#also yes Stan has so many Feelings about ''Bill'' versus Ford

[thelastspeecher]

Having a really terrible time rn so I'm here to distract myself with thinking about your stormchaser au because my job training today had us do 3 separate "severe weather" information and response trainings.

Anyways I've been thinking a lot about the implications and consequences of a head injury severe enough to give amnesia and I think this was a plot point and not supposed to be like something backed up by giving Ford medically accurate symptoms and disabilities but that's what happens when you're a disabled gravity falls fan in the medical field.

So a severe traumatic brain injury on that level is gonna have some things that are what you'd expect (vision changes, delayed reactions and confusion, issues with decision making and starting tasks and all that fun executive function stuff long term as well...) but also a common symptom, especially if there's damage to the right hemisphere in general, is impulsiveness as well as personality and mood changes just being a thing.

And I imagine for a while after he wakes up and is treated and even after he's released from the hospital and staying with Jack that's really tough - because I imagine at checkups they're gonna ask repeatedly if there's been any significant changes to his mood, functioning, abilities, and "Bill" and Jack have no clue at all. They have no idea who he was and if it's different.

So when Stan and Ford reunite I imagine it's a relief in you can tell me who I was kind of way but also hard bc Stan definitely sees that Ford's changed. Significantly. But is it because of time? Is it because of new influences? Is it because he didn't know who he was so he became someone different? Or is it a fucking symptom?

I got ahead of myself this ask was supposed to be about imagine "Bill" and Jack going to the grocery store soon after Bill gets out of the hospital and is convinced yes he actually should stay with Jack for the time being and they have a grocery list but Ford/Bill is putting pretty much everything in the cart because he's having a really hard time with impulse control and 20 bananas is not excessive we could need them what if I wake up feeling like eating 20 bananas and Jacks like. This man's a mess. Compels me though

Aaaaaaaaaa Anon I loved getting this monster beast of an ask, esp because I myself have also been Going Through It this week.

What you were saying about the personality change and the doctors asking if "Bill's" personality changed after the accident and neither Jack nor "Bill" knowing how to answer it, that's something that I've actually addressed in a different AU. Because I am a hoarder of AUs and I have one where STAN lost his memory in an accident and that's something that was brought up in stuff I wrote for it because I am a Scientist and I do my Research.

Anyways

Idk if I've addressed the personality change thing much in Storm Chasers AU (which, btw very glad that my little AU is on your mind, it makes me happy people are thinking about and enjoying my stuff), but I have set that up! At least in my head. The biggest thing: "Bill" is remarkably chill. Like, he's just an easygoing kinda go with the flow type of guy for the most part. He's very sweet and gentle and just sort of accepts things and takes life slowly. The taking life slowly is partially due to, as you pointed out, some function being lost from the traumatic brain injury, but it's also partially due to said TBI causing a personality change.

Some aspects of the Original Ford do pop up every now and then. He still gets all Researcher Excited about things, particularly the weird and magical things of Gravity Falls. But he has a different perspective than canon Ford. He treats the magical creatures with more respect and viewing them almost as peers. Once he's calmed down from his initial reaction of "omg omg OMG!" Even with his respect for them, many of the magical creatures don't really like Ford, just bc he goes overboard excited with them so much.

Another thing that sticks around, sorta burned into Ford's DNA at this point, is his, ah, "difficult" relationship with his father. When "Bill" and Jack adopt their first son (the Shapeshifter, whom they name Forrest), "Bill" is constantly fretting about whether he'll be a good father or not. He's paranoid and scared and confused and Jack has never seen this side of him. Jack eventually gets "Bill" to calm down by promising that he'll help keep "Bill" in line and let him know if he does anything wrong. And then he says that he won't need to step in at all bc he knows his partner.

(And then a few times Filbrick's parenting shows up and Jack does need to step in.)

Uhhhhhh I got sidetracked just like you lol.

I agree "Bill" has some impulse control issues. Arguably, canon Ford has those already (as does Stan, in some ways, worse than Ford), and those just get dialed up to eleven for "Bill". "Bill" constantly trying to throw things into the shopping cart is just a sign of what is to come. Luckily, Jack has the patient of a saint. Jack also finds "Bill" incredibly attractive, which definitely helps with his tolerance for the odd behaviors lol.

[thelastspeecher]

I'm obsessed with the storm chaser au and Ford in it.

-what if from the tornado and injury he has a metal joint and can always tell when it's about to rain? The lumberjacks think this is so cool until he starts freaking out because it's gonna be a bad storm tonight

-the first time Stan sees "Bill" during a thunderstorm he doesn't really know what to do to calm him down maybe compared to Ford's new partner, who's probably used to this. Probably makes him feel even more disconnected from his twin and who he's become

-the memories come back in sort of deja vu moments and it takes a while to tell what he's remembering and feeling versus what he's been told. It's almost a relief when he gets to Angie and she's like "nope I'm brand new but i did hear a drunken story where you did something stupid in the 80s" and there's someone who knows about who he was pretty much how he does - vaguely, in stories

-Fidds is handling all of this *so* well.... Also Stan and Angie, here's a bunch of new equipment and I tricked out the van again :) (he works through emotion by building things and if that means they have new stuff while he takes out his frustrations on this piece of metal so be it)

-Bill Wood and Manly Dan (although he'll always be boyish to "Bill") are drinking buddies.

Aaaaaaaahhhhhh I was so psyched to see such a long ask! I love all your thoughts and ideas, they're so great!

Ooh, a metal joint? Maybe almost something analogous to the metal plate he gets in his head in canon... I like it. He's hurt bad enough by being dropped by the tornado that he needs some sort of joint replacement. I'm thinking...a knee? And he would definitely be able to feel storms rolling in with that. But yeah he gets really worked up whenever a particularly bad storm is about to hit.

Hmm perhaps the storm that Stan and Co were chasing fizzled out, but a new one pops up unexpectedly while they're still in Gravity Falls, and that's when Stan sees "Bill" freak out during the storm. And is completely unable to help him, whereas, yes, Ford's partner is able to calm him down. It definitely makes Stan feel weird and out of touch. And maybe even makes Stan worry that trying to bring Ford back into his life is the wrong thing to do. "Bill" is his brother, but in many ways he isn't Ford anymore.

Oh yeah, Ford's memories don't all come rushing back. It's a bit by bit thing. And I can imagine Ford getting concerned by having zero memories triggered by Angie (well, maybe some Fiddleford memories, since they are siblings that look very similar lol). Until Angie says she's never met him before and is honestly surprised by him now that she has. He doesn't fit the stories she's heard at all.

(And drunken story from the 80s...akjlndsfkjldafs yeah Angie would definitely tell him that one. If only to lighten the mood a bit.)

LMAO YES Fiddleford trying to avoid actually dealing with the situation by just turning to more robots and machinery and fixing things and making them better and no Fiddleford we've told you the toaster is fine STOP MESSING WITH IT. He puts on a brave face and acts like nothing's wrong, but Angie and Stan see right through it. Angie's just. So done with these boys. This was supposed to be an easy, fast trip. Now Stan is upset and complaining about how Ford isn't Ford anymore, Fiddleford won't stop building dangerous things and fixing things that don't need to be fixed, and they've been staying in a crappy motel room for a week.

HELL YEAH BILL AND DAN DRINKING BUDDIES. OMG "Bill" having an almost big brotherly relationship towards Dan. Dan might be a lot bigger than him, but "Bill" remembers when Dan was just starting to grow a beard and needed someone to guide him when he began his formal lumberjack career. Or something along those lines.

Stan's just another level of upset by Ford's close connection to the lumberjack community.

(And Stan's claiming to not be upset by how much stronger and buffer Ford is than him now, but he's lying.)