Disclaimer: I do not own GF
Bill is nonbinary in this, so they use they/their/them pronouns.
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Icarus
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Chapter One:
Κατάβαση
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The ground beneath him rocked back and forth, causing his gut to spiral wildly with the changes of the currents ripping past the battered and flimsy wood cocooning him. His pasty skin was battered with the frigid air seeping through the holes and cracks, drenching him to the bone with chills.
Dipper did not know how exactly he got in this sort of situation, did not know how the Heavens could be so cruel making this fate befall him, and did not know how in the Heavens or on the Earth he could ever hope to escape it.
The small boy shivered, his skin prickled from the abuse of the air, and tried to snuggled deeper into the ratty clothes hanging from his body, abused by travel and worn by time. He tucked his chin down into his chest, hunching his shoulders up, and allowed his greasy, chestnut hair to fall and cover his eyes, unbound by the bandanna that had always kept it up and out of his face, the gift made by his dear sister stolen by the firmament. His eyes pulsated, raw and tired from cold tears that had previously shed, dry shells of sorrow cracking across his skin almost painfully. Dipper gritted his teeth together tightly and he swore that he would end up cracking them if he kept the torment on his gums up, however, Dipper found his care for his health diminishing rapidly as he struggled to hang onto his last scraps of warmth already slipping away- a ghost through a graveyard of the follies he had made that had him landed in the wretched cell he was trapped in.
Then again, could any of the blame truly be pinned on him? He had not expected pirates, did not see them sneak up from the right, bursting out of the cloud cover, ship glittering gold like a second, brighter star setting the grand blue skies on fire. The shine and shadow had fallen across his family's vessel, tearing it in two with force that neither the Heavens nor the Earth could comprehend. Caterwauls from his family had rung out in the clear, open air, ringing alongside the smoking echoes of zephyr being shredded by large spheres of metal. Flames and bits of his home, his family, and his life crumbled to pieces and nothing met his bare back as he tumbled head over heels into the deep void of the unforgiving firmament….
Dipper ran his fingers through his hair, his teeth digging deep grooves into his bottom lip as he blinked fast, as if to beat back the tears already bubbling in his eyes. He still could not quite grasp what had happened- caught by great, golden angels who as it turned out, were not angels at all. No, they had been devils in disguise with grinning fangs and flashing eyes, nearly ripping his arms out of their sockets as they gripped him hard, carrying him up and up, past the stars and straight into the belly of a fiery beast who knew nothing of decency or matters of the soft human heart.
And now he was here and by the looks of it, left to rot and fester away in the near dark- only strands of golden light giving him any sight at all.
Dipper doubled over, his grief and anger overtaking him in a hot rush and without a thought, the boy stumbled and jerked to his feet, his fists flying against the hard metal and brass of the small, cramped cell he was in, causing it to reverberate dully.
Mabel. Great Uncle Stanley. Great Uncle Stanford. His parents…
Caught by the great beast underfoot, taken in by the plains of the Earth, nothing more than bloody smudges and bits of bone in an expanse of greenery so vast, not even the Heavens could touch it.
Dipper no longer even cared of the orders he had been given before by those devilish angels- he did not care of their comfort, of their wishes and without a second thought, he screamed.
It was pure pain ripping through his chords, raising his usually cracking timbre into an abnormal and screeching pitch that sung of human suffering and anguish; an a capella of misery and agony that could shake the very stars out of their thrones in the sky, one that could bring gods to their knees and cause the devil themself to cover their ears at the abominable sound.
And indeed, the devil was covering their ears.
"Would you stop that insistent and horrid racket!"
Staccato clicks of heels plated in greed and malevolence clacked against the hard, rotting boards of the floor, shining brighter than what should be natural in the little light given, gleaming like counterfeit golden coins.
Dipper refused to silence his fury, a lament of sorrow of tears and snot and saliva dribbling down his face.
Yet, he refused to turn his tumultuous eyes from the creature before him, determined to memorize each and every vivid detail now, unlike before when first thrown at the creature's feet.
His captor's face was as sharp as a blade, neither masculine nor feminine simultaneously. Their skin was smooth and dark, their complexion almost unearthly, nearly perfect save for the fool's gold of freckles splattered across their cheeks and nose. Their golden hair was wild and messy, unable to be completely stuffed in their feathered hat, tumbling down their shoulders and back like a crashing waterfall. One eye shone from the dark pit of their socket, the color of hardened amber and just as sweet; holding nothing but malice and contempt for anything that could be considered good in the world. The other eye, though covered partially by their tangled hair, was clearly fake and nowhere near human, fashioned after a spyglass instead of a normal eye. Dipper's own ugly and splotchy face reflected back at him in the mirror. Wires and bolts stuck out of the copper shelling haphazardly and Dipper found himself grateful to be unable to see where it was fastened to their socket.
Though Dipper could not make their clothes out through the musty darkness, the wings secured to their shoulders glittered like gems, painting them in a yellow light that allowed him to see a glimpse of intricate yellow cut just below their collar bone in what could only be a corset. More freckles decorated at least one of their long legs, the right covered by a veil of darkness while the left had half of the little winking lights snuffed out by what he figured to be fishnets.
Dipper grimaced at the other- or at least- grimaced as well as he could while still spilling forth the most awful sound he could ever dream of making from his open gullet. The golden devil sneered at him and, faster than a viper, unlocked the door to his cell and snatched his lips up in one fluid motion of their fingers. Their long claws dug into the sides of his lips and his cheeks, slicing through layers of skin and causing blood to bead. The sound of Dipper's anguish was drowned out by his whimpers of pain as his teeth clacked together painfully. The boy was unable to even flinch back, the creature's grip on him much too strong.
"I said," they said, enunciating each word clearly, their voice high-pitched and unplaceable beyond too human, "to. Silence. Your. Racket."
Dipper nearly sneered at them when his snot dripped onto their fingers, causing them to recoil in utter disgust, wiping their fingers against their bodice.
Dipper's heart did not just skip one beat, but at least two when he found his eyes falling on the fact that the door to his cell was still wide open and without a moment's hesitation, without a single plan formed in his mind, the boy dived forwards, using both hands to shove the winged demon out of his way and stumbling out of the small cell, whipping around and slamming it closed. He caught the barest strands of disbelief and rage brewing in that amber eye, cutting through the shadows of his doubt and without a second glance backwards, the boy turned on his heel and ran.
Dipper's heart slammed against his ribcage, trying to squeeze through the small gaps and burst through his chest. Hysteria danced wildly in his mind, tossing what was left of his sanity out the port windows. His feet slammed hard against the boards and if Dipper had not practically lived his entire life above the clouds in an endless sky and an endless void beneath him, he would've been afraid of falling through.
His legs were already burning, the muscles trembling in exertion as he tipped himself forwards, swearing he could already feel the creature's claws digging into his skin again, ripping him into bloody shreds….
Dipper jumped at the sound of snarling from what he vaguely remembered to be the captain behind him. He had not caught their name when thrown before them, too caught up in the memory of the sight of a small, female shape below him falling, her brown hair a halo around her head, mocha eyes gleaming in awe-inspiring terror as she stretched her hands out to reach for him, his own arms too short to take her hands in his and the wind howling through his own ears, drowning out any words shared with him.
Dipper's eyes narrowed into bitter slits, overflowing with tears again. As much as he would love to know the name of the monster that had ripped everything from him, he needed to abscond quickly.
And that meant staying uncaught.
Dipper slammed face first into the wooden door at the end of the hallway. Heavy, raspy breathing reverberated through the wood planks behind him and the clack clack clack of staccato heels was a death march to his funeral. His hands scrabbled over wood, splinters spiking through the pads of his fingers as he found the rusting copper handle.
"You little brat!" they snarled. Dipper could nearly feel their hot breath billow across his face and the boy resisted peeking behind him to see how close the other was.
He threw the door open.
Claws brushed against his rounded shoulders and Dipper tucked his chin into his chest as he slammed the door closed on them again.
An abhorrent screech splintered through the tense air, completely shattering it. Dipper covered his mouth in horror at the sight of two spindly fingers falling on his side of the door, plop plop. Thick black blood pooled around both digits as the twitched and squirmed before falling still.
Dipper's gut tumbled as he tore his eyes away from the gory sight, unable to ignore the golden devil's shrieks of anger-laced pain as he ran down the corridor presented before him. The portholes opened the skies to him, true white shining through and nothing else, patterning the dark floor with wavy impressions. Sharp pants tore past his chapped lips and the scraping of the door behind him along with another roar sent Dipper in a frizzy. He pumped his legs faster, his arms snapping back and forth, shooting forward like a bullet. His hands slammed against the next door and this time, he did not waste any time to throw the door open, close it and this time, slam the deadlock shut.
Smack. The entire door shuddered as the golden devil slammed into it, still screeching their anger and loathing. Through a small hole in the door, a single amber eye gleamed, small tears of stinging pain clinging to their long black lashes.
"You're dead," they hissed, "you're dead, kid!" The eye flashed and disappeared and the entire door shook as the creature slammed against it. The hinges groaned and the wood whimpered under the abuse.
The same abuse Dipper would surely be put under if he allowed himself to be caught.
Dipper stumbled back, crying out in alarm when his heels met with a hard, raised surface. He fell backwards against a winding stairs, his bones blooming bruises at the landing. His body curled awkwardly and he grunted loudly.
The door before him shuddered again and the sound of wood splitting splintered the thin air. Two fingers were thrust through and fell to the ground, no longer twitching, yet still secreting black blood.
"Look what you did to me!"
Dipper screamed, shoved himself up fully, and turned to lumber up the steep steps, his hands slamming against the railing either side of him. His toes stubbed into the wood and flared with sudden pain, but he never slowed down. Behind him, the door cried out one last time before giving out entirely and an erratic clack clack clack echoed behind him.
Dipper reached the top of the stairs and threw the third door open, only to be blinded by white and blue, the thick reek of steam being belched into the sky filling his nose.
Claws brushed against Dipper but once again, the boy darted out from beneath the damning grasp out onto the open deck. Honeyed wood dusted with old blood from battles and flecks of pompous gold glittered underfoot. Thick masts seemed to break through the atmosphere above him, grand black flags edged in gold with a triangular emblem in the center catching the wind, kept aloft by the steam pouring from the stern.
The crew did not seem to notice Dipper at first, manning their stations with a natural finesse one only had when living their entire life in the hold of the firmament. Like the creature behind him, they were clothed in rich golds, coppers, blacks, and browns, skirts flying in the air, thick golden, metal wings fastened to their backs, powered by what Dipper could only describe as magic.
Dread settled over Dipper's mind and realization ripped through him with plated fangs.
He was falling, faster and faster, the small shape of his sister not getting any closer as he struggled to reach her. Her blood-red mouth was opened in a scream he could not hear and his pasty hands were extended to capture her's.
If they were to say goodbye to the Earth, they should do it together, just as they were when meeting her for the first time.
However, that did not happen.
Claws pierced him, glittering feathers filled his peripherals, and his arms were nearly yanked out of his socket. Suddenly, Mabel was growing smaller and suddenly, wind was no longer singing his eulogy.
Staring up at those golden wings, Dipper barked a laugh.
Oh, he had been caught by angels all right. The Golden Angels. Scourges of the sky, monsters greater than any bedside story could fathom. As beautiful as they were deadly, as bright as they were bloody.
Dipper didn't pay attention to the eyes staring at him, to the crescendoing clack clack clack behind him, nor the terror still flowing through his veins. His eyes were glued to the small boats already hanging off the edge precariously, already readied for when the moment came to strike, the crew could escape.
Dipper grinned bitterly. Or him, for that matter.
He raced to the edge of the ship.
"What are all of you guys doing floating there?! Get him!"
Clack clack clack clack
Dipper ducked as one of the crewmembers tried to snatch him up, using his forwards momentum to roll head over heels and spring right back up on his heels, slamming his feet hard on the deck and sprinting faster than ever before. Screeches of distress met his ears as he reached the rowboat and Dipper pulled himself inside it, hands slamming against buttons and levers on the console.
"C'mon, go, go, go…." he gasped. His chest heaved and bullets ripped through the air around him, one nearly taking his ear off. He ducked down lower, the jeers of the crewmates growing louder as a terrible voice rose above them all, snarling like some sort of demon, humanity drained from it entirely.
A black, bloodied hand grabbed the edge of the boat and Dipper screamed in shock, his hands trembling harder. A twisted face rose above the wave of the wood, their fake eye gleaming brightly in the sharp light of the bright day, the other smoldering in pure loathing. Their hat bobbed on their head, great crimson plumes fluttering in the wind. Catching sight of the two missing fingers balanced inside the trifold, Dipper nearly puked at the sight.
"You're not getting away from me, brat!" An arm stretched towards him, the claws left on their hand slicing through the air to get to them. They struggled to pull themselves up, other hand shaking at their flimsy grip.
Before Dipper could retort, the boat groaned and tipped over. Dipper screamed in alarm as he rolled and slammed into the opposite side of the boat. Using the side, he picked himself up, refraining from peering behind him, not wanting to see the open skies beyond. He continued to try and slam his hand against the console, needing to start the engine, needing to escape. His heart palpitated wildly, having moved to lodge in his throat again, nearly spilling forth from his mouth in a desperate attempt to flee.
The monster before him grinned in triumph as they pulled themselves fully into the boat, larger than life and bleeding all they could from it as well. Their slitted black skirt billowed in the wind and they shined in a way no shadow should ever be allowed to shine- a veil of black detailed with golden gems and flecks- a true diamond in the rough.
But there was nothing beautiful, nothing pure about that too-wide grin splitting their face in two, a forked tongue darting out to lap at its lips. Their eye was larger than the sun and just as hot, searing him and blackening him to the marrow.
"Got you!" they crowed, reaching to their belt to pull out an ivory blade of sorts with their unwounded hand, "Finally got you, you fucking brat. I'm going to have fun slaughtering you."
Dipper's hand fell from the console, but no dread flitted across his face- just sickened and sudden glee.
"That's too bad then."
And without a second's hesitation, Dipper turned and flung himself off the side of the airship.
Dipper nearly laughed at the expression on the creature's face as he plummeted, nearly hitting the side of the almost too-grand vessel. His organs smashed against his front as he free fell, wind whistling past his ears just like before. And just like before, it seemed his entire world was crumbling around him.
However this time, there were no tears being brushed off his cheeks by the firmament's cool fingers, no horror in his heart, no dread in his belly. Any form of self-preservation died within him as he fell towards a foggy bottom with seemingly no end, returning from whence he was born.
A smile graced Dipper's face and he couldn't help but feel peace settle into his heart as he closed his eyes fully. Nothing played behind his eyes, his terror dissipating from his veins, left behind on the golden airship slowly becoming a speck in the sky. He was free.
Freedom was not gifted to him for long. Dipper's calm peace was shattered by the familiar feeling of claws digging into his shoulders, just as before, this time hooking into his flesh, causing a lost scream to rip from his abused lungs. His arms were nearly torn from his sockets and when Dipper's eyes flashed open, the only sight he was greeted with was a cloud of golden feathers beating around his face, a few shedding off and twirling away. Dipper squirmed as he was yanked into a hard chest, face buried into a dark collar bone splattered with gold, arms pinned between him and the golden devil. The arms that wrapped around him were ironclad and more restraining than any cell that he could ever be wrestled into.
Dipper's gut dropped as the creature changed their path, flying upwards, flying faster than the other crewmembers had, the hum of magic Dipper expecting never meeting his ears.
It was not natural. It was not possible. It couldn't be.
It was just like before. That had not been a nightmare or a trick of his terror-filled mind.
Dipper's screams may have been lost, but he still kicked and squirmed in the creature's grasp, his ratty brown boots connecting hard against bone only hidden by a sinewy layer of muscle, peppering small blooming bruise after small blooming bruise over and over again. If the creature was saying or shouting anything, it was lost to the rushing wind around them as they flew back to the airship high above. Dipper bit hard enough into the knob of bone in their chest to feel ligament against his teeth and for black, foul tasting blood to trickle down his throat, making him cough and gag in repulsion.
Dipper's arms pinwheeled as they were released and his cry of surprise rang in his own ears as he was dropped unceremoniously back onto the deck right in a ring created by the other pirates, making escape impossible.
His head swam, dark spots waltzing across his vision, and he gripped his skull tightly as a migraine sparked through him, trying to crack him in two. He wished it would.
Dipper blinked rapidly, a slow ache traced up his spine by lackadaisical talons and the boy slowly sat up, folding his legs beneath him. The shoulders and collar of his ratty shirt had been torn to shreds and peeled down his body, his skin shining purple and red in the bright light, new blood oozing from the new wounds he had gained.
Thunk.
Dipper shivered, old terror setting a new flame in his gut and the boy trembled violently as he slowly stared up at the devil that had taken him. Wings- real, huge angelic wings glittering with long honeyed feathers folded behind their back, twitching in agitation. A victorious jeer distorted their dark face, teeth yellowed and crooked in their black, grimy maw and the creature guffawed- a sound like metal screeching against metal in a bloody battle that held no mercy for any form of life at all.
"Too bad indeed," they snickered, swaggering forwards.
They raised their foot and before Dipper could even think about scrambling away, it came down hard on his leg.
Dipper screeched as the heel of their boot sliced through his skin, slipping down the left side of his bone, rupturing the flesh. Bright blood gushed out of the wound and rolled out onto the already stained planks, seeping through the wood.
Dipper's hands flew to the wound, cupping it as if to hold the blood pouring out inside. His mouth was open in a silent shout and saliva bubbled and spilled down his chin, his already splotchy face reddening even more. Dried snot cracked over his upper lip, but he couldn't bring himself to even try to clean himself up. Liquid rubies stained his hands and Dipper whimpered as a hand caked in dry blood gripped his chin, yanking his face upwards. Dipper squeaked, startled, as his own fat, disgusting face was reflected back to him. He looked like hell.
"I've gotta say!" they cackled, "you put up more of a fight than I had expected! And lemme tell ya, it's pretty fuckin' hard to surprise someone like me!"
The crew around them sneered and stamped their feet in agreement, but also confusion. Glances were exchanged and hand motions were spun.
"Especially the fingers part! I mean, I would've accepted a normal handshake but…." At this, they reached up into their hat with their free hand to pull out the lost limbs out of the hat that had, miraculously, stayed on their head. They shook them in Dipper's face, both hanging like limp fish, no blood trickling out of them anymore, "this works too!"
Dipper flinched back from their insanity, preferring to back and cower right at the feet of some other crew member than be any closer to the creature before him.
Their wings twitched again, their previous wild grin melted into a cool, knowing smirk, and Dipper could practically feel the cogs in their brain ticking as they thought.
Dipper did not wish to know what they were thinking of.
"Y-you're i-insane!" Dipper finally choked out. He tucked his legs close to his body, ignoring the agony that flared in his right leg.
They threw their head back and laughed again and this time, the rest of the crew joined in, all uncertainty draining from them. Dipper clasped his hands over his ears at the horrid, dissonant sound, different tones and timbres clashing together in a noise most unholy- a demon's orchestra.
"And your point is… what exactly?"
Dipper squealed as wickedly thin fingers wrapped around his forearms, dragging him forwards. He kicked out, trying to catch one of the heeled boots the creature wore, but could not knock their feet out from underneath them. With a quick, almost unnatural twist of their body, and with a throw stronger than what their thin frame should allow, Dipper was flung forwards, his face smashing against the ground. A sickening squelch of his nose cracking brought another roar of laughter from the crewmates and Dipper found himself simply laying on the warm planks, fingers twitching, but nothing more than that. He did not answer their rhetorical question.
"Out of spirit already?" they cackled behind him after a few more beats of Dipper refusing to move, "C'mon, kid! That can't be all you got…"
The crew around the two booed at Dipper.
Dipper sat up on his forearms and rolled back over onto his back, sitting up slowly. Blood trickled down his nose in lazy rivers, curling around his lips and dripping off his chin. His eyes burned and puffing out his cheeks, the boy spat at the golden devil.
The crew around the two stomped their feet and snorted in anger at the disrespect, no longer booing but calling out for a show of blood, blade, and bone.
The golden-haired creature sneered in disgust as the wad of saliva and blood landed on their shoe and without a second's hesitation, kicked the boy hard in the side, shoving him back over and onto the floor.
"Disgusting…." they said. Another small snicker followed soon after, however, and their disgusted look was replaced by one with absolute joy, "but not what I was expecting! Not at all…. Again!" They stared down hard at Dipper, lips pursed in hard thought, leaning back on their heels and stroking their chin, left hip jutted out.
Dipper's arms trembled beneath his body, his ribs singing their songs of pained bruises. He wished to just let himself collapse, to let his body fall slack. He trembled and sniffed, unable to cry anymore tears, unable to feel anything but the insistent drumbeats of his heart.
"I've gotta say, kid, you sure are a mystery aren't you! Not the standard run-of-the-mill heavy-handed foreshadowing and men in masks either! But a gripping, epic tale of TRAGIC PROPORTIONS!" They threw their arms out, thrusting their face towards the sky in a pose of triumph.
Dipper kept his mouth shut, staring up at the insane creature before him, eyes like wide, dull, copper coins.
"Um, captain?" one of the crew members suddenly piped up- a strange, bottom-heavy, curvy woman whose eyes seemed to smolder like embers and whose short red hair flickered around her round, plump face like curling, dying flames after a raging forest fire. Her thick, painted lips were quirked into a small, pouting frown. A black eyepatch with a small flame insignia covered her left eye, but did nothing to subtract from her beauty, "A- are you-"
The captain whipped around on their heel, eyes glimmering in utter glee, smile stretched out too far to resemble anything remotely human. "Am I what, Pyronica? What were you gonna say?"
"Well, I-"
The captain snapped their fingers loudly, silencing her. "You were gonna suggest letting this little runt join us, weren't you?"
Both Pyronica's and Dipper's mouths dropped in utter bewilderment.
"No!" Dipper and Pyronica both shouted at the same time. Without a glance backwards, the captain pulled out their golden revolver and shot behind them, a small yelp telling them that they did not quite hit the boy. A shame, really.
"Not at all, captain-!" Pyronica stammered. The captain silenced her with a wave of their hand.
"I think it's a great idea! The best you've had yet! Good job, lil' lady!" The captain bounced over to her to playfully ruffle her hair, causing it to stick up in every direction.
"Captain, that's not what I-"
The captain swung around again, dismissing the frowning woman completely in favor to stare down at the cowering brunet, who had long given up trying to scramble away from the mad creature before him, "So what do you say, kid?"
Around the two, the crewmembers muttered uneasily between themselves, but did not speak up or out, glancing amongst themselves, confounded while also peering down at the boy in both thinly-veiled curiosity and open hostility.
Dipper could not help swallowing his bubbling rage and, strangely, humiliation.
"You're insane!" Dipper repeated, "I would never join you! I'd rather die!"
The captain grinned wolfishly and moseyed over to where the boy lay, crouching down on their haunches and grabbing Dipper's face with their unwounded hand. "That's really too bad! I think it'll be a lot more fun keeping you around like some sorta noisy parrot then send you SCREAMING down into an AGONIZING HELL!"
Dipper winced, his shaking hand wiping the spittle that had flown onto his face off. "You'll regret this!" Dipper hissed through his teeth. "You'll regret not killing me! Mark my words!"
Much to Dipper's dismay, the captain dropped him, falling back onto their ass, guffaws spilling messily from their mouth, conducting the laughter from the crew around them.
"Oh, if I didn't know better, I would take you for a comedian rather than a measly delivery boy."
Dipper roared in anger and without a second thought, flung himself forwards to try and grab the captain's throat. The sight of them purple and gasping for air bled into Dipper's mind and his mouth salivated at the thought.
However, the captain was much faster and snapped both his wrists right out of the air, like a flytrap snapping closed on its prey. Dipper shrieked as his hands were plunged downwards in the creature's tight fist, smashing against the ground- not hard enough to split the skin, but just enough to cause a garden of purple blooms to explode across his thin skin and his bones to whine in protest.
"I suggest you watch it, kid," the captain growled low in Dipper's ear, their arid breath billowing against the shell of his ear. "I find you amusing, but I get bored and frustrated with my toys very quickly."
Dipper snorted at that. "You can't threaten someone who wants to die with death," he spat, a smug smile quirking his lips.
The captain's grin was predatory, "Now, who said I was speaking of death?"
Dipper gulped, a chill racing up his spine.
The crew members around the two fell silent.
With a fluid motion and with a strength the captain should not possess, Dipper was yanked up by his wrists as the captain stood back up. His toes barely touched the ground and the boy whimpered in pain, the bruises settling in his shoulders screaming as they cried crimson tears. Dipper's tattered shirt fell to rags around him, completely exposing his milky skin.
The captain jeered at the sight- the look on their face completely risque- and Dipper shuddered.
"There are things a lot worse than death. So much worse! I could bury you in ice till your nipples fall off!" At this, the captain transferred Dipper's wrists in one hand, his other dropping to the brunet's chest to run their claws over one, causing it to stand erect.
Dipper bit back the whimper boiling in the back of his throat, his eyes twitching at the touch.
The captain's grin grew wider at the silence.
"Or perhaps I could peel your fingernails off! Fingernails as short as yours hold no purpose," they continued. "Peel them off with my butter knife, one for each day. And when I run out of fingernails, I could always take your toenails! Perhaps sprinkle them in your soup to eat when they're all gone!"
"You're disgusting!"
The captain laughed again. The crew did not join in this time, instead peering at one another, disturbed but not surprised.
The captain sighed, their chest still trembling in laughter as they dropped Dipper again. This time, Dipper caught himself on the balls of his feet.
"Yes…." they said, stepping back from the boy. They couldn't tear their inquisitive stare away from the brunet. "A little noisy parrot." Their grin never faltered as they spun around on their heel, somehow not falling over as they threw their arms back up into the air.
"Everyone! Welcome the newest member of the crew!"
No one cheered. No one so much as even clapped. They merely continued staring at the captain in abject puzzlement.
If the captain was bothered by their doldrums, they weren't phased. They merely dropped their arms and folded them behind their back, "Well, if that's clear, get back to work!"
The crew startled at the sudden, barked order and scrambled to obey, a few members quickly fidgeting with their fastened wings to get them to open up and with a running start, took back to the skies.
"Except you! Pyronica!"
The woman quickly closed her wings and she fell back onto the vessel with a heavy thump.
"Throw this little birdie back down in the brig! He's to stay there until he earns his keep up here."
The woman gave her captain a sharp nod, her eyes glittering with uncertainty. Still, she held the thoughts wanting to spring off her tongue, lips locked tight in a bitter purse. She strode past them, hips swinging and grabbed Dipper's arm, hauling him roughly up to his feet. Dipper stumbled.
The captain gave her a small nod of appreciation and they started to stride away, only to be stopped by the sudden cracking of the boy's voice.
"What's your name?" Dipper asked, trying to break Pyronica's grip. The woman's grasp held steady however and she dug her claws into Dipper's arm, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to carve crescent moons into his forearm.
The captain didn't turn around.
"Bill Cipher, kid. Captain Bill Cipher."
Dipper's hard eyes filled with dread, but no surprise flitted across his face and with one last yank by Pyronica, he was dragged through the wooden door from before.
The last thing Dipper saw of the outside world were the captain's real, glittering, feathered wings.
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This is a reupload of the first chapter. Hopefully, this version is free of grammar mistakes and is also easier and better to read as well.
This is a complete steampunk pirate AU since I had a little idea that wouldn't go away. This was supposed to be a oneshot, but well. Turned into a multi-chaptered fic.
Do note that in my original drafts of this fic, Dipper was of intermediate age. As of the editing of these chapters, I have decided to keep him being a kid of around 12-13 years old. Also, though this is marked as a BillDip fic, don't expect an actual lot of BillDip. It is very abusive, onesided, and etc. Just keep that in mind. This is rated M for a reason.
Reviews/favorites/follows are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading!