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Gf Axolotl - Blog Posts
—Presenting "Actor Falls" AU—
So, as far as I am aware, no one has done an actor AU solely for Gravity Falls. Orxinus and Fazfuri do have a collab actor AU, however it's based off of their AU's exclusively and not the show itself. So, I decided to become the (maybe) first one to create one for Gravity falls.
General Gist:
My AU "Actor Falls" is set within a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"/"Once Upon a Studio" type universe where humans and toons act together to create cartoons and fictional entertainment. Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Fiddleford, Ford and the rest of the human cast of Gravity Falls are, well, humans. Bill, the henchmaniacs, and all of the other supernatural creatures, meanwhile, are toons — cartoon characters who exist as real people in the world. They are all employed by the company Disney to work on the series.
Stanley and Stanford are biological, identical twins (just like how they are in the series), while Dipper and Mabel aren't actually related. They didn't know each before being cast with their roles, but quickly developed a close bond as if they were genuinely siblings. Bill and the Axolotl also don't have powers of any sort; the amphibian isn't truly a god, and two-dimensional triangle isn't a dream demon.
Background Information:
In order to avoid weirdness, I'm not going to include any of the people who genuinely worked on the show in my AU. Instead, GF was written by Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. They decided to project the evolution of their brotherly bond and relationship into the story — Mickey unintentionally ruining Oswald's chance for success, causing an accident that destroyed his brother's life, Oswald resenting him for decades, and the two of them coming together in order to defeat a threat larger than life. Everything that happened in "Epic Mickey" actually occurred, and Mickey had the game created out of the events in order to restore Oswald's heart by reintroducing him to the public. They won't be the focus of the AU, but they're still part of it as the writers of Gravity Falls in-universe.
In-Depth Details:
Originally, they were just going to have Stan act as a double for the mysterious other twin in the story and green-screen an extra pair of fingers on. That was until Stan told them that – conveniently — he had a twin with polydactyly. He discussed the idea of becoming an actor for the series to Ford and he was hesitant about it at first, unsure of how well of one he would be. However, with some encouragement from his brother and reminders that his acceptance would benefit everyone, Ford ultimately ended up agreeing to the role.
Unfortunately, once he started working he found out that Bill also happened to be an actor for the series. They're canonly exes in this AU. They used to date in secret because of the strong public hate towards human/toon relationships. But, in the end, the lingering guilt of doing something so 'wrong' caused them to break up. They still long for the other, but will never openly admit it. Not yet, at least.
The two of them have a mutual, silent agreement to keep their romantic past hidden, in fear of wrecking their reputations. Bill is better at masking his disdain and remaining love, since he's a professional actor, but Ford struggles, being the newbie. This ends up causing rumors and gossip about the two of them currently dating. This certainly isn't helped by their dymanic in the show and how they seem to put extra emotion into certain scenes.
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More Content:
The Axolotl: "Now, there'll be no more interruptions, distractions, or side plots. Bill Cipher, is there anything further you'd like to say to the Court?"
*A piano, which was notably not there beforehand, is present with Bill sitting on its bench. He flexes his fingers before drifting them towards the white-and-black keys, playing the opening notes of a tune. He then turns to face the great amphibian expectantly*
The Axolotl: "Not in the form of a song."
*Bill's eye twitches in annoyance for a moment and he closes it to gain composure before opening it back up*
Bill: "I'm innocent."
The Axolotl: "Very well."
*They move to face the jury, opening their mouth for a second to speak before being immediately interrupted by a certain triangle continuing his statement while playing a melody on the piano*
Bill: "I'm so incredibly innocent that the word 'innocent ' should be written on my face. The 'i' would stand for 'I'm innocent.' The 'n' would stand for 'nothing wrong,' which is what I've done. The 'a' would stand for—"
Ford: "That's not how you spell 'innocent.'"
Bill: "I'm sure spelling doesn't count."
The Axolotl: "Spelling counts."
*Bill's eye scrunches in annoyance at the frilled god and he does his best to side-eye them with his singular eye before placing focus back on his piano*
Bill: "Well, then 'innocent' should be spelled 'B-I-L-L' because that is how I plead!"
*The keys got louder with the pronunciation of each letter and he finished off with a selection of sweet notes, nodding in showmanship*
(Incorrect Quote sourced from the episode "Penultimate Peril: Part 2" of the show "A Series of Unfortunate Events".)
*Ford and Stan open the door to the Mystery Shack and step outside, exiting it*
Ford: "Now, all that stands between us and enjoying ourselves is—"
Bill: "YOUR OL' PAL AND OVERLORD, BILL CIPHER! MUAHAHAHA!"
*Ford flinches back as Bill shoves his face into his personal space, one hand of his grasping a flashlight which he flickers on-and-off as the other one waves up and down; gesturing madly*
Bill: "Zzzz—eerrk! Lightning! HAHAHA! "
*The flashlight then flickers off...permanently...leaving Bill to shake it furiously. The Axolotl walks up from behind him, wearing a white lab coat*
The Axolotl: "I cut his dramatic-entrance budget."
(Incorrect Quote sourced from the episode "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!" of the series "Ducktales (2017)".)
Bill: "So, Frills, just wanted to double check. How do ethical beings feel about murder?"
The Axolotl: "It's frowned upon."
(Incorrect Quote sourced from the episode "Derek" of the series "The Good Place".)
Random question: What does Bill say in his death in reverse in your language?
The only languages I understood what he says were English, European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese.
In European Portuguese he says: "A-X-O-L-O-L-T, my time to burn has come. I invoke the ancient power that will make me reappear!"
And in Brazilian Portuguese he says:
"You shouldn't have left where you came from. What do you think you're doing, you old man?!"
I'm genuinely curious about the other languages.
EDIT: here's a link to a multi language video of his death in reverse, in case you need it: https://youtu.be/Bep5B9Wo1bc?si=JfNTwvP-XlVR6sCF
Your theory makes so much sense!!
Thanks for answering my questions :D
Okay, if Stanford got rid of Frilliam, who is this axolotl?
Is it Stanley's pet? Did he buy it?
I know this isn't a big deal, probably it's just an easter egg or something, but I'm curious about it.