ghostharasser | Open Post

[Mabel is up the moment she sees the text, looking for where she can meet him half way. Danny is lucky he turns the bend when he does because she is right there. She doesn’t hesitate to take Dipper off Danny’s hands like he weighs as much as a couple of grapes.]

Let me use your couch and I can fix him up! I brought stuff. Where did you find him?

Those creepy abandoned buildings to the east, just like you said. Some asshole had him tied up, sooooooo I'm gonna guess he found our curse thrower, but we can worry about that later! Couch it is!

[Danny jogs ahead to get the door open so Mabel can bring Dipper inside. He's practically vibrating with anger and concern, and if Mabel is sharp eyed enough she might even catch his eyes flashing green on the word "asshole."

He's pissed at Curse Jerk, of course, but Danny's also no small amount of mad at himself. Dipper told him exactly how long he had! And the guy is super accurate with that stuff! WHY hadn't he set an alarm for seven hours and texted then?? No, instead he spaced out until Mabel texted him, because he listened to the voice in his head telling him Dipper can handle himself. What kind of retired superhero friend IS he, never mind future king?? UGH.

Danny lets Mabel bring Dipper to the couch and do whatever she's got planned to help him, but he's hovering in a much more mundane sense than usual, opting to rest his arms on the couch from behind and watch intently. He's jiggling his leg something fierce, too, trying to give his frustration enough of an outlet that he doesn't start encasing random things in ice.

...Which isn't to say he isn't creating quite the cold spot around himself without noticing.]

[Dipper tells Mabel a lot of things, so if she notices, she doesn’t call attention to it yet. She is also mad, but mostly because Dipper couldn’t wait on her to come back to help and hot himself in trouble because he was worried about his timer.]

You big idiot, when you wake up I am going to give you so much hell.

[She yanks off his shirt to look at his injuries, swears softly and starts pulling out…thread and a needle? It glows in the light as she starts threading it. While she does she notices something.]

[She leans over him in surprise.]

He’s asleep.

[Like… actually asleep???? Its been years.]

Edited 2024-09-03 02:06 (UTC)

Well... yeah? I dunno if he crashed or got knocked out, really. At least he doesn't seem to be having nightmares this ti-

[Danny jolts to a stop, abruptly remembering what Dipper had told him about his sleep habits.]

...Oh. That's weird, isn't it?

[The glowing thread barely even registers. Of course the Pines would have magical first aid kits. Why wouldn't they?]

[It is weird, but also Mabel frowns because-]

Yeah… and I’m gonna have to wake him up to do this. Stand back a little. He might flip out. [She sighs and reaches over to grab his nose.]

I’m sorry Dipper.

[She pinches his nose, startling him awake, to which he responds by roaring awake, lunging off the couch and swinging a fist at seemingly nothing. His hands engulfed in a blue fire and a wild look in his eyes.]

Come out or I’ll-

[Even with the warning and having taken a step back from the couch, Danny isn't expecting Dipper to wake up swinging, much less swinging with fire.]

Whoa-!

[He reacts on startled instinct, throwing his own hands up in front of his face, and... and maybe accidentally encasing Dipper's hands in ghost ice. At... at least that's a power he's kind of already let slip with the red bulls?]

...Uh. Chill? It's just us, you're back at the dorm.

[Danny will let the ice dissolve as soon as Dipper gets a grip on himself, but really, they're REALLY gonna lose their deposit if he sets anything on magic fire.]

[Mabel is also like WHOA when Danny freezes his hands, but Dipper is startled and not totally in the present enough that he whips around to square up with Danny, trying to shake off the ice and then-]

[Falls back onto the couch, like all he had in the tank were dregs and that little burst had been a fluke. He's gone way too long without sleep, he got his ass kicked by a mysterious sorcerer or some kind, and he was having the best sleep of his life, so his body is pissed it got woken up.]

[He groans miserably, face first in the cushions.]

That's what you get, you know. You scared us half to death! If you weren't covered in bruises I would smack you so hard, Dipper.

[He grumbles something under his breath.]

Good. Hold still while I put you back together. I was this close to texting the Grunkles.

[Dipper turns a little on the couch so Mabel can actually work, and she finishes setting up her magical first aid.]

...How did I get back to the dorm?

Edited 2024-09-03 03:34 (UTC)

I carried you. After finding you tied up in like, the creepiest building within twenty miles. What the hell happened, Dipper??

[Dipper might not be feeling up to giving the whole story yet, and Danny is vaguely aware that he's jumping the gun on asking a bit. He can't help it. He wants deets, so he can go put the fear of all ghosts ever into this sorcerer wannabe. Or punch them in the face a little. Whichever seems easiest.]

[So, Danny had to come find him. Ugh, he was so trying not to get him involved in his supernatural nonsense. So much for that.]

[He falls quiet for a moment and it almost seems like he's fallen back to sleep, but Mabel strings the needle and pokes it right into his skin. He makes a noise but holds still so she doesn't jab him worse. She does not appear to be sewing his wounds together, but rather seems to be ...kind of embroidering runes into his skin.]

I set up a magic scan of the AV room to find traces of what might have cursed the VCR. The ...footprints so to speak were well covered, so it actually lead me on a hell of a wild goose chase until I finally cornered the traces at the east wing.

[He rubs his face.]

They were onto me...must have known I was snooping around because it was an ambush. Got me before I even knew what happened. I put up a fight but ...something wasn't right about it. I couldn't even get a good look at who they were. Last I heard my timer went off and everything went black.

[He pauses to look at Mabel.]

I'm sorry, I know you wanted me to wait. I didn't have a lot of time left and I was worried I'd lose the trail, but you were right, I should have called in back up.

[Mabel sighs and says she forgives him. She punctuates this by sticking him again, starting on a new rune.]

I'm sorry too. I should've tried texting you earlier.

[Honestly, something about this makes Danny wonder if the whole thing was a trap. Maybe he can posit that theory once Dipper's a little less exhausted and not being sewn on, though. He stares down at what Mabel's doing for a minute, and it takes him a few moments to really register that wow, Dipper has kind of a lot of scars, huh.

Well. Makes sense. Danny only doesn't by virtue of... ghost healing or whatever. Like sure, there's a few he had before half-dying, but after that everything just healed up way faster and cleaner than normal. He doesn't even want to think about what his skin would look like now if that wasn't the case...

He shakes himself out of it before addressing Dipper again.]

Hey man, if you go after that asshole again? Take me with you. I know I'm only really used to ghosts and not all this magic stuff, but I can still hold my own, and they might think twice about jumping two guys.

[Dipper is quick to wave that off.]

No way, man. I got myself into trouble, so don't think me getting strung up is your fault. If anything I'm the one that's sorry for getting you involved.

[He knows Danny just wants to be A Guy, so having him come out to get him out of his weird supernatural trouble makes him feel really guilty actually.]

[Mabel finishes the rune, and with a bit of blood it activates, glowing pink for a moment. Then ...Dipper's wounds start stitching themselves back together all on their own. They leave behind scars still, since magic is no substitute for proper body healing, but he's not bleeding anymore at least.]

You should let him help, you know.

[It's like Mabel is reading his mind. She might be, who could say.]

...You know, being around me is just going to keep attracting trouble. That's the thing with my family, Danny. I'm touched by the offer but, I'm not going to hold it against you if you want to keep out of the weird stuff. Really.

Eh, getting involved was probably gonna happen one way or another. And there's no way I'm not helping out a friend if I can.

[Whether or not that ends up needing to involve his full range of powers... well, they'll see. Danny can do quite a bit without even needing to transform, after all. He smirks down at Dipper, folding his arms comfortably against the back of the couch once more.]

Right now though, I just hauled your ass all the way back here, so I'm gonna go to bed.

[Dipper makes such a bewildered face at that. Whether it be because his efforts to try and keep his business out of Danny's might have been moot all along, or that he just couldn't succeed, or that he's actually reeling from being called "a friend" it could be all three of them, honestly.]

Don't worry, this dumdum is also going to bed, aren't you brobro?

[Faint, exhausted gurgling.]

That's what I thought! Now c'mon

[She just dead lifts him off the couch and kicks open his bedroom door. To which, if Danny is still listening, he can make out her scolding him for the absolute shit state of his bedroom. "Dipper you bed is on it's side against the wall!! What were you doing in here!" gurgle mumble "Ugghh, I'm going to drop you-" Louder distressed n- OW "Stay there while I get your bed, you owe like three boxes of ice cream sandwiches."]

Need any help in there?

[Mabel probably has it handled, judging by the way she's effortlessly dragging her brother around, but he'll ask just in case. Because of course Dipper ran off to chase Curse Asshole and left his room in a state where he couldn't just immediately collapse into bed afterwards.]

[There is a remarkable amount of clattering going on in there but a very clear “I’VE GOT IT. Sit DOWN, Dipper!!”]

[It takes about twenty minutes for her to get him to bed and make sure he actually sleeps before she’s ducking out to come talk to Danny.]

[She knocks because she wants to be polite for once.]

Danny?

[Danny had been lying in his bed, slowly realizing that there was absolutely no way he was going to sleep right now. Thank the Ancients for Mabel Pines, actually. He sits up as he hears her knock, trying to quickly un-muss his hair.]

Yeah? It's not locked, you can come in.

[He turns his nightstand lamp on as she does, though his room is still pretty dimly lit. He's got NASA posters and star charts plastered on the walls, model space shuttles on his desk and shelves, and the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling might actually be throwing more light than that lamp. The bulb's probably going to die soon and he might not even replace it... he can see perfectly fine in the dark, after all.]

[Mabel peers in before coming in fully snd shutting the door behind her. Ah, she sees what Dipper meant when he told her Danny got really jazzed about his birthmark. Heheh.]

[Anyway, as if anticipating this Mabel tosses something at Danny. It’s a bottle! Of liquid! It has a handmade label drawn by 1. Mabel Pines. Anti-Mabel Juice: Chill Out Edition. It has edible glitter and plastic stars and clouds in it.]

Hey, um. Thank you a ton for finding Dipper. I know you said you were just helping a friend but… it does really mean a lot to us that you went out of your way to help us.

This might be a huge shock to you, but Dipper doesn’t er. Let’s just say he’s never been Mr. Popular.

Edited 2024-09-04 00:51 (UTC)

[Danny catches the bottle easily - on reflex, almost.]

Heh, yeah, I can relate. I was also part of the loser brigade back in high school. And before that. It's no big deal, really.

[He shakes the bottle curiously, peering at its label and contents and honestly a little impressed by the sheer level of cheerful sparkle.]

So uh, what's this?

[She sees that but does not comment on it.]

I'm not gonna tell you to babysit my brother or anything, but I will say that if you're around, maybe he'll think twice about going off on his own and getting into trouble because he thinks he has to be a big hero. I know that's the reason he got in trouble today. He has this terrible habit of thinking to himself "If not me, then who?" moments before someone has to sew him back together.

[She grins now, at his question, and crosses her arms with a smug expression.]

That, is my new and improved Anti-Mabel Juice, guaranteed to put you to sleep like a baby in seconds or your money back. Luckily you can't return it because I'm giving it to you for free. Bask in my generosity, ye roomate of sir Dippin' Sauce.

I gave him some before tucking him in, so he should be out for a while. I'm gonna also go and replace all his nasty red bulls with the Actual Mabel Juice I finally perfected. With luck it won't turn his hair blue like the last batch did.

[Danny can't help but wince slightly at the "going off on his own to be a big hero" comment. Boy uh. Can't think of anyone else here with a tendency to do that! Haha nope! But... Mabel's right that if they're being hero idiots together, probably they're going to get in slightly less trouble at least.]

Iiiii don't know how much I can promise, but I'll try not to let him get too beat up again, at least.

[Mabel's theatrics definitely earn a laugh out of him as he sets the potion down on his nightstand. He's... not sure he should drink it, who knows how that will react to his weirdass biology. But, worst case, he'll foist it on Dipper, who surely needs it more anyway.]

Sweet, thanks! I dunno, I bet Dipper looks pretty good with blue hair.

That’s what I said, but he didn’t believe me. His loss!!

[But Mabel will let Danny sleep, so she will wish him good night and let her self out. As promised she can be heard taking all Dipper’s red bulls and replacing them with Mabel Juice before she leaves.]

[Dipper sleeps another day away. It’ll be early afternoon before he finally emerges, groggy and disoriented.]

[Danny... had not slept. Much. He'd tossed and turned and stared at his glow in the dark star ceiling and thought a lot about how Mabel had basically told him Dipper doesn't have friends.

About how super, incredibly, quite probably literally all the way dead he'd be without his own friends.

At least the Team Phantom group chat was used to getting frantic two am texts from him, and at least it wasn't an actual emergency this time. But in between Tucker and Sam debating who would win their bet on how long it'd take Danny to out himself to his roommate if it turned out Dipper had figured it out for a while, Danny getting scolded for finding out the guy he barely knows is a paranormal investigator as a hobby and still wanting to befriend him ("cmon guys we literally have wes in this chat!!! i think hes asleep but hes here!!"), and Jazz asking entirely too many psychoanalysis questions, they had a plan.

Danny slept a little after that.

By the time Dipper stumbles back out of his room, Danny is slumped on the couch with a bag of chips, watching old reruns of Space Journey. He looks slightly rougher around the edges than usual himself, but he wears it easily, smiling and giving Dipper a short wave.]

Hey. Feeling any better?

[Oh hey. Does Danny look a little bedraggled? Maybe classes were rough today. What day is it? Ugh he’s already missed a ton of class this week he is going to be in so much hot water later.]

Hey, man. Yeah, I think I actually got real sleep for once.

[Weird. He riffles through the fridge and pulls out one of Mabels uh. Mabel Juices.]

I miss anything?

Not really. I hope that doesn't mean you gotta get knocked out by a Curse Wizard to get real sleep, that would suck.

[Danny has, in fact, skipped his own classes today. Or emailed his professors and said his roommate was sick and he didn't want to risk spreading it, anyway. Most of them had been happy enough to give him online work instead. Look, Dipper conking out for that long had maybe worried him a little, okay?]

[Dipper cracks the Mabel Juice open, takes a sip, nearly chokes, slamming his hand on the counter like the drink punched him in the face. He coughs up glitter, winded and looks the bottle over.]

Wow, Mabel. You weren’t messing around with these, this time.

[Anyway, he will take a seat on the edge of the counch, shaking his head.]

Nah, that sleep sucked. I know because I had to hear Bill’s shitty voice screaming in my head right before I got yanked out of his nightmare.

[That might be the first time he’s names the demon.]

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