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sunderwight · 11 months ago

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Bingqiu roleswap where disciple Shen Yuan knows he's gay, and figures out that he has a big huge crush on his handsome Shizun, but also concludes nearly at once that he's not going to be drawing Luo Binghe's eye any time soon. Firstly, Luo Binghe is notoriously straight. Secondly, even if he weren't, he wouldn't go for his scrawny untalented nerd of a disciple! Shen Yuan's not bad looking, not before or after transmigrating, but he's neither a beautiful nor a hot manly man, and he assumes if Luo Binghe were into dudes he'd be into the same kinds of twunks that Shen Yuan likes. Guys on his own level, etc etc.

Plus Luo Binghe hated the original disciple Shen, and only started to warm up to the transmigrated version after Shen Yuan got injured in front of him trying to stop the other disciples on the peak from killing a small animal. For some reason, Luo Binghe brought Shen Yuan medicine. He got even nicer after Shen Yuan distracted the skinner demon by trying to convince it to take his skin instead of Luo Binghe's, and then again when Shen Yuan successfully fought off a demon invader -- though initially when Luo Binghe volunteered him for that job, he thought it was an assassination attempt. His heart was in his throat when Luo Binghe nearly took a poisoned blow for him, but luckily he reacted more quickly and got hit by the thorns instead. His heavenly demon blood took care of the poison, and he managed to convince everyone that he narrowly avoided getting cut at all.

Shen Yuan's careful not to read anything into it when Luo Binghe finds out about his, erm, uncomfortable dormitory situation and moves him into the side room, or when he completely messes up trying to make dinner and Luo Binghe takes over cooking and bans him from the kitchen (he swears he's not actually that bad at cooking, he just never had to use a kitchen without a microwave or an electric hot plate before...)

After all, it's not like Luo Binghe is cooking for him, he's just making food he likes and letting Shen Yuan eat it too! Because he's nice! He's way nicer than the book gave him credit for being, see, clearly Shen Yuan was correct in signing up for his defense squad, "top ten worst villains of all time" his ass that poll was nonsense...

Unfortunately, though, the plot's still gotta plot. Shen Yuan is heartbroken when the Immortal Alliance Conference rolls around and his shizun stabs him and throws him down into the Endless Abyss. Heartbroken, but not surprised. After all, it was always going to go this way, wasn't it?

But at least, now that it's done, he has some agency in how he reacts to it. He's changed the story enough that he doesn't need to go get revenge. Maybe Luo Binghe's still the villain of his story, maybe that was inevitable, but some heroes let the villains get away. Don't they? It's all part of that noble, breaking the cycle of abuse type stuff. He can be that kind of hero. He can let it go. As long as he avoids Luo Binghe altogether, it should be fine, right? It's not like he's obligated to turn people into human sticks. He asked the system, he's definitely not!

Technically he's not even required to conquer the demon realms. He just has to get out of the Abyss and the be sufficiently cool and/or tragic. Conquest is just one means of doing that, and not even Shen Yuan's preferred, since he doesn't exactly want to rule over anybody. Going around the demon realms beating up some jackasses and rescuing some damsels in distress and becoming sworn brothers with Shang Qinghua, one of the current demon kings, is suitable. He definitely doesn't want to marry any of the damsels he encounters (thank fuck the system lets him off the hook for that!)

But eventually he has to go back to the human world. Not only is it mandated by the system, but he also misses living there. The demonic realms are in many ways better than expected, plus a lot of the monsters are really cool, but he misses the weather and plants and the people he's more accustomed to being around.

He misses Qing Jing Peak, if he's being honest with himself. Shizun's cooking and the bamboo forest and the crisp mountain breezes, the comforts of home.

Not that he can actually go back there in specific. Of course not. If he did that, Luo Binghe would try to kill him, or else the system would try and make him kill Luo Binghe. Bad ideas all around. No, he can't go back to Qing Jing Peak, but he can go find someplace nicer than the demon realms at least. He just has to keep a low profile, which shouldn't be hard since the original goods did that even while actively scheming to kill his former master!

Except.

Everywhere he goes, suddenly Luo Binghe is also there?!

Good thing Shen Yuan thought to take a page out of the book of Luo Binghe's actual love interest, Liu Mingyan, and start wearing a veil. He just didn't want any randos who might have seen him at the Immortal Alliance Conference or on any of the other missions his shizun sent him on to recognize him. But one minute he's investigating a strange case in Jinlan City, and the next the streets are full of Huan Hua cultivators (Shen Yuan has no intention of joining them, that's the path the original took to getting revenge! He doesn't want revenge!), and then Luo Binghe and Sect Leader MBJ and Peak Lord SHL show up, and SY is ducking down alleys and hiding behind columns, just trying to stay out of the way until the lockdown on Jinlan lifts and he can leave.

Except...

Luo Binghe really isn't acting like himself?

He looks like he hasn't been eating or sleeping well. There are dark circles around his eyes, and something almost melancholy in his countenance. And he's dressed entirely in white, none of the usual Qing Jing greens and blues anywhere to be seen. Of even greater concern, he's being reckless. Shen Yuan can't stop himself from rushing out when he sees his former shizun get infected by a sower demon.

Luckily, it's been some years since the last time they saw one another. Shen Yuan's gained a few inches in height, so he's almost at eye-level with his old master now, and though he's still more slender than bulky he's picked up some totally new styles from training the demon realms. He doesn't move the same way he used to. With that, plus the veil, it's enough for him to quickly swallow back his words as he grabs Luo Binghe and quickly administers a cure for the sower infection.

Well, he has one of course. He wouldn't need it himself, heavenly demon blood and all, but his time running around playing hero in the demon realms meant he rescued a lot of humans from such fates. Which is hard to do if you don't have a cure to their afflictions, but between him and Shang Qinghua, sourcing such things was almost easy.

Luo Binghe looks at him like he's just seen a ghost. The other Cang Qiong sect members are alarmed by SY suddenly accosting one of their own and of course find him suspicious, so he runs away right after, and then he has to lose Sha Hualing's pursuit in the city.

But what else could he do? He manages to evade the system's attempts to railroad him into meeting Gongyi Xiao, avoids the rest of the Cang Qiong crowd, and drops some of the cure through the current Qian Cao peak lord's window to get the incident sorted out. Then he flees and puts a good amount of distance between himself, Jinlan City, and every righteous sect he can think of.

The only problem is that after this point, Luo Binghe is everywhere.

Any time Shen Yuan stays in one place for longer than a few days, Qing Jing disciples start turning up. Any time he takes a job hunting some cool-sounding monster or pursuing some interesting tome of knowledge, the better to satisfy the system, it seems like Luo Binghe has selected and gone after the exact same target! Which is especially annoying because back when SY was a disciple, Luo Binghe was always assigning him to do this stuff. Since when does his chronic homebody master have an interesting in six-tailed scorpion lemurs or ancient spiritual kilns?

What's weirder, though, are the rumors.

It seems like any time SY stops at some well-populated place and asks for the latest gossip, he has to hear about how the Qing Jing peak lord lost his beloved disciple during the Immortal Alliance Conference, and mourned like a widow, and now wanders the earth in search of solace for his grief. Seeking something, possibly even the ghost of his dear disciple.

What nonsense! Luo Binghe threw SY into the Abyss himself. He had to do it, it was the plot! And also his obligation as a righteous cultivator, confronted with a "dangerous" half-demon. Does it sting? Yes it stings! That's why SY wouldn't just forget it! Despite logically knowing it's pointless, is there some part of him that wishes his master would have chosen differently? That thinks he should have known that no matter what kind of power Shen Yuan had, he would never use it to hurt people recklessly, or harm innocents, or especially not harm... well. It's pointless, his blood condemned him, and if there is some part of Luo Binghe which regrets what happened, it's doubtless just that he unwittingly harbored a monster for so long.

Which is fine and Shen Yuan would leave it at that, if the guy would just let him!

But no. Instead he has to deal with Luo Binghe turning up and asking him questions, trying to get him to talk (SY has no hope of disguising his voice, if he says anything he's not even sure it won't crack as he comes perilously close to tears instead, so he just stays silent), and then asking for his name, asking if he's mute, asking about his background, his sect, his kin. Is his a righteous cultivator? Where did he get that sword? (NOT Xin Mo, thanks, he used that thing once and then tossed it back into the Abyss before the portal finished closing behind him -- he knows a poisoned chalice when he sees one, although knowing the plot twist about that sword from the novel sure helped.) Where did he learn those forms? Is he... does he have a safe place to go home to? Someone to tend his injuries? Make sure he eats his meals?

SY, of course, stays silent. But it's difficult. Not only because Luo Binghe asks, but because he still looks... bad. Sunken, sorrowful, desperate almost. Shen Yuan can't figure out if he knows or not. Maybe he's unsure, maybe he's looking for SY to give him a sign, so that he can figure him out and then flip a switch and try to finish the job he started.

That can't happen. If they fight, SY will win, and he doesn't want to hurt Luo Binghe.

But even if Luo Binghe's not a heavenly demon, he is a highly accomplished cultivator, and it seems he's got his own breaking points to reach. Eventually he corners SY and gets a hand on his veil, and for a moment SY is sure he's going to rip it off, see his face, and confront him all "I knew it was you, you twisted evil demon, you won't escape justice a second time" and he feels a deep, icy terror close around his lungs--

Luo Binghe lets go of the veil before he can lift it.

But then something even worse happens. Because Shen Yuan's handsome, peerless, noble master breaks down. He falls to his knees, begging forgiveness, sobbing, clutching at his head like he's being driven to madness.

It all spills out of him, then. How he pushed his own dearest disciple into the Abyss, which obviously SY already knew, but also how he was apparently qi-deviating the whole time, and his senses could not differentiate between one kind of demonic "threat" and another. How he realized what he'd done only after he regained his senses hours later, and rushed back to the place where the tear to the Abyss had opened, but could not find a way in after the one he lost. How he had betrayed and thrown away the only person who cared about him, and couldn't even explain that he hadn't intended to. How he would accept anything, any punishment, hatred, penance, or revenge, if only he could see his disciple's face once more.

SY is stunned.

Apparently, Luo Binghe hadn't rejected him for his demon blood?

Not only that, but beforehand, he seemed to have valued Shen Yuan a lot more than Shen Yuan would have credited.

Is it a trick? Is he lying? SY would have guessed so, would have assumed that Luo Binghe's plan was to lull him into complacency only to turn on him once he finally had confirmation. But somehow, he just... doesn't think this is an insincere display. His old master is too cool for this stuff! He has too much dignity to just throw it away on a scheme! There are other ways to get what he wants.

Even if it is a lie, Shen Yuan is tired of running. He's the hero. He won't actually lose, and if it comes to it, it's still in his hands to decide if he wants to spare Luo Binghe or not (he does, of course he does, even if this whole spiel is an act). Plus he's got a backup plant body in one of Shang Qinghua's greenhouses if all goes to shit.

He takes the veil off himself.

Luo Binghe, teary-eyed, stares at him as if his face is the most beautiful he's ever seen.

Shen Yuan nearly puts the veil back on. His cheeks heat up. Dear Shizun, aren't you an immortal master? A noble peak lord? Isn't it your calling to vanquish demons? Get up off the dirty ground right this minute! Where did your dignity go? Shen Yuan did not spend all those nights doing the laundry to watch his teacher dirty his knees for no good reason!

There's a quaver in Luo Binghe's voice as he points out that Shen Yuan was terrible at doing laundry. Luo Binghe had to redo it the day after, all the time.

Shen Yuan chides at him that he should have made one of the other disciples do it then.

Luo Binghe just laughs, and stays on the ground, until finally Shen Yuan has to physically pull him up. Muttering about how he's being ridiculous, what's he crying for, why's he been moping so much, doesn't he know that handsome face should never look so bereft? Then he realizes what he's saying and shuts his mouth, but Luo Binghe just looks happy for the first time in years. Since the Abyss. How is it possible that SY, who actually had to slog through that awful place, can still smile more than Luo Binghe, who didn't?

They're standing so close. Holding on to one another. Almost as if... as if the scene's tone is... well...

Oh what the hell!

Shen Yuan closes the last little bit of distance between them, and kisses Luo Binghe.

#svsss #scum villain's self saving system #bingqiu #long post #of course the plot probably interferes further then #turns out that while luo binghe was desperately trying to get sy back he accidentally woke up sy's father #who for this au let's say is sj instead of tlj #sj does NOT approve of this match and also hates all the righteous cultivators (and demons... and everyone mostly...)#but he is also busy trying to resurrect yqy or something #kidnaps sy like well I missed the chance to raise you and actually that's probably for the best but now I need your blood #for Reasons #luo binghe is not a fan of this turn of events #reverse holy mausoleum arc when SY is mostly unconscious except to sometimes throw out advice and LBH is dodging traps and villains #the pining-over-the-dead-shizun arc is probably AFTER the holy mausoleum and lbh self-destructs to rescue sy from sj's plans #sy refuses to accept this outcome he decided luo binghe was NOT to die he didn't need a redemption arc he was FINE sy DECIDED #but luckily they're in the holy mausoleum so sy grabs a resurrection artifact of some kind #has to spend a few years restoring and maintaining lbh's corpse before he can get the to actually work but it's fine #he's fine everything's fine he's GOING to get lbh back lbh is NOT ALLOWED TO DIE #luckily unhinged sy results in way less collateral damage than unhinged lbh #so mostly he just fights off mbj's attempts to honorably recover his shidi's body and offer him a proper burial #while camping out in the holy mausoleum and arguing with sj's detached body parts #y'know normal healthy behavior

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lowlylux · 2 months ago

Text

Run With The Devil (And Dream)

1.1 | djdlqdjdlqdjdlqgrlwdjdlq

Word Count: 3k

Status: Ongoing

Ship: BillFord

Rating: M (graphic depictions of violence)

Description:

In the endless loops of time, Bill Cipher finds himself trapped in a cycle of death and destruction, orchestrated by the Axolotl, an enigmatic cosmic being who delights in his chaos. Each loop sees Bill wreak havoc on Earth, only to be reset when his plans inevitably fail. Despite his malevolent nature, Bill begins to sense the futility of his actions and the unchanging nature of his existence.

As the cycles progress, small changes occur—subtle shifts in events and new interactions with key characters that challenge Bill's perception of himself and his purpose. One particular loop introduces a significant change: Bill regains his empathy and ability to fall for another.

Based on the restoration AU by Nev_284

Ao3 link

The stars shimmer and sing, their celestial voices echoing across the vast expanses of countless universes. These distant orbs of light, bound by premonitions far beyond the grasp of mortal understanding, observe all with an eternal gaze. They witness the genesis and culmination of countless narratives, peering into dimensions unknown, silently bearing witness to the myriad forms of existence as they wane or clash.

To a star, death is an intriguing enigma. It is a certainty, an inescapable truth. Yet, given their enduring lifespans, entire species can vanish before their own light dims. Thus, the cycles of rise and fall among different beings seem particularly enchanting to them.

The stars, being passive observers, do not intervene. They watch with focused interest, drawn to the most captivating lives. Some existences are tragically brief, their lifespan far too fleeting for a star’s taste. In response, the stars revisit these moments repeatedly, delving into every tiny detail with unending curiosity. They seek new lives, hoping to find entertainment that rivals their previous fascinations.

Occasionally, they discover a being that seems perfect, embodying all that they yearn for. Their radiance intensifies with delight as they watch over this newfound source of intrigue. However, as with all things, the light of even the most compelling subjects eventually fade, either through the being’s own choices or external forces.

Being a star can be a solitary existence, yet it holds profound fulfillment when they encounter another who shares their quest for entertainment. A star’s role is to observe indefinitely, to theorize, but never to intervene. For any action would irrevocably alter their status.

There is a significant distinction between those who merely observe and those who actively shape events. While stars continue their silent vigil as their chosen entertainments perish, those who influence events face different fates. They may become stars themselves or gain the power to effect even greater changes.

Stars are significant, and those that fall are particularly notable. How can one craft entertainment without experiencing the thrill of watching other examples unfold? Thus, falling stars, whether fleeting or enduring, hold the potential to impact the very fabric of the worlds they long to create.

Their twinkling intensifies as their chosen entertainment returns, hoping it will persist for a while longer. Yet, uncertainty looms. Their universe—and their very existence—might be obliterated, leaving them to witness their own inevitable end. Stars remain solitary, awaiting the birth of new worlds, even as they brace for the inevitable destruction that will come.

Because once it’s gone, it’s gone…

Isn’t it?

-. . -..- -

Ever knowing, the Axolotl remains patient until the trial completes, the vents unfolding at a rapid rate. It sees everything, from the faintest tremor of atoms to the profound sorrow of the tiniest creatures. It senses the devastation sure to follow anything that lives for too long, as life itself has an expiration date. It hears the many followers it has accrued since its creation.

Yet, the Axolotl waits, fully aware of what is to come.

A creature appears before it, its yellow hue clashing with the Axolotl’s pink. This entity, composed of three interlocking facets, is a demon in fragmented form. Blocks build upon themselves, the form slowly repairing itself as much as it can. Yet the blue fissure prevents that from becoming a possibility. It threatens to completely tear him apart. The gash glows, casting a brilliant light into the Axolotl's gaze.

The Axolotl had been awaiting yet another confrontation with the demon. The terms of their arrangement were straightforward: the demon must prove that he can make a change. The Axolotl ensured that the demon’s memories were kept safe until he would inevitably return back. The sheer amount of defeats this singular demon has endured is simply beyond comprehension.

What usually resulted in the demon threatening the Axolotl was instead replaced with simple silence. The demon floats there, his singular eye vacant and void as he stares at nothing. The Axolotl finds this unsettling.

“I wonder,” the Axolotl muses, staring down at its friend, “have you shifted your perspective? Your melancholy speaks volumes.”

The stars above twinkle with more intensity the more distressed the demon looks, as if personally gaining amusement from his pain. They observe the scene silently, refusing to budge as they stay forever detached from the world that they observe.

The demon remains mute at first, still lost in contemplation. But he eventually looks up, staring at the Axolotl in complete and utter defeat. “Why?”

The demon’s singular, enormous eye fixates on the Axolotl. Overall, he looks rather panicked, the one with an all seeing eye having quite the dilated pupils, making the already black irises even larger than usual. The demon is bewildered, lost on exactly what he is continuously seeing.

“Hmm?”

“Why do they always help the others? I don’t…I don’t get it.”

The Axolotl nods knowingly, not quite expecting such a question but welcoming it nonetheless. If this inquiry is a step forward toward the demon’s salvation, he deserves to have answers to his questions without ridicule. The Axolotl is not so cruel to deny him, at least in this moment.

“Humans are capricious beings, driven by the innate kindness of their hearts. Why do you wonder? Bill, do you finally understand your mistake?”

“No.”

The Axolotl pauses, staring at the triangular demon with a measure of confusion. Given his preoccupation with the Pines family’s unity and their mutual support, why does he fail to recognize the truth before him? For a being with practically infinite knowledge, the naivety is shocking, even to the Axolotl.

“They will always aid those they cherish, even amid conflict. Expecting a different outcome after all this means you are only avoiding reality. Do my lessons hold no value to you? How many trials must you go through? This was meant to help, yet your previous convictions persist. Have my lessons truly been an unfounded attempt to assist you?”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to make different choices if I don’t have my memories!” The demon snaps out, immediately averting his eyes away from the Axolotl. “I don’t know if I would make the right choices even if I had them.”

He descends slightly, his floating form lowering a few feet. He cannot go far, the large gash preventing him from leaving the domain of the Axolotl. For it keeps him alive as long as he remains here. That is the deal, one forged in blood and flames. And if one were to go against their end, either side, devastation is sure to follow. Ruin would be inevitable.

Although, the Axolotl doubts anything like that will happen, especially not at the rate the demon seems to improve. It will be at least a thousand more incarnations before he even thinks about betraying the Axolotl, that much it is sure of.

“There is one way to find out. Your chances are not exhausted just yet. We can always attempt this again.”

“Do I have a choice?” the demon inquires with a hint of irony. He chuckles to himself at what he believes is a wonderful joke about the situation. The Axolotl remains silent, simply deciding to not encourage the demon with unneeded humor.

“No.”

“Amazing,” the demon responds bitterly. He crosses his arms, still in the midst of attempting to figure out the humans as best he can. The idea of them and their actions being far too complex then he wishes to admit to himself. However, it is not like it matters. He will not remember this conversation, therefore any of his ideas are lost until he no longer needs them. “Can I…stay for a few minutes? I want to think.”

The Axolotl ponders his request for a moment. It is a rare moment for the demon to actually think about his actions, at least reflecting thoughtfully. There has been an insurmountable amount of times where the demon has physically attempted to harm the Axolotl after all. This moment of introspection is unusual for the celestial being.

The Axolotl nods, granting the demon his request. It is a minor concession, not at all difficult to do, especially if the demon continues to be composed. So they sit there, the stars twinkling as they silently observe the two beings float in the infinite void silently.

Bill feels as though they are laughing at him and his misfortune.

-. . -..- -

Stanford Pines stumbles through the forest of Gravity falls with the ungainly grave of a sea creature stranded on land. Clutching his journal tightly, he scrawls hastily, desperately attempting to scribble all that he can into the pages. He is desperate to document every small detail, an indication of a mind that works far too well for its own good. Though his search for the Hide Behind had grown cold, Ford is not one to easily surrender.

He tracks the fleeting shadows, keeping a close eye on what is just beyond his eyesight. There are a few quick close calls, ones that cause him to swivel in the direction of his elusive target. But it does not work, his efforts are in vain. This creature, this unknown monstrosity, is beyond Ford’s reach and he knows that.

Driven by his ego, Ford presses on. He ignores how the terrain becomes far more dangerous. The path twists and turns, pulling him in every direction to throw him off. By the time he realizes that the Hide Behind has vanished, it is far too late to turn back now. This is an adventure, one he refuses to let go of just because he has lost his way. The adventure has become an obsession, and Ford’s egoistical brain will ensure he sees it until the end.

Seemingly hours go by until he is face to face with the entrance of a cave. Embracing the unknown, with resolute curiosity, Ford trudges forward, ready to jot down anything of interest. It takes a while, stalagmites obstruct his way. Ford is sure he will have strange cuts and scrapes from the rocking, yet he does not bleed. A stroke of fortune indeed.

But as he goes further into the abyss that is the cave, he notices the engravings. Though the language is unfamiliar, he is determined to learn or eventually. No, he knows he will learn it one day. He hopes he can return in the future, to decipher the ancient writings and learn the secrets of the cave.

He finds a circular carving adorned with eleven symbols. Ten smaller symbol as form a border around a central, prominent triangle—a large eye that seems to follow his every movement if he thinks about it hard enough.

Ford places a hand on the wall, his six fingers tracing over the ancient inscriptions surrounding the strange symbol.

“Triangulum, entangulum,” he murmurs, reading out the words etched in stone. He knows he shouldn’t, he knows he should turn around and get out. But he could learn so much from this if it is a summoning circle, exactly what he hopes it is.

“Meteforis dominus ventium.” Based on the carvings he can bring so much information and insight. The triangle floats above all, the symbols seemingly showing him as an equivalent of a divine presence.

“Meteforis venetisarium!”

The circle begins to glow.

“Egassem sdrawkcab!”

It’s like he feels insurmountable power, the rush of power enveloping him like a blanket.

“Egassem sdrawkcab!”

The air around him crackles with energy and prickles his skin, causing goosebumps to appear. The hair on his arms to raise, as if equally anticipating the end like he is.

“Egassem sdrawkcab!”

Everything in his entire being is telling him to stop, telling him that this is a bad idea. His logical brain warns him of imminent danger if he continues. But, his thirst for knowledge outweighs the fear, and truly is his one failing.

Perhaps not the only one.

“Egassem sdrawkcab!”

He’s nearly finished. Honestly, he’s shocked he is able to pronounce such ancient and arcane phrases. It is almost as if it is fate.

“Egassem sdrawkcab!”

Shrill laughing erupts from nowhere, the cave echoing the noises to the point of pain. Ford grips onto his ears, the pain from the laughs seemingly moving around in his head and refusing to leave. The laughing becomes him, wrapping around his very being and refusing to let go. He winces, falling to the ground, unintentionally kneeling directly in front of the engraving that caused all of this.

And then it stops as quickly as it started. Ford stares at the wall in confusion, completely dazed, uncertain if anything will happen. The cave remains silent. Ford is left with his thoughts, wondering if he was indeed an idiot.

And truthfully, he was.

-. . -..- -

Bill eagerly peers at his windows into Earth, now that the shaman’s spell is finally lifting. It has been far too long since he has last graced the minds of humans. He had anticipated a fool—after all, who else reads words on a cave’s wall? Yet what he finds is someone intelligent, at least by human standards.

Yet he is as much of an idiot as the humans who summoned him previously. An inflated ego overtaking everything, clouding his judgment, allowing the man to not think clearly. While Bill can appreciate a thirst for knowledge, this is utterly hilarious.

He has found the perfect human for him and his plans.

Clever enough to avoid portal radiation, but naïve enough not to betray him. From what Bill can see, the human even thinks that he was meant to read those words, as if he were special.

The notion of being ‘special’ amuses Bill greatly.

Indeed, he is special. He will be the one who causes the Armageddon. He will be the cause of the destruction of his world, as he will be the one who brought it. He will bring Bill and his Henchmaniacs to Earth, paving the way. And if Bill must pretend as if he were destined to do this, he will.

Destiny…it is just a humorous term for foolishness. The future is never set in stone, forever shifting and moving. Even Bill, who is able to many possibilities, is unable to truly see everything that will befall him. The all seeing eye is only as effective as the beholder, Bill being the best wielder.

And if he were to entertain the idea, he can easily be worshiped like the god he should be. Although he is an all powerful demon that is feared by many, he wants to rule his own world that is not collapsing in on itself. Yes, the stability of a new world is key. The Nightmare Realm is great, his child, his creation in its own right. But it’s flawed and failing. He needs a new alternative before he is consumed by the chaotic world of his own design.

And the idea of being a god, even to one, is tempting. Especially with how the human seeming perfected suited to be kneeling at his feet. If all goes well, perhaps Bill will keep him around. A six-fingered human is an oddity, even if the extra digits are nothing to Bill. He has always wanted a pet. If a human worships him enough, it could be a dream.

Stanford Pines…he is truly in for a world of chaos.

“You didn’t visit him?” Pyronica asks, gazing at the window with confusion. Bill looks at her, observing how the fire she wields threatens to burn him if he were not careful. But he is far too observant to let such a small issue affect him.

“It is better to wait.”

“But Bill-“

“Are you doubting me, Pyronica?” Bill questions, his form expanding to attempt to cease her ridiculous ramblings. He doesn’t like people doubting him, much less when it is a mere henchman. “I said we will wait.”

Pyronica averts her gaze, nodding in response. “Of course Bill, you know best.”

“Glad we came to an agreement,” Bill says with a laugh, his form glowing when he does so. “I sure do hate it when people act as if I don’t know what I’m doing.” Bill says, getting back to his normal size before staring her down. “Don’t you agree?”

“Bill I didn’t mean-“

“I suggest you get out of my sight,” Bill says callously, refusing to look at her. The demon nods, even if he cannot see her, before scurrying off to do who knows what. Bill does not care, nor will he ever. He stares at the window into Earth, his excitement growing.

Yes…waiting is the best way to go about this.

-. . -..- -

The Axolotl stares at the scene in growing disappointment. It had hoped that with Bill’s recent personality change after the last loop would carry over into this one, yet he continues down the same broken path. Death and destruction await him, that much is sure. If it continues, so will the loop.

The Axolotl wonders if it is time to put an end to such a farce. If Bill is truly incapable of change, what is the point of him using the Axolotl’s power for his own gain? It makes no sense. It just seems meaningless in the end.

Yet the Axolotl hesitates to bring it to a close.

It hates to admit it, but cheering for the demon’s growth has become a source of entertainment. It truly would not know what to do with itself if the loop would end. Would the Axolotl find another being to somewhat toy with? Perhaps one easier to manipulate?

It truly does not know.

The Axolotl can only hope that Bill will learn eventually. There are a few small changes to this cycle so perhaps this will be one of the most interesting. Perhaps it will launch a change in the demon.

But the Axolotl is getting ahead of itself, needing to wait for the two key players to interact for the first time once more. The stars overhead twinkle in agreement, waiting to see the story untold for their own sick satisfaction.

>> 02

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