Well that little problem got solved faster than I thought...Anyway! New chapter! YAAAY! The crud in reality over here has been fixed, so I took the time to write quite a long chapter last night. I apologize, it's a little messy and mostly just used to clear some things out of the way, what do they call that? Exposition? No. Hype? Maybe...but I hope you like it anyway!
As always: Stay awesome, nice shoes, buy gold! -Silver
Dippers POV:
Quite the day yesterday. Quite. The. Day. I summon an evil demonic entity to do my bidding, accidentally transform said demonic entity into a human. Then discover that the very girl whom I met in the middle of a storm, welcomed into our home, and have become rather chummy with, IS HIS SISTER and a demon as well!
Quite the day indeed.
After the two of them returned last night, the air between them seemed...softer, somehow. What the heck did they talk about? Where did they go?
When they did come back obviously me and Mabel didn't let him in here last night without some convincing from Nadi. And it took A LOT of convincing. But as much as I hated to admit it, Bill doesn't really have anywhere to go at the moment. Considering his lack of...triangular-ness. So we let him stay up in the attic with Nadi for the night, as uncomfortable as it mad Mabel and I.
But I doubt anyone could really resist Nadilines begging pleads. She may be powerless like Bill, but that doesn't mean she still can't wash some sympathetic emotions on me. So guess who's stuck with him?
Are all demons so persuasive? And...triangular?
I laugh to myself, Nadi as a floating triangular demon? I would love to see that.
Nadiline is just currently sweeping the shop floor, like she usually does when she's bored. And although I bet she doesn't notice it, I can hear her silently singing to herself.
"I wanted to belong here, but something felt so wrong here. So I prayed, I could breakaway. I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly. I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky…"
I smile softly. She really is quite the amazing singer. Despite her quiet volume, I can hear her voice sway through the quiet room, reaching my ears. Why would she want to hide her talent?
As for the others, Mabel is laying on the check-out counter in front of me, shaking one of the remaining snow globes that didn't get smashed a few days ago. Grunkle Stan is...I honestly have no clue. I never saw him come back to the shack last night, probably just ran into a sale or something at the dollar store. Not that he'd actually buy anything...
And then there's Bill. He's just walking randomly around the shop, staring at the floor as he goes. He's wearing the exact same clothes as yesterday. The same brick patterned, yellow suit with a black bow-tie, coal black pants, and leather dress shoes tapping on the ground as he walks. Honestly that suit makes him stick out like a sore thumb. I guess he doesn't have much to work with right now anyway.
But what the heck is that guy thinking about? World domination? Killing everyone in the room? Stealing my body again!? I'll never get over that unfortunate experience. Although I bet he thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember him saying to me that it had been awhile since he had been in a body...did he mean that body, the one he's in now? Nadi did mention before that his current form looked more like 'him'. Maybe he had an body before? I honestly have no clue.
It's then that is dawns on me that I really don't know much about...his kind. If that's a safe way to put it. Are they all...triangular? Are there more of them? Besides just Nadi, Bill and...whatever their other siblings name was. Bumy? Not important.
I grab the journal from the inside of my vest, the one I'm surprised is still there, considering there's a certain someone in the room that would love to get their hands on it. I turn through the old ripped pages to the one Nadi pointed out last week…'Demons'.
I start to mumble to myself as I read through the journal entry, "Though I find it is unknown how many demons actually live among us, I don't think we can currently identify them in the first place. They seem to enjoy being hidden, I find. They could be in disguise, walking among us as humans or even invisible. Using their vast power to shield themselves from the world. But I start to thin-"
*TAP* *TAP* What the-? Ignore it Dipper.
I continue to read, "I start to think to myself that maybe only one does exist. Cipher is the only one I have had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting. Is he the last of his kind? Las-"
*TAP* *TAP* *TAP*, IGNORE it. Ignore it.
I continue to read again, "Last of a long forgotten species? Or was there one to even begin with? My research becomes more vast every waking hour, it's only a matter of time before-"
*TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*
"What the heck are you doing man!?" I question Bill, throwing my book down on the wooden counter, as he continues to bang a black cane against the wooden floor. Where and when did he get that thing?
"Looking." he replies simply. "Looking for what?" I question.
"A thing."
"A thing?"
"Yes." He says, seeming rather distracted.
How very specific. I seem to be the only one bothered by this because the others continue on with their bored activities. Nadi singing quietly while sweeping, Mabel shaking a snow globe, Bill tapping on the floor with the cane, and me TRYING to read, but failing miserably.
I starting to wonder what the two of them even plan to do about this little problem? Them being stuck like that and all. We can't possibly leave them like this, or at least Nadi, who has already said she has been stuck like that for over a century...
"It's a work in progress Pinetree. You have to give it some time." I suddenly hear Bill say out of thin air.
"Could you quit it with the mind reading!?" I ask him angrily.
"I could, but I won't." he laughs.
Yep, we need to find a solution soon, or I'm going to lose my mind as well. This place is getting too crowded. I look over at Mabel, who just keeps playing with the sparkling snow globe. I then walk over to her, grab her by the sweater sleeve, pulling her off the counter and drag her quickly into the living room, much to her annoyance.
"Hey! What the heck Dipper! I was busy over there!" she argues.
"SHHHHH! Whisper! And yes, yes, shaking the snow globe, very important." I whisper sarcastically. "Look Mabel, if you haven't noticed, we got BIGGER problems right now."
She groans, but listens to what I have to say anyway.
"Let's see what we're dealing with here: Two demons, both trapped as humans, both MOSTLY powerless, one is our friend while the OTHER I'm sure would like to see us dead!"
"I know Dipper, but what choice do we have? I trust Nadi, and if she wants Bill around, I think we should let him! Besides he hasn't done anything crazy yet, has he? Ya know, besides almost strangling Nadiline..."
"That's what I mean! If there's one thing we've learned this summer, it's that he's dangerous. Remember all those warnings he gave us? 'Big things are coming', 'Everything you love is going to change'. We have to keep an eye on him! For all we know, this whole 'friendly brother' routine could all be a ruse! And I know what you're going to say, 'just trust Nadiline and everything will be ok'. I trust her too, but everything WON'T be ok if we let our guard down. Understand?"
"Ya, ya. You know I really hate being the sidekick in all this. I follow you here, I follow you there. I listen to you here, get ordered there. It's getting kinda annoying." she complains.
But before I can answer, I hear someone talking from inside the shop. I peek out the swinging doors to see the very man I was wondering the location of a couple minutes ago...
"Who the heck is that guy?! I told you Nadiline, if you're going to work here, no friends in the shop!" I hear Grunkle Stan yell to the currently humanized demons.
Oh jeez…I run from the living room and stand in between Bill and Grunkle Stan.
"Grunkle Stan! Hey! We can uhh, explain." I hope. "This is...is" I start to stutter nervously.
Excuse Dipper, think of an excuse! But how the heck do you explain the random, blonde stranger with an eye-patch suddenly walking around the room, banging a cane on the floor!?
I then see Nadiline suddenly beside me.
"Mr. Pines! Heeyyyy!" she greets nervously. Most likely trying to stall.
"Ya see….um. This guy right here…" she stutters, while pointing a thumb above her shoulder at Bill.
"He'sssss…" She looks down at me and I give her a look that says 'You're really not helping.' We're in deep water right now…
"Johnathan. Jonathan Smith." We hear Bill suddenly say, pushing between us and holding out a hand. It's then that my eyes widen to see Bill in completely different clothing. He's now wearing loose, navy jeans and a black v-neck tee with a plaid shirt above it, but still wearing the triangular eye patch. Well then…that happened.
Grunkle Stan shakes his hand suspiciously. "You look familiar…" he says to Bill/Jonathan.
"I don't believe we've ever met." Bill says hastily, letting go of Grunkle Stans hand.
"And why, may I ask, are you in my shop? We're closed." he grumbles.
It's then that Nadi once again joins the awkward conversation. But I'm starting to think she's very good at lying...
"Well, you see Mr. Pines. Johnathan here, is my big brother! Ya. And he's just stopping by. For a little visit, that's all. We...Smiths-" she pauses, giving a confused glance at her brother, who just shrugs his shoulders,
"-have a bad habit of not knocking." she says quickly.
"Your last name is Smith?" he questions her. "Yeeeeesssss." she says nervously, making sure not to make eye contact. I feel as though he's not buying it. But he simply just nods and walks out the front door, but then yells behind him,
"I'm gonna go pick up some tools from Hammers & Things! And Dipper? If you ever trick me into thinking there's a free waffle stand by the supermarket again, i'll make you paint the yard green!" he threatens me. Well then...I honestly thought he'd make more of an argument there, he never likes people in that shack during closed hours.
After Grunkle Stan leaves, both me and Nadi let out a relieved breath and Bill continues his annoying cane tapping on the floor. "Dude, could you cut that out?!" I argue again. "Nope. Not until I find the 'thing'." he simply responds. I really hate this guy...and where the heck did the clothes come from?
"Demon, Pinetree. Demon. I may be mortal for now, but I still have some tricks up my sleeve." he says, quite impressed with himself. I feel like that guy has an ego the size of a football field.
I officially GIVE UP.
And then...the loudest noise i've ever had the chance of hearing:
*WHOOSH*(...I think it sounded like that...maybe a )*CRIIINNNNK* (Ok, look I'm not the best with writing in noises -Silver)
All of us jump in surprise at a sudden noise. Both Nadi and Mabel let out a girly screech...although I think I might of as well.
"FOUND IT!" yells Bill with delight. "Found what!? That almost gave me heart attack!" I yell at him.
"Almost? Shame." he mocks. Again, I hate this guy.
We all walk over to where Bill is standing and see a large square of the wooden paneled floor has opened a crack. What the heck?
"I told ya Nads! A couple add ons, a few renovations, but the same old Cipher shack. Hidey holes and all!" he says, looking proud.
"Cipher shack?" I question.
"What you 'talkin about Cipher?" Mabel asks, somewhat like a gangster. But he just ignores us both.
But seriously, Cipher shack!?
Nadi kneels down on the ground, beside the opened floorboards. "What's down there?" she asks Bill. "Well where do you think I put all of our things? When you left the old place, and Lumi and I abandoned ship, I had to put our things SOMEWHERE."
He then grabs the panel with both hands and gives a heavy groan as he struggles to open it. But it doesn't budge. "Jeez, I forgot how useless being mortal was. I can read minds, I can change clothes out of thin air. But the ability to open a trapdoor with ease? Apparently not." he complains.
"Welcome to my world Bill." Nadi deadpans. Bills face turns to one of guilt. "You're never going to let that go are you?"
"Nope." she states simply, with a slight smile.
"Come on, one more try." she says while grabbing onto the panel as well. "One, two, THREE" she says as they both pull up on the panel. All of the sudden it bursts open, and we're all engulfed in dust and cobwebs.
"EEEWWW, ah come on! You could have warned us!" complains Mabel. "Now I got dust under my sweater! Bleh, it feels weird." she says, while shifting uncomfortably.
"Well what did you expect, Shooting Star? This things been shut for 122 years! I'm surprised everything's still in tact down there!" he says, looking down into the now visible square hole in the floorboards. It's a few feet wide, definitely enough to fit at least four people.
I was mentally prepared to see the worst. Expecting to see piles of dusty bones, or dark magic spell books...or a vampire! But the only thing I see is two large, wooden trunks. Both covered head to toe in cobwebs, with a small, golden locks on the front.
"Memories and mementos…" I can hear Bill quietly mumble to himself.
"What was that?" I question him.
"NOTHING, nothing." he replies nervously. What is he hiding?
"No. Freaking. WAY!" Nadi says excitedly all of the sudden, a huge smile plastered on her face. Then she's suddenly giving Bill a giant hug. Since when were they so chummy?
"Bill, I know how much I hate you, but did I ever mention how much I love you?"
"You could stand to mention it more, little sis."