l ike ??? I mean some of it can be accounted for as ‘villain scheming’ but like. Bill goes out of his way to torment and tease Ford, even when he has a golden opportunity to achieve what’s ostensibly his major goal (ie opening the portal + bringing on the oddpocalypse) he doesn’t take it in favour of setting up a much more complicated chessmaster gambit with another generation of Pines twins into the mix, for no apparent reason other than that he gets another thirty years’ annoying Ford out of the deal (I’m not 100% sure how the rift was formed but my impression was that every time the portal was opened there was one produced, which means Bill totally could’ve had what he wanted as soon as the first test that blew McGucket’s circuits was conducted, which means he was literally just doing that thing that cats do with a small animal they intend to kill only not just yet because it’s still being interesting and it’s fun to watch them struggle like they think they actually still have a fighting chance)

and once Bill does get what he wants, he literally couldn’t care less about what Dipper or Stan are up to and he tosses Mabel in a bubble and pretty much forgets about her, but he tries TWICE to get Ford to join up with him and keeps him at his elbow at all times when he’s made of gold and like. talks to him. is that canon? was that just that “coming out of retirement’ crack? whatever. 

and like I don’t even have to talk about how Ford’s whole life basically revolves around Bill from the moment he finds that cave, like, it’s just a major aspect of his character

like healthy or not (it’s not) these two are canonically fucking obsessed with each other

and what kind of author would I be, honestly, if I did not mine that fertile ground for all it’s worth?