A/N: UPDATED!
WHOOP, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's hope for a better one than 2016! (Though 2016 did have it's good bits!)
I want you guys to know that whilst some pretty bad stuff is happening now, in a few chapters it all straightens out into good old fluff and angst… XD
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gravity Falls!
However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor).
If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.
WARNINGS:
This fanfic will potentially contain blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.
OTHER:
It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).
Please enjoy, please review!
HIS POV
"Hey, I'm Lilly."
I looked up, trying not to wince at the pain shooting down my spine...
With great surprise, I realised she was the 'teen' I saw being dragged down the hall.
Up close she seemed so much older, dark bags under her eyes, pale- almost grey- skin that clearly hadn't seen sun in a long time, and wild mane of hair.
She extended a hand to help me up, offering me a tired, but gentle smile.
I flinched, a shiver running through me at the all-too-familiar gesture... However, after a moment's deliberation, I accepted her help.
She pulled me to my feet with a grunt.
"Thanks." I said awkwardly, running a hand through my crazed mop of hair.
She was still holding my hand- she'd noticed my fingers. A single bead of sweat slid down my forehead.
"Six fingers! Neat!" She said and gave me a blinding smile. For a moment the shadows below her eyes seem to fade and her face lights up. "I haven't seen a six-fingered humanoid in... Well, I don't think I've ever seen one!... Guess you're pretty unique in your dimension?"
Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
I snatched my hand back, shoving both hands deep into my pockets; It'd become a reflex after all these years.
"Something like that, yeah."
I turned away and immediately regretted my reaction.
In my peripheral vision I saw her stiffen in annoyance.
I deflated slightly as I heard loud footsteps walking away.
Way to go Ford! I thought, balling my hands into fists.
You had one chance and you blew it.
The footsteps stopped and after a few moments I heard an annoyed sigh.
"Turn to face me." She said, voice hard.
I froze for a moment, a thousand regrets running through my mind- "She's going to give me an earful..." I thought, Ma's 'talks' with Pa coming to mind...
STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM! They weren't coming here, and I wasn't going home... Not that I'd wish for them to come here... Not even Pa. No one deserved this kind of fate.
I snapped back into the present, alerted by an impatient little cough.
I stiffened, but reluctantly turned around.
The girl stood firmly, one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely by her side.
She walked forwards, both arms swinging loose, a calculating look on her face, narrowing her eyes and biting her lip, deep in thought.
Suddenly she stopped, furrowing her brows. She sighed and shook her head, gently taking hold of my hands. Startled, I tried to pull away but she held my hands firm and pulled them from my pockets. After a moment's hesitation, looked me square in the eyes.
"That's clearly a sensitive subject... I apologise." She said. "But being unique, unusual… It's not a bad thing. Everyone's got something unusual about them."
She hesitated again, but continued.
"But this place doesn't care about sensitive subjects. This place is going to use them against you, again and again and again. This place screws perceptions, warps thoughts, kills feelings, and generally screws people up." She looked me square in the eyes, brows furrowed.
"So that's why we all need to be patient with each other. We're all slightly off-the-deep-end and we all have a bit goodness in us." She smiled. "And as I said before, we're all a little unusual.
I'm shocked, yet touched. She's nothing like any girl I've met before...
Though I will say that that's a good thing. Most girls I've met either ignored me completely or gave me such a look I wish I could've crawled into a hole and died...
Don't laugh, I'm dead-serious!
*Muffled laughter* Oh, Sixer... No matter how many times I hear it, this story is always hilarious...
Despite the fact that you lived through it?
Yup. *Grins* Always.
"What's unusual about you?" I blurted.
I winced, and tried to rephrase... "Of course, that could be private... I don't mean to intrufe- intrufe? Heheh, 'Intrude' I mean... I mean..." I stumbled over my words, getting more and more tongue-tied by the minute, flushing redder and redder.
It was probably something she didn't want to disclose to close friends, let alone a random stranger she'd just met in a prison facility…
She chuckled.
"What d'ya wanna see?" She asked, a seemingly forced grin plastered on her face.
LILLY'S POV
"Hey I'm Lilly." The words leapt from my mouth before I could even think them through.
"Nice going!" I thought.
I sighed. Why did I even care any more?
To my surprise, after a moment's hesitation, he accepted the help.
He awkwardly thanked me, running a hand through his chestnut hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, sticking out in all directions.
I looked down at my hand, still holding his. I cringed inwardly…
"Whatever dignity you may have once had is charred beyond belief, you can't make it any worse!" Cophie yelled 'encouragingly'.
I was just about to break away when something caught my eye. I looked closer.
Six fingers!
I had a niggling suspicion that I knew him from somewhere, but brushed it aside.
I cast a furtive glance at the other hand.
Also six fingers.
"Hmmm… I'm sure I've seen him somewhere…" Cophie mused.
I can only thank the higher beings for giving her a distraction from her 'commentary', even if only for a moment.
"Six fingers! Neat!"
"I haven't seen a six-fingered humanoid in well..." I wracked my brains, trying to remember the last time I'd seen such a rare occurrence... Coming up blank, I finished with, "Forever!"
My smile faded as I realised what I just said and I cringed internally.
Did I honestly just say "Neat!"?!
Of all the dumb things that could've come out of my mouth in that particular moment, that one really takes the cake...
Thankfully my brain and mouth then decided to co-ordinate and I managed a sensible question- "I guess you're pretty unique in your dimension?"
He looked a little shocked and snatched his hand back, shoving both hands into his pockets.
He muttered, "Something like that, yeah."
I stiffened in annoyance. Honestly!
I stalked away, shoes slapping loudly on the stone as Cophie yells at me, only fuelling my anger.
My roommate probably thinks I'm a weirdo. Great!
My roommate is stiff and annoying. Great!
My roommate...
"Stop it! You're not helping me, you, or him!"
"Can it Cophie! I'm not in the mood!"
"No, you can can it! He's clearly sensitive about the subject! He's probably faced all kinds of problems over those extra fingers and here you come, barrelling in all smiles and perkiness-"
"Says you!"
"Shut it, I'm not finished! You come in like that and the poor man isn't sure whether you're being serious or sarcastic!"
I sighed. I guessed I had been a little forward...
"Yes you were! And he's probably feeling all kinds of guilt over it now!"
"Fine. I'll apologise. But don't expect it to be sweet or sappy."
Cophie smiled that secretive smirk and I rolled my eyes.
I rearranged my stance, standing firmly, one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely by her side.
"Turn and face me." I said, voice hard.
He froze and after a minute or so I coughed impatiently, trying to attract his attention.
He stiffened, but reluctantly turned around.
I observed his features carefully, looking for the slight twitches, lines, and gestures that might give away clues to his carefully hidden emotions...
I bit my lip as I came up short- I was gonna have to improvise.
I began to walk forwards, both arms swinging loose, a calculating look spreading across my features as I plotted out what I would say... This was gonna be one heck of an improvised speech... Or so I hoped.
I stopped, furrowing my brows; this was my last chance to back out... Should I take it?
I reached forwards and gently grasped his hands... His fingers were rough with callouses- a writer perhaps? He tried to pull away, clearly startled from the sudden touch, but I held his hands firm and pulled them out of his pockets. After a bare moment of hesitation, I looked him square in the eyes...
I had to divert my full attention to speaking, as I was afraid of getting lost in those eyes; two rich brown pools the colour of melted chocolate...
"That's clearly a sensitive subject... I apologise. But being unique, unusual… It's not a bad thing. Everyone's got something unusual about them."
I hesitated again, thinking it over, but continued- I had to give it to him straight and blunt, no 'beating around the bush'.
"But this place doesn't care about sensitive subjects. This place is going to use them against you, again and again and again. This place screws perceptions, warps thoughts, kills feelings, and generally screws people up." I looked him square in the eyes, brows furrowed.
"So that's why we all need to be patient with each other. We're all slightly off-the-deep-end and we all have a bit goodness in us." I smiled. "And as I said before, we're all a little unusual.
He looked a bit shocked, and for a moment I worried that I could've overdone it. But then he gave me a hesitant grin and blurts, "What's unusual about you?"
I opened my mouth and closed it, goldfish-like.
He winced, and tried to rephrase his previous sentence, "Of course, that could be private... I don't mean to intrufe- intrufe? Heheh, 'Intrude' I mean... I mean..." He stumbled over his words, getting more and more tongue-tied by the minute, flushing redder and redder.
I couldn't help but laugh despite the worry churning in my gut. This would either end well or... Or there would be... Issues... "What d'ya wanna see?" I ask, a forced smile plastered on my face.
"Eh. It'll be fine! True love always prevails!"
I try not to groan.
Now I remember why Cophie gets on my nerves so much…
"Go wander in the Mindscape will you? I'm at least 25,000 centuries older than him!"
We descend into silence as he 'Ummms' and 'Eeeerrrs', clearly uncertain of my question.
I looked closely at him, taking in all the details, making small observations as I did so.
He had wild, chocolate brown hair that 'poofs out', sticking out in all directions, a wild untameable mane...
He had dark, dark bags under his eyes and his wan skin looked like it could do with a good dose of sunshine. Perched on the ends of his nose were a large pair of glasses, a hairline crack in the lens.
As I stared, I could see a pastel-blue shirt peeking out from beneath a v-neck sweater.
He would seem almost scholarly if it weren't for the fact his long, latte-brown coat was torn at every edge, patched at the elbows, ragged, and scuffed.
I could just imagine it swishing behind him as he ran, like in a action movie where the hero jumps from the building/rooftop/cave and everything behind him just explodes...
I snapped back to reality.
After another minute of agonising silence, I spoke- three words that can end a relationship or make one.
"I have magic." I said, cool as you please on the exterior, heart thumping and mind racing on the interior.
He blinked in surprise and I found, for the first time in a while, I actually cared about what he might think... Ridiculous. If he reacts badly, well, it's not as if your enemy List is gonna get any shorter, is it?
I could practically feel the perspiration run down my forehead, despite the logical thoughts trying to chip away at it...
"STUPID STUPID STUPID. Well you messed that one up, didn't you Lilly?" I thought as I tensely waited for his reaction, eyes closed and brows furrowed in expectation.
Cophie sighed dramatically, striking the 'Damsel In Distress' pose.
I heard a small chuckle.
I opened one eye hesitantly, to see the strange man laughing at me.
"Only to be expected I suppose… Most non-magic folk react in disbelief…" I think, the bitter feeling of disappointment settling in my gut.
"Oh well. I was hoping for something… 'More'… From this one…" Cophie sighed, going back to consulting her list of my 'Potential Matches'.
I was about to scold her, tell her that rather than focusing on 'potential matches' we should REALLY be coming up with another ESCAPE/RESCUE plan, when I saw the man do something unexpected.
He smiles.
"I've encountered magic before."
For a moment he hesitated.
"Will you show me yours?"
I was shocked but pleased at the same time.
"Well, *Hello*, Pretty Boy!" Cophie said, spinning her chair back around to watch, very much enamoured.
"For the Gods' sake Cophie, get your hormones under control!"
I couldn't help but smile though.
Finally, someone with supernatural experience to talk to.
"How about me?"
"You don't count."
Pausing, I wondered what to show him; Should I show him an illusion? Should I show him the past, present, and future? Should I create something real, something to give to him…?
Finally, I decided.
I grinned- this was either gonna knock his socks off or he was gonna run away screaming... Hopefully not the latter.
HIS POV
I jumped back at the sight of the colourful streams that flowed from her fingers, arranging themselves into a wheel (of sorts).
"It looks almost like the wheel I used to summon *him*…" I noted amidst my panic.
Suddenly the silence is broken by HIS echoing laugh, bouncing off the walls, dredging up memories I'd been trying to forget.
Lilly's shadow was gone, replaced by the flickering shadowy outline of a triangle.
The wall was dotted with a thousand blinking, yellow eyes, pupils reduced to thin black slits.
I heard the first few notes of a song, music distorted to the point where it becomes a grating wail...
I blinked and it's gone, everything's gone- the eyes, the shadows, the 'music' (if it can even be called that) but the damage was done.
Cautiously I backed away, getting into a defensive stance- at least, I hoped it was a defensive stance. I couldn't remember very much from the boxing lessons Pa took us too… I preferred sitting on the sidelines… Stanley though…
I caught myself before my mind could begin to wander.
"He's a no-good slacker, a loose cannon! You shouldn't waste valuable seconds on a low-life like him…!"
I heard Pa's words echo through my mind…
I'd never really believed it though. No matter what I said, no matter how much Stanley hurt me, there's always that small, vulnerable part of me that went, "Hey, that's my brother you're talkin' 'bout! Leave 'im alone!"
How wonderful and painful childhood can be- especially when the Pandora's box of Adulthood opens to let in the darkness- jealousy, anger, pessimism, fear.
"Woah, calm down, it's just a spirit wheel!" I faintly heard her say as she tried to calm me.
Staring at her, with her arms outstretched, I cursed myself for trusting so blindly, for forgetting to keep my guard up.
"Haven't seen a girl in so long it's affecting your rational thinking…" I muttered to myself.
I looked her square in the eyes.
"You're just like him… You're a DEMON, just like Bill Cipher!" I yelled.
At the mention of his name she stiffened as if she'd been slapped.
Shakily, she backs away, magic receding and suddenly wary.
"B-Bill Cipher?" She stuttered, eyes wide.
LILLY POV
Suddenly I was hit by a swirling tornado of emotions, sweeping me up and dragging me away into a swirling mass of re-surfacing feelings accompanied by small flashes of memories.
A stab of shock.
Almost like a cat's eye...
Fear.
An enemy of our kind...
Curiosity. We hesitantly crept forwards...
Pity.
Terrified.
Respect.
"You're a no-good DEMON!"
A tinge of shyness.
"Friends?"
"For sure!"
Sparks of joy. She smiled, but I could tell she didn't believe us.
Excitement.
I finally knew.
Shock.
Then I looked across the room and my heart stopped. She was powerful, she was dangerous...
She would have to hide it or be destroyed.
Sorrow, tugging at the heartstrings.
"You're just jealous, why else would you tell me not to tell anyone?"
Gratitude.
"She'll forgive you... Eventually."
Mortification.
"Did you honestly think I'd want to go to the dance with YOU?"
Thankfulness.
"Just leave me alone."
"Not until you tell me what's wrong."
Curiosity.
"I wanted to show you something, but if you'd rather go home..."
Surprise.
"Just wait."
Shyness.
His hands flew over the ivory keys, coaxing a beautiful melody from the old piano.
And then he opened his mouth and began to sing.
A blazing streak of courage.
"Care to dance?"
Love.
Secret kisses exchanged behind trees, whispered words, fluttering feelings…
The feelings got light and fluttery, as if my stomach was suddenly filled with a kaleidoscope of butterflies…
And then happiness, brief snatches of laughter on the wind, a joyous, golden feeling bubbling up inside until I thought I could just burst with happiness.
Streaks of gold, rosy pink hues, splashes of teal, gentle pinks and oranges, specks of sunshine yellow…
Forgiveness.
Knocking in the middle of the night.
"Talk." I said, looking her square in the eyes.
This was my fault…
It's going to take some time…
Happiness.
He laughed and said, "I'll be fine."
What's the worst that could happen?
Loss.
Gone.
I stared blankly into the sky, the sky where she disappeared.
She saved me. I couldn't save her.
Then a pang.
A small twinge amongst the awful pain…
But somehow it's worse.
A small, involuntary gasp is stolen from my throat.
Lost.
I lost something.
And some part of me broke away.
I ran, ran through the woods screaming his name.
Everything was gone... They'd never existed.
Then there was a breaking sensation, a tearing, twisting in my chest. My heart felt as if it had been ripped from my chest, thrown to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.
And the happy, beautiful colours were lost.
Lost under streaks of slate grey, black-blues, and dark purples almost like bruises. Dark splotches of burgundy, then black.
Lost.
And I feel grief, the terrible kind that doesn't fade with time, but grows stronger.
And then all I know is the blackness…
But then there is a light.
Something fills the place where the shard broke off.
A tattoo of an outline of an orange triangle amidst falling cyan feathers...
My life was painted in the greyscale.
Only, white doesn't quite make it in.
Not anywhere.
After what feels like an eternity of darkness, a shining candle could be seen in the shadows.
Then another joined it.
Then one more.
Slowly, amongst the streaks of grey was hope.
Desperation.
"PLEASE, just… Tell. Me. Where. You. Are!"
Betrayal.
The flames licked at my heels as I fled.
His mocking words disappeared with him, gone into the shadowy darkness of night.
A silvery mist slowly infiltrated the grey, numbing the pain, washing away the grey…
But just when the colours began to peek through once more, the mist stole them from me too.
One candle was snuffed out…
And I was left with the remaining two…
But I was dead inside.
And I couldn't remember a thing.
Not his name, nor hers.
Then the world shattered, the fragments falling around me…
With a gasp, I was flung back into reality.
The memories were snatched from me once more... I could only remember the feelings.
I was lying on the cold, cement floor of the cell, staring up into a pair of smoked topaz eyes.
The strange man was sitting on his heels, leaning over me. He checked my pulse, biting his lip anxiously.
His eyes widened as he realised I'm awake, and leant back so quickly he fell onto his backside with a small groan.
I tried not to chuckle, and he fought back a smile… It ended up creeping onto his face anyway.
This time, he extended his hand.
"I'm Stanford… Stanford Pines. I come from another dimension, from a place called Earth. I'm sorry we got off onto the wrong foot, I'm a tad prone to hallucinations…" He blurted.
Then he winced, realising how that sounded.
I smiled, and shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Stanford. And don't worry, I've seen enough crazy things to last a lifetime, hallucinations aren't anything new."
HIS POV
Hesitantly, I asked, "Are you alright now? When I mentioned…" I swallow. "Bill… You kinda…" I struggled to find the right words…
She sighed.
"Let me guess, my eyes rolled up into the back of my head, my skin went white as parchment, and I started murmuring strange words under my breath?"
"Something like that, yes."
A flicker of worry crossed her features.
"That's new."
An odd expression worked its way onto her face and quietly she asked, "What century are you from? On Earth, I mean. I know Earth quite well… I'm rather fond of it and it's strange cultures."
She looked almost wistful for a moment, but then turned her intense gaze back to me.
I reply, "The 20th. Born in the 70s."
"Ah, the 70s." She sighs, smiling dreamily.
I stared in surprise.
It was strange, but I felt as if I'd known her a thousand lifetimes…
Hesitantly she asked me if I've seen any other humans here, or humanoid lifeforms- about 40 of them or so. She gave some descriptions that sound pretty accurate but I couldn't say I've seen them or heard of them.
"Sorry, no."
Her face fell but she gave me a small smile.
"It's okay. I didn't think you'd have seen them. Thanks anyway."
"Are they friends of yours?"
"Yeah."
She looked so blissful for the briefest moment, lost in a memory, but her expression morphed into a solemn one.
"They'd be better off without me though."
LILLY'S POV
I eyed up the crack in his glasses.
A quick and easy fix... And a lot less likely to make him freak out…
Then I paused.
I didn't have full access to my magic...
So how the heck did I summon that Prophecy Wheel?
It wasn't even intentional...
I had meant to craft a simple lotus blossom- harmless, easy to dispose of, easy to maintain, but notoriously difficult to create because of its gentle nature.
It also required only the smallest spark of magic…
Curious.
Ah well, it can't hurt to try.
I pursed my lips and rubbed my fingertips together, trying to generate some friction…
After a moment of rubbing, I felt my palms begin to tingle and my fingertips lit up with a familiar blue aura.
I grinned, and leant forwards to tap the edge of his glasses. I closed my eyes and envisioned the crack sealing, slowly closing.
I opened my eyes to see Stanford cross-eyed, staring at the blue sparks working their magic.
I slipped off to bed, rather pleased with this new development, leaving him to his thoughts.
"You're such a show-off." Cophie mutters, secretly amused.
FORD'S POV
I stared cross-eyed at my newly fixed glasses.
Taking them off, I looked closer- the crack was non-existent.
I watched as she got to her feet and sidled over to a bed on the far side of the room.
She flopped onto the bottom bunk and curled up, facing the wall, clearly done with our conversation.
I opened my mouth, intent on saying something, but the words died in my throat.
Quietly as I could, I took off my coat and hung it on the edge of the ladder.
I lay awake on the bunk parallel from hers, staring at the bunk above me.
Who the hell is she?
And what is up with her and Bill…?
Was that a coincidence? Or not at all?
I slowly drifted off into sleep, mind frantic with thoughts, theories, and feelings…
But for the first time in years, there's no nightmares.
No maniacal laughing, or triangle shadows on the walls, no pain, or doubt.
Just a swirling tide of confusion…
And a sliver of hope.
A/N:
I hope you liked it! I'm currently finding it quite hard to find and stick with a 'character' or 'voice' for Lilly… She's a tough one to write, Ford too.
Please review, I'll try and answer any questions! No flames please!
This whole thing will hopefully make a lot more sense in a chapter or so.
(Also I really must apologise if there are any changes in tense during this piece, I will endeavour to fix them, I promise! It was originally going to be present tense but I changed it, so if you find any slip-ups, that's why! By the way, do you prefer past or present tense? I'm gonna go with past unless you guys prefer otherwise?)
Review, people! (Please?)
Buy gold, BYEEEEE!