dipper "i could probably rob a bank" pines (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cryptologic) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
polyphonics2016-10-25 10:50 pm
cryptologic) wrote in polyphonics2016-10-25 10:50 pm
[ CLOSED: XION ] ❝ 'cause it's who we are ❞
[ It's not as if there are really any typical days in Gravity Falls, but there are days typical to it. Days where if you stacked them next to each other, their weirdness levels would be roughly equal. This was one of those days - Grunkle Stan had conned a group of tourists into seeing his "Disappearing Potato Chip Bag" exhibit, Mabel was playing one of those weird telephone boyfriend board games with Candy and Grenda, and Ford was holed up in his workshop. Dipper usually started his day down there, asking if there was anything he could help with - alright, begging might be a closer approximation - only to get turned down. Ford was working on something top secret, and Dipper didn't even have any of the journals with him to pass the time reviewing passages he had already memorized.
So, he heads out into the woods behind the shack, not unlike the first time he'd done so and found that journal. Who knows/ Maybe something that life-changing wasn't going to happen today. But this was Gravity Falls, after all, and there was no counting on a normal afternoon.
Just, you know, maybe one that would be normal in its weirdness.
He takes his time exploring, and even though he knows the terrain by heart now, he has a notebook and pen in hand - relics from before the journal that had been stuffed into the bottom of his backpack for weeks. He notes a few rocks blinking at him, a couple of gnome beards disappearing into bushes...was that tree leering at him?
That one might be new.
And then he hears it. An ethereal sound, beyond his sight, through the trees. It's the sound of something otherworldly, and something new, though the sound almost reminds him of...
The portal.
Heart ramming against his ribs, he breaks into a run towards the source of the sound. ]
So, he heads out into the woods behind the shack, not unlike the first time he'd done so and found that journal. Who knows/ Maybe something that life-changing wasn't going to happen today. But this was Gravity Falls, after all, and there was no counting on a normal afternoon.
Just, you know, maybe one that would be normal in its weirdness.
He takes his time exploring, and even though he knows the terrain by heart now, he has a notebook and pen in hand - relics from before the journal that had been stuffed into the bottom of his backpack for weeks. He notes a few rocks blinking at him, a couple of gnome beards disappearing into bushes...was that tree leering at him?
That one might be new.
And then he hears it. An ethereal sound, beyond his sight, through the trees. It's the sound of something otherworldly, and something new, though the sound almost reminds him of...
The portal.
Heart ramming against his ribs, he breaks into a run towards the source of the sound. ]
no subject
[ Her voice is a murmur, sounding a little defeated, a little lost. What ... should she do? She could still run, but ... that wouldn't change what he's heard and seen.
... he ... he seems nice ...
Xion fidgets a little, ducking her head. Now her cowl hides her whole face. ]
Have you ... ever seen anyone else like me, Dipper?
[ Maybe if he doesn't run into the rest of the Organization... doesn't talk to them... if her superiors don't find out she's done this... maybe-- Dipper could be a resource to help her with her mission! Right? After all, so far she hasn't found anything...
That has to be okay, right? ]
no subject
[ And she's not bolting off. At least, not yet. He's curious about more than just what he'd heard now. She's definitely not from Gravity Falls - that's obvious enough. But...where was she from? Who could she be? And what was she doing in the middle of the forest in the weirdest town in the country?
Yet, he doesn't press her with more questions. The one's he's asked so far aren't really getting him anywhere. ]
Well, I mean, I can't really see you,so that's soooort of a trick question. But if you mean your uniform...no, I haven't.
no subject
... smiling ...
Once Dipper confirms that he's never seen anyone else like her - not her superiors, not the imposter - Xion finally lifts her hands. After hesitating for just a moment, she pulls down her hood. Beneath is ... just a girl. A young girl, with startlingly blue eyes. She regards Dipper with a mixture of curiosity, uncertainty, and caution, but ... well, this is progress, right? ]
... okay. My ... my name is Xion.
[ She shifts a little. ]
I'm ... sorry I was so suspicious of you. I'm not supposed to-- [ Her mouth audibly clicks shut. ] Please, if you ever see anyone else in a cloak like mine, don't tell them I spoke to you, okay?
no subject
He clears his throat, gazing off into some undetermined point beyond the trees, cool as a cucumber. Or so he hopes, anyway. ]
Xion, huh? That's a different name. [ ...Hand suddenly up. ] I mean, in a good way. It's nice. Uh - anyway, don't worry about it. Believe me, Iiii get the being suspicious thing.
[ And then he mimes zipping his lips and throwing away the key. ] Your secret's safe with me. But...what brings you to Gravity Falls, anyway?
no subject
She blinks a few times, one of her hands lifting to curl loosely over her chest.
A breath she didn't realize she was taking fills her lungs at his promise. Your secret's safe with me. ]
Do you really mean that? You'll keep my secret? I ... I'm not supposed to talk to people. Not ever, whether I'm working or not. That's what I'm doing here. I'm working.
[ She could explain, but... but... ]
Do you promise? Really promise? No matter what?
[ There's an edge of worry in her voice, something that tinges her expression with anxiety. ]
no subject
But for all his paranoia and suspicions, she just seems so genuine, and he considers himself a pretty solid judge of character. So really, it's not all that difficult of a promise to make.
He smiles again, a little more fully. ]
I promise promise. Cross my heart, hope to die.
[ If that's...even a phrase wherever she's from. ]
no subject
And then, finally, she smiles. Bright and sweet in a way that lights her whole face up. ]
Thank you! I'm so glad. I ... I've always wanted to talk to people.
[ She takes a few steps closer to him, and it seems like the serious cloaked figure of a few moments ago is completely gone. In its place is an effervescent young woman, overflowing with curiosity. ]
You can try asking me your questions again! I know I wasn't really answering them. I just had to be sure... [ She looks sheepish. ] But I'll try my best to answer this time!
no subject
His smile fades a hair. I've always wanted to talk to people. What did she mean by that? She's so eager just to talk to him. As curious as he is about who she is and where she came from, it doesn't feel quite right to immediately take advantage of that offer to find out everything he can.
First things first. ] Well...are you hungry? Maybe we can go to Greasy's Diner and talk over some pancakes, or something.
[ And he'll silently pray he doesn't run into Mabel on their way. Then again, if Xion didn't want to be seen by one person, would she even go out in public?
This is sure a Situation. ]
no subject
[ Xion blinks at him in surprise, and then abruptly laughs. The sound of it is quiet and breathy, and she hides her mouth behind a loosely curled fist. She can't help it, though. To her, at least, it seems like a random topic change. ]
I wouldn't mind getting something to eat. But... what's a diner?
[ She tilts her head. She actually hasn't made the connection yet that this would be a public place. ]
no subject
What's...a diner?
To his credit, Dipper manages to not look completely baffled by her question. Wow, she...really is from somewhere different, isn't she? Instead, he looks mildly bewildered in a pleasant sort of way. Her laugh is infectious. ]
It's the kind of place where you get the worst-for-you-but-most-delicious kinds of food. I bet I can even talk Lazy Susan into giving us some extra cheese fries on the house. [ Not by his charm. He'll probably employ one of Stan's trusty techniques. ]
no subject
[ Her smile is gone, replaced by a look of concern. The idea clearly makes her nervous. She isn't saying no, but ... she doesn't seem enthused about it. ]
I ... won't I stand out? [ Her shoulders hunch, a little. ]
no subject
In this town? Trust me, you'll fit right in. Everyone stands out just a little, so...they all fit in, in a way. If...that makes sense.
[ He's not terribly sure it does, now that he's running over the words in his head again. ]
no subject
[ She still seems really uncertain. Exposing herself to one person was, well, one thing, but to a whole bunch of people? They'll see her. They'll remember her! If Saix ever comes here...
No, he won't. He doesn't do fieldwork. She'll just have to make sure she does her job well, and then it won't ever be a problem.
With her resolve apparently firmed, Xion nods just once. ]
Okay. But hang on a sec.
[ It can't hurt, can it? After all, there aren't any Heartless here... just... darkness.
So Xion turns slightly away from him, and unzips her coat. It's well-fit, so she has to practically peel it off. Still, after a moment, she's free of it, and with a quiet hup! she tosses it to hang over a low tree branch. Beneath it, she's wearing ... more black. A black t-shirt, tucked into black slacks, which are in turn tucked into her tall, silver-trimmed black boots. As a last precaution, she takes off her black gloves and tucks them into her pockets.
Somewhat self-consciously, she turns back to Dipper and ducks her chin, tapping one toe on the ground and smiling shyly up at him. ]
Is that better?
no subject
Perfect. You'll blend right in. [ He beams. So much for his typical day, and they're just getting started. ] Ready?
no subject
Ready as I'll ever be.
[ Walking through the forest is not the hard part. She's been through these woods, and Dipper will notice she seems to know her way around. The closer they get to civilization, though, the cagier she gets. Once they're out in public she's ... shy, reserved, and gets much quieter, glancing around a lot like she's paranoid. Paranoid of what, or who, she never says. She makes efforts to relax, but it's obvious 1) how hard she's trying and 2) how much it's not working.
But she's also very curious about their surroundings. Every building that isn't the diner, she'll point to and ask is that the diner? until, at whatever point, Dipper actually says yes. ]
So... this is it? They make food here? [ For one reason or another, she seems thoughtful over that. ] Why would you need a whole separate place to make food?
no subject
And how he didn't notice the signs of someone being out there before now.
While they walk, he keeps the topic of conversation harmless, idle, so neither of them have to devote much thought to them. He points out a few of the locals, also noting the way she clams up the further into the town they go. Given her reaction to meeting just him, it's not that surprising, but if someone like Toby Determined saw them and decided to ask too many questions, would she bolt?
He hopes not.
When they've finally stop in front of Greasy's, he aims a smile at her that he hopes is reassuring. ]
It's a restaurant. I know it's no five-star joint, but - [ Wait. He rewinds her question in his head. ] I mean, people make food in their homes, too, but this is where you come if you want to pay someone else to do the cooking for you.
[ ...Didn't they even have restaurants where she's from? ]
no subject
Is being with Dipper ... fun? Like it would be with a friend?
She's pondering that by the time they get to the diner, though only in a distant way. Most of her attention is preoccupied with being nervous around all these people. There's people on the streets! Walking past... there's people in the buildings. There's people in the ... this feels like a word she should know. Without thinking, she murmurs the word: ]
Cars....?
[ Very softly, and then snaps back to attention when she realizes Dipper replied. She's a little pink in the face as she scrambles to come up with a coherent reply. ]
Uh, uhm... s-so, you can pay people to cook for you, here? Like... it's their job? That's so ... weird. [ Xion presses a hand to her face. At the very least, her curiosity seems to be overriding her apprehension. ]
Are there always this many ... people, around? There's so many.
no subject
Well, he'd wonder about that later, because right now he isn't asking about it. For all the questions he has for her, it's almost more interesting to hear what questions she asks. He's learning a lot just that way.
He pushes open the diner door and holds it open for her. ] If you think this is a lot of people, you should see some of the bigger cities. Gravity Falls is a pretty small place. Probably only a couple hundred people. Somewhere like New York City has millions.
[ Though the weirdness factor definitely makes up for that. ]
no subject
The numbers he lobs at her are rewarded with only a blank look. A couple hundred? ... millions? She ... can't even conceive of that. There's no way for her to reference that number of people against her experiences. ]
That's so hard to picture... [ she murmurs, drastically understating the matter. ] I really can't imagine that many people living in one place. Where does everyone fit?
PIP WHY DID I GET THIS TAG AT 3AM
Well? They fit up. I mean, people build apartments which are basically like a bunch of small houses all stacked next to and on top of each other. So you can fit a lot of people in a pretty small space like that.
[ He...hopes that makes sense. He's not always the best at explaining things, especially things that seem like common knowledge to him. ]
the same reason you're getting this one at 4:45 AM probably????
With a blink and a soft sound she'll remember herself and glance back at him, blinking once or twice before frowning thoughtfully. ]
Actually, I think I know what you're talking about after all. But the city was always empty...
[ .... hm. Overshare. Xion shifts a little, her fingers twisting together in her lap, hidden from view. ]
S-Sorry... I, um, don't really spend a lot of time around other people. You can probably tell. [ A sheepish laugh. ] Gravity Falls is just so interesting! I've never been anywhere like here before. I could spend days here...
[ Somewhat wistfully. ]
Oh! Didn't you say we could get pancakes? I had those before, once! A friend made them. [ One side of her mouth quirks up in a fond smile. ] They weren't very good, but we had a lot of fun eating them anyway.