist too.

Wendy Corduroy: Don't be jealous just because you know you could never craft a good a snowman as mine.

Stanford Pines: I suppose you know what you're about to start with a comment like that.

Stanley Pines: It's on, Missy. I'll make a snowman that'll kick yours to the curb and steal its wallet.

Stanford Pines: I'll admit you've always been creative, but your crafting skills have never been up to par.

Soos Ramirez: Mr. Pines made all the exhibits at the gift shop. He's the best crafter there is.

Stanley Pines: You tell him, Soos. Poindexter may be able to invent weird gadgets, but he knows nothing about artsmanship.

Stanford Pines: First of all, that's not a word. Second of all, you don't need to be a genius (which I am) to beat you in a snowman building contest.

Wendy Corduroy: Ah yeah! Here comes the smack-down! My entry is already done. Feel free tearing each other apart for my entertainment. I've clearly won.

Soos Ramirez: Your lumberjack snowman is pretty rad, but I've been building snowmen for years. Abuelita said I was the best at it. Dunno if you can beat that.

Stanley Pines: All right Ford, looks like we're making a detour to a wintry place. I've got some hopeful souls to crush. Especially yours.

Mabel Pines: Woo-hoo! Let the games begin!

School bag slung over one shoulder, Dipper entered the kitchen to retrieve a can of soda from the fridge. He popped the tab with one hand while he used the other to dig his phone out of his pocket. He read through Wendy's email to see the comments made after his, eyebrow raising.

"Mabel, encouraging them makes it worse!"

His sister appeared in the entryway, Waddles skittering behind her on the hardwood floor. "They would have turned it into a competition anyway. I'm just showing my support."

Dipper sat down at the kitchen table and dropped his bag to rest by his sock-clad feet. He studied the picture Wendy had attached to her e-mail again, grinning at the ice and snow creation that loomed a head taller than the redheaded female. There was a dark brown ushanka pulled over the top, smallest snowball, a pair of acorns for eyes, a broken handle of a pick for a nose and the metal handle (from what Dipper assumed to be the same pick) for the mouth. There was a red plaid wool jacket shrugged over the middle snowball and through the arms of the jacket were two thick pieces of chopped wood. At the ends of the wood were frayed white work gloves. Attached to the right glove was an axe, held in place by black tape.

"Isn't it cool?" sighed Mabel wistfully, peering over her brother's shoulder. "I like California, but the problem is that we don't get snow days. While we were doing math Wendy was making a snowman."

"How cruel life can be," quipped Dipper.

Mabel poked the back of his neck. "Come on. As much as you love school you'd love a snow day."

"I would," Dipper failed to deny. "But that's not going to happen. We'll just have admire the snowmen from afar and be with them in spirit."

Propping her chin against the top of Dipper's head, Mabel wondered, "What do you think Grunkle Ford will build?"

"Probably something to do with his research. If he doesn't do a life-size sculpture of the abominable snowman I am going to be rather disappointed."

"Grunkle Stan?"

The two fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment. After a while, Dipper replied, "I honestly couldn't begin to imagine. But I doubt it'll be appropriate."

To: Wendy Corduroy (Lumberchick); Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan); Mabel Pines (ShootingStarRainbowUnicorn); Stanley Pines (StantheMan); Stanford Pines (Highsixer)

From: Soos Ramirez (QuestionMarkDude)

Subject: Behold the beauty

1 Attachment (Photo File)

Yo, dudes.

No offense, Wendy, your snowman was super cool, but mine's super cooler. It sparkles and it has some oomph to it. I just wanna thank my inspiration for motivating my creativity. Couldn't have done it without you.

Soos out!

Lying on her back in the soft grass, Mabel splayed out, absorbing the sun's rays. Waddle laid across her stomach, nibbling at the hem of her light blue fleece sweater. Dipper was beside her, reclining against a looming oak tree, nose buried in a book. They were both distracted from their peaceful relaxing as their phones beeped in unison, alerting them to a notification.

Mabel grunted as she sat up, careful not to dislodge Waddles completely. She moved her sunglasses to rest on top of her head so she could get a better look at the screen. Her eyes lit up when she realized Soos had completed his entry in the impromptu snowman contest and eagerly clicked the attachment.

Positioned in front of the icicle-covered Mystery Shack was a life-size sculpture of Melody. The hair was made of strands of hay, packed closely together so that it seemed like it had density to it. A pair of sapphire-coloured plastic gems were used for eyes. A purple jacket hung on its arms and torso and somehow Soos had managed to attach a pair of jeans.

"Wow," said Dipper, eyes wide. "Abuelita was right. Soos is pretty dang good at building snowmen."

"You can't call this a snowman," protested Mabel. "It's a snow sculpture! It's gorgeous!"

"This is definitely going to be hard to beat," said Dipper with a grin.

Wendy Corduroy: Well dang.

Stanford Pines: That has more than just oomph, Soos. Melody must be very proud of this.

Soos Ramirez: Thanks, Mr. Pines! She loved it. But she wishes I would've asked before borrowing her clothes.

Mabel Pines: How did you get the jeans on?

Soos Ramirez: I built the legs first and then had to cut the jeans to fit them on properly. Figured it out after three tries.

Dipper Pines: Uh…does Melody know you ruined her jeans?

Soos Ramirez: Do you think she'll notice?

Stanley Pines: Eh. It's not bad.

Mabel Pines: Are you crazy? It's fantastic!

Wendy Corduroy: Like you can do any better, Mr. Pines.

Stanley Pines: Don't take your bitterness out on me because you so clearly lost. Of course I can do better. Who do you think taught Soos everything he knows?

Stanford Pines: Which probably wasn't very much to begin with.

Stanley Pines: Sure, make fun. I'll be the one laughing when I cream the lot of you.

Dipper Pines: He's got a plan. Those never turn out well.

Mabel Pines: But they're always entertaining!

Soos Ramirez: Good luck Mr. Pines! And Mr. Pines!

Wendy Corduroy: Yeah. This is going to end in disaster—and hilarity.

The voice of her teacher droning in her ears, Mabel's pen scrawled against her paper as she took notes. The shooting star charm of her bracelet clattered softly against the surface of her desk as she moved her wrist back and forth. Heaving a quiet sigh, she shifted her gaze to the clock hanging above the door. There was still an hour before school let out and her brain had already decided to quit for the day.

Mabel paused halfway through her writing of science notes when she felt her cellphone vibrate in her pocket. She peeked over at the teacher, who was facing the chalkboard as he lectured. She positioned her textbook so that it was blocking most of her desk from his sight. She slipped out her cell and held it behind her makeshift barricade, tapping on the e-mail icon.

She grinned widely when she discovered the sender of the e-mail and looked over at her brother, who sat diagonally from her. Dipper gave her a side glance of disapproval, which evaporated when she mouthed 'Grunkle Stan'. His curiosity too great, he did the rare act of taking out his cell in class, tucking his textbook into his lap and keeping the device cloaked behind it.

Stan had sent the e-mail a couple of class periods ago, meaning that they must have missed the initial notification and succeeding ones as their friends commented. The latest remark on Stan's snowman entry finally caught their attention and Mabel could not stop the burst of surprised laughter from escaping.

Turning around, her teacher said sharply, "Do you have something funny to share with the rest of the class, Miss Pines?"

Mabel shook her head, cheeks red not from embarrassment but suppressed mirth. "No sir," she managed to choke out. "Sorry. Just thinking to myself."

Eyes narrowing slightly, he returned to the lesson as their peers gave her odd, sneering looks before going back to their own work, whether it be meticulous notetaking or lazy doodling. Dipper's shoulders were shaking from laughter, his head ducked down as he pretended to focus on the text in their science book. Mabel bit down on her bottom lip and glanced at her phone, staring at the snowman Stan had constructed.

It was a replica of himself made out of snow, wearing his wool beanie, what looked to be grey cloth from a mop making up his hair. Apart from that, the only other article of clothing this Stan snowman was wearing was a speedo. The snowman itself was positioned in the pose of the Thinker. Stan left few details out of his wintry work of art.

Mabel rested her head on the surface of her desk, silent tears of laughter trailing down her cheeks.

To: Mabel Pines (ShootingStarRainbowUnicorn); Soos Ramirez (QuestionMarkDude); Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan); Wendy Corduroy (Lumberchick); Stanford Pines (Highsixer)

From: Stanley Pines (StantheMan)

Subject: Now THIS is beauty

1 Attachment (Photo File)

Soos making a snow sculpture of Melody is sweet and all, sure. And let's not even get to Wendy's mundane attempt. I present to you the greatest snowman (and snow sculpture) ever created. Bask in his glory.

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Wendy Corduroy: Oh. My. Gosh.

Soos Ramirez: Wow. It's a great likeness!

Wendy Corduroy: No. Do not support him with this one. He's a lunatic.

Stanford Pines: I promise you I had no idea what he was up to. If I had the slightest inkling, I would have knocked him out.

Stanley Pines: What's wrong with him?

Stanford Pines: IT, Stanley. A snowman is an 'it'.

Stanley Pines: Then why do they call them snowmen?

Wendy Corduroy: We're not getting off-topic this time. Why, for the love of everything, did you build a snowman of yourself without a shirt, pants, and too-small underwear?

Stanley Pines: It's artistic! Like those life painting classes or whatever. Besides, there's no greater beauty than myself.

Soos Ramirez: It's really detailed.

Wendy Corduroy: Way too detailed. And I've seen this guy in his boxers multiple times. I've seen Soos in his underwear for crying out loud. But this is way more traumatizing.

Stanley Pines: Keep on talking. I've spent my life dealing with jealousy. It just rolls of my shoulders now.

Wendy Corduroy: You are so full of it.

Stanford Pines: Right. I'm off to destroy it.

Stanley Pines: DON'T YOU DARE.

Dipper Pines: I can't believe we're related.

Mabel Pines: No offense, Grunkle Stan, but the only bathing suit I ever wanted to see you in was your old man one-piece.

Soos Ramirez: I didn't know he owned a speedo.

Wendy Corduroy: Now we all know, unfortunately.

Dipper Pines: I thought I was traumatized before. I was wrong. My consolation is that at least it's just a snow-version of him.

Soos Ramirez: It's a good ice model, though.

Wendy Corduroy: If you can look past all of…that, then I guess that it's okay. Explains where Mabel gets her artistic skills, in any case. But seriously, when did this snowman contest become an intricately-carved snow/ice sculpture contest?

Dipper Pines: Well, Soos took it up to the next level, and I think Grunkle Stan would have done this regardless. Wished you hadn't started this whole thing now?

Wendy Corduroy: Nah. I still think my snowman is the best. It's a twist on a classic.

Soos Ramirez: I think mine is the best. But that's just me, dude.

Mabel Pines: Yours is really good. But Grunkle Stan added moles to his snowman.

Wendy Corduroy: What? Like the mole he has on—?

Wendy Corduroy: OH MY GOSH HE DID HE MANAGED TO INCLUDE THE MOLE!

Dipper Pines: Mabel stop laughing! You're going to get us in trouble!

Dipper Pines: Too late.

Mabel Pines: Delete all evidence! Teacher incoming!

To: Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan); Mabel Pines (ShootingStarRainbowUnicorn); Stanley Pines (StantheMan); Wendy Corduroy (Lumberchick); Soos Ramirez (QuestionMarkDude)

From: Stanford Pines (Highsixer)

Subject: The original snowman

1 Attachment (Photo File)

Wendy's snowman was certainly a childhood classic, and Soos' was a touching tribute to his girlfriend, I have crafted the original snowman. It is a replica of the creature that roams mountains, causing mysterious disappearances of hikers and skiers. Its existence dates long before the discovery of the recreational activity of building figures out of snow.

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Stanley Pines: You didn't mention my snowman.

Stanford Pines: Obviously.

Stanley Pines: Hmph. At least I know how to have fun without turning everything into some boring lesson. Seriously, the abominable snowman?

Dipper Pines: Called it. Very good choice, by the way.

Mabel Pines: You made it really tall!

Stanford Pines: Yes, I tried to make it as life-like as possible. It was difficult using a ladder in this icy climate.

Stanley Pines: He fell off of it at least three times. You should see the black eye he got.

Wendy Corduroy: Wow. Is that actual hair you used?

Stanford Pines: You'd be surprised by how much llama hair is shed.

Wendy Corduroy: I'd ask where you are but it would probably be best if I didn't know.

Soos Ramirez: Dude. That's pretty scary.

Dipper Pines: It is pretty realistic. Have you ever seen the abominable snowman, Grunkle Ford?

Stanford Pines: Not yet, but I hope to encounter it soon. However, I've done quite a bit of research and come to the conclusion that this is an accurate representation.

Mabel Pines: You guys are really great when it comes to snowman.

Wendy Corduroy: I could argue with that, but I won't. So which one of us wins?

Stanley Pines: Isn't it obvious?

Mabel Pines: How about we take a vote?

Dipper Pines: Where you have to vote for someone else. You can't vote for yourself.

Wendy Corduroy: I guess that works.

Soos Ramirez: I'm in. But do I have to vote now? This is kinda a tough decision.

Stanford Pines: We can cast our votes tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.

Wendy Corduroy: Our time zone or yours? Wherever you are.

Stanford Pines: Yours.

Stanley Pines: Deal.

Dipper Pines: Then we'll find out the winner tomorrow.

Mabel Pines: May the best snow creation win!

Dipper shook his head in amusement as he set his phone on the coffee table situated in front of the couch. "I have a feeling it might be between Soos and Grunkle Ford. Those two took it up a notch."

"I love Grunkle Stan, but I don't think anyone is going to be able to get rid of that mental image," said Mabel with a giggle.

She studied the picture of Ford's snowman, a towering mass of snow carved in the shape of the yeti. Llama hair covered every inch of the creature, black coals acting as eyes, peering ominously from a curtain of white hair. Icicles hung from the armpits and arms, the hands and feet massive in order to be in proportion to the body.

"It's not fair," she lamented, getting to her knees so she could look over the edge of the couch through the living room window. "They can play in the snow and we just got a rainstorm last night."

"It's a mud wonderland," agreed Dipper. Their entire front yard was damp and soft, the grass nearly swallowed by the thick brown mud. "Too bad there's no such thing as a mudman."

There was a pause as the twins were struck by the same idea. With a beaming smile, Mabel jumped to the floor and declared, "Let's go, brother of mine!"

"We'll make the greatest mudmen in history!" cheered Dipper.

They spared a moment to shrug on their boots and rain slickers before charging out into the misty afternoon. It took a half hour to decide what they should craft and they soon got to work. They gathered piles of mud with shovels and packed it together with their bare hands. For two hours they sloshed about in the mud, hair sticking to their foreheads and boots caking with dirt and grass.

"There!" exclaimed Mabel, wiping droplets of water from her skin and leaving a streak of mud. "It's brilliant!"

Dipper removed his phone from his pants pocket and snapped a picture of the scene. There were seven mud figures rising from the ground, and though they weren't perfect they were identifiable. There was Wendy with her ushanka, which Dipper had removed from his head temporarily, Ford with a long beige jacket, which Mabel had dug from their father's closet, Stan with his tuxedo jacket, tie and eyepatch that Dipper found from their old Halloween costumes, Soos with his green T-shirt and a question mark drawn on it, Waddles in the middle, and on either side of the mud-pig were sculptures of Dipper and Mabel. Dipper had found one of his old hats and vests to use on his mud counterpart, and Mabel had managed to affix a knit jacket and sparkly headband to hers.

"Who says we need snow to have fun?" laughed Dipper. He then looked around the yard, which now bore holes and dips from their effort to gather as much mud as possible. "Uh…as great as this is, we better put the mud back before Mom and Dad come home to find the yard torn up."

To: Mabel Pines (ShootingStarRainbowUnicorn); Grunkle Stan (StantheMan); Grunkle Ford (Highsixer); Soos Ramirez (QuestionMarkDude); Wendy Corduroy (Lumberchick)

From: Dipper Pines (GhostHarasserfan)

Subject: Mud Shack crew

1 Attachment (Photo File)

It's almost time to vote! But before the inevitable fight begins about who deserves to win, Mabel and I make our unofficial contribution with our mudmen. I present the Mud Shack crew, complete with a mud version of Waddles. We may not have snow, but we learn to work with what we have.

See all messages in this thread (Expand)

Soos Ramirez: Mud looks pretty good on me.

Wendy Corduroy: Dudes. That's pretty sweet. But yo, you're gonna wash my hat, right?

Dipper Pines: Maybe.

Grunkle Ford: I don't think I've seen soil used in such a way before.

Grunkle Stan: Talk about making the most of your environment.

Mabel Pines: I'm going to have mud in my ears for weeks, but it was worth it!

Grunkle Ford: How exactly did you manage to get mud in your ears?

Mabel Pines: I slipped and fell. A few dozen times.

Dipper Pines: We are hopelessly snowless, so we found our own way to contribute to the contest—just for fun, anyway. Are you guys ready to vote?

Wendy Corduroy: Yup.

Soos Ramirez: Totally.

Grunkle Stan: Let's start it, then.

Grunkle Ford: Why don't you kids start?

Dipper Pines: Sure. I vote for Wendy. Her snowman may not be extravagant, but it's a classic snowman, which I think was sort of the point before Soos took it to the next level.

Mabel Pines: And that's why I'm voting for Soos! His snow sculpture of Melody was really sweet and pretty, and I like that he took a different route.

Wendy Corduroy: I vote for Dipper and Mabel, because I look pretty rad as a mud sculpture.

Dipper Pines: Wait, what?

Soos Ramirez: I vote for the little dudes. It was hard making a snow sculpture, so it must have been twice as hard to make what they did.

Mabel Pines: But this is a snowman contest. We didn't make ours out of snow.

Grunkle Stan: Who listens to the rules? Not me. You get my vote, kiddos. I think I look even better made out of mud.

Grunkle Ford: It's settled, then. Including my vote, that makes you the clear winners. Substituting mud for snow is allowed, since there is a lack of snow available to you and you used alternative resources.

Grunkle Stan: But next time we have a contest you can't participate so that I get a shot at participating.

Soos Ramirez: Next year we could have a snow fort building contest!

Wendy Corduroy: I don't think so. I thought I was competitive but ya'll take it to the extreme.

Grunkle Ford: Runs in the family.

Grunkle Stan: I'll annihilate you next time.

Mabel Pines: Sweet! We won, bro! We're champions of mudmen!

Dipper Pines: Not bad for the tender age of thirteen.