Beauty and the Dorito (Bill Cipher X Reader)

Chapter 3: The Fateful Meeting

Y/N strode purposefully through the forest, her eyes fixed on the prize.

"Ow!  Crap!"

Y/N strode a little more cautiously through the forest, her eyes fixed on the ground.

She didn't even know what she was searching for.  Stanford had disappeared the previous day, and he could have been anywhere by now.  She only knew that she couldn't stop looking.

If anything's happened to him, I'm going to kill him, she thought.  I haven't supported his insane inventions for years only to have him disappear on me now.

Also, she couldn't ignore the nagging doubt in her mind, the what-if-he-left-me-on-purpose mantra that repeated itself, unwillingly, in the back of her head.

She tried unsuccessfully to shake off the troublesome thought.  If I can't believe in my own father, I can't believe in anyone, she thought firmly.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she noticed the sudden lack of background noises in the surrounding forest.  Unlike Stanford, Y/N had been paying attention and detected the exact moment she stepped through the invisible barrier.

The floating monolith towered above her in the sky, appearing suddenly in her field of vision.  She stared it down, as if the force of her gaze alone would force it to disgorge her father from its depths.

A nearly-silent whisper seemed to issue from an indefinable source. "Not another one," it complained.  "Do I need to put up 'Keep Out' signs?"

"Who's there?" Y/N demanded.  "Where is my father?"

The voice laughed.  "So you're the scientist's brat, eh?  I'm afraid he's in my custody now, so you might as well turn back now.  Only death awaits you in the Fearamid."

"Quit yapping and return him this instant," Y/N said flatly, crossing her arms.

"What is with you people?" the voice whined.  "Doesn't anyone listen to the 'death' part?"

"Are you giving him back, or do I have to come up there and make you?" Y/N threatened.

"Good luck getting up here by yourself," the voice retorted. "However... since you amuse me, pitiful human, I'll grant you a visit.  Hold still, this might tickle..."

Y/N barely had time to close her eyes before a tremendous gust of wind knocked her off her feet.  When she stood up, she was alone in a hallway of black stone. Stupid disembodied voice.  So helpfully dumping me in some random spot instead of taking me straight to him.  Barely pausing to take in her surroundings, Y/N picked a direction at random to begin her search.

She had nearly reached the outermost corner of the pyramid when she heard a rhythmic clicking sound.  She paused to identify the noise, and was greeted by the odd sight of a tasseled footstool rounding the corner, apparently moving under its own power.  To make the odd scene even more surreal, a lit candelabra appeared to be riding the footstool.

"Whoa, there!" the candelabra whooped as the footstool skidded to a halt.  "Sit, Waddles!"

The footstool obediently sat.  Y/N watched with a raised eyebrow as the candelabra swept her a deep bow.

"I came as soon as I received word of your arrival," it announced.  "Soos the handyman, at your service."

Y/N just stared him down intently.  

Soos hesitated.  "Um, are you all right?" he asked.  "I know a talking candlestick might come as a bit of a shock, but I assure you-"

"No, I got that part.  I'm just waiting for you to stop talking and take me to my father already."  Y/N crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently to make her point.