Meet The Parents
Written by @jkl-fff, illustrated by me
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Bill, meticulously arranging props in front of laptop: … Okay,
that looks enough like organization getting unintentionally messy …
[puts cotton balls in cheeks to make them rounder,
straightens tie, puts on stolen glasses, picks up pen]
And now, to wait for the skyelp to come through!
[bends over “homework” as if dutifully studying …
holds exact pose for over 5 minutes while quivering
with excitement]
*laptop chimes as skyelp comes online*
Dipper, excitedly: Will? You there? I’m here with Mom and—
[registers costume (especially new additions of sweater vest,
tie, and glasses) and gasps]
Bill, beaming and voice-cracking: Dippy!
Dipper, breathlessly happy: … h-hey there …
Ms. Pines, squealing softly to her husband: My gosh, he’s so cute!
Mr. Pines, just as softly and trying not to laugh: He looks like
a tiny, Irish accountant. Like he’s balancing the ledgers for
the Leprechaun King.
Ms. Pines: I know! I just wanna pat his chubby, little cheeks
and put a pencil behind his ear!
Dipper, blushing: M-Mom! Dad! Don’t embarrass me with B-Will!
[clearing throat]
Um, Will. This is m-my Mom and Dad.
Bill, dripping with wholesome enthusiasm: Pleased to meecha,
Ms. and Mr. Pines! I’m William Corduroy, but you can call me Will.
Or even (ugh) Willy, if you like.
Ms. Pines: Well, Willy, it is sooo nice to finally meet you!
Mr. Pines, sternly: What are your intentions with my son?
[gets smacked by wife while son groans]
What? C’mon, I had to ask it at least once. I’m a dad!
Bill: My intentions?
[flashes through everything he’s imagined doing with Dipper
since the twins had to go home … it’s pretty wild;
blushes; starts to sweat]
hhh … HOLD HANDS! MAYBE KISS FACE! CH-CHERISH!
[gestures helplessly at Dipper]
I mean, look at him! What else could anyone intend with him?!
Ms. Pines and Dipper: D’awww!
Mr. Pines, still sternly: You tell me. What else do you intend?
Dipper, burying face in hands: Oh, Moses, Dad …
Ms. Pines: Dear, stop, you’re making the poor boys nervous. And
teenage boys already sweat enough as it is. Just look at Dipper.
Dipper: Mom!
Ms. Pines, insistently: We can have a talk about … safety
and responsibility later.
[Bill and Dipper exchange a horrified look]
Right now, we’re here to get to know Dipper’s little boyfriend.
So stop acting out clichés for 5 minutes, please. Now, Willy …
um … How’s your day been? What’ve you been up to?
Bill, relaxing visibly as things go back on script: Oh, y’know.
Same old, same old. School. Now I’m just here at the library,
gettin’ my homework done for the weekend.
[gestures at prop “homework” like a good student]
Sorry I couldn’t do this at home where you could meet my dad,
but we don’t have a computer. If you can believe that.
It’s also why I’m still wearin’ these school clothes.
Dipper, confused: School clothes? Gravity Falls schools don’t
require uniforms. They’re public.
Bill: Oh, well … Today was … special.
Dipper: Did you … dress up just to impress my parents?
Bill, a little defensively: Golly, I just wanted to make
a good first impression! So your folks’ll, y’know … like me.
And let us keep being together.
Ms. Pines, charmed: Oh, don’t worry, Willy. It worked;
I think you look absolutely darling!
Bill: Gee, thanks! I can see where Dippy gets his sweet personality!
Ms. Pines: Oh, you!
Mr. Pines, rolling eyes: Okay, honey, dial back the falling for
cheesy compliments. Anyway, Will, what do you like to study?
Bill: Oh, I really like math. Especially … trigonometry.
Dipper, snorting: Pff! Seriously? Oh, um, inside joke.
Bill: Perpendicular.
Dipper: Hahaha! C’mon, man, be serious!
Bill: Let’s see … I also like psychology. Dream analysis
is fun, ‘cause then I getta tell people that, like, I’m the boy
of their dreams … analysis! At least, I getta tell Dipper that.
Mr. Pines, snorting: Okay, I’ll give you points for that one, kid.
Dad Joke level of corniness. 6.5/10.
Bill, grinning: Gee, thanks!
Mr. Pines: You getting good grades in math and psychology?
Bill, playing at modesty: Oh, golly, sir. I don’t wanna brag …
But it is easier to work hard when it’s fun, y’know?
Unlike the way they do history classes here.
Mr. Pines: Boring teachers?
Bill: Yeah. Plus, they’re complete schills for the conservative
military-industrial complex. It’s bad propaganda done borin’ly.
Mr. Pines, perking up: What makes you say that?
Bill: Oh, the usual. The don’t even teach that Ben Franklin
was secretly Gwen Franklin, that JFK was killed by mobsters
from the future to keep him from becomin’ a robo-dictator,
and that Ronald Reagan was a mind-controlled puppet
put in power by a conspiracy of billionaires to keep colonizin’
other countries for their resources and essentially slave labor.
Mr. Pines: Ugh! Tell me about it! And it’s all because they want
to keep the populace uninformed and easy to pacify.
Bill, defiantly: But it’s not gonna work on me! Or Dippy!
We do our own historical research and stick it to the man!
Mr. Pines: Boo-yeah! Tear down corporate capitalism!
[turns to wife]
Okay, I like this kid.
Bill: I can see where Dipper gets his keen judgment
of character. Along with his striking good looks.
Mr. Pines: Oh, go on!
*Dipper gives bill a secret thumbs-up*
Ms. Pines, smirking: Okay, now who has to dial back
the falling for cheesy compliments?
[turns back to Bill]
So, math and psychology and rebellious history study …
Given any thought to what you’d like to do with those
when you grow up?
Bill, feigning thoughtfulness: I … think … I’d …
like to make video games. Coding and design and such.
But ones that make players think and be creative.
Ms. Pines, impressed: Really? Has Dipper told you that’s
the kind of work I do?
Bill: What? No! Gosh, Dippy, why’d you never tell me!
That’s just swell, ma’am! What kind?
Ms. Pines: Indie games, so there’s a lot of side-scrolling
and retro RPG elements—very basic gaming elements—
but sooo much more heart. And, like, artistic integrity.
The kinda stuff that really touches people.
Bill, starry-eyed: That’s the kinda stuff I wanna make!
Ms. Pines: It’s not easy … but it’s worth it.
So, how’d you and Dipper meet? When’d you start dat—
Mr. Pines: Wait, sorry, hold up. Is that a freakin’ skull?
[points at shelf]
Bill, genuinely surprised: What?
[turns, has to take off glasses to actually see]
Well, gosh, it looks like it is.
Dipper, mouthing silently: Why in the 79 hells would you
even put that there?!
Bill, honestly: I’m honestly not sure why the library’d
have that. I didn’t even notice it.
Mr. Pines: Might wanna get your prescription checked, kiddo.
Bill: They’re reading glasses, so …
Dipper, mouthing silently: Where’d you even …
ARE THOSE GRUNCLE FORD’S?!
———
[Meanwhile, back at the Shack,
Ford, stumbling around all squint-eyed: Ah, Stan,
there you are! Have you seen my glasses?
Sascrotch, standing mutely like a taxidermied figure: …
Ford: It’s the darndest thing. I’d swear I set them on
the end table when I laid down to take a nap, but
couldn’t find them when I woke up. Of course, I’m not
having much luck finding my glasses without my glasses.
Sascrotch: ��
Ford: What? Oh, am I still getting the silent treatment
for saying you’re too old to have hair that long?
Sascrotch: …
Ford, indignantly turning away: Fine, who needs you
anyway? I’d find them without your hel—
Ford, tripping: AAA!
Ford, lying flat on his face: … I’m alright!]
———-
Bill, continuing as if to the Dad, but actually to Dipper:
It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.
[goes and puts a book in front of the skull]
There! Problem solved!
Mr. Pines: Yeah, that’s much bet …
Is that The Necronomicon?!
Bill, genuinely surprised again: … Huh. Looks like it is.
[picks it up, pages through it … shakes head]
Nah, it’s just The Nockoffronomicon. You can tell ‘cause
it doesn’t mention Shaggy or even Bob. And instead of
Cthulhu, it’s dedicated to Cthhula.
[puts different book in front of skull]
The best dancer among the Elder Gods, am I right?
Mr. Pines: Heh … 7/10 for that one.
Bill: Gee, thanks! Anyway, um … D’you mind if I tell ‘em,
Dippy? You’re sure it’s okay?
[pretending to get bashful]
So, um … Dippy used to have a crush on my big sis, Wendy.
And ‘cause she works at the Shack, they’d be, like,
hanging out together a lot. He even came over to the house
a few times. And, um, naturally I had a crush on him
from the get go, ‘cause just look at him! Who wouldn’t?
Dipper, blushing: Ah, jeez …
Ms. Pines: D’awww!
Mr. Pines, grudgingly: D’awww …
Bill, making himself grin and blush wholesomely: So I started
coming along to hang out. Then, before I knew it, it was just us
hanging out alone together. And we were exploring the woods
one day when we found some wild mistletoe—golly, I told him,
“That’s wild mistletoe. That’s what it looks like in the wild.”
and then he said … No, he stepped under it first, then he said,
“Guess we gotta kiss now.”—and so we kissed.
Mr. Pines, slapping his son on the back: You sly, little dog!
Bill: And I was like, “Gee, that was swell!” Can you believe it?!
Real lame-o line to follow a first kiss, right? And he was like,
“We could do it again, if you want.” And I said, “But, gosh,
we’re not even dating! Everyone’ll think I’m a boy-floozy!”
Ms. Pines: HA! Oh, that’s precious!
Bill, giggling: Y-yes, ma’am! It was! And then Dippy, he said,
“Well, be my boyfriend. We’ll start calling our hang-outs dates,
and I’ll fight anyone who calls you a floozy.”
It was soooo chivalrous!
Dipper, beet red and with his hands in his face: Stahp …
*a while later, after the parents have left*
Dipper, relieved: That … That went a lot better
than expected. And they sure loved Willy Corduroy.
Bill, self-assuredly: Natch. I’m inescapably charming,
no matter the alias.
[pulls out cotton balls and tosses them in the trash]
If you ever call me Willy, though, I will shank
one of your stuffed animals. That was me takin’ one for
the team. Which is us, by the way. The team is us.
Dipper: Heh! Yeah, I gathered that.
Bill: Still, I’m surprised they never asked about my eyes …
Dipper: Oh, I “warned” them in advance. Told them you had
a medical condition, and that you were really sensitive about it.
Bill: Good thinking. You’re so smart. And handsome. And sexy.
Dipper, grinning: Stahp!
Bill, grinning back: Nope. Never. Because I love you.
Dipper: Hehehe! I love you, too … Willy!
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