[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

[goodwoofjames]

Mmm, maybe. But we do get to avoid the less pleasant parts of aging here. You won't have to worry about your, er. Your grandfather. [That's what he is to them, right?]

But you won't get those last few inches, will you? [Sirius swipes a hand right over Dipper's head, thoughtful.] Is that worth selling some memories? I...might have thought so, at your age, to be honest.

[He pauses, then adds:] You should know I'm a horrible role model.

[krmvgivv]

Grandfather? [Dipper scrunches his face and shakes his head.] Great Uncle. And I wasn't worried about him. I mean, he's not... that... old.

[Said with the uncertainty of someone who, despite everything, rarely thinks about death. Sure it's happened to him recently, but the thought that Grunkle Stan might not live forever just... hasn't really occurred in more of an abstract sense. Sure, Dipper knows things change and old men don't live forever, but that's years away. Decades, even.

And Dipper has to grow up either way. He just can't stay 12 forever.]

Can the vendors do that?

[It's probably a terrible idea. But still better than staying 12 forever.]

[goodwoofjames]

I haven't the faintest idea. But you could ask. Maybe in a careful way, so you still get a choice, but still. It'd be interesting to know.

[Sirius is getting the feeling that he's putting his foot in his mouth a lot, here. He hadn't meant to suggest Mr. Pines was going to kick the bucket any minute back home. But in hindsight, he can see how that perhaps is how it sounded.

He's getting so good at hindsight, lately.]

Have you ever used them? I've been here, er. Well, in any case, I haven't yet, myself. They seem to break rules, though, from what I've heard. Why not give a young lad the inches he's earned?

[krmvgivv]

I haven't. There's nothing I'd be willing to give up a memory for.

[Yet. And he's not sure this is worth it. Not when he already lost one memory to the core for free.]

And I don't know if this would be worth it....

[goodwoofjames]

Probably not, no.

[He throws an arm over Dipper's shoulder and squeezes.]

Don't worry about it, though. Size isn't everything, after all.

[krmvgivv]

That's easy to say when you've already had your growth spurts.

[Grumble.]

[goodwoofjames]

What exactly do you imagine happens beyond a better ability to reach high shelves?

[He can't help being amused at this.]

[krmvgivv]

People stop treating you like a kid.

[goodwoofjames]

[Oh.

Sirius frowns.]

And what about short blokes? Do they get sent to their room for being naughty well into their thirties?

[Sirius imagines this happening to his father, or to Dumbledore, or to You-Know-Who, and he represses a smile.]

I think it's growing up that gets you that sort of respect, mate. Not centimeters.

[krmvgivv]

Well, I don't get to do either as long as I'm here.

[Once you're taller, people are more likely to think you're older. He can pass for 13. Maybe even 14. But after that, no one will believe him no matter how many times he claims he's an older teenager. His only hope is going home long enough that it won't matter.]

[goodwoofjames]

I think you'll find yourself growing a lot without gaining an inch, here. James has been here years and, well, he'll always be James, but...

[But he is different. He can actually feel the age gap between them sometimes. It's...strange, but the fact that he doesn't look the right age doesn't mean Sirius hasn't noticed James has gained something like maturity in his time here.]

[krmvgivv]

You don't get it! [He wrenches away, crossing his arms.] You're teenagers. You might not be a grown-up, but you're a lot closer than me. And you can do... stuff.

[Dipper isn't sure he wants grown up stuff now. He's pretty sure in five years he would.]

And when you get older, fine, you could be in your twenties. No one would question it. I'm thirteen today and that's fine, but if I told you I was fifteen or sixteen and I looked like this, would you believe me? And what if I'm stuck for longer than that? I don't want to be in my twenties and thirties and still look like a twelve year old! Growing up on the inside will only make that worse!

[goodwoofjames]

[Sirius winces. He's not doing a very good job of celebrating a birthday right now.]

I'd back you up. If anyone said something, I'd give 'em a black eye.

[He forces a grin, but it falls quickly.]

The stuff you're looking forward to is the sort of stuff that makes it hard to do kid stuff when you're an adult. Can't go about having pirate parties then, eh? It's....some of it's a sacrifice. A lot of it is, actually.

[Sirius puts a hesitant hand on Dipper's shoulder.]

For what it's worth, you're ten times more mature than I ever was at your age.

[krmvgivv]

[He knows Sirius is trying to help, but there's not really anything he can say that'll make this suck less. All that he can rely on is the fact that odds are good he'll go home before then, that he might come back older or not at all. His shoulders slump.]

Yeah. I'm gonna... go eat some cake.

[And hide his emotional turmoil over aging (or not) from Mabel. They still have a while before it's an issue. He can have fun for now.]