Author's Note (PLEASE READ): Heads up, this story is most likely going to be bumped up to an M rating soon. I will rate each chapter individually and give warnings for any mature content.
Rated T for: mild language, suggestive content, and teenage angst
CHAPTER 2: The Dream-catcher
"GYAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Grunkle Stan pulls an ice cold can of Pitt from within the cooler and stands, oblivious to Dipper's horror. Shirtless, the con-artist scratches a hairy armpit and stares blankly at the young man. "Yeesh, what's with the girlish screaming, kid?" he asks, digging a finger into his ear. He pulls it out, inspects the wax, then wipes it on his boxers. Dipper shudders. "So what's it gonna be, Pine Tree," Stan starts and takes a seat on the porch bench. "Ya gonna stalk the twerps or what?" Dipper furtively scans the area, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh.
"Wha- How, uh- I, I have no idea what you're talking about," he stutters and crosses his arms. Stan rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, sure kid," he accedes apathetically and takes a swig. Dipper plops down onto the porch steps. He rests his arms on his knees and hangs his head with a sigh.
"I just need to trust Mabelle to know what's best for herself," the mystery-hunter remarks, mostly to himself. Stan scoffs. "Besides," Dipper adds sanguinely, "they're just going to the movies, right?"
"Lil' Shooting Star is too trusting for her own good, if ya ask me," Stan humphs, glaring into the distance. He takes another drink and sets the can down, wiping his mouth with his arm when a little spills over. "And what's the deal with this Mitch kid, huh?" the old-timer complains, crossing hairy arms over an even hairier chest. "Jackass didn't even introduce himself." Dipper glares at the forest and balls up his fists.
"He's a jackass alright," he agrees, scowling. "He has a reputation for dating easy girls and dumping them just as easily." Shocked, Stan spits a mouthful of Pitt all over a straight-faced Dipper, who has no time to avoid it.
"What?!" Stan roars, jumping out of his seat. "And you let them leave?!"
"Mabelle can take care of herself!" Dipper yells back. He sighs. "I have to respect that."
"Like hell!" Mr. Mystery growls. "You get out there and protect my niece's virtue, boy!" He demands, slamming his fist on the bench's arm. Dipper thumps his fist against his forehead in frustration.
"What am I supposed to do?" He rants, throwing his hands up. "Just run into the theater and drag her away kicking and screaming? I have no right to interfere! He's her boyfriend, and I'm... I'm not even her brother." Dipper looks down at his feet and kicks a rock that hits the totem pole bullseye. "I'm nobody," he mumbles. Stan stares at him grimly, then looks around, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uh, ya know, kid, uh," he begins nervously. "I know lately things've got your head all mixed up, but... For what it's worth," Stan smiles and raises his can, pointing his index finger at Dipper. "I'll always be your Grunkle Stan." Dipper's face brightens.
"Thanks... Grunkle Stan," Dipper mumbles, hiding a smile under his hat. Stan flicks his hat up and tosses a can in Dipper's lap with a grin.
"Hey, don't mention it, squirt," Stan insists, taking a drink. He belches and sighs in satisfaction. " 'Sides, the way I see it," he asserts with a weighing hand motion, "nephew, nephew-in-law, heh, what's the difference, right?" He shrugs and takes another sip.
"Heh, yeah," Dipper agrees absently, popping his can open. Suddenly he jolts. "Wait, what?" Stan winks at him and Dipper's jaw dropped. Was... Did Stan just... sort of give Dipper his blessing to marry Mabelle?
"After all these years, I know who I can trust," Stan answers cryptically and stands, heading back into the Shack. "By the way, kid," he throws over his shoulder. "You're moving into Soos' break-room tonight." Dipper blinks at Stan's hairy, retreating back. Once he's out of sight, Dipper takes a deep breath and a swig of Pitt.
Well. That could have been a lot worse.
So... Wendy and Grunkle Stan were on his side with Mabelle. That was... unexpected, but he wasn't about to complain. This was great! This means he was free to be with Mabelle without anyone freaking out! Only... she was on a date with some stupid jock. Just because Dipper had Stan's blessing didn't mean Mabelle would be interested. She still thought they were twins after all. His parents thought it'd be best if Dipper was the one to tell her, when he was ready. He sighed and took another drink. And then there were the dreams to think about. Just this morning, he'd woken to Mabelle staring at him curiously and asking why he was groaning her name in his sleep. He'd managed to distract her with glittery stickers, but it wasn't the first time that he'd been caught and it probably wouldn't be the last, even if he was switching rooms. He'd been trying to escape these dreams for a while. They were quite persistent. Clearly conventional methods wouldn't be enough to rid him of this most delicious torture.
He needed to consult the journal. Perhaps therein would be further instruction on how to manipulate the Dreamscape. He scans the area slyly for prying eyes. Once he's sure no one is looking, he pulls out the Number Three book. He quickly flips through the pages, having read the book many times over. Something catches his eye and he begins to read:
The Dream-catcher.
Throughout my years of studying the secrets of Gravity Falls, I've discovered things both wonderful and horrifying. This is apparent, as I am no longer able to sleep peacefully through the night. Fear of Bill the Eye and knowledge of the darkness in this world haunt my thoughts, turning my once blissful dreams into horrible nightmares of darkness, fear, and death. I cannot carry on like this. In my efforts to rid myself of these torturous illusions, I've come across a most curious invention. The dream-catcher is said to be a gift from Asibikaash, the Spider-woman, guardian of children.
Attached is a depiction of the original Dream-catcher. When placed above one's bed, these magical woven nets are said to be able to filter out nightmares, allowing for only good dreams to reach the mind. The nightmares caught in the net are turned to light come dawn. Dream-catchers may be hand-woven or acquired, but to unlock their power the user must cast this incantation:
Tenebrae, Timor, Tristitia, et Mors
ut requiescas securus esto animo.
O regina Spider Quaeso
Somnium meum
Pervenire eos levia sint,
fac me quod vis,
et maneo in aeternum
quia ventus disco
Be warned, ye young. Do not become too tangled in this Spider's web. The dreams will-
Dipper leans closer, scrutinizing the page, but can't make out the rest. The words are blurry and illegible, appearing as if something had been spilled on them. Dipper flips to the next page, but it seems that there is no further information on the Dream-catcher. Huh. That's...
Completely perfect! With this dream-catcher thing he'll finally be able to sleep through the night without fear of being discovered or waking up to early morning shame! He's got to get his hands on one! But, there's no way he'll be able make one. Mabelle was the artistic twin. Or, she was... Whatever. Either way, he can't exactly ask her.
'Sure, bro-bro, anything for you! Say, what did you need this magic dream net thingyjig for again?'
'Oh, it's nothing, really. I've just been having these amazing dreams about taking your virginity and thought a woven net might be just the trick!'
He scoffed. Yeah, that'd go over well. He put his hand to his chin, tapping his face with his index finger. Still, there must be somewhere he could find a dream-catcher... Bing! Of course! What better place to find a mystic knick-knack than the Mystery Shack? Yes!
Determination renewed, he stands and chugs the rest of his Pitt. He wipes his mouth and tosses the empty can. He notes that the can goes straight into the trash bin as he runs into the Mystery Shack. Wendy has her purse and is grabbing her jacket when he opens the door, a chime announcing his entrance.
"Hey, Dip," the red-head smiles at him. She slips on her jacket and faces him. "How'd it go?"
"I apologized to her, if that's what you're asking," he answers. He starts by the register. That's where most of the smaller toys and knick-knacks are shelved. "She's still going with that idiot Mitch, though," Dipper adds absently, tossing laser pens, skull-and-bones lollipops, and stuffed trolls this way and that. Wendy scoffs.
"That guy's a rotten banana, man," she sighs, shaking her head. Dipper grunts and continues searching.
"His parents certainly named him aptly," he mocks. "He's a mitch alright." Wendy laughs.
"Nice one, dude!" She chuckles. Dipper smirks.
"Thanks," he throws over his shoulder. Wendy raises a fine red brow.
"What are you looking for?"
"What? Do- uh," Dipper quickly stands and faces her, both palms raised. "Nothing, nothing!" Wendy gives him an unimpressed look.
"Riiiiiiight," she deadpans. Her face quickly brightens with a smile. "Well, I'm outta here, dork. Me and Tambry are going out tonight," she mentions. Dipper nods and smiles.
"Sounds good," he says and waves. "Later, Wendy." Wendy throws up the peace sign.
"Peace out!" She yells in a deep voice. Then she's gone, and Dipper is alone in the shack. Perfect. Now to find that mystic knick-knack.
"Hey, dude."
"Ack!" Dipper yelps and spins around.
"It's me. Soos." The man-child waves one hand casually.
"Hey Soos," Dipper greets him with a nervous smile and a wave. What is with today? He thinks. It's normally not so easy to sneak up on him. "What's up?"
"Y'know, fixin' stuff," Soos shrugs. "So I couldn't help noticing that you're looking for something."
"Whaaat?" Dipper laughs and raises both his palms. "What gave you that idea?" Soos lifts a brow and gestures to the shop, which Dipper notices is littered with various Shack items. "Oh."
"It's cool, dude," Soos smiles and picks up a broom. "Say, what were you looking for anyway?" He asks as he begins to sweep. Dipper debates for a moment. Soos would be the only one aside from Stan to know if the Mystery Shack carried a specific item.
"There probably isn't even one here, but," Dipper begins, leaning against the counter in an attempt to appear casual. "I was, uh, just reading about this thing called a Dream-catcher." He shrugs, hands in his pockets. "Thought it might be interesting to check out. Y'know, for science and all. Heh."
"Oh yeah, dude," Soos nods,"we have those. There's a bunch of 'em in the stock room, but I think there might be one..." Soos reaches behind the counter. His face scrunches in concentration as his hand blindly searches. His face brightens. "Aha!" He shouts triumphantly, pulling out a small round object. "This the thing you're looking for, Dip?"
It's perfect. It looks almost exactly like the dream-catcher in the journal. Dipper grins.
"Yes!" He cheers as Soos hands him the item. "Thanks, Soos!" Dipper gives him the sparkling eyes and Soos waves him off with a smile.
"Anytime, bro," he insisted. Dipper holds out one fist and Soos bumps it with his own.
"Well, I've got some mystery solving to do," Dipper declared, his classic smirk aimed at his newest mystery item. Soos nods.
"Go, young adventurer," the blond commands, chin up. "I am needed here." Dipper laughs and runs off toward the back rooms.
"Thanks again, Soos!" He says once more and hurries to the attic. Dipper opens the door to the bedroom that he shares with his sister. The sister he wants to f... He shakes his head. He's gotta bring his stuff down to the break-room tonight. But that can wait. He's feeling a little tired, maybe he should take a nap. He smirks and places the Dream-catcher on the floor in front of him. He cracks open the 3 Book, giving it a quick once-over to make sure he didn't miss anything. Nothing in the directions resembles a summoning, so that makes him feel a little easier about the whole thing. Seems all he needs to do is touch the dream-catcher, preform the incantation, and place it above his bed. Hmm. Seems easy enough.
Well. He may as well get started.
He kneels on the floor before his bed, placing the object down directly in front of him. He places the book beside him, opened on the Dream-catcher page. He places an open palm on the object and beings to read.
"Tenebrae, Timor, Tristitia, et Mors," he chants, "ut requiescas securus esto animo. O regina Spider Quaeso somnium meum." The dream-catcher begins to glow, and a sudden dizzying feeling overcomes him, but he continues. "Pervenire eos leVIA SINT, FAC ME QUOD VIS!" He shouts, louder and louder as the dense atmosphere tries to suffocate him. "ET MANEO IN AETERNUM QUIA VENTUS DISC!" The last words echo, and the object slips from his grasp to float in the air before him. He stares at it dumbly as it glows brighter and brighter, filling his vision. He can't see, he can't hear. All he knows is light, it's so bright, and then-
SNAP!
Nothing.
END CHAPTER 2: The Dream-catcher
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or any characters therein.
PLEASE REVIEW!
Random side note: Book 3 of Legend of Korra just aired. Go watch it. Like, now. Avatar:tLA/LoKorra is the only show that I love as much as Gravity Falls. Avatar is greater to me, in the sense that it's more serious and deep, but Gravity Falls is mysterious, intriguing, and still manages to be silly!
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :)