Work Text:
It’s much too late to do anything when he learns about it - magic is endemic enough in this town that the little ripples of each event are barely noticeable among the waves of strangeness that roll around Gravity Falls. So, while Bill does feel the event when it happens, it’s not until a week later that he realizes what happened.
Dipper summoned a minor demon. He questioned it, got his answers, and then banished it, just like that. It’s not surprising, really, that the kid had done such a major thing so easily- he’s more magical than he realizes - but it is surprising that he would try it in the first place. The human has had a bad history with demons, as Bill is intimately familiar with.
Still.
The sheer amount of violence he suddenly wants to commit makes him glow red and cross his arms, eye narrowing. But he’s still limited in the physical realm so - Nightmares. For everyone. Forever.
It’s funny as hell for a while, seeing the humans scream themselves awake all over town. They make the best faces, and it’s hilarious. Fluids come out of their eyes, they flail like idiots in their sheets, they fall out of their beds and man, bruises turn the most interesting colors after a few days. He makes sure the kid gets the worst of it, but Pine Tree has developed a love of coffee that even Bill can tell is unhealthy for fleshbags.
Bill sulks in the Mindscape. He barely gets even a couple of hours of horrifying gore into Pine Tree’s head before he’s back up and chugging gross amounts of brown liquid. But there is another Pines to torment, and since it isn’t having the effect he wants on Pine Tree-
For the third time in three days Shooting Star wakes up with a shriek, eyes doing that watery thing that meatpiles do. Pine Tree’s expression goes blank, and Bill feels immensely pleased with himself. Tormenting her isn’t nearly as satisfying, but it hurts Pine Tree by proxy, and that is extremely fun.
Bill gets his second surprise when he feels the pull of a summoning. He hadn’t been expecting it, not in the middle of the day. Usually his cultists know that he prefers the night. But he answers anyway, showing up in a blaze of blue fire, and lo and behold if it isn’t little Pine Tree, standing up straight and defiant in front of the circle of candles. His thin little human frame has been growing broader over the last few years, but right now he looks gawky and awkward, almost done with all those weird human body shifts. He also hasn’t slept in days. Bill knows that for a fact, but it also shows on his face, pale and drawn.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favorite fleshbag,” Bill says slowly, manifesting his cane and twirling it around the fingers of one hand. “Pleasure to see you, kid. Surprised you took this risk. Whatcha looking for?”
“This has to stop, Bill. You’ve been messing with the whole town for weeks. I don’t know what this is about, but I’m not putting up with it anymore. You can do whatever you want to me, but leave Mabel alone!” Pine Tree declares, pointing at him furiously. Honestly, it’s too cute when this little human thinks he can stand up to him. The dark circles under his eyes are just adorable. The human glares at him. “Get rid of the nightmares, or I’ll get rid of you.”
Laughing, Bill clutches at his front. “Like you could manage it, kid. I’m the master of dreams. Do you have any idea how much power I have? You couldn’t stop me if you had a thousand years.”
“Why are you doing this?” Pine Tree insists, hands clenched tight around one of his precious journals. “You’ve never done anything like it before, and I know this takes a lot of effort. Even for you.”
“I don’t know,” Bill hums to himself, tapping under his eye contemplatively. “I guess there are demons you could ask, since you seem to be so eager to talk to them.” Despite himself, his voice grows a little bitter at the end of the sentence. This stupid mortal, going around doing whatever he likes, never thinking about the consequences.
Pine Tree stares at him, tucking his journal into his vest. “What the hell are you talking about?” He sounds honestly baffled, and Bill glares.
“Oh, like you didn’t summon someone else, what was it? Three weeks ago?” Bill asks, trying to sound innocent. It doesn’t seem to be working by the way Pine Tree’s expression changes, eyes widening. “Why don’t you talk to that guy? I’m sure he’ll have the answer.”
There’s a brief pause while he waits for the human to respond, but the kid seems to be choking on air. He ducks his head, and looks up at Bill again, then simply lets out a long, frustrated breath. Bill flickers a little, and moves closer to speak-
“Wait, wait,” Dipper raises a hand to stop him, shutting his eyes tightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I think I get it now. You’re upset because…” He pauses, sighing, then opens one eye slightly, looking chagrined. “Because I cheated on you?”
It’s a completely ridiculous suggestion. This impudent little meatsack is a complete idiot, Bill shouldn’t be wasting his time on someone who doesn’t even- “I have all the secrets of the universe, and you summon some- some-” Bill can’t find the right word in English to describe how distasteful he finds Pine Tree’s choice in informants, and settles for cursing in Sumerian. He throws his cane to the ground and it sticks, burying itself halfway to the top in the earth next to one of the lit candles.
“Whoa,” Pine Tree holds his hands up defensively. “Um, yeah, I summoned a demon-” He tenses as Bill’s eye turns blue. “But of course that guy was, uh, a much worse demon. And by worse, I mean he didn’t have any information. Didn’t know anything.” Bill straightens his tie, eye narrow, but listens. Pine Tree raises an eyebrow, glances briefly around himself, looking deeply uncomfortable, then continues. “I… just didn’t want to bother you. You’re probably,” He clears his throat. “Very busy, wouldn’t want to interrupt anything. You being so amazing and everything.”
Bill huffs quietly, calling his cane back into his hand. “Well,” He draws the word out slowly, looking away from Pine Tree for a moment. “I do have a lot of plans, but I suppose I could make time for some questions in the future. You know, if they’re interesting.”
For some idiotic reason, Pine Tree is smiling, just slightly. It’s irritating, so Bill glares and sets the ground underneath himself ablaze, which usually intimidates mortals. But Pine Tree grins, and Bill feels oddly warm, and kind of... sick? Being on the physical plane is clearly messing with him.
“Tell you what, kid, I’ll cut out the nightmares for a while. Just because it’s getting boring. But the moment you stop being entertaining, I’ll do whatever I want,” Bill says, glowing softly as he prepares to head back to the Mindscape. Typically he would try something more, but this reality biz is making him feel all… like he wants to not set this human on fire. “Don’t think you’ve won this round.”
“See ya, Bill.” The human is still smiling, waving at him. He’s fleshy, and dumb, and unreasonably interesting.
Bill flickers brightly, rolling his eye. “In your dreams, kid.” He winks out of reality, back into the Mindscape. Pine Tree hasn’t seen the last of him, not by a long shot. Maybe Bill will ease off tormenting the town, but if that human thinks he’ll have normal dreams tonight, he’s got a lot to learn about demons.