Cipher clue: Adding numbers to the dial code was definitely a good idea
Chapter 3: Change of pace
It gets extremely late before Will is dragging him to the main door, and then pushing him to start heading home, the demon doesn't take a no for an answer, he ends up deciding to tag along just to make sure Dipper won't pass out in the way there, and after spending hours upon hours searching through books with the other, Dipper feels like they have a deep enough bond to not worry about Will knowing where he lives, not that Will wouldn't have known regardless, what with him being a demon
He remembers Mable opening the door and helping Will carry him to his bed, he also faintly remembers her asking the other who he is, in what probably is a flirting tone, before he drifted off into sleep
~8BG3EER, 3 6B887K7GM IHO~
Will knew he would get questioned, this Mabel seemed a lot more agreeable than the one he knew, but some things just don't change
"So, can I know your name?"
Ok, a believable lie, he was sure his real surname would raise a couple red flags, besides, he had to test if he could lie at all; prolonged hours near Fay could affect one
"Ah, of course, I'm William, William Musser; I work with your brother at my cousin's library"
"I see, he didn't tell me he would have a co-worker"
"I think he found out today, actually, and we went straight to work"
"Well, thank you for bringing him back, you didn't have to"
Ok, this is a course he can follow, he can lie too, that's good to know, he isn't sure why, but he feels like divulging things to this Mable would be bad
"I was worried he wouldn't make it here on his own, time passed rather quickly today, but I'm sure he'll be returning earlier from now on"
This, Will promises to himself, he needs Arcas in his best health if he's going to teach him magic, so he puts on a gentle smile
"When he wakes up tell him not to worry, I'll cover for him this time"
Mabel smiles right back, nodding, there's a bit of flirting afterwards, before Will is allowed to leave, which is a bit uncomfortable until Mabel mentions Fay as his cousin, he tells her the truth, that he doesn't think the other cares much for gender, he's not sure Mabel knows they're talking about a, mostly female, demon, but he wasn't going to tell her if Dipper didn't decide to, he had the feeling that fell into the area of 'things that are better left for trusted people to say', Fay would be proud of that one, he groans internally
~LM3KL, B EBD7 MABL 5H67~
The first thing he does as he crosses the door of the library again is let gravity take over, he's caught by Fay's familiar magic, the soft maroon glow is generally not very easy to spot, but right now he appreciates this particularity, he's carried to Fay's persona portal, and then to the house they had to buy to keep the pretense of being humans, Fay drops him on a couch-bed that's easy to melt in, he mumbles his thanks
"So, what did you think about this world's Mabel?"
"Shooting star is way different, like, their very auras are completely different colors, with Arcas it's just a different shade"
"Is she a pure as well?"
"That's the thing too, as far as I remember they've always had similar auras in other dimensions, like, always two secondary or two mixed, but not here"
"Hmmm"
He turns his head slightly, getting a look at Fay, who has slipped into her demon form; ears shifting every so often, the glass eyes are in their case
"I feel like there's something you're not telling me"
She pulls a chair from the kitchen without moving, and slumps in it sighing
"I'm still not allowed to talk about the future"
"Ah, right, so I guess it has to do with the fate of this dimension then"
She nods slowly, then she tilts her head towards something unseen, Will is too tired to try and see it too
"If possible, I would like to change that fate, though my actions have contradicted that train of thought so far, or rather most of them"
"You're rambling"
Fay sighed before smiling tiredly
"Thanks Will"
He shrugs, it's become rather common for him to do this; Fay is nothing if not appreciative of the gesture
~VTUZ BL LN5A 3 F7LL H8 3 R73K~
Will woke up with a jolt as his mind took a moment to realize that no, he was in no danger, he had fallen asleep on an open book, after he had insisted Fay leave him study a bit longer, the smell of coffee wafted to his nose and he saw Dipper placing a carrier with three cups on the table, he relaxed when the eyes that were skimming the book were brown and not blue, he used a bit of magic to lift one cup and move it closer to himself, the other glanced to him and raised an eyebrow
"How late did you stay up for?"
"I have no idea"
"Don't bother him much Arcas, he has zero sense of time, thanks for the coffee"
"Welcome"
Will takes a good sip, letting the warmth fill him before sighing; he looks at the other two
"I found out the location of one of the books, I'll teach you an easy disguise spell when I wake up some more"
Dipper nodded, Fay whispered something into her cup, making it glow maroon for a moment; she then takes another sip and gives the first smile of the day
"Try not to flood the place; I'd rather not have to use drying spells on magic books; that never goes well"
It is very odd to see so much expression on a face that's half-covered by hair, but Fay looks positively put out by the concept, though she has understandable reasons. Will concentrates on his own coffee nodding slowly to not spill nor dizzy himself; he hopes the day goes smoothly
((Lines and dots))
