Nobody Forgets Bill Cipher

Much More Confidence

     "Pyronica," I begin, using her description as if I'm painting a picture for everyone sitting around me at the table. "This is the demon of which I am almost positive of her ties. Be careful not to fall for her tricks and lies. She is tied to the power of seduction. If you encounter her, you have one of two options: stay away and ignore her, or resist her- either way, if you're lucky, she'll soon lose interest in you and move on to other prey. But be warned: the moment you give in to her, she'll have full control over your wants and desires- extremely dangerous. However, she's not very bright. Almost everyone here could easily outsmart her."
     "Almost?" Soos asks without a clue of who my reference was to.
     "Uh, yeaaahhh, moving oooon," I avert the question, shift my gaze, and continue. "Next is 8 Ball. I only know one of his ties, but he has the power to read minds and see the future. However, his future vision is sketchy. Most of the time, his vision is not correct. So in the case of his future vision, he is tied to the power of improbability. Now, about his mind reading: in my dreams, my henchmaniacs bound me up on the ground, 8 Ball got on top of me, and soon enough, he had read my mind. I don't know at what moment, for I wasn't paying much attention to him... though, I should have."
     "It's alright, we can think through this," Ford reassures me. "You said you weren't paying attention. Could distraction be his tie?"
     "It definitely could be," I contemplate. "There's no way to be sure, but it's the best idea we have. Let's move on. I also have a theory about Teeth's ties. Teeth follows whatever orders he is given. He doesn't have to follow through, though, if someone gives him a counter-order. So, basically, he follows whatever his last command was. I believe that commands are his ties. He has no power without them. However, I do think the commands must come from someone of a higher power..." I think. "Wait, this doesn't make sense."
     "Do you know if there's any limit for what he can and can't do power-wise after he's given a command?" Dipper asks, furiously scribbling on a notepad.
     "No, I don't," I answer him. "So we have to be very cautious if that's even his tie... No, that can't be it. If it was, it would be too easy. Someone could tell him to do literally anything and he would without a thought. Do you think his ties could be that he needs permission from someone with more power than him before doing anything?"
     "There's a good chance that's it," Ford figures. "It's the best idea we've got. Who's next?"
     "Amorphous Shape has the power to morph into multiple physical entities at once," I explain to everyone, balling my fists in my memories of her.
     "Can you describe what her forms are like when she shape-shifts?" Mabel asks pensively. "Maybe we could find out her ties that way."
     There's absolutely no way I'm going into full detail of all of Amorphous Shape's morphs. Especially not the first one. I rack my mind of the memories, trying to spot at least one common thing in each of her shifts. Something strikes me. "I've got it!" I exclaim, moving my fists to the table. "She's amorphous! She can never completely hold a single steady form at once. Something about her form is always changing, no matter how obscure that thing may be. For example, I noticed when she shifted into people in my dreamscape- one form was wearing a mood ring, colors changing ever so slightly. Another form's shoelaces were changing length obscurely."
     "Good deduction," Ford remarks with a curt nod.
I continue going through the final six of my henchmaniacs, explaining each one in full detail. We deduce things about them, eventually discovering probable ties for each of them. Each one gets more difficult as we go on, though I have confidence that we may be correct with our deductions.
It's late into the night by the time we finish. "Finally," Mabel says with a yawn. "Do you feel better now, Bill?" she asks me with bleary eyes.
"I have much more confidence going into this now, if that's what you mean," I reply with assurance.
"Good." Yule stands up from the table. "It's late. I've gotta go home. My mom keeps texting me." He wags his phone for emphasis.
Everyone begins to excuse themselves from the table as I make a final remark. "Be on your guard, everybody," I warn. "We never know when they'll be able to enter this dimension."
"When they come," Stan starts, pondering, "how will we fight them?"
"That's not our place to worry," Ford answers his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The Society will take care of that, and let us know what we need to know."
     "Yes," I agree. "Unfortunately, there's nothing else we can do yet."
     "Well... I guess it's time for bed," Mabel says, though she looks a bit nervous. They all should be nervous- these demons shouldn't be taken lightly... but I trust my friends. If they say that they can do this for me, then they can.
     "Another warning for you all, though I hate to frighten you," I add with caution. "None of you are in for a peaceful night of sleep. And... Yule?" My best friend looks at me, waiting for what I want to tell him. "Could you ask your mother if you could spend the night? I know it could be a lot to ask, I don't know your family's plans or anything, but I don't want you to sleep through the night and wake up... alone, after all that. And besides, everyone else going through it, too, will be here, and-"
     "Say no more," Yule cuts me off and turns on his cellphone. "Hello? Mom? Can I spend the night at Bill's house?" He pauses for a moment, listening to the other side of the line. "No, Mom," he replies, a bit quieter, "I don't need a toothbrush." He pauses again. "Uh-huh." Another break. "Mm-hmm." One more. "Really? Awesome, thanks! Does ten tomorrow sound good?" A final halt in his conversation. "Bye. Love you, too."
     "You can stay?" I ask hopefully.
     "Yup!" he answers with a grin. "Let me at these maniacs- I'll take 'em out one by one!" He throws some punches in the air, then laughs sheepishly. "But in all seriousness, I really am ready."
     We all prepare for bed and I tell Yule that he can sleep on the living room couch or recliner, whatever he chooses. I bid him goodnight, though we both know it will not be.
     "I'll see you in the morning, Dipper, Mabel." The three of us sleep in the attic, Dipper and Mabel using the beds, as I'm using the cot for the summer. "Stay safe, okay?"
     Mabel giggles softly and warmly. "How could we not be? You're always here to protect us when we need it."
     "Always is an exaggeration," Dipper remarks, "but things do often seem to work out, one way or another."
     That's our last exchange of words before we fall asleep.
     I sleep a quiet, dreamless night.