You can bend or you can break

[ghostharasser]

Who: Dipper and some cookie house residents
What: Dipper goes to check on Cookie House after going full eldritch on Fern. It sure is a mess.
When: Sometime after people have returned from the garden
Where: Cookie House!
Warnings: Unreality, Dreamscape stuff, Nightmares more TBA


"Man, things sure got rough at home, time to go check on the other place I like to hang out, full of people I like and care about. I bet everything is just fine over there-"

Comments

[ghostharasser]

[He falls quiet thinking this over. It sounds like Pure Vanilla's situation is the second one, if what Truthless says is true. Of course its possible he's being lied to, for a number of reasons, but he has to at least work with what he's been told to start with.]

Because of the more mental aspect of the second one, has there ever been precedence for recovery?

[lilyberation]

Not that I have heard of... I would say that because of the exception to the first, it should be possible, but my case is very complicated already.

( ... might be a bit of a loaded answer, lily. )

[ghostharasser]

An exception is still optimistic, because it means there's at least some sliver of a possibility. That's enough for me.

[He does pause as what she says sinks in. Oh huh, so WL was rebaked at some point, by the first option. He frowns a little and it's obvious he wants to ask, but he reigns it in.]

So, let me pitch what I want to try and you can tell me what you think, since you know a lot about what might be going on. And if you want to share more. Obviously you don't have to, I know things are awful right now.

[lilyberation]

... Go ahead.

( if it's important enough to consult her on, she needs to be serious and listen. )

[ghostharasser]

…I’m a dream walker. A lot of what he’s said is either not adding up or signs of something else that worries me. I want to go in and take a look myself.

[And he realizes this sounds like a crazy thing to ask for, but Dipper can’t just leave this alone.]

I think he’s still in there and I want to find him.

[lilyberation]

...

I don't think I can stop you. But I also don't think you should. Have you seen his eyes? Rebaking or not, something is there.

( and she doesn't want to say it out loud, but... dipper is a powerful child yes, but he is a child. pure vanilla cookie has thousands of years of study, of experience, of heroism and of survival at his back. )

... The odds aren't in your favor.

[ghostharasser]

I have seen his eyes and that’s exactly the reason I want to know, because everything about it screams possession.

[So yeah, they are on the same page. He takes a deep breath, nodding. He has considered this, of course, its just not enough to dissuade him.]

The odds have never been in my favor. That doesn’t mean I won’t still try. It’ll just be reconnaissance, once I learn what I need to I’ll get out. If something goes wrong, I’ve given my pendant to Dark Cacao.

[lilyberation]

...

( she sighs. )

Your target is a powerful reality warper- even Elder Faerie Cookie- the former guardian and king of the Silver Kingdom- and I combined could barely hold him back, and only after he had given me his power to strengthen me could I banish his spirit back into the seal. He is the Beast of Deceit, a counter to Vanilla's Truth in every way, and the former holder of Knowledge itself.

He won't even need to try to find a crack in whatever defenses you have. He simply will, and he'll do it with glee. And he will exploit everything he can to get you to do what he wants. He weaves truth into his lies, and lies into his truths- and alone, you will have no guiding light as I was for Vanilla.

If you do this... Do whatever you have to to get out safe. Do you understand?

[ghostharasser]

Yeah, I understand.

[And Dipper will do his best to heed that, and still get the information he needs.]

For what it's worth, he sounds almost word-for-word like an entity I had to deal with back home. It's so similar that I am actually worried there's a connection of some kind. I won't let my guard down, I promise.

[lilyberation]

... That might be worse? I cannot emphasize how much he is the worst.

( lily sighs though. ... after a moment, she reaches forward and gently tucks some of his hair back. )

Please don't do this, Dipper...

[ghostharasser]

[You know, it almost works, having her ask like that. The last thing he wants is to cause her more grief, but at the same time, if he can succeed and bring her back good news, it'll have been worth it.]

He could be trapped or worse. I can't stand by when I might have the power to do something.

[He reaches up to gently set his hands on her shoulders.]

You all have done so much for me. Please let me help.

[lilyberation]

...

I hate this. I'm sorry...

( he's going to get hurt, and she's signing off on it. )