Into The Depths [BILLDIP]

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"What Ford is hiding from us? What do you mean?" Dipper asked, looking at the human form siren somewhat confused.

Bill rolled his eyes.

"What I mean is, what have you heard about Ford's plans. He's being secretive about what he's trying to accomplish. I was wondering if you've heard anything." Bill said.

"Not really, its like you said, he doesn't trust me, so he hasn't told me or really anyone what his plans are." Dipper admitted, then he looked at Bill again.

"Wait a minute, can't you just read his mind? You said he was fairly easy to read." Dipper pointed out.

"He's gotten better at keeping things from me. I can read parts of his mind, but his actual plans are alluding me." Bill admitted.

"Well, as far as I know, he's looking for what you stole. Whatever it is that you took when he stole the shell." Dipper said. He rubbed his thumb across the shell that hung across his neck, feeling the ridges and carvings along it.

"Well, tough luck finding that. It's location isn't exactly accessible. Not for a human anyway." Bill said.

"What did you steal?" Dipper tried asking again. Bill brushed off the question.

"What I stole is only as extreme as what he stole from me." Bill said dismissively.

"And what did he steal from you?" Dipper asked.

"It's around your neck Pinetree. Surely all this time you've carried it, you have some idea of what it is." Bill said, looking at the shell necklace.

Dipper thought for a moment, examining the shell.

"Well, it's magic, that much is obvious. But he clearly didn't steal all your magic because we've seen you use magic before. Specifically when you first boarded the ship when I accidentally summoned you." Dipper said, speaking his thoughts aloud, despite not needing to as Bill could read as much from his mind.

"Go on..." Bill said.

"I've had theories for a while now, but none seem to match up. I can't open it, so I haven't been able to see or release whatever it is, which leads me to believe that either only you or Ford can open it, or it isn't something that could even be opened." Dipper said.

"Interesting theory. Continue." Bill said.

"Well...Mabel said something jokingly, which is the reason why I even went to look for information about sirens...maybe you can answer this for me..." Dipper trailed off. He looked at Bill, finding the siren watching him with increased interest.

"Do sirens have souls? Or I suppose the real question would be, do you have a soul?" Dipper asked. Bill's eyes filled with intrigue, as if Dipper had finally asked the right question.

"Answer that yourself Pinetree. Do I have a soul?" Bill asked, somewhat playfully.

Dipper watched Bill, noticing his eyes flicking down to the shell in Dipper's hand every once and a while, seemingly confirming Dipper's thought process.

Dipper suddenly realized what the siren was implying.

"The shell...is your soul?" Dipper said slowly, completely astonished. Bill's reaction seemed to confirm it.

"A part of it anyway. Or rather, the shell contains a part of it. Only Fordsie and I can open it, like you were thinking earlier. Though with how I am now, even if I grabbed it, I likely wouldn't be able to open it. I'd likely have to be in my siren form, and unbound by chains and this collar." Bill said, pointing to the metal collar around his neck, which kept him from using his siren song.