The Caged Lark's Song

This is a great idea and I see no way this could backfire

Sophie

Sophie had turned... into an owl. How was that possible? Okay. That was obvious.

She had manifested a new ability. That was the only explanation. She flew up to a tall tree and perched there, drifting to sleep quickly. In the morning, she flew down and landed on the ground.

How should she change back? She needed to be an elf now, to be able to talk to people and find another way out of here. She had to get back home.

But how? Suddenly, her skin prickled. She looked in the creek.

 Back to normal. 

But wait. 

She didn't want her image to be broadcasted to her friends, who would surely be combing human news for her. They would come charging in to 'rescue' her, and she didn't want them getting stuck like she had.

She focused on changing her appearance a bit, and her powers complied. One of her eyes had turned ice blue. 

Her hair was blonde, as usual, but her skin was a slightly darker color, like hot cocoa except lighter. She looked different enough, she thought, that her friends wouldn't find her.

She wondered why her eye had turned a shade of blue, though. She tried to turn it greener, but it disobeyed. 

Sophie rolled her eyes, then concentrated again on turning it pine green. Finally, her blue eye complied. From there, Sophie dyed the ends of her hair midnight purple, then set off into town.

She began looking around town. Sophie would need a job. Not the tattoo parlor, or the mall. She didn't want to be a waitress at any of the creepy themed restaurants ... Maybe the diner?

One look at the menu changed her mind. Coffee Omelets?

She passed a sign for a cheesy tourist trap... It was only a few minutes from town. She could walk there and see if she could get a job. 

Sophie knocked on the door, and an old man wearing a badly fitting suit popped his head out.

"The opening is in half an hour."

"Actually," Sophie said before he could close the door. "I'm looking for a summer job."

The old guy's face lit up. "Come in! My name's Stan, but when there's a tour group I'm Mr. Mystery!"

Stan began interviewing her, and Sophie answered his questions quickly. He was obviously a con man, but she needed a job, and this was the best place to get one. He was willing to hire her, even though she had no I.D. 

Once she was hired, Sophie walked over to dust some exhibits.

She heard other people behind her talking to "Grunkle Stan", and then Stan suddenly called out to her, "Hey kid! What's your name, again?" In an instant, Sophie realised the one thing she hadn't planned.

Her name. Her friends would be looking for her by name as well. She replied with the first thing she could think of. " Luna Alondra!"

Moon Lark. Her one tie to her past.

Dipper

Grunkle Stan was insane. Hiring someone he doesn't know, before even learning their name? What if they're a vampire? 

Did her name mean anything? 

Why hadn't Dipper tried to learn different languages earlier?

Mabel clearly didn't have the same reservations. She ran over and began talking at Luna a mile a minute. "I love your hoodie!"

Dipper did agree that the hoodie was cool. It was midnight purple, like Luna's hair, with a silver design that seemed to be a nine tailed fox.

A shapeshifter. That got her extra style points.

"Thanks."

Mabel continued on, finally ending with, "DO YOU BELIEVE IN UNICORNS?!?" 

What was Mabel doing? She could be talking to a monster killer!

"Yeah," Luna said, to Dipper's surprise. "I've seen one. And not a fake one like the cornicorn your Grunkle has." 

Turning back to the exhibits, she continued, "I've seen a lot of strange things that most people think of as being nonexistent. Finding them is kinda my hobby, actually."

Dipper felt a rush of excitement. She was too young to be the author, but having other monster trackers on their side, especially ones that were old enough to drive would be great.

Luna suddenly said, "These exhibits are kinda awful, aren't they? I mean, this is just a rabbit with deer antlers on its head!" 

Dipper smiled. She was smart. Suddenly, there was a bang at the door, and two government agents walked into the room.

Keefe

Keefe began looking for Sophie in San Diego. He had a hoodie pulled over his face, despite the heat, so as not to be noticed. 

There was no sign of her anywhere Keefe searched. He sighed, stuck a single poster with Sophie's picture and the words 'Have You Seen Me?' on a wall, and moved on.

There was a number to call or text that would alert Dex immediately to where and when the call was placed. Sighing again, he continued on. Ro was following him from a slight distance.

She had an Obscurer with her, but Keefe was staying visible so that nobody would question the posters appearing. Besides, there were enough kids running around, enjoying their summer to make his presence seem... normal. Keefe wondered, not for the first time if Sophie was hurt, or even...

No. He wasn't going to think like that. Sophie was smart. She always survived. Even if she had got hurt, Sophie would have stolen supplies, made her way to a small town and hid there, getting a safe job and making sure she didn't draw attention, waiting for them to find her. 

To be completely honest with himself, Sophie would have found her way into a community if she ran away too.

It would help her to hide from them.

Hide from him.

Aaand that made Keefe sad, that his mind even went there. Sophie didn't hate him. She told him that a million times, but still his mind told him that she was lying. Sophie wouldn't lie about hating him... She knew he was an Empath. 

But even though his ability also told him she didn't, wouldn't, couldn't hate him, his thoughts told him that she would never forgive him for running to the Neverseen. He was trying to be her hero, but he ended up hurting her.

Keefe shook off the bad feelings. He didn't need to be a hero. The Neverseen were almost all gone. He would be there, telling jokes and helping her study for exams. 

He would be a friend to Sophie, because that's what she needed right now. A friend. Nothing more. But first, he needed to find her.

Did anybody else smirk when they read the Keefe part 'until she was ready for more' scene?

No offense Sofitz shippers, but this is why Sokeefe is better. Keefe is willing to not push Sophie because he understands that she's under quite a lot of pressure.