entranceway | video } the city is a nightmare a horrible dream

[Dipper always looks a little on the paranoid and overtired side, but he looks especially bad today. Amazing how much harder it is to sleep when the very reason you have trouble sleeping in the first place is actually here and likely to torment your nightmares if you dare close your eyes. Not that staying awake forever is an option. Dipper just wishes it was. He starts the feed, then sits, back, looking grim.]

Hey. Dipper and Ford Pines here. You might have noticed the super weird triangle thing that came up recently? Well, that's not a what. That's a who. [A beat.] And… also a what, actually.

[Ford doesn’t look much better either. His brow is furrowed and his expression, grave.] That super weird triangle thing is a dream demon known as ‘Bill Cipher’. He is incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous. Now I’m sure some of you will take this as a challenge-- How bad can he be? Right? [He shrugs airily, but abruptly points at the camera.]

Wrong. Bill is most powerful in the mindscape; a mental realm between dimensions. He can read your mind and inhabit your dreams and he is chaos incarnate. He may be charming, but above all else he is a liar and a monster.

[Dipper raises a finger.] Also? Don't make a deal with him. He will lie to you and cheat you out of your end and then he'll possess you and do terrible things to and with your body. [Terrible, terrible things. Dipper rubs his arm.]

But good news? He can't possess you if you don't deal with him, and without a corporeal form he's pretty limited in what damage he can do. Still got the omniscience and nightmares to contend with, but who hasn't had to deal with a few nightmares? [It's fine. He's fine.]

[Ford puts a comforting hand on Dipper’s shoulder.] If you happened to follow his instructions and you drew a triangle with an eye, I suggest you destroy that paper immediately--preferably by burning it. If you can help it, do NOT engage! I cannot stress that enough. Do not be a fool just because you think you can handle yourself. It’s not worth the risk.

[Dipper nods firmly.] If he contacts you? Let us know. If he… takes an interest in you or something, definitely let us know. We're experts on dealing with him. We can help. We can also answer any questions you might have. To the extent that there are answers, anyway. There are still definitely more questions.

[He gives a serious nod, glances up at Ford, then looks into the camera.]

That's it for now, Wonderland. Stay safe, and come to us with any questions.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh.

Oh!

Well then! Here we are!

Chara looks at the screen with eyes that are wide, bright, and alive. Chara begins to laugh. A little too loudly and a little too sincerely for it to be comfortable.]

Goodness! Cutting away everything you're attached to. Having your self peeled away from your skin, where nobody would ever be able to reach you. Erasing the whole world, and yourself with it.

What a terrible fate. Who would ever want something like that?

... You really need to spend some quality time with a few kittens.

Oh. Was that creepy? I sure hope I'm not being creepy again. I was aiming for sincere!

[Who needs kittens? Chara's beginning to think they might have better things to do.]

Not really, but I do think you're trying a little too hard.

I always seem to be trying too hard. No need to take me too seriously, right?

[Not in the mood for this. Not with the information they now have to consider. Asriel is here now. Asriel, who wanted them to let go, to keep the world safe from the last threat to everyone's happiness. Asriel, who didn't hear a single trace of them or their memories in the voice that called out to him. If they were like that again... a whisper the world can't hear, a presence that cannot touch anyone... he wouldn't see them. He wouldn't find them. They could be gone.]

All I'm trying to do is inform myself, mister. Seems wise to get a general idea what you're getting yourself into before you plunge in, does it not?

[He takes a few moments to answer, and honestly? He doesn't need to give this kid the time of day, but... he knows Frisk, and he knows Dipper, and certain things are coming to light that he hasn't seen or hasn't chosen to see. It hits home, in a very deep part of him, that this kid might want all that. And he shouldn't turn away and pretend that isn't incredibly wrong.

Ford never wanted that, ever, but there was a time when he savored the freedom of using Bill to fall into the void.]

... If you care about anyone around you, it is not something you would want to plunge into. [He looks over at Dipper. What is the look on Ford's face? Pain? Sympathy? Love? It's a combination.]

It isn't worth it. Bill will not give you what you want--whatever that is.

[There it is again. If you care about anyone. Where has caring about anyone gotten them? The exact same place they'd be if they hadn't formed a single attachment, except now it actually hurts when people break promises or treat them like a threat to be contained or weaponize the few things they actually can admit to caring about.

This guy clearly has no idea what he's talking about. Easy to have something to lose when you want a happy ending and love your friends. Easy to have something to lose when you don't want to plummet into the cauldron of hell. But when there's nothing to lose, when losing in and of itself is an end goal... what is there to do, but win?]

Of course he won't. You've certainly made that clear. I'm only trying to ascertain exactly how much of a threat he really is. You both wouldn't bother making this big, elaborate warning unless he was a big deal, right?

It's true, he is incredibly dangerous. He's the demon I made a deal with and it ended in a lot of suffering.

Ah, that's right! I remember this story!

[A demon that never should have invaded the story. The end of the world looming perilously before them all. What a tragic tale.]

How awful, that your mistakes have followed you here! You don't really think he still has the power to end everything even in Wonderland, do you? I thought the rules were different here.

video } the city is a nightmare a horrible dream

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