Reincarnated In ToonTown Chapter 198: A Sincere Apology (Patreon)

“The one time! The one time I actually try to help people, I end up being verbally harassed for no reason!” Pacifica shouted, her voice hoarse and sounding on the verge of tears as she stormed into the back of the food stand, clearly distraught, “I don’t deserve that! I was just doing my job!” 

“Of course you don’t,” Ramon consoled her as Pacifica sniffled and wiped her eyes, “No one deserves to be berated and attacked for making a simple mistake.” 

“No, they don’t.” Pacifica agreed as she rubbed, “How can people even put up with that kinda of behavior? It’s completely unacceptable.” 

“I’m glad you think so,” Ramon replied calmly. “That means you won’t ever treat someone like that, will you?” 

“Of course not!” Pacifica exclaimed, “I feel terrible right now. I just want to go home and cry myself to sleep!” 

“I know, but I need you here to work with me for the rest of the night,” Ramon said, making Pacifica whimper, “How can you expect me to work when I’m like this?” 

“Because that’s what all the other clerks, waitstaff, and working-class people had to do after you talked to them like Mabel just talked to you,” Ramon clarified, making Pacifica pause, “I-I didn’t treat them like that I didn’t insult them-” 

“Pacifica, listen to me,” Ramon interrupted again as he stepped forward and forced Pacifica to look at him in the eyes, “Do you remember how we first met, how you came into my restaurant demanding to be seated, screaming and bullying, trying to get what you wanted?” 

“I-I didn’t…I-I wasn’t that mean,” Pacifica insisted, but Ramon could see the denial in her eyes as she tried to fight off the shame and regret of her actions. 

Ramon shook his head, “Stop trying to deny your past actions; that doesn’t do anything but worsen the problem. You need to embrace your flaws and take responsibility so you can change for the better.” 

Pacifica didn’t say anything for a second, continuing to sniffle as she slowly regained control over her emotions, “B-but h-how do I take responsibility? Do I need to make a donation or set up a charity?” 

Ramon let a soft sigh, realizing that Pacifica’s upbringing had warped her perception of people and basic self-accountability to a far greater degree than he first realized, “No, that’s just throwing money at the problem; it’s a cop out. What you need to do is realize that your past behavior is unacceptable; you need to have some empathy and understand that what you’re feeling now is what you’ve inflicted upon every single employee you’ve ever shouted at.” 

“B-but that makes me such an awful person, I’m not evil!” Pacifica insisted. 

“You’re not evil if you can walk away from the experience and change yourself for the better,” Ramon clarified,  “But after today, if you can still treat people like they don’t matter and that they deserve to feel like you do now, then there’s no other way I can describe your behavior.” 

“I don’t want to be evil…” Pacifica muttered as she slowly came down from her tantrum and actually started to process her emotions, “Ugh, why does trying to be a good person feel so awful!” 

“Because it takes conscious effort to avoid being a piece of shit,” Ramon said with a smirk as he reached out and wiped the tears from Pacifica’s eyes, “Though after a while you stop trying and start being one once you develop things like sympathy and empathy.” 

“So everyone has to feel like shit before becoming a better person?” Pacifica clarified, showing just how regressed her social skills were. 

“Normally the feel like shit part happens when you're younger and your parents teach you all those things,” Ramon said somewhat hesitantly to avoid blatantly insulting Pacifica’s parents. 

Pacifica’s eyes dimmed as a twinge of desperation filled her voice, “But it’s not too late, right? I can still be better?” 

“It might be harder, but that doesn’t mean impossible.” Ramon said with a grin, “Now take a couple more minutes to situate yourself and then come back up front when you’re ready.” 

“Okay.” Pacifica nodded with a small but genuine smile, letting Ramon know that their conversation had the impact it needed, “I’ll be out soon.”  

---

“I’m not gonna lie, Mabel, you were pretty harsh on Pacifica earlier.” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, where is this coming from?” Mabel asked as she suddenly sat up in her pool floatie to stare at Dipper, who was on his back in the water, “Are you actually defending her?” 

“Eh, not defending, just noting that your distraction had somewhat of a personal vendetta behind it,” Dipper pointed out as he raised a finger. 

“It was your idea to create a distraction; how am I getting criticized for doing my job?!” Mabel cried out in protest. 

“Mabel, you called her a blonde-headed bimbo.” 

“Yeah, only after she called me a selfish bitch!” 

“You know those two insults are not on the same level,” Dipper retorted with a chuckle, making Mabel roll her eyes, “Yeah, well, if you feel so bad about it, then you go apologize.” 

Dipper opened his mouth to reply only to pause and float upright, “Actually, that’s not a half bad idea.” 

“What?! Dipper, I was joking; don’t apologize to Pacifica! She’s an awful person!” Mabel insisted with a raw desperation in her voice, “Let me have this, please. I ask for so little.” 

“First of all, that’s not true in the slightest, and it’s not really about apologizing,” Dipper continued as the pieces slowly started coming together in his head, “The truth of the matter is the chance we find out anything by just observing is slim to none…no, we need to get closer, into the very belly of the beast.” 

“And just how are we going to do that?” Mabel asked with interest as she sat up and peered at her brother. 

“You know I’ve been meaning to find a second job…maybe a certain chef needs a helping hand in the kitchen.” 

---

“And…we’re officially out of supplies!” Pacifica announced as she handed the last plate of food to the lucky customer, while the rest of those in line let out a collective groan of disappointment, “Better luck next time!” 

Reaching up, Pacifica went to close the food stand partition when Dipper’s voice suddenly reached her ears, “Pacifica, wait!” 

Glancing up, Pacifica’s eyes found Dipper pushing through the dispersing crowd and was tempted to ignore him, but she fought against the pettiness in her heart, “What do you want, Dipper?” 

“I came to apologize,” Dipper announced, taking Pacifica by surprise, “I heard about what happened between you and Mabel and I just wanted to say sorry for all the shit she gave you when you were, for once, just trying to do your job like everyone else.” 

“Well…thank you for apologizing…your sister…said some very hurtful things,” Pacifica replied stiffly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, making Dipper look at her sideways, “Is this the first time you’ve ever accepted an apology before?” 

“No!” Pacifica shouted as she blushed a little, “It’s just that it’s very unexpected.” 

“Alright,” Dipper replied after a second seeing that Pacifica wanted to move on from the subject, “Well then, could you ask your boss, Ramon, to come out as well? I want to apologize to him as well.” 

“Well, I’m not the one your sister insulted, but I do like the integrity,” Ramon replied as he walked up behind Pacifica before moving to stand beside her, “But I have a feeling that there’s something else attached to that apology.” 

‘Shit, here goes nothing,’ Dipper thought to himself with a quick prayer before putting on what he hoped was his bravest smile, “I-I was uh…wondering if you had any need for uh a kitchen hand or a line cook at your restaurant? You do own a restaurant, right or at least work at one?” 

“Um, yes, I do own a restaurant, and let me get this right: you want to work in my kitchen?” Ramon summarized and Dipper nodded stiffly. “Do you have any kind of cooking or culinary experience?” 

“Does the concession stand count?” Dipper asked sheepishly, which actually earned a chuckle from Ramon, “Fuck no, it doesn’t…but if you are actually interested in learning about real cooking and food prep, stop by sometime before we open; you might be able to pick up a thing or two.”