Chapter Text
You didn’t precisely hate autumn. What you did dislike, however, was to step on the crispy leaves that were now covering all the way from the inn to Greasy’s diner. The problem was that an unfathomable amount of bugs could sneak in between the leaves, so, everytime you stepped on them or accidentally kicked them, you had a chance of getting anything from a worm to a spider in your legs. The memory of a centipede running up your ankle after kicking a small mountain of leaves last week was still vivid in your mind.
It was impressive to see, however, how much the scenery of the town changed once summer was over. The green landscape changed to beautiful yellows, oranges and even reds, just looking at the forest was like staring at a beautiful sunset. The lack of tourists also made it incredibly quiet, which you were thankful for! That was the sole reason you enjoyed going out with Bill at night 一well, that, and the fact that he couldn’t be seen by anyone else.
You were afraid that, with the abrupt drop in customers, you wouldn’t be able to keep your job as a waitress at the diner; nevertheless, luckily for you, Susan had made sure to split her hours with you, giving you the morning shift. There was even a young girl they’d brought up to help on the weekends, who you’d been helping get the hang of things 一she was very bad at the job, but hey, she’d only been doing it for a couple of weeks, she could still learn. Her name was Pacifica, and although she gave you an attitude every time you tried to help her, she seemed to be opening up a bit more to you.
“Good morning!” You greeted The Cook with a smile as you entered the diner. You’d been tempted to ask his name multiple times, but because everyone else referred to him as such, you’d been too embarrassed to.
You made your way to the locker room 一which was just a room with one locker where your coworkers left their valuables, to get changed in your uniform before finally opening for the same customers you got everyday.
You’d gotten used to routine, and you actually liked it. Enjoyed it, even. It helped you come out of your shell more, chatting with people, getting to actually know them. You still remembered how welcoming everyone was after your dispatch from the hospital.
On the other hand, you had the more chaotic part of your routine.
After the events that transpired during the summer, you were certain that a bridge had been built connecting you and Bill Cipher. Yes, you two were basically chained together as long as he desired to get his powers back 一and oh , he wanted them, but after opening up about both of your childhoods and subsequent trauma, you started to really feel a connection growing. It had been harder to convince yourself he had only been nice to get you happy; yes, you would still bicker a lot , but you’d begin to notice how, for example, you’d wake up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty, only to find a glass of cold water on your nightstand 一the triangle nowhere to be found; or, given that temperatures had been dropping, you’d been waking up covered in blankets when you hadn’t done it the night before. Obviously he’d pretend he didn’t do it, so you stopped asking about it, but it was nice to know that you both were being more understanding of each other.
If someone asked you, you would even say that you liked him a lot. And that his presence made you feel at peace.
No one asked you though, not even him, so you wouldn’t mention it.
The morning was slow. Not that you minded, it had been the same way for weeks now. However, something different was going on the last few days. You’d noticed that in the last few days, multiple people would go to the bar and write down on a piece of paper, looking unusually excited as they did so. At first you thought it could’ve been some kind of community note or something you weren’t familiarized with 一you were still new in the town after all, and that was the reason why you didn’t dare to check out what it was.
It wasn’t until Mr. Mystery himself talked to you on friday that you actually realized how big a mistake you’d made.
“Hey dude!” He greeted you from the bar where he was having breakfast with his lover. “How’ve you been, feeling better?”
You couldn’t believe how this man actually knew you had tried to trespass into his shop and yet he was so friendly with you. The people of Gravity Falls were definitely a rare breed.
“Oh yes! Thank you for asking, uh… Mystery man?” You felt embarrassed to call him that when he wasn’t working, but you had no idea what his name was. He chuckled before putting one arm on his partner’s shoulder.
“Name’s Soos, and this is my beautiful wife, Melody.”
“Nice to meet you.” She added with a warm smile, a faint blush creeping to her cheeks. For a second, you thought that was awfully cute; you could only wish to have a partner that showed you off to others. The closest thing you had was a weird situationship with an otherworldly deity.
However, after a second, your eyes widened, suddenly feeling nervous. She didn’t know you had blatantly trespassed her husband’s shop, right?
You laughed nervously, trying to not appear as awkward as you actually felt. “So, Melody! Beautiful name, and… Zeus ?” You raised an eyebrow.
“Yup, Soos.”
You squinted and gave him a crooked smile, for some reason, both words sounded the same, but you had the feeling that you were getting his name wrong. Nonetheless, you relaxed a bit and gave them your name, which Soos repeated followed by a finger gun with his free hand and a quiet “got it”.
“So, you’re not dropping by tonight?” He casually asked as you took the freshly made jar of coffee.
“Uh… no?” You furrowed your brows, bewildered. “Why would I?”
“The singing contest!” He said so matter-of-factly that it disconnected your brain for a little. You loved singing, so much so that in your last job you’d been scolded multiple times for humming in the office, that being the reason why you’d been so self conscious trying to not do it while working at Greasy’s.
You blinked twice, and you must have been quiet longer than you expected, because Melody added: “Soos’ gonna be the DJ.”
Her voice broke your train of thought, bringing you back to reality. “Oh! That’s pretty cool!” You facepalmed yourself internally for still disconnecting from reality like that.
Both of them nodded as you made your way out of the counter with the jar, going back to some tables to refill their cups. You walked down the diner absentmindedly, not even paying attention to the faces of the people in front of you; only their empty mugs. You just couldn’t stop thinking about the singing contest. First, you wanted to sing 一given the mere thought of singing in front of a crowd of strangers was almost enough to paralyze you where you stood but, all in all, you wanted to show them a good aspect about yourself. Something you did well besides waiting tables. Then, there was the second part… It was a contest, and that meant there was a prize.
Depending on what it was, you either didn’t want it, or you desperately needed it. In the place you were at, barely being able to make ends meet, whatever they were giving away would help you. But they’d mentioned it was that same night, would you be able to rehearse a song so soon? It had been so long since the last time you’d sung seriously… and what if you gave your all and someone else ended up doing better than you? For all you knew the next Ceyonbé could be living on Gravity Falls. And that considering you did well, because it had been so long that you might as well just ridicule yourself in front of a crowd. Oh, and it wouldn’t even be the first time一
“Are you considering it?”
Again, that sweet voice took you back from the depths of your thoughts. You looked up to meet Melody’s hazel eyes. You realized you were once again behind the bar, preparing a new batch of coffee. You had surprisingly managed to go through the first one and back there without even thinking about it.
“Uh?”
She giggled, and you bit the inside of your cheek. Fuck, what a great first impression you were making. “I asked if you were considering it. Do you sing?”
You averted your eyes, feeling your face getting warmer. “Well, uh, yes? I mean… it’s been a while.”
“Dude, if you sing, you should totally check it out.” Soos handed you the inscription sheet and you took it, your hands trembling slightly. You began to eye the names and recognized a handful. “The prizes are sick, a free car wash, a month's worth of food here at the diner, and a Mystery Shack $20 dollar gift card!”
You paused.
“Did you just say free food for a month?” You asked, a bit more eager than you intended to sound.
“Yeah! And a gift card for the Mystery Shack!” He repeated himself, and you felt your heart beating faster.
A month… you wouldn’t have to worry about food for a whole month! Yes, the food on Greasy’s wasn’t the healthiest, or the tastiest… Well, it just wasn’t the best, all right? But still, free food meant more money to hopefully save to get your own place. In Gravity Falls hopefully. This was good, great even.
But the contest was that same night. Everyone had already registered. You were too late.
You felt yourself deflate. “I can’t register now, it’s too late.” You pouted instinctively.
Melody chuckled. “Of course it’s not! Here.” She softly held the paper you still had in your hands, and your grip loosened, letting her take it. Then, she placed it on the counter and reached to get a pen near the cash register before writing down your name.
She handed you the paper again. “There you go. Easy, right?”
Your eyes started itching, but you knew that Bill would definitely laugh at you if you cried. Her kindness shook you to your core and you only nodded with your head a couple of times, unable to look at either Melody or Soos in the eyes again. You were certain you were at least some years older than them and yet they were making you feel like a child that had been shown sweetness for the very first time.
The ring of a bell surprised you, and you looked back to see an order of pancakes and bacon ready to deliver to a table. Perfect, that plate and the new jar of steaming coffee would get you off the bar for long enough for you to calm down.
“Thank you.” You muttered, giving them a shy smile. They reciprocated it, brightly.
Oh, of course he’d laugh.
The triangle started cackling maniacally as he pointed at you as soon as you were on the threshold. Your face dropped, and you deadpanned, closing the door of the room behind him. It sounded like he was running out of air, but you knew for a fact that he didn’t even need to breathe 一he was doing it for the sole purpose of mocking you. You should’ve known, honestly. If there was something you’d come to understand was that this little guy floating above you was actually omnipresent. He could teleport anywhere he desired and he could change his physical form, thus making himself undetectable by the human eye.
He’d seen you get awkward, flustered, and make a complete fool out of yourself. Obviously he wouldn’t let him pass and would tease you about it. So you let him. You were sitting on the desk, your arms crossed or your chest, your exes fixed in him. You felt your face hot, you hoped he’d believe you when you explained it was because you were angry, and not that you were blushing in embarrassment at the memory of the events at the diner.
“And now you’re pouting! You’re delightful!” Bill said as his laugh started dying down. You bit down your lower lip instinctively. Were you actually pouting? You hadn’t even realized. “Aw, c’mon, don’t stop now! What else are you gonna do? Stumble on your words? Cry?”
You sighed in annoyance, rolling your eyes. “No? I’m waiting for you to finish.” You hoped your tone sounded as exasperated as you were. “I got nervous, that’s all.”
“Oh, I know exactly how you get w-w-when you’re, uh, nervous.” He mocked you, and you furrowed your brows. “There you go, pouting again! Looks good on ya.” He elbowed you a couple of times before moving to your left shoulder.
You gritted your teeth, your patience started running out. He seemed to catch up to this and raised his hands in defeat. “Ok, ok, I’m done. Jeez, someone can’t take a joke.” You growled at him in response before squinting. “So? Are you gonna go?”
You clicked your tongue, still angry at him. “Of course I will. I’ll sing and I’ll win that food.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Food? Aren’t you gonna go there to humiliate everyone?”
“What? No! Why would you say that?!” His form started circling you as you spoke.
He stopped right behind you, but you didn’t feel like turning around to meet his gaze. “Because you will . I’ve heard you and let me tell you, no one in this crummy town could do better than you.” With every word he seemed to get closer to you. You felt his presence on your right shoulder, so you turned your face slightly to that side. “You know it. How good you are. That’s why you’re convinced you’ll win.”
You weren’t used to this yet. It hadn’t happened enough times. Sometimes, Bill would talk to you differently; in a way he never did nor in your intimate dreams nor in reality. He spoke slowly, almost tenderly. His usually irritating voice turned silkier. It was as if he was trying to seduce you. To do what? You had no clue.
You inhaled through your nose. “I… I could lose一”
“Oh, please, Compass. Don’t hide your ego. I like it.” You could hear a slight buzzing in your right ear. Was he doing it on purpose?
You took a couple steps forward in order to put some distance between you two and turned around to meet his eye. “Ok. I’m gonna go, sing very well, and win. Is that what you want me to say?”
“Yes! Why be humble when you know you’re the best at something?” His voice went back to normal, that or the spell he put you under was undone.
You huffed. “And what about you? What are you gonna do while I’m gone?”
“I’m gonna be there watching you , of course!” He pointed at you emphasizing his words before summoning his little cane and spinning it in his hand. “Can’t wait to see you crushing their dreams or making a fool outta yourself on the stage. Whatever comes first.”
You rolled your eyes for the last time but gave him a scornful smile before turning around to get changed. Although Bill had already seen your body multiple times, you still hadn’t gotten used to changing in front of him. You slipped off your yoga pants and picked a pair of light blue jeans; for your top, you just threw a clean black hoodie on top of your shirt. You didn’t feel like showering for the second time that day. It was a simple outfit… maybe too simple. It was a casual event, right? You didn’t want to appear underdressed or anything. Maybe you should change into something a bit more一
“Stop overthinking, Compass~.” You heard Bill sing from the other side of the room. You hated that he could tell when you were deep in thought.
He was right, tough. You were overthinking. You shook your head a couple of times, trying to clear your mind of all those clouds fogging it. You decided you were ok like this, but just in case, you decided to change your sneakers for a pair of shoes. They weren’t excessively fancy either, just regular 2-inch closed toe heels. That’d complete the look 一not underdressed, just a “ my own pace” kind of outfit. Yeah, it could work.
You turned around and your eyes met Bill’s.
“Ready to go, doll?”
You stuck your tongue out to him, and Cipher chuckled before making himself small and sneaking inside the pocket of your hoodie as he normally did when you two went out at night. He could literally teleport anywhere he desired, but for some reason he seemed to like being carried. You snorted, that was slightly cute.
Relief washed over you when you entered Greasy’s and noticed absolutely no one was well dressed. Everyone was wearing casual clothes, the only person wearing something even remotely formal was Soos, who had a tuxedo t-shirt. You thought it was funny.
“Oh sweetheart, you came!” Susan’s voice called out for you from one of the tables. She was wearing a bright pink dress and you could smell her pungent lavender perfume. You cleared your throat a couple of times before talking.
“Hey Su, how’s everything going? You guys don’t need my help with anything?”
“Oh no, dear, not at all. Pacifica helped setting everything up.” She tilted her head to your right, and when you glanced to follow her gaze, your eyes met the teen’s.
She was in the middle of placing a bowl of snacks on the big table by the bar, and almost dropped it when you caught her staring. Pacifica’s expression stiffened and she looked away, a red tint appearing on the top of her ears.
You chuckled at her reaction, and Susan did as well. “As you can see, we’re all good.”
“Oh yeah, I can tell.” You scanned the dinner with your eyes, recognizing everyone there. That’s how it was in small towns, right? Everyone knew each other by name, their family members, everything. And you were there, although you didn’t have your own place yet they knew your name, your coworkers knew you’d rather have orange juice than coffee and you preferred pancakes over waffles. It was like you were slowly making your own place on Gravity Falls.
You noticed Soos and Melody waving at you from the console and you waved back shyly. Maybe going wasn’t a mistake after all. You had to take every chance you got to mingle with the townsfolk if you wanted to be a part of their community, after all.
As for the singing contest… Well, Bill was right. Honestly speaking, Pacifica was the only one that seemed to know what she was doing. Some of them, like Blubs and Durland on their duet, or Melody, at least had a grasp of what singing was; but for the rest of the contestants… you’d be nice if you said they were off-key, when realistically, they sounded like a wounded animal wailing. You felt bad, for a moment, for having these kind of thoughts 一maybe you’d been spending too much time with Cipher. You furrowed your brows at the idea: you were definitely spending too much time with him and his rudeness was rubbing off on you.
When Soos announced your name everyone turned their heads to look at you, as if they were either surprised by your participation or eager to see what you had to offer. It made you nervous, mostly because the last time you attended choir was more than ten years ago. However, as if he felt your uneasiness, you felt one of the corners of Bill’s body poke you in your index finger. It was either that, or he just wanted to tease you. You clicked your tongue and took your hands off the pocket of your hoodie, ready to show him something worth his time.
Now, normally, giving the lack of real competition you had, you would’ve held yourself back. Hell, you had even started to feel a pang of guilt on your core at the thought of robbing a teenager of her first place! But Bill’s words repeated in your head over and over again, like a poisonous siren song that led you astray from your inhibitions.
“Don’t hide your ego. I like it.”
“Why be humble when you know you’re the best at something?”
You picked the song, and as soon as the first note dropped, you let yourself go.
Oh, you could tell how surprised everyone was.
The newcomer, fresh meat, the city waitress at the dinner was suddenly singing a song and she was doing it well? More than well? You could almost laugh. Probably no one expected anything from you, just because they were used to that low level you had just witnessed. You had only… what? Four minutes? You didn’t need it, halfway through the song you already had everyone prisoner of your charm. A side smirk creeped into your face as your eyes scanned the room, taking everyone’s faces in: some were in awe, their mouths agape and their eyes on you; some looked almost happy, enchanted by your voice and your presence on the stage. Finally, there was him.
The bright triangle wasn’t even trying to hide his presence. There he was, glowing in a neon yellow, ready to be discovered by anyone that dared to take their eyes off you and turned around. He floated above people’s heads, as if he purposely tried to match your eye-level. You’d never seen Bill look at you that way, not even when you shared intimate nights in your dreams. He looked almost… proud .
You closed your eyes for the high note of the last chorus, the climax of the song. You even heard a couple of gasps and chuckled in your head: it wasn’t even a hard song! And yet, everyone looked at you as if you were some kind of star. It was nice, you weren’t used to getting that kind of attention and admiration in your old home 一you barely got noticed at all! You understood why Cipher was looking at you that way, and it was because in that moment, in that stage, singing, you felt like the most powerful woman in the whole town. Something you definitely wouldn’t have felt without his influence on you. He wasn’t proud of what you were doing, he was proud of his own work shaping you into something he liked. That fucking triangle.
And yet, you couldn’t get yourself to feel angry at him. As you dragged the last note and everyone cheered and whistled, you felt almost drunk on that feeling of utter superiority. Back in the choir, people would applaud the whole group’s performance, but it was your name they were chanting now. You bowed your head and placed the microphone on the stand before going down the steps of the little improvised stage. You noticed how Bill’s form disappeared 一he was probably waiting for you somewhere, expecting you to go meet him.
“That was amazing!” Melody’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts, and you smiled at her, still feeling the high of all the attention.
“Thank y一”
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Pacifica’s voice interrupted you. Right, this was supposed to be her night, and you stole it from her. You chuckled awkwardly as guilt started becoming present once again.
“Uh, I used to be part of a choir a while ago…” You noticed how most of the confidence you felt a moment ago started leaving your body. Not because you wanted to, of course, but because it felt almost unnatural to be any other way.
The blonde teen grimaced at your response and walked away without saying anything. You looked up to meet Melody’s eyes and she just shrugged before chuckling, making you do the same.
Not long after you excused yourself to go to the bathroom; for some reason you had a feeling that your geometric partner would be waiting for you there. With each step your mind went over what just had happened, and you thought how exactly would you approach the discussion when he started teasing you about your behavior on the stage. You scrunched your nose in annoyance, just imagining his squeaky voice irritated you.
The glowing figure in front of the mirror proved you right, and Bill seemed to smile as you closed the door behind you and locked it so you wouldn’t risk being found by anyone. You grimaced, ready to hear his pretentious tone, and just as if he were reading your thoughts, he spoke.
“Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well!” You groaned. “Hey! What’s with that long face, Compass? You were a total star! You crushed everyone!” His voice seemed to go lower as he emphasized his words.
You looked away, slightly embarrassed. He was right though, you did crush them. And it didn’t feel as bad as you thought. Actually, it wouldn’t have felt bad at all if one of the contestants wasn’t a girl half your age.
“What are you thinking about now? What’s gotten you pouting like that?” Cipher’s words surprised you. Had you been pouting without realizing? You bit the inner of your cheek and inhaled. You were still anxious, but you had to talk now.
“You were right.” You mumbled.
“What? I couldn’t hear you!” His tone was so jolly that it almost made you grit your teeth. You knew for a fact that he was taking pleasure in having you say it. But, you were going to be the biggest… person? And admit it without feeling inferior.
“You were right, ok? I liked it. I liked being number one, I liked being the best, I liked the praise, I liked feeling superior.”
He didn’t respond.
For a long period of your life, you’d thought of all those things you mentioned as bad. You had never been praised before, you had never been the best at something, so you were used to the feeling of not being enough or not even trying to do new things at all due to the fear of failure. However, Bill had pushed you to not only do something you were good at, but actually acknowledge how good you were. And you were still conflicted about it.
In his silence, you walked to the first sink in the line and looked at yourself in the mirror. What was so horrible about having a bit more self-confidence? Why did it almost feel unnatural for you to feel proud of yourself? You noticed his reflection getting closer to yours, the back of his hand touching your cheek ever so carefully, as if he was actually trying to delicately caress you. Your gaze left your reflection before setting on his.
“So? Was it so hard?” His voice sounded unusually calm. “I’ve seen what you desire, Compass. I’ve been inside you before.” Your eye twitched as the way he punctuated that certain word. “And I know very well how much you crave for greatness.”
Yes. You did. You’d never really thought about it, burning yourself under a pile of trash convincing yourself that it was your rightful place. But you wanted to be good at something一 no, you wanted to be the best at something. You wanted to feel others’ admiration and gratitude. You wanted to be seen, adored.
“And I could give it to you. All the greatness you yearn so much for.” You noticed how his voice stopped echoing in your skull, it had become more velvety and soft. He used that tone when he wanted to coax you into something. You’d heard it before.
“How?” You played along, waiting to see what he wanted to get at.
“You just have to admit it. To recognize that your happiness lies in recognition, in fame, in power. You just have to say the words and I’ll d give you everything as soon as I get my powers back.”
Ah, right, the powers. You inhaled through your nose and smiled sheepishly, before rolling your eyes. There he was again.
The triangle turned red all of a sudden. “WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!”
Oh, he sounded mad. Did he actually think he could manipulate you still? “Because you keep trying to break this… deal, and it just won’t work. It’s lame to see that you keep trying.” You giggled, making him more furious.
You heard him growl, but it only made you laugh harder. “I told you I want a quiet, tranquil life. I don’t wanna be some kind of pop star.”
“Yeah, as you could. Not even with all the power in the universe could I make you appealing to the masses.” He’d lost his red hue, going back to his usual yellow, but his voice was still strained with anger. It was funny to compare him now to his calm self a couple of moments ago.
What you wanted was more confidence in yourself, the confidence to do things without being held back by fear. It was him who wanted power and greatness, not you.
Then, all of a sudden, a thought popped into your head. It was crazy and dangerous, very dangerous, actually. However, this was what you wanted to do with your life, no? You wanted new experiences, risky decisions. You had no idea what could happen if it went wrong, but at that moment you really believed that choosing trust in a moment like that was the correct thing to do. So, you inhaled.
“Would you like to try?”
Bill looked at you, his brow furrowed. He still looked annoyed. “To sing on the stage, I mean. To get your five minutes of fame.”
The demon squinted and made a short pause before replying. “And how exactly do you think I could do that?”
He seemed interested, unsurprisingly. “I could lend you my body.” You shrugged, trying to not sound as nervous as you were. You noticed how his pupil dilated and his scar glistened for a bit.
None of you talked for what seemed minutes.
“Let me get this straight: you’re willingly offering me your body to take? Of your own accord?” The demon broke the silence. His gaze was so intense on yours that you’d looked away. He wasn’t angry anymore, clearly. You’d offered him something he wanted.
A little voice on the back of your head repeated that it was a terrible idea, that Bill Cipher was not to be trusted, not yet. He was unpredictable despite the small advances you thought you had been making in your relationship.
He’d shown it minutes ago: he’d do anything to get his powers back.
He could still betray you. Ruin you.
You clicked your tongue. “If you don’t want to then…”
“Woah, hold it, Compass.” He quickly levitated closer to you and sat on your shoulder, something you had already grown used to. “I was just moved by your kindness, that’s all.” You rolled your eyes at his obvious lie. “Of course I’d like to go up there and sing. I’m a showman, after all! I might as well give these bozos something to remember.”
You huffed at this, giving him a side smile when you took a step back from the mirror, the triangle leaving your side. You held your hand out, ready to shake his, but Cipher took a moment to… think about it? You weren’t sure exactly what was happening in his mind, but his eye moved between your hand and your eyes, before fixating on the latter. He seemed to smile.
“We have a deal then.” A cerulean flame engulfed his hand as he got closer to shake yours.
Alert sounds started resonating in your brain. You could still go back if you wanted, you could say no. You could, for one moment in your life, not take a decision that could potentially sabotage what you had been working so hard for the past months. But you didn’t. You tilted your head, your eyes fixed on him.
“Deal.”
You blinked once, and suddenly, everything went white for a moment.
You blinked again, and that was when it hit you. You were possessed, and it felt… weird. Your body 一your soul , to be more precise, felt light. And cold; mostly cold. Your brought your hands up to your chest and noticed they were almost transparent. Slightly concerned, your eyes searched for your reflection in the mirror, but when you finally found it…nothing was there. You were a spirit, a ghost, a being without a physical body. Was this how Bill had lived before coming into your dimension? The thought made you a bit sad.
“Enjoying your non-existence, Compass?”
Your eyes widened in surprise and you looked to your right to find your body being possessed by Bill, just as you had agreed on. That was you . Or at least, it used to be you, the vessel was the same, but the content had changed. And not only that: your scleras were glowing, golden, just like his body; your pupils long, reptile-like. Just by looks alone anyone could tell there was something clearly wrong with you.
“What happened? Demon got your tongue?” He cackled, making you cringe. Hearing your voice without you talking was surreal, yes 一but oh, dear, seeing and listening to yourself with his mannerisms was foul . You mentally patted your back for not looking like that when you spoke. It was odd, also, how you could hear Bill’s voice mixed with yours, as it was some kind of distortion. You wondered if other people would notice it as well. You hoped not, because you’d have to explain how you were able to use two voices at the same time.
You clicked your tongue. “Can you give me a minute? I’m just processing this whole… thing.” You said while pointing at yourself, and it was at that moment that you noticed: you were literally floating in the air! Your legs were no longer there; or, well, they were, but they were just a glowing mass of light. Unlike the top of your body that still had your clothes, from the waist down you could only see the outline of your limbs. You raised an eyebrow, looked like the soul printer ran out of ink for the bottom half.
“Pretty cool, huh?” He crossed his arms on his chest, but immediately seemed to regret it. He looked down and it only took him a second before he started groping your breasts. “Huh, they do feel different from a man’s. Funny.”
Outraged, you watched as he sunk his nails on your skin. “Wow, hey! Be gentle with those!”
He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous, toothy grin on his mouth 一well, your mouth. “I don’t recall you asking me that last time.” He bit back, making you groan in annoyance. Finally, after a minute, he dropped his hands. “I don’t understand what you like so much about these, they don’t feel different than any other part of your body.”
“That’s because you’re not touching them right… wait, why am I telling you this?” You shook your head at the same time you messaged your temple.
Cipher just shrugged, that creepy grin never leaving his face, and turned around to go out of the bathroom. You rushed in front of him expecting him to stop 一which he did, luckily, because you were sure he could have just walked right through you, as you had no physical body.
He looked pissed. You had to admit, him having an actual face was nice for a change; you could read him better. Too bad it was your face. “What is it now?”
“You can’t go out looking like that.” You emphasized the last word, pointing at his eyes.”They’re gonna know something’s wrong.” Bill snorted.
“Oh, Compass, you’re overestimating these people.” He rolled his eyes and tried to pat your shoulder. It was chilling to see his palm going through your body. You felt something akin to goosebumps, but much worse. “They’re not gonna notice a thing, believe me, this isn’t my first time.”
As soon as he finished talking, Bill resumed his walk and you immediately moved to the side, not wanting to experience the same feeling you did a minute ago. He left the bathroom and you followed him after a brief moment you took to collect yourself. You could always say you were using contact lenses, right? Just by the fun of it.
You noticed him struggling as he walked. He clearly wasn’t used to walking with heels, although they were only 3’’. Not that you were either 一but at least you could hide your discomfort taking short steps, avoiding the wobbling he was experiencing at the moment. He made it to the steps of the improvised stage, finally, as Soos said your name, and everyone cheered for an encore.
He struggled a little getting the microphone out of the stand, which contrasted the ease you had when you’d first come up onto the stage. He didn’t sit on the stool either, he stood proud, his chin up, eyes looking at the crowd with disdain, yet you noticed a small glint of pride 一maybe even joy. Everyone was focusing on him, and the only thing bigger than Bill Cipher’s powers was his ego. Oh, how he adored being the center of attention. No one seemed to notice how your demeanor changed. Was this what the demon was referring to when he said they wouldn’t notice? Was he able to conceal all these differences or were the people at Gravity Falls really that oblivious?
Cipher picked his song as if he had already prepared for it. Not only that, but he started his performance quite well. Part of it was probably because he was inhabiting your body and you already knew how to sing well, but the way he moved on the stage, making it seem as if he were dancing, proved that he knew exactly what he was doing. He was quite skilled, you had to give him that 一he had everyone captivated in a completely different way you had done minutes ago. And if you were being honest, his energy was magnetic even for you. How did he do it? You doubted he was using any kind of magic or supernatural powers. That was one hundred percent Bill Cipher in all his magnificence.
Suddenly, everyone in the crowd started singing the chorus with him 一it would’ve made you jump if you’d had a physical body. You looked around, dumbfounded; it had taken you by surprise. Your eyes scanned the crowd, they were absolutely lost into him, as if his voice mixed with your hypnotized them.
Your eyes met Bill’s, he’d never stopped staring. You gave him a crooked smile that he mirrored as he finished his song. The crowd went insane, clapping and whistling for you一 for him . He looked absolutely pleased with it, giving them a little bow of his head before dropping the mic to the floor, effectively breaking the weird spell he’d cast over everyone with the screeching sound that came from the loudspeakers.
Cipher walked down the steps without even looking at the people covering their ears and wincing in pain. After a couple of steps, as expected from the karma he carried on a now human and frail body, he twisted his ankle and fell flat on the floor, face first. The snort you left out grew to a full laugh as Susan helped you一 him get up.
“I’m fine!” He protested loudly, and your laugh died down. You knew the demon was rude, you lived with him. But seeing him treating your friends that way made you furious. You made a mental note to scold him and apologize to Susan later.
Bill got up and used his hand to pull some hair out of his face, and you couldn’t help but stare, why was it that everything he did seemed so elegantly calculated? You squinted, that was your body, and although you knew that wasn’t you, it still looked pretty weird.
You followed him into the bathroom again, seeing how he locked the door just as you had done the first time. He went to the exact same sink you were before and looked into the mirror. You noticed a string of blood coming down your left nostril. The hit must’ve been worse that you thought. Which made sense一 Cipher wasn’t used to a human body so he had no idea how to preserve certain parts of his body. In this case: his face.
“So? How did I do?” He asked as soon as your eyes met his. You smiled, smugly.
“Impressive, I must say.” Your spectral form got closer to him, your hands grazing his shoulders, knowing that you couldn’t touch his body. You got close to his ear before whispering, teasingly. “If you sing this good in my body I can only imagine how you perform in yours.” You wanted to tease him a little, see how he’d react since you could see his expressions better for once.
He chuckled, before taking out his tongue and licking the blood that now stained his lips and teeth. He looked at you through half-lidded eyes. “Oh, you already know how I perform, Compass. Or d’you need a reminder?”
His response took you off guard, you did expect him to retort but not to bring that up; you should have, that was your mistake. Clicking your tongue, you averted your gaze from the mirror, from his playful eyes 一every time you remembered what happened you’d get annoyed, and he knew, that was why he’d said it. He loved pushing your buttons. He snickered as his hands gripped the sink, knuckles going white.
“Well, better come in soon or you’ll get a nice concussion!” He chirped before his soul left your body.
You watched, in a millisecond, how your lifeless form collapsed over the sink, your head about to crash with the mirror. Terrified, you hurried inside.
Your senses were numb, at first. You felt tense, held in place only by the strength of your muscles, because your brain was completely out of it, needing a moment to find your place inside yourself again. The first thing you noticed was darkness. The second was that unnerving laugh echoing on your skull, you were probably putting on a show for him to see. Then came the pain, your nose was in so much pain. Lastly, you realized you could feel your own breath crashing on your lips, so you lowered your head, slowly, and you felt the chilling surface of the mirror on your forehead. You’d been merely inches away from crashing your head against it.
You opened your eyes, the gold of Bill’s body and the cold white lights of the bathroom burning your pupils. You groaned.
“I think you broke my nose.” You complained, feeling the metallic taste linger on your mouth. He snorted.
“Oh, please, it’s not broken. Wuss.” You growled in response, slowly doing your best to get on your two feet.
You moved your toes inside of your shoes, delighted to feel that all sensations were back, your brain was connected once again. You reached out to get a paper towel and cleaned the blood out of your philtrum, along with the remains of saliva he had left on your lips. You looked at the red stains before losing yourself in a thought: how long had it been since you’d bled? While, yes, you did it every month, and sometimes you’d bite your lips too hard, this was different. Somehow. You couldn’t really pinpoint how.
You felt surprisingly fragile, human. Even though you had been something akin to a ghost mere seconds ago. Your body, compared to the supernatural deity by your side, was so frail, ephemeral一 whereas he was almost infinite, in your standards.
Why would this being want to be on your body anyways? Was it fun, perhaps? Different, that’s for sure.
Wait.
Had you even asked him to give it back?
You furrowed your brows, deep in thought, and the triangle seemed to catch up一 he always did. He approached you and sat on the top of head.
“You were thinking so much that this place became warm. Too warm, even.” He joked, making you relax your expression.
You turned around from the mirror, you wanted to see him directly when you asked. “Can you come down from there?”
“Why? What is it now? Don’t you have to go claim your prize?” He asked, his tone exasperated.
“Nothing, I just…” You bit your lower lip trying to prevent yourself from cracking a smile. “I don’t remember setting a duration for the possession in our deal…” You trailed off, and for a second, Bill observed you, seemingly clueless. The moment he realized what you meant, his eye widened for a second, before going back to normal. He was obviously trying to hide something, but the glitching of his bright light blue scar evidenced that something was affecting him, whatever it may be.
“Well, for starters, it was boring! I would’ve liked to feel some more pain, but you would’ve complained about it…” You raised an eyebrow. Apparently, he now cared for what you said. “Not that I care, either way.” As if reading your mind, he added. “And your body was just unwelcoming, you suck.” You couldn’t hold it any longer, so you let out a small chuckle. He sounded almost nervous. Why was he getting so worked up over this? It was funny to think he had been able to make you flustered only moments ago.
“Whatever. You wanted it back don’t you? Why are you making a big deal?”
Why? Because you loved it. You loved it every time you decided to trust and he showed you that, in fact, he could be trustworthy. You weren’t laughing at him, you were just happy that you had just followed your heart and he had shown you kindness, even in his own way.
Maybe, just maybe, he saw you as a friend as well.
“I’m not.” You said, giving him a big, warm smile. “I’m just happy we reached a compromise.”