Misguided Adventures and Magical Attachments (Completed)

Chapter 23

Falling back asleep was no problem. Both Bill and Dipper were tired and having the night to themselves felt like a luxury after the failed search. And as always, the demon visited the boy's dreamscape for a last moment of enjoyment before day begun.

Dipper's consciousness appeared in a cavern, lit by moonlight that fell gracefully through the roof of the cave. Runes dotted the walls and a few glowing mushrooms added to the atmosphere. It was a bit creepy, though beautiful nonetheless. "Hi, Bill," he greeted, waiting for his friend to arrive. "We're in here tonight, I guess."

The triangle had appeared, floating down to ground. "Hey there, Pine Tree. It sure is nice and calm here," he admitted, standing on two small legs. He glowed bright yellow in the dark.

Dipper found himself smiling warmly at him. "Yeah, my mind just came up with it. Kinda random, don't you think?" He swiveled himself around to get a better look at the environment, but his eyes hurriedly returned to Bill. Even his triangle form was stunning. In a weird, mathematical way.

"Random indeed. It's not quite what I'd pick, though we could use a break," he agreed. Bill wanted to stay in his triangle form during the dream even though there was an itch to switch back to his human one. Right now the last thing he needed was emotions. Even if they were artificial. "I didn't actually have any plans for tonight, but I figured I would talk to you. Maybe ask you a few questions. I've been thinking and I want you to teach me more about emotions. Being human is overwhelming sometimes. When you're a demon, you feel the simple stuff — happiness, sadness and anger — and then there's the seven sins, which I'm sure you've heard of." Bill held out his fingers and listed them. "Lust, greed, envy, pride, sloth, gluttony and, my favorite, wrath."

Dipper looked mildly surprised by the topic. "Yeah, about that . . ." he trailed, that accursed blush creeping onto his skin once again. "It's basically all weird hormonal brain magic. You just . . . everything gets super confusing. Is this . . . important?"

"Not as important as it is to stop Ford, for sure, though it still means something for me while I'm in a human body. I should be able to understand what my fleshbag is trying to tell me," Bill told him, cat-like pupil staring intently. "So will you be able to tell me what you know?"

"I-if you want me to . . . I mean, you do, so . . . uh . . . okay. W-where do I start?" he asked nervously, palms getting uncomfortably sweaty. But it was a dream.

Nervousness would probably be a good place to start. Fear, maybe.

Bill decided to shift into his human form. "Would it help you if I described any of the feelings?" he asked, taking a seat next to the boy. "One is warm, pleasurable and feels like happiness but it's not exactly the same. And sometimes, when I'm around Ford, there's another small feeling besides anger and hate."

Dipper felt himself draw closer to Bill until he was sitting too, though the mention of Ford dissipated some of his longing. Or made it stronger. Either one. "Are those feelings . . . really different?" he asked almost hopefully. "All I feel around Ford is . . . curiosity . . . and some bad stuff."

"Yes, they are different feelings. The warm one sometimes appears with I'm with you, and you often feel it around me," Bill explained. "Then the other emotion I get with Ford is . . . well, a twist in my gut. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it's a horrible feeling."

Dipper heaved a sigh of relief that the feeling wasn't good, then tensed, realizing how selfish that might seem. "I think the bad one is either disgust or . . . possibly guilt or regret. I don't think you need to feel sorry for him, though. He's horrible and something needs to be done to stop him," the boy stated cold-heartedly, glaring darkly at the moonlit floor before glancing up again with a growing smile. "And as for the warm one — i-it could be many things." Love and hope sparked within him again, wanting beyond wanting that Bill meant the same emotion that drove the boy further into complete adoration. Because if Bill felt it too . . . if they both . . . it would be a magic of its own.