---

The chilly and smooth thickness of chocolate glided across Theo’s taste buds as he started on his milk. He didn’t often eat or drink while he was out and around other people, though the few times he did there was a work around. In this case, it was easy, the straw to the drink fit under the mask just fine. Meanwhile though, his eyes followed after Ludwig after he left Moe in Ami’s hands.

The explorer seemed to want the fifteen dollars, as well as a chance to get to talk to someone who would talk back. Though, with fifteen dollars so openly on the line, it was like clockwork, and Sid blurred past Glasses. It was comedic, even if unfortunate for the awkward adventurer who now stood idly. While his eyes were up near the counter though, his glance caught Gar and his eyes lit up.

His theory about the man showing up to Greasy’s turned out being correct. Theo wondered what he could be up to, given that he seemed to have come with other people. Teddy recognized Robin, but there was yet another new face. Seemed a lot of people were interacting with Gravity Falls natives, though, the question was if Gar was trying to recruit people to the Mystery Shack. He pushed the question to the side for the time being though, as the big babyfaced bear that came in with Sid nearly leaned over his knees.

As it were, maybe this guy was more than the tourist Teddy thought he was when he addressed Ami by her nickname. With an equally excited grin to match, the bubbly brown bear seemed to have known Ami from a long time ago. Ami’s response confirmed it, as she instantly went to signing to him opposed to the notebook method used for Glasses.

To seemingly be friends with both Ami and Sid, it would be likely that this ‘Remy’ would know Gar and company to some extent as well. Thus, Teddy deemed him a friend of a friend which put them on friendly terms as far as the bear was aware. Though the chocolate stream didn’t stop flowing through his straw, he greeted Remy as well through a wave.

Avery had a hard time keeping themselves from laughing, but they managed. Sidney was clearly playing a prank on them. Either that or the kid just had an active imagination. But then again, didn’t all urban legends come from people with active imaginations? They let themselves ponder the question for a moment. These Manotaurs sounded straight out of a kids’ cartoon, and Avery wouldn’t have been surprised if that’s where it had come from. Even thinking about them made them want to laugh. They’d have to look it up later to corroborate Sidney's claims.

Despite their inner laughter, Avery managed to keep a straight face throughout Sidney’s spiel, nodding along and taking notes. There was no point in making the poor girl feel stupid.

Their eyes lit up at the prospect of being taken to meet the Manotaurs. “You’ll take me to see them? In the forest?” They leaned forward, interested. While it wasn’t wise to follow some teenagers into what appeared to be a prank, the experience would be invaluable… hm. The forests around these parts were said to be dangerous, and it was unwise to go in without a local guide. They’d brought hiking boots in anticipation of a walk through the forest, but to have local guides would certainly be ideal. They could see where all these legends came from firsthand. The idea made their heart beat a little faster, excitement staving off exhaustion.

Well. Hopefully, you won’t be ax-murdered by teenagers. At least Sidney didn’t seem the ax-murderer type. “I’d love that!’ they said, chipper as can be. “Give me a moment, though- I’ll need to slip on my hiking boots and get some coffee before we go. I'll give you your fifteen after, plus an extra ten if you're a good guide and don't knock me unconscious and leave me in a ditch.” With a wink, Avery ended the recording. They dug a travel mug and some boots out of their duffel, set the mug on the counter, signaled the waitress over to fill it, and disappeared to the bathroom to change into more appropriate shoes for a hike.

The Diner was getting fuller and fuller by the minute - with multiple additions coming into it. He took the last sip of his coffee as he observed what was happening. The person Sid was with earlier was concocting some sort of place with her, though it wasn't so silent that Garfield was sure everyone had heard a piece of the plan anyway. So this was someone they knew already? Garfield tried to comb through his memories in search of someone who had left long ago, but not too long that Price family wasn't present yet. Maybe it was around the same situation as Nathaniel here - the main difference being the one who came back was the kid and not the grandfather.

His attention was pulled away from the scene when Sid sauntered over to the adventurer by the counter who was seemed to be looking for the same things Garfield was trying to keep under wraps. Garfield didn't find them an annoyance to his job, just another person to look out after. As if the kids weren't enough with their frequent adventures out into the wilderness - they were fine, they likely were prepared anyway - but that's just what the job is. If an adventure gets a turn for the worse... well, it's all the better that Garfield is the one combing the woods instead of others.

It would seem that whatever Sid had told the adventurer was something they had found intriguing as they had quickly left. Garfield had half a mind to interfere but when he had turned to his companions, Nathaniel was growing more and more anxious by the second. Poor kid must not be used to big crowds. Garfield nodded. "Yeah, I'll just pay real quick and we can head over to the Mystery Shack yeah?"

With that, Garfield stood up and headed over to the counter and waved over the waitress to pay for their meals. As he took out his wallet, he gave Sid a nod. "Be careful out there you hear? Don't get into too much trouble." He reminded, as he always did. Better to be able to say that he had given his piece of warning than not. "And try not to scare them too much. No tourists is bad for business." He continued as jest as he paid the appropriate amount to the cashier and headed out. Before that, however, he whistled to grab the attention of those at the table. "If you kids need me, I'll be at the Shack. Amelia, we're prepping so whenever you're ready." He reminded before walking out of the diner. It'll be a hectic day but hey, whatever keeps the days interesting right?

@Potemking @Rabidporcupine @Akayaofthemoon @DClassified @Dark Cloud @KiwiHalcyon

With Gar going off to pay for the meal, it let Robin happily finish off the rest of her own pancakes with Nathan. She was glad it wasn't coming out of her paycheck either, and while she could pay for her own meal who was she to say no to free food? Munching away at a casual pace, she took the time to look around the diner just like Nathan was, and boy, was it crowded with familiar faces! She wanted to go say hey, but the call of the pancakes was too strong.

She did notice, however, that Nathan was clutching his notebook rather tightly as his eyes darted around the room. Without much of a second thought, she patted his back in an effort to calm him down if he was panicking, maintaining her collected smile as she took the last bite of her food. It was then that he asked if they wanted to go outside, to which she gave him a thumbs up. She could talk to the others another time after all. Gar had started to pay for the meal, and so Robin started to get up to leave, waiting for Nathan to follow.

"For sure man. It looks like Gar's leaving, so let's follow him. I have to anyway, work and all that."
@Polaris North@Dark Cloud

---

@Potemking@DClassified@Akayaofthemoon

"Yeahyeahyeah! It's me!" Jeremy all but shouted, just as excited as he'd been when he pulled the same thing with Sid. "I'm great! Better than great even, now that I'm back here! I just got back last night, so I was super excited to meet everyone again! Oh, and don't worry, I get why you wouldn'tve recognised me. I mean, look at me! I wear hawaiian shirts now!"

He paused for a moment as he saw her get embarrassed, even going so far as to blush, before he realised why she did and started laughing again.

"Oh right, I see what's going on!" He said, before making his own series of hand gestures. "Don't worry, made sure to check and make sure I hadn't forgotten it before I left. Not gonna be having any secret conversations while I'm around anytime soon!"

He looked to the guy sitting with her, the masked man from before, and returned the wave he sent him with another wide grin.

"Hey, nice to meetcha! I'm Jeremy, an old pal of Sid and Ami and the others! Moved away a while back, but I guess I couldn't really stay away even if I'd wanted to."

He also turned to the other guy who'd been sitting with Ami and the bear-faced person when she called him back over, introducing him as Ludwig in her notebook. He was also notably the guy Sid had strong armed her way in front of to talk to the mystery lady.

"Hey, sorry about that. Sid can be pretty excitable, but once you get used to her pace you'll probably realise she's actually really cool! Or die from exhaustion trying to keep up, one of the two. Anyway, like Ami said, I'm Jeremy! Nice to meetcha!"

He looked over to the squirrel currently messing around in Amelia’s hair.

"Anyway yeah, you had this little one when you came in right? Didja find her out in the woods around here, or have you guys been a team for a while?"

---

’Not gonna be having any secret conversations while I'm around anytime soon!’

’As if I would have tried! Well…, she paused in her movements, tapping her chin for a moment as she looked up, seeming to debate something before a shy smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. ’Maybe I would have tried once but it wouldn’t have been anything bad, promise!’ Amelia signed before making an X mark over heart. ’Cross my heart and hope to die if I am lying.’ She was about to ask more about what Jeremy had been up to since the split from town and what else was new in his life besides Hawaiian shirts when an instantly recognized voice addressed her, pulling her attention away from the conversation to focus on the owner. "If you kids need me, I'll be at the Shack. Amelia, we're prepping so whenever you're ready." Gar reminded her to which she gave a small nod, only pouting a bit once his gaze was no longer on her and heading out of the little diner. She knew it was her job to prep and stock today but it seemed to her that the one who was already there should be kind enough to do it. Well, okay, that wasn’t completely fair but come on! Jack was practically begging for payback since she would ultimately have to walk back which would take more than an hour to get there or take the bus which was...less than desirable. Plus why do boring stock work when new friends and current friends were by the plenty here!? Would he honestly not think the same thing if the roles were reversed? Okay, maybe not, but she wasn’t sweet all the time. She had a bit of fire in her and she had half a mind to just not bother heading back anytime soon. Go have an adventure and let them wonder...well, Jack was over protective so maybe not drag it out but still!

She was having the internal debate and missed the fact that Moe had unhidden herself from her hair, messing around with it since her treat had been consumed. Amelia instantly stiffened and went pale at the question to Ludwig from Jeremy, feeling horrible in her mission to keep the small squirrel protected. Jeremy was her friend and she knew that he would definitely never harm Moe but still, she was meant to do job and she started feeling nervous. She glanced at her new friend, looking extremely apologetic while blushing in embarrassment. She carefully moved her hair to obstruct the small creature from view again, lucky to have done so as she did since their food just arrived to the table a moment later. “Here you are, Huns.” the waitress commented as she set down the orders and made her way to another part of the diner, probably to grab someone else’s meal. She quickly broke off a piece of her bacon, lifting her hair a bit as she offered the treat to Moe. It was one, a friendly gesture as she wanted to emerald colored creatures to like her but also to keep Moe busy from doing further exploring in the mass of hair she kept. She really probably should get it cut but she enjoyed her long hair so what was she to do? Once she had Moe situated again, she carefully started onto her french toast by coating it in a healthy dose of syrup...aka, drowning the hell out of it.

@Potemking @Rabidporcupine @Polaris North

---

"'Course you'd love it! Who wouldn't?!" Sid genuinely questioned, though Avery was a certain type, the girl could tell, so getting an answer out of them wasn't necessary. Nodding at their decision to get ready for a hike, the 'goth' child hopped off her seat, the additional offer and words of concern mostly flying over the girl's head as she responded: "I know every ditch, but only because I keep falling in 'em!" This was stated with... Confidence, as if it was an accomplishment, which to Sid it might as well have been.

"Only thing that'll knock you unconscious is possibly Manotaur breath. I guess dental isn't very 'manly'." She snickered at her own words, but let Avery get ready. She was jittering around, that mixed with her loud and not very secretive personality made it easy to draw Gar's attention, who's nod got the girl's attention.

Tilting her head, she giggled a little at the man's concern. "Ah, don't sweat it! I know what I'm doin'!" She responded, though knowing what she was doing wasn't exactly a quell of Gar's concerns surely, considering the girl's usual wild nature. "And trust me: Nobody wants to run out of town after a tour from me!" She had no proof of this, given it was the first tour she'd ever offered to someone, but you know, it was a start! Beside, she had money on the line! If that wasn't a good ol' motivator, then what was? She had an arcade obsession to feed, after all.

---

Having basically been told to kick rocks after the weird goth girl's interruption, it wasn't hard for Amelia to catch his attention, and for Ludwig's eyes to fall on the absolute giant that was now over at the booth. While height was intimidating for sure, he had a huge smile to go with it that was pretty comforting and let Ludwig wander over to observe the situation without as much anxiety.

At least, until he saw Moe out in the open now, not much covering the unique little creature from public view. Not that he tried hard since he got here or anything, but man... At least Jeremy seemed pretty interested, too, which was calming for the boy as he got around to speaking up to the jolly giant. "Ludwig-- Though, I guess she already wrote that down, hah." He introduced himself with a bit of a folly, but oh well, he swept past it quick enough. Glancing back at the now waiting girl by the counter, he looked back at Jeremy with a bit of concern in regard to her trustworthiness, but nobody here seemed to be having much issue with her, so maybe they were just getting off on the wrong foot.

"Ah, well I'll try not to die?" His response was somewhat comical to some, perhaps. Or just awkward to others. This group kept getting larger and a lot of new faces was difficult to deal with, but hopefully that could be overlooked for the sake of progress, at the very least, in his investigation.

When it came to Moe, however, Jeremy had Ludwig's full attention. "Her? We've been a team for quite a bit! Found her back in Portland a long time ago, but never made any luck figuring anything out about her." He explained his plight, and main reason for being around here, in a quick manner. "I came to see if all the rumors scattered around about this place are true, and she's been pretty active since we got here, so as far as her origins go, I might be considering that response to be a lead."

Moe seemed perfectly satisfied where she was, though being obstructed from view was a cause for complaint. Thankfully the creature caused a lack of problems as the food arrived, Ludwig nervously looking at Amelia as she gave him a rather tragic look that probably was squirrel-related. He offered her a small smile and a thumbs' up as the food was placed, trying to say it wasn't a big deal. And after everything was settled, she seemed to be taming Moe well enough anyhow, the bacon being more than enough of an offering for the small beast.

Having her not be as much of a secret is actually way less stressful! He thought to himself, observing the rather happy atmosphere they had going on.

"Jimmy!"

Ludwig jutted away from where he was standing so fast that his glasses were left behind, quickly snatching them and putting them back on as he stared at the source of the sudden loud voice: That girl from earlier that stole his opportunity for information. "You always sneak up on people like that?!"

"Aside from the occasional shoe squeak I am pretty quiet," Sid responded as if she was moreso pondering her own stealth abilities, before realizing she was getting sidetracked. "Ah, forget that though, I need your help, Jeremy!" While Sid was usually very confident, successful, some would even say superior to her peers _{(Nobody ever says that)}, this particular situation was perfect with the big lug here. "I got someone curious to see the Manotaurs, and I need the manliest dude around to come with me!"

The duo had a pretty fond memory of the Manotaurs, but after Jeremy left, Sid hadn't ventured out there as much. She always thought of Jeremy as the one the Manotaurs respected for his go-getter nature and willingness to push forward. So, with him gone, she didn't feel like she was as welcomed. Not that she ever asked or tried, which was odd, being nervous wasn't in her nature, but maybe it was just the fact that a duo's start had to have a duo's finish, too. And it didn't feel right otherwise?

"Manotaur?" Ludwig questioned with a slight nervous tone.

"You were curious about mysteries around here, right? That's why you were gonna talk to the weird person with the recorder? Well I'm showing 'em something cool, and you can come, too! I bet they'd like having new guys around."

"There's dozens of things wrong with what you said, but I am curious." Ludwig admitted, looking at the group with uncertainty.

"Might as well make it a party! So anyone wanting to go on an awesome adventure better speak up, 'cause we gotta go sooner than later!" This four-eyed guy could be useful, actually. Maybe Avery would feel more comfortable if she wasn't the only newbie around- Oh, yeah! Sid nodded to herself that she could for sure pitch that to the girl when she came out, which wasn't long after Sid tried gathering up a posse.

Clapping her hands together, she approached Avery with a grin. "Don't gotta worry about being new to town, since I found another person just as curious that rolled in today!" She said, gesturing to the four-eyes behind her with a thumb. Who, upon noticing this gesture, raised an eyebrow at the look in his direction, but otherwise didn't comment.

Nathaniel wasn't completely paying attention to what Robin said but he did register the word 'leaving' and 'follow him' assuming she meant Garfield he stood up and followed her out the diner.

His eyes still nervously darted around as they passed by a few tables full of people he didn't recognize 'Just a little further to the door and...' he was counting on his new friend to not stop and try to introduce him to anyone, thankfully Robin didn't and they finally made their way out of the diner 'Ta-dah' relief washing over him Nathaniel breathed a sigh but as soon as Robin looked back at him he looked embarrassed.

"Oh man, this fresh air right?" even he knew it was a flimsy explanation, she already could tell crowds weren't his thing "Uh, that was dumb." lightly slapping the palm of his hand against his forehead before sighing exasperatedly "To the Mystery Shack!" perking up slightly he exclaimed doing his best to avoid talking about his fears.

"I Lived bitch. :D"

Jack had never concidered himself to be a morning person. He would always stay up at night doing stuff like reviewing his and Amelia's findings in his journal, usually passing out if his sister didn't make him go to bed. But he would always make sure he woke up on time to get the Mystery Shack ready for the day. (and yes, some chores on the side.)

This is not one of those days.

Once he woke up, Jack felt something was off. He was groggy, yes, but that was cause he wasn't fully awake yet. Amelia had already left, and there wasn't some rodent trying to crawl in through the window or something. So why were things off? He glanced at the alarm clock on the small table by his bed-

Wait. Was it even turned on?

His brows furrowed. Jack reached over to grab the alarm clock, quickly realizing why the hunk-of-junk wasn't working. Something unplugged it durning the night. It then dawned onto him,

"I'M LATE!?" Once he was dressed, Jack bursted through the bedroom door as he threw his jacket on. He ran to grab the keys to the golf cart, then hurried outside. Even if he didn't stop to read the note on the refridgerator, he already knew Amelia would be at Greasy's Diner by now. So he hopped into the cart, and drove off.

"Oh, there's where I left my bat."

---

Once he arrived at the Diner and parked somewhere close by, Jack promply bonked his head against the steering wheel. "Ugh, Ami's gonna get my head for this..." he sighed. He noticed Garfield stepping outside and waved at him, then forcusing on heading inside. "Everything is fine, she won't hold it against you, you just gotta explain it to her!" he reassured himself, stepping out of the cart and to the door.

"....Nope. I'm probably screwed. And in we go,"

Once inside, he looked around for any sign of his sister. He did spot her amongst a crowd, some familiar, and others he'd have to prod for information out of. Well, he might as well introduce himself. Jack snuck up behind Amelia and tapped her shoulder, then walking around to stand next to her. "Didn't think I'd come by, huh?" He'd ask with a grin. Though it did turn crooked when he swapped to sign language to explain his abscense. Sorry I didn't come by sooner. Something unplugged my alarm clock while I was asleep, so I ended up running late. If you're mad, get back at me later.

Then there was the crowd that needed adressing. So he looked around to say hello. He already saw Mr. Pollard, Sidney was busy trying to convince some poor soul or two about...something, Robin left too, so that left Teddy; Jack nodded to him to say hello, then to-

Hold on. Is that???

Jack's eyes narrowed in intent, straight at Jeremy. He slowly moved away from the counter, his expression unchanging save for a quick mischevious smile, before he tackled Jeremy into a bear hug. "Finally! After all my years of research I have captured a GIANT!! Muahahaha!" Jack joked, letting the other guy go with a grin. "But really Jeremy, how long has it been?! I mean, look at you! I swear I am shorter than you now!" Jack exclaimed, moving over next to him to measure.

---

@Akayaofthemoon@Majoras End@canaryrose

"Well you'd better not lie then!" Jeremy signed enthusiastically. "It'd be a real bummer if you died right after I got back!"

He turned to Ludwig, listening to his explanation of his squirrel companion and why he'd come to Gravity Falls. So, the guy was a fellow mystery hunter just like him huh? Perfect! Most of the time it seemed like Sid was the only one who ever really believed most of what he said, actually being there to witness a lot of it, but now he might be able to drag in someone else as well!

Speaking of whom, he quickly turned to face the monochrome girl as she called out to him, describing the situation with the new person she was trying to bring in, which probably wasn't purely for the twenty-five dollars being offered...

"Well, I'd hardly call myself 'the manliest dude around', but sure!" He said with a wide grin. "Anyone who's interested in the mysteries around Gravity Falls is good in my book! I think we might be going to the Mystery Shack first, but after that I'll show you anything you want! Or, anything I already know about at least..."

And that was when he heard another familiar voice, and turned just in time for Jack to tackle him in a hug. This may have been a bad move, as Jeremy's smile somehow managed to widen even further, and he returned the bear hug with enough strength to lift his old friend a full foot off the ground, arguably with the strength of an actual bear.

"Jack! You're here! I was beginning to get worried you might've struck off on your own!" He laughed loudly, before letting the poor teenager back on the ground again. "Yeah, it's been about eight years since I left. Really though? Are you sure? I think you might be a little taller than me still..."

This was naturally a joke, as he was very clearly close to a whole head taller than the other boy.

"That being said though, I do have a suspicion or two that I might've had a minor growthspurt at some point. Not really sure though."

---

She felt the gentle tap on her shoulder, turning her head towards the one trying to get her attention. Her playful grin dropped instantly, arms crossing as she looked at her brother with a displeased and pointed stare. Amelia was sure her face probably said exactly what she was thinking, showing how much trouble he was in but it practically screamed ‘thank you, captain obvious’ following his question since his grin faltered a bit and he went into hand signals to try and explain himself. She wanted to stay cross with him, really she did but it wasn’t like he didn’t have a valid reason and it seemed Jack had more trouble with things going wrong or items disappearing than she did so letting it slide was most likely for the best…..maybe save that payback for later when she needed it. After all, she was nice but not dumb enough to pass up a free offer when it could come in handy for a favor later. The Mystery Shack chores were looking pretty good to dump off but who knows? She decided to shrug it off without the need to reply, digging another bit from her sweet delicious breakfast.

The mini reunion was a nice touch to the morning chaos but it seemed as though things were winding down as more people were starting to file out. The Shack appeared to be the party's next destination or at least for a bulk of those gathered, herself included. A few to be dropped off along the way or suddenly distracted by a better offer but it was by far a good start to the day. She didn’t envy Gar at the herd he might have to rein in if the group was anything to go by but it still made her smile. It didn’t take all that much time to polish off her breakfast as people continued to chat, finally making her way out with the rest after a while. She wasn’t really in too much of a rush to get back but was thankful that at least she wouldn’t have to walk back. She hopped onto the tail end so she could watch the road as they passed by as well as give more room in the actual golf cart for others to join them. She could easily snag another spot once they dropped off those that were going to the Inn instead of the Shack.