"So..." Dipper said awkwardly, looking at his borrowed fancy shoes as he prepared to part ways with Pacifica after her family's party. Truth be told, he didn't want to. This was more difficult than he would like to admit. He was honestly proud that Pacifica had overcome her family's expectations and fairly creepy conditioning, breaking the "world's worst chain" that had gone back over a century and a half.

But he had no idea how long this would last. While seeing this side of Pacficia had warmed him up to her, he didn't know that she wouldn't go right back to her snobby, dismissive, condescending nature. He didn't want her to, and that's why he didn't want to leave. If this night could last forever... Dipper felt like Pacifica was actually being sincere. He felt like he had broken the shell that she used to protect herself, seen through the brave face that she used in public. She lashed out at others because of her own family... and while Dipper had always suspected that that was the case, now that he knew she could overcome that, that she could actually choose to be a better person, and seeing her family firsthand... well, it just gave him a whole new perspective. And he always did have a soft spot for vulnerability, some damn protective instinct that he couldn't help but feel bad for being at least slightly chauvinistic about.

None of this meant anything if she went right back to her old ways, though. Even if she were sincerely appreciative of Dipper's assistance, even if she sincerely desired at this moment to make up for her family's past, even if she was sincerely enjoying Dipper's company at the moment, none of that would matter. Or worse: it would just be all the sadder for the loss. Dipper had to admit that he was having fun with her too. Stomping on her family's carpet as an act of defiance to the Northwests had lead to dancing and drinking apple cider late into the evening.

All things had to come to an end.

"I suppose that I should return these clothes," he said, pulling at the bow-tie that had come undone sometime during the festivities. Much earlier in the evening Pacifica had helped him tie it, although at that point she had still seemed antagonistic. But later she betrayed a different feeling. Or was that when she was just trying to get him to do her dirty work? But no, she did seem genuine at various points... but... ah. Dipper couldn't even tell when he himself started to see another side of Pacifica, trying to discern her feelings would be harder than cryptanalysis.

He couldn't deny that there may have been, ah, other considerations coloring his views of the evening. Fake hair color or not, Pacifica was a girl his age and he was getting over Wendy. The thought of him liking Pacifica was weird...but no weirder than the thought of him liking any of the other girls his age. Grenda? Candy? They were his friends as well as Mabel's, but in a sense that made them feel like sisters to him as well.

As he looked down at his clothes he realized that there was another reason he was reluctant to give back the suit and say goodbye: He felt fancy in it! He was like some kind of supernatural James Bond. Maybe that's why Pacifica was acting differently. Dipper couldn't help but grin inwardly at the thought. Well, the clothes did give him confidence.

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "As though anyone's going to want them now," she said. Dipper grinned goofily and Pacifica laughed. It was a friendly laugh, a comfortable laugh. But was it real? Dipper wasn't sure he even wanted to know. Couldn't he just assume it was, pretend it was, and let that be enough? Bill Cipher had said once that reality is an illusion. If, in Dipper's reality, Pacifica was able to change, maybe that was enough. Maybe that which was reality to him was enough.

"Just keep them," she continued in a soft, quiet voice. "They look good on you." She leaned in and gave him another hug. Dipper furrowed his brow, even more confused now than he had been. This wasn't like when she hugged him earlier, borne of sudden emotion, an expression of her relief.

"Should I pretend that didn't happen either?"

Pacifica sighed and shook her head. "Who am I even trying to impress?" She gestured out toward the hall where the townsfolk were gathered, partying and enjoying themselves. McGucket, Soos, Toby Determined, Tyler, Lazy Susan... "No one else in town is terribly self-conscious. The bar for what's considered odd behavior is...pretty low. Heck, you're pretty normal by comparison." Pacifica smiled slightly at Dipper as she said that.

"Heh, yeah, you too," Dipper said. "I mean that you're pretty uh, pretty normal." Dipper blushed and turned away, looking at the "commoners". "Stan says that the people in this town are literally the dumbest. Literally."

Pacifica bit her bottom lip and her stomach felt a bit funny. "I'm, um, a bit jealous."

Dipper turned back to the possibly-bottled blonde and grinned. "I kinda figured."

"Wait, really?" Pacifica said, looking a bit confused.

"Your behavior was a classic response to jealousy. You lash out at those you're jealous of to try to bring them down, make them feel like you do. Misery loves company and all."

"Oh."

"Yeah. But Grunkle Stan's not that great. I mean I know his technique of toughening me up seems to be working, but he's pretty old school."

"Well, he must be less controlling than my parents though. I mean you had time to learn all that supernatural stuff."

"That's true, I guess. He does have a kind of laissez-faire approach. Probably just because he's a great uncle and not a parent. And an old con man at that. Having a liar, cheat, and fraud as a guardian sometimes makes me wonder who's really keeping an eye on whom."

"Heh," Pacifica chuckled. "Stan's a liar, cheat, and fraud all right, but you know what I just realized? My family's not so different."

Dipper gave a wry smile. "I guess that's a good point."

Pacifica continued. "The only difference is that at least Stan's more or less self-aware of it. My family hides behind a thin veneer of high culture but even they're deluded by it. They think they're better just because they have some sort of code of honor or rules or whatever bullshit."

Dipper bit own his lip a bit, unsure of what to say. What is it about otherwise intelligent guys when they try to talk to girls? Dammit man. What do you say? What do you say that's not an empty platitude? You've already reassured her that she is capable of breaking away from the mold of her family/ You've already expressed how proud you are of her for doing so.

"They.. have their place," he opted to say, diplomatically. Pacifica smiled.

"Fair enough. If it helps, so do old conmen."

There was an awkward silence as Dipper realized how interesting his shoes had become.

"What did McGucket want?" Pacifica said, breaking the silence.

"Something about the apocalypse coming soon," Dipper said. "I'm pretty tired from all the hunting, turning into wood, and almost getting consumed in a conflagaration of hellfire, so I told him I'd deal with it tomorrow."

"I...wait what?" Pacifica said, looking particularly confused again. "McGucket isn't just a crazy old coot?"

"Oh, he's a crazy old coot all right," Dipper said. "But that doesn't mean he's not right about these things."

"And the apocalypse is coming? When? And you can do something about it? You're just a kid!"

"Yes, I don't know, I don't know, and I may technically be a kid right now, but my bar mitzvah is next year so..."

"What if it is tomorrow? Shouldn't you go see?"

Dipper was somewhat surprised at how Pacifica wasn't just believing him, but seemed to be trusting him, perhaps even depending on him. Her words may have sounded incredulous, but her tone sounded like she really did want him to fix everything. And for some reason he didn't want to let her down, either. This is ridiculous, really. He wanted to impress a girl he literally couldn't stand earlier. Now he couldn't even deny that he may have been falling for her. Plus she made a good point. It could be fairly urgent.

"All right, I'll go see what's up," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and somewhat reluctantly walking away.

To his surprise, Pacifica began following him. "I'll come too," she said. "Um, if that's OK. I'm curious about all this conspiracy stuff."

As Dipper wasn't facing Paficia, he allowed himself to smile at this. "Of course."