The two walked side by side along the path, walking past small stalls of men and women shouting, and small cottages built of bricks and mortar.

Dipper walked away from the inner part of all the shouting and dirt. 'Are you not used to this?' Pacifica asked, noticing.

'No! Of course, I am used to this! I could sleep in a pile of mud with people shouting all over me!' Dipper's eyes darted between where he walked and the piles of mud that sat on the brim of those houses and stalls.

'I'm not sure if someone who has a normal way of thinking would say that.'

'Oh, sorry.'

'No it's fine, it's funny.' Said Pacifica, amused at the way Dipper acted with being questioned with humour.

'Is it?'

'Sure, it is.' Pacifica punched Dipper by the arm jokingly, giving an affirmative smile.

Pacifica and Dipper walked on for a little longer and reached a small bakery at the edge of the city. 'Hello, mother! I've returned!' Pacifica greeted a mature looking woman, who wore a large apron, covered in marks and scuffs, it must have been clean a long time ago. The woman walked over to Pacifica, almost not noticing Dipper. 'Mother, this is Ben. Ben, this is my mother.' Once both Pacifica's mother and Dipper said their 'hello's, Pacifica quickly took out the coins from her pocket and handed them all over to her mother. 'Here's everything from today, Don't spend it all, use it to pay our debts, I don't want to even see those guys messing up our house again.'

It kind of hurt Dipper a little bit to hear Pacifica's words.

'Messing up our house again.'

Dipper wanted to know how people out here lived, he didn't want to seem like an outsider to some land he might rule in the future

'Thank you, dear.' Pacifica's mother said and gave a pat on the top of her daughter's head after storing the bag in a shelf high up.

'Do you all live here then?' Dipper pointed to the area, and upwards, signalling to the living space above.

'Yes, boy.' Pacifica's mother replied warmly, then turned to Pacifica, 'I'm so sorry my darling daughter, that this is how we live. It's so hard to pay debts nowadays.' There was visible grimace on her face as she spoke, looking at her daughter, but Pacifica only returned her mother with the most humble and gentle eyes. 'It's alright, mother. I understand.' Pacifica added, with a small smile.

Watching this scene, it was odd to him how much affection Pacifica and her mother showed each other in public. Other than that, he was being offended by Pacifica's mother, because she called him 'boy'.

Dipper hadn't even noticed Pacifica had said goodbye to her mother and was tugging on Dipper's sleeve. 'Hello?' She yelled, trying to get his attention.

'Oh, yes?' He snapped out of it and just followed her, waving goodbye to Pacifica's mother, who seemed friendly enough to do so as well.

'Why are you pulling me?'

Pacifica frowned, 'Well,' giving a moment of hesitation, 'Ben, if you want to see the area then come with. If you don't, then I'll be getting on with my life...' She trailed off, again walking off.

Dipper was seriously taken aback by how little respect the people out here showed each other. 'I'm coming, wait!' He shuffled through the crowds of people walking through the street and joined Pacifica again.

She brought him to look at the meat markets around, where Dipper almost bumped into a mean hag who was obviously looking for someone to bully and yell around at before getting a sharp pull away from the hag by Pacifica who was the first to notice. Then to the fish market by the port, where Dipper almost threw up and passed out from the foul smell of fish before Pacifica apologised to everyone for him walking around with his head down, saying he was 'shy' instead of 'wanting to throw up more and more'.

All in all, Dipper would have been made an absolute walking failure if it weren't for Pacifica.

They travelled all around town, Pacifica showing Dipper new things and teaching him things about their city that even he did not know about. And that really said something since he was the future ruler of the city!

Their feet were sore after a long day of walking, Pacifica was perched up one of of the city wall, looking out at the sun about to set, Dipper sat right next to her and they were cracking jokes and making up puns,enjoying their time.

'Okay. Hear me out, what do you call someone with no body and no nose?' Dipper laughed in an attempt to make a joke after having Pacifica teach him for the whole day.

'Not sure, just tell me.' Pacifica shuffled up, closer to Dipper.

'Nobody knows. Do you get it?' Dipper explained, Pacifica didn't react but she just covered her mouth.

'What's wrong?' Dipper asked, concerned.

'No!' Pacifica swatted his arm away and burst out giggling, 'It's such a bad joke! Okay, my turn.'

'Go on then, show me what you got.'

'How do you make holy water?'

Dipper gave his chin a tap, then proceeded to say 'Don't you get someone to add salt and christen it or something?'

'Criss- what? No!' Pacifica gave Dipper the hardest nudge he'd ever gotten, so hard he was actually scared he would've fallen off the wall. 'The answer is that you boil the hell out of it.' Pacifica continued through muffled giggling.

'That was even worse! Okay my turn again, I'll make you laugh so hard with this.' Dipper said, Pacifica nodded as she laughed at her own bad joke.

'These graveyards are so overcrowded nowadays.' Dipper remarked.

'Are they now?' Pacifica chortled.

'Definitely, people are just dying to get in.'

The two burst out laughing and snickering at each other's horrible jokes.

'We need to be stopped!' Pacifica snickered through her hands, they were both rocking in their places from laughter.

Suddenly Pacifica stopped laughing and she curled herself up into a little ball. Dipper knew he did not have much time to stay outside, it was soon sunset and Mabel would expect to see him in the castle. He'd never been so carefree about what he did in a day, he'd never spent one day not thinking about his royal duties. Today was different, it was so different to all his other days, today he felt happy. For once, he felt happier. Never in his wildest dreams would he think he would be at his happiest with a peasant girl. No, it wasn't a big feast, or a giant sculpture of him made of pure gold but this sufficed. He had never genuinely laughed so much in his life, it wasn't just a snide smirk or a sly grin, it was real.

This was real. Pacifica was real. Everything that was going on now, was real. These feelings that both of  them felt were real. They were truer than any truth in the world.

'You know, Ben, now I've taught you so much you won't seem like such a stranger to this city anymore. It was super nice meeting you.' Pacifica held out her hand to shake Dipper's. He gave her his and they shook on each other's firmly.

'I agree with you. Although I fear I will never see you again.' Dipper looked down sadly, there was now a beautiful orange and yellow light that cast down on the acres and acres of land beyond the walls.

'Hey! What did I say about fancy slang?' Pacifica pushed his elbow.

'I'm being truthful. We are also out of the public eye now, so it is fine.'

'Well, you aren't entirely truthful, are you?' Pacifica smiled, 'I know, for a fact, that you aren't. I've been thinking about this for a whole day, all since we met.'

'I am being truthful! I swear.' Dipper was visibly confused and held a hand up to 'swear'.

'I don't think so.' She scrunched her nose up  in denial.

'Explain yourself.' Dipper was curious to know what Pacifica knew and he didn't.

'Forget it, it's fine.' Pacifica avoided Dipper's eyes and continued to look out into the sun.

hi guys! me again! don't forgot to vote and comment, i love seeing you guys comment, but nothing hateful or offensive ofc 👀 don't forget that requests are open! you can message me or comment! idm, they can be small plots that i can build on, or even a title!

until next time then!

- squishiipeeps ♥️