sticksandbones | Right as everyone gets back from hanging out with the Goddesses

You're gonna what

Ritualistic sacrifice.

To not get incredibly technical if you're not familiar with the concept of Magic and Intent, but doing some kind of sacrifice that has significance to, say, The Moon, could appease whatever entity is haunting it or maybe strengthen the moon fighting it off. I'm also doing a ritual for protective barriers for my house this is just standard horror dimension pre-planning.

You get used to it after four years of dealing with this crap.

Okay girl! Remind me never to cross you! What cult I mean religious sect are you part of btw so I can avoid it

This is smart, you shouldn't :)

Anyway, I'm like Jewish but not in a religious way. You can consider me your neighborhood agnostic ghost buster who likes to dabble in a few schools of magic for "funsies".

Name's Dipper Pines, I live in the log cabin out in the woods.

You remind me of this girl I know

[does not explain.]

I'm Urbain, I just got here recently and I realised that not everyone knows what Pokemon are so I'm getting used to talking to people. Also learnt that a lot of you are real old and don't know any modern slang or what phones are.

I'm not Jewish or religious but I'm def superstitious af, but I'm not joining you on your sacrificial rituals. Bad omens man.

Cool, I will choose to believe this is a good thing.

'Sup. Lucky you I am not ancient or anything but I'm from a weird part in the timeline where everyone had flip phones instead of smartphones.

Oh! I know what pokemon are!! I used to have one! Shoot, what did they tell me Robert was uhhh [Enjoy this remarkably good drawing of a litwick. Like, not bad for what their version of a anatomical drawing would be.]

He didn't follow us here to the Grove but I've been thinking about asking the Y'Dalir how to get him back.

Anyway, it's cool. Better let the professionals handle it anyway!

Edited 2025-12-31 03:18 (UTC)

Flip phones?? The bricks?? [no babe after the bricks—] Wowwwwww

Anyway that's Litwick! You should totes ask her, she seems chill. I gotta ask for some of my team back, I only showed up with Meganium.

You having a Litwick reminds me even more of this girl I know tho ngl

Not THAT far back. In between brick and small-handheld-computer-no-one-actually-uses-for-calling.

LITWICK, that's what he was! Yeah, he's awesome and I miss the little guy, not gonna lie. We also looked after another friend's mon for a while. Lemme draw Yuiko- [Here she is]

It sounds like your friend is rad heck, then. Nice!

Oh Mismagius, I'm pretty sure, yeah! She'd love them too lol. I dunno she's cool but she's lowk scary as all goth girls are. It's totally a stereotype that goth girls love Ghost types.

Your other friend didn't happen to be a goth girl did they??

Mismagius, cool. Writing that down.

Oh, you know that makes sense. Weird, I guess I have a lot of goth-adjacent hobbies but I definitely don't consider myself super goth.

Nah, he was like. Weirdly very fashionable for a thirteen year old at the time. He would always complain about how I always looked like I crawled out of the woods before school.

How do you afford to be fashionable at thirteen?? In THIS economy?

[This is important, obviously,]

Good question.

[But there's a good reason he never asked Ritsuka about his homelife.]

If I can get Robert back from Ydalir, I'll let you know! You should tell me about your pokemon, because they seem like really interesting creatures? I've only ever met a few.

Whuh uh really okay sure

[Give him a second to doodle his team. Meganium gets extra arrows drawn to him, and all of them are labelled with their species names under the doodles. It's very "sixth grader trying their best with markers" here.]

I have Meganium here with me. He's a grass type, if he mega evolves he's a grass and fairy type! He's food motivated af and very heavy but usually that's not an issue because he doesn't tend to lay on people

Feraligatr is a water type but mega evolves into water/dragon. Mine has NO THOUGHTS and likes chewing on everything. Like if I go to Ydalir and ask for him back I'm pretty sure he's just gonna go become one with the river and I'll never get him out of there.

Manectric is a smaller electric type, he barks at the mailman, I dunno what else to say I wish he'd be calm cause the mailman isn't gonna get him. Usually when you pet him he's kinda shocky but I still love him. When he mega evolves he's just mono electric type still and he becomes even sparkier.

Avalugg has anxiety. He's an ice type and he's pretty large and you can sit on his back if you want, which is what I do in summers when it's freaking HOT OUT. He's not anxious around me but other people make him nervous. People say Ice types suck but I just think those people are weak and won't survive the winter lol

Goodra! he's fat. He's a dragon type and the thing about Goodras is that they tend to be very sticky and slimy and they LOVE rain, they'll only evolve from Sligoo if they're in the rain. He used to be small when he was a Goomy and could sit in my lap but uhhh he still thinks he's a lap dragon despite being taller than I am.

And then there's Meowstic! Meowstic is usually my cuddle-at-night buddy because he's small and likes to be under my chin. He's a Psychic type and he knows TOO MUCH and he can lift things with his brain. Apparently they can mega evolve but IIIIII don't have a mega stone for mine so that could be just a rumour idk. Meowstics have different fur colours if they're male or female too, so the female ones are all white. I think blue is the superior colour tho lol

[A more cartoony drawing of Robert appears next to the anatomical one - of it opening its flame big as if it's a large mouth, about to catch and burn up a corn chip. It's the way Robert truly deserves to be immortalized.]

Duuude big fan of Robert fanart! let's go Robert!!!!!!

[doodles a very cartoonish Lampent nearby :) ]

He really did love doritos.

Is that what Robert's supposed to turn into? I never did figure out how that was supposed to work, but I do kind of like him as a little haunted candle.

Yep! Litwick evolves into Lampent and then into Chandelure. Hold up my Chandelure drawing is gonna suck.

[It is, well. It's trying. It's very clearly a purple chandelier for what it's worth.]

This is the essence of what it turns into but all I've got is a pack of markers from the store and shaky hands so this is gonna have to be good enough!

No, no, I see the vision. Cool, good to know.

How do they evolve? Do they just change as they get older?

Honestly kinda depends on the species? Litwick will eventually evolve into Lampent with combat experience, but then Chandelure requires an item called a dusk stone. You give it to Lampent and then boom! Evolved! A lot of them are just combat experience but you'd need to know the species tho yeah. And then Mega Evolution which Chandelure can also do is a whole different can of Orthworms but that's temporary and you need a mega stone and a key stone and it's a whole thing, a whoooooole thing. It's just a temporary power boost kinda deal.

Oh, right, so that is why Robert has like "moves" where he can throw fireballs at stuff.

What uh, what kind of combat do you use these guys for anyway?

[Its starting to sound a lot like Monstermon, actually.]

Depends! Mostly for recreation/fun or contests. Out in Galar it's super commercialized and they put Pokemon battles on TV especially in the gym gauntlet lol but where I live...d now it's more just a fun side sport kinda thing. I know it probably SOUNDS BAD on the tin but not everyone battles with their Pokemon and there's specialized medical care for them so they're fiiiine.

Sometimes you have to do it for self-defense because the wild Pokemon out in the Wild Zones where I lived would just straight up kill you lol

[Frowny face! We don't like this Robert Fanart, actually! He's kind of scary??

(Mystery, he's a tiny candle.)]

[You think that's scary? Stan draws a little triangle around the frowny face to make it a Dorito. Looks like someone's going to be Robert's next corn chip!]

[Two silly(???) fears on display this day... doritos with faces and funny little flame guys. Everyone is so well adjusted here.]

[Hello-]

Are moon hauntings a /common/ occurrence around here...?

And what, pray tell, IS a "moon haunting"?

I wouldn't say COMMON but I would say on the scale of scary stuff that happens around here, it's not surprising.

I've lived in a couple dimensions that were incredibly uh ...dangerous, I guess, and I just know from experience that when there's something wrong with the moon, we should maybe lock the doors.

Moon Haunting is a generalization to say "Something Fucked Up is Happening To The Moon", less so than a specific designation.

So what you're saying, in essence, is that we should be preparing for something very dire happening very soon. If it's going to be that severe, would staying indoors even be enough?

That's pretty much it, yeah. To try and break it down a little further than just "The Vibes are Atrocious", this world places a lot of significance on the power of celestial bodies. The sun and moon are two sides of a coin that have to stay in balance and from a stand point of someone who's magic is heavily tied to the moon, things going out of a balance for any reason is rife for chaos.

Essentially, me and my weird moon blood have a bad feeling about all this.

As for your last question? I can't say for sure, but bunkering down with a roof over your head is probably better than being caught outside when whatever is about to go down goes down.

NO, GET A FOOD AND WATER STOCKPILE GOIN TOO. HONESTLY TREAT IT LIKE A NATURAL DISASTER.

WAIT NO. AN UNNATURAL DISASTER!

Mad. >:(

Same.

Is uh, the moon priest doing okay? Has he been acting weird or anything?

( there's a long time before she answers. )

Not great. I might need help relocating him. Given previous incidents and safe spots, the inn might be our home for a while.

Oh shoot, for real? I can come help you guys!

Is he like ...possessed...? In a coma? Speaking in tongues while facing the corner of a room...?

OF COURSE THE MOON'S HAUNTED. EVERYTHING WAS TOO NICE FOR TOO LONG SO OF COURSE THE MOON'S GOTTA BE HAUNTED NOW.

[He is probably literally boarding up windows and spare doors as they speak, between messages. It wouldn't be the first time and probably won't be the last.]

ANYWAY YOU KNOW THE RULES, "DON'T SACRIFICE ANYTHING YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT."

We really got lured into a false sense of security the past few months. Like even that spooky town we got trapped in wasn't all that bad comparatively! Figured the other shoe would drop eventually.

[Stan is boarding up the windows, Dipper is salting a big circle around the house, normal Pines stuff.]

Yeah, yeah, I know! No limbs or life-sustaining implements. I'm seventeen, Grunkle Stan, this isn't my first sacrifice to the gods.

YEAH THIS FEELS MORE LIKE OCTOBER RAN LATE. SPOOKY TOWN COULD'VE BEEN WORSE AND WE SHOULD'VE GUESSED THAT WHILE WE WERE OFF DOING POTTERY WITH GODDESSES SOMETHING WAS SCREWING WITH THE MOON.

[Sure, they had to fight off a monster version of Stan's beast form, but it's fine! Everyone lived (except the double)!]

YEAH YEAH I KNOW YOU'RE ALL GROWN UP NOW BUT IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH AGE, KID - YOU KNOW I'D BE SAYING IT TO FORD TOO.

[These are House Rules not Parenting Rules, you see.]

Yeah no kidding. This might be me being paranoid, but the longer tonight goes on the worse the feeling I get about it is.

Yeah I know i-

[And then it cuts off and Stan hears a very alarmed shout from outside.]

GRUNKLE STAN!?

[Well, something was bound to happen sooner or later. No time for jokes though. Stan drops his netbook like a hot potato and is at the nearest door in a heartbeat with his cane. With a flick of his wrist, it becomes a shotgun - just in case.]

What happened? Dipper?? DIPPER!

[If he doesn't immediately see the kid, he'll listen for an answer and follow.]

[He's not far, he's right against the side of the house. looks like he was planning to put up a ward using his blood.]

[Only the moon is out, and his blood isn't glowing the way it should. Dipper stares at it with wide eyes.]

O-Over here!

[Rather than the bright pearlescent white of his usual paleblood, Dipper's blood is glowing a dimmer, sicklier rust color.]

[Stan rounds the corner with his weapon raised, but lowers it when he sees Dipper isn't being attacked by anything he lowers it and rushes over. Admittedly, it takes a second for it to click what's wrong - they bleed all the time, so that's not anything new. He wouldn't call Stan just for that, not like that anyway.

But then it snaps into place. It's nighttime. It's nighttime and it's barely glowing at all, even though he's out in direct moonlight.]

What the--? What happened?!

[He's got a dozen questions lined up in his head, but Dipper should probably fill him in first. That being said, he's definitely glancing over Dipper in case anything else is immediately wrong - they're not exactly human anymore, so whatever this is probably isn't good for him.]

I don't know!

[He looks down at the blood with a shocking amount of horror, but what's also strange is the way it oozes down his hand. It's thick, viscus and tacky. It's sickly and wrong and the longer Dipper looks at it, the more he feels something under his skin.]

[Heat, like a fever.]

I was just ...just going to use some for this spell, but then it came out like this.

[Wait, he'll cut open another spot and see if it happens there. Stan you might want to stop him as he pulls out his bloodletting knife-]

Woah, hold up--

[Yes, this is all strange and probably terrible, but the answer here isn't gonna be losing more blood. He doesn't take the knife from Dipper, but he grabs his wrist and holds it tight to keep him from doing any more slicing.]

It's blood; it's not gonna be different in another cut. You're just gonna hurt yourself.

[He holds Dipper there, but hopefully the kid won't struggle too long or try to fight him on it.]

The spell can wait until we figure out what's going on with you.

[That's good because he really was just kind of panicking, so he stops there and doesn't fight Stan. He just stands there a moment.]

[Disoriented, vision suddenly swimming- Oh. Oh he feels terrible all of a sudden, like something poisonous just seeped into his blood the moment he made that cut. Stan will start to feel it the longer that pause drags on.]

[That Dipper is swaying a little like he might tip over, and that his skin is hot to the touch.]

I-

[And then the migraine slams into him, right against his right eye, and Dipper doubles over to scream.]

[Stan reaches to steady him, but it's too little too late. He knows how much Dipper can handle these days, so if this is knocking Dipper off his feet and making him scream in pain it's got to be serious - more serious than whatever the hell is up with the moon.

There's no time to really sit and puzzle this out though, so Stan makes a couple of quick decisions and desperately hopes they're the right ones.]

Alright, inside. C'mon.

[He shifts the Red Herring back to its cane form and sticks it under his arm so he can support Dipper, and try and get him to the door as quickly as he can. If Dipper can't walk even with assistance, Stan will carry him. Dipper's getting older now and that's harder to do as easily, but the door isn't far and Dipper's pretty clearly getting worse.]

[To his benefit, Dipper does try to walk. Even if the horrible pounding behind his eye is making him see stars, and the fever coursing through him suddenly makes him shaky and woozy, he still tries to suck it up and walk in the direction Stan is tugging him.]

[But before they reach the porch he abruptly collapses as he feels that pain suddenly crescendo. As a stinging needle of pain bores its way through the back of his eye and claws its way out. Hands reach up to desperately cup his eye as if that will somehow alleviate the pain, but before Dipper lets out one more heart wrenching wail, blood pours from between his fingers, splattering all over the ground.]

[Even Stan feels his stomach drop at the sound of blood spilling, and he isn't usually that squeamish. It's some combination of the blood being unnatural for them and the deja vu of seeing blood gush from Dipper's eye that makes him nauseous, but it doesn't matter now. He has to get Dipper inside. It's the safest place for more reasons than he can count.]

Sorry, kiddo. This is gonna hurt but you can rest when we get inside; I promise. I-I've got you, just hang in there--

[With that, he carefully (and with more effort than he'd like to admit) scoops up Dipper. He didn't care if he got Dipper's blood on him back in Deerington and he sure as hell doesn't care now. It doesn't matter, as long as he can get Dipper safely inside, away from the creepy new moon.]

[Yeah, sorry Stan. The Pines genetics have been kicking in for a few years now and he's not the tiny little twelve-year-old he used to be.]

[At least he doesn't fight or anything. He's really in too much pain to do that, and instead once he's done screaming, Stan will hear the way he breathes loudly, shakily, in a rhythmic way almost as he tries to manage the pain. It's bad, it's just like when he lost his eye and he remembered how much that hurt. Remembers how bad the phantom pain of it would get sometimes.]

[He's prepared for it this time, but that doesn't make it any less terrible.]

[He keeps himself together pretty well, otherwise. Doesn't move much, doesn't actually put pressure on his eye, just has his hands up there to uselessly catch all the blood that just gushed out. Does everything he can to try not to blink.]

I-I fine....I'm fine, i-it's fine-

[If he says it enough time, he won't start to freak out. It's fine, he's had worse, this is nothing, this is just the start-]

[It's not even a little fine, but Stan doesn't correct him yet. To a degree he's running on automatic, doing what he thinks is needed as fast as possible.

Dipper is carefully deposited in the nearest available chair and given a clean rag to catch the blood. This gives him enough time to grab their first aid kit and pull up a chair of his own.]

Just keep holding that there, you're doing great. --you want ice? I can wrap ice in it.

[In the meantime he takes Dipper's arm, the one that was cut earlier. It's the lesser of the two wounds, obviously, but he's looking it over to see if his blood's still weird now that they're out of direct moonlight. Is it still gluey and glowing, is it returning to normal--? It's easier to figure all of that out without staring Dipper directly in the eye socket.]

[ Zoey will leave a little doodle first. Just a simple doodle! It's of herself cocking a handgun, with the words "Moon's haunted" written next to it. ]

Yeah no I've seen it, it looks totally not good. Is the sacrifice necessary though? Like what kind? Snacks? A snackrifice? What's it gonna do?

Right as everyone gets back from hanging out with the Goddesses

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cw: blood and eye stuff haha

Re: cw: blood and eye stuff haha

cw: full on eyegore

cw: full on eyegore

cw: full on eyegore

cw: full on eyegore

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