the real author's note: hi! I made a mistake! bill possessed dipper inside of their room instead of outside like the in the episode. sorry for the inaccuracy. enjoy the show!

***

Y/n opened her eyes and found herself lying on the ground. She stood up and let her gaze wander around, noticing a row of bookshelves lining in different directions. One was a curvy bookshelves, making the library look more like an ocean with millions of colorful books piled inside. Her legs took her forward, curious at the encounter.

Standing in front of one of the shelves, she began to slowly reach for a book she was interested in, until from a distance she heard a twinkling tune. It sounded like it was coming from a music box. Followed by that was a voice echoing, "Looking for answers, are we?"

"Here we go again," she muttered, folding her arms as she didn't have to turn to know who was annoying her.

Bill chuckled, his voice reverberating through the surreal dreamscape. "Oh, just checking in on my favorite plaything. You know, Pine Tree's getting quite fond of you. It's almost adorable."

Y/n turned to face him, her expression a mix of annoyance and intrigue. "What's the deal with this place, Cipher?"

"It's just a library, no need to think so much– gosh, all this thinking is making your mind so disorganized. You know who else's mind is disorganized?" He floated around her, his tone smug.

"Why are you even here?" She quickly changed the subject. "I just want a peaceful reading session without an isosceles triangle with a bow and top hat terrorizing my dreams."

A cane materialized in his hands, "You act like you don't enjoy our little chats."

"I don't," Y/n retorted. "I have better things to do than listen to your cryptic nonsense."

"Yeah? Like fixing the portal! Actually, you're doing great!" Bill chuckled, unfazed by her irritation. When he was met by silence, he continued with a glare. "Oh, don't be such a bore, Daisy. I'm just here to offer a little... guidance."

"Guidance? From you? I'd rather take directions from a broken GPS," she walked around, watching the books fly around the air, even jumping on it as a platform.

He followed her, easily floating himself up to her level. She was jumping across open books, reminding him of someone else. "Don't you want to see a glimpse of the future? Just think of me as your own personal oracle."

Y/n couldn't help but grow more exasperated with each encounter. "Cut the cryptic act, Bill. If you have something to say, just say it." She seemed to be belittling every word that he was saying.

"You're enjoying this, huh? Floating books? Dreams? Well, let me offer you a word of advice, Daisy." All of sudden, all of the books from the shelves flew out and began piling on one another until it formed a tornado, surrounding her with open pages flipping hysterically. "The line between reality and dreams can be quite thin, and sometimes, the things that seem impossible might be more real than you think."

Y/n frowned, unimpressed by his cryptic warning. "Is that all you've got? Some fortune cookie wisdom?" She yelled at him.

Bill circled her, his voice dripping with ominous foreshadowing. "A rift, gullible little Daisy. A tear in the fabric of your precious little town. It's coming, and it's going to change everything."

"Can't you be a little more straightforward for once?"

He chuckled, his tone casual despite the message. "Where's the fun in that? Just remember, Y/n, the line between friends and enemies can be quite thin in this town."

Before she could respond, the dream world around her began to crumble, and she woke up with a frustrated sigh. She couldn't deny that Bill's hints were starting to get under her skin, but she refused to be drawn into his enigmatic games.

It was a dreary, windy morning. Getting herself a mug of coffee, she easily drank it in one go, the hot liquid sliding down her throat. Energy gradually getting replenished, she felt like she could face whatever comes at her today.

"Y/n, there you are!" Dipper said from the stairs. "Come on, we have to go to the library."

Oooh, the library, she thought internally. She loves going there on occasion. "What for?"

"I'll tell you on the way, we've got no time to lose!"

***

In the Gravity Falls Library, Dipper, Mabel, and Y/n located a table with three chairs and a nearby electrical outlet. They arranged themselves in a triangle, with the bag Dipper had brought placed in the center.

Dipper began to search through the brown bag. "Today's the day, guys."

"Big day!" Mabel enthusiastically echoed, her voice carrying through the library, seemingly oblivious to the library's rules. Y/n, on the other hand, had to offer apologetic glances to the older patrons who were casting disapproving looks their way from a distance.

"Soos finally managed to fix the laptop," Dipper announced, revealing the supposedly repaired device, though it still appeared old and worn. "If this thing works, we could uncover the identity of the author and solve the biggest mysteries of Gravity Falls. Are you guys ready?"

Mabel turned to him with a determined look, holding a book in her hands. "Oh, I'm ready, baby." She enthusiastically flipped through the pages of a pop-up book with an illustration of a baby. "Ma-ma!"

Dipper and Y/n exchanged a glance, and she gave him a thumbs-up. He opened the laptop, revealing the words 'Property of F' once again. Y/n couldn't help but wonder if he was still out there after all these years. He had left his laptop, his prized possession, in the bunker, suggesting he must have left Gravity Falls in a hurry. She realized she never knew what the 'F' stood for; what was this guy's full name?

"This is it. This is it," Dipper muttered under his breath as he opened the laptop, and the screen came to life with neon words that read 'Welcome,' eliciting a relieved laugh from the young boy. "Aha! It worked!"

The three of them extended their hands towards the center of their circle, performing a trio handshake that Mabel had invented one day. It had taken them three hours to learn and execute perfectly. The sequence was smooth, with their fingers curling and fists bumping before ending in a raspberry, complete with their tongues sticking out.

Suddenly, a deafening alarm sounded, and the laptop displayed a message: "//UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS FORBIDDEN// Enter Password," causing Dipper to groan. "Ugh! Of course, a password."

Y/n placed a finger on her chin, deep in thought. She had observed F with his laptop many times, but she couldn't recall ever seeing him input a passcode. The only code she remembered from him was the one for the security room in the bunker, but that was about it.

"Don't you worry, bro bro," Mabel reassured him with a wide grin. "With your brains, Y/n's wit, and my laser focus, there's literally nothing that can distract us from... did you hear that?"

A piano tune suddenly echoed from the other side of the library, abruptly interrupting Mabel's speech. Emerging from the kids' section was a boy with a blond ponytail and a black sweater, singing as if he were serenading someone, "All my life I've been dreamin' of a love that's right for me. And now I finally know her name, and it's... sing it with me, kids—literacy!"

"Literacy!" The children in the library joined in with glee. The boy had a bee puppet on one hand, which he made talk animatedly, saying, "I finally understand what all the buzz is about. Reading!"

On his other hand, he had a book puppet that seemed to represent a female character. "Give me some of that honey!" they playfully exclaimed, and the two puppets proceeded to 'kiss,' while the boy laughed.

Dipper and Y/n exchanged amused glances, then turned to Mabel, who was completely enthralled by the new boy's performance. She enthusiastically flipped the pages of a pop-up book, making it go, "Ba bump. Ba bump."

"Oh, boy," Dipper muttered with a bemused smile.

https://youtu.be/X2DUpDxFJyg

Mabel's eyes glittered with excitement as she observed the young puppeteer receiving his well-deserved applause. "Just when I thought I was getting over Mermando, you show up at my doorstep!"

Dipper stood from beside Y/n, walking over to a bookshelf. "Oh yeah, I forgot about Mermando. Did not care for Mermando..." he grabbed a book off of the shelf and began flipping through it. "Okay, this cryptology book says there's 7.2 million 8-letter words. Y/n, wanna read it while I type? Mabel's gonna be—"

Mabel's empty chair suddenly spun on the floor, and Dipper let out an incredulous sigh. "Figures."

"I'll read them," Y/n volunteered, taking the book from him. Dipper settled back into his seat, focusing on the laptop and positioning his fingers over the keyboard. "Alright," Y/n cleared her throat and began listing words that started with the letter A. Each word she uttered received a loud beep in response, indicating an incorrect input.

Y/n skillfully avoided words that didn't seem like plausible passwords. Who would choose a word like "autogamy" as their password, after all? She continued flipping through the pages, plucking out words that might potentially serve as a password. She was determined to crack the code and uncover whatever secrets might be hidden inside the laptop.

"Uhm, try 'password'?" Y/n suggested, half-jokingly.

However, it turned out to be a rather feeble attempt, and she couldn't help but be relieved when the laptop predictably beeped in error. Y/n couldn't fathom why someone as skilled with codes as F would use something as basic as 'password' as their password. Dipper, too, seemed exasperated by the lack of progress.

Mabel returned after a few more unsuccessful attempts, taking a seat beside Y/n. Her expression was vacant, prompting Y/n to inquire, "So, how did it go?"

"Um," Mabel replied slowly, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "how hard do you guys think it would be to write and compose a sock puppet rock opera with lights, original music, and live pyrotechnics by Friday?"

A loud beep emanated from the laptop to Y/n's left, and she turned to see Dipper looking utterly flabbergasted. "What?! Mabel, are you serious?"

"I don't know what happened!" Mabel exclaimed, frustration evident as she smacked the table with both arms and flailed about. "I got lost in his eyes and his ponytail, and I'm going to be so embarrassed on Friday if I don't have anything!"

Dipper, still leaning on Y/n's shoulder, turned his attention back to her. "But what about cracking this password? You know, the three of us?" He paused, as if trying to recall something, then asked, "What did Mabel call us again?"

"Mystery Trio?" Y/n supplied.

"Right! Mystery Trio."

Mabel's eyes widened, and she adopted an almost pleading look. "If you guys help me with this for just a couple of days, I promise I'll help you with the password! Please, pretty please!" She blinked, making her eyes appear even larger and filled with a magical sparkle. "It's for love, Dipper..."

Dipper and Y/n exchanged silent glances, trying to appear casual. Y/n was fine with either option; she was ready to help either of them. Dipper resigned with a sigh. "Alright, okay—"

But before he could finish his sentence, Mabel tackled him with a hug. "Yes! Thank you!!!" She didn't forget to include Y/n in the embrace, squishing the two of them with her arms. "These two, right here! They're Gravity Falls' number one!"

"Okay, okay, okay, shhh!" Dipper hushed her, turning off the laptop and placing it back in the bag. The three of them made their way out of the library. However, Y/n suddenly felt a shift in the atmosphere. She glanced at the twins, who seemed indifferent, discussing the laptop and the puppet show. But something nagged at her. Consciously, Y/n looked behind her, but all she saw were rows of bookshelves.

"Y/n?" She heard Dipper call for her, and she realized that she was lagging behind. She quickly caught up with them. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I thought I saw something..."

***

As Friday drew closer, Mabel's puppet show was making progress. She had purchased a sufficient number of used socks from the thrift store with her allowance money and had obtained extra fabric from her knitting supplies. Mabel was already skilled in sewing, and she was teaching Y/n, so they had an extra pair of hands to create more puppets. They had even crafted puppet versions of people they knew, including Stan, Wendy, Soos, Candy, and Grenda, all of whom were there to lend a helping hand (except for Stan).

Meanwhile, each night, Y/n and Dipper dedicated themselves to deciphering the password in the twins' bedroom. The walls were plastered with long strips of paper covered in scribbled words, while an open journal rested on a table, illuminated by a black light revealing hidden codes. Despite their tireless efforts, the laptop remained locked. Their determination led to moments where Mabel would find the two of them sprawled next to each other, exhausted and fast asleep.

However, in the early morning hours, before anyone else was awake, Y/n would be roused by the beeping of her watch. She'd silence it after the second ring, tiptoed around Dipper's room, which resembled a chaotic mess, and quietly make her way downstairs to the basement, where Stan patiently awaited her.

She was so tired.

Thursday rolled around, and the group was immersed in the puppet-making process, diligently drying the glue on the sock puppets and crafting various props. As they worked, Mabel enthusiastically shared her vision.

"Alright, everyone, the play is going to be called 'Glove Story: A Sock Opera.' But here's a heads-up: people's eyes will get wet. They'll be crying— from laughing! From how tragic it is," Mabel announced with her signature excitement.

Dipper, on the other hand, struggled with sock puppets glued to his face. He managed to speak despite the predicament. "Yeah, that... um. That sounds great," he said, coughing up some pom poms, his expression less enthusiastic.

Wendy chimed in with a casual shrug. "Dipper, you just have to go along with Mabel's craziness. It's what makes life worth living."

Mabel went to her keyboard, playing a bunch of keys– another talent that Y/n didn't know about. "Puppet boy, puppet boy, you're the boy I–"

"Loooooooove!" Everybody sang with her, while Waddles squeaked.

Stan observed the chaotic scene in the room and decided not to inquire about it, simply shaking his head and moving on.

Later that night, Mabel was nestled under her blankets, surrounded by sock puppets and softly caressing a puppet version of Gabe Benson. She spoke to it with affection, saying, "Soon, Gabe Benson—"

Beep!

"Ugh, wrong password. WRONG, WRONG! UGH!"

Curious, Mabel asked about Y/n's whereabouts, noticing her absence from Dipper's code-breaking session. Dipper, looking weary, explained, "She said she needed to catch up on some sleep, so I let her rest. She seemed really tired..."

Mabel observed Dipper, concern in her eyes. "Well, you look tired too, Dipper," she pointed out. "Don't stay up all night. Last time you got this sleep-deprived, you tried to eat your own shirt."

Dipper's response was a muffled protest as he sucked on his shirt, before he realized what he was doing and spat it out. "Pleh. It's fine, I just need a few more tries."

After Mabel had settled in for the night, Dipper retrieved a jacket from his bag and made his way to the roof, laptop in hand. He sat on the edge with his legs dangling and the laptop on his lap, fingers typing in more possible passwords. Yet, all he received in return were more beeps from the computer.

Frustration took over, and Dipper pounded his fists on the laptop. "Ugh, I can't take that sound anymore," he grumbled, his hands venting his frustration as he muttered, "I. Hate. You. Sound!"

He let out a yawn. "There has to be some shortcut or clue. Who would know about secret codes?"

As Dipper continued to vent his frustration, violent winds suddenly began to swirl around him, leaves and debris swirling in a chaotic dance. He stood up, his heart racing, and glanced around in alarm, a shiver running down his spine. The large moon hanging in the night sky seemed to come alive, an eerie eye creeping around its edge. Unnerving bricks materialized in the air, forming a familiar triangular shape. The colors in the world drained away, leaving a monochromatic and surreal landscape.

Before him stood Bill Cipher, his presence ominous and overwhelming, as if reality itself had warped to accommodate his arrival.

"I THINK I KNOW A GUY."

Bill floated before him, twirling a cane. "Well, well, well. You're awfully persistent, Pine Tree. Hats off to you!" He took his hat off and tilted it, and the entire world followed, tilting sideways as well, Dipper almost falling off the roof. "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me."

"H-hardly!" Dipper answered. "You worked with Gideon, you tried to destroy my uncle's mind!"

"Ah, it was just a job, kid. No hard feelings! I've been keeping an eye on you since then," said eye became enlarged as it zoomed towards him. "And I must say, I'm impressed! That stunt you pulled defeating that shapeshifter? Pretty crafty." He slipped away.

"Wait, really?"

"Oh, you deserve a price!" Bill exclaimed. "Here! Have a head that's always screaming." He clapped his hands and a screaming head appeared out of thin air.

Dipper shouted in surprise at the severed head, before kicking it off the roof.

"The point is," Bill began again, "I like you. How's about you let me give you a hint, huh?" He nudged Dipper closer to him. "I only ask for a small—" his voice got low and his hand and eye lit on fire. "-favor in return."

The brown-curled boy stepped back. "Y-you better stay out of my head. I'd never do a favor for you! Don't forget who defeated you last time!"

"Right," the triangle let out a humorless chuckle. "You 'defeated me'. Well, if you ever change your mind, I'll be here for you, ready to make a deaaaal! Hey, here's my impression of you in about three seconds!" He screamed, flailing his arms around.

Dipper woke up from the dream, screaming and flailing his arms around. He stopped, realizing he was back on the roof of the Mystery Shack. He quickly scanned his surroundings, noting with immense relief that the world had returned to its usual colors, and Bill Cipher was nowhere in sight. The soft, warm rays of the morning sun greeted him as they crept over the horizon. It was Friday, and the day of Mabel's sock puppet opera was here.

Y/n turned around from the stove where she was flipping a fresh batch of waffles and saw Dipper shuffling into the kitchen, still looking half-asleep. She offered him a warm smile. "Morning," she greeted, setting aside a plate of waffles for him.

"Woah," Stan said, "Bag check for Dipper's eyes!" He chuckled, but no one laughed with him. "Nobody?" His eyes shifted to her but he only received a glare.

"I'm sorry for not being there last night, Dipper," Y/n said with a guilty expression.

"Dipper, I told you to get some sleep last night!" Mabel scolded with a frown. "Here, wake up with some Mabel Juice." She held up a blender filled with red liquid with various objects floating around. "It has plastic dinosaurs in it!"

Stan grimaced at the drink. "It's like if coffee and nightmares🗝 had a baby! Just eat one of Y/n's waffles. Doesn't taste half bad if I say so myself!"

"Thanks, old man," Y/n replied, placing another perfectly cooked waffle on the plate and slid it onto the table. She was very intricate in getting the right cook of the food so it was bound to taste amazing. She took a piece for herself and started savoring the delicious meal.

"We need to talk," Dipper said before quickly pulling the two girls outside of the kitchen and into the living room. "Okay, listen. Last night, I had a dream with Bill in it."

Mabel paused. "Wait, hold up. The triangle guy?" She held up her fingers around her eye and formed a triangle shape.

"What did he say?" Y/n asked, almost choking in her food. She couldn't help it, but she was curious. Why would Bill visit the both of them in their dreams? Should she tell them of her dream, too?

Dipper explained the dream, "He said he'd give me the code to the laptop if I gave him something." He smugly crossed his arms. "Like I'd actually trust Bill, right?"

Before she could think of what Bill's motives were, Y/n's eyes flitted over to Mabel, who gave an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, bro. Today's the day that the Mystery Trio are back in action. I'll help you crack that code! I've just gotta hand off my puppet stuff to my production crew."

"Production crew?"

Leading the two outside, Mabel introduced them to her production crew, covered in socks.

"We read the script," Candy Chiu adjusted her glasses, "very emotional."

"I cried like eight times!" Grenda expressed.

"Hey, ladies!"A male voice chimed in from behind the group, and they all turned to see Gabe Benson smoothly skating up to them. His blond ponytail swirled in the wind, and he sported his usual attire: black tights and a leotard, complete with his two puppets in hand. Y/n's eyes narrowed with curiosity, unaware of a pair of brown eyes keenly observing her reaction.

"Gabe!" Mabel exclaimed in greeting.

"I was just bladin' by," Gabe said smoothly, "Helps me dry out my ponytail after a shower." He took off the helmet and shook his hair, seeming to be in slow motion. "Ah... oh..."

"Hubbity-bubbity!" Grenda howled.

"메이블이 한테 개이브을 훔쳐와야겠다!"

Dipper shot a disapproving look at their interaction, his eyes briefly flicking towards Y/n, who mercifully refrained from making any comments.

Mabel ran up to the blond. "It's so great to see you! I was just working on the world's greatest puppet show. It has puppets!"

"Your passion is so refreshing, Mabel. Unlike the girl from last night's puppet show," his tone suddenly shifted into one of disgust. "Single stitch on one puppet, and cross-stitch on the other? I was like, "Uh-uh!"" He told Mabel a story that only experts on puppeteer would understand, but unlike Gabe's judgment, Mabel looked lost.

"Cross- huh?"

"Naturally I deleted her off my cell phone contacts list," Gabe said, as if it was a natural thing."

"Naturally?" Mabel held her hands together and laughed nervously.

The puppeteer faced her again with a hopeful smile. "I know you won't let me down, though. Based on what you said the other day, you must be a puppet expert."

"You know, Gabe, you look pretty sweaty," Grenda said, smiling. "You should really take your shirt off. Right? Aren't we all thinking that?"

Gabe put on his helmet again. "Later, ladies." He skated off.

Mabel waited until Gabe had receded into the distance, hidden by a thicket of trees, before she turned back around, her face twisted into an expression of panic, her hands pressed against her cheeks. "GWAAA! We gotta up our game, girls! Did you hear that thing he said about the stitches?!"

"Don't worry, Mabel, your crew can handle it!" Grenda tried to reassure Mabel, holding up a puppet of herself, held by two sticks, but then ripped it. "Oops."

"How many eyes does a face have again?" Candy held up a sock covered in googly eyes.

And as if on cue, the mountain of stuff that Soos was trying to handle, fell over. "I'm not okay!" He shouted.

Mabel screamed. "Okay, I'm back on fabrication," she began to run off back to the Shack with a box full of socks. "Get me my lint roller!"

But Dipper pulled her back. "Whoa, whoa! Hey, you just said you were going to help me and Y/n!"

"Dipper!" Mabel shouted over him. "This sock crisis just bumped up to a code argyle! There's Y/n! She can help you!"

"Mabel, do you seriously think that your random crush of the week is more important than uncovering the mysteries of this town? You're obsessed!"

"I'm obsessed? Look at you! You look like a vampire! And not the hot kind!" Mabel began picking up the socks on the ground and back to the box. "On second thought, Y/n, I need you for—"

"Oh, no. Y/n stays with me," Dipper demanded, pulling Y/n by her wrist.

Mabel stood up again, stomping her feet. "But I need her help or else this puppet show won't be done for tomorrow! Gabe would hate me forever!"

"But I need Y/n to help me with cracking the password. You already have enough hands to help you!"

"Well, let's let Y/n decide for herself," Mabel said, and the twins faced Y/n who looked like she's close to collapsing. "Who are you going to help, Y/n?"

Well, that's the problem.

She wanted to help everybody.

But she couldn't be in two places at once. On one hand, she wanted to help Mabel with the puppet show. She understood how much this meant to her sister – impressing her crush, showcasing her passion and talent. On the other hand, she also longed to spend time with Dipper and work on opening the laptop. She knew how important this quest was to him, satisfying his thirst for uncovering mysteries and secrets.

Dipper, unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, finally spoke up. "Fine," he declared, his voice tinged with frustration. "You know what? I'll do it on my own!" He stormed off, leaving Y/n torn between following him and giving him some space to cool off. She couldn't help but feel like she had betrayed him in some way.

"Ugh, just forget about him, Y/n. We have to get moving!" Mabel re-arranged all of the sock puppets that she will be using, bringing out the materials such as a paste, buckets of glitter, and googly eyes. Oh dear.

After a few minutes of Mabel's laughter blending with Grenda and Candy's, Y/n decided to leave her be and check up on Dipper. She ascended the stairs leading to the twins' shared bedroom and gently knocked on the door before entering.

Inside, she found Dipper admiring himself in the mirror, a content smile on his face as he flexed his fingers. Y/n called out to him, saying, "Dipper?"

Y/n watched as his neck slowly turned to her, his wide smile unwavering. "Daisy!"

Daisy?

The first thing she noticed was that instead of Dipper's bright brown eyes, there were cold, cat-like irises in their place. Irises she was definitely familiar with. A voice, oh so different from Dipper's, greeted her, saying, "Lovely to see your fleshy face!" It was as though she had stepped into a children's book, becoming a character who wears a red hood and brings pastries to her grandmother.

"You're not Dipper," she managed to say, her voice quivering with unease as she silently pondered her next move. This wasn't Dipper anymore; it was Bill, the same one the boy had warned them about earlier that morning. Dipper had said he wouldn't trust him. Where was he now?

He blinked his eyes, glowing yellow ones. "Ah, always a smart girl you are, Daisy. Would expect from someone working for him."

"Get out of his body, Bill!" She demanded, stepping forward and meeting his gaze.

The height difference was apparent, as Bill-Dipper had to crane his neck slightly upward. "Oh, but why should I do that?" A sly smirk finally crossed his lips as he relished the sensation of being in someone's body. "Pinetree and I made a deal, and every action... has its consequences!" He started slapping himself, the bizarre display unsettling Y/n. "See? I can feel pain!"

He noticed her glaring at him. "Let me wipe that look off your face, sweetheart," he said before delivering a resounding smack to her cheek. However, her expression remained unchanged, seemingly growing even more resolute. "Oh, it didn't work. Let me try again!" He slapped her once more. "Again—"

"Stop!" She stepped back, avoiding his hand. "Where's Dipper! Give his body back!"

"Um, nope! Gotta find that journal first. Race you to the bottom of the stairs!" He let his body fall back and tumbled down the stairs.

Y/n gasped and quickly chased after him. "Hey!" She hurried to the kitchen where she found Dipper opening and closing the fridge. "People soda!" he declared when he found a Pitt Cola, cracking it open and pouring it all over his face. He cackled as the liquid cascaded over his eyes. "Ooh! Fizzy!"

"You're just... gonna stay in Dipper's body forever?" Y/n asked him.

He emerged from the fridge once more, this time clutching a sandwich and a bottle of hot sauce – when had they even stocked hot sauce in the Mystery Shack? "Well, until something happens to it!" Bill gleefully began drizzling an excessive amount of hot sauce onto the sandwich. But instead of eating it, he started to rub it harshly all over his face. "Man, I am loving these senses! Daisy, you must be so jealous right now that I can feel the pain. And you've got your priorities all wrong, kid."

His eyes seemed to be fixated on something else, causing Y/n to glance behind her, wondering if he was addressing someone else. However, there was no one else in the kitchen. "Uh, who are you talking to?"

"Like why waste your time with dumb mysteries when you got this fun body to play with?!"

Bill-Dipper opened a drawer and began reaching inside. He proceeded to slam the drawer onto his arm repeatedly, seemingly unconcerned as his skin turned red. "Where does Pinetree keep that journal anyway?" he taunted. "Huh? Pinetree? Got anything to say?"

He seemed to be talking to the wind.

"Wait, Dipper's here? But I can't see him!"

"Geez, the two of you are talking at the same time, it's actually giving me a headache. Ha! A headache, never felt that, not ever!" He grabbed a handful of forks from the drawer and, without hesitation, threw them at Y/n. Simultaneously, he drove another fork straight toward her shoulder with his other hand.

"Stop being such a nuisance and answer my question!" Y/n effortlessly removed the fork, earning nothing more than a wicked cackle from Bill-Dipper.

"Oh, there you two lovebirds are!" Mabel exclaimed from the doorway of the kitchen. "Dipper! I borrowed your journal to use as a prop in the show. I hope you don't mind. I'm gonna go before you process this sentence, okay, BYEEEE!" Mabel ran off before anyone could process her sentence.

Bill-Dipper grinned widely. "Sure! Sounds great, sister! I'll see you at the show!" He began to dash away before Y/n could grab him back.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

The vest-wearing boy abruptly halted in his tracks, and Y/n couldn't help but notice that he appeared to be talking to thin air again. Perhaps he was communicating with Dipper? "Ha! Welcome to the mindscape, kid!" She heard. "Without a vessel to possess, you're basically a ghost!"

"A vessel?"

"Oh, hey! There you dudes are!"

The two turned around and saw Soos and Wendy walking out from the Shack.

"We're heading to the theater," Soos said.

Wendy smiled, "Need a ride, you two?"

"Oho, anything for you, Red!"

Y/n firmly gripped Dipper by the elbow and forcefully pulled him away. "Oh, I don't think so," she retorted.

"Whoa, come on now, dear. You don't have to be so jealous. I'm just hitching a ride!" Bill-Dipper replied with unsettling smoothness.

Her face flushed with frustration. "I'm not—!" She caught herself before she could explode. "I'm not jealous," she said, and silence hung in the air. Soos and Wendy exchanged a knowing look. "Fine. Go. I'll catch up with you guys later," she forced a smile and watched as they got into the car and drove off.

When they were gone, Y/n found herself alone, stomping around and punching the air in frustration. If Bill had been in his physical form, she would've punched him square in his triangular face.

But then she realized that she might not be alone. "Okay," she took a deep breath. "Dipper, I don't know if you're still here, but if what Bill said is true, then you need to have a vessel. Uh..." She paced around the driveway, her mind racing. "Where could we find a— that's it! Maybe one of Mabel's puppets?"

She sprinted back inside the Mystery Shack and upstairs to the bedroom where some of Mabel's extra puppets lay dormant. "There!" she pointed at a random one. "Maybe you can possess one?"

She waited in silence, watching with close attention, hoping for some sign that Dipper was still there. From her left, directly under Dipper's bed, something moved. A purple owl emerged from under the bed, floating around and flying close to her. It was the stuffed owl that she had given him that day at the fair.

She couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face. He just had to choose the stuffed owl. "Okay," she chuckled. "Can you say something?"

"Hello?"

The beak opened and closed at Dipper's command, creating a comical sight. It felt like she was conversing with an actual owl, but with Dipper's voice. "Oh my gosh, it really is you," she breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm dying to hear the story of how you stupidly decided to trust Bill but let's put that aside. Right now, we need to stop Bill before he gets his hands on the journal."

Y/n and the floating purple owl raced downstairs and out of the Shack. She scanned the area for a means to get to their destination until Dipper pointed at Mabel's pink bike. Hopping on, she carefully placed the stuffed toy into the basket, making sure its wings were tucked inside. "Are you comfortable?" she asked the animated owl.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go!" Y/n exclaimed as she pedaled away. Dipper couldn't help but feel like he'd seen this scene in a movie before, where a group of kids befriended an extraterrestrial being. Eventually, they reached the theater, and Y/n hopped off the bike, watching as the animated purple owl floated out of the basket. She stared at the toy in mid-air.

"What?" Dipper asked.

"People could see you floating around. We need to act as normal as possible." Y/n already had her arms outstretched. "Can I?"

Wordlessly, the stuffed owl fell into her arms, and she held it close. "It's just me and my toy owl. Nothing weird about that, right? Are you—uh, comfortable?" She asked, half-joking and half-serious.

"Um, yeah. Yeah."

Y/n rushed into the theater, scanning the audience that had gathered to support Mabel and her puppet show. Mabel was already on stage, performing her opening song, introducing herself, and professing her love for Gabe amidst the spectacle of smoke, lights, and songs.

"Where the heck is Bill?" Y/n brought her voice down to a whisper.

"I don't know. Where do you think Mabel placed the journal?"

"I don't know either," she replied. "Let's check backstage?"

"Good idea. Come on," Dipper urged Y/n to move quickly, and the two of them dashed towards the backstage area of the theater. They arrived just as Grenda announced the intermission, causing the audience to get up from their seats and mill about. Y/n found herself in a hallway that led to Mabel's dressing room. Without hesitation, she burst through the door, startling Mabel.

The brunette coughed and tried to regain her composure. "Oh, my gosh! You almost gave me a heart attack! Y/n, a little knock would have been nice, you know! Ooh, and you brought Dipper's stuffed owl!"

"Mabel, there's no time—"

"Ah! It can talk?!" Mabel screamed, scrambling away when the owl suddenly floated in front of her.

"It's me, Dipper!" He said, making the beak move. "You need to help us!"

His twin sister eventually recovered. "Wait, what? Dipper?! But you're... so much more of an owl than usual!"

"Mabel, you have to listen," he continued, "Bill tricked me! He stole my body and now he's after the journal!"

"We have to find the journal before Bill destroys it," Y/n added.

"It's the only hope to get me back in my body!"

Mabel reasoned, "But my cue's coming up any minute!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Gabe entered with flowers in his hand, which Y/n thought wasn't possible. "Hey, Mabel, do you have a moment?" he asked.

"Gabe!" Mabel exclaimed, attempting to hide Dipper behind her. Y/n quickly grabbed the owl and hugged it to her chest, trying to appear as normal as possible.

Gabe looked at the braces-wearing girl. "Mabel, it's clear to me now that you really love puppets. I mean, you went whole hog. And if you stick the ending, well, maybe later you could join me for a biscotti?"

Mabel's eyes seemed to sparkle. "You drive a biscotti?"

"What's a biscotti?" Y/n asked.

Gabe's eyes flew over to the girl who asked a question. "Oh, you're one of Mabel's friends, I assume. Good work."

Y/n could feel the owl in her hands wriggling. "Thank you?"

The lights around them flickered on and off, signaling that it was showtime. Gabe turned and made his exit. "I'll be waiting, Mabel," he said with a wink.

When the door closed, Mabel exploded in happiness. "Did you hear that? He loves it! This play has to be flawless. Can't we wait until after the show?"

"Mabel, we don't have time! Bill could find the journal and destroy it!"

"Okay, but can't Y/n do it?" Mabel suggested.

"I don't know where you placed it. And it might take me a lot of time before I locate it," Y/n turned down the offer with a frown.

"Okay, I'll do it. But on one condition," Mabel said, raising a finger. "Take over for me until I get back with the book."

***

Dipper and Y/n reluctantly took the stage, clutching the script that Mabel had given them. After a quick skim of just one page, Y/n already wanted to make a run for it. The curtains were drawn back, and a spotlight illuminated the Mabel puppet, which Y/n was operating. Candy began narrating the next act, singing, "10 years later..."

Y/n cleared her throat to mimic Mabel's voice. "Gabe! You're back from the war!"

Dipper, portraying Gabe, appeared on the stage as a decorated veteran. "Yes, I am! Wanna kiss and sing at the same time?" he said with enthusiasm.

"...Okay!" And the two proceeded to make out, adding kissing sound effects— as it was stated from the script.

"Ugh, seriously?"

Despite their disgust, the audience applauded.

"So, Mabel, now that we're done kissing... there's something I've been meaning to ask you ever since I left for war..." Puppet Gabe with Dipper's low voice said after parting away.

Puppet Mabel gasped. "Oh my gosh! What is it, Gabe?"

"Will you marry me?!"

The lights around them turned pink, and music played. The backdrop transformed into a church as Y/n quickly changed from normal Mabel to Mabel in a wedding dress. Stan, puppeted by Dipper, popped out of the stage.

"I'm giving you away," Stan declared. "You are a woman now! Waddles, the rings!"

The pig squealed, coming into frame with the rings in his mouth.

"Wait, huh?!" Puppet Mabel suddenly spoke, looking up.

Puppet Stan and Puppet Gabe followed, pausing. "Oh no," Stan mumbled.

Suddenly, the cake prop crashed to the floor, sending Mabel and Bill-Dipper tumbling out, fighting over the journal. Laser lights and the fog machine went off. Waddles sprinted away, while Y/n dove in and joined the struggle. Bill-Dipper managed to kick Mabel off of him, momentarily incapacitating her, just as Y/n tried to grab the journal, but Bill-Dipper resisted. "Get out of his body!"

"Oh no!"

"What is happening here?"

"Children fighting!"

Bill-Dipper tripped Y/n off her feet, and when her back hit the floor, he crawled on top of her and began delivering punches. "I don't like that you don't feel pain, Daisy," he taunted between punches. "It's fun being in pain! Fun!" Another punch. "I know you're holding yourself back from hurting me, because you know that I'm in Pinetree's body." He brought down his fist again, but Y/n stopped him, firmly holding his fist in her palm.

"True. I'm not going to inflict pain on you. But you're not a being with no weaknesses like you think you are. You're in a human's body. Dipper's body. And he has weaknesses."

"What do you mean his—?"

"Now, Mabel!"

"Tickle, tickle!"

Bill in Dipper's body began to laugh uncontrollably and fell on the floor beside her. He screamed in horror. "AAAH! Body spasms! What are these?!"

"A little note about the human body– you haven't slept for 24 hours!" Mabel said, running around the stage. Bill-Dipper tried to chase after her. "Also, I got a full night's sleep and I'm on four mega-shots of Mabel juice!"

He tried to match Mabel's energy, but his face was drooping as his steps gradually got slower and sloppier. "Ah! What is this feeling?" He wheezed out. "My body is burning! I can't move these stupid noodle legs! Curse you, useless flesh sticks!" He was seriously going out of it. "Body... shutting down... must... scratch... mosquito bites..."

Y/n and Mabel watched as Dipper's body began to shut down, stumbling around the stage. It took a moment before Y/n slid over on her knees and caught Dipper as he collapsed. After a moment, he opened his eyes again and stood up, feeling alive again. "Yes! I'm in my own body!" He paused, all of his senses coming back to him in an instant. "And it's... just as underwhelming as I remember..." He grimaced, feeling the aches in his body. "Oooh, everything hurts."

Dipper immediately fell on his knees and collapsed back into Y/n's arms again, closing his eyes momentarily. He mumbled, "Can I just stay here forever?"

He might also be delirious from the lack of sleep.

They heard cackling from the other end of the stage, and they saw a puppet version of Dipper talking, "This isn't the last you'll hear of me! Big things are coming! You can't stop me!"

"I'm sorry, Gabe," they heard Mabel mumbling before she brought out a device and clicked the red button that said, "Big Finish".

The pyrotechnics that the puppet was sitting on exploded, sending fireworks shooting into the audience and blowing up the box of puppets. The rest of the fireworks went off in a cacophonous boom, and Mabel gleefully stomped on the Dipper puppet that landed at their feet. As the smoke cleared from the smoldering set, the trio turned to the audience, their faces filled with shock. Some scaffolding crashed to the floor behind them. (Keep in mind, Dipper's head was still on Y/n's lap when they watched everything around them explode.)

"Don't worry," Mabel reassured, "I've seen enough movies to know this is the part where the audience thinks it was all part of the show and loves it. Cue applause!"

Silence fell upon the audience as they fixed their gazes on the trio. Then, a chorus of boos erupted, and disgruntled viewers started to leave the theater, muttering about how they almost died. Gabe, wearing the most pronounced frown, was the last to rise from his seat.

"Gabe!" Mabel called. "Stick around for the wrap party? We got mini-quiches!"

The blond turned away sharply. "Don't speak to me, Mabel. You've made a mockery of my art form." He made his leave. "Let's go, my loves." He walked away, kissing the puppets in his hands.

"Did he just make out with his puppets?" Dipper said slowly from below.

Mabel, who also saw the whole thing, grimaced. "I might've dodged a bullet there."

"개이브 잠깐! 캔디는 아직도 널 사랑해!"

The three watched as Candy ran after him, still in a David Bowie costume.

Dipper struggled to rise, and Y/n immediately assisted him, bearing his weight. No ordinary 12-year-old could maintain their composure after enduring such physical stress. Dipper didn't resist; instead, he leaned on her for support, his arm draped around her shoulders like a makeshift crutch.

"Listen, Mabel," he began, a tinge of guilt in his voice, "I'm sorry about all this. It's all my fault your puppets got ruined."

Mabel remained smiling. "Well, one of them survived," she said, pulling out the Mabel puppet. "And she has something to say to you," she began, moving her hand. "I'm sorry, Dipper. I spent all week obsessing over a dumb guy. But the dumb guy I should have cared about? T'was you! Bap!" She nudged his face.

Her puppet then faced Y/n. "I'm sorry, too, Y/n. I pushed you too hard sometimes. I know you have this superpower, but I didn't consider that you could be tired too. Boop!" She nudged her face.

"Mystery Trio?"

"Mystery Trio."

The three bumped fists, but Dipper gasped in pain as he pulled back. "Ow! What did Bill do to my hand?" He hissed in pain, trying to shake off the discomfort.

"Nothing a little sleep can't fix," Mabel said. "Come on, lovebirds. Let's go home!"

/n and Dipper walked forward, trying to follow Mabel. Dipper was limping, and Y/n was doing her best to support him. "Seriously, I need to go to the hospital," he mumbled between pained steps.

Mabel was almost at the exit when Y/n called out to her. "Mabel, wait! Can you grab the owl for me?"

"Oh, right! Almost forgot." The brunet sprinted off towards her own dressing room.

While she was gone, the two were trying to find a rhythm in walking, as Dipper was still flinching in pain whenever he placed a foot down. "I guess these are the consequences of your actions," Y/n noted, feeling slightly bad for laughing at the situation.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm the dumb one for trusting a mind demon. I got too selfish," he admitted.

"Then he went ahead and used your body for a day for dangerous stunts like, I don't know, throwing himself down the stairs and stabbing his arm with a fork."

"Oh my gosh, I just remembered– ow!" He stopped moving, closing his eyes tightly and trying to shoo the pain away. Y/n looked at him, trying to listen to what he said. "I'm so sorry for hurting you– a lot. I swear, it's not me."

"I know," Y/n tried to dismiss it like it was nothing, and with Dipper, it didn't sit right with him. "Technically you didn't do it, so..."

"But why do I still feel bad about it?" he said.

Y/n remained silent, and the two of them kept moving, albeit slowly, until they reached the exit. Mabel eventually came out from backstage with the purple owl. "By the way, bro, what an adorable move," she commented to Dipper with a playful grin.

"Shut up."

Mabel giggled, waving the stuffed toy around as she dashed out the exit.

"Alright," Y/n suggested after a moment, turning to him. "How about this? Once we get you to the hospital, we can grab some ice cream, and you can fill me in on everything?"

With that, Dipper smiled. "Deal."

***

JQZOBZ TYI UUIVAXDS, R WWPZKA EUEJ

🗝:???

In a sock puppet's warning, heed the call
The triangle demon, don't underestimate at all.
For secrets lurk where shadows fall,
In Gravity Falls, where mysteries enthrall.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 22!

[author's note]: first of all, i love you guys for patiently waiting. i didn't realize it's been one month. if you feel that this one is rushed, i'm sorry--- i tried to force this one out because it's been long overdue. i still have a lot of school things to do, so wish we luck!

anyway, pushing all those personal things aside, i hope you guys like this one. i really enjoyed writing this despite me saying it was rushed. i loved changing the script now that y/n's in it, loved adding bits of details and callbacks and foreshadowing!! (try to catch them all!)

any theories? speculations? fanarts? always open!!!

kimmiepines
8249 words