I was going through my fic tag on tumblr the other day when I realized there were a couple old oneshots that I never got around to posting on here. Figured that while most of them weren't anything special, this and a few others might be worth a good read. Posting for Halloween because I haven't been posting enough here recently and figured I should aim for as many updates as possible!

This was made for and inspired by ghostlywitchavenger in what I believe was a Reverse!Pines superphantomfalls AU. Lost the original post but it was definitely worth it (as is a lot of content in that megacrossover).

Enjoy!

Dipper Pines had always had an acute interest in supernatural items.

Ever since he had found the second journal that had led him to having everything he knew, ever since creating those amulets for him and his once distant twin sister Mabel to keep her entertained and under his thumb as they performed every night for the mindless tourists who visited their tent. Dipper Pines found that there was always a special benefit that came to possessing items of power, and he was determined to have any tool that caught his eye.

Not to mention each one only made him stronger, and only made acquiring the next one easier.

All in all, Dipper Pines got what he wanted, and if something started to not go his way, he had the power of Cipher to ensure otherwise.

Which was why when he was listening in on the minds of some of the patrons after the latest show, not really caring what they thought about their performance (he'd ensure that everyone would be sure to recommend the cute little twins to all their friends) or their own dreary lives, but scanning to see if there was any new performer or psychic who might raise a threat. The Pines twins weren't the first nor the last magically inclined to hide in plain sight as sideshow carnies or tourist traps, but through keeping an ear out Dipper could guarantee that they were always the strongest.

There was a family in attendance who had particularly helpful thoughts. Two parents, rich, with minds bursting with pinks and oranges like a ray of sunshine that made Dipper want to smother them in his magic so the world could go back to being the proper dark shade. They were on a family road trip with their daughter and her grandmother (very much hers, the parents both obviously wanted to have little to do with the older woman), and had attended the show out of a compromise. They weren't into the whole magic or paranormal, but they found the young happy twin personas adorable, and wanted to try to connect with their Goth daughter, especially after that horrendous incident with Circus Gothica.

It had been that comparison that had leapt out to Dipper's mind that made it worth the plunge into that horridly cheery place.

The psychic hadn't been able to glean much from either of the couple, rather than to see that they were filthy rich and totally ignorant, best outlined in the fact that their fortune had come from inventing the plastic covered toothpicks on sandwiches: as useless, plastic, and thin as they were. Dipper quickly realized that while their ingrained habit of socializing was buying him time, there was clearly the stain of unnoticed supernatural energy in their memories, and it was worth further investigation. A subtle suggestion to stay slowed them from considering departure despite their daughter's bored insistences of wanting to leave: the couple was already used to ignoring her wishes enough that making them vanish altogether was easy.

From his vantage point shadowed behind the curtain Dipper saw the girl trying to talk to her grandmother, and he directed his powers towards the old woman next to deafen her to the girl: Samantha's growing pleas. Watching her squirm as her family was drawn further into his web would be the most entertainment he had all week.

The old woman's mind was nearly entirely blocked off, by walls that were immediately suspicious to Dipper but too strong for even him to break without giving himself away. He could sense her old involvement with the supernatural, and her love towards the granddaughter following in her footsteps, but there was not much more he could gleam without ruining his fun. He was already itching to dig his claws into Sam Manson, and he was barely going to let this mysterious appetizer spoil the main course.

So the boy quickly went for the avenues that were open and took care of the advantages that he had: he may not be able to force Ida to ignore her granddaughter as the girl's parents so readily did, but he could certainly make the woman's old ears literally deaf to the pleas from her mouth.

It took about the time for Dipper to lightly scan the surface of Samantha's mind for her to panic, and the magician drank in the mental anguish she went through as her calm demeanor shattered. Sam had not been a fan of the light and cute routine but had loved when they had sawn that poor volunteer in half onstage (secretly of course, as her parents shielded their eyes, she couldn't dare to appreciate anything her parents were fans of).

Dipper felt a smirk grow on his face as he realized that she would much more enjoy the Pines Twins after hours: Mabel would appreciate a partner to aid her in the man's dissection backstage. Grunkle Stan would also be over-the-moon at the chance to personally guide the Manson parents on the whole tour: knowing the old man he could con them out of their entire fortune before the end of the night, and it would be nice to not have to deal with him blubbering over finances for once.

Especially since it sounded like Dipper would be taking a little trip to Amity Park.

He shook the plans already growing out of his head as he watched Sam tug on her grandmother's arm and run to the door, a glowing flash of blue locking it before she even reached the push bar. Her head whipped around to the sound of shattering glass as her grandmother startled in her wheelchair, the other two puppets already blissfully unaware in the dream Cipher provided.

"Oh well, would you look at that." He plastered the fake Southern drawl back onto his voice as he stepped out, a wave of his hand sweeping the glass shards of the lightbulb away. "It seems the spirits are trying to tell us that we need to share our hospitality. It's almost as if this were meant to be. But don't worry, we here'll take good care of you." Snapping his fingers with a small spell he saw Grunkle Stan come out of the side room and prepare to take the adults away, a fading glow in his eyes reinsuring that he was on the same page as the twins were tonight.

He saw Sam meet his eyes, fear and awe and defiance in her gaze as she clearly pieced together the glow she had seen on the door handle to the one surrounding his hand. He met her stare, letting his warm smile sharpen into something predatory as he played with his latest meal: the others were too weak or too enchanted to care. "Don't worry about your little doll, Mr. and Mrs. Manson, we'll have our own little sleepover: Mabel, Samantha, and I. Staying up late, playing games, sharing secrets. It'll be lots of fun."

Mabel might pout when her brother stayed off in the corner as she had fun with their new toy (he couldn't wait to see her face light up when he showed her his latest present). But the opportunity to read her mind like another spell book was captivating: just the sneak preview he'd already had left him with so many questions.

Like about that scepter he had seen that could control ghosts, and the "human" friend she had who it worked on. If he was lucky she'd have more details that she was even aware of: like the blueprints that could allow him to calibrate the portal in the basement to allow open up to that fascinating Ghost Zone, or the memories of that broken scepter to allow him and Cipher to refashion one of his own.

Dipper smirked as he considered all of the opportunities that had conveniently fallen onto his lap. Sam Manson may be only a temporary toy to be played with and broken as his sister loved to do, but perhaps they would find a new employee at the Tent of Telepathy to replace beautiful Wendy in young Danny Fenton. He had certain skills that would make him a key piece in Dipper's collection.