To Feel Your Feathers

Family Fun Day

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE-

I slammed my claw down on the alarm clock, groaning as I was physically not ready to start my day. I had ended last night just crashing on my bed and not even bothering to change into something else, even my wig was hanging on for dear life. I got up, cracked my back, made a mental note to go shopping for a better wig to sleep in, and let out a sigh. If I don't start my day now, it'll be worse later.

After adjusting my outfit, I made my way into the kitchen. I heard a crash, the source coming from up from upstairs. Right, the kids. Instead of grabbing a quick breakfast bar and a pot of coffee, I'd have to worry about them too.

The best way to a kid's heart is pancakes. I mused to myself and started making the batter. A couple of minutes passed and the sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs greeted me in the kitchen.

"I smell pancakes!!" Mabel shouted, eager as ever. Dipper yawned beside her, "I'm also excited!.. Just tired." I smiled at the pair as they made their way over to the small table in the center of the room.

"Well, you gotta wait a couple more minutes. I gotta finish the ones for me and your grunkle." Mabel got up from her chair and started rummaging through the cabinets while Dipper grabbed the newspaper on the table and started the crossword puzzle.

The pancakes didn't even have a surviving chance against Mabel. The moment she took her seat with the two bottles of syrup, she absolutely drowned her breakfast in a goopy soup of sugar. "Woah! Watch the-"

Dipper cut me off, "Save your breath, your words mean nothing to her. The only way she learns is through her own consequences when it comes to sugar." Dipper spoke between bites of his pancakes, pointing his fork at Mabel advising me to just sit back and watch.

Sure enough, when Mabel tried to stab her own pancakes, they were practically disintegrating from how much syrup they had absorbed. "Aww man!" Mabel pouted, trying her best to scoop up her breakfast and somehow shovel it in her own mouth. Dipper and I laughed at Mabel's misfortune and finished off our own meal.

I got up, taking our plates to the sink to wash them. "No matter! Dipper, are you ready for the ultimate challenge??" Mabel grasped one of the bottles of syrup and slammed the other down in front of her brother. Dipper took a hold of the other bottle, "I'm always ready!"

"Syrup race!" They said in unison, holding the bottles above their mouths and cheering their respective bottles on. Mabel smacked the back of her bottle and the drop landed on her tongue, causing her to choke but still cheer out her victory.

I smiled at their antics and poured out a glass of milk to give to Mabel. "I don't want you kids dying on my watch." Mabel kept coughing, gratefully accepting the milk to wash down the syrup that had gotten stuck in her throat. "Thank you!" She said through her still prominent coughing fit.

Dipper reached for the newspaper to continue his crossword but stopped to read one of the articles. I had started a pot of coffee for myself and Stan as they conversed with each other over a cash prize for a monster photo contest. They whispered to each other about photos they wished they took, but I couldn't quite pick up on the specifics. "You could just submit a photo of your uncle and get the easiest thousand dollars of your life." I joked, finished off the pot and took a sip. The twins laughed at my suggestion.

"Could we borrow one of your costumes and give him a taste of his own medicine?" Dipper suggested. Mabel cheered at the thought. "Oo! Oo! Has he ever made you into a pug-a-corn? That would be sure to give us the top prize!" I almost spat out my drink from the mental image alone. "Thankfully, no. But he has made me dress up as a Xoloitzcuintli and pretend to be possessed by the spirit of a pharaoh."