[MINGLE LOG] I'M GLAD IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

[powerofmabel]

Who: The Pines Twins and EVERYONE (MINGLE LOG)
Where: The Jolly Roger
When: September 2nd
Rating: G
Summary: The Pines Twins are technically turning thirteen, and are having a giant birthday party to celebrate. EVERYONE COME EAT CAKE.
The Story:

The Jolly Roger has been decked out with enough streamers to give its previous owner a small heart attack, but at least the streamers are done up in red, black, and white to go with the pirate theme and not something colorful and obscene like Mabel might design if left to her own devices. Most of the tables for snacks ( including oranges to ward off scurvy) have been set up on the beach to give the guests plenty of room to mingle around without overcrowding the ship, and at various places around the party areas are large barrels full of fake plastic pirate weapons, eyepatches, hats, and other pirate accessories so everyone can get into the spirit of things.

The deck of the Jolly Roger has been turned into a sort of makeshift dance floor for people willing to get up and get their groove on for the entertainment of everyone on the beach, which is entirely Mabel's idea, because who wouldn't want to have a dance party on the deck of a pirate ship.

For the most part, it's a free-for-all, since the twins can't possibly organize that many people, but they're here, there, and everywhere, making sure everyone's having a good time and basking in all the birthday excitement.

Comments

[charlastan]

[Uh-oh. Someone's onto him. But hey, he's bluffed his way out of worse things. He makes a big show of cracking his knuckles, like this is some impressive thing he has to ready himself for.]

Pfft. The only ones who solve these stupid cubes with algorithms are nerds who can't figure out another way to do it. Give it here, kid.

[He gestures for Dipper to hand the cube over, and he takes it and messes the thing up real good for a few seconds. Since Dipper clearly doesn't seem to trust him (and probably shouldn't to be totally honest) he shows it to him before he does anything else, the way a magician might show a crowd there's nothing up his sleeves or in his hat.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he needlessly tosses it up in the air and then back and forth between his hands a few times before he starts. The key to slight of hand is misdirection and distraction, after all - to make Dipper pay attention to everything except what he's actually doing with his hands. To his credit, it's actually a pretty good trick he's picked up that's won him a decent amount of bets on the road - after all, he knows perfectly well that he doesn't look like someone who can solve a rubik's cube at all, much less in under five minutes.]

Funny, I figured you wouldn't want any tips. Don't tell me you're giving up on figuring this out on your own, are you?

[It's a very deliberate attempt to rile Dipper up, because if Dipper's temper gets the better of him, he won't be watching Stan carefully enough to figure out what he's doing. As he talks, he's moving his hands quickly at the same time - a few twists one way, a few twists another. The trick does require a bit of his attention though, so he's got his eyes on the cube and not on Dipper - but really that just adds to the illusion that he can actually solve the thing correctly.]

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper can't see through Grunkle Stan's big hands, and the words and fancy tricks are all very distracting, but he frowns hard, trying to block it all out.

The thing about misdirection is that while it's very distracting, Dipper also knows what it looks like, especially when it's coming from Grunkle Stan. He knows that tossing the cube around won't help him solve it, and the fact that he's putting on a show is suspicious. Sure, it's what Stan does. But now that Dipper is paying attention, the fact that he can't see what Stan's doing is more suspicious than actually seeing anything. Dipper scowls and looks up at him.]

Oh my god, Mabel's totally right. You are cheating!

[charlastan]

[Granted he was kind of expecting accusations of cheating, but he wasn't expecting them this soon into the act and it actually trips him up for a second.]

What? C'mon, gimme a little credit here!

[Of course, he is cheating, but he's also pretty sure Dipper doesn't have real proof yet so he's a little hypocritically annoyed about that. What, they think he can't solve it with cheating? That he's not smart enough for their dumb nerd puzzle? ...This is all true, but it doesn't make him any less annoyed about it.

On the upside though, the actual "solving" is going even faster than the first time, because he already did the trick once recently, and now that he's been called out he's trying to speed up the whole thing.]

Look, I've almost got it, just-- [FURIOUS HAND MOVING. FURIOUS STICKING. LOTS OF BEING GRATEFUL HIS HANDS AREN'T ARTHRITIC.] Almost...there!

[Stan grins, and turns the cube a few more times to press his palms against the sides like some sort of victory lap around the thing. Then he holds it out in an open hand, seemingly solved - and even faster than the first time! Except for one, tiny, itty-bity detail...despite all his efforts, the stickers are very clearly peeling up off of their squares in more than one spot. Stan did the trick too many times too recently and now there isn't enough adhesive for the stickers to stay stuck well enough.

Oops. Uh. Stan's just...going to pretend he didn't notice that, and hope that Dipper didn't either. He waves his free hand and twiddles his fingers.]

Ta-daaa!

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper raises an eyebrow, reaches forward, and picks at one of the peeling stickers, pulling it the rest of the way off.

He looks up at Grunkle Stan, holding it up on his finger.]

Right. All the credit you deserve.

[charlastan]

[His shoulders fall and he sighs. Well, guess the jig is up this time.]

Look, it's still a hard trick, and it fooled you pretty good for a week or so. [He crosses his arms.] Far as I'm concerned, I still deserve plenty of credit here!

[With his tiny child hands, it would probably take Dipper even longer to do it Stan's way than it would just solving the thing without cheating.]

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper rolls his eyes.] I bet you couldn't solve it at all without cheating.

[charlastan]

[Stan rolls his eyes right back.]

Who cares if I can do it the "right" way? The point is gettin' all the colors lined up, and I did that, so technically I solved it. You're just mad you got swindled!

[krmvgivv]

That's not solving it, that's just... faking it! [Dipper scowls, crossing his arms. Of course he's mad he got swindled. That is exactly what he's mad about. It's just hard to admit it with Stan acting like it's not a big deal.]

[charlastan]

Solving it, faking it - it's all the same when the other guy doesn't know which you're doin'.

[Important life lessons from Grunkle Stan.]

[krmvgivv]

And when the other guy figures it out? [Dipper pulls another sticker off from a peeling corner, flicking it away in annoyance. He'll need a new one, if he isn't just done with all this.]

[charlastan]

Book it out of town with his cash. Ideally before he figures it out.

[Oh boo hoo, he's going to have to get another Rubik's cube for free from the magical closets with zero effort. Stan feels so bad. Truly.]

[krmvgivv]

[Wow amazing how that doesn't make Dipper feel better even a little.]

And if you happen to be stuck in an alternate dimension with no way out of town?

[charlastan]

[Stan just laughs.]

Then I don't worry 'bout it at all, because the other guy's my nephew and I didn't hustle you out of any cash anyway.

[What? It's not like there are going to be any real consequences for tricking him!]

[krmvgivv]

[Sigh. Why does he even try. He tucks the Rubik's cube back in his pocket, though he'll need to get a new one if he actually wants to try and solve it again. Maybe one without stickers. The closet can provide that, right?]

Yeah, I didn't lose any money. Just a week of my life.

[charlastan]

Yeah, a week of your life in a place where time doesn't move.

[He rolls his eyes a little. Talk about over-dramatic.]

Kid, it's just a puzzle. You don't have to get so bent outta shape about it.

[krmvgivv]

Yeah, yeah. [Dipper sighs, trying to let it go. It's his birthday. They're on a pirate ship. A little puzzle doesn't matter. He forces a smile.] Okay, good one, Grunkle Stan. I'll get back to partying now.