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Some cards to give to your loved or hated ones this Valentines Day!

Bonus Billford:

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Messy young mullet Stan doodle bc I'm missing him rn... 🥺🖤

Also go easy bc this is my first time drawing mullet stan...

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So uh….some dude apparently recreated Adobe Photoshop feature-for-feature, for FREE, and it runs in your browser.

Anyway, fuck Adobe, and enjoy!

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250211 - hoseok on tiktok: bingbbagbbongbbumbbumbbabbam D-17

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Textless title card from Nature Pants.

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I didn't know about the subscription metric on AO3 until last night and I found out that 14 people subscribed to my Gravity Falls fanfic bro………………FOURTEEN PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THESE 14 PEOPLE GET EMAILS WHENEVER I PRESS THE UPLOAD BUTTON 😭😭😭🖤 And I got 45 kudos, 14 bookmarks, and 1.2 views?? Like holy shit WHAT?!

Like people like my self indulgent mess…? Interesting…

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Everyday I thank the writing gods for blessing me with a tiktok that showed me Word Hippo. This site has been SO helpful to me and I wanted to pass along the info to anyone who didn't already know or just plain old forgot about it <333

In short, u pick a word and after that, u can choose to see synonyms, antonyms, the definition of the word, rhymes, pronunciations, and more!!!

I wish I could hug whoever made this site bc good LORD it's been so great using it every time I write 🥺🖤

Happy writing! :3

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Sound on !

Warnings : violence/gore, flashing lights, spoilers for Gravity Falls/Journal 3/The Book of Bill

Saw someone suggesting Your Wicked Company by Harley Poe as a Billford song and then I blacked out for two months

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please please please please reblog if you’re a writer and have at some point felt like your writing is getting worse. I need to know if I’m the only one who’s struggling with these thoughts

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Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

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mother is mothering

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Overused Words in Writing & How to Avoid Them

We’ve all got our comfort words—those trusty adjectives, verbs, or phrases we lean on like a crutch. But when certain words show up too often, they lose their impact, leaving your writing feeling repetitive or uninspired.

1. “Very” and Its Cousins

Why It’s Overused: It’s easy to tack on “very” for emphasis, but it’s vague and doesn’t pull its weight.

Instead of: “She was very tired.” Try: “She was exhausted.” / “She dragged her feet like lead weights.”

💡 Tip: Use precise, vivid descriptions rather than vague intensifiers.

2. “Looked” and “Saw”

Why It’s Overused: It’s functional but flat, and it often tells instead of shows.

Instead of: “He looked at her in disbelief.” Try: “His eyebrows shot up, his lips parting as if words had failed him.”

💡 Tip: Focus on body language or sensory details instead of relying on generic verbs.

3. “Suddenly”

Why It’s Overused: It’s often used to create surprise, but it tells readers how to feel instead of letting the scene deliver the shock.

Instead of: “Suddenly, the door slammed shut.” Try: “The door slammed shut, the sound ricocheting through the empty room.”

💡 Tip: Let the action or pacing create urgency without needing to announce it.

4. “Said” (When Overdone or Misused)

Why It’s Overused: While “said” is often invisible and functional, using it in every dialogue tag can feel robotic.

Instead of: “I can’t believe it,” she said. “Me neither,” he said. Try: Replace with an action: “I can’t believe it.” She ran a hand through her hair, pacing. “Me neither.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed.

💡 Tip: Don’t ditch “said” entirely; just mix it up with context clues or action beats.

5. “Felt”

Why It’s Overused: It’s a shortcut that tells instead of showing emotions.

Instead of: “She felt nervous.” Try: “Her palms slicked with sweat, and she couldn’t stop her leg from bouncing.”

💡 Tip: Let readers infer emotions through sensory details or behavior.

6. “Really” and “Actually”

Why It’s Overused: They add little to your sentences and can dilute the impact of stronger words.

Instead of: “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Try: “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

💡 Tip: If a sentence works without these words, cut them.

7. “Walked” or “Ran”

Why It’s Overused: These are go-to movement words, but they can feel bland when used repeatedly.

Instead of: “He walked into the room.” Try: “He strolled in like he owned the place.” / “He shuffled in, avoiding everyone’s eyes.”

💡 Tip: Use verbs that convey mood, speed, or attitude.

8. “Just”

Why It’s Overused: It sneaks into sentences unnecessarily, weakening your prose.

Instead of: “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Try: “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

💡 Tip: Delete “just” unless it adds essential nuance.

9. “Thought”

Why It’s Overused: It tells readers what a character is thinking instead of showing it through internal dialogue or action.

Instead of: “She thought he might be lying.” Try: “His story didn’t add up. The timelines didn’t match, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.”

💡 Tip: Immerse readers in the character’s perspective without announcing their thoughts.

10. “Nice” and Other Vague Adjectives

Why It’s Overused: It’s generic and doesn’t give readers a clear picture.

Instead of: “He was a nice guy.” Try: “He always remembered her coffee order and held the door open, even when his arms were full.”

💡 Tip: Show qualities through actions instead of relying on vague descriptors.

Final Tips for Avoiding Overused Words:

1. Use a thesaurus wisely: Swap overused words for synonyms, but stay true to your character’s voice and the scene’s tone.

2. Read your work aloud: You’ll catch repetitive patterns and clunky phrases more easily.

3. Edit in layers: Focus on eliminating overused words during your second or third pass, not your first draft.

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The Sun Also Smiles - Chapter 10

(Image credit to Jeffrey Thompson and Janine Chang)

Chapters - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Summary - With Mabel and Dipper's 16th birthday party on the horizon, Grunkle Stan takes to online dating to find a date for the party. Things start to get real weird real fast.

Word Count - 4,344

Pairing(s) - Stan Pines x OC, Soos x Melody

Genre(s): Romance, Comedy, Mystery

A/N: The opening bit w Maze and Mabel was inspired by a post on here by @audieaudieaudie! They were kind enough to grant me permission to reference it in the story so I hope u enjoy I how incorporated it <3

~~~~~~~

Over a week had passed and Mabel finally made a decision about the haircut she wanted to get. She wanted to start simple. A half shaved head and temporary hair paint would go a long way, she figured.

The twins were sitting in the bathroom with Mabel on a stool in front of her brother, who was gripping Stan's clippers for dear life. Mabel was looking in the mirror, trying to imagine what she was going to look like after this. It wasn't working of course. She was much more of a visual person, hence her multitudes of scrapbooks.

Maze gulped hard while he peered down at his sister. He always cut his own hair ever since their parents let him even look at a pair of clippers. Of course he was much more apprehensive than Mabel about the whole thing. The fear of her immediately regretting it hovered over his head the moment she made the choice.

"Mabel...isn't this a bit extreme? You can't just like...get a few inches off the bottom?" Maze asked in a poor attempt to change her mind as he fluffed the bottom of her hip length hair.

"I need to find myself, Maze! It's a rite of passage. It's a big deal," she responded, looking back at him.

Maze winced, unconvinced. "But shaving?"

"To the root, Maze!" Mabel shouted confidently.

"Mabel-"

"To the root! To the root! To the root!" She chanted relentlessly.

Maze gulped even harder this time as his sister continued to hype herself up. Where was the hype when he needed it? He turned on the clippers, staring at Mabel through the mirror.

"Ready?" he asked, his hands visibly shaking.

"Yes!" Mabel shouted, practically bouncing in her seat.

"You gotta stay still so I don't hurt you or cut more than I'm supposed to," Maze warned.

Mabel immediately stilled herself and sat up straight to give Maze the best angle. He walked around to the left side of her and leaned down slightly. After a brief inhale, Maze got to parting and cutting her hair off.

By the time he was halfway through, Mabel had closed her eyes. Her anxiety about it had started to set in. She tried her best to be brave about it. Change was scary but she was definitely no stranger to it. A few more minutes passed and the clippers turned off. Mabel's eyes flew open immediately staring up at her brother who had a proud grin on his face.

"Look," he encouraged gently, moving out of the way and pointing to the mirror over his shoulder.

Mabel's heart pounded in her chest the moment she made the decision to slowly turn her head towards the mirror. She gasped and covered her mouth in shock right before letting out an ear piercing shriek, causing Maze to cover his ears immediately.

"I take it you like it?" Maze laughed, still covering his ears in case she wanted to scream again.

"MAZE, I LOVE IT!!!" She squealed as she stomped her feet repeatedly. She giggled deviously then turned to her brother. "I'm such a tortured soul. Like you!"

Maze was smiling until she said the last part. His smile dropped, then he rolled his eyes. "I'm not a tortured soul," he huffed, pulling his hands down from his ears.

"Yeah. Sure. Okay pal," Mabel said as she patted Maze's arm with a certain air of pity to it. "Oh, I can't wait to show the girls and pick out which design I'm gonna do first! Thanks, Maze! I love you, lil bro bro!" she said gratefully. She stood up and hugged Maze tightly. "You're the best," she whispered to him.

He was taken aback by this sudden show of affection but welcomed it anyway by returning the hug.

"Yeah, of course," Maze said, happiness clear in his voice.  He was so thankful she didn't regret it like he thought she would. That was a huge weight off of his shoulders.

"Kids?" Ford's voice called out from the hallway.

"Yeah, Grunkle Ford?" Maze replied, walking to the bathroom doorway.

"Have either of you seen Stanley?" Ford asked as he stopped in front of his nephew.

Maze looked back at Mabel, who shrugged in response. He looked back at his grunkle and did the same exact motion.

"I actually...haven't seen him in a full 24 hours. Has he even come out of his room?" Maze asked, suddenly worried.

Ford clicked his teeth and sighed. "Thanks, kids. Much appreciated as usual," Ford said, slapping a heavy hand on Maze's shoulder before walking further down the hallway.

Maze hissed while rubbing his shoulder. "Holy..." he whispered. He forgot just how strong both of them were. It was...inhuman at times.

"Stanley?" Ford called, knocking on his brother's door. There was no answer. "Stanley? I'm coming in. Decent or not," he warned, putting his hand on the doorknob.

"Go away," Stan grumbled from the other side of the door. It was barely audible but audible nonetheless.

"You know that doesn't work on me, Stanley." Ford twisted the knob and slowly opened the door. It was indescribably dark. Darker than usual. It was one in the afternoon. How the hell did he even achieve that without black out curtains?

Stan was slouched over on the side of his bed, facing the window. His wide shoulders were slumped. There were copious amounts of beer bottles strewn around the room, specifically his nightstand and the floor around his feet. There was no other emotion this could have been.

"Stanley?" Ford's voice was suddenly tender as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

There was no answer from Stan. He sat there. Still as a statue. Ford approached him slowly so he didn't startle him too much. He was coming here to throw a few jabs at Stan just for fun but he could see that this wasn't the time for that.

Ford crept to the side of the bed that Stan was on and carefully sank down onto it without a word. He looked at his brother through the darkness then turned his attention to the window in solidarity. The silence was almost deafening the longer they sat there together. He knew Stan would talk when he was ready and Ford was willing to wait for as long as it took.

"I..." Stan started after about 10 minutes of silence. He had to calculate how he could say this to Ford without sounding pathetic. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to recenter himself.

"Yes?" Ford responded quietly.

"I haven't talked to Solana in almost two weeks," Stan finally admitted.

Ford grimaced at the words. "Two weeks? Why?"

Stan patted around on his nightstand for his phone, knocking bottles together but never knocking them over. Once he felt the device, he grabbed it and went straight to his messages with Solana. He handed it to Ford then took a long swig from a bottle that was at his feet.

Ford adjusted his glasses as he started reading the messages.

Stanley said:

Hey toots. How's work goin?

Stanley said:

Did ya eat lunch yet?

Stanley said:

Solana?

Stanley said:

Is everything okay?

Solana said:

I can't see you anymore.

Stanley said:

What? Why??

Solana said:

It's not you, it's me.

Stanley said:

That's bullshit and you know it.

Solana said:

Goodbye, Stan.

Stanley said:

Solana? Talk to me? What's going on?

Stanley said:

Solana?

Stanley said:

Solana, whatever I did to upset ya? I'm sorry.

Stanley said:

You can pay for the next meal if that's what made ya mad.

Stanley said:

...Solana?

Ford looked at his brother's gloomy disposition. "Did you...try calling her?" he asked without thinking.

Stan inhaled slowly through his nose. "Yeah, I did," he replied simply. He rubbed his forehead then the side of his face in frustration. "I got...attached to her. She was the first person I'd been even somewhat close to in 30 years. I thought...I thought..." He stammered softly before burying his face into his hands.

He wasn't crying but to Ford, he might as well have been. This is as vulnerable he'd seen his brother in such a long time. He forgot that Stan could even feel things outside of rage and just being a jackass.

"There's no love like a lost love and no pain like a broken heart," Ford quoted quietly. "Sometimes, we as humans cling to things, people, places, so tight because one too many things have been ripped from our hands in the past. I don't know the depths of which you've lost in the last 30 years but I can't imagine that this feels...great," he said. Stan was still silent. He still wasn't crying even though he desperately wanted to.

"I don't think that in all the years I've known you, that you've been as excited about a love interest as much as you're excited about her," Ford continued honestly. "Yes, yes. We can discount the fact that you haven't known her that long nor she, you. But! That doesn't deny the connection you two so very obviously have here. I don't know what you could do to get her to change her mind but I don't think it would hurt to try a more...in person approach?"

Stan removed his hands from his face then rested his elbows on his knees, still hunched over. "I don't know where she lives. Just where she works."

"That's a start!" Ford said, patting Stan's back. "Just...don't come off as the creepy ex. That's the last thing you want to do. Trust me," he advised.

"Whaddya know about this sort of thing anyway?" Stan chuckled slightly.

"I have my ways. Just don't think too much about it. It would just make you shudder," Ford said with a smile evident in his voice.

"I'm already there," Stan snorted as he started running his free hand through his hair thoughtfully. "I bet that asshat she works for knows something."

"What asshat?" Ford asked.

"Her manager or somethin. He...harasses her and she can't do anything about it because she needs the job. It's frustratin. If I was sure she'd have enrichment or what have ya at the shack, I'd convince Soos to hire her."

"Not a bad idea but a word of advice?" Ford started as she stood up and handed Stan his phone back.

"Yeah?"

"Don't shit where you eat," he said plainly before walking to the door. "I know a thing or two about that." He opened the door slightly then paused. "I hope you can get her back," Ford said genuinely. "She seems...good for you."

"Yeah. I hope so too," Stan sighed gently.

Ford nodded, knowing his brother wouldn't have been able to see him before leaving the room, closing the door back.

Maze and Mabel ran up to Ford unexpectedly, forcing him to jump back slightly in shock.

"Is Grunkle Stan okay?" Mabel asked, her eyes big with worry.

"Uh...He will be. I'm sure of it," Ford said truthfully. He patted the top of their heads fondly.

"I've never seen him hole himself up in his room before. Are you sure he's gonna be okay?" Maze probed slightly.

"Yes. I'm 100% sure. Just give him some time and he'll be right as rain. I promise."

The twins released a sigh of relief at the sound of that. They were just as worried as Ford. Maybe even more so.

"Your hair..." Ford said slowly to Mabel.

"Cool isn't it?!" She beamed, turning her head so he could see more of it.

Ford laughed warmly. "Reminds me of Stanley when we were your age. He wanted to be so different from me and how I looked. I'm glad he stuck with the mullet. It looks nice on him. Never really got to see too much of it on him," he lamented. The sadness that was about to overcome him was shaken off swiftly.

"Yours looks super cool though, Mabel. I'm proud of you for being yourself unapologetically. You too, Maze. I'm proud of you both. You've come a long way from those precocious youngsters I met three years ago. On your way to being stand up 16-year-olds."

Mabel and Maze got shy and blushed at their grunkle's compliments. "Thanks," they said in unison, looking away from him bashfully.

Ford smiled at them. "Give Stanley some time. He'll come around," he instructed. "Got it?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" They replied, saluting him at the same time.

Their grunkle laughed to himself as he walked off down the hallway.

Stan was still in the same spot on his bed for a little while longer before he stood up. He made the executive decision to get up and do something about this situation. Without a second thought, Stan went to take a shower and get dressed. When he was finished and ready to go, Stan grabbed his phone and wallet from his room.

"Kids?" He called as he walked down the hallway. After looking in the rest of the rooms upstairs and not finding either twin, Stan made his way towards the stairs.

There was a sudden shriek that rang out through the entire house. Stan jumped and looked around. He knew that scream.

"Mabel?!" Stan said loudly as he ran, practically jumped, down the stairs to the source of the scream. It was in the shack. He knew that for sure. He busted through the door into the shack then stopped when he saw Mabel playing with a baby.

Everyone stopped to look at Stan's jarring intrusion. The red hot embarrassment came over his entire body when he realized there was no danger whatsoever. Just Mabel fawning over a baby.

"Uh...hey?" Stan said with a nervous laugh, waving a bit.

"Grunkle Stan! Have you met Soos and Melody's babies? June and Octavius?" Mabel asked happily while rushing up to him. She was holding a baby that seemed to be no more than a year old. It was a precious baby girl.

"June...Octavius?" Stan asked slowly in confusion.

"Yeah, dude!" Soos chimed in. "June was an easy pick for Summerween and we wanted to do something related to October but dude making up names was hard."

"We ended up choosing Octavius to represent October for Halloween," Melody continued.

"Oh!" Stan replied, still a bit perplexed.

"You wanna hold her?" Mabel held June up to Stan's face. June grabbed onto Stan and held his face in place. It was like she was staring into his soul.

Stan analyzed the child's face quietly. She was...adorable. Her eyes were a dark brown and her hair was a curly dark brown mop on top of her head. She had the cutest little nose in the world. The pacifier she had in her mouth was purple and white with the letter J in the middle of it.

Before he knew it, Stan was reaching up to take her from Mabel. He held her tenderly with his left arm while bouncing her a bit. He stood there in silence for a while, everyone else going back to what they were doing before. Mabel returned to Soos, Melody, and Maze who were fawning over Octavius at the counter.

"H-Hi," Stan practically whispered to June. "How...How ya doin?"

June started babbling at him as if she was just waiting for an opening. She pointed all over the room, Stan's gaze following wherever her little hand was going. He didn't realize it but he caught himself grinning at her and her mannerisms.

"Uh huh," he responded as she continued her gibberish. "Yeah?" Stan walked around the room with her to show her the different exhibits that she seemed interested in.

Maze looked back at Stan and June then hit Mabel's arm gently to get her to see. Mabel turned quickly and smiled when she realized what was going on. He looked so comfortable with her. Like it came naturally for him to take care of a child. Maze smiled too as they watched their grunkle.

Of course Stan had always wanted to be a father. The last 30 years were too hectic. He was too focused. Although he was married once, it didn't last. Nothing fruitful came of it. Now that he was given another chance to start over and relive the last three decades of his life his way, he wanted to become what he always wanted when he was a kid. A father. A true father.

Once Stan felt he'd spent enough time with June, he took her back to Soos and handed her to him. "I gotta head out. I'll be back later," he said as he adjusted his aviator jacket.

"Where are ya headed, Mr. Pines?" Soos asked as he bounced June in his arms.

"I just...gotta take care of some things. That's all. Won't be long," Stan replied as he walked away towards the front door. "Cute kids," he said simply then walked out of the shack to his car.

Stan unlocked his car and got in. He sat there for a minute before he looked over at the passenger seat. All he could think about was Solana and if she was okay. He sighed deeply as he started his car up and turned the radio on. He fiddled with the stations for a moment then pulled out of the spot once he found something he was okay with.

Deep down in Stan's gut, he thought that Solana's disappearance had something to do with Chip. He couldn't prove it...yet. But he was going to see for himself no matter what it cost him. There's something so fundamentally wrong with him. What was it...

Without even realizing it, Stan was thinking of Solana again. He missed her smile after he'd told a piss poor attempt at a joke. Her laugh was so cute. Her voice. The way her slight southern accent would twang when she'd say his full name. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly to the point there were sharp pains shooting through his fingers. His grip softened when he noticed how upset he was getting. A clear head is what he needed right now. He couldn't afford to act completely out of unchecked emotions.

Eventually, Stan pulled into the parking lot of the art store. He sat there for a few moments in silence, staring at the front doors. He just knew that something was amiss. That specific feeling couldn't be shaken from his mind. After taking in a couple deep breaths, he hopped out of his car then locked it.

Stan stuffed his hands into his pockets to combat the chill he was experiencing. Even though it was summer, the mornings around Gravity Falls always proved to be chillier than any other time of day.

He walked up to the front door and stood there.

"Ya got this, Stanley," he whispered to himself as he opened the door and went inside. Stan peered around the store, looking for Chip. He couldn't shake the memory of meeting Solana here the first time and the fact that this was the last place he saw her. It took him a second before he shook himself back to reality.

Stan rolled his shoulders back a few times as he trudged through the store. When he finally made it back to the register, he halfway hoped to see Solana working like nothing was wrong.  His heart sank to the floor when he didn't see her. Instead it was someone younger than her. Early 20s, it seemed. He carefully approached them.

"Hey, uh," he said quickly before clearing his throat. "Is yer boss around? Ya know. Chip?"

The worker perked up when Stan got closer, thinking he wanted to buy something. Their face visibly deflated when he mentioned Chip. "Oh. He's...in the back. Would you like me to get him?"

"Nah. I got it. Thanks kid," Stan replied with a tinge of gratefulness to his voice. The sound of Chip's voice from the back was luring him closer to his location. It sounded like he was laughing. Even the sound of his voice was akin to nails on a goddamn chalkboard. He visibly cringed as he drew closer to the staff room. When he finally laid eyes on Chip, he was sitting at one of the tables by a set of lockers. The dickhead was on the phone. Of course.

Chip didn't notice Stan at first which moved Stan to knock loudly on the door with the back of his knuckle. He looked to where the noise came from and immediately started smiling when he realized who it was.

"Call ya back," he said quickly as he hung up his phone. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Cut the shit," Stan said curtly. "Where's Solana?"

"Solana? As her boss, I am obligated to keep her safety intact. I can't just give her shift information out to a random guy," Chip retorted with a smug tone.

Stan inhaled deeply, closing his eyes so he could contain himself. He opened his eyes again to look at the prick. "Ya know exactly who I am," he said, venom clear in his voice. "I can't prove it but I know ya got somethin to do with her disappearance."

"Disappearance? What ever do you mean? I just saw her work a shift yesterday? Seems to me like she just doesn't wanna be bothered with you anymore. But that's only if you ask me for my opinion."

"I didn't," Stan said, almost cutting him off at the end. His eyes narrowed at him, moving closer to him.

"You can't be in here. This is staff only," Chip said matter of factly, standing up to match Stan's energy.

Stan was at his tipping point and had enough of Chip's pretentiousness. He took his arm and suddenly pinned the other man to the lockers behind him with his forearm pressed against his neck. The sheer force of the motion caused the lockers to shake violently and Chip's sunglasses to dislodge themselves from his face, falling to the ground. His eyes closed tightly to hide his eyes.

"I'm not gonna ask ya again. Where. Is. She?" Stan asked through gritted teeth, placing more pressure on Chip's neck with every word he spoke.

Chip opened his eyes as he feigned choking noises before laughing in Stan's face. His voice was doubled up as it was before when he revealed himself to Solana. "Still violent as ever, huh Stanley?" He said, his voice becoming one, horrifying, and recognizable entity towards the end. His eyes...

Stan's eyes widened in sheer terror when the memories came flooding back of that...voice. He abruptly let go of Chip and backed away from him without haste. "You...You're..." Backing away wasn't enough when Chip was right in front of him the entire time, following his every move.

"You're, you're, you're," Chip pretended to stutter, closing the gap between himself and Stan swiftly. He landed a punch right in the middle of Stan's chest causing him to fly backwards across the store then hitting the ground.

A loud groan of pain escaped Stan, all air leaving his lungs in those crucial moments. Just as he was about to catch his breath, Chip was standing over him. That stupid ass fucking grin. It was Bill alright. Despite the feeling in his chest, Stan hurried to his feet while moving away simultaneously. He clutched his shirt where his chest was aching while he moved backwards.

"Don't you get it, Stanley? You're never gonna get her back. She doesn't want you. You think I planned for her to go no contact with every single person in her life? No! But we adapt, we learn, we continue on, Stanley!" Bill preached, moving his hands wildly while he followed Stan again.

"If you want to see her again, you gotta do somethin for me," he propositioned.

Stan looked him up and down incredulously. "Ya really think I'd do anything for ya? After everything?!" he wheezed, still trying to get his bearings.

"You would if it meant that you see her again. Alive at least." Bill was bluffing, of course. Usually he would just kill someone if he had no more use for them but he needed her for leverage.

That last sentence sent a chill of fear down Stan's spine. "What...What do ya want?" he asked hesitantly.

"Bring me Fordsie and you get to have her back," Bill said in a childish type of voice he'd never heard on him before.

Stan busted into airy laughter at that. "Ya really think I'd give up my own brother for ya to play out yer sick and twisted fantasies with him?"

"Well...yeah, actually," Bill sighed. "That's too bad. She's been crying everyday cuz she can't see you, Stanley," he said as he opened a one way portal. Stan could see Solana curled up in a fetal position against a wall, soft cries coming from her.

"You son of a b-" Stan yelled, attempting to lunge at Bill again but immediately stopping when Bill raised his index finger at him.

"Aht, aht," Bill dismissed. "I'm the only person that knows where she is. Hurt me and you'll never see her again." He closed the portal and smiled at Stan. "I'll give you some time to think about my offer. After all, we have forever to do this, Stanley." Bill winked at him. "I've missed doing that." He walked past Stan, leaving him to his racing thoughts.

Stan couldn't fully believe that Bill was back. He was halfway convinced that he was asleep and that this was just all a bad dream. All he could think about was Solana crying, alone, in the dark. What was he going to do? He couldn't trade Ford for her. There was no way in hell, heaven, or earth that he was going to comply with a literal demon.

He had to think. And quick.

[pichiru]

Lil writing vent :3

Long post ahead LOL

Ever since I picked writing back up last year, I've been working on a Gravity Falls self insert fanfic. I kinda slipped and fell into an obsession w Grunkle Stan (LOL) and it prompted me to shake off the 11 year old dust on my writing programs and keyboard. It's so surreal to think about the fact that had my brain not latched onto this fictional character, I could v well still not be writing and probably make the executive decision to just never write again.

I know it's kinda crazy to say but man, thank u Alex Hirsch.

Thank u for creating something that my silly lil neurodivergent brain could latch onto and reignite this fire in my soul. I have never felt so creatively free since I started writing again. Being able to draw my yumeship AND write about it is a blessing and I'm so lucky to be able to do that.

I'm saying all this to say that regardless of how shy and bashful I feel about writing more self insert stuff since I was a teenager, I will never stop. Not even close. These fanfic steps I'm taking is leading me somewhere greater. Somewhere I've wanted to be so deep down in my soul. It's influencing my own original works and giving me insight to do better for that.

I keep thinking I'm wasting time by not writing my "bombshell of a book" and instead writing my silly lil fanfic but my god is this allowing me to be free. To be cringe (/pos) and to explore my writing styles and experiment with different things. In the end, this is helping me make sure that my future book is actually a bombshell.