[ Ford listens to the story with interest, a smile slowly spreading as Dipper speaks. It's normal for siblings to squabble, but one of the only fights Ford's seen break out between Dipper and Mabel had catastrophic consequences. It's nice to hear about a less serious bickering spat.
Though, he does let out of a scoff that's half amused and half offended. ]
It wasn't that ugly. [ A pause. ] Not in the 70s, at least. And I thought the symbol would make it a little obvious what it did.
[ The denial gets a chuckle from Ford, but the question has him looking somewhat sheepish. ]
Well... because I could, mostly. I'd already worked a little bit with transference when I made the mind control tie, and I wondered if I might be able to achieve something even more thorough.
[He waves his hands like it's not that big of a deal. It probably should be, but this is the third time he's died and he knows his uncle wouldn't waste good resources. It's not like he's using that corpse, anyway.]
I have a friend who uh, likes to eat weird stuff. I thought maybe I'd give him a sample to see how his physiology reacts to a Sleeper.
Small is good! I know he's eaten uh, much bigger. Like Moder? He ate Moder to purify her corruption. Which is a thing he can do, apparently. But, Sleepers are pretty weird so better safe than sorry.
[Does Dipper know the logistics of how Mizuki ate a two story tall skin deer? No. Doesn't he feel the need to question Mizuki's claim? Also no.]
Have your tests turned up anything interesting in the meantime? I've been kind of curious how our body react to being outside of Trench, considering the lack of blood pollution here.
[ Wait, he ate Moder? Like, all of her? Ford lights up at the very idea, though Dipper is moving on to different questions before Ford can start pressing him for details. ]
Well, we confirmed that we do still turn into crystals when we die. That confirms that it's solely a matter of physiology, rather than anything inherent to Trench causing it. I also can't use the crystal as the basis any Paleblood based spellcasting—but it can act as a catalyst to improve the efficiency of said spells.
[ He pulls out his journal—a new one just for the Grove—and opens it up so Dipper can read his notes. ]
But I'd need to do more testing to determine why. It could be that a Paleblood death crystal interacts especially well with Paleblood spell reagents. Or it could be that any death crystal is an especially potent catalyst for a Paleblood spell, or that any death crystal can work with any blood type, or that a Paleblood's death crystal would be just as potent with any blood type.
I'm a little less surprised by that, considering how much my powers still work in this place. I haven't had any issues using blood magic here that would indicate the shift in environment heavily impacting my physiology. Waaay back when we first got to Trench, I remember Varian did a lot of microscopic study of someone's death crystals back before we really understood the process, and what he saw really backs that up: That its physiological. Our bodies are really something else.
[Dipper sure does think about this a lot actually. He doesn't say it, but he does remember when Varian reported his findings, Dipper kind of had a little panic attack about it. You know, the whole existential question of what they were etc etc.]
[It freaks him out less now than it did before, which is also interesting to think about. Has he just gotten used to being semi-eldritch or did becoming semi-eldritch make it easier for him to adjust and not care?]
As cool as that would be to learn, hopefully you don't have access to the research materials anytime soon. I'm not planning on getting offed again anytime soon, and I really hope you and Stan feel the same.
Yes, I thought that might be the case as well. But it's important to not make assumptions recklessly, considering how uncommon Sleepers are even in Trench.
[ ... But it seems the conversation is finally taking a somewhat more sober turn. Ford nods at Dipper's comment, the scientific glee fading from his expression. But at least even then he looks more melancholy than outright depressed. ]
Of course. And... I'm sorry, Dipper, that one of us wasn't there to help.
[And- oh. He had hoped he was giving a bit of levity when he made that comment, not to make Ford feel guilty. That apology and all its sincerity hits him like a truck kind of unexpectedly.]
[Maybe because he was trying really hard to let the whole incident roll off of him, trying to shove it down and away so he didn't need to think about it now that it was over with.]
N-No. No, that wasn't your fault, you know that right? I was the one that- [Oh, wait, his voice is doing the thing he hates when he's trying to talk while upset.] I didn't react fast enough, and he got the upperhand. I shouldn't have tried to confront him, it was my fault.
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Though, he does let out of a scoff that's half amused and half offended. ]
It wasn't that ugly. [ A pause. ] Not in the 70s, at least. And I thought the symbol would make it a little obvious what it did.
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[He's only half serious ribbing his uncle but also, come on. Anyway-]
Also, I need to point out that all those symbols failed to say body swap carpet in a way any of us could figure out before it was too late.
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[ Not to mention some of his interior decorating choices. ]
And I couldn't just weave the words 'body swap carpet' into it. Then it would be really ugly.
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[That's forbidden knowledge.]
Why on earth did you make that thing, anyway?
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Well... because I could, mostly. I'd already worked a little bit with transference when I made the mind control tie, and I wondered if I might be able to achieve something even more thorough.
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Oh. Right, I actually came here to ask you something. Did you save any samples of my corpse?
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[ Ford's answer is a bit more bright than the question really calls for, and he has the good sense to temper his reaction a moment later. ]
I hope that's alright. I never found the chance to work with someone's death crystal in Trench.
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[He waves his hands like it's not that big of a deal. It probably should be, but this is the third time he's died and he knows his uncle wouldn't waste good resources. It's not like he's using that corpse, anyway.]
I have a friend who uh, likes to eat weird stuff. I thought maybe I'd give him a sample to see how his physiology reacts to a Sleeper.
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There's some more tests I want to run, but I have a few grams to spare. I suppose it's best for him to start with a small sample in any case.
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[Does Dipper know the logistics of how Mizuki ate a two story tall skin deer? No. Doesn't he feel the need to question Mizuki's claim? Also no.]
Have your tests turned up anything interesting in the meantime? I've been kind of curious how our body react to being outside of Trench, considering the lack of blood pollution here.
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Well, we confirmed that we do still turn into crystals when we die. That confirms that it's solely a matter of physiology, rather than anything inherent to Trench causing it. I also can't use the crystal as the basis any Paleblood based spellcasting—but it can act as a catalyst to improve the efficiency of said spells.
[ He pulls out his journal—a new one just for the Grove—and opens it up so Dipper can read his notes. ]
But I'd need to do more testing to determine why. It could be that a Paleblood death crystal interacts especially well with Paleblood spell reagents. Or it could be that any death crystal is an especially potent catalyst for a Paleblood spell, or that any death crystal can work with any blood type, or that a Paleblood's death crystal would be just as potent with any blood type.
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[Dipper sure does think about this a lot actually. He doesn't say it, but he does remember when Varian reported his findings, Dipper kind of had a little panic attack about it. You know, the whole existential question of what they were etc etc.]
[It freaks him out less now than it did before, which is also interesting to think about. Has he just gotten used to being semi-eldritch or did becoming semi-eldritch make it easier for him to adjust and not care?]
As cool as that would be to learn, hopefully you don't have access to the research materials anytime soon. I'm not planning on getting offed again anytime soon, and I really hope you and Stan feel the same.
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[ ... But it seems the conversation is finally taking a somewhat more sober turn. Ford nods at Dipper's comment, the scientific glee fading from his expression. But at least even then he looks more melancholy than outright depressed. ]
Of course. And... I'm sorry, Dipper, that one of us wasn't there to help.
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[And- oh. He had hoped he was giving a bit of levity when he made that comment, not to make Ford feel guilty. That apology and all its sincerity hits him like a truck kind of unexpectedly.]
[Maybe because he was trying really hard to let the whole incident roll off of him, trying to shove it down and away so he didn't need to think about it now that it was over with.]
N-No. No, that wasn't your fault, you know that right? I was the one that- [Oh, wait, his voice is doing the thing he hates when he's trying to talk while upset.] I didn't react fast enough, and he got the upperhand. I shouldn't have tried to confront him, it was my fault.