Parapines

Parapines is the Slash ship between Norman Babcock and Dipper Pines from the ParaNorman and Gravity Falls fandoms.

Canon
Dipper and Norman are very similar in a lot of ways, their works coming out within a few months of each other. They both wear red. They both have an older sister who initially doesn't understand them, though Courtney has multiple years on her brother Norman while Dipper and Mabel are twins. They both also have a great-uncle, though Mr. Prenderghast actively urges Norman to seek out the witch's grave, encouraging his interest in the supernatural, Dipper's "grunkle" Stan tries to snuff out his own interest in the same, initially presenting himself as oblivious to it, but then revealing that he was actually protecting Dipper the whole time.

They're both social outcasts, Dipper is often mocked and belittled for his reclusiveness and desire to explore the unknown, Norman was a pariah in his town until fairly recently, for his ability to talk to ghosts. Both Dipper and Norman had a run-in with zombies, Norman failed to pacify the witch's curse, letting zombies run through his town, Dipper deliberately raised the dead to prove a point to some government agents who doubted his abilities. Both were also involved in the pacifying of a vengeful ghosts, though Norman pacified his ghost by himself, Dipper needed the help of Pacifica, else the ghost would've burned him alive. Norman was also almost burned alive in his own movie, but the circumstances were somewhat different. They also both eventually gain the respect of the town after doing at least one heroic, selfless act.

Fanon
The ship started due to a general friendliness between the two fandoms, both being quirky, dark comedies set in a rural town that both came out in 2012. Initially, "Parapines" referred to the crossover between ParaNorman and Gravity Falls (hence why it was called "Parapines", as Mabel was part of the crossover) but then evolved into the ship name of the two protagonists. They're both considered "founding members" of the Mystery Kids, alongside Dipper's sister Mabel and fellow Laika protagonist Coraline Jones. The most common story of how Dipper and Norman met is that the Babcocks were going on a road trip to Oregon, with them staying in Gravity Falls for long enough for the two boys to strike up a friendship. Parapines is sometimes shipped alongside "Corapines" (Coraline/Mabel), the similar name is intentional.

Part of the appeal of Parapines is its broadness in appeal, people who like angst can have Norman tell Dipper about his deceased loved one, people who like fluff can enjoy the thought of two outcasts finding solace in each other. Many believe that, since the crossover usually takes place at the end of ParaNorman, Norman can help Dipper with his own insecurities, since the plot of his own movie required him to overcome his. Many also like the idea that, if Norman manages to convince Dipper that he can actually see the the dead, Dipper would be fascinated by his powers, much like Neil was, making Norman feel more at home at Dipper's side. Many also point out that, though they are very similar in status, Dipper is more neurotic and obsessive while Norman is more easy-going, which could also potentially cause conflict between them.

Though the initial "Parapines" crossover created a bunch of ships between the two casts, the Parapines ship remained the one with the most longevity, being the most popular ParaNorman ship on AO3 to this day.

Fandom
FAN FICTION