Hi! I'm posting this today, since I have a lot of homework tomorrow, and I have class on Monday.
Anyway; I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I wrote it while I was half asleep and kind of ill, and even with extensive editing, it's... meh. Not to mention I wrote this chapter almost a year after I wrote the first one, so there is a bit of a difference in writing. So... yeah. I'm still blown away by the reception this story got, so I hope this chapter doesn't ruin anything.
I'll go more into details in the end note, but basically, please tell me what you think of this chapter. If you liked it or not. As previously said, this is my most upbeat story ever and it... kind of shows. I'm not used to writing people happy and not all depressed...
Well... Enjoy!
Chapter Two: In Which One Should Never Ask 'Could This Day Get Any Worse?'
When his bus arrived at the hotel where all the Matches- both Primary and Secondary- stayed, Dipper immediately went to check in, where he found his room number and got his key. He'd be sharing with his sister, since it saved their parents some money. The Matching Ceremony cost a lot of money to attend as it was, so any amount of money saved was good, in his parent's book. Besides, Dipper didn't mind sharing with his twin; he used to do all the time while in Gravity Falls, where they lived as apprentices for their great uncles. In recent years they had gotten their own rooms, but sharing was never something he minded in regards to Mabel.
Taking the elevator up to his room, which was on floor ten, he felt himself relax somewhat.
So the day hadn't turned out quite as well as he had hoped. At least it hadn't gone as bad as he had feared, which was always a plus. It would turn out alright, he told himself. And if it didn't, he'd deal with it. His parents had already said they didn't mind the expense of the Matching, claiming that it was a necessary part of growing up that every young person had to go through at least once. Even if the Match failed, or if you hated your Match, at least you had gone through the process. It was like his Bar Mitzvah; a ceremony that signified a rite of passage, even if it was incredibly outdated and tedious.
He was taken from his thoughts when the doors to the elevator opened on floor ten, letting him and a few other people out into the hallway. With a deep breath, Dipper marched over to his room, counting the door numbers to find his. After finding it, he entered the key into the electronic door and waited for the light to turn green, signifying the door unlocking. Turning the handle, he entered the small but nice looking room, two twin beds sitting in front of a small flat screen TV. With a smile, Dipper walked over to the bed by the window and sat down, lying back on the soft mattress. He'd go claim his bag from the concierge later; right then he was dead tired and needed to rest. After all, he had spent the majority of the previous night wide awake, fretting over this failed meeting.
Closing his eyes, Dipper allowed himself to drift off, his dreams full of people milling around him while he desperately tried to find someone. To find the one who was meant for him. When he awoke to the sound of the door closing, hours later, he was unsure how he felt about the fact that he hadn't found them in time.
He didn't have much time to analyze his dream, though, before a loud squeal filled the air and he felt his bed dip, his body getting attacked by a very enthusiastic hug. He tried not to let out a squeak and let his sister get her excitement out, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.
"Dipper, Dipper, Dipper! I met my match today! She's perfect! I mean, at first I was skeptical, since we hated each other as kids, but now I realize we're totally meant for each other!" Mabel squealed, her voice so high pitched that Dipper was sure that only dogs could hear it at this point. It took him a moment to fully process his sister's words, but even after he did, he was still slightly confused.
"Wait… she? Hated each other? Just who did you get, Mabel?" Dipper questioned, gently peeling his twin away from him. It wasn't unheard of to get a same sex match (and was, in fact, one of the reasons why the Secondary and Primary People classification existed) but it wasn't too common. Especially if one had always expressed interest in one sex over the others, like Mabel had. However, looking at the way Mabel's face kind of took on a guilty expression, Dipper was starting to wonder of there was something his twin hadn't told him.
"Uh, right… so, maybe I'm not quite as… straight, as I always appeared?" Mabel hedged with a guilty smile, wincing when she saw the unimpressed look on her brother's face. "I was going to tell you! I swear. It just… never came up."
Dipper let out a soft sigh, shaking his head slightly.
"Whatever Mabel. You know I'll love you no matter what, right?" he informed, not minding all that much that she hadn't told him her preference. After all, he had never told her about how he sometimes let his eyes linger on the forms of the few male friends he had. Not that he was ashamed of it; rather, it simply wasn't really something he really wanted to speak about with his sister. It would have been like the time Mabel had found out about his crush of Wendy and had subsequently refused to leave him alone about it. Not something he was interested in dealing with, especially about something as private as this.
He watched with mild amusement as relief filled his sister's eyes, a wide smile breaking out on her face. Like he'd ever stop loving her, he thought fondly. She could probably kill a man and his first response would be 'where can we hide the body?' After the initial panicking, of course, but he never pretended to not be a worrywart.
"Thanks, Dip-Dop," Mabel replied softly, lurching forward to give him another back-breaking hug. Letting out a grunt of pain, he gently pried his sister off of him and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder.
"You know," he hedged a minute later, breaking the comfortable silence that had descended after his approval, "you never did tell me who your match actually was. Something about hating each other as kids?" He finished, looking at her with a soft frown. The frown grew when she winced once again, the guilty look returning as she began to twirl her hair with her finger. Just who had she gotten, Dipper thought with growing worry. She had seemed so enthused when she had awoken him, so it wasn't someone she viewed with distaste. That meant it was someone he disliked, he concluded. Who Mabel, and likely him, had hated as a child. But who did he dislike and/or hated that was female? He couldn't think of anyone who he… oh. Oh. Oh, no.
"No. No. Mabel!" He exclaimed, watching as the look on his sister's face grew even guiltier, her hand coming up in a universal motion of 'wait, let me explain.' However, he didn't want an explanation. He already had a hunch about who she had gotten, and while he may not be happy, it made sense, in a weird, twisted way. Still, he wasn't about to accept it right away.
"Pacifica?" He demanded incredulously, "really?" Upon not receiving a word of disagreement, he knew that his hunch was confirmed. With a groan, he buried his head in his hands and began to resign himself to a life with a particular Northwest running around.
"It's not that bad, bro-bro. She's grown up a lot since we were kids. The first thing she did when we met at the train was apologize for how she had treated us, even though she's done it many times in the past. And, after talking for a while, we realized we have a lot more in common than just mini golf. Apparently she actually really likes crafting! We're already planning on creating a big project for the town, when we get back!" Mabel enthused, her smile returning as she thought of her Match. Despite himself, Dipper felt a rush of envy flow through him, remembering his Match and their refusal to meet. To think, this could have been him, had his Match just decided to meet him, he thought blandly. Not wanting his twin to think he disapproved, even though he kind of did (after all, Pacifica? Ugh, he thought with distaste) he plastered a smile on his face and gave her a small side hug.
"I'm happy for you, Mabes. As long as she treats you well, I have no objections."
His words were worth it, even with the bad taste they left in his mouth, when he saw the way Mabel practically lit up like a firefly, her already beaming face stretching impossibly wider. He was prepared this time when she tackled him, countering with his own bear hug, determined not to let her win this battle of affection. However, he had to call Uncle when he started to lose oxygen, his head spinning with the lack of air.
With a laugh, he pulled away, his heart flying as he saw his sister so ecstatic. After all, he loved her with all his heart and her happiness was probably one of the most important things to him. It even allowed him to forget his own disappointment, if only momentarily, to see her so happy.
That was ruined, however, when Mabel decided to ask him about his Match. His smile fading off his face, he looked away from his sister, biting his lip in a nervous habit that he really should have kicked by that point. He heard his sister call his name, worry in her voice, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to muster up the courage to tell her the truth. Knowing her, she'd probably do something dramatic, such as march up to the Matching Office and demand they tell her who his Match was or something similarly ridiculous.
When she called his name again, this time with a hint of warning in her voice that usually preceded a tickling session, Dipper knew the jig was up and let out a long suffering sigh. Still he stalled, trying to find the right words. How exactly does one say that they were stood up on the most important date of either of their lives?
"Come on, Dip, just tell me who you got! It can't be that bad. She's not ugly is she? If she is, then you need to reevaluate your priorities, because I'm sure she's actually very lovely and you're just being too judgmental! Or is she rude? If that's it, then maybe you can talk with her? See if you can convince her to be nicer? Oh! Or I could talk with her! I'm sure any issues will be resolved by the Love Doctor!" Mabel exclaimed, apparently deciding to make up her own story when Dipper took too long to reply. Pulling a face at his twin, he sighed again as he laid down on his bed, running a hand down his face, letting it remain there so he didn't have to face the world.
"Thanks, Mabel, but not necessary. I wasn't claimed. I don't know who my Match even is, let alone if they're pretty or nice."
Well, that shut her up, he thought miserably. Silence reigned supreme in the tiny room, the only sounds being the ones that came from the small icebox they had in the corner of the room. Finally, after a long minute, he felt more than saw Mabel lie down beside him, her hand coming to rest on his hand, prying it away from his face and setting it back down between them, but not letting it go.
"I'm sorry, Dipper," she whispered softly, for once entirely serious. "I know how much this first meeting meant to you. It's not fair."
Letting out a soft, humorless laugh, Dipper squeezed her hand, a rush of gratitude towards her filling him. No matter what anyone said, Mabel did have the ability to be sensitive, when the situation called for it.
"But, if you want, I can always go to the Matching Office and demand they give me the name of your Match, not leaving until I get the information. Those bookworms won't know what hit then after getting struck by the one and only Mabel!"
Letting out a full blown laugh at that, Dipper turned on his side and gave his twin another hug, somewhat awkward due to the angle, not to mention the fact he was hugging his sibling while lying down on a twin sized bed. With a grimace, Dipper sat up, stretching his back to ignore the awkwardness.
"Thanks, Mabel, but it's fine. Really. I'll just… meet them at the ceremony, I guess. Better hope they're nice, huh?"
With a sigh, the boy stood and walked over to the window, looking out at the wonderful view of hotel roof, wondering if this whole thing had been a big mistake or not.
Feeling his sister's eyes on his back, Dipper started to feel self-conscious, which caused him to feel almost stifled in this too small room. After a moment, he decided that he wanted to go out for a walk, even though it was passed midnight already. It was what he did when he was feeling stressed back at home, so maybe it would help him sort through his emotions now. Plus, he wouldn't have to deal with Mabel's well meaning, but usually overbearing, advice. Mind made up, he turned around and began walking to the door.
Without looking at his sister, not wanting to see the pity he knew resided there, he grabbed his signature vest and hat that he had left by the door, and left the room with a quick 'see you later, I'm gonna go for a walk, don't wait up,' the bright lighting in the hallway assaulting his eyes as he rushed to the elevator without a backward glance.
So maybe he wasn't okay, he thought glumly as the elevator doors closed, leaving him in solitude. There wasn't even any cheery elevator music, though he was unsure if he was upset about that or not.
Mabel had been right, though. It wasn't fair. Why did his Match get to know who he was and what he looked like, but he was stuck here, not even a name to muse about? It was practically cruel, he fumed, storming out of the elevator when the doors opened, eyes focussed solely on the ground.
Maybe this had been a bad idea. Maybe he hadn't been meant for having a Match. Or maybe Matches were just a stupid, outdated idea that only romantics like Mabel thought worked. After all, his great uncles never had a Match, and they were just fine. Ford frequently mentioned that he had been too focussed on school to care about Matches, and Stan… well, Stan had been homeless at the time, he and Mabel had eventually learned, but he never seemed lonely! Except for that time he mentioned that he sometimes wished he had someone to share his life with… and that being a bachelor forever kind of grew tiring after a while…
Ugh!, Dipper thought, his teeth clenching together as he exited the automatic hotel doors, the cool night air refreshing, even though he didn't notice it with the anger that flowed through him. This was such madness! Matches didn't matter. There would be other times where he'd be able to find people. People could fall in love anytime, it didn't matter if they were Compatible or not. It didn't matter that it felt like failure that his Match hadn't wanted to meet him, or that he felt like his heart was breaking despite the fact he had never even met this person, so why did it hurt so badly they didn't want to meet him? It was illogical, and stupid, and if his eyes didn't stop tearing up he was going to punch something, he swore it.
Before he could do something drastic that would likely end in pain, Dipper felt himself stop suddenly, which made his jumbled mind freeze as he tried to understand why he had stopped. It took him about half a second to realize he had stopped because he had run into something, likely a wall. It took the other half of the second to realize that, because of the sudden stop and resistance, he was about to fall backwards, likely making a complete fool of himself. Not that there was anyone out there other than him, as late at night as it was, but it was the principle of the matter, thank you very much.
Before he could even brace himself for impact, however, he felt something warm wrap around his waist, dragging him forward against something even warmer that smelled of cinnamon and cloves. Throwing his arms up on instinct, his forearms came into contact with something soft, which confused him, because walls were not supposed to be soft? But, walls also were not supposed to be warm, or wrap around you, so it was with that knowledge that Dipper's confused mind made the connection that he perhaps wasn't as alone as he had thought, and that it had not been a wall that he had run into.
He felt his face heat up when all the pieces fell into place in his mind. The flush grew darker when he heard a low chuckle, the vibrations he felt against his arms indicating that whoever was holding him- holding him! - was the one laughing. At him. Dear God, could this day get any worse?!
As if to answer that rhetorical question, he felt the arms that were around him squeeze tighter, hands slipping low on his back and pulling him closer, rather than pushing him away. Oh, great, Dipper thought with rising panic. He had run into a pervert. Literally. He was really thinking about lodging a complaint with the world, informing it that the question 'could this day get any worse' was rhetorical and not meant as a challenge.
"Well, well, well. Lookie at what I caught in my web tonight. How peculiar," a soft, silky voice mused, the hands radiating heat where they touched, causing something in Dipper to flip not unpleasantly. Not wanting to think about his reaction to this situation, he started to pull away, a yelp on his tongue, but he stopped when he realized that he recognized that voice. It wasn't a familiar voice, but… he definitely knew it. Somehow. It was the how that stopped him, causing the boy to freeze in the unfamiliar arms.
With a frown, Dipper looked at the chest that was in front of his face, which was clothed in a very dapper, bright yellow suit jacket, complete with a black vest and a little black bow tie. Huh. A bow tie. Didn't see many of those these days, Dipper thought distractedly, still focussed on trying to determine where he knew that voice. Oh, sure, he could have always just looked up and ended the mystery, but where was the fun in that? Dipper didn't think about how he shouldn't be having any 'fun' while in the arms of a mysterious pervert, as it was too confusing for his tired, still upset mind to comprehend at the moment.
"A mute, perhaps. Or maybe just shy. Or maybe he's funny in the head," the voice mused, sounding decidedly amused. The laugh that sounded a second later confirmed the amusement, making Dipper break out of his trance, his face heating up once again as he remembered where he was and why he shouldn't be staying in the arms of a strange man. "Ha! Hey, Pine Tree, you alright in there? Didn't knock your brain cells around, did I? Should be more careful, wandering around without looking where you're going. Could hurt yourself!"
With that, Dipper pulled away, his face surely redder than a tomato, his heart beating wildly with his nerves and his mild anger. How dare this guy mock him?! As he pulled away he felt a little resistance, almost like the man didn't want to let go, but that was far from reassuring. Instead Dipper felt more concerned, wondering if he should talk back, or if he should run head first back to the hotel, where there were still people milling about. As it was, the boy had no idea where he had wandered, the area that he could see as his eyes darted left and right completely foreign to his eyes. Curse his ability to nervously wander when he was upset! Oh, he thought miserably, he never should have left the room.
"Ha-ha! You're a feisty one, aren't ya, Pine Tree? Good to know, good to know," the man mumbled, chuckling softly to himself. Still not looking up at the man's face, Dipper was once against struck with a sense of familiarity. Whose voice was that? And why did he know it?
Now he couldn't run back to the hotel, not without learning whose voice that was. So, even though he felt like he was admitting defeat, he took a deep breath and lifted his head, a biting remark ready on lips. The remark died, however, as his eyes lifted up past the neck (where that bow tie resided. Really, who wore bow ties anymore?) and onto a large, blindingly white grin, impossibly high cheekbones framing the grin. Struck with familiarity once more, Dipper's tongue tied as he lifted his eyes a little bit more, a small but defined nose coming into view. A little pointy, but nothing to sneeze about. Taking another deep breath, pushing down the mild fear he felt at the proximity to someone who was unknown and yet somehow known, he lifted his eyes the last few millimeters, looking into the man's eyes.
Or, Dipper thought with a sense of growing horror, eye. Singular. With the other one covered by an ornate golden eye patch, perfectly matching the highly aristocratic face. An aristocratic face that he recognized instantly, his heart stopping as he realized just who it was he was talking to.
"P-Prince C-Cipher!" Dipper stammered out, his previously heated blood freezing as he stared at the wildly grinning man, who looked tickled pink at the horror that Dipper knew was plain on his face.
That was why he knew that voice, he thought distantly. Not only had he grown up hearing it, but he had been forced to hear it earlier that week, when Mabel had been watching the man give an interview talking about how he was hopeful that this year would be the one he'd find his Match, like he had said the last five years in a row. Dipper had been positive that the speech the man gave this year had actually been the exact same speech, taken verbatim, as the past year's speech. He had only watched for about five minutes before leaving Mabel to obsess over the upcoming Matching Ceremony on her own, but it was not easy to forget a voice like the prince's. High pitched, but at the same time not. Almost like two people were talking at once, warring for the dominant sound. He'd be lying if he said the voice didn't fascinate him, a little.
That being said, this situation was probably even worse than if the man had been a pervert. He had run into the prince! He was nearly positive there was a law against things like that. Something like 'the common folk' should never touch the Crown Prince of the nation, or something like that. Never mind that the aristocracy was far less stringent than they had been in the Ancient Times, before democracy had come and gone with little ceremony, and the subsequent Great World Wars. It was the principle of the matter, he thought, heart freezing.
Though… the prince did look awfully amused. Was that because he was thinking of all the ways he could punish him?! Maybe even kill him?! He could feel himself start to hyperventilate, only stopping when the prince laughed again, the sound high pitched and strangely charming.
"I've petrified him! Ha, ha! How peculiar! You're a funny one, aren't ya, Pine Tree? You should loosen up a bit. Maybe try a drink. Oh, but you're probably underage. Hm. Ah well," the prince muttered, looking around with curiosity, his one golden eye alight with mirth, before settling on the boy again. Dipper tried not to shiver, having the entirety of that intense gaze focussed solely on him. "You do look like you're about to faint, though. Will I have to catch you for a second time? Sheesh, you sure are high maintenance. I feel bad for whoever got you as a Match."
"Hey!" Dipper exclaimed after a second had passed and it had registered that the prince had just insulted him. The shock of coming face to face with the Insane Prince Cipher was fading, indignation taking its place. Prince or not, this guy was turning out to be the huge jerk Dipper had always thought him to be, the likes that Dipper had always hated in school. So, puffing himself up to his full- admittedly not that impressive- height, he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Cipher let out that laugh of his again.
"Ha! But I gotta admit, you sure are adorable when you get mad. Could just pinch your cheeks!"
Face reddening, Dipper glared at the smug looking man, who clearly knew how obnoxious he was being, and yet delighted in it. Clenching his fists, Dipper tried again, not letting the rude prince discourage him
"F-first of all, y-you don't know me! So- so don't be making any judgements about me or my Match! And second of all… second of all…" Dipper paused, realizing he had no second point, but seeing as how he had already committed to saying a second point, he couldn't just stop, "you're not very nice!"
Smooth, Pines. Very smooth.
He was positive his cheeks would never stop being red at this that. He was also positive he had never been as embarrassed as he was at this moment, watching as Prince Cipher doubled over, howling with laughter, his laugh beyond grating to listen to and not at all charming anymore.
Stiffening up, Dipper decided it would just be better to cut his losses and turned to go before he could embarrass himself any more than he already had. He was not sure which direction the hotel was, but he knew that regardless of where he was heading, he didn't want to be here a second longer.
Before he had been able to get more than five steps away, however, he felt a warm yet gentle hand grasp his shoulder and stop him in his tracks. Squaring his shoulders, he whirled around to tell the man to leave him alone, but the words died when he saw the considering look on the prince's suddenly too close face, the man's eye glued firmly on the boy's face. Dipper was unsure why, but something in that look made him pause, his heart stuttering in his chest as he witnessed it.
"Leaving so soon, Pine Tree? And here I was, thinking we were getting along great," Cipher muttered, his eye still glued to Dipper's face, his lips pulled downward in an attractive pout. Dipper ignored the fluttering he felt in his stomach at the low voice, lifting his eyes away from the prince's lips and back up to his eye.
"I should be getting back to my room, Y-Your Highness. My sister will be worrying," Dipper lied in a similarly low voice, licking his lips as he wondered why he had just lied. He knew that Mabel wouldn't care about his late night habits, not after all these years. He should have just pulled away and given a scathing comment for the prince to leave him alone, and yet… and yet. Maybe part of him was still afraid of retribution, he assured himself.
After all, it did no one any good to feel any sort of attraction towards the Prince, regardless of how good looking girls always claimed he was. Now Dipper would admit, the man looked good, but it was superficial at best. Even when the prince wasn't spouting out random nonsense during his speeches or during the monthly addresses, his comments were mean spirited, or downright cruel. He had once made a girl cry on live television all because she had worn blue, even though it was obvious the 'in color' was yellow. It really was no wonder the man had never found himself a Match; he truly was a horrid human being. Dipper was just afraid, that was all, and fear made people feel weird things.
It didn't stop his stomach from squirming when he saw the prince pout, his plump lips poking outwards in a look that should have looked childish and yet was anything but.
"Oh well. Suppose I'll have to catch another little fly in my web, see if they'll stay with me in my parlor. See you around Pine Tree."
With that, the prince began to saunter away, hips swaying to the beat of a song no one else could hear. Just as Dipper was about to shake his head and turn back to the hotel, determined to forget about this bizarre meeting, he saw the prince stop and turn his head slightly back, his face and body cast in harsh shadows.
"Oh! But I wish you good luck with your Match, Pine Tree," the man snickered, "you're gonna need it. But… maybe you'll do just fine. What do I know, huh?"
Those words done with, the prince continued on his way, humming a slow and somewhat creepy melody as he walked. Dipper continued to stare at his retreating back until he was completely engulfed in the darkness. Only after he was gone did Dipper allow himself to move, shaking his head to clear it of any and all thoughts of the Insane Prince Cipher. And to think, he had once thought the nickname mean spirited. Now, however, now he understood. He didn't even really feel too stung by the man's parting comment. The man clearly was insane, if his comment about flies and parlors was any indication.
Determined not to think any more on this, Dipper headed up to his room and slipped quietly into his bed, not wanting to wake Mabel, who had clearly been exhausted by the day's excitement. Knowing how she felt, Dipper nodded off almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, not caring that he hadn't washed up or changed into pajamas. After an exchange like the one he had just had, he just wanted to sleep for years.
And if he dreamed about warm arms surrounding him, the scent of cinnamon and cloves assaulting his senses, heat radiating throughout his body… well, he was only human.
Hi! So, you've met Bill. I want to clarify one thing, right now; Bill will not be written as any more mentally ill than this, if only because I don't want to use negative stereotypes. Plus, he is on medication, so he won't be acting... 'unhinged' or anything. I do go more into his madness in the epilogue, where I briefly touch on what illness he has (while I didn't write it in mind, from the symptoms I gave him, I think he probably had paranoid schizophrenia. That being said, I don't know anyone with paranoid schizophrenia, so if I got anything wrong, feel free to tell me and I'll do my best to fix it. I did do research on the disorder before making my decision, but as I said, I didn't write him with the disorder in mind, so I probably got some things wrong.)
Other than that, I hope things are pretty straight forward at the moment. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Oh! Just mentioning, but I added a cover to this story, so if you're on FF . net, you should be able to see it, and if you're on AO3, I put it at the beginning of the first chapter. If anyone wants to draw anything for this story, you're more than welcome, and I periodically check on the tag "DracotheDeathEatingCupcake" on Tumblr, as well as "DtDEC." So if you do anything, post it there and I might see it. :-)