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Bill Cipher was prideful and vain, and he flaunted it whenever he could. Even to himself.
Despite being banished from society, the kingdom being overrated in his opinion, he made himself quite comfortable in his new prison. The walls and ceiling of the deep sea cave were smooth, as if carved with purpose to make the dwelling feel more like a home, and the tunnels and imbedded shelves of the cave held oddly shaped bottles with an array of colors and hues. Some of the contents occasionally blinked at the light but were constricted in their glass prison. The patterns of these stone shelves and storage holes were organized and neat, almost pleasing to the eye despite the contents inside. There were even small human treasures he collected from ship wrecks that brought the dark cave together: a large cauldron, a vanity mirror with hooks and wire holding his makeup and creams that hung from the ceiling, a large mattress he stuffed with kelp that was nestled in the corner of the cave and draped with heavy curtains for privacy, and plenty of oddly shaped vases and pots that littered the edges that he used whenever he deemed it necessary to practice magic. After all, he wasn’t going to waste away during his ‘temporary’ banishment. He just needed a window of opportunity to come by to free himself, and he wasn’t going to be weak when the time came.
Keeping the cave from being as black as the abyss that surrounded his new home were his charged, blue crystals that swirled in patterns amongst the carved earth of his cave, and the nebulous glow of his crystal orb. The orb itself rested on a large stalagmite that was shaped like the bottom shell of a clam. The sea demon watched the orb with a lazy side glance, perched in a hollowed-out, giant conch shell, bored out of his mind.
The light illuminated his dark face and pale hair of the sea demon, showing the disinterested expression of the merman. Or, he thought with a grimace, he use to be a merman. He huffed again as looked down toward what used to be a strong, powerful golden tail. Now it was a mess of inky blue tentacles, eight to be exact, with bioluminescent suckers underneath. They curled and twitched on their own, Bill still getting use to his new appendages. He silently cursed as he spotted two wriggling in a small fight. He smacked both tentacles, watching them freeze before floating back to join the rest.
“I swear, it’s like you all have a mind of your own,” he grumbled as he sat up. “I suppose I have to go out.
Again
.”
“Talking to yourself isn’t a good sign either, Boss.”
Golden irises flicked toward the source of the new, fruity voice. One good thing this damn curse came with was the ability to see in his new environment. He rolled his eyes as another creature similar to himself swam closer to him, cautiously. Though the silhouette was close to that of merfolk, he was vastly different in appearance. The tail and fins of his guest was thin, sharp, and the scales a faint discolored yellow. A glowing pattern of gummy pink followed from the base of his neck down to the tip of his tail, and spread out in vertical lines. The linear fins on his cheekbones and the scalp of his bald head fanned out to the same luminescent pink. The deep dweller had sharp claws that matched the large, threatening grin that split his face.
Bill noticed within the first few days of his banishment that the monster-esque look of all the deep sea dwellers was common, and that he himself was the strange looking one. The only physical hint that he might belong with the rest were his bioluminescent tentacles.
Bill gave a small smirk. “Hello, Teeth. I wasn’t expecting to see you.” He narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think it’s okay for you to come unannounced?”
Though rhetorical, Teeth replied. “We haven’t seen you in a while and we were… concerned,” the deep dweller choked out. “And by the way you’re twitching, you’ve been cooped up too long. Me and the rest were thinking it’s time for you to come out again”
Bill understood the meaning behind those words. He promised his new ‘friends’ that he would teach them magic, hoping it would lead them to help him get revenge on the same people responsible for his predicament. The problem was that all of them were incompetent in their abilities. At the rate they were learning, the King would be long dead and they would be too old to fight by the time his plan came to fruition.
He only realized this three weeks ago.
It was why he was sulking.
Bill grimaced, but turned to Teeth. “I’m flattered, really I am,” Bill strained the smirk on his lips. “But I was going to head to the Graveyard to pick up more stuff for target practice. So-”
“Oh, can I come with you?”
“No! No, no, I prefer looking for it myself,” Bill hid his flinch from the outburst. His tentacles grabbed onto the stalagmites of the cave, helping him down from his corner as he continued. “I’m an expert magic user and know what to look for. So-”
“But you can teach me what to look for. Or I can help you carry stuff back.”
Bill wanted to smack Teeth. “Don’t interrupt me,” he said with a low growl.
A rare frown placed itself on Teeth’s face. “Sorry, boss… But-”
“Like I was saying, I’m just going to go by myself and come back with shit for you all to blow up.” Bill continued, not caring that he talked over the other. His movements were quick as he moved across the cave to his vanity mirror. He inspected his reflection, combing his hair with his fingers to his liking. “I have my bag-of-holding, so I don’t need much help.” He grabbed what looked like a living creature, squeezing one end and rubbing the liquid on his lips. It was a dark maroon, making his skin pop when he smacked his lips. He grinned and ate the poor thing. “But thanks anyway~”
The sarcastic tone went unnoticed by the other in the room. But it wasn’t like he could talk back to the powerful Bill Cipher. He could incinerate him in a second. “Uh, no problem, Boss!” The nervous chuckle was all Bill heard before the cave was silent again.
Bill groaned. If not to relieve his boredom, he should at least go out and make an appearance and try to teach the morons
something.
The last thing he needed was another revolt against him.
-
The Graveyard wasn’t too far from Bill’s home. It took maybe an hour to get there without magic, but the journey was worth it. The seafloor was brighter up here but dark enough that it didn’t hurt his eyes too much. Large ships broken into pieces lay buried in the pearly sand, long forgotten by the humans up on the surface. The small creatures of the sea floor could be seen skittering across the planks of the ships, picking at the barnacles that resided on them. The blonde liked to take his time on his scavenger hunts, thankful for the vast amount of potential in the Graveyard. He could come here for the next hundred years and still find new treasures for him to take back home.
Bill propelled himself leisurely. Golden eyes scanned the masses until he spotted a flash of blue. He stopped suddenly and turned toward the shimmer of color. It was too far, so he squinted his eyes to try and get a better look. He silently floated closer, a figure forming the closer he got. From the distance he could tell it was a merfolk, but not a deep sea dweller. His interest peaked the closer he got; what was his kind doing so far out and away from the safety of the kingdom. This person was either very confident in themselves, or very stupid for going out alone.
Suddenly, they swam off again just as he was getting close enough for a better look.
Bill tsked, but was intrigued. He followed the shimmering trail in the shadows, trying to get a good look at who it was. He could tell this person was an excellent swimmer by how fast they maneuvered in and out of the ships’ hollow shells, and he had to admit it was hard to keep up. It wasn’t until he was hidden behind some debris in the sand bed in a clearing that he could finally see the new explorer.
His heart stopped.
As he suspected, the merman’s tail was a beautiful, clear blue that shimmered with every swish of his fin. He had fins connected to his elbows that fanned out with every breaststroke, and his ear fins twitched as the merman focused on the seafloor. Warm, brown eyes widened as he swooped down and dug through the sand. A gentle and curious smile never faltered on the young face.
The merman held in his hands a silver platter, somewhat stained but still able to give off his reflection. A light chuckle resonated through the empty lot, and the merman spun in delight, laughing at his reflection. “This is perfect!” The man breathed out in excitement, his voice light. He bit his lip to hide his squeal and hugged the tray to his chest. “I can’t wait until Grunkle Ford sees what I found!”
Bill ducked further as the merman swam toward his area. Gold eyes watched blue fins and pale skin pass above him, and for a moment Bill thought of reaching up and grabbing the young one. He watch with a heavy heart as the merman continued swimming back to merfolk territory. He grinned, following those shimmering scales with his eyes as they faded into the deep blue.
-
Based on the angled ink pattern on his upper arm, Bill decided to call him ‘Pine Tree’.
The sea demon had yet to call him by the endearment to his face. Only in the loneliness of his cave as he spied on the merman did he hum the name. Bill hung upside down, his tentacles having a firm grip on the stalactites above, and gazed upon the moving figure glowing in his orb. He could watch his Pine Tree all day. By now he had the young merman’s routine memorized, yet was still fascinated by the creature. Every pout, every huff, every smile, every laugh, he was addicted. The blood rushing to his head was becoming too much, so he slowly made his way down, never breaking eye contact with his obsession.
From what he observed, today was another day that Pine Tree would wonder out and explore alone, something Bill learned very quickly that most of his family disapproved of. And for good reason. The Graveyard was one thing, but his silly merman would go so far as to reach the surface and watch the human ships float by. The brunette was enamoured with the human world, a huge fault of his, and was too stubborn to listen to his Elders when they warned him why he should never get too close. Bill agreed, yet he couldn’t make himself known, not yet anyway. He would be easily spotted as the banished reject his kind has branded him. So he settled for
light
stalking as he tried to come up with a solution to his situation.
Bill was too busy with his inner musings to hear the argument floating from the orb. Suddenly the image of his Pine Tree sneaking off again to watch a ship go by was interrupted with the snarl of his pink haired follower. Bill focused his eyes again and gave a half-hearted snarl back.
“What’s going on? Are you two fighting again?”
Six months ago, Bill enchanted Eightball and Pyronica’s senses so they could watch over his Pine Tree while he remained in the safety of his domain. He could tell it was getting on their nerves, the others wanting something more from their leader, but he didn’t want to end his stalking so soon. It was Eightball’s eyes that had control this time around, and instead of doing his job the deep dweller’s eyes rolled around and focused on Pyronica’s scowl.
“Bill, how many times do we have to say this? We can’t go any further! The boy is too close to the surface! Even if it’s night time on the surface my eyes are beginning to hurt. Can’t we just call it a day and stalk your boyfriend later?” The deep dweller was clearly irritated, her fins glowed an angry red, including the light that dangled in front of her face.
The blonde huffed in annoyance, standing straight with a menacing glare. “Really? This again? I’ve told you both so many times by now: The light isn’t going to hurt you, I promise. Now stop being incompetent and do your job.”
The pink one grimaced at Bill for calling on her bluff. A gravelly, disembodied voice broke in. “What about the ship, Bill? He doesn’t glow, but we do...”
Bill spoke to Eightball with a harsh tone. “You two are to watch over Pine Tree whenever and however long I say so, and in exchange I give you each a bit of my power. Enough power to break past your own limitations, and to defend yourselves and Pine Tree. Was that not what you both signed and agreed to?” His tentacles twitched in annoyance. Bill thought he heard something break, but he paid no mind to it. Pyronica’s face was still contorted in her scowl, but they were both silent. “Well?”
A unified ‘yes’ groaned out from the pinkette and her partner.
“Then don’t lose sight of him. He’s a dumb kid with an unhealthy obsession with humans, and he’s getting too close. I don’t want anything bad-”
A loud explosion resonated through the orb and bounced around on the walls of the cave. His sentence was caught in his throat, and all he could do was flick his wrist so he could see both of his follower’s perspective. He felt his blood freeze in that moment. The ship from the surface was a cargo ship, and through the swirls of red and orange reflecting off the water’s surface Bill could tell it had some sort of accident causing the ship to catch on fire. Shadowed figures of those on board were hauling off barrels caught aflame into the water. For one barrel it was too late, and before the water could put out the fire another explosion boomed out. Splintered wood whizzed by at alarming speed and clouds of murky water clouded their vision. Bill cursed and searched frantically in the glass for those shimmering blue scales. He watched as larger chunks of debris sunk into the water, charred and splintered. In the chaos, he thought he saw the merman, but the two started to swim away, inadvertently blocking Bill’s vision. He could no longer see his Pine Tree.
“You idiots! Go back and get him out of there!”
The voices were garbled through the sound of harsh movement and another explosion going off. He didn’t need to hear their excuse to know that the two were disobeying him, choosing to save their own skin over his command. That was the last straw. Bill’s fear quickly morphed into rage, and before he could think through his plan he disconnected from the magic and rushed toward the mouth of his cave. He didn’t care about the sudden exposure to the ocean’s pressure and light, nor did he care about the cowards he put in charge. His Pine Tree was in trouble, possibly hurt, or worse-
“No,” Bill wouldn’t think of that. “If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.”
-
When he spotted Pyronica and Eightball he almost strangled the two to death. The only reason he let them go was because the green-scaled deep dweller choked out that the merman was last seen alive, and pointed in the direction he swam off to. It was toward the shoreline. Bill searched frantically for his Pine Tree, hoping he wasn’t too stupid to run off toward the shoreline. Even if it was a wild chase to nothing, he would prefer that over his sweet merman being caught by humans. The water was starting to get shallow, so he popped his head above water. It was late morning, causing Bill to squint and adjust his eyes to the bright sun. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked a few times, and took in the scenery. The shore was lined with evergreen pines, and the sand was a wet gray decorated with weathered logs, the typical look of the human territory. There were large boulders protruding from the water close by and Bill decided to rest there until he could continue his search. A sudden flash of blue made him panic, and once he was hidden from view he got a better look.
He knew the kid’s infatuation with humans was unhealthy, but nothing prepared him for this.
His Pine Tree was washed up on shore, lying next to a female human. He was hovering over her, his hand brushing away long strands of bright red, and his blue tail curled gently around her leg in a soothing matter. The female appeared to be passed out, lying perfectly still and facing away from the gorgeous creature admiring her. It was an innocent and intimate scene, and Bill wanted to ripe the redheaded temptress to pieces.
He felt the water around him begin to bubble. He did his best to keep still but his tentacles curled and cramped in anger. A low hiss left his lips as Pine Tree doted on the human. Dark wisps of magic bled from his fingertips as he stared on, watching that loving smile be wasted on an unconscious human. He was about ready to lunge out and rip the boy off of her when the brunette leaned forward with pursed lips.
But the merman panicked. His body went rigid and he turned back to the sea. As his tail fin sloshed into the water, the female sat up and held her head.She appeared dazed, looking out into the sea. As a group of other humans broke from the tree line to greet her, Bill disappeared into the water as well. Pine Tree may not have kissed her, but that small attempt made him realize that waiting and watching was getting him nowhere. It was time for action.
-
As Bill expected, Pine Tree was in love with the damn human. It was a complete and total nightmare; an utter catastrophe for Bill. However, if there’s one thing Bill learned from his mentor when he was a young sapling, when there was a will there was a way. And Bill’s sheer will to make Pine Tree his was enough to find a way.
There was something Bill was missing in all of this, and once he found it he knew it would be a clue in how to make the merman his. From his constant stalking, Bill learned a few things about the merman, even things the sea demon was aware that his family didn’t even know about. Like his secret treasure trove that Bill admired: It held all the wonders Pine Tree found from the Graveyard that he didn’t report back to his Elder. Just the one Elder. His given name was Sixer, and though it was taboo for merfolk to delve into the business of humans, the inventor found an excuse to send his young one out to seek more findings. But Pine Tree started his own little horde, and did his best to keep it secret in the underwater grotto close to his home. Bill knew that that grotto was going to be the push he needed to get his Pine Tree.
His silent prayers were answered about a week later, and Bill loved it when he was right.
One early morning, Pine Tree’s hatch mate decided to follow him out of curiosity. Of course, before any exploration, Pine Tree would swim to the grotto to make sure nothing was out of place, and then be on his merry way. But the routine changed, only slightly, that caused him to linger in his grotto and worry his hatch mate. Thanks to Pyronica’s work, Bill found out that his Pine Tree kept a keepsake from the Incident. It was a silver locket with a thin chain, and in it was a picture of the red headed female. It was painful to watch his Pine Tree stare longingly into the picture, but when Shooting Star found him and was rightfully upset, Bill could hear the gears turning in his head as a plan began to form. He listened to the mermaid cry out in surprise and scold his Pine Tree. Sixer was given permission because his goal was to better the merfolk lifestyle, but poor Pine Tree was being too obsessive and reckless with his treasure trove, she told him, and if anyone were to find out he could be in a lot of trouble. His merman panicked, and made her promise never to speak of her discovery to anyone. Through the deep dweller’s eyes, Bill noticed her hesitation, and smirked.
Days passed before everything fell into place. Bill couldn’t help but giggle like a mad man as he watched Pine Tree’s Elders destroy the poor boy’s sanctuary. Tears were clouding his Pine Tree’s eyes as the brunette cried out in desperation. Everything he held dear shattered at the force of the staff Stanley grasped in his large fists. The four merfolk were outside of the grotto as light fired from the end of the staff, streamed into the grotto, and ricocheted against the walls. Glass shattering and all sorts of trinkets crashing could be heard outside, turning the unshed tears into small sobs from the smaller male. The Elder was furious; had any of the royal court found out about the grotto Pine Tree would have been banished on the spot. So Sixer and Shooting Star held Pine Tree back with solemn faces as the merman cursed at the Elder. The grotto nearly collapsed at the damage being done by Stanley’s magic, leaving behind rubble and broken treasures on the seafloor.
It was silent at first, save for the hiccups from his lovely Pine Tree that Bill wanted to comfort. “Later, sapling.” Bill hummed to himself with his manic grin.
“Did you say something, Boss?”
“Shut up, Eightball! Just watch!” Pyronica hissed at her partner. The two deep dwellers had the perfect view from the trench they hid in. Bill had to give them credit for that.
“Dipper,” Stanley’s gruff voice broke the silence. The large Elder turned around and gave a hard glare. He swam forward, and snatched the locket around Dipper’s neck. The merman gasped.
“Wait, Grunkle Stan, no!”
The pink mermaid let go of her hatch mate and swam forward. “The grotto is destroyed, Grunkle Stan. Let Dipper keep the locket at least. Please?”
Stanley shook his head and looked forward with a hard expression. “No, Mabel. We have to destroy any evidence of Dipper’s ‘hobby’.” He scrunched his fingers in air quotes. “Besides, what’s in here that’s so…” The Elder opened the locket and his face froze in disbelief. The look of sorrow turned to fear on Pine Tree’s face, and Bill had to admit to himself that he really liked the look. Stanley huffed in shallow, shaky breathes as he stared at the picture and back to his young one. “Dipper… Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”
Pine Tree shook his head silently, afraid to say anything as the other two swam to see what was inside. Shooting Star gasped and looked at Pine Tree with shock, Sixer’s eyes widened and his face contorted into concern, but Stanley’s was cold anger. Before anything could be said, Stanley crushed the silver locket in his fist.
Shooting Star and Sixer gasped and watched the pieces slowly sank down onto the seafloor. “Stanley!” Ford bursted out. “That was uncalled for!”
“Grunkle Stan, how could you?!”
“What would you have me do?! Keep the damn thing? If anyone saw him have that locket or picture on his person then we would never see him again!”
“We could have just talk to him about it first. That was so cold of you to do, Grunkle Stan!”
“Oh, now suddenly I’m the bad guy!”
“Stanley, there could have been a better way to do it.”
“Really? Because me destroying that hoarder's paradise was nothing! But this is? I’m trying to keep this family safe, but you had to fill his head with human shit and now he’s got a crush on one!”
The argument continued on without Pine Tree. He slowly swam his way down to the broken locket while his family argued. His tears were silent as he looked on forlorning at the silver surface. He tried to open it to save the picture, but it was too crushed to open. He sniffled, then as fast as he could he swam away. His family noticed and called out to him, but he just swam faster.
“Oh, dear~” Bill purred. “Pine Tree needs our help.”
He could feel the smirks on their faces. “Finally, something new to do.” Eightball hissed.
“Let’s go get the poor baby.” Pyronica snickered.
The three merfolk failed to see the deep dwellers slink by. It was a quiet journey toward the wayward merman, so Bill decided to get things ready for when the brunette would grace his humble home. The tome of spells he kept on the shelve was crusty with small barnacles, but Bill paid no mind to it and opened it. The pages were made from pressed scales and the enchanted squid ink glowed gold in the hands on it’s master. Bill grinned as he remembered the day he made this tome by hand. He was surprised no one suspected him or another person in his community that made all the merfolk to start to disappear. He sighed as he skimmed through the pages, looking for the right spell. He glanced over at the orb, waiting for the two to find his Pine Tree. Seeing no such luck yet, he went back to the tome.
A triumphant ‘Aha!’ signaled that he found what he was looking for. The spell required more ingredients than he remembered, but thankfully he didn’t have to send out Teeth or Xanthar to get more. He mumbled out the instructions for the spell as his tentacles started to slither up the shelves and wrap around some of the bottles. He made himself familiar with the incantation and hand gestures, holding the tome up with his extra tentacle as the cauldron was being filled with the elixirs and strange, blinking creatures. A mix of greens started to bubble just as the tome said it should. Bill nodded at the success, then turned toward the orb. He was too preoccupied with his spell that he didn’t notice Pyronica and Eightball already reached the merman, circling him like predators. His Pine Tree’s eyes were puffy from crying and looked scared, his button nose red, and his lips in a pout. “He’s so adorable…” Bill bit his lip to hide the moan that threatened to come out. Bill tried to concentrate on his work but couldn’t help but eavesdrop.
“Poor, poor child,” Eightball cooed the best he could in the thick voice.
“How cruel of his family to destroy something he loves.” Pyronica said in a soothing voice. Though, with her sharp teeth and menacing appearance Bill doubted it was very soothing.
But it worked, from Pine Tree’s change of expression from fear to curiosity.
“How cruel indeed. No one seems to understand him. Nor do they care to even try.”
“I truly wish there was something we could do, but it all seems so helpless now.”
“We can’t, no. But there is one who could.”
“Yes, but, oh, it’s too risky.”
“Hm… yes, even though this young one looks brave enough, it’s far too risky.”
“What’s too risky?” The blue merman cautiously swam up to the two and stared on hopefully. “What do you two have in mind, if you don’t mind me asking.”
By this time, Bill was done with his concoction, and was watching his Pine Tree intensely. His tentacles covered the cauldron with a cloth. He looked so beautiful.
Pyronica moved around the merman, giving Bill an excellent view of his figure. “We can’t do much except take you to Bill Cipher.”
The merman paled. “You m-mean…
the
Bill Cipher?”
Eightball joined Pyronica as they circled the smaller male. “Oh, yes. He’s a powerful witch, and he’s been helping us for a long time now. Perhaps he could help you.”
Pine Tree bit his lip. “I don’t know… I’ve heard things about him. Bad things.
Really
bad things.”
They both scoffed. “A simple misunderstanding.”
“A false impression of his intentions.”
“Just like you~” They hummed together.
Pine Tree opened his mouth to retort, but instead lowered his head and blushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled out. “It- It was rude of me to assume.”
“That’s alright, dear.” Pyronica gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The merman tensed but put on a forced smile. “If you wish for some help, follow us.” Pryonica left his side and started to swim away with Eightball at her side.
Moments of silence passed before the three heard a rushed splashing behind. Pine Tree caught up easily, and the two deep dwellers lead him through the trenches. Time passed and their bodies lit up the deeper they swam in a mix of hot pink and a sickly green. Their light illuminated their surroundings and Bill could tell that they were getting close. He straightened up his cave of the mess his tentacles made and looked into his vanity mirror. His blonde hair was tousled in a messy style and his lips were still dark from the blood. He smirked; still good-looking after all this time. He climbed up the wall and sank into the giant conch. With a flick of his wrist the lights dimmed and the crystal orb’s light faded. He leaned back and waited.
Soon enough pink and green caught his eye again in the entrance of his cave. The two deep dwellers swam in gracefully with menacing grins. They circled around his lair and perched themselves on either side of the cave. A shadowed figure was seen, and Bill could practically smell his fear.
“Come in, come in, Sapling~” Bill practically sang as the blue crystals slowly came back to live, brightening the cave and showing it’s splendor. Bill grinned at the shocked and awed expression on the brunette’s pale face and sank down onto the floor with ease. First impressions were everything.
“S-s-sapling?” Pine Tree stuttered and started to ring his hands nervously.
“Don’t just stand in the doorway of someone’s home,” Bill crossed a arm over his bare chest and held his elbow, resting his chin in his other open hand. “It’s rude.” He rolled the ‘R’ and made his way to the merman. Pine Tree stared at him with horrified fascination. Bill’s tentacles weaved and and curled seemingly haphazardly on the floor, moving the sea demon closer to the merman. The brunette stared at them, then looked up into Bill’s eyes. Gold locked with mocha, and Bill grinned in a reassuring way. Bill was next to him now, he could almost feel the other’s small shivers. “What’s your name, Sapling?”
Pine Tree visibly gulped. “Um, my n-name is Dipper.” He laughed nervously and his eyes shifted around the room to avoid Bill’s stare.
“Dipper? What an interesting name,” Bill mused. A clawed finger reached up to curl around brown locks. “And what brings you to my home,
Dipper
?”
“Um…” The merman’s voice was so shaky, it made Bill want to cuddle him in his arms. “I-I was wondering if you could help me talk to this girl I really like. She-eaah!”
Bill snickered as his tentacles wrapped around Pine Tree’s tail and lower abdomen. The tendrils were lightly caressing him, clearly making the beauty uncomfortable. “Sorry about that,” he stroked the tentacles and they began to disperse, making Pine Tree shiver more as they lingered for longer than he desired. “They tend to have a mind of their own.” Bill grabbed Pine Tree’s forearms and dragged him toward the cauldron as he continued. “Sometimes it’s hard to control them! But anyway, you mentioned a girl? Seems like simple problem for me to fix.”
Pine Tree grimaced in his grasp, but Bill ignored it. “Well, she’s different from the others…”
Bill hummed and reluctantly let go to reach the tome he held before. He pretended to run through the pages. “That’s what they all say, Pine Tree.” He looked up to see the other staring at him in confusion. “Your mark.” He pointed.
“Oh! Right…” Pine Tree smacked his hand over his mark on his forearm as a blush bled through his cheeks and held a sheepish grin. Simply adorable.
Bill shook his head. “Anyway, what do you want from this spell? Eternal love? Destruction of other suitors? Trying to impress her parents with faux magic?”
“Uh, no…” Pine Tree looked to the side, possibly at one of the deep dwellers. After some hesitation, he cleared his throat. “She’s, uh… She’s human, so…”
Bill snapped his tome shut and looked surprised. He turned to the merman with wide, gold eyes. “A human?” The brunette bit his lip and looked scared. “Oh, that’s new!”
The sudden fear melted into confusion. “Huh?”
“Pyronica, Eightball, leave us.” Bill waved off the two, and they begrudgingly left. As soon as their glow left the cave, Bill gave Pine Tree a mischievous grin. “Human you say?”
“Uh, yeah.” The merman shrank back a bit, still tense. “She’s human, and she probably forgot me or doesn’t know I exist, but I can’t stop thinking about her.” Bill nodded and floated across the cauldron so the two were standing next to each other. He waved his hand so the merman could continue, mindful of his wondering tentacles. “I-I always wanted to know what humans were like: how they walk, how they live, how they eat, everything! And then I saw her on a ship, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. I even saved her when her ship was destroyed and she almost drowned. I would do anything to be with her.” As he spoke of the female Bill was envious of the way he seemed to relax the more he talked about his infatuation.
“Well, kid,” Bill wrapped his arm around his shoulders again while the other removed the cloth from the cauldron. Green smoke billowed out and seeped to the floor. Pine Tree gasped and moved to back away, but Bill kept him close. “You’re in luck! I got just the spell for ya!”
Pine Tree turned to him in disbelief, then smiled at him. “What? Really? Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Ah ah ah, Sapling.” Bill tapped his button nose causing Pine Tree to scrunch his face. His fingers traced his jaw then gripped his chin. His arm pulled him closer, and two tentacles reached up to hold down arms. Pine Tree panicked and began to struggle. “Relax, kid, we’re just making a deal. Magic comes at a price after all.”
He still struggled. “Is this really necessary?!”
“Yes.” Bill lied. “Now, here’s the deal…” His tentacles kept the merman pinned in place, giving him a chance to move behind him. He wrapped his tan arm around the pale chest, pressed him against his firm body, and stroked his cheek with his other hand. “Pay attention,” He gripped that perfect chin and forced his head to focus on the green and yellow wisps illustrating the terms. “In exchange for your voice, I will turn you into a human. You have until the full moon to make the human of you affection fall in love with you. If she returns your feelings and your first kiss is of true love, then you remain human with your lover for the rest for the rest of you life. However, if you fail to admit your feelings, kiss, and have those same feelings reciprocated,” the smoke, which should Pine Tree’s silhouette as a human, having a wonderful and happy experience, suddenly wailed out and disintegrated. Pine Tree screamed in shock and Bill chuckled. “You’ll turn into sea foam.”
Pine Tree looked horrified. “I could die?!”
Bill shrugged. “If you’re so in love as you claim to be, this should be simple.”
“I won’t have my voice, how would I be able to communicate with her in three weeks?!”
“Two weeks.”
“Oh, like that makes it better!”
As hilarious as it was to see his Pine Tree with that adorable, angry face, Bill had to regain control of the situation. “Trust me, kid! I see it all the time!” He smelled his Pine Tree’s hair and grinned. “Love at first sight is real, Sapling. Besides, you can always use body language~” He purred in his ear as his tentacles roamed around the blue shimmering tail for emphasis. He felt another shiver rack the male’s body
The other shook his head slowly. “I’ll never see my family again… This is crazy.”
“But,” Bill caressed his face in a soothing matter. “You’ll be with your love.” He chuckled darkly. “And love makes us do crazy things.”
“I’m not sure about this. So much could go wrong. I… I don’t know.”
“Life is full of tough choices.”
The wisps morphed together and out popped a golden contract written in dark ink. The top of the contract held the name ‘Dipper’ in huge, bold letters, but the further the words went down the smaller they were, and Bill could see the merman squint his eyes to attempt to read. “This… this is really intense.” A coral quill appeared with a bottle of squid ink next to it. Pine Tree paused, then took in a deep breath and signed it with his eyes closed.
Bill’s smile was way too wide. “Now to really seal the deal!”
“What are you talking about-mmmph!”
Bill thrusted his tongue past those perfect lips and dominated the kiss. He moved his lips passionately and groaned, happy to finally taste the love of his life. The merman’s scream was muffled and he tried to squirm away, but he was trapped and Bill loved every second he held him. His wrists were still bond and Bill’s strong hand kept his face in place as he assaulted his mouth. Their eyes were open and locked onto each other; glowing gold irises piercing into the terrified mocha. A blue light surrounded his lower half and he panicked more, tears starting to prick the corners of his eyes.
With a loud ‘smack’, Bill finally ended the kiss and laughed maniacally. He watched as Pine Tree’s scrambled to get away but also hyperventilating at all that was happening to his body. Bill let him go and let the merman float away. His legs morphed into legs, and the merman-now-man tried to cry out but failed. Instead he grasped at his throat, clearly starting to drown.
Bill snapped his fingers, his Pine Tree disappearing. He would wake up on the shore in the morning, close to the town where that female resided. Or so he hoped. Bill’s maniacal laughter grew at the brilliance of his plan.
-
Bill really needed to learn not to underestimate humans. Of course Red would fall in love with his Pine Tree, or at least show a little bit of interest in the man. It had been ten days, and everyone in Red’s village fell for the dork. He was so awkward amongst the humans, but his quirky smile, dimpled cheeks, and beautiful eyes won over the public so fast Bill could throw a baby dolphin. Bill wasn’t even completely sure if Red liked Pine Tree, but with the way things were moving Bill’s chances of enslaving his Pine Tree was looking slim.
Bill had to change the odds and fast, which was why he was wobbling onto the shore at night in his brand new human legs. He spat out the salty seawater and cursed as he regained his balance for the umpteenth time and shivered at the cool night air. He took a few hesitant steps forward with determination, ready to get out of the ocean. He never thought in his live he would miss his tentacles so much. “Once this is over, I’m going to spoil that kid… Can’t
believe
I made him suffer this… Stupid legs… stupid human… ”
His toes hit the wet sand and he fell to his knees. “Fuck…” he heaved and tried to catch his breath. Lungs were so different than gills; he didn’t have to think with gills, but with lungs he had to remember the
in
and
out
of air. It was almost painful. But he made it to the surface and beyond, and right now that’s what mattered the most. After a few minutes of getting use to his body he found his balance again and sighed. “Enough of this.” A snap of his fingers and he could feel his leg muscles strengthen and his posture straighten. He smirked and strode confidently down the shore toward the seaside town of Gravity Falls.
It took longer than he thought to reach the town. He took the time to rethink his plan over and over again searching for any loopholes. He nodded to himself, and even patted himself on the back a few times for his quick thinking and brilliance. He would fix this, and he would get his Pine Tree. He laughed out loud as he stared at the surrounding forest, smelling the fresh wooden air and looking at all the tall structures he named the merman after. It had been a while since he came this close to the human world. He didn’t miss it.
Eventually he saw the flickering lights in the distance, and he sighed in relief. He glanced over himself and groaned again. “That’s why my feet hurt… And why it’s so cold.” Another snap of his fingers and the sea demon was dressed in sleek pants, polished shoes, and an open white shirt that showed off his chiseled, tan chest. He tousled his hair to give it a messy look and walked into the village.
Once in the town he began to sing softly. It was his beautiful Pine Tree’s voice that passed his lips, and it was enchanted so only one person could hear his siren call. He walked down the cobblestone path and passed the sleepy residents, and tried to keep his eye out for Red. His searching soon him to the area of town with the larger homes and nicer luxuries that he spied in his crystal orb back home. He smirked at the familiar environment and he pressed on at a higher tone. In the distance he saw a door open and the redheaded woman step out in a white nightgown. She seemed dazed and stared at him He continued to sing to her the scale to coax her to come closer, and she obeyed. Bill outstretched his arms and pulled her in with his voice. She took slow steps in her hypnotic trance and smiled at him. Getting a closer look at her freckled skin and her silhouette Bill could see the appeal. But Pine Tree was far more fair than this trout.
She allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, and they held onto each other like lost lovers. She pulled away and they stared into each other’s eyes. Her hazel irises were dull from the spell and Bill chuckled. “Hello, beautiful.”
She blushed and laughed. “Hello, handsome.”
He kissed her cheek and she gasped and tightened her hold on him. “And what should I call you, my Amphitrite?” He whispered huskily in her ear, and he could feel her melt further into his arms.
“Call me Wendy, please.” She nuzzled his face into his neck and took in his scent. “What shall I call you?”
“William, my dear. Call me William.” He took it back. Humans were so gullible.
-
The next day, Wendy spoke to her father about the mysterious man that saved her live weeks ago when the shipwreck nearly gave her a watery grave. The enchantment was was meant only for her but it easily influenced those around her to her whim. And right now, her wish was to marry William Cryptyn. Bill listened on the other side of the door as the two discussed. At first, her father was outraged and wanted to kill the mysterious stranger that wanted to take his only daughter away so suddenly. But the magic soon calmed the burly, tempered man, and now the conversation was civil. Or so Bill assumed from the other side.
Footsteps were heard coming toward him and he turned his head. His heart stopped.
There stood his Pine Tree. The morning rays gave a halo in his hair, and his eyes were still sleepy as he rubbed them with his hands. He yawned silently, making Bill have to control himself from leaping over and tackling the smaller male into a tight hug. Mocha eyes opened once more and stared at him. Thin brows furrowed as the silent question hung in the air, but the doors opened and Red jumped into Bill’s arms.
“Oh, William, Father said yes! He gave us his blessing! Isn’t that wonderful?”
Bill’s smile was forced. “Splendid, my dear! When shall we marry?” A soft gasp was heard and from the corner of his eye he could see the despair sink into his love’s face. A faint sob shook the smaller male and he stared on in dubiety.
“Let’s have the wedding tonight!”
“So soon, love?”
“Yes, the sooner the better!” Red kissed his face multiple times before reaching for the dark lips, but Bill stopped her.
“Not until tonight, my dear. It’s tradition, is it not?”
The woman laughed and fanned herself as she nodded excitedly. “Yes, you’re absolutely right.” She turned to the fourth person in the hall when a soft sniffle was heard. “Dipper!” She went over to him, beaming and uncaring for the tears streaming down his cheeks. “I found the man that saved my life last night. I didn’t think it was possible, but I… I’m in love, Dipper! We’re getting married tonight, and I would love for you to be there by my side. I know that’s weird to ask, and usually women are the maid of honour, but you are so important to me.” She held his shaking hands with on hand and cupped his wet cheek with the other. “In this short time we’ve been together, I felt something very strong for you, almost like… like… a dear friend that I could never let go of. And I wouldn’t miss this moment with you for the world.” She grinned and kissed his forehead. She laughed as she ran up the stairs. “I’ll see what I can do for a dress!”
Her father chuckled heartily. “I haven’t seen her this happy in such a long time.” He patted Bill’s back with such force it almost knocked the man over. “Well, done, son! Now time to make preparations!” The burly man left the home, leaving the blonde and brunette along together.
Bill turned his gaze fully to the man, and he hated himself. Pine Tree’s face was wet and red, silent sobs leaving quivering lips. Brown lock covered his eyes as he didn’t dare to look up. “Hey, kid-” The man ran past him and out the door, and Bill had to take in a deep breath. It was painful to see Pine Tree’s heart breaking so fast, but Bill had to remind himself that it would be worth it in the end. He would make it up to his love and all of this would be a funny memory that they would laugh and laugh about when they retell it to their adopted children. But for now he had other things to worry about.
He stood in an empty house with no one but the bitch who broke his Pine Tree’s heart. Bill soaked in the silence before stepping unto the creaking stairs. He felt a calm wash over him and his breathing evening out. He reached the top of the stairs and listened for the soft humming of Red. He creeped down the hall and stopped in front of the door that was ajar. It creaked open with a light push of his hand. He watched with a cool hatred as the woman was frantically looking through her clothes for anything suitable for dress material. He stopped a foot away from her, and that’s when she noticed him.
She screamed, then recognizing the tan face she relaxed and laughed. “William, you scared me. Why didn’t you knock?” Bill was silent as he continued to stare at her with with distaste. He conjured a shell dagger in his hand and grabbed her neck with the other. “William?... What are you doing?”
He pressed his thumb in her windpipe and stabbed her repeatedly in the stomach. Her choking gurgled, and her hands clutched his shirt in desperation. Blood started to pool from her mouth, throat, and onto her nightgown from her wounds, and she stared at him with nothing but betrayal. Then a flash crossed her eyes and she tried to cry out, but couldn’t.
Bill sadistically grinned at her pain and threw her to the ground. Her weeping was strangled and she tried to crawl away, but Bill stepped on her back. A choked sob broke from her lungs from the pressure. Bill chuckled darkly as he pressed his heel further into her back and leaned forward so she could hear him.
“This is for stealing what’s mine.” He stood and kicked her head. She cried out horribly and turned onto her back. She held her bleeding stomach and watched with terror as he straddled her chest. “This,” he pressed his knife against her cheek, “is for being stupid enough to break his heart.” He pressed the blade in and slashed her entire face into the pattern of a triangle, from the left ear, to the forehead, and to the right jaw. She was babbling soft please, the pain was too much for her to bear. But Bill wasn’t done. “And
this
,” he growled out, and raised his knife above them. She shook her head desperately in a last attempt at a plea. “ Is for all of your kind to know to
never mess with BILL FUCKING CIPHER
!” He plunged the blade into the center of her face and pinned her flailing body down as the metal fought past blood and bone. It was messy and slippery, but Bill managed to keep the blade in place. The bolster and handle, when looked at the right angle, looked like an all seeing eye and completed the sea demon’s look.
He threw his head back and cackled boastfully. He had won; Pine Tree was his and nothing could stop him. No merfolk nor human could stand between him and his future mate. His cackles died down to demented giggles as he admired his work. “Oh Red, normally I would harvest your skin, but you’re not worth it. You can keep the dagger though!” He laughed again at his own dark joke and sighed. “But seriously, I should leave. I can’t have Pine Tree doing something stupid.”
-
The pale man was sitting on the shore in the same spot where he saved the female human so long ago, and Bill couldn’t be more relieved. He had an inkling he would be here, but a small fear lingered that the young man would try something drastic. There were plenty of cliffs near the town that dropped to the sea, but Bill was right to assume that his Pine Tree was stronger than that. And there he was, a perfect, beautiful mess.
His shoulders were shaking, and with his keen sense of hearing Bill picked up the soft whimpers that were coming from the male. He had his sandy knees pressed up to his chest and hid his head in his arms. A little bundle of sadness easy for Bill to take. The sea demon was thankful for the sand silencing his steps, for he was too close for the younger to run away by the time mocha eyes looked up through those thick lashes. They were red-rimmed and puffy, looking so pitiful and yet his puffy lips begged for his kiss in that scowl. The glare fixed on the blonde was a mix of sorrow and anger, but it changed to confusion and revulsion at the sight of all the blood on Bill’s shirt.
“Hey there, Sapling.” Bill smiled softly down at him. “I won.”
The air was still between the two, nothing but the waves lapping up on the shore breaking the silence. Pine Tree stared at Bill, then at his shirt, then back to his face as he shook his head in confusion. He moved to stand up, but Bill stepped forward and the man noticed his disadvantage.
“What’s wrong, Pine Tree?” Bill spoke in a sickly sweet voice. The grin on his face was too dangerous. “Oh, this?” He showed off the shirt more and watched as the splattered had a certain sheen in the sunlight. “Sorry but the wedding is canceled.” Pine Tree’s jaw slacked open in a silent scream. He moved to sprint away from the madman, but Bill anticipated this. “Where do you think you’re going?” He growled out and chased the man.
The brunette got as far as five feet before the blonde tackled him to the ground. The wrestled in the sand, Bill getting a few punches and kicks to his person during the struggle, but he soon overpowered the smaller male. He hissed in pleasure as he held Pine Tree’s wrists above his head and straddled his waist. “No need to be a sore loser, Sapling. All's fair in love and war!” He crashed his lips on those addictive, plump petals, and moaned at the taste he had been craving. The man underneath him hollered into mouth and tried to buck him off but the other was too strong. A strong force left Bill’s throat and slammed back into his Pine Tree, signaling that the man’s voice was returned and the spell was broken. Bill pulled back with a tug of the man’s lips with his teeth, and already missed it. The kiss didn’t last as long as Bill wanted but the young one was his now, and that meant endless kisses and more. They were going to change back any minute now and he didn’t want them both to be beached.
“You bastard!” The man cried out, fresh tears marring his face. “You killed her! You fucking killed her, you bastard!”
“Now, now, Sapling. That’s no way to talk to your master, now is it?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Pine Tree struggled underneath him in a fruitless attempt to get away. “I don’t belong to anyone! Get off me you asshole!”
Bill tsked. “That’s why you should always read the fine print, kid.”
“No… No, you’re lying! I don’t believe you!” The young one shook his head in denial, his sobs coming out stronger. Bill watched him struggle as the fire in his eyes died down. The brunette went limp as he realized the other wasn’t going to let him go anytime soon. Bill leaned down to nuzzle him, the new contact causing the other to thrash about again. “No! Go away! I fucking hate you! I should have never trusted you!”
Bill hummed. “Yes, you shouldn’t have. But that’s all in the past now.” He raised himself up and off the supple body and watched as the man scrabbled to his feet and made a mad dash away from him. Bill raised his hand, then flicked his wrist and moved his arm down as if he held a whip. A silver streak curved and followed all the way to the running man only to stop when it snapped at his neck.
The brunette cried out and fell to the floor. He was breathing heavily as he frantically felt around his neck. “What… Wh-What is this?! What did you do?!”
“That, my lovely Pine Tree,” the sea demon spoke as he wrapped the invisible chain around his wrist and tug it forward. Fear laced on Pine Tree’s face as he was pulled closer and closer to Bill. He tried to dig his heels into the sand but it was no use against the magic he was bound to. “Is your price for trying to break away from my deal. As penalty, you have to be my servant for the rest of my life.”
Pine Tree shook his head. “No… No, you can’t do this!”
“I can, and I will. All written in the contract. You and I are stuck together forever, my Sapling. Now
come here
.”
Pine Tree cried out in surprise as the tug was strong enough to send him flying into the built chest. Bill easily scooped him up in his dizzy state, and ignored the fists, scratches, and bites as he walked toward the sea, holding his merman close. The water felt so refreshing against his burning skin, and Bill felt refreshed as he plunged them under the oncoming waves. Both men were submerged in the sea water, and that’s when the blonde notice their bodies begin to change. Bill grinned and sucked in the salt water. It was nice to breathe through his gills again.
“I’ll murder you in your sleep, you sea demon!” Pine Tree growled, too furious to notice until he hissed in pain. Curses turned into pained moans as the slender pale legs glued together and blue scales grew back. Bill didn’t mind the transformation so much, but his love had had legs for too long. The look on his face was hilarious and Bill couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’d like to see you try.” Pine Tree would learn to love him one day. One day.