Uncertainty - Stanford Pines x Reader (female)

Chapter 25

My head was still spinning from everything that had happened in the last few hours. The world had gone from normal to completely insane in the blink of an eye, and honestly, I was just trying to keep up with it at this point. Now, having found Wendy and Toby, we were sitting in their makeshift hideout inside the 'Edgy on Purpose' store. It felt like things might finally be calming down—but I knew better than to believe that.

Wendy casually tossed a piece of roasted bat meat to me and Dipper, who caught it and stared at it, unsure whether to eat it or not. My stomach growled, reminding me that I'd skipped a few meals the past few days, and I cautiously took a bite. It was surprisingly... not as bad as expected.

"That's actually weirdly tasty.", I said, surprised by the morsel's flavor. "I guess you do get hungry in places like this."

Dipper, on the other hand, taking an experimental bite, winced at the strange taste. "Ugh, this is terrible. I don't know how you can eat this stuff.", he complained, but continued eating anyway, driven by hunger.

"Yeah, I wouldn't call it gourmet.", Wendy chimed in with a smirk. "But beggars can't be choosers, you know?"
I chuckled, secretly enjoying the banter and the fact that there was something almost normal still left in this strange world.

Toby, who had been quiet thus far, suddenly broke the silence. "You know, my cousin used to eat this kind of stuff all the time. Always said it was good for the immune system."
Dipper gave him a skeptical look. "Your cousin... ate this voluntarily?"

Wendy couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Wow, that's reassuring. Nothing like a family history of questionable dietary choices to really boost our morale."

"Heh, well, you know what they say.", Toby said with a shrug. "When in doubt, eat a bat. Or something like that."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. The tension momentarily lifted thanks to the silly exchange.
Wendy and Dipper exchanged a tired look, but even Dipper had to crack a small smile at Toby's comment.

"Anyway.", Wendy said, taking a bite herself and looking around at the flickering neon signs that barely lit the store. "What happened with you two? Where's Mabel and Grunkle Stan?"

Dipper swallowed the tough piece of bat meat and wiped his mouth, avoiding eye contact. "Uh, we don't know where they are, actually."

The casual atmosphere dissolved in an instant.
"Wait, what do you mean, you don't know?", Wendy asked, her expression serious.
Dipper fidgeted, still avoiding eye contact. "We got separated when everything... went down."
There was a pause. The silence hung heavy in air.

Wendy gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "Hey, at least you found me. Now we can work together, right?"
"Yeah.", Dipper nodded, feeling a little more hopeful.
"We have each other now."

"And Toby Determined, who I accidentally mistook for a monster.", Wendy added.
Toby slightly waved.

Dipper looked over at Toby, who sat there, somewhat awkwardly.
"Ah...", Dipper said, gesturing at Toby's injury. "I guess that explains the arrow in his shoulder."

"Honestly, I didn't even notice it at first.", I admitted.
Dipper nodded in agreement, "Yeah, when you first see him, the arrow doesn't stick out that much..."

Toby raised an eyebrow at that, but Dipper quickly continued.
"Seriously, it blended in with his... everything.", Dipper muttered.

Toby seemed almost offended. "Are you calling me ugly?"
Dipper, not even breaking eye contact with Toby, immediately responded with, "Yeah."
Toby seemed taken aback by Dipper's bluntness. His shoulders slumped down and he let out a sigh of defeat.
Wendy stifled a chuckle, trying to maintain her serious expression.