"Hi," Dipper hesitantly waved at the girl. She was quite pale, just like her mother, but again, she didn't smell like a vampire.
"You didn't tell me you've made a friend in Dipper here, dear," Moritica gestured at the boy while Wednesday kept an impassive expression. The lack of visible feelings was starting to weird Dipper out. Only weirding out, not freaking out. He still witnessed far scarier and freakier stuff than a gloomy girl with no emotions. Moreover, the fact that she was such a beauty made it easier to ignore her strange demeanor.
"Come in," Wednesday ultimately said. Dipper had expected her to refute her mother's words, denying they were friends, but it seemed he was wrong. The sound of the girl's heavy boots walking away quickly brought Dipper back to his senses, reminding him to follow after her while Morticia closed the door behind them.
The inside of the house looked just as sinister as the outside. The interior designer must have been a goth as well considering how much dark there was! He noted there was an extinguished fireplace nearby with a mounted deer head on the wall above. It reminded him of Pacifica's mansion and the room where Archibald's ghost first appeared. Many webs spread out on the corners of the rooms, with large spiders looming over them and waiting for potential prey. Oh, he still hated spiders even after everything he went through. Nevertheless, despite the decor, it looked comfy. Especially that armchair, and… Was that a hand? Yes, a severed hand had been sitting on the table without a care in the world? It didn't look fake, though. Suddenly, to his surprise, it waved.
"Uhm, hey?" Dipper waved back hesitantly, walking up to it. "Shouldn't you be with the Hand Witch?" He inquired. The only meeting he had with the Hand Witch had been as annoying as it could be, especially since they would never have any issues with her if Stan hadn't stolen from her. The Addams family was new in town, so did that mean they already got in trouble with the Hand Witch? He was certain she would have stopped the hand-stealing thing after finding a boyfriend. However, the hand paused, seemingly confused. After a couple of seconds, it spoke in sign language, much to Dipper's confusion. "Sorry, dude, I don't speak sign language… Do you know Morse code?" Dipper suggested. Immediately, the hand gave him a thumbs up and tapped on the table multiple times.
"I have no idea who the Hand Witch is," The hand tapped in Morse.
"Oh, really?" Dipper scratched the top of his head. That was weird, though perhaps you didn't need the Hand Witch to make your hands come to life, he supposed.
"This is Thing," Wednesday suddenly spoke up from behind him in her usual cold tone. If Dipper didn't have enhanced hearing, she probably would have spooked him. And if he had been his 12-year-old self, he would have screamed like a girl. Fortunately, he showed no reaction now, preserving his manly pride. "Let's go to my room," She simply instructed before walking away again.
"Lead the way, then," Dipper shrugged, wondering what was about to happen. She still didn't say much, which was suspicious. He gained a bit of paranoia after the first summer in Gravity Falls, so he had a hard time trusting her. "Goodbye, I guess, Thing? Name's Dipper, by the way," He told the hand before walking after Wednesday. Thing waved at the boy's back, still in silence. Well, he was a hand, of course, it'd be in silence.
The two teenagers walked up the stairs, which probably led to Wednesday's room if Dipper had to guess. The hallway was longer than he anticipated, and he caught a glimpse of a tall and pale man, looking like Frankenstein's monster, entering one of the rooms with a tray of food in hand. Dipper shrugged, still needing more than a tall freakish guy to scare him as he followed Wednesday inside her room. His ear twitched as a string was stretched out. He widened his eyes, jumping aside as an arrow suddenly lodged itself into the wall behind him and pushing the door close when Dipper accidentally slammed into it.
"AH! What the hell?!" Dipper yelped in surprise, turning his head to look at Wednesday, who was holding a crossboy.
"You have good reflexes. Might be more fun to shoot at than Pugsley" Wednesday remarked coldly.
"Did you seriously just try to kill me?" Dipper furrowed his brows, his eyes shifting between the bolt and her crossbow.
"That wouldn't have killed you so easily. Unless you're a pretty weak vampire," Wednesday replied, making the boy widen his eyes.
"A vampire? What? Where? Me? What… What makes you say…" Dipper began denying, only to pause at Wednesday's deadpanned look. Clearly, she wouldn't believe anything he'd say. "Okay, how did you know?" He slumped his shoulders, asking in an annoyed tone.
"Your eyes are red, and you're pale. You already were on the porch, but the moment you stepped into a colder environment -my room-, you got as pale as a corpse," The goth girl explained stoically, though Dipper refrained from retorting she and her mother were also pale and he didn't go around accusing them of being vampires. "You're attractive to an unrealistic degree for a simple teen living in an unknown town from Oregon," Wednesday also pointed out. Dipper arched an eyebrow. Should he feel offended by this? Sure, being a vampire did make people attractive but was it that hard to believe he was already handsome? "The most damning evidence is your smell," She added, gesturing to him.
"Smell?" Dipper uttered in confusion. He went to sniff himself but paused. Wait, he was about to do something weird, wasn't he?
"My mother and I can smell the undead, so zombies, ghosts… Vampires," Wednesday clarified. Now that was intriguing. Dipper wasn't aware a normal person could have an ability like that, though few things could truly shock him at this point. Still, it made him wonder if there was something supernatural about their family even more.
"That's why the supernatural doesn't faze you. There was Thing too," Dipper remarked, pointing behind him and recalling his meeting with the living hand.
"Hard not to be, after coming to this town. Gnomes, fairies, living pumpkins. Even the skeptics would struggle after the frog invasion 5 years ago," She pointed out in a still unusually calm tone. He'd be quite a lot suspicious of the vampire coming into his house after pretending to be his friend if Dipper had been in her shoes, though the fact that she held him at crossbow point may have proven that she was being careful… Despite her calmness.
"I thought that frog invasion was a hoax?" Dipper remarked. It happened the same summer they fought Bill and defeated him, so it might have been ironic of him to believe a frog invasion happening at the same time was impossible. However, it happened in Los Angeles. It could have been anything. Even the media wasn't clear on the matter. "It's not like there was much evidence unless it was covered up… And it was the government, wasn't it? The government covered it up," Dipper face palmed after the realization. Who else would it be?! At least, he knew it wasn't the same agents he met since they were busy arresting his great uncle!
"Now that the pointless socialization is done, you can tell me what you are doing here. Here to kill us and feast on our blood?" Wednesday questioned, aiming her crossbow at his face.
"Uhm, no?" Dipper replied, which seemed convincing enough for the girl.
"Oh," She lowered her crossbow. Her expression was still stoic, and her tone was cold; however, Dipper felt like he could sense a hint of disappointment for some reason… "And here I let you into our home,"
"I actually come to Gravity Falls only in the summer, but I haven't been here in five years, so I've heard you moved in here recently. My sister is preparing a huge party and wants to invite you," Dipper explained. Now that changed the girl's expression, making her raise an eyebrow.
"She invites a girl she never met?"
"The pointless socialization you talked about earlier? My sister kinda lives for that. She's totally hoping you'll become one of her best friends," Dipper replied.
"How amusing. I wish I could see her hopes dashed away when you tell her I won't be coming. Parties are too cheerful for me. If you ever have a funeral, however, feel free to give me a call," The goth girl responded as she turned her back on him and put her crossbow down.
It allowed Dipper to take a better look around, taking in her room. It was as dark and gloomy as the rest of the house with black curtains barely letting any rays of sunlight pass through the window. It was quite spacious, giving room for a queen-sized bed, a desk, and several terrariums, which were filled with spiders that even included tarantulas. The boy looked away, slightly in disgust, only to see there were webs pretty much everywhere in the room as well as… an electric chair?! Okay, maybe he should ask about that later. He shook his head and focused back on her reply.
"Are you sure?" Dipper asked though the girl didn't look like she'd budge on the subject. "Look, I only became a vampire recently… And I kept it from my sister. She didn't even get mad at me for it, even though she had every right to. I owe it to her to at least do this for her… Can you please give it a try? Plus, I know some people who like somber things too," He tried to argue, to which Wednesday remained silent for a few seconds.
"Do you like black?" The girl inquired.
"I guess I came to like it after becoming a vampire," Dipper shrugged. He needed to avoid being in the sun too long, and though the cold didn't affect him, he still missed the warmth. His body was colder than an average person's, after all. Black clothing warmed him better than other colors.
"At least, you have a sense of colors," Wednesday nodded in approval. "If this party includes any kind of gathering of undead, I might consider attending. I do find vampires… amusing," She said. Well, at least, his plight reached her, though… Did she need to be so dark? This kind of encouraged him to convince even more since he couldn't wait to see how Mabel and her would interact with each other.
"I don't know many vampires. I don't really even want to be a vampire, so I don't think there'll be any, except maybe for another one," Dipper shook his head. Maybe he could invite the ghosts from the abandoned grocery store, but he doubted it was a good idea, especially if it was just to convince a single girl to attend the party.
"A pity. If you're so eager for my presence, perhaps you could offer a few favors in return." Wednesday offered. Dipper narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"What kind of favors?" He questioned. It could be anything coming from a girl like her, and he was pretty sure it would result in death of some kind.
"It's the first time I met a vampire, so I'd like to do some experiments on you," Wednesday bluntly answered.
"Experiments?" Dipper jerked back in surprise.
"I wish to study a creature of darkness like you. If your condition is recent, then you likely want to learn more about yourself too," Wednesday proposed, making Dipper cross his arms in thought.
The girl didn't look like a scientist, at least not one on the level of Ford. And Ford was already studying his blood, and even already came to a conclusion concerning what a potential cure would result in. However, she did have some knowledge of the supernatural and possessed unnatural abilities. A part of Dipper hoped he had someone else to talk about Gravity Falls' weirdness or the paranormal in general other than Ford, so this could be the perfect opportunity. Moreover, he also promised Mabel he'd at least try to bring that girl to the party, and she was giving him the possibility right now! Moreover, she was… well, quite attractive, he had a feeling Pacifica would think the same.
"What kind of experiments?" Dipper inquired curiously.
"Unfortunately, nothing fatal. The first I'd like to test is try this electric chair on you," Wednesday bluntly responded, pointing at the nearby chair.
"An electric chair? How is this not fatal?!" Dipper widened his eyes, though he figured it probably wouldn't be for a vampire; he still didn't want to test that!
"I've used it on my brother, Pugsley, plenty of times and he's fine," The girl retorted as tonelessly as ever. She used on her brother?! Alright, that family was messed up! He wasn't actually going to accept just because she was hot and because he promised Mabel! Right?
"Then let me see you try it on yourself, first," Dipper challenged her. Of course, he didn't expect her to accept, which was why he suggested that in the first place. Wednesday slightly widened her eyes, showing some bit of emotion for once.
"Very well. Give me a moment," She agreed, turning her back to him and walking to the electric chair.
"Wait what?" Dipper thought in shock while the goth girl sat on the chair and placed the helmet on her head before putting her hands on the armrests.
"Strap my arms," She instructed, gesturing to the straps.
"Uhm… Okay," Dipper agreed after a pause. He didn't expect her to accept, so he was improvising! Still, he shouldn't be going along with this, in the first place! No, wait, she wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't confident she'd be fine, right? Besides, she'd probably tell him to stop if she saw he wasn't bluffing! Nonetheless, her resolve was pretty impressive, he had to say she was gutsy. The only other girl he could see sitting on an electric chair without fear would be Wendy, and even the redhead wouldn't be as relaxed as the goth girl. He strapped her arms to the chair.
"Now, you have to lower that lever. Pull it up only when I tell you," She explained tonelessly.
"Alright, if you're sure about this…" Dipper mumbled, grabbing the lever's handle. Looked like she wasn't backing out. Was this a good idea? Oh, what the hell! He pulled the lever down. Instantly, the chair turned on, sparking with energy that quickly coursed throughout Wednesday's whole body.
The goth girl let out a weak grunt but kept a straight face. It would look like she didn't feel anything for most onlookers, but Dipper was different thanks to his enhanced senses. He didn't miss any of her subtle actions. Her nails dug into the armrests; her heart, which had been the calmest he heard until now, was beating faster. Her entire body trembled subtly in several places while her breath got heavier. From what Dipper could tell, the output seemed slightly weaker than the average Taser, but he doubted it was safe for long periods of use like now, especially on the head. However, that meant he didn't need to fear for his life if she tried this on him, though he still didn't like to go through the pain either way. And… Wait, was she saying something? He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even pay attention to what she was saying anymore!
"Are you deaf? Pull… It up," She ordered through clenched teeth, still hiding the electric chair's effect on her. Quickly, Dipper pulled the lever up, turning the machine off. Wednesday immediately slumped forward, breathing heavily. "Huff… You certainly took your time… Huff… I didn't expect this kind of such cruelty from you," She said, making Dipper wince. He didn't mean to get distracted, but he likely still should apologize. However, before he could, Wednesday looked back at him with a returned stoic expression on her face. "I'm impressed,"
Dipper paused. Okay, he wasn't expecting that… However, he was starting to figure this girl out. Basically, she was the opposite of common sense! Clearly, everything that would make a regular person sad would make her happy! Or… Was he way off? He couldn't ask her directly.
"I guess I could help with some experiments. As long as the other ones you have in mind aren't lethal either," Dipper couldn't believe he was agreeing to this, but it wasn't like he was in any real danger anyway. Furthermore, he was doing this for Mabel.
"Excellent. I'd expect you to be here every day until the party," Wednesday announced, making the boy widen his eyes.
"But… That's like in two weeks!" Dipper replied. He wasn't actually going to sit on an electric chair every day for two weeks, was he?
"I understand the chair might lose its charm eventually. That's why I will prepare an array of... experiments to keep things interesting," Wednesday said as if she read his mind. "Now sit. Let's not waste more time," She instructed, gesturing to the chair after standing up.
"Oh, now?" Dipper asked. He thought they'd wait a day, at least. He still wasn't happy about being shocked.
"Did you wish to use it on me again?" The goth girl questioned bluntly. Again, the way she said it didn't sound like she was against the idea itself. He really didn't want to know what her deal was with that chair, but he would have to remind himself never to threaten to electrocute her, otherwise, she'd think he was offering to do it!
"I guess I'll sit down, let's get this over with," Dipper sighed before sitting down. He needed to prepare himself to destroy that thing in case he felt like it would actually be dangerous for him. Once he put his arms on the armrests, Wednesday immediately strapped him to the seat like he did with her earlier. "Are those necessary?"
"Very much so. It adds to the experience," She answered confidently. When she was done, she walked to the lever. "Since you are a vampire, I am assuming you can take a higher voltage. I'm sure you'd want to test your limits, so let's increase the power," She said while spinning a calibration button, likely boosting the power output.
"Wait, what?" Dipper uttered before Wednesday pulled the lever down.
The young vampire's teeth chattered as the electrical current hit from every direction, traveling from head to toe. It was… It was… not very painful. It was weird, but it mostly tickled him or made his whole body itchy. At worst, it was uncomfortable. Vampires were much stronger than the average human, but fire was bad for their healing capabilities, and the same could be said for lightning. However, the voltage was far from being enough to hurt him or his healing factor. In fact, he began feeling relaxed!
"Should I stop?" Wednesday asked though Dipper didn't answer. Instead, the boy leaned back and breathed in relief as if he were being given a massage. The girl raised an eyebrow. "So you find pleasure in pain. How amusing," She commented. She let the current on for a few more seconds, then pulled the lever up and turned it off.
"Foo… That experiment wasn't too bad. I could get used to it if we do this every day," Dipper remarked as Wednesday took off the straps on his arms. The boy quickly stood up and stretched his legs and arms. "My back feels better too,"
"Those are interesting results. Come back tomorrow, and I will adjust my tests," Wednesday instructed before casually turning her back on him. Dipper raised his hand to say something but paused when the girl suddenly bent over to tweak the electric chair, her butt facing his direction. Even though she wore a long skirt, it did not hide the shape of her bottom in this position. Still, he didn't want to be caught staring, so he looked away.
"Alright, then! I'll leave my phone number here in case we need to call each other," He cleared his throat, taking a pen out of his pocket and writing his number on a piece of paper he tore from a journal he kept on him. Wednesday turned to look at the paper as he put it on her desk and remained silent. "Well… See you tomorrow!" He waved before walking out and closing the door behind him. The boy's smile wavered as he breathed out. "She's beautiful, but man, she's spooky," He mumbled. Just as he walked away, he nearly ran into someone, stopping himself right before contact. "Oh, sorry," He apologized.
It was the tall man he noticed earlier! He was even taller up close and looked as pale as the rest of the family. Once Dipper's apology reached his ears, the man looked down and simply grunted before walking away. The young vampire arched an eyebrow but didn't comment on it. Instead, he figured he should just move on.
As Dipper moved to the exit, a feminine suddenly stopped him before he could leave.
"Leaving already?" Morticia asked from the living room, bringing the boy's attention to her. Since she wasn't nearly as scary as her daughter, Dipper held no hesitation before joining her over there.
"I've got a lot to do today, so I couldn't stay too long. I only came to invite Wednesday to a party," Dipper explained, much to Morticia's delight considering the glint in her eyes.
"Oh, is that so? I am glad my little Raven is making friends so swiftly," The mother smiled joyfully. Dipper nodded, still not sure if he could be considered her friend yet.
Morticia sat in an armchair, drinking tea. Dipper's position, since he stood taller than her now that she was sitting, gave him a great view of her cleavage. However, this wasn't what he focused his gaze on. Instead, his eyes caught the thing the older woman put her teacup on, and it wasn't a table… But a coffin!
"Is that a coffin?" Dipper blurted out before he could stop himself. Immediately, Morticia's light-hearted expression turned sour. The older woman looked downcast.
"It's my husband… I lost him very recently. Barely a year ago…" She whispered sadly, casually putting the teacup on the coffin.
"I'm so sorry," Dipper muttered empathetically. Wait a second, why did she have her husband's body in the living room? As if she read his thoughts, the older Addams answered.
"I had to hold off on burying him as we still haven't moved the Addams cemetery with us yet. He needs to rest with the rest of our family," She spoke, though Dipper didn't understand how they'd move an entire graveyard. To be fair, they apparently came to Gravity Falls with the whole manor, so if anyone could do it, it'd be them. "I do not believe his death to be natural as the same happened to his mother not too long after…" Morticia began recounting before shaking her head. "But I ramble, this is my responsibility to deal with. You do not need to apologize. I am sure you made my daughter happy today," She smiled at the boy.
"Are you sure?" Dipper inquired. He couldn't get a good read on the goth girl, so he had a hard time telling if she was happy or not.
"I've heard the electric chair. She is always quite joyful after using it, but usually, she only does it with someone she either has fun with… Or someone she doesn't like at all. I am assuming you're the former?"
"I guess so? She did say she'll come to my and my sister's party," Dipper shrugged. Despite Morticia's change in conversation, the young vampire didn't miss the mention of the nature of their death. Clearly, they didn't die of old age and disease, and it mustn't have been murder either, otherwise Morticia would have known, wouldn't she? Then, was the paranormal the cause? It happened before they got to Gravity Falls, so it couldn't be any of the creatures here… Should he even investigate? As Morticia said, this wasn't his responsibility, but hers. Still… They deserved to have some kind of closure, and if it was a supernatural creature, they could be in danger… He'd need to think about it, though coming back here every day could be a good opportunity to investigate this mystery.
"She did? That is wonderful news! She was getting too isolated here, even though I am sure she could find many friends who would be willing to show her the nearest graveyard or any of the local haunted abodes," Morticia nodded in approval. She was far more expressive than her daughter, that was for sure. "Nonetheless, I feel like I need to give you a little tip if you wish to befriend my daughter better. She has more unorthodox likes than most, and what may seem or feel disappointing to most, she may take a liking to," She advised, much to Dipper's confusion.
"Oh, I'll keep that in mind," The boy replied. He didn't really get what she meant, but he had a feeling he wasn't too far from understanding it after he met with the girl.
"Well, don't let me keep you any longer. It was good meeting you,"
"I was happy to meet you too, ma'am! And thank you for the advice!" Dipper said before waving her goodbye as he walked away. He almost forgot he was leaving thanks to the way this woman had a talent for capturing attention. Or maybe he was just that hopeless when it came to gorgeous women.
"What a nice boy," Morticia smiled to herself as she watched him leave. Not too far from her, Thing gave a thumbs up.
Once he was out of the house, Dipper glanced at it one final time before departing.
"They'll fit right in here," He remarked. Gravity Falls certainly didn't lack strange people. Basically, everyone was weird in this town. Except for Tad Strange, of course, but he was the exception. The boy looked up, noting that it was still only early in the afternoon. That gave him plenty of time to go to the Shack and talk with Grunckle Ford. While they discussed Dipper's vampiric situation and his progress in the field of science, the young man still didn't get to show him the personal journal he was keeping.
Even though they threw the three original journals in the Bottomless Pit, Dipper began writing his own, though not on Gravity Falls' mysteries. Instead, he wished to catalog the real-life paranormal occurrences in other parts of the world. It was quite difficult when you couldn't travel much outside of Piedmont, but he still managed to find and investigate strange phenomena in his hometown. He wanted to show his Grunckle his findings. Of course, he also used the journal to record information on his abilities and vampires in general. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be so easy as the moment he began walking in the Mystery Shack's direction, a voice called out to him from the nearby trees.
"Destructor!" The rough voice shouted, attracting Dipper's attention, which the boy quickly recognized. He turned his head in the voice's direction to look at one of the only people who'd call him by that name; there, among the trees, was Chutzpar as well… Jeff? The gnome was sitting on the Manotaur's shoulder. "Here, quick!" The manotaur motioned for Dipper to come. The young vampire sighed but obliged. What could they possibly want?
"Hey, guys! Long time no see! I didn't expect to see you two together," Dipper greeted them when they were within reach.
"I'm stopping you here, Destructor, this is not a team-up. The manotaurs still think gnomes are losers. Not nearly as much as merpeople, of course," Chutzpar raised his hands in defense while Jeff scoffed.
"Hey!" He took offense to that. "Just get to the point and tell him!"
"Tell me what?" Dipper arched an eyebrow in confusion. He had a bad feeling about this…
"We need your help, Destructor. Come with us," Chutzpar motioned for the boy to follow as they led him to the forest. Dipper's stomach suddenly twisted into a knot.
"Uhm… I hope there isn't any issue concerning Bill," He said fearfully. Thankfully, Jeff was quick to reassure him.
"Oh, no, nothing like that! We'd be all toast by now if it was! Still, this seems pretty serious," The gnome answered.
"We have noticed that we suffered a strange number of disappearances lately," Chutzpar clarified somberly. "It's not unusual for someone, even creatures native to this place, to disappear at some point. Unfortunately, it happens every year, but it's always in small amounts, and we eventually find the bodies and what killed them. At most, we only lose a single Manotaur a year," He explained further while Dipper nodded along.
"And we lose around 10 to 20 gnomes per year, either because those guys try to go solo and mess up or because they get gobbled up by something. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how many times a hawk has tried to eat me in the past month," Jeff added with a shiver. "Usually, we either find the body or someone else saw what happened,"
"I'm guessing this time it's different?" Dipper supposed, to which they both nodded.
"We couldn't find any bodies, and there haven't been any witnesses. We're not the only ones this happened to either. We thought we'd find out what happened on our own since we didn't want to bother ya or your sister," Chutzpar explained.
"But you couldn't find anything," Dipper concluded.
"That's the thing. We did find something. Only problem is… We still have no idea what happened! We were hoping you'd know," Jeff replied to Dipper's surprise. Well, that was weird. Sure, he and Grunckle Ford knew a lot about Gravity Falls since they studied, but the creatures living there should know even more, so whatever happened to their friends, if they found a clue, they should have been the first to figure out what happened.
"Ah, there is," Chutzpar stopped abruptly, nearly making Dipper walk into him. The young man stepped out from behind him to check what the manotaur was talking about. The vampire instantly widened his eyes at the sight. A tree or two had been brought down while several of the ones still standing had claw marks on them and traces of blood everywhere. While they were faint and easy to miss to the naked eye, Dipper's superior sense of smell allowed him to pick them up. The strangest; however, was what littered the ground. Little clothes, seemingly belonging to gnomes, and a loincloth a manotaur would usually wear rested near them. "We found some clothes, traces of some kind of battle, but no bodies,"
Dipper slowly approached the site, his eyes gazing from left to right. Something was wrong… This… This felt familiar. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had seen this already somewhere! The boy looked down, noticing he stepped on a shirt. Hesitantly, he knelt down to inspect it. There was a pile of dust inside and around it. Dust that looked like grains of sand… The young man trailed a finger in the pile before bringing it close to his face. Averting his gaze, he noticed something else: a small severed hand, grey like the dust he was holding. Images of a dead giant wolf suddenly flashed into his mind, making him widen his eyes.
"Destructor?" Manotaur questioned after Dipper's silence got too long.
"That bastard!" The vampire suddenly growled, clenching his fist in fury. "I know what happened, and I know who did this!" He stood up, then ran away as fast as he could without even elaborating further.
"So… do we call it case solved and forget about it?" Jeff suggested once Dipper became a dot on the horizon.
"Eh, works for me," Chutzpar shrugged. "I'm really hungry for some jerky!" He shouted, pumping his fists in the air.
Dipper looked at his phone, doing his best not to crush it in his hand out of anger. He immediately rushed to Mabel, thinking Max would be with her; however, he was disappointed to hear that the older vampire was gone somewhere. He had no choice but to text him, which was why he was waiting for him in the middle of the woods! The young man contained his rage. He only wanted to talk and let Max explain himself, and as much as he wanted to fight him, there might be better ideas than this. Unfortunately, Dipper was starting to lose his patience. He didn't know how long he'd take the other vampire's shit. If it weren't for him coming here, this may have been an ideal summer!
Tapping the ground with his foot, Dipper crossed his arms while waiting for the other man to arrive. He knew he couldn't trust him! He knew it! He had a feeling he'd hurt someone, but to think he'd actually kill people? Sure, Dipper had already seen him kill that werewolf, which meant it was definitely a person, but it was in self-defense, at least! He doubted those gnomes, manotaurs, and who knew what else he killed, attacked him!
Yet… For some reason… He didn't feel as mad as he thought he should. Ultimately, he didn't know those who lost their lives, and the only manotaur he was somewhat close to was Chutzpar. He was afraid to admit it didn't hurt him as much as it would have if he had suffered direct losses. Nevertheless, he needed to put a stop to it. How long before Max did the same to someone he cared about? To his sister, family… To Pacifica or Wendy? To any of his friends! He clenched his fists. If he needed to fight to make him stop, then he'd do that in a heartbeat.
"Yo, Dippy! Why so tense? Your text looked pretty serious," Max's voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts. The other vampire came out of nowhere, standing a few feet behind Dipper. To the younger man's merit, he wasn't startled at all.
"Did you do it?" Dipper asked as he turned around, his eyes narrowing. The older man cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you the one who killed them?! With the life absorption thing!" He clarified louder.
"Oh! You're talking about those magical creatures in the forest! Yeah, I was about to tell you about it; I was thinking you and I could clean this place up for Joseph. Their life force gives a pretty good boost compared to regular humans or even Lesser Vampires. Though, since you can't absorb life force, you'll have to leave it to me," Max casually replied.
"Huh? No! We're not doing that!" Dipper shook his head frantically. "Whatever you're planning, you keep Gravity Falls out of it! And that includes all the magical creatures living there!" He ordered.
"Oh? Why should I? There's a lot of potential in this place. Who knows what we could accomplish if we make it our territory when he learns of the power boost these things give with their life force absorbed," Max sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "You're a vampire, now, can't you see the bigger picture? As superior beings, we can do whatever we wish," He declared.
"I never wanted to be one in the first place! I still don't! But this is my home and I'm not letting anyone ruin it, especially since I have friends in this forest!" Dipper replied. He didn't know the extent of Max's victims, but he hoped Multi-Bear wasn't one of them.
"I must be going crazy or is a newbie actually lecturing me? Since I'm a chill guy, I'll let this one slide," Max narrowed his eyes. "I still have to contact Joseph about this, so if you still have a problem with it, then you can argue with him, though I don't recommend it," He snickered before turning his back on the younger man. "Alright, since you got me in the mood, I'll hunt for some prey! See ya!" He raised a hand, his back still turned, to tell him goodbye.
"Not so fast!" Dipper shouted before he could think. Quickly, he raised his fists in front of him, entering a combat stance. Max paused, unsure if he heard the boy right. "If you don't want to stop, then I'll make you," Dipper warned while the older man slowly turned around.
"You serious? You do know I'm a Blooded Vampire, right? What do you think you can accomplish?" Max questioned with a raised eyebrow before he realized the stance Dipper took. "Now I know you have to be joking! A boxing stance?! Really?!" He laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
"Oh, I'm serious! I've been learning how to box for the past 5 years! Just because I didn't fight back until now doesn't mean I don't know how to fight at all! I'm used to dealing with bullies like you, now!" Dipper answered seriously, lightly hopping on his feet. He was inspired by Stan's story, the one he saw in his mindscape. So he started boxing. Not professionally, just to know how to fight! Even if he hadn't, he still would have stood up to his bullies after Gravity Falls, but after learning how to fight properly? No one seriously messed with him ever again!
"Alright then. Since you need to be reminded of our difference in power, I'll show you, but don't blame me for your pain," Max crossed his arms and raised his chin as if he were inviting the younger man to approach him. "Come on, I'll give you a few chances to hit me,"
Dipper clenched his fists and teeth in anger. That bastard took lives, didn't care at all, and now he was underestimating him? He improved as much as he could these last few years to become a better and stronger person, and he wasn't about to let that asshole get away with trying to trample on that! It was about time he also got him away from Mabel! The young vampire charged at full speed, then threw a left jab in Max's face, which he easily avoided by leaning his head to the right. Dipper didn't relent, and threw a right jab, only for it to be dodged in the same way. He punched again, and again, throwing hooks left and right before putting up a guard again in case Max attacked back.
However, Dipper could only widen his eyes once he realized none of his attacks were landing. Max expertly dodged all of them! Gritting his teeth, he opted for a body blow instead, knowing it would be harder to dodge, and because Max was wide open! Yet… The moment he threw a punch aimed at his chest, Max disappeared. Dipper felt a sudden weight on his fist.
The older vampire had jumped above the attack and landed right on his fist, casually standing on it!
"Buddy, I don't even need my hands," Max chuckled. Before Dipper could reply, he was kicked in the chin and sent across the ground, leaving a trail of torn grass behind him.
The young man swiftly shot up a hand to his chin, wincing with pain, though nothing seemed to be broken.
"Boxing is nice and all, but do you actually expect a combat sport to help you in a street fight? This is the wild, my friend!" Max exclaimed, putting his arms behind his back and leaving himself wide open again as Dipper groaned and picked himself up. "Don't get me wrong, this should plenty enough for a vampire fighting a bunch of mortals. In fact, a vampire wouldn't even need to learn to fight to remove pesky humans. But a fight between vampires is a whole other matter!" He explained as Dipper dashed toward him as quickly as he could. With his enhanced physique, he was easily faster than the fastest runners in history, and yet… Max jumped over him like it was nothing like he wasn't even fazed by that speed.
"Shut up!" Dipper shouted in anger. He wasn't going to let this guy dismiss all the training he went through to learn how to fight! They were still both vampires, so they were fighting on equal grounds! Max also didn't look like the type of man who'd even bother learning combat or taking up any sports at all!
"Don't you see I'm educating you, Dipstick? Against other vampires, you can't just throw your strength and speed around! You need some technique and finesse!" Max shouted. Suddenly, he disappeared out of Dipper's view, much to the young man's shock. The twin yelped in pain as he was kneed in the stomach, making him double over. Max didn't stop his assault there, and immediately gave him a roundhouse kick in the back of the head, throwing through a tree.
"Gah!" Dipper spewed out blood as he crashed to the ground. He was left disoriented but still wasn't willing to give up so fast! The moment his hand touched the floor to stand up, a lightning of pain shot through his whole body, forcing him to retract his hand! His wrist was broken!
"Now take this!" Max grabbed the fallen and swung it like a bat, slamming into Dipper's body full force and sending the boy flying through the air. "Homerun!" He laughed as he observed the sky with a hand on his forehead.
"What… What just happened?" Dipper grunted, his brain barely processing what occurred as he was still in the air. His ribs hurt… Wait! He was in the sky?! He quickly tried to stabilize himself and fly, ignoring the sun's painful light on his skin. Unfortunately, Max had immediately flown to him. Dipper was kicked down toward the ground like a pinball, and he couldn't even do anything to stop it but choke on his own blood.
BOOM
A dust cloud formed as the young man impacted against the ground, making a crater-like hole, reminiscent of a meteorite crash site.
Somehow, he was still conscious. Yet, he could barely move. Fuck… He couldn't even do anything, and he was rag-dolled as if he were a toy! How was he supposed to beat Max? Was… Was he going to die here? He attempted to stand up again, groaning as pain overtook him. He definitely had multiple bones broken, including ribs. Oh, the ribs were the worst! The cracking sounds they made easily reached his ears while he was struggling to get back on his feet. He had to spit out the blood overfilling his mouth, even followed by a broken tooth. He had no time to see which one it was when Max casually strolled toward him and grabbed him by the hair, lifting him to his feet.
Dipper's whole face was bloody and swollen, though his whole body was likely covered in bruises and cuts.
"But finesse and technique aren't the only issues, Dippy. I'm at a higher evolutionary stage than you. There are entire realms of differences between a Blooded Vampire and a Full Fledged one. I'm faster, stronger, have better senses, and a stronger healing factor. My power far outclasses yours! I'm a prodigy who evolved to this stage in only 10 years! And I've been alive for longer than 50 years, kid! Do you understand the difference between the two of us, now?" Max smirked, though Dipper didn't reply, only glaring at him instead. "And we can also control the elements. My favorite is fire," He stated with a spark in his other palm. Dipper could only wince in advance as a blast of fire threw him back again.
This time, he didn't have the energy to attempt standing up again. His body probably couldn't even handle it, anyway…
"Now that you learned your lesson, I'll get back to what I was doing," Max hummed in amusement, ready to walk away.
"Wait…" Dipper groaned weakly.
"What now, Dipstick? I only broke a few bones, you'll be fine in a few hours," Max rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Don't you think… this place is neutral for a reason?" Dipper uttered through the pain. Max paused. "You said it was neutral, right? That means… There must be a… Reason… What if Joseph doesn't want you… To interfere with the wildlife, here? Do you… Really think he wouldn't have taken this… As his territory already… Unless something prevented him," He reasoned.
"Don't speak like you know him," Max scowled. However, he couldn't deny these claims. Joseph never gave him a reason for why this place was neutral or why he didn't even try to claim it as his own. The fact that so many magical creatures lived here couldn't be a coincidence. Nevertheless, he felt like Joseph would still greatly praise him if Max brought this place under their heel. Whatever the problem here was, maybe he could deal with it…
"Give me some time… To find out why… I know more about this place than you do… I'm sure I can find out why he didn't… Once I'm done, I'll let you have the final say… And I won't fight it, I promise. Until then, don't attack anyone else…" Dipper suggested, breathing heavily.
Max mulled over it. He certainly considered the kind offer. He always hated work, even when it was for the clan. Maybe passing on the burden to the newbie might work out, especially since older vampires had done the same to him in the past. This could also be a great way for Dipper to redeem himself for his disobedience.
"How much time do you need?" Max inquired curiously.
"Until the end of the summer,"
"Too long. Don't try to bullshit me," The older vampire bluntly rejected.
"Fine. A month, then," Dipper spat with a pained glare.
"Alright, I guess that's better. You have a month. If you don't find anything, I'm making a meal of every single creature in this forest," Max decided before casually walking away with his hands in his pockets.
"Fuck…" Dipper mumbled in relief. All he could hope now was that Max would keep his word. Slowly, the young man closed his eyes and lost consciousness, the world turning black.
"Di…pper! Dipper! DIPPER!" A feminine voice shouted him awake. The boy slowly and groggily opened his eyes, realizing someone was shaking him. The first thing he noticed was the sky. It was yellow, indicating the sun was setting and night would fall soon. The second thing he noticed was a gorgeous cascade of orange with two pools of majestic green that met his eyes. It was Wendy. And she looked quite worried. "Oh, thank God, you're awake!" She exclaimed in relief.
"Ugh… What time is it?" Dipper inquired tiredly, still in pain. He sat up with a grunt but noted his body didn't hurt as much as it did earlier. He probably healed a lot while he was unconscious.
"Dude, who cares? First, tell me what the hell happened! Fuck, I thought you were dead! I… I was…" She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to appear vulnerable, probably. Her hands were shaking even if she tried to hide it, and her heart raced. All of this, Dipper could see and hear.
"I guess… I should start at the beginning," Dipper spoke after a second of silence. If there was anyone he could talk to, it was Wendy. Thus, he recounted everything that happened after Chutzpar and Jeff called for his help. As expected, Wendy didn't have a tame reaction.
"What the fuck?! Dude, we gotta go after this guy and kick his ass!" She jumped to her feet, ready to run to the twins' manor, only for Dipper to grab her wrist and stop her.
"Wait!"
"Come on! We have to tell Mabel too!" Wendy tried to pull him with her, but couldn't even move him from his spot.
"We can't! Just… Hear me out," He responded, still panting. Thankfully, his wrist was nearly completely healed, but his ribs still pained him. Wendy watched him curiously, wondering why he would disagree with her on this. "If Mabel hears about it, you know how she'll react. She'll confront him, and if he freaks out… I don't want to imagine what he'll do to her," He breathed out nervously.
"Then we don't tell Mabel! Let's call Stan and Ford and take care of that asshole!" Wendy argued with furrowed brows.
"No! Wendy, please! If we go into this without a plan, then we're screwed! And not just 'cause he's strong! But then we gotta deal with a whole clan of them with probably hundreds of members, and who knows if we'd all make it out alive! What if we lose and they kill us all? What if they do even worse? What if they-" Dipper shouted rapidly, barely giving himself room to breathe, which didn't go unnoticed as the redhead noticed his ragged breathing.
"Hey, hey, dude! Calm down, it's alright! Just… Just breathe slowly. I'm here," Wendy gently told him, placing comforting hands on his shoulders. "It's alright. I understand Dipper. I get it. You've got a lot on your plate, and I'm sorry for not noticing, but I'm here, and I'll help you," She reassured him. Dipper paused, finally allowing himself to breathe. He couldn't help being mesmerized by the girl he had been in love with before, especially with her face so close.
Yeah, of course, she was here. He'd never forget that. He could always count on her.
"Wendy… Thank you," Dipper smiled sincerely. Sometimes, he wondered what he did to deserve such a woman as his friend. "I bought us some time. I've got a month before having to deal with him again. I need to try and take care of this without making bad blood between me and the rest of the clan, and I have a month to figure it out. Please, just give me that time," He pleaded again.
"I… Are you sure?" Wendy asked hesitantly.
"I am, trust me. If I don't find any way, then we'll call Stan and Ford, then deal with it together… No matter the consequences," He assured with a firm nod. This seemed enough to convince the redhead.
"Ok, then. I'm with you all the way, man," Wendy gave him a small smile. "Come on, let's get you home. I'll call Pacifica and tell the gang we won't be coming tonight,"
"Huh?" Now that got Dipper's attention. "Was there something tonight?"
"Right, I forgot I was coming to you guys' house to tell you about it. Remember how Nate started working at the arcade? He told us he could help us sneak in after it was closed, and we'd have a night inside to ourselves. Kinda like that time at the Dusk 2 Dawn except without the ghosts… Probably," Wendy explained. Yep, even in their twenties, they still couldn't help themselves from doing irresponsible and illegal shit. And this was exactly why Dipper loved these people!
"What?! No, we have to go! I can't have you miss that because of me," Dipper shook his head, rejecting the thought alone. "Frankly, I'd be sad to miss it too,"
"But, dude, you're all banged up," Wendy pointed out. Not only was he injured, but his clothes were also pretty dirty.
"I'm a vampire now, so those kinds of injuries are pretty light, apparently. We'll be going there after closing time, right? I'll be all healed until then!" Dipper affirmed confidently.
"I don't know…" Wendy bit her lower lip, uncertain.
"I promise, Wendy, I'll be fine. Honestly, I'd really need some fun right now," He sighed. The day had started so well, only for it to end like this… Frankly, he also wanted Wendy to relax and have fun, something she'd have a hard time doing if she was spending time with him and Pacifica at the manor, she'd probably constantly worry. At least, that way, it'd take her mind off things.
"Ok, if you're sure. I'm still getting you home, though. And the moment you feel something's wrong, you tell me," She ordered, to which Dipper dutifully nodded.
As promised, Wendy accompanied him home. Naturally, Mabel noticed his state immediately. Thankfully, he had been out for a few hours, so a lot of his injuries had healed already. It didn't make the blood splatters and dirty clothes disappear, however. They managed to calm her down by telling her a lie, something about a monster they had encountered in the forest, and Dipper bravely stepping in to save her. Mabel did give him suspicious looks (not as if she didn't believe them, no it was those strange eyes of hers she made every time she wanted to talk about romance, except this time, they held some form of upset look hidden inside), but didn't say anything else. She was delighted to hear what they'd be doing tonight too!
He hadn't seen Pacifica or Candy after this morning spent with them. He was a bit disappointed, and not just because he wanted to do something dirty either! Spending time with Pacifica made him happy, even more so when they shared affection. He also had a feeling Candy would be pleasant to hang around with, which they never really did much in the past since she was more of Mabel's friend. After that threesome, too, it would be difficult not to take a liking to her… But he understood Pacifica had a job, and Candy also had her own life. He'd have to tell the blonde what happened today too. Nevertheless, spending that night in the arcade with his sister, the gang… and of course, most of all, Wendy, would be a wonderful way to feel better.
He wondered what Pacifica was doing… She didn't hang out with the gang, so they never invited her out of fear they wouldn't get along, but now that she was his girlfriend, he could try. Oh, well, he'd talk to her about it next time the gang had an idea.
"Thank God, it's over," Pacifica groaned, stretching her back and hearing it crack. While she had an amazing morning, the rest of the day was far more disappointing. Her shifts at Greasy's Diner weren't too hard on her usually, but they had a lot more clients today even if she started it at noon.
"You did great today, Pacifica," Lazy Susan complimented her while putting various glasses and cups in the dishwasher. "Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you. I barely wonder how I kept this job for so long before you came in here!" She added to the praise, nearly making the blonde blush.
"Oh, come on, I'm not that good," Pacifica shook her head lightly in disagreement. "Besides, you helped me a lot to adjust. I never even thought I'd ever have a job before," She muttered. When she could still buy multiple ponies, she believed she'd never need to work before. It was a scary experience at first, but thankfully, Lazy Susan had been quite kind and patient with her. "Thanks again. I know my parents are…"
"No need to thank me, sweetie," The older woman ruffled the blonde's hair affectionately. "And don't worry about your parents. Everyone in town knows you aren't like them," She assured the young girl. "Come on, I'll take care of closing, you just go home,"
"Thanks… Susan," Pacifica gave her a small smile.
She made sure everything was in order one last time so that Susan wouldn't have any trouble or too much workload, then left the diner. However, her expression quickly fell once she noticed the limo sitting right outside.
Pacifica furrowed her brows and marched up to the car, wordlessly getting in and putting on her seatbelt without even addressing the occupants. Honestly, she didn't even want to ask them what they were doing here.
"Not even going to say a word to your parents, Pacifica?" Preston scowled with Priscilla across their daughter. "It's already shameful enough you work in this place, what will people say if they hear of your relentless disobedience too?" He crossed his arms.
"What are you doing here? You never bothered to pick me up before," Pacifica scoffed, brushing off her father's words. They barely even talked these days, and when they did, it was either pointless chatter to pretend they were a real family or to admonish her for one thing or another. The worst offender was her father, always finding something a random flaw or mistake to point out about her.
Her mother wasn't innocent either, of course. She was the first to nitpick anything Pacifica wore. If it wasn't designer's or expensive luxurious clothes or if her makeup wasn't perfect, she'd be the first to speak out. When Pacifica got a summer job at Greasy's Diner, her mother told her she could and should have found much better as a Northwest, and that at the pace she was going "she would be sleeping in the streets, as hooker or a crackhead." Needless to say, Pacifica avoided most conversations with her since then.
"We have to make sure you'll be going straight home," Priscilla answered.
"Why? Can't I leave home now?" Pacifica exclaimed, outraged.
"You know what you did, stupid girl! You've been going out with that Pines boy!" Preston shouted in sudden anger, one he likely buried until now.
"That's what this is about?! First of all, you don't have a say in who I can date or not! Second of all, his name is Dipper, and did you forget the only reason you're sitting here is thanks to him?! You were ready to worship Bill while he went off to save the world!" Pacifica retorted, leaning forward. Oh, she was ready to tear them apart with her own hands if she needed to. Even today, she has suspicions about her parents and their connection to Bill. She was aware of those tapestries of him and wondered if they worshipped the chaos demon even to this day.
"And I'm quite grateful, sweetheart," Preston uttered through his gritted teeth. "But ultimately, this boy didn't accomplish anything. It was that troublesome old man of his, and even then, he could have saved the world several times over, and he still wouldn't be good enough for the Northwest name. He nor his family has any legacy. I doubt his bank account is any better. Someone of the lower class like him cannot be allowed to mingle with people like us or worse… marry into our family," Preston spat in disgust. His wife didn't seem any less disgusted than he was.
"Do you mean our family of thieves and liars? That family?!" Pacifica yelled, clenching her fists and punching the seat on her right.
"We will not have this discussion again, girl!" Preston immediately responded.
"We still have prestige, and the Northwest name can still recover its glory days. That boy is… frankly filthy, and will only bring trouble. You must find a real man with a real legacy to his name, and we will give you a list of suitors immediately. Only the best may be allowed into our family, not some… gutter rat," Priscilla explained coldly before placing a hand on her husband's shoulder, gently rubbing it. "Just look at me and your father, we are proof enough,"
However, before Pacifica could reply. Preston cut her off.
"Nevertheless, your disobedience has proven that we can't trust you this. You are not to see this boy any longer," Her father ordered, calming down.
"Or what? You'll hurt him or his family? Please, they'll eat you alive," Pacifica crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in amusement.
"No, nothing like that, but I've noticed you seemed to take a liking to the owner of this place you work at," Preston coldly stated, making Pacifica freeze. "What was her name again? Susan something? No matter. Even if we do not have our past fortune, we still hold much power here. We can make life very difficult for this woman, and losing that diner will be the least of her worries," Preston assured confidently. "Do we have a deal?"
Pacifica didn't answer, keeping her head down instead. Her hands trembled… but not out of fear. Of course, she worried about Lazy Susan. However, did they really believe threats and warnings would still scare her? She wasn't a little girl anymore, and she wouldn't let them hurt her anymore. She kept quiet, nodding in agreement while she silently fumed with rage.
The young Northwest clenched her teeth and swore they were going to pay for this.
Also, here is something I did for fun! Basically showcases the characters' different heights! You can find it here: heightcomparison dot com /?share=wMY9Gx3ENDv
After some time, the sex scenes that were removed will be publicly available so everyone can enjoy them. The first sex scene we had a couple of chapters ago is available on my ao3: KingE!
As you can see, this is an M-rated story. It's because of violence and the language. However, this is also a harem story, and that means there will also be smut! On my subscrib estar. adult /kingen page! I have recently opened a subscribe star adult page for those who want to support me, get early access to my stories, vote in polls to decide which story will be updated next, or even get customized stories for the lucky few! There is also exclusive content. I assure you, the only thing exclusive to my subscribestar adult page will be the sex scenes. Everything else will remain the same in the story, don't worry. But if you want to read some good-quality smut, then you can head over to my page! I would be extremely happy to receive your support because it could eventually allow me to have more free time to write! Thank you!
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