#little pix

[theconstellationprincess]

Some self indulgence

//

“Pix?” He heard the voice, but was too involved with his panicked escaped to decipher who it belonged too. He darted into a room, silently shutting the door behind him, and darted the nearest surface - a bed - and covered his mouth.

“Pix?” It was Fwhips voice, he must have already been found. He laughs too much to be a good hider, but he’s a really good seeker. He heard foot steps approach, and then pass the door to the room he was hidden in. The game had been Joel’s idea, the Mezalean palace was very large, and several of the regressor’s on the server needed the break.

Pix didn’t include himself in that, he doesn’t really take breaks, not real ones anyways. And he wasn’t regressed. Well, not fully. He was in an in-between space, not quite regressed but he was too… vulnerable to be his emperor self.

It was dark under the bed.

He heard more footsteps pass his door, back and forth. He was starting to get tired, the floor was pleasantly cool and the darkness wasn’t helping any. He quietly crawled out of his hiding spot and swiped a pillow and throw blanket from the bed he was under. He shuffled back under, getting himself settled. A nap never hurt anyone.

-

Pix woke up to frantic noises outside the door. His name was being shouted. He whined at the noise, he had been having a very nice dream about being a bee. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, pulling down the sleeves of his jacket so that they covered his hands more. He wanted his bigger one.

He squirmed out of his hiding spot, returning the pillow and blanket to their proper place, and left the room. He didn’t really care about hide and seek anymore, he wanted his bigger jacket, a pacifier, and to go back to sleep. He almost ran into Sausage leaving the room. They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Hi Sausage,” Pix said quietly, running at his eyes again.

“I found him!” Sausage cried out, “Where you in there the whole time?!” He asked Pix, looking over him carefully.

“Hidin’,” Pix mumbled, “Took a nap.” As if to prove his point, he yawned. Sausage gave a slightly crazy laugh and hugged him, Pix left himself be moved without protest.

“We couldn’t find you,” Sausage told him, slightly maniacal.

“Oh,” Pix said blankly, he squinted at Sausage. “Sorry?” He tried, words were being tricky for him right now. He wanted a pacifier so he’d have an excuse not to talk.

Sausage laughed again, but it was more fond exasperation than anything else. “It’s okay, Pixie, are you still tired?”

Pix blushed a little at the nickname but nodded, “Paci an’ nap?” He asked shyly, tilting his head. Sausage gave him a soft smile.

“Of course.”

-

Hope you enjoyed! I might add more to this layer but I’m going to bed now!

[graciegreyyxo]

Happy (.)(.) Tuesday

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[pixlokita]

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spiderpearlspiderpearlspiderpearlspiderpearl-

pearlo joined fantasy smp and is an arachnea

she’s a little spooky and bloody, possibly venomous, but hey! she a cutie!

[petit-papillion]

Leo already running circles around Charles

Literally the size of Charles's shoe...

Miami Beach | 30 April 2024

📷 leclerc-photos

[sopuu]

the besties r hangin out

[theconstellationprincess]

Whumptober day 6: alternative prompt: Shaking

Little Pixlriffs, Little Fwhip, and caregiver MythicalSausage

Summary: A little known fact about the Copper King was that he wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark.. An even less known fact was that he was also easily startled by loud noises, especially when it was dark outside. And a fact about him that wasn’t even confirmed to the few people that suspected it, was that he was a regressor

Inspired by @little-froglight hcs!

A little known fact about the Copper King was that he wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark. Perhaps that could be inferred from the whole candle theme he had going on, but many don’t consider that at all. An even less known fact was that he was also easily startled by loud noises, especially when it was dark outside. And a fact about him that wasn’t even confirmed to the few people that suspected it, was that he was a regressor.

Pixlriffs was always a caregiver, he was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed, regressor or not. He was always available, always willing, to help anyone. He took pride in that fact, and that pride did not play well with his regression. It was very rare that he regressed, not for lack of wanting, but out of fear that someone would need him. Most of the time his regression was involuntary, and triggered by fear, or stress, and then he ended up just panicking until he felt normal again.

Tonight, he had travelled to Fwhips for the two of them to discuss trading, and they were planning on heading to a feast hosted by Mezalea the next day together, so Pixl was staying the night. The discussions went well, and they were having a late dinner when a loud slam startled the both of them. One of the windows in the room had opened by itself, strong wind blowing through and, to Pix’s displeasure, extinguishing the candles in the room.

The room went dark, not even illuminated by the moon for it had been blocked out by the thick clouds covering the sky. He looked towards Fwhip, trying to quell his panic that threatened to pull him into headspace. He needed to be big for Fwhip. He looked towards where Fwhip had been just moments before, only to be met with empty air. He blinked, but looked underneath the table instead, finding his friend curled up, clearly upset.

Pix crawled under the table, sitting next to him. It was still far too dark in the room and he was struggling to keep himself fully in caregiver mode. He pulled out a candle (he always had some on him) and lit it, setting it between them. The wind from the still open window wouldn’t be able to reach under the table. It helped him relax, but Fwhip seemed just as tense.

“Fwhip, how old are you right now?” Pix asked gently, putting in far too much effort into making his voice sound as it normally would. No tripping over his words. Fwhip shook his head in response. Pix had never seen Fwhip properly distressed when small before, and was getting properly worried. He needed Sausage, he was Fwhips primary caregiver.

Pix pulled out his communicator, sending a message to Sausage and praying the man wasn’t already sleeping, as it was quite late. Sausage replied that he was on his way, and Pix relaxed slightly. A boom of thunder sounded outside and that relief was immediately replaced with stress. Pix squeezed his eyes shut, holding back scared tears, and trying not to slip before Sausage arrived. He opened his eyes when he felt a weight on his shoulder, looking at Fwhip who had placed his head on his shoulder. Pix took a few stuttering breaths and pet Fwhips hair.

Another boom of thunder, Pix whimpered, biting down on his lip hard enough to taste blood. Tears pooled in his eyes but he squeezed them shut again to prevent any from escaping. The candle wasn’t the best light source, but it was preventing him from fully slipping, which was great. Fwhip took one of his hands and squeezed it tightly, and Pix squeezed back.

Sausage finally arrived, opening the door gently, immediately spying the both of them curled up under the table. He quickly shut the open window and kneeled in front of them both.

“I seem to have 2 little boys, hmm?” Sausage commented, mostly to himself.

“I’m not little, Sausage.” Pix said, titling his head when Sausage gave him an incredulous look. I messaged you for Fwhip, not me.” At the sound of his name, Fwhip pulled his head off of Pix’s shoulder, reaching towards Sausage as soon as he spotted him. Fwhip seemed a lot younger than he normally was, even when regressed. Sausage grabbed Fwhip, picking him up easily and holding him close. Pix told himself he wasn’t jealous.

Another boom of thunder, and all of Pix’s reservations went out the window. Now that there was a caregiver with Fwhip, he no longer had an immediate reason to not be small, something his brain took advantage of. A few tears dripped down Pix’s face which he quickly wiped away, but not before Sausage saw them.

“Pix, bubs, you can be little. You’re shaking, bubby.” Pix shook his head, he wasn’t supposed to be small. But he was. He could pull himself out of headspace, but each boom of thunder sent him deeper and deeper down, and his fear all came spilling out in the form of sobs that made his whole body shake. He reached for Sausage, desperately searching for comfort. Sausage put Fwhip, who was calmed down, onto one of the chairs and picked him up. Being picked up made Pix feel like he was physically sinking deeper into his regression.

He sobbed into Sausage's shoulder, slowly calming down even as the thunder continued outside, as Sausage rubbed his back and mumbled comforting words. At some point, Sausage took both of them out of the room, carrying Pix and holding Fwhips hand as he took them into Fwhip’s bedroom. He placed down an extra bed for Pix, who had stopped crying, and tucked both of them into bed.

Pix watched as Sausage first attended to Fwhip, getting him settled and giving him a teether and a stuffed animal. Fwhip was quick to fall asleep, and then Sausage turned towards him. Pix shrunk back, afraid. He hadn’t meant to regress, or soak Sausage’s shirt with his tears. But to his surprise, Sausage instead offered him a pacifier, which he accepted silently, and a stuffed animal. Pix was confused, but felt warm, and to his absolute wonder, cared for.

Pix drifted off to sleep listening to the quiet, slow breathing of Fwhip, and the sounds of Sausage getting ready to sleep.

[graciegreyyxo]

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[fexalted]

good omens + text posts (part 8)

featuring: posts that look like they're connected but aren't

[pixlokita]

Testing out animation programs and being silly👌

[macaronichewtoyz]

Kid Pix 4d Angie

[retroautomaton]

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[flutterblunt]

something............... for myself..... :3333

Emoshy plush

[theconstellationprincess]

House and Home

Chapter 6: Sting

TW: Non-graphic injury description, let me know if I need to add any!

-

Pix hummed as he drank his coffee. He had taken it onto the porch, watching as the sun made is ascent over the hills surrounding their hidden house. He contemplated the events of the past few days, truly so much had happened in such a short period of time. He jumped and dropped his coffee as someone grabbed his shoulders suddenly.

"Fwhip!" Pix gasped, clutching at his heart as he turned around to face his friend. "You gave me a heart attack." Fwhip chuckled, looking at the puddle of coffee slowly absorbing into the deck and the shards of ceramic.

"Sorry," Fwhip apologised, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't mean to scare you- Well I did, but not that bad." Pix gave a fond sigh and shook his head.

"It's fine, just don't tell the others okay?" They both laughed and Pix crouched down to start collecting the remains of the coffee mug. He'd have to let Katherine know it had broken, but he would force Fwhip to come along with him for that. He hissed as his focus slipped and one of the glass shards pierced his palm, dragging down as he dropped it suddenly.

"Are you okay?" Fwhip asked, gently grabbing Pix's hand and pulling it towards his face. He wiped at the cut with his sleeve, frowning curiously at it. "It's pretty long, but it doesn't look too deep." Pix nodded, feeling light headed. He was not the biggest fan of blood, his or not. Fwhip let go of his hand and Pix stood up, staring at the cut with a frown. It didn't hurt, really, but it stung and he'd had a rough couple of days, or that was what he told himself when he found his eyes welling up with tears.

He quickly wiped at his eyes, but Fwhip caught notice, and gave him a curious look. "You alright, buddy?"

Ah. Oh. Pix inhaled shakily, shoving down the pesky small feelings that threatened to overtake his brain. Pet names, he wasn't used to hearing them so casually and they made his head go fuzzy. "Fine," Pix replied squeakily. He cleared his throat, "I'm good, Fwhip, honestly. I just need to disinfect this and get it wrapped up." Even the thought of it, having to rinse the cut and seeing the blood was enough to send his hands shaking, or was that the anxiety about Fwhip knowing his secret?

"Come on, I'll help you. It's my fault after all." Pix shot his eyes towards his friend, searching for he doesn't know what in his gaze, but there was nothing but kindness. Pix swallowed, but nodded. He tossed on a smirk, playfully complaining that of course Fwhip had to help, he had caused so much damage that honestly, he should do whatever Pix says until the end of time.

-

They made their way inside, almost no one else was awake yet so it was a short, unobstructed walk to the bathroom. Fwhip patted the counter a few times, giving a Pix a look he couldn't decipher before ducking into the cabinets under the sink to search for the first aid kit.

After a moment of hesitation, Pix jumped up onto the counter, inhaling and exhaling sharply when he accidentally looked at his hand again. It was still bleeding, but not as much. Fwhip popped back up, holding the kit. He gave Pix a small smile as he opened it up and pulled a few things out.

"I'm going to rinse it with water from the sink first, and then disinfect it, before bandaging it. Does that sound okay?" Fwhip asked gently, reaching towards his hand. Pix thrust the offending appendage towards him, breathing shakily as he nodded.

Fwhip narrated what he was doing in a soft voice, telling Pix what to expect. He murmured soft words as he disinfected it, apologising soothingly and stroking the top of Pix's hand with his thumb. Katherine had apparently expected some injuries, because there were several types of bandages with different designs. Fwhip let him pick, and praised his choice of a steampunk design, making Pix blush. He swung his legs as Fwhip taped the bandage onto his hand, and couldn't help but laugh when he pressed a gentle kiss to the bandage.

"All better," Fwhip told him with a soft smile, Pix beamed back.

"All better," He parroted, legs still swinging off the bathroom counter. Somewhere, in the back of his head, alarm bells were going off and his brain was shouting at him to stop and think and act his age, but Fwhip was offering him a hand off the counter and Pix was taking it and not letting go, even once his feet were back on the floor.

Noise sounded from the hallway outside, and the fragile sense of peace was instantly shattered. Pix released Fwhip's hand like it had burned him, and gripped his wrist with his other hand so he didn't reach back out. "Thank you, really," Pix said, trying to keep his sudden panic out of his voice, "I need to, um, write a letter. To my advisers. You know how it is," Pix laughed, a touch hysterically, and darted out of the bathroom and back to his room, leaning against the door once it had been pulled shut behind him.

His heart was pounding in his ears as he realised what had just happened. What he had done. He needed to calm down, he knew that, but it was hard when he was staring at the bandage on his hand with a cog pattern, the bandage that had been softly placed on a cut by gentle hands with soft words because he had regressed in front of Fwhip again-

There was a knock on his door, jolting him out of his thoughts. "Pix, can we talk about this?" Fwhip asked through the door, he was being quiet, which was good, but he wanted to chat, which was... less good.

Pix inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times, and wiped his face clean of tears. He opened the door, plastering on a fake smile as he allowed Fwhip to enter. He closed the door softly, and had to stop himself from immediately bursting into tears when he turned to face Fwhip and his face was so soft and welcoming and-

"Can I hug you?" Fwhip asked, and Pix was nodding before he could stop himself, and then he was being hugged and crying into Fwhip's shoulder because Fwhip knew and no one was supposed to know- and Pix really shouldn't be regressed right now because it was almost time for the morning activity Katherine had planned- "Shh, " Fwhip shushed quietly, "I can hear you thinking."

"Sorry," Pix said, wincing as his voice came out high pitched and wobbly. "Sorry," He said again, but his voice did not change. "I'm sorry I'm sorry 'm sorry-" he repeated, muffling his voice into Fwhip's shoulder. Fwhip rubbed his back, shushing his muffled apologies.

"Oh Pix, you have nothing to be sorry for," Fwhip soothed, "It's okay to be small." Pix whimpered, but stopped apologising, standing wrapped in Fwhip's arms as he slowly calmed down. Eventually, he pulled away and Fwhip let go easily, looking at him with worry.

Pix blinked at him, fiddling with the edges of his jacket. He looked towards the closet, he had brought his larger sized one along with him. He wanted it. Fwhip was looking at his expectantly, and Pix blinked. He missed what was said, but before he could panic, Fwhip asked the question again.

"Can you tell me how old you are?" Pix shrugged, holding up 1 then 2 fingers. He was small enough that he was okay with being small, a rare occurrence. "Ah, we have a baby Pix do we?" Fwhip teased gently, "Where's your blanket bud?" Fwhip asked, and Pix froze, looking at his bed which was quite evidently missing the large duvet.

"Dunno," Pix said, which was true. He didn't know where it had ended up after dropping it down the laundry chute. Fwhip gave him a look, but Pix ignored it in favour of grabbing the little box from its hiding space and pulling out his pacifier to shove in his mouth. It was instantaneous, the relief it gave him. Ignoring the lack of a blanket, Pix flopped onto his bed with a soft sigh, staring at Fwhip with slightly wet eyes until he came over and sat next to him. Fwhip rubbed his back and told him a story, something nonsensical that Pix couldn't follow but just the sound of his voice was nice.

He could see why some people liked having a caregiver.

-

They sat like that for a while, Pix falling deeper into his regression as the minutes ticked by. He felt so safe here, laying next to Fwhip, so it didn't bother him much when there was a soft knock on his door, though he did turn his face to hide in Fwhip's side when the door opened.

He listened, not really processing, as Fwhip chatted with the person. The hand on his back stilled, but quickly started when he whined quietly. Fwhip and the other person laughed. Pix knew that laugh! He pulled his face from its hiding space and looked towards Joel with sleepy eyes.

"Hi Pix," Joel greeted, a bit awkwardly. Pix squirmed out of Fwhips side and shuffled over to the end of the bed, making grabby hands at Joel, who obliged and came over. Pix grabbed his hand and pulled him, making Joel stumble. Fwhip laughed as Pix continued to tug on Joel until he was laying between him and Fwhip.

"I was sent up here to get you, not join in." Joel told Fwhip, fondly exasperated as Pix fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. "I didn't know he regressed," Joel continued, much quieter. Fwhip sighed.

"I've known for a little while, but I've never taken care of him. He's scared, I think." Joel furrowed his brow a bit, confused.

"What's he scared of?" He asked, looking at Pix, who had moved on from the buttons to the fabric itself, poking at it curiously. "Most of us regress, no one's gonna judge 'im for it." Fwhip sighed again, it was a sad sound.

"Pixandria isn't as... accepting of age regression as the other empires." Fwhip explains quietly, watching Pix with a sad look. "It's something Pix is trying to undo, but it's been difficult. His advisers are... not the best."

Joel made a sympathetic sound, looking at Pix with a new understanding. He couldn't count how many times Pix had looked after him, or helped him look after Jimmy or Lizzie or both of them, so he was glad for a chance to repay at least some of that.

Footsteps sounded from outside the still open door, and the three of them looked up to see Scott standing there. He looked at Fwhip, then Joel, before his eyes settled on Pix and an understanding look washed over his face. He gave them a gentle smile.

"Katherine wants to start the activity now." Scott told them, "We're discussing secrets, I think. How old is he?'

"Baby," Fwhip and Joel said at the same time, both laughing slightly as they looked at each other. Scott nodded, a contemplative look on his face.

"Katherine isn't going to let all of you sit out, so we can bring him downstairs to keep an eye on him while everyone else does the activity?" Joel suggested, and Fwhip and Scott agreed.

Pix didn't seem to mind Joel or Scott being here, in fact he'd seemed rather ecstatic about Joel's presence, so surely he wouldn't mind paying everyone else a visit?

-

Hope you enjoyed! @little-froglight

Sorry for the time between updates, I've been really sick :(( but doing better now!

[pix-writes]

Uhhhh Stan adopting a teenage runaway who came from an abusive home. (He sees a lot of his past self when he was homeless in them and vows to save them from the life he had)

This is kind of adjacent to an idea for a fic I've already had! But I couldn't resist doing a little bit about this scenario! <3

Stan has already basically adopted Wendy and Soos already, even without fully meaning to with Soos he sees that he needs a father figure in his life and sort-of does the best he can to be that. With Wendy, its different too because it's basically canon that he just lets her get away with stuff because he knows she needs somewhere away from home to relax (even tho he could definitely get another employee who doesn't bunk off so much). Will he admit that's what he's doing though? Of course not!

Despite his exterior/persona, though, Stanley Pines is a kind man who wants to help people who most need it - like you say, he's been in that position enough times himself. I'm sure there's been the occaisonal person who's helped him out in the past, even if they never stuck around. Well, now he's Mr Mystery, he can sort-of be that person for others, not just because he's more stable, but also because he desperatly wants connection, especially after losing his brother in the portal (though that's also a reason to keep everyone at arms length to an extent, so they can never find out about his double life).

Runaway teen & Stan pines (under cut):

I can imagine you ran away from home and come across Gravity Falls, perhaps you had even seen the ads for tourist stops in this area, or maybe you just found the most random small town on your travels and decided to stop there - your travels are erratic so that no one can follow you or suspect you of being a runaway. Not that you really expect your parents to be concerned, at least not for long. That's why you had to get away and stay gone, you had reached your breaking point for what you could handle.

It starts to rain, you go to the local diner but your travel money is fast becoming less and less... you only order coffee, nursing it there for as long as possible, but when business starts to pick up you realise just how small of a town it is, everyone seems to know nearly everybody around here! You've already gotten a few curious glances or greetings put your way and you decide to leave.

Wandering around, you end up on the outskirts of town, there's a fair few campsites around, now lying half empty since its off-season right now, maybe you coud stay on the edge of the forest somewhere? Pinch some tent equipment from somewhere or from someone who doesn't need it? You already had a sleeping bag, water bottle, a torch. You just needed something to keep more of the rain off of you!

That's when you wander into an opening within the forest, notice the wooden signs nailed to the trees. You see a small group of tourists being spoken to by some guy, his voice carrying across the place, gravelly and jovial, and in your surprise you just stare dumbfounded - this place isn't closed? The group is moving and you take in your surroundings and you're so cold and wet and hungry, you're not really thinking ahead when go in, pulling your hoodie down over your face and sneaking in beind the throng of people, unnoticed.

But it turns out that you had been noticed, after the bizarre tour of this overpriced tourist trap, you lurk behind, the rain hasn't let up outside and you're wondering when the place might close, now that the tourists had filtered out the place was pretty dead, which is when a large hand lands on your shoulder making you jump out of your skin and your eyes land on the proprietor.

"Hey! You gonna at least buy anything, kid?"

You apologise and stutter, feeling like you want to bolt but totally caught at the same time. Stan immediately picks up on the fact that you're so twitchy, even for a teen. He eases up on you, switching to a friendlier tone. Wendy asks you where you're staying, curiosity getting the better of her usually nonchalant demeanour. You tell them you just got lost from the campsite and Stan isn't buying it one bit but Wendy has given you the directions and you're out of the door. The interaction doesn't sit right with him. He knows exactly where you're hiding out by the time you've stayed there overnight. Having discovered the pop up tent you 'found' set up in the woods not far away.

He decides to keep an eye on you, he's worried being direct will make startle you, like a deer in headlights, at the diner he doesn't acknowledge you at first just pushes a plate of food subtly towards you, for you to swipe. After that he manages to make small talk, hes still wondering how he can help you, what excuse he can make so it seems like he's offering you something and it be believable instead of suspicious.

Maybe he complains there's no one around to do the stock take now that summer is well and truly over, you perk up, saying you'd like some extra pocket money. You come right on time and the owner of the Mystery Shack introduces himself properly, shows you what you need to do. You take your time, living rough has made you exhausted mentally/physically, and because... you've begun to like the place as kooky as it is. And wouldn't you know it, Mr Pines has made more food than he expected and wouldn't you like some? You come back the next day and its pretty much the same, though you are starting to pick up on where Stan is subtly gaining information on you. He both curses and admires how whip-smart you are, reminds him of himself a lot further into being homeless than you are (reminds him of someone else too...), he worries that night of whether you'll have run off, if you'd get into trouble somewhere else, but you return the following afternoon. This time, Stan levels with you -

"Look kid, I don't know what's going on at home and trust me when I say I get it - but whatever's going on, it's probably not worth staying out in the woods, epseically 'round here, it's dangerous!" He reassures you he's not going to call anyone, though, just asks you to reconsider, think about how much trouble you might get into, if you don't turn up to school how you're going to explain yourself, how are you going to get a job? You swipe frustrated tears from your eyes and thank him for being concerned, though its hollow. How can you return home now? All you're going to get is more abuse, you can only think of how angry they'll all be if you did!

You end up wandering to some other town, using the money Stan gave you to get a bus and find a place to stay, having seen a load of jobs you could apply for. Turns out though, that some of your family had been looking for you and tracked your phone, you end up in a fight with them, receiving a hard slap to the face before running away once more! You pack up your things and head straight to the first place you think of.

Once you get there, its dark, you hesitate before knocking but you've came all this way. When Stan opens the door all of the shock and adrenaline has seemed to have worn off and you see the mix of sadness, surprise and anger on his face at the clear mark on your face from the fight.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go." Is all you can get out before bursting into tears. He let's you stay, you've been out in the cold and so stressed over this time that when you come in you're shivering, you end up running a nasty fever. You're so exhausted there's nothing left but to accept your fate and Stan feels he must help you. He piles on the blankets and gives you hot drinks and plain food till the fever runs its course.

He still has a bit of trouble with authorities/some family members looking for you in the area, you traded your old phone in for another and Stan was eventually able to brush them off your trail. He couldn't help it, he liked the kid in the small amount of time he knew them and it was clear that you had danger waiting for you at home. You had told him a little after the first night you had stayed at the shack, words tumbling out of your mouth about your trauma, how you couldn't stand your family. His heart sank as he remembered his own life as a young man, a kid technically, homeless and making ends meet and was determined you wouldn't have the same fate. Yet he had to know you were sure.

"You really want to stay here - in this boring ol' town? At the shack?" You were determined you would, as long as he was okay with that, you vowed to work hard, sweep the floors, keep an eye on the gift shop when Wendy couldn't, anything to be useful. But, you didn't want him to get into trouble. Too little too late for that, he thought to himself.

"But, really do ya want to see this ugly mug every day?" He said gesturing to his face. That brought a slight smile to your face, in fact you ended up giggling and he knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of you now (like he ever would've entertained it).

He sighed. "So, do you trust me? Cause I need some kind of story if ya gonna stay here, kiddo."

He needed a lot more than that of course, he ended up getting you a fake ID and if anyone asked, you were family, here to stay for a while. When people asked anything more than that he got cagey, but he liked thinking of you being a Pines, another part of the family. Part of him felt guilty for doing it too, faking that you had the same last name, he still thought you might not want to stick around, you weren't blood family to him, you had no ties to him, but he wanted family so badly, was it so bad to pretend that you were?

He made sure you got to school, he even started to pack you lunches every day, he wasn't so bothered about homework, saying he didn't think much of school when he went anyway, you both had something more important than that (street smarts!), but when you were struggling with your math homework you were surprised that he semmed to know an awful lot, but then again you probably shouldn't be surprised, he did own a business after all. Whilst there wasn't a lot to do around the Mystery Shack all year round, you still found yourself picking up around the house part of the Shack, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, normal chore stuff - isn't that what teens were supposed to do? Stan was surprised to see a teen do chores unprompted and you were nervous that you'd done something wrong, because why else would he be questioning you? He recovered quickly though and just grumbled out something about 'finally, someone who knows how to pick up after themselves/work' but from the expression on his face, you are relieved to know that he is joking with you and he isn't mad. You're picking up on his quirks.

The months roll by and you started to feel safer, the shack became more familiar, you were less frightened and jumpy, people in town were more friendly, familiar faces and if people knew that you weren't actually related, that you were a runaway, they didn't say anything at all. You were starting to be referred to as 'Stan's kid'. No one had said so in front of Stan so far as you knew, it made you feel some residual guilt, even after all that you're family had done, were you really not a burden to Stan? Was it wrong to see him like a parent? What would you do if he no longer wanted you around? But as much as you were scared of being rejected, a situation came up at the Shack at the beginning of your first summer in the falls. A gathering was forming for a tour and some tourist had asked something or assumed he was your parent, something like that. Unbeknownst to you Stan had heard and he freezed, unconsciously waiting on your response.

"Oh, you'll wanna ask my dad, he's the one over there in the fez?" It just slipped out, you should've said Mr Mystery at work, but you couldn't help the feeling in your chest that it was right. Ever since then you had been tentatively saying it (you eventually start to notice how when you knew Stan had heard it he seemed a little emotional) and Stan now proudly referred to you as 'his kid'. You may or may not call him 'dad' to his face, maybe you'll still just call him 'Stan' but it seems like now you officially have a family!