“You’re my puppet now.”

Those words echoed in Dipper’s ears as he slowly came to his senses. He remembered being in the woods. Mabel…the fall! Then the deal. The last thing he remembered though was walking back towards the shack with Mabel. He had heard and felt Bill behind him before his world went black. Groaning softly the young boy sat up while rubbing his head. He felt odd. Not really in pain, just different. A quick glance around told him he was back in the attic though.

“How…?” he muttered.

“Goooood morning DIPPER!” the sudden yell resounded through the attic room. The surprise sound about had Dipper flailing off his bed with a startled screech. Panting while holding the front of his shirt, the pre-teen could feel his heart beating hard against his rib-cage. “Mabel!” he finally got out, giving his sister a glare as she finally appeared in the attic doorway.

“Sup bro bro!” she chirped before skipping in and plopping down next to him on the bed. “Sheesh you slept like a log! Where did you go last night anyway? One minute you were behind me the next you were gone! I thought something had happened.” Her cheerful tone was filled to the brim with curiosity. She didn’t even notice how Dipper was looking her over, once more just checking to make sure Mabel was alright. His twin’s words pulled a deep frown from the boy though.

“Go…?” he muttered. Dipper’s eyes then widened when he remembered Bill. BILL! It had to of been the dream demon. So Bill had taken control of his body? But last time it had shoved Dipper’s soul out instead of knocking him unconscious. Frowning more the pre-teen’s mind swirled while he tried to remember even a little of what happened. “I didn’t really go anywhere….just kinda felt like taking a walk I guess.” he finally replied, not wanting Mabel to find out about the deal. Not just yet anyway. He didn’t think he could handle Mabel looking guilty or upset because of what happened. It had been his own decision to make the deal anyway. Despite knowing the possible consequences.

“Really? I guess the woods are kinda pretty huh? Still don’t know how you got back before me though heh.” Suddenly giving Dipper a playful shove Mabel then jumped from the bed. “I finished my dreamboat picture! You wanna see?” she gushed, quick to go to her bed and pull out a large piece of paper. On the paper was what looked like a sparkly model guy, dressed as a vampire and singing into a mic. Although the sparkles were probably just because of all the glitter Mabel had drowned the picture in. “See? Hot stuff huh?” she asked while staring at the picture dreamily then kissing it. “My prince~” As his sister kissed the picture Dipper blanched.

“Ew.” Dipper stuck his tongue out, trying his best to ignore how his sister was going gaga over the ‘dreamboat’ boy she had made up and drew a picture of. Glancing at the clock Dipper finally noticed the time. Climbing out of bed he was shocked to find himself sore. What had Bill done with his body? Trying to be casual he headed for the door so he could take a shower. “I’ll just leave you and your….dreamboat, alone then. Gonna shower.” he called, shuddering as Mabel hugged and kissed the picture again with barely a wave at her sibling in acknowledgement. Dipper was relieved that Mabel was so distracted by the fake 'siren vampire’ boy she had dreamed up. Otherwise she might of noticed something was wrong with him. Getting to the bathroom Dipper quickly closed and locked the door before stripping down. Checking himself for any injuries, he felt relieved when finding none. “At least he didn’t hurt my body this time…” Dipper mumbled to himself. Turning on the shower he quickly hopped in once it was hot enough. Just standing under the running water felt like heaven. Except for one little spot on Dipper’s back. It stung. Maybe he really had gotten hurt? Quickly finishing his shower and partly drying off Dipper wanted to check and make sure. Hopping out of the shower he moved to the mirror before turning to see his back. Dipper was shocked to see a small mark on his right shoulder-blade. It looked like a black outlined tattoo. And it made the shape of Bill, similar to how Bill had been drawn in the journal. Frowning as he looked at it Dipper jumped when he swore the tattoo blinked. Next thing the kid knew his world faded to grey.

“How’s it hanging Pine Tree?” Bill’s voice asked, but Dipper couldn’t see where it came from. “W-What do you want Bill? Where are you…?” Dipper asked, eyes roaming the bathroom but seeing no sign of the obnoxious triangle.

“Not there…nope….not there either~” Bill taunted as the boy looked at each new place. Finally Dipper’s eyes landed on the mirror and Bill laughed. “Ding ding ding we have a winner.~” the demon cried cheerfully. This made Dipper frown, eyes taking in the mirror but still not seeing Bill.

“What are you talking about? You arn-….” Breaking off the pre-teen froze, eyes widening. He hadn’t noticed before but now he could see that his eyes were faintly glowing, a prick of yellow showing in each pupil. Moving forward Dipper placed his hands on the mirror, his breath hitching.

Bill’s voice brought the boy back out of his stunned stupor. “Finally figured it out? Hahah. I told you. You’re mine now kid. My puppet and mine alone.” Bill’s voice had a slight chilling edge to it that had Dipper feeling a shiver run down his spine. “W-What is this? Are you inside me?!…W-what are you going to do with my body?” Dipper asked, a noticeable tremor in his voice despite his best efforts to fight it down. Dipper then winced as Bill laughed loudly. That’s when Dipper realized that the laughter and voice were coming from inside his own head.

“Now, now, hold your horses kid! I don’t just go telling every person about my plans ya know.” Bill chuckled. Dipper could just hear the smirk in the demon’s tone. He bit his lip as he continued to gaze at the mirror. He had noticed that whenever Bill spoke his eyes seemed to flash a little. “Whatever I plan to do with you doesn’t matter Pine Tree. You belong to me remember? And not just your body…heh. That’s the difference see? Isn’t it brilliant? Before I just asked for a puppet. So you had to go to allow me the use of your body. This time though…hahahAHAHAHAHa. This time even your soul is mine.” Bill’s laugh had taken a crazy edge for a moment, making Dipper step back from the mirror before holding his head and staring at the floor.

“Hm? Do you regret it now Pine Tree? I COULD be nice and let you go back on our deal….juuuussst this once. I bet Shooting Star would make a pretty little corpse.” The obvious enjoyment in the demon’s tone made Dipper flinch. But the boy took a breath before looking up at the mirror, glaring at his own reflection and his inner demon. “No. I don’t regret it. I don’t care what you do with me….You saved Mabel so I won’t go back on our deal or take it back. Ever!”

The boy had resolve and strong determination. Once again Bill found himself amused and impressed. “Alright then Pine Tree~ No take backsies now. No matter what.” The last part was said with dark conviction that send more shudders down Dipper’s spine. He also noticed the light in his eyes flashing red for a second. But the boy stood firm and continued to glare at his reflection. This stalemate of glaring with his reflection seemed to go on for a while. But then time seemed to freeze when a loud knock snapped him from his thoughts. Colors bled back into the world as Dipper looked to the door. His voice cracked a little when he answered, making him wince. “Y-YEs?” he asked.

“Brat you’ve been in there for over an hour. We’re heading to town. You coming or not?” came Grunkle Stan’s gruff voice. For some reason the grumpy voice made Dipper feel a little relieved. “Okay just give me a second!” he called back. Drying himself off the rest of the way Dipper then quickly got ready. As he pulled his cap onto his head and stuffed the journal into his vest the boy paused. Why hadn’t Bill destroyed the journal already? Was it because Dipper completely belonged to him now? Did Bill not consider the kid a threat anymore? Dipper had no idea, but he couldn’t help thinking about it as he ran down the stairs to join the others. Even as he got into their Grunkle’s car he thought about it. Glancing out the window Dipper noticed a faint spark of gold in his reflection. It reminded Dipper of his plight once more. As they made their way to town Dipper sighed. Mabel seemed happy next to him, bouncing with joy and getting more and more glitter embedded into the back seat of the car. Stan had long since given up trying to get it out. He had resigned to the fact that glitter was near impossible to remove from anything. There would always be more.

At least Mabel was happy, Dipper thought to himself. Even if that happiness had come with a price. For now Dipper tried not to think while they drove down the rode, mind drifting. He barely even registered as something gave a little tug at his consciousness. And before he knew it Dipper’s world bled black once again

(Warning: Underage children getting hurt.)

——————————————————————————————

No. No, no, no, no!

The world felt like it had slowed down to a crawl as Dipper watched in horror, unable to do anything as his sister fell. The one time she didn’t have that infernal grappling hook.

It had happened so fast, one moment Mabel was up near the top of the cliff-side, next thing she was falling like a stone. When her body finally hit the ground it made a sickening crunch. A sound that would haunt Dipper for the rest of his life.

“MABEL!” Dipper’s anguished scream broke out, making birds in the nearby trees scatter in fear. “Mabel! Oh my god Mabel!” Rushing over to her side Dipper got on his knees, terrified to touch her. His breath was coming out in quick pants, panic overtaking him. Her face was sickly pale, eyes closed and almost making it seem like she was merely sleeping. Like his sister would just open her eyes and get up as if nothing happened. But no. This was the reality. His sister had fallen from an impossible height. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, Dipper tried to get a hold of himself.

All of this was his fault. He had found a hidden entry on a special flower, written on one of the empty pages of the journal in invisible ink. The flower could, supposedly, make the most beautiful shade of paint known to man. Dipper had thought it was silly, but once he told Mabel she of COURSE had to have it. So they had followed the journal deep into the woods and to this secluded cliff side. However, today of all days, Mabel had lent her grappling hook to Soos for some reason or other. Dipper felt sick. Everything had been just fine up until Mabel’s hand slipped and she fell. Now though, it was far from fine.

A weak rattle came from deep within his sister’s chest, breaking Dipper from his regretful thoughts. “Mabel! Oh Mabel I-I’m so sorry. Please be okay…” he pleaded, tears starting to burn at his eyes as he carefully touched his beloved twin. She was so cold. And when Dipper moved her even a little she would give a weak sound of pain. The only blessing was that she was unconscious, or was that a curse? As Dipper tried to assess her injuries he finally noticed the blood slowly soaking through his sister’s sweater around her chest. He screamed. “NO! No no! Please…” he begged out loud. He could almost feel the life leaving her body. There was so much it soon began soaking the ground.

“What do I do? What do I…?!” a choked sob leaving his throat. Pulling out his journal and flipping through it Dipper tried to find something, anything to help. Of course there was nothing, but he knew that. He knew this journal practically cover to cover by now. There was nothing in the book that would save her. And he couldn’t hope to move her either. Not only were they a good hour’s hike into the forest, he knew that moving someone so injured would just make it worse. “Please…please Mabel hold on. I…I’ll get help.” Even as he said this Dipper couldn’t think of anything he could do. Sure his sister couldn’t hear him, but Dipper had to say SOMETHING. Reaching out a shaky hand, Dipper carefully took his sister’s hand in his own, tears now streaming down his cheeks. Dipper would do anything to help her. But what could he do out here, all alone?!

“I’ll be watching you.”

Suddenly the demon’s words echoed in the back of boy’s mind. Bill had said he was always watching right? Looking around the nearby trees Dipper felt a tiny glimmer of hope. “B-Bill? Bill are you there? If-If you are…please…. I don’t care the price! I want to make a deal!” At first nothing seemed to happen. And after a moment Dipper’s spirit fell and he looked down at his sister hopelessly, a sob wracking his body. But then the colors all around began to fade and a voice filled the clearing.

“Well well. Seems like you got yourself in a bit of a bind here Pine Tree. Poor Shooting Star doesn’t look so good now does she?”

Floating above both the children with an air of amusement and curiosity was just the demon Dipper had been hoping for. “BILL! Please….Can you help her? You have to save her!” Dipper’s voice cracked as he pleaded desperately. His desperation made Bill chuckle before the demon’s hand tapped just above his bow tie, as if tapping his chin in thought. If a triangle had a chin that is.

“Hmm. I COULD save her…but are you willing to pay the price?” Voice surprisingly serious, Bill’s eye rolled from Mabel’s still body up to Dipper’s pale and panicked face. The demon chuckled at the determination he saw set in his cute Pine Tree’s eyes. “I don’t care what it is Bill! Whatever the price…j-just save her!” Dipper all but demanded. Bill normally would of gotten a bit angry if a human spoke to him like that, but he could hear the slight tremor in Dipper’s voice. The fear and panic that was coursing through the human obvious for all to see. So for now Bill let it slide. Floating down next to Dipper the demon gave a light hum.

“Alright then Pine Tree. In exchange for Shooting Star….I waaaant…..you!” Pointing at Dipper’s chest the demon would be smirking if he had a mouth. Bill had to give the kid credit though. The twelve year old boy didn’t even hesitate before holding out his hand, eyes shining with tears but full of hard resolve. “Deal.” Dipper stated. If it would save Mabel, Dipper didn’t care what Bill planned. No doubt the demon would steal his body again or something like before. But none of that mattered if it saved Mabel.

Giving a little whistle, Bill was impressed. “You got it kid!” he laughed, hand catching fire before he grasped the boy’s own and they shook. Bill then turned to Mabel and began enchanting a soft incantation in an unknown language, unknown to humans at least. Slowly Mabel’s body began to glow. It was as if time was reversing, her clothes and injuries all slowly fading away. Finally the more outgoing twin was laying there like nothing had happened, completely healed.

As soon as Bill finished healing Mabel the girl spasm-ed before giving a choked cough and gasping for air. Eyes fluttering open a moment later, Mabel glanced around weakly. “Nhg…too much…smile dip.” she mumbled.

Hearing her voice made Dipper cry out in relief before hugging his sister tightly. “MABEL! Thank goodness your okay.” Before she could notice he scrubbed at his face with his sleeve, wiping away his tears. Although new ones threatened to escape. He was just so relieved. Even though Dipper had to make a deal to help her, the boy didn’t regret it and never would. Mabel was alive and well. That was all that mattered. Letting her go he turned to address Bill, but was shocked to see the demon gone and the forest around them back to normal. “Huh…?”

The hug from her brother had woken Mabel some more, but she couldn’t remember what they were doing before she fell asleep. “Bro bro….? Why are we out here? And why am I so sore?” Sitting up Mabel looked at herself but saw no injuries, not even a speck of dirt really. Because she was looking down she missed the expression that crossed Dipper’s features. Dipper couldn’t tell her what happened. He didn’t want Mabel to feel guilty, or to know that she almost died. “Uh…I’m not sure. We were walking and next thing I knew I woke up here next to you!” he lied.

“Really? Weird….Oh oh! Maybe it was like a siren or something!” Mabel gushed, excited. “But instead of a woman it was a sexy vampire siren!” Eyes sparkling, Mabel just imagined it. Dipper shook his head in with a dry chuckle in response. “I really doubt those exist Mabel.”

“Shh. A girl can dream…a girl can dream.” Whispering the last part, Mabel was already lost in her fantasy with eyes sparkling excitedly. Getting up she then began skipping around, asking the surrounding scenery if her beloved ‘vampire siren’ would come out. The sight made Dipper smile. Stashing his journal away before standing up, he felt so relieved that Mabel seemed to be back to normal.

—-

A while later the Pine twins were finally on their way back to the shack. It had taken Dipper quite some time to convince Mabel to stop looking for her vampire siren dreamboat. Now she just ran ahead, apparently wanting to draw this 'dream boy’ or something. As she went ahead of him the boy put his hands in his pocket and walked slowly, mind clouded with memories of his sibling’s broken body laid out before him. That image would never cease to haunt him.

Suddenly a pair of thin black arms wrapped around Dipper from behind, a chillingly familiar voice echoing softly as the shadows around him deepened.

“You’re my puppet now.”

Here you go anon dear! This prompt was actually super cute. I hope this is somewhat what you imagined it to be! :3c

—————————————— Cheesy ‘Bee’ Horror ——————————————

Bill’s eye was narrowed as he seemed to glare at the screen. “….Why are they doing that? I know you meat bags are lacking in intelligence but wouldn’t it make more sense to stay in a group? Of course they will be picked off and killed like that!” Bill huffed, throwing his thin black arms in the air with frustration. The triangle demon was currently perched atop a hat-less Dipper’s head. He had shrunk down in size to snug himself into the human’s locks while trying to watch and understand this ‘movie’ garbage.

Dipper rolled his eyes with a snort. “It’s a MOVIE Bill. And it’s a cheesy horror at that. They never act smart.” In truth Dipper had been a little concerned about this whole ‘movie’ night idea Mabel had for him and Bill to bond more, but it was turning out pretty entertaining. And not the movie, but Bill. For a dream demon that knew ‘lots of things’ he seemed to know nothing of human movies.

“Hmph. You fleshies are entertained by this? That’s a bee….A giant BEE. It’s not even a real giant bee. You can see the strings controlling it. That isn’t frightening at all, why are they screaming?” The triangle was having a real hard time understanding this whole horror movie concept. Why did humans watch this? It wasn’t even scary.

More screams erupted from the television set. Dipper drowned them out with his chuckles. “They are screaming because they are scared. ” he replied, trying to beat down the big smile that wanted to break out.

Bill bristled and his color tinged orange in a mix between anger, frustration, and confusion. “That isn’t scary! It’s a fake giant bee!” he huffed in reply. “You want real scary? Try this kid!” Snapping his fingers Bill made a real giant bee suddenly appear in the corner of the room. It turned when it noticed them before buzzing so loud it made the room vibrate. Dipper screamed while leaping back against the chair. Bill was quick to make the bee vanish as soon as it flew towards them.But Dipper still took a few moments to calm down, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

“See? Now that’s fear. Can’t just slap some paint and fake wings on it.” There was obvious smugness in Bill’s tone before he snickered at Dipper’s reaction. “You can scream pretty loud Pine Tree~.” he teased. Dipper just growled, glaring up to where he could see the tip of Bill’s head peering over the boy’s own forehead. “Don’t DO that!” Dipper hissed. One of these days Bill was going to give him a heart attack. Before Bill could give a snarky remark another scream of ‘terror’ erupted from the television screen. Bill groaned.

"It didn’t even sting her! How is she dead? Where in nightmares did all that blood come from!!?” he asked with a confused whine. Bill just could not understand. He loved when humans screamed in fear but this was so FAKE. Dipper covered his mouth as he giggled. Although hanging out with the dream demon was a little odd after all that had happened between them, watching movies with Bill alright.

I never expected someone would want me to continue this! Sorry it took so long. I hope this turned out okay anon dear. ;w;

Cipherpines things. ———————————————— Deep Sleep~Revival~ ————————————————

Time seemed to be to mean nothing in the dreamscape. What seemed like hours could very well be just a few minutes, or it could even be days. Dipper had no way of knowing. Honestly the kid almost felt like he would go insane. Or he would have had he not had company.

Despite their differences, Dipper found himself growing fond of Bill and the demon’s odd ways. Bill was insane, no denying that. But he was also intelligent and, in truth, kind of fun to talk to. Sure Bill had tricked him before and stolen his body, but that was in reality. In the dreamscape, where Dipper found himself trapped, the slate was pretty much clean wasn’t it?

Bill was amusing and could force a smile or laugh out of Dipper even if the kid tried to fight it. Sometimes he would play a cruel little joke, but over time Dipper began to realize that maybe to demons, the odd cruelty was a way of showing affection. Bill also seemed to like to shrink down and sit on Dipper’s head while they talked. Although Dipper would NEVER admit it out loud he found the triangle kind of cute when small. Like a real Dorito chip with a bow tie and top hat.

As more time passed Bill had kept Dipper updated on what was happening outside. Apparently Dipper had a whole mountain of sweaters to look forward to when he woke up. Mabel hadn’t left his side unless forced and hardly slept herself, so she spent the time sewing and knitting all forms of odd things for her comatose twin. Dipper smiled at the thought, but it also left him feeling a little sad. He missed Mabel. He missed everyone. But he just couldn’t seem to wake up. He had asked Bill if there was a way and the demon just shrugged, only able to do it if Dipper made a deal with him. The pre-teen was beginning to enjoy Bill’s company but he still was nowhere near trusting the guy so that was out.

Leaning back while floating up high in the sky of his dreamscape, Dipper was lazily counting stars. Bill was lazing on top of the boy’s head while occasionally throwing in a joke or number that would throw Dipper’s count off. He then laughed when Dipper stubbornly huffed before resuming the counting from the beginning.

Suddenly there was a sharp jolt, shaking Dipper and the whole dreamscape with the force. Gasping in shock Dipper was flung around in circles until he righted himself. “What the heck was that?” he asked. Dipper watched as Bill changed back to his normal size, eye scanning the horizon of the dreamscape before landing back onto Dipper.

“Looks like it’s time for you to wake up kid!” Bill replied. Dipper could of sworn the demon’s normal bright glow faded slightly, despite his tone being overly chipper. “Aww, and here I wanted to bug you a little more Pine Tree. Soon as you let your guard down I was gonna take your body.” Shrugging as if he was seriously foiled the demon didn’t flinch when the dreamscape shook once more. Dipper on the other hand was once more sent flying through the air in uncontrollable circles until he could right himself again.

“I-I’m waking up!?” The joy and shock in Dipper’s tone obvious. He paused though as Bill’s other words sunk in. Honestly there had been plenty of chances were Bill could of taken Dipper’s body if he was just looking for the kid to let down his guard. Was Bill lying? “Bill…I-” he tried, but was then broken off as it felt like he was being dunked in cold water. With a loud gasp Dipper had to close his eyes as his dreamscape burst with white light.

Opening his eyes right after the teen tensed, suddenly his body felt really heavy. Once the sparks and squiggles left his vision he took in the surrounding scenery of what was obviously a hospital room. “This is….?” he croaked hoarsely before coughing. His vocal cords had been out of practice for a while.

The sound of Dipper’s voice was nothing compared to the screech he heard just a few feet away that came in response. “DIPPER!?” Mabel cried. She tossed the card she had been making aside before pouncing right on top of her twin. Her grip was tight as she hugged him in relief.

“Nh M-Mabel…choking..not b-breathing…” Dipper gasped.

“Oh, sorry.” Being let go was great since now Dipper could gulp for air.

With Mabel’s help he was able to sit up on the bed before his twin ran out the door to get a nurse. Dipper could barely believe it, he had really woken up. Glancing over at the calender on the nearby wall the pre-teen was shocked to see that only a little more then two weeks had gone by. It had felt almost like years in the dreamscape. Is that what it felt like for Bill…? All the time? No wonder the demon was crazy.

A sudden bang had Dipper jumped like a startled cat. Turning to the door he saw his Grunkle Stan standing there. The man seemed awkward, looking at Dipper as if he was just imagining things. Stan then did something that surprised Dipper the most. Silently he moved closer before pulling the boy into a tight hug. “You kids will be the death of me.” Dipper heard him mumble under his breath. Stan quickly let go of Dipper before stepping back with an awkward cough. “So…you’re awake. The doctors say that after a check up you can go home. But you have to take it easy. So…for now you don’t have to work in the shop or…or anything. Ahem, anyway I…I better go find your sister.” Stan had been stiff the whole time he talked, not really used to comforting or handling such personal matters. Stan’s words brought a smile to Dipper’s lips though.

“Thanks Grunkle Stan.” he replied sincerely. Dipper couldn’t help chuckling as Stan practically ran from the room to escape. Laying back on his pillows now Dipper sighed. The boy seemed to be ending up in the hospital a lot this summer. Or at least being injured. But while in his dreamscape he had not been able to feel pain. So now, when Dipper pinched himself and it hurt, he couldn’t help giggling slightly. Pain meant you were alive. In a way, he kinda agreed with Bill now. Pain WAS kind of hilarious. ————————————————

It took only a couple hours to be released from the hospital. Mabel had given him his journal as soon as they got in the car and Dipper clutched it to his chest tightly. He missed the feeling of books in general but especially his journal. Although he had learned a few interesting things about the gravity falls monsters from Bill during his coma. So when they got back to the shack and he was helped to bed Dipper eagerly got a pen and wrote all he could remember down. He could remember almost everything surprisingly. But as he wrote Dipper found himself pausing to think about the triangular demon. Since about halfway through his coma Bill had constantly been with him. Now, without that familiar presence buzzing with warm energy, Dipper found himself feeling cold. He didn’t want to admit it but he missed the demon. Okay wow that certainly did not seem right. But it was true. Despite everything the time during his coma with Bill had been nice.

“I guess that place really does make you crazy…” Mumbling this to himself Dipper finished what he was writing before setting the journal aside. Flopping back onto his bed the pre-teen proceeded to stare at the ceiling. “Never thought I would miss that stupid corn chip.” he huffed. Dipper had not noticed the colors around him fading while he laid there. But he did notice when he was suddenly kicked off the bed onto the floor.

“Who you calling a corn chip?” Bill asked, arms behind his back while he floated about a foot above Dipper’s bed, eye narrowed. He chuckled at the boy while Dipper peeled himself from the floorboards. Bill’s eye quickly wrinkled in a large smile however. “Did I hear you right? You missed me? I knew you would admit it someday!” Bill was quick to dodge as a pillow was thrown at him, his laughter filling the attic space.

By this point Dipper generally knew when he was being teased by the demon and when Bill was being serious. Bill wasn’t serious often. “I…I didn’t say I miss you. I-” Dipper tried, failing at a good explanation This just made Bill laugh harder. The demon was laughing so hard by this point his eye was closed so he didn’t see the second pillow. It hit with a dull whump noise. Having been jarred Bill blinked in shock, the pillow falling unceremoniously off of him. Bill’s stunned expression had Dipper hugging his sides with laughter.

“S-See? Hahahah. Told you I didn’t miss.” Dipper snickered. Bill had to give the kid credit, Dipper was getting more cunning. Humphing as he turned his back the demon’s color was slightly pinker. “I guess not….But I don’t either.” he replied while snapping his fingers.

Dipper did not have a chance as suddenly a dozen pillows appeared around him. With an eep he tried to run. Before he could move even a step all the pillows smacked into him at once, burying him into the pile while Bill laughed.

“I guess we both don’t miss huh Pine Tree?” Bill asked the pile. A muffled groan was his reply. The smirk was obvious in Bill’s tone as he poked the pillows with his foot. “Had enough yet?” Bill now asked smugly A hand popped out of the pillow pile with a white pillowcase in hand, waving it like a white flag in surrender. Pleased with his victory the demon snapped his fingers again to make the pillows all vanish.

Peeling himself from the floor for the second time that day Dipper coughed, a feather flying out of his mouth before slowly floating to the floor. “Do you understand the word moderation?” Dipper asked. A cheerful “Nope!” was his answer.

With a shake of his head the pre-teen moved back to the bed to plop down with a dry chuckle. It was like he was back in the dreamscape. Although here Dipper couldn’t use the power of imagination to fight back against Bill’s powers. Bummer.

“Why are you here Bill?” Dipper asked. The pre-teen was surprised when Bill took a moment to answer. The demon had a tinge of pink to his yellow color again.

“What? I can’t come bother my favorite meat bag?” Bill asked. The demon was looking off to the side while fiddling with his bow tie.

Dipper couldn’t hope to stop the crooked smile that overtook his face. “I suppose I can’t stop you huh?…Mr. Stale Dorito.”

The boy went down laughing as he was assaulted by another barrage of pillows.

Aw cute idea. Let’s do it.

—————————————————————————————- Deep Sleep

The Mystery Shack wasn’t the safest of places. Everybody knew this. You just had to look at the place. Not to mention that one letter that was always falling down no matter how many times they put it back up. What wasn’t expected though was for another letter to fall too. Especially for said letter to fall on top of Dipper.

It had been quick. One minute he was following his family and friends out the door to head to town, next thing he knew there was a loud thumping and sliding sound above before his world went black. He sort of remembered faint screaming of his name in the distance. Probably Mabel or Soos.

At first Dipper hadn’t known he was in a coma. You normally didn’t notice that sort of thing. Over time however, he noticed the distant voices, mainly his sister’s, begging him to wake up. After he realized that he was not living normally, but in a dream, he could at least control what happened. Maybe it was because he had gone into Grunkle Stan’s mind before. Or it might of had to do with Bill yanking him out of his own body that one time too. For whatever reason Dipper fully understood that he was not awake and was okay with that. He figured it was a pretty good coma since no matter what he did he didn’t wake up.

After a while the dreamscape became a little lonely. Dipper had some fun with fantasies for a little while, but over time he missed his real family and friends and wanted to be with them instead of the ‘fake’ ones he conjured up for his dreamscape. Sitting on a cloud high in the sky now, Dipper sighed. The pre-teen didn’t even move when a certain triangle popped up right next to him, reclining on the cloud along with him.

“What do you want Bill?” Dipper asked, tone dull and not really caring.

“Wow. Good to see you too Pine Tree.” Bill huffed, feigning offense. The dream demon was watching Dipper while staying reclined, observing the human. “Your sister seems pretty beat up about this whole thing. Those doctors can’t really keep her away. Arn’t you loved?” Bill chuckled. He would have grinned if he had a mouth, since Dipper obviously perked up at that information.

“How long have I been out…?” Dipper asked. He didn’t really care if Bill was lying or not. At least it was someone to talk to that wasn’t just a memory or made up dream persona.

“Ohh about a week now by human standards I suppose.” Bill replied. The demon then closed his eye, seeming content to just stay there on the cloud with Dipper for a while. “I thought I might just come to bother ya. Never had such a captive audience before haha. Thought it would be fun. ”

“Oh joy. I can barely contain myself. The great Bill graces me with his presence.” Dipper’s sarcasm was dripping with every word. He then yelped when he was suddenly kicked off the cloud. He had screamed until about halfway down before he remembered he was in a dream and could fly. Going back up to the cloud Dipper crossed his arms and huffed. He glared as Bill just laughed. “Not funny.” he grumbled. But even Dipper had a hard time not cracking a little smile as the triangle shaped demon literally rolled on the cloud with laughter. Bill hadn’t expected Dipper to scream and flail like that.

“You are a treasure kid.” Bill finally got out between chuckles, wiping at his eye to brush a nonexistent tear away. Sitting back up now Bill watched as Dipper situated himself back on the cloud. He was noticeably further away from Bill then before. “Sheesh so mopey…Just for that, to spite you I will be staying right here until you wake up kid. Don’t even try to fight it. I’m gonna bug you until you beg for mercy.” Bill’s tone was cheerful and his eye was closed while being upturned, showing that he was smiling despite not having a mouth. Dipper probably would of complained in normal circumstances but watching Bill made him shake his head with a dry chuckle.

“Guess you won’t leave even if I call you a stale Dorito?” he asked. The comment earned him another kick off the cloud. This time Dipper remembered how to fly after only a moment. Flying back up while laughing he enjoyed the slightly annoyed look Bill was giving him, the demon’s body a soft shade of orange. A triangle could be surprisingly expressive.

Aw. Dx I’m sorry you are having it hard. I hope this will cheer you up a little. And I hope the rest of your night goes better okay? ;w; (Cipherpines, parents being parents ugh)

——————————————————————————————— Believing

“No Dipper.” A tall, regularly built man huffed. He was trying to get his contacts out so he could put his glasses on for the night.

“B-But I really saw-” the boy tried to argue.

“No. Dipper. I said no.”

“But it really was a little man! W-with a tall pointy hat and a bushy face! He was holding a rabbi-” being cut off by just his father’s expression, the 9 year old Dipper Pines winced.

“DIPPER! That is it you are going to bed without supper.” the man boomed. He only felt a tiny bit guilty when he saw the hurt expression that flitted across his son’s face before Dipper turned and ran up the creaky attic stairs. They had all come out here to their Great Uncle’s home to get some fresh air and peace. Dipper and Mabel were young and their parents wanted them to be more outdoorsy. Especially Dipper. The boy just always had his nose in a book or in some ‘mystery’ he wanted to solve. It was so frustrating….Why couldn’t he just be normal like Mabel? Okay, her parents admitted she wasn’t ‘normal’ per say, but at least she played outside and had lots of friends. The twin’s parents couldn’t even name ONE of Dipper’s friends. With a sigh the man finished taking out his contacts before headed to get supper.

Back up in his room Dipper sniffled, having dove under his bed covers to hug his pillow. It wasn’t fair! He knew what he had seen. It was real! It had to be. And it wasn’t just the strange little man in the forest. But he had seen weird things of all kinds ever since they came to this place a week ago. There had been this big bird the size of a car, this strange black thing that rattled and liked to follow you, and even a big cow-man-thing that had screamed about being manly in the woods. Dipper had been pretty scared of that one and hid in a tree stump for 3 hours until his parents found and scolded him. He hadn’t gotten supper that night either.

All of this he had seen and the boy knew was real, no matter what the adults said. And even if Mabel seemed a little skeptical she normally sided with him in private. Dipper had told her to stop doing it in front of their parents since it just, for some reason, made them more mad. Wiping at his eyes as he teared up, Dipper tried not to think about it. It wasn’t fair….Not fair at all.

It was like this that the boy finally drifted off to sleep. He was unaware of the eye that had been watching him from above. A glowing triangle with a top hat and bow tie had been watching the little family ever since they arrived in the town for a short visit. The other members were regular, boring humans. But this kid…This little Dipper Pines had picked up on the mysterious aspects of the town within an hour of being here! How fascinating. Of course the family didn’t believe him. Humans were always like that. Not this little one though. Floating down to be level with the human child’s bed, Bill reached forward and placed a gentle hand on Dipper’s head. The demon softly pet the young boy’s fluffy, unmanageable locks with a low chuckle.

“Thanks for not being boring like the others kid.” he stated lightly, sending Dipper into a wonderful dream full of adventure and mystery. Bill watched as Dipper broke into a wide grin because of the dream.

Hmm….

I shouldn’t be allowed to think of Gravity Falls during work. I suddenly got the idea to write this earlier today while at the register and it was killing me not being able to do it. CipherPines I guess? Or Billdip sorta. Takes place after Sock Opera. Dipper is in the hospital.

(Warning for I guess dark theme? Sorta. Hospital and sick kids. ;w;)

———————————————————————– Be-Beep.

Beep.

Be-Beep.

It was this sound, ringing and echoing in darkness, that finally roused Dipper from his deep sleep. Groaning softly he opened his eyes, vision blurring in the inky black room. Where was he again?

Oh, right. The hospital. After the sock opera fiasco Grunkle Stan had surprisingly insisted on taking Dipper to the hospital. Mabel and Dipper felt that HE might of been the one possessed. To be willing to spend that much money? What a shock. Then again, when they had gotten to the hospital it proved to be a good decision. Dipper had severe bruising along with various degrees of lacerations over his whole body. Even a burn here and there, although neither him or Mabel could figure out how Bill had achieved such an injury. Aside from all of that, the doctor had also noticed how exhausted Dipper was. He had forced the pre-teen to stay overnight just in case. It was mainly just to make sure Dipper got proper sleep. But also because Dipper had also shown some slight signs of a concussion. The odd part of that was that Dipper had no head injuries to speak of besides a small cut or two on his face. The doctor was baffled at what could of caused such damage to the boy’s brain, but it was mild at least so nothing to worry too much over.

All of this led back to where Dipper currently was. Everyone else had gone home for the night long ago, shooed away by the friendly but slightly intimidating night nurse. It felt a little lonely now in the empty room, but at least Dipper had his own body back, even if it was sore beyond belief. Turning his head to try and get the stiffness out, Dipper could see a clock on the wall.

It read 3:25 am in large, faintly glowing letters.

With a groan Dipper forced himself upright while trying to find the source of the beeping that had woken him up. It seemed to be coming from the next room over. A heart monitor? That was a little sad, considering he was in the children’s ward. Looking down at his hands, Dipper examined all the bandages. He had no idea how his hands had not been completely broken. Although by now they were black and blue with bruises. Bill had not gone easy on his body. What Dipper couldn’t figure out though was if Bill had been hurting Dipper’s body on purpose to harm the boy in the long run….or because he really did like pain? Did that mean Bill couldn’t feel pain whatsoever? It was sort of eerie to think about….and a tiny part of Dipper thought it was sad.

The medicine that had been keeping Dipper asleep had fully worn off by this point. But it had done it’s job considering he had still gotten a good several hours of sleep. Because of that he could feel a sort of electricity running though him. Dipper had the urge to move around. Before he had always kind of been a night owl anyway. Yeah he liked the daytime but there was just something about the coolness of night. How it felt to sit in the tranquil darkness and just let his mind wander. So after a good amount of sleep, he didn’t feel like resting anymore. A growl drew the pre-teen’s attention to his stomach. He winced as it growled again before blushing softly. Right, he hadn’t eaten in god knows how long. Maybe he could find a snack laying around, or a nurse that would help him. Slowly sliding off the bed, Dipper did his best to ignore the odd feeling of being naked under a hospitol gown. He had an IV in his arm so he ended up using the rolling IV stand as a crutch or cane of sorts, and helped himself out of the door and into the hall that way.

His pace was slow and pained. It felt like he had been hit by a truck. But Dipper felt his hunger grow as he moved. It was a strange feeling though…had he ever felt this hungry before? He did want food. But Dipper also felt like he was craving something specific. Yet it was almost like he had never tasted whatever he was craving. How odd…Trying to ignore his own strange thoughts now, Dipper just trudged along slowly through the halls of the Children’s Ward. A few minutes of slow going finally led Dipper to a fork in the hallway. While debating on which way to go he paused, hearing something very faint down the left hall. Listening closer now the boy let his unbearable curiosity once more get the better of him before heading in the direction of the sound.

Getting closer and closer, Dipper began to realize that it was a lullaby. But it was unlike any song he had ever heard before. It was eerie, yet almost sweet. Comforting but also making one feel a tiny amount of unease. Frowning, Dipper forced himself to go faster. Finally he rounded the corner and found himself in front of a door. Reading the sign, Dipper’s body grew cold. In this part of the ward was despair and sadness. It was the final place for children dying of incurable diseases. The lullaby was louder now, and Dipper would never forgive himself if he ignored it and didn’t find the source. So, taking a deep breath, he opened the door and slipped inside.

What greeted Dipper was not what he had expected. “B-Bill?!” he gasped, eyes wide in shock, then narrowing into an angry and suspicious glare. What was Bill doing here?

The triangular demon was floating in the middle of the room, body relaxed and eye closed. Bill’s normally bright glow dulled then brightened in a slow rhythm. The lullaby coming from him. He heard Dipper enter however and quickly opened his eye before holding a finger in front of his bow-tie, as if pressing it to nonexistent lips.

“Shh there Pine Tree. Don’t want to wake them up now do ya?” he asked, voice soft. Bill then stared at Dipper, expression even more unreadable than normal as Dipper rolled his IV stand closer, glare just intensifying.

“Wake them up? Why are you even here!” Dipper hissed quietly. He did it without thinking. Glancing around at all the beds that were in the large room, the pre-teen couldn’t help noticing the state some of the children were in and it made his chest and throat tighten.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Bill replied smartly, chuckling when he saw the angry glare that Dipper shot back at him. “Oh my my. With a bit more practice you might be able to kill with a glare like that kid.” Bill teased. Floating down lower Bill then seemed thoughtful, eye examining Dipper’s bruised and battered form with a thrill of pleasure. The pain had been enjoyable. And now he got to see his cute Pine Tree struggle even more. As a demon, no matter what, Bill liked to tease and bully anything he liked or found endearing. Sort of like how an owner would tease their cute pet.

“BILL!” Dipper growled. The boy’s frown deepened as he continued to scowl at the triangle. A sudden soft cry from nearby caught Dipper’s attention however and he glanced over to see the source. It was coming from a small boy, bandaged up from head to toe. The boy was curled up under several blankets atop his bed. The occasional weak movement and soft sound betrayed what seemed to be a nightmare. “Ah!!? Bill! How could you do that to these kids?” Dipper asked angrily yet still with a whisper. He was now glaring at Bill once more. “Stop it!”

The demon had been watching the young child struggle with his nightmare along with Dipper, but looked back to the injured Pine twin because of Dipper’s words. “So rude Pine Tree. I’m not doing that. It’s because you came and distracted me. Now I have to fix my meal before I eat it.” With a heavy, over dramatic sigh, Bill flew over to the sickly child before putting a hand on the boy’s forehead. Soon the struggles and sounds of fear stopped, being replaced with a small smile.

“W-What? My fault…?” What did Bill mean by that? Finally registering the last part Bill had said Dipper felt his heart drop. “Meal?! You can’t eat these kids!” Dipper hissed, trying to get over to Bill to try and stop the demon. Maybe he could whack Bill with the IV stand. Dipper froze though when he saw the young child calming down and seeming to slip into a much more pleasant dream. Apparently Dipper had been gaping in shock because Bill soon fell into a fit of giggles.

“You really are precious! And how do you expect me to eat them? I’m a being of pure energy remember? Honestly. Hello? Dream Demon. I can’t even touch the mortal plane unless under certain circumstances. Summoning, death, being around many that are near-death..” Trailing off Bill seemed to be remembering many things. The demon soon snapped back though, floating back over to Dipper. “I’m a dream demon kid. Dream. Demon. As in dreams….Do I need to spell it out?”

Blushing because he had been laughed at, Dipper took a moment to collect himself. “Okay…so…you eat dreams then?” he finally asked. Dipper then jumped as Bill suddenly popped up right behind him, slapping the pre-teen’s back. “So sorry, you only got it half right. But here! Have a deadly snake as a consolation prize!” Bill chirped softly, snapping his fingers and making the IV stand Dipper held turn into a deadly looking snake. The sudden appearance of the creature caused Dipper to jump back with a squeak of fright. But with a snap of Bill’s fingers the IV stand was back to normal once more.

“BILL?!” Dipper hissed, shaking from the effort it took not to yell at the demon. Bill was just amused, the triangle shaking with suppressed laughter. “Oh-Oh man. You are a riot Pine Tree. Absolutely adorable.” Bill chuckled. He just chuckled more when the human denied being cute under his breath.

“As for your question kid…you ARE half right. Dreams are how I eat. But I don’t eat the actual dreams. I absorb the energy given off while someone dreams. And energy is different depending on the type of dream. Nightmares are spicy. Good dreams are sweet. I have a sweet tooth personally so, although it’s fun to torment people with nightmares, haha, I don’t usually do it to eat.” Humming slightly as he responded, the demon watched the surrounding beds to make sure no one woke up or was having another nightmare.

“Wait..so…you eat the energy? Okay but…why are you here then? Did you come just to mess with me? Take my body again? I won’t let you if you did!” Dipper asked, suspicion clearly written on his features. The dream demon quickly shot down the question though. “I’m here because I’m hungry. And here I thought you were the smart one out of your little group. Guess I was wrong….You see Pine Tree…Humans that are near death tend to have the most horrible nightmares and the strongest energy!. BUT! If you turn those nightmares into good dreams…they become the best meal imaginable. And the people who dream the most…? Children! Dying children in fact. Plagues are the best but a hospital ward like this does fine too now and then.” Bill was looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully while remembering some of the great feasts he had enjoyed in the past. If he had lips he would of licked them at the memory. During the demon’s speech, Dipper seemed stunned.

“So what? You are…helping these kids?” he asked, still stunned.

“Accidentally.” Bill replied with a shrug. “Them having good dreams is just a product of me wanting good food. If it makes them happy or content in dying, who really cares? You humans are so weird with your emotions and mortality. I swear kid, I will never understand it.” Floating back to the middle of the room Bill closed his eye again. Slowly he began to glow a soft blue color, different from any color Dipper had seen the demon change into before. Slowly Bill began to sing again. The sound was calming and Dipper found himself enjoying the melody. Not long after Bill began singing, what seemed like wisps of smoke swirled up from each child before flying slowly to be absorbed into Bill’s body. Once the last bit of the odd looking energy vanished into him the demon returned to his normal appearance and his eye opened. “Aah. Much better. Nothing beats being full! Now I got business to run to…And shouldn’t you be in bed squirt? It’s way past baby’s bedtime.” Tone teasing, the demon enjoyed how Dipper bristled like a cat. Cute. He even got angry like a kitten.

“Y-You…! I’m fine just like this. And it wouldn’t MATTER when I went to sleep if you hadn’t wrecked my body!” Dipper hissed back in response. Truthfully Dipper was trying to hide how awed he had been by the sight of Bill ‘eating’. It had been oddly…beautiful. Not in a way Dipper had ever considered using the word for either.

“Come on kid. The past is the past! Now be a good Pine Tree and leaf me alone.” Bill cooed, enjoying the groan and deadpanned 'Really?’ that Dipper gave in response. With a snap of his fingers Bill then began to glow before waving at Dipper. “I’ve gotta run. But don’t forget…I’m watching. Always watching.” Vanishing from sight after that Bill’s missing presence seemed to make the room seem much heavier and darker.

Frowning, Dipper didn’t think he would ever understand the dream demon. Part of him was determined to try though. 'Man Dipper, you really are a glutton for punishment.’ he thought to himself.

Giving one more glance around the room Dipper then slowly took his leave. He did pause, however, by the last boy’s bed. He was feeling that odd hunger again. Without thinking Dipper reached out and touched the sleeping child through the kid’s blanket. The boy appeared to be at least 4 or 5 years younger than Dipper himself was. Remembering that song Bill had sung Dipper hummed a few notes. It had been a pretty song, although Dipper would never tell Bill that. The triangle had a big enough head already. Not to mention he was a jerk.

For a minute Dipper felt like his hand grew warm. The feeling quickly vanished as the pre-teen pulled his hand back from the young child’s blanket in shock. As the feeling vanished the injured boy figured he must of imagined it. Oddly enough, as he left the room now Dipper felt much better.