A/N: Welcome, and hello! This is our drabble collection for our Gravity Falls-related drabbles! This specific drabble is set fairly early on in the Time Twister AU originally created by 1337kitsune. I would really suggest giving it a read, it's a heck of a time! In short, Bill and his twin sister Jill used to be human until they played the Demon Games, and became Demons. Demons bring pairs of twins in to play the Demon Games. Everyone caught up? Yes? Great! ~Kas
It probably wasn't good for them to spend so much time in the mindscape, but, well. Dipper had long since abandoned notions of what might be good for him and Mabel after they had arrived at Gravity Falls. Besides, they had a demon looking out for them. Still, having Bill so near all the time seemed to be having... Effects. Such as Dipper seeing the world turn to grey out of the corner of his eye and then turning to see no such thing.
It was- It was like he was starting to see the world in gradients. He'd see the dark and light before he saw the color and he would focus on the grey because that usually meant a flash of gold would be quick to follow. "Hey, Pine Tree. What are you thinking about, this time?" Bill was beside him, smiling at him.
"Wondering the best way I can give Grunkle Stan a heart attack," Dipper responded easily, relaxing at the nickname and Bill's presence. He wasn't even sure if he was in the mindscape or reality until he took a look around. "What are you thinking about?"
"Your head. You've always got different thoughts on some new mystery going. And I know it's not about scaring your uncle to death. What is it?" Reality. They were in reality, right now.
"I..." Dipper huffed, trying to put his thoughts in order. "Is there ever any bleeding between the mindscape and reality?"
"Bleeding? Well, sure, here and there." Bill rose his eyebrow. "Why?"
"Just curious," Dipper lied, hoping Bill wouldn't notice the lie - not that he had much hope for that one. "I mean, you're always flitting between reality and the mindscape, so it's gotta bleed around you sometimes, right? To the point you can't remember which one you're in sometimes?"
"Sometimes. Then I just see how easy it is to conjure a four mouthed, one footed antler."
"A- An antler- Did you just say how easy- You can conjure that in reality, too?" Dipper's mind was already racing. "Does that only work in Gravity Falls? it would have to, considering what you've already told us. How does that work- Well, no, I can imagine it pretty well, but are you summoning it in reality or crafting it? What about-"
"Nah, a couple towns I can't openly talk about due to all sorts of copyrights and legal reasons are supernatural hot spots. Easier there."
"Supernatural hotspots. So like Gravity Falls is- Hey, is that why the mindscape bleeds so easily into reality? Because we're in Gravity Falls?"
Bill grinned at him. "So you do see it."
"Yes- No- Kind of." Dipper huffed, crossing his arms as he looked around. "It's- It's only at certain times and in certain places. Usually out of the corner of my eyes I see... I see gray. I blink, though, and look, and then I see color."
"That's because I can narrow it down to three things. One, you're in Gravity Falls," Bill said with a smile, waving his arm. "Two, you've got me around all the time. Three, you do magic. And lots of it."
"Mabel doesn't see it," Dipper said quietly. "I asked her about it. She only sees it when you draw us in." It wasn't- It was cool, but he was... kind of scared about it. "And you said Mabel has magic, too, right?"
"She has a little, but she doesn't use it. That's your difference. And don't worry. Shouldn't be long now." Bill laid back. "Was wondering when this would come up."
"What- What shouldn't be long now?" Bill seemed so relaxed, but- "Oh my god, am I dying?!"
"No, it just shouldn't be long before Shooting Star sees, too."
"That- That's not normal though, is it? Us seeing the mindscape even when we're awake and in our bodies?"
"It's a little more normal when you do magic and you're around someone like me, all the time. Reality doesn't like to work, around me."
"Does anything," Dipper snorted, walking over to Bill and leaning against him with a quiet sigh. "So... So this isn't really a bad thing, right?"
"Mostly no, not really."
"So it's a bit of a bad thing."
Bill shrugged. "It just means you're starting to lose your grasp on reality, it happens to all you little flesh bags. And hey, once you leave Gravity Falls, you should get some of your sanity back."
"Oh." Confliction. There was- There was a lot of confliction in that one. For one thing, Dipper was kind of fond of his mental sanity and grasp on reality. On the other hand, though… He never wanted to leave Gravity Falls.
"Hey, don't worry about it, most people in Gravity Falls get their minds wiped anyway, not that you know anything about that."
"Wiped?!" Dipper looked at Bill and felt honest-to-god horror bubble up inside him. It was like tar filling his lungs and made him unable to breathe and he knew he needed to breathe but come on. "I'm gonna forget this? You and the supernatural and everything- No- I can't just- I can't just forget it-"
"Eh, don't worry so much. That little society isn't worried about you, yet."
"Yet. My best friend is a demon and I'm holding onto a book that talks all about the secrets of Gravity Falls. That's probably a pretty big thing they don't want outsiders knowing or having or doing or whatever."
Bill grinned at him. "You really think I let people know whatever they want, willy nilly?"
"I mean…" Bill was chaotic, but he was careful. Gravity Falls was his home and he protected it- Huh. There was a thought. "Are you ever going to wipe our memories about this summer?" Bill smiled at him.
"Only if I have to." That was somehow both reassuring and horrible not reassuring.
"You know, I sometimes forget how much fo a demon you are," Dipper huffed, smiling at Bill anyways. "'S not a bad thing." Maybe not remembering Gravity Falls would be best when he went back. He'd miss this place too much.
"It had better not be! I don't make a habit of hanging around just any old squish bag, you know!" Just as always, Bill keeps him from getting lost in his thoughts and Dipper can't stop laughing.
"Alright, alright, I get it. You're a pretty good friend."
And just like that, Bill's smile dropped. "No."
"Oh, yes!"