(Ford x Reader) Hickory Pines

CH. 15 Mind's Eye

(A/N  Yes this is supposed to be after the last chapter. It's a little back in time.)
(Chapter Summary: *In Bill Nye theme* Bill the Triangle guy! Bill the triangle guyyy. BILL BILL BILL BILL BILL!!BILL THE TRIANGLE GUYYY!!!)

POV - .... . / . -.-- .

He was easier to crack than I expected. Honestly, I was hoping for more pushback! The chase is always the best part, after all. But for now, I have paths to cross and times to change.

His mindscape is vast, painted in a cosmic style like some nerdy space film. He's looking around frantically, floating in place and wondering where he is—like a fly caught in a web. "Well, well, well!" I chime, causing him to flinch. He reaches for something in his coat, only to find it's not there. "Hey buddy, I'm not here to bite..." I grab the taser he was searching for, holding it up to my eye and crunching into it like a snack. Stanford's eyes widen in shock and confusion.

"Hmm... it's tingly," I comment before tossing it away, watching it glide through the cosmic expanse. "Who—" he stammers. "Who are you?"

"That's simple, Sixer." I float around him, circling his form quickly. "The name's Bill. Bill Cipher." I take a dramatic bow, bending my shape to do so. As I rise back up, his expression hasn't changed; his mouth opens to speak. "The demon on the whee—" I cut him off with a loud laugh. "Demon?" I mock, causing him to quiet down. "No, no, no, Stanford, I'm no demon..." I lean back mid-air, crossing my legs comfortably.

"I'm a god," I correct him, watching as his expression shifts from disgust to simple confusion. "A being of pure knowledge, Dexter."

I kick my legs behind me and lean forward. "And you just happened to find the scribes of an old buddy of mine. Well, I tried to make him a buddy, at least." I pout a little, and Stanford interjects, "Tried?"

"It was way back when, and when I tried to talk to him, he called me a demon and burned everything I worked for! Harsh, right?"

"I... suppose so..." He seems to calm for a moment, leaning forward inquisitively. "Where are we then?" he asks, taking another look around. I snap my fingers, and a chess table appears in front of us. "We're in the mindscape—a bridge between your reality and mine. Pretty neat, right? Since I'm a being of pure knowledge, I need to travel where information resides." I knock lightly on his forehead. "Your noggin!"

Stanford grabs the chess table to steady it in the zero gravity, but with another snap of my fingers, that's no longer a concern. He hesitantly moves a piece. "I see..." he muses before adding, "That explains the headache."

I laugh and wipe under my eye. "Yep! Sometimes I forget how fragile mortals are. Sorry, friend; I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed to knock you out so we could chat..."

Stanford startles again, making me roll my eyes. "Knocked out?!"

"Relax, Stanford. You don't have any injuries—"

"But I need to get back to—"

I groan, slicing his sentence short, already annoyed he interrupted me. "Don't worry, I know." I calm him while suppressing my frustrations. "Y/N is fine. I've been watching for a while. You're just out cold on the cave floor; it'll just be a few minutes."

I move my chess piece with a satisfied hum as Stanford leans back. My eye closes into a smile, and I snap my fingers, conjuring a chair beneath him so he can get comfortable. "Just settle in. I'll tell you everything you need to know. As long as you stay here, deal?"

I extend my hand, a small blue ember glowing from my palm. With a deep breath, Stanford takes it, making my eye glimmer with glee. Now he's stuck here until I'm finished, but knowing Stanford, he won't complain.