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

No. But it's not that big a mansion. Bet I can find them.

Not if they don't want to be found.

[Frisk smiles, wearily.]

Trust me. I've tried.

But you're not me. [They may have a closer connection to Chara, but Dipper's a detective.]

Just...let me know if you find them, okay? If you can find them first, I might be able to help them not do something they'll regret.

I will. [A beat.] How... are you holding up? Have you talked to Toriel again yet?

Not, not yet, no.

[Hahhhhhhhhh they don't know how to talk to her, like, at all?]

I think it'd be better to wait for things to be less chaotic, maybe.

Frisk. Come on. You've been in Wonderland... how long now? Has it ever not been chaotic?

Y-yeah, but...

[They look away, twisting at the hems of their sleeves anxiously.]

This is big, right? Like, potentially world-destroying big? I think that takes a little priority. Right?

Well... yeah. But that also means... [He scratches the back of his neck.] Look, when the apocalypse starts in my world? Which is some time in my future but Great Uncle Ford's already there. Apparently me and Mabel were fighting when the Apocalypse started and we got separated.

[He knows now that they must both be okay, that they built a robot or something, that they must have made up, right? But that feeling of thinking Mabel might have died angry at Dipper made him sick to his stomach for a long time.]

Just... don't put it off, okay?

I won't.

[They will.

Frisk sighs. They already feel more tired than they'd care to admit.]

Watch out for yourself, too, though. You and Mabel both.

We always do. Let me know if you need help, okay? Or if Bill causes trouble.

You'll be first to know.

[Frisk purposefully doesn't specify which hypothetical situation of his they're answering as they shut off the feed.]