Hey, guys!
I'm Gravity Flies, but I roll with just 'Fly'.
Now, I'm sure some of you have read my other stuff, and some of you haven't...
Either way, this is no introduction! This is an explanation.
Now, this 'AU' is essentially me playing with the idea of...
Ii don't really know. The concept of Bill being a human, like, BORN a human, but still has some powers.
Expect me to regularly update you guys on this whole thing, because THIS WILL BE ONE HELL OF A RIDE.
(Summary is better explained in chapter two!~)
-Fly
Dipper hadn't planned to stay out so late, but there he was- It was just past midnight, and as luck would have it a full moon. Now, with all the crazy things in Gravity Falls, you must think there'd be werewolves, right? That's how our story starts, am I not correct?
Well, you'd be wrong. This town was weirder than weird, it laughed in the face of werewolves! No, this nightmarish forest instead housed many werebears, which were far more fierce than that weak race of mutant puppies.
Now, the boy found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Just because getting lost on a full moon wasn't unlucky enough, he also happened to get chased right to a cliffside.
Every breath was harsh and chocked, fear clogging his system. He had a strong will to live, but right now the universe didn't seem to care. When the wind smacked his hat off his head, he gave in to the hopelessness of his situation.
He raised a hand to brush against his birth mark, something he did instinctively whenever he had nothing to hide it.
I'm sorry, Mabel...
Death hung over his head like a cloud, waiting to rain down drops of blood. Tears threatening to spill, he flung himself off the edge- It would be less painful, that way.
He plunged into icy cold water, and body went limp.
-=[0]=-
Ice had ruined his day at the fair with Wendy.
Ice had ruined his evening at the convenience store with Wendy.
Ice had ruined his night in the forest.
But where was Wendy? Surely, he had to be with someone he pined for.
And yet, the redhead was nowhere in sight. She wouldn't leave the boy like this...
Ice went hand in hand with his romantic suffering, how could it be so different now?
Footsteps.
Well, Dipper's life was no nursery rhyme, that was for sure. Rule of three had nothing over him.
Shuffling in the darkness.
And it stopped so suddenly, the sound of the cracking leaves now replaced with a shocked gasp.
"You've met a terrible fate, haven't you?"
Teeth gleamed like white flame, curling into a light smile.
-=[0]=-
A loud, demanding knock echoed through the halls of Illusion Manor.
Violet bolted up in bed, scrambling downstairs. The woman rushed to the doors, breathing a sigh of relief. Her housemate had been gone far longer than he warned her, and she was worried sick.
She pulled open the door, subconsciously wondering why he couldn't open the doors on his own. He probably brought something back- Something big enough to occupy both hands! She smiled to herself, curiosity plaguing her like a disease. Was if another trinket for her collection? Oh, it had been so long since he last brought her something...
A couple footsteps forward, and the man was inside. After slamming the door shut, Violet turned to face him. She couldn't quite see what he was cradling, eyes still adjusting to the bright light the chandelier cast on them.
With a loud yawn, she strode towards him. "Now, what did the cat drag in?" She asked slyly, peeking over the man's shoulder.
Her face fell. "Bill?"
The room went silent, leaving her imagination to fill in the blanks.
"Get me some coffee" Was his response, and the lady nodded nervously.
She couldn't get her mind off the boy he held. Bloody and unconscious, scars littered across his skin.
-=[0]=-
Bill sat in his golden rocking chair, head in his hands. He'd been like that for a long time, especially for him. He insisted that doing one thing for too long was a waste of life, and yet he'd been in such an unproductive state for about half an hour.
Violet peeked into the room, smile riddled with concern. "Want some more coffee?" She asked, quietly and politely as to not disturb the man. He grunted, shaking his head sadly.
"No, I'm fine. I'm still on round one." He admitted, lazily holding up his mug. It read 'Illumi-naughty', something his housemate never fully understood. He'd always been obsessed with conspiracy- Heck, that was how he got so rich! His knack for decoding various hidden messages helped him live up to his name.
Bill M. Cipher, of course.
But she never understood why he seemed so dismissive of the subject. It was almost as if he found his job easy, or was ashamed of his own passion. Alas, she'd never know why this truly was, but it wasn't a secret he'd keep much longer.
Aside from the mug, most things were in order. The child on the couch was in the same position he'd first been in, wrapped in a blanket and heavily bandaged. Bill had insisted they were not to call the hospital, or the police for that matter.
In a sense, he seemed strangely calm about the whole situation. He took care of the child, and didn't leave him alone since he'd walked inside that hell-forged hall. He muttered things about how familiar he looked, how he felt like they met before, but never elaborated. His cryptic choice of words was torturous to live with.
Bill had been in these moods before, but he'd never been so dismissive. He usually loved to talk, so turning down questions made Violet wonder how strong this déjà vu really was. It seemed to affect him so harshly, rooting him to that rickety old rocking chair, trapping him in a cage of his own thoughts.
She cautiously stepped inside the room, watching the man tentatively. "I'm sure he's happy." She hummed, taking a seat on the couch with the sleeping boy. Bill looked up from his hands, clearly not convinced.
His expression was blank, a tint of sadness staining his usually grinning face."And what makes you think that?" He drawled, finally taking a sip from his untouched coffee. He made a face, but courteously swallowed the now-cold drink.
Violet looked down at her feet, sighing tiredly. "Well, for one, you saved his life. He would've died out there, and you know it." She insisted, offering a cheesy grin. "A knight in golden armour." It was obviously a jab at humour, though she was quite spot-on with her word choice.
Well, it was no understatement- Bill wore nothing but yellow and gold, this night in particular standing out. He'd gone out in a daffodil fluffy overcoat, and hadn't taken it off yet. Underneath was a button-up shirt too vibrant to be beige, and his striking blonde hair tied it all together. What wasn't either of the two colours was black, making him vaguely resemble a bee.
It suited him. Constantly buzzed, somewhat sweet but hiding a sting.
Hell, when you put it that way, he was the queen.
The man snorted loudly, not showing any signs amusement or denial. The room reverted back to it's eerie sense of quiet, with only the ticking of a grandfather clock preventing complete silence. Bill was too uncharacteristic. It was scary in itself, and with the addition of the sleeping body...
Violet swallowed hard, forcing down with it any wary thoughts. "Really, Bill, I'm just being honest here. You know I don't compliment easy- This kid was incredibly lucky someone such as yourself found him." She stared at him, forcing a wink. He was being so shady that night, even more so than usual.
The man downed the rest of his coffee, eyes narrowed from exhaustion. "Oh, he's lucky, but not because I found him. Lucky to be alive, I'll give you that, but I'm the last person he'd want to be saved by." His arm shot out, shaking the mug in his hand. "Round two, if you will?"
Violet pursed her lips, nodding slowly. She tore herself from the sofa and snatched the cup from his hands, hurrying out the door so she could return as soon as possible. She didn't feel comfortable leaving the man with that kid, no matter how much she trusted him. There was something wrong, and she knew that Bill wouldn't hesitate to do what he felt was right.
As soon as she was gone, said man rose to his feet. "You're putting me through a lot, you know." He snarled, glaring at the unconscious boy. "Seeing you like this... What makes you think you're allowed to make me feel this way?" He asked, getting an expected response- A jagged breath.
The man almost smiled. Every breath was one more favour the child would owe him, for it couldn't have existed without his sacrifices. This was no deal, this was a favour, and Bill hated favours.
Party favours, of course, were an exception. Candy, stickers, plastic toys nobody knew how to work and- occasionally- silly straws! They definitely earned their title, twisting and turning into all different sorts of shapes.
Bill ran his hands through his hair, having had lost his top hat to the wind outside. He let his mind wander, smirking at the thought of the sleeping child sipping from a silly straw. Did he even know what they were? How popular were they in this day and age?
His thoughts went dark as he paced around the room, desperate to stay awake. He imagined the boy on the couch, a straw in his mouth. The straw twisted upwards, around the room and out the open window, then all the way to the forest. It ended in the icy lake he'd plunged into, and with every breath of water the child edged closer and closer to death.
His train of thought crashed abruptly when footsteps shot up the stairs, and Bill rushed back to his seat. The chair rocked vigorously, giving away the fact he'd been moving about. He faked a frown, though he was still amused by his own grim imagination. His pout faded, however, when he noticed the thin, twisted tube of plastic that sat in his drink.
"Still like these?" Violet snickered, poking fun at her housemate. "You're such a child, Cipher." Inside, of course, she was just happy to finally see him smiling again. Sharp and menacing, yet so charming just a grin could send any lady swooning. She looked down at the straw, sighing to herself. It was funny how such a little thing could bring a grown man so much joy!
Bill graciously took the mug from her hands, and wasted no time in taking a long, slow sip. A burn tickled his tongue, and he welcomed it with a content hum. "Thank you, Violet." The words danced off his lips, the warmth of the drink acting as it's music.
"You're welcome." The woman took a seat again, turning her attention to the boy. Maybe now that Bill was calmer, he'd be more keen on sharing what happened. "You said you found him in the water, am I correct?"
The man hesitated before shaking his head. "Not really, he'd already washed up on shore. By the looks of it, he fell in." Violet squinted at the boy, seeing the redness on his cheek. "Must've been quite the distance- Probably from the... Higher part of town." He put emphasis on the word like it was poison, scrunching his face into a disapproving scowl.
There were three levels to the town of Gravity Falls- There was the lowest, where tourists roamed and normal people lived, regular lives started and ended like anywhere else. Then, a little higher up (both physically and metaphorically) was the second level. This was where Illusion Manor stood, along with fancier shops, restaurants and more sophisticated recreational activities took place. It was only slightly bigger than the final level, but housed twice as many people and not nearly as many... Goons.
Lastly, where the child presumably lived, was level three. It was rarely spoken of in the other levels, almost to the point of shunning it. Although the town was a lot friendlier, the atmosphere was nothing less than creepy. If you looked closely, you could make out the lost look in the residents' eyes, but nobody knew why they were this way.
Bill wondered if there was that same blank look behind the child's eyelids.
He wondered a lot, come to think of it. He wanted to know everything and nothing all at the same time, and the only way his mind could reason with this was to ponder on every little thing.
Tiring, it was, carrying the weight of such curiosity.
Level three was far more than an empty shell of sewn-on smiles, that was for sure. There were many strange things about that place, from its surrounding forest to it's abundance of odd attractions. From psychics to magicians, it was the perfect place for the edgier tourists. They ate it up, and always walked out with dry pockets.
Of course, Bill had always believed there was real magic in that little village, even if you had to stray from the path to find it. He heard others use the term 'if you squint', but he found that to have opposite effect. No, to see these things you had to open your eyes wider.
Despite only having one himself, the man was a master at this. The kid DEFINITELY came from that level- He practically screamed out-of-the-ordinary, and that scream was music to his ears.
Normal bored him, and that was why he'd taken that walk in the first place.
Who in their right mind would march into the forest, walk by a river and bring home a body?
Bill would. Although, it was arguable if he was actually in his right mind!
His left brain dominated his very being, chaos pushing aside logic before he got too serious. Although he used hid mind wisely, creativity was clearly more important than intelligence, at least to him.
Back in reality, Violet was starting to nod off. She was still pondering his answer, letting her own mind picture the scene. Bill, soaking wet, bending down to pick up an ice-cold boy. Another shiver ran down her spine, from imagining both the fear and the feeling.
In a panicked attempt to stay awake, she shot him anther question. "You look like you recognize him." It was more of a statement than a question, but the man picked up on her curious tone.
"Oh, it's just a feeling, Violet." He assured, though the look he gave her was downright murderous. "Nothing more, so I don't recommend pushing the matter." He added, flashing his teeth in a forced smile.
The lady tensed, suddenly fearful of him. "Okay." She squeaked, turning away. Something was very wrong with Bill, and her very soul was revolted by this change. "I'm, um... Good night, Bill." She sat up gracefully, and exited the room in a hurry.
The man's smile dropped from his face immediately as he took an intimidating sip of his drink.
Well, as intimidating as one can be while sipping from a curly pink straw.
He continued to rock on his chair, watching the boy's chest rise and fall. He made no noise, a silent spectacle. In it's own way, this all felt like a cracked version of Sleeping Beauty.
But that beauty was getting boring, and boredom drove Bill to do something crazy. With a sarcastic 'Oh, no!~' and a mischievous grin, he walked over to the limp body and poured the remainder of his drink on the bandage-shrouded face. The child awoke suddenly, stifling a scream with a blanket over his mouth.
"Well." Bill laughed, shaking his head. "Well, well, well." He chanted, watching the boy's eyes widen with newfound fear. "Looks like someone took a trip to hell!"
The man placed a hand on his shoulder, comforting but cold all the same. He ignored the flinch this received, softening his smirk only slightly. "Welcome to Illusion Manor, darling."
Though he was dishevelled, broken and confused... He was still intriguing, like the forest he fell from. "W-wha?"
He was gold spun from a hot mess, and Bill loved gold.
Now, I have school tomorrow, (Farewell, winter break! Farewell, 2014!) but I'll try to update.
If I don't update then, I'll upload a new drabble.
Thanks for reading, you guys! I'm super-excited about this series! :D
-Fly
