entranceway | Video; early morning of 01/19

[The woman who pops onto the screen? She doesn't look at all pleased. She's disheveled and incredibly sore, but at least she's been able to have a shower since things have returned to normal. She'd woken up in her own bed, having muddied up the sheets -- so, okay, she's still pretty annoyed.

Still, it had occurred to her that she'd done something a little bit irresponsible the night before. It had been motivated by anger, certainly, but it isn't as if she'd killed the man -- still, she needs to get it off her chest and just make sure that he's -- you know, still alive.

She clears her throat.]

Uh, all right -- this message is especially for Alistair, or for anyone from his world -- now that this thing is working again.

I was attacked in the forest last night by someone accusing me of being a demon, so I thought that you guys might know him. I knocked him out and left him tied up outside the tavern, so I don't know where he'd be now.

[She scowls.]

And just to clear it up for anyone who might be wondering ... I'm not a demon.

[She motions to her hair.]

I mean, do you see a set of pointy horns? I have no interest in your immortal soul, okay? So further attempts to end me? Not going to be dealt with so gently.

[It's a bit of posturing since she's never actually killed anyone, but...they don't need to know that.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think 'jerk move' is kind of an underestimation. Calling someone a name is kind of a jerk move. This is a little more -- sinister.

[She sighs, rubbing a hand through her hair.]

I'm a mutant. A human born with -- abilities.

Huh. Human. Not really what I was gonna guess. Cool. [He leans forward, tilting his head curiously.] What sorts of abilities? Superhero abilities?

[And at that, a smirk tilts over her lips.]

More like 'morally grey' abilities, I guess.

[She motions forward with her hand, letting her scales ripple down until Dipper is facing an identical image of himself.]

Ahh!

[Dipper jerks back, looking viscerally disturbed.]

...don't... do that.

[It's okay. She's a shapeshifter, not the one that he faced in the bunker. She already told him she was human. Just a human that can... shapeshift. He exhales slowly, trying to get a hold of himself.]

[Look, the last kind thought it was cool. To be fair, she does shift back pretty quickly once he asks her to stop.]

-- sorry. People don't always just believe you when you say 'shapeshifter'.

I blame television.

I'd believe it. You're not the first Shapeshifter I've met.

[At least she's upfront about it and hasn't said anything about him dying screaming.]

The other one wasn't even a little human, though.

[She has no desire to watch him dying screaming. She blinks, though.]

I've never met another shapeshifter -- it wasn't here, was it?

No... it was back in Gravity Falls. Believe me, you wouldn't want to meet this one.

Well, I'll take your word for it.

Did they do something to you?

It tried to destroy me and all my friends. But we trapped it.

[She purses her lips.]

Ah, okay. That's -- unfortunate. Did it give you a reason?

I didn't really stop to have an in depth conversation.

Well, I mean, it didn't yell 'arg, die evil demon!' or something?

Why would it yell that? None of us are demons.

I'm starting to think that who's a demon and who isn't is -- you know, kind of a matter of perspective.

That's... very nice and a good way of saying we should be more understanding of our differences and junk but also objectively false. There are demons. I've met one.

Yeah, but your criteria of what determines a demon might be different from someone else's. I'm definitely not saying they don't exist.

[Dipper sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.] Let me put it this way: would you say your criteria of what determines a cat are different from someone else's?

[Dipper pls]

I mean, I'm saying people might think a demon is like, a creature from Hell in one place, and in another place it might be some sort of -- sub-division of orcs or something.

[Her brother may or may not have been super into Lord of the Rings.]

To some people Cats might be a musical. Or a sports team. Or a nickname for Catherine. What's your point?

...I guess my point is that I shouldn't be so surprised a mix-up like this happened, but it doesn't make it less annoying.