#stan: come on ford have some common sense!

[ceaselesswatchersspecialboy]

Offering an NPD perspective on Ford Pines, because I feel the most common discussions surrounding his narcissistic traits tends to go in two ways — from what I’ve personally seen — and that’s defending him, and denying the mere possibility he may have NPD because it’s seen as a negative, or using NPD as a way to villainise him, and thus demonise NPD. Or, the alternative, this part of his character is completely overlooked.

That isn’t to say I haven’t seen some wonderful analyses on Ford and NPD, rather, I find it surprisingly lacking when his character might be some of the best representation of my own experience struggling with narcissism (alongside Bill).

I believe a lot of it stems from the misconception and stigma around NPD, and the fact Ford goes again common, typically incorrect, ideas, such as showing genuine care for other people, and accepting his failures and where he went wrong in the end, trying to repair his relationship with Stan, and realising that he doesn’t need to be recognised worldwide, as he’s found happiness with his family instead. All of these do not correlate with the media idea of a narcissist, but the fact is, narcissists are no different from any other disorder or mental health issue. We come in all different forms, and the idea we are inherently abusive or evil is such a widespread misconception that it becomes difficult getting help or support.

And that’s why I find Ford so important.

This alone, to me, describes in simple words how it feels to deal with NPD, and though you could argue Bill is projecting here, I think the point is they’re so similar, the lines blur. Both struggle with this same mentality, but Ford is able to reach out, and accept help, and Bill lets himself sink deeper and deeper into his own lies. Also, I’d argue it isn’t Bill projecting, because we sees evidence of this behaviour in Ford in the show and the journal.

He’s someone who believes himself destined for greatness, and won’t accept the bare minimum, such as when Fiddleford suggests he publish his research as is — No, he can’t have that. He has to be the one to uncover this grand theory. He has to have his name cemented amongst the greats. He believes himself to be special, different and more capable than other people, and yet he longs for the company of others all the same. He lives off of validation and praise, and strives for it, his own ego clashing against his lack of self-worth. Bill’s manipulations work on him because Ford eats up this sort of validation — it’s like one big high. It’s confirmation he is special. He is meant for greater things. He was right.

Ford notably struggles with empathy, which is likely both related to his autism, and also his narcissism. Other people simply don’t make sense to him. It takes effort for him to be able to understand people where they’re at, and he is willing to put in that effort notably, taking note of Fiddleford’s habits for example.

He also does struggle with manipulation and being deeply self-centred. A great example being Dipper’s apprenticeship. Ford is very subtly manipulating the situation here, and he doesn’t even notice, which is, in my own experience, common with NPD. He’s also unable to see Dipper and Mabel as, well, Dipper and Mabel, rather putting his own issues with Stan onto them, especially Dipper. He sees Dipper as a younger version of himself, and is trying to point him in that direction, never thinking whether it’s actually right for Dipper, or whether it’s for himself.

I could probably go on, like how he tends to have a black and white view of people, with his opinions on them easily flicking between extremes as a method of coping, or how he panics at the idea of his life’s work being destroyed, despite knowing the dangers.

Whether you agree he has NPD or not, Ford definitely has a lot of narcissistic traits, and yet, despite that, despite every mistake he’s made, everyone he’s pushed away, he gets a second chance. He gets to be loved and understood. He finds happiness. He gets to recover.

It’s very rare that characters with so many narcissistic traits get endings like that!

Ford is not a bad person because he’s a narcissist, he’s just a person, one who’s fucked up, and who’s still learning, and still healing, and that’s why he works. That’s why he’s such a comfort.

On a final note, If you are someone who’s going to argue vehemently against this idea, I kindly ask you simply scroll by!

[icethinggigachad]

Stan and Ford and the Different Flavors of Autistic-ness

Ford has that Former Gifted Child thing where his inflated arrogance comes from a place of having to prove himself, but also yeas hes neurodivergent.

(Bugs under a rock. They are so so squishy.)

The way Ford thinks reminds me of Aspie Supremacy in a way.

[Aspie supremacy describes a phenomenon where people who were dx/still identify with the term "aspergers" see themselves as being superior to non-autistics (as well as "other" autistics) where people who have (visibly) lower support needs are "acceptable" enough vs other autistic people who need more support. Of course this is complicated!]

(More thoughts under this cut)

In a less extreme way, you could compare Ford-whose autism doesnt give him the learning disabilities his brother probably does. Autism can be comorbid with many learning disabilities.

They are both autistic but when it comes to school one of them needs more than the other.

Even as Ford doesn't have academic struggles, he clearly struggles socially. He struggles caring for himself, doing basic self care, etc.

Theres a reason we are moving away from "aspergers" and "low and high functioning" because the reality of being autistic is theres lots of areas where someone can need little or no support whereas in another they may have Very high support needs.

Being a nerd might have actually saved him socially in that way since when you are dismissed as a nerdy type, you are kind of expected to be "weird or eccentric" because Thats Just How Smart People Are, and it saved him from having to mask so hard. His natural way of being jibed with a stereotype.

But Stan didnt have that so he had to mask a lot more heavily. A likely reason he was actually less popular than Ford was among their peers. Because Ford met stereotypes and he didnt.

That specific terminology didnt exist yet but I think it could apply to him.

He would see traits he has and think they are Abilities and ways of thinking and that might make him feel a sense of superiority over others. Because thats how he built up his Worth after being ostracized.

They likely didnt have the words for these things: first of all special education didnt exist, awareness about autism and disabilities wasnt so common.

Ford and stan 100% have no idea they are autistic but they feel the experience without the words to describe it.

But i think like. You know, labels like "aspie supremacy" and "former gifted kid syndrome" and also "autism" in general exist they describe the phenomenon that was already There. We just have a term describing it now.

Even now there is a divide between autistic experiences where some autistic people are praised and seen as "gifted" and "good" autistics (Ford in this case) while others are the "bad" autistics (Stan in this example) who are seen as "defiant" and are punished. And also you can be in both situations at different times (I was.)

[thechillsquid]

Blind Eyes Au

Ya know what’s funny? Is like at a certain point in this au after Stan and McGucket have been working on rebuilding the portal for years now with Bill, they just kinda… get weirdly used to him.

Like it’s not a friendship at all, but they’re all aware their using each other (well Stan and McGucket are using Bill to help with the portal to get Ford back while vice versa Bill is using these two to open up another possible rift her can use, McGucket and Stan bicker and shit but they drink and smoke together so there’s that)

So it’s kinda interesting how the power dynamic forces Bill to actually work with these two while trying to get them to do what he wants, cause he knows they know he doesn’t really just care about getting Ford back, and McGucket knows how the portal could influence things

So it’s like, kinda funny that way; they just sorta talk to him like just another coworker or something and it pisses the triangle off so much but he literally can’t do jackshit to either of them cause then they stop working on the portal and like it or not he kinda sorta needs these two morons

So it gets like… weirdly casual, and McGucket just sorta ends up talking more and more with Bill (trying to pry secrets outta him and answers in general) while Bill talks to him cause welp, Stan can talk circles around him and his more laidback attitude gets on the triangles nerves

So those two end up kinda finding some common ground while Stan and McGucket become sorta pals/sorta criminal partners since fuck it, what’s there to lose anymore? Stan’s been on the run for ages and McGucket’s fresh out of a divorce and doesn’t got much else to go back to

So like eventually over the decades, it’s just this really fucking sitcom dynamic and when Ford comes back it’s going to be fucking hilarious cause by that point Bill and McGucket are lowkey dating (romantically), McGucket and Stan are also sorta dating (more queerplatonic than anything else), and Stan now knows how to do astrophysics

So Ford comes back and he’s just trying to figure out what the fuck is happening but oh that makes sense why over the last decade Bill’s henchmanics haven’t been trying to kill me and oh god Stan what the hell did you do to my house and again what the fuck what the fuck what—

And then Bill invites Ford to his and McGucket’s wedding and he faints

[abyssalzones]

C-PTSD as a diagnosis makes so much sense for Ford because he really does fit almost all of the criteria, ESPECIALLY if you take the stuff in J3 into account in conjunction with his traumatic childhood (bullying, bad dad, etc.). It just makes sense in regards to his motivations and his issues with interpersonal relationships (like with Stan). Also buring yourself in your work (like he does) is a very common 'flight' coping mechanism to trauma in adults

I'm smiling like this right now

ford's whole.... mental health deal is extremely interesting to examine because Oh my god this man is the textbook image for "reacting to ongoing, continuous trauma". intentional or otherwise (I'm inclined to believe it's both).

like. okay hang on I'm about to get very in depth with it

I feel like there's no way this entire guy's life and in some ways his lasting identity haven't been defined by and constructed around various forms of trauma, maybe the most obvious and true-to-canon-intent being peer abuse/bullying from childhood. a lot of people downplay the impact of this type of abuse but it's... responsible for a lot of social ills in shocking ways. (if you're more interested in this topic here is an article my friend mer linked me a while back, it gets into it very deeply)

(a lot of this is going to be sourced from the wikipedia page for CPTSD [and my own experience Living with it] which I realize isn't very professional of me but Whatever this is tumblr)

one of the core tenets of ford's personality is that he's Different. he owns it, sure- his six fingers become a point of pride rather than something to be ashamed of- but they make it extremely clear that from a young age he associated being different with being a social pariah. ford's generation was characterized by notoriously cruel bullying, and anything that remotely made you stand out rendered you a target. ford could've been bullied for being nerdy and jewish (and failing to perform socially, ie dating) alone, having such an obvious mutation definitely was not winning him any points.

so it's honestly no surprise, when from childhood ford feels like he has One person in the world to trust and confide in, that he would go on to form very unhealthy attachment patterns typical of CPTSD. as you elaborated on regarding AvPD (which I know far less about but seems to have comorbidity with CPTSD): if you're hard-wired to believe socializing with others results in failure or betrayal, then you're not going to make an effort. but what does end up happening is that you're going to pour all of your trust and dependency into one person at a time, one person who is "safe".

previously, that was his brother. and it's not really hard to draw the conclusion from there that fiddleford was a subject of ford's attachment style, considering he was his One friend from college, and... one of Maybe two people ford is friends with at all who he isn't related to. he cites him as the only person he can possibly trust to work on the portal project alongside him, and he still can't bring himself to tell him the full truth, because he's terrified of losing him. I love their dynamic (I do think they were mutual best friends, and there was no small amount of trust reciprocated between them. "fiddleford was weird as hell too" is something I keep coming back to) and I don't think it's built on entirely unhealthy terms, but that kind of pressure is... setting things up to crash and burn.

enter bill stage left. back to "continuous yearning to be liked and accepted"- this guy knew that and made every effort to prey on ford's insecurities to reel him in as close as possible. this is what really pisses me off about the idea that bill was just "inflating ford's ego", because it's way, way more insidious than that. throughout the entirety of journal 3 we see ford reintroduce someone to his life he has a very positive relationship with (fiddleford) and how that trust gets gradually broken down by bill's influence "winning out" over their friendship. I think it's safe to say ford was already vulnerable: from the start, he'd been isolated in his research for six years (and it's unclear for how long he'd known bill by 1982), and bill proved time and time again to be someone who wouldn't judge him, someone who would praise him for his hard work, and perhaps most critically, make him feel like being different was something special.

like that's... that's really not good!!!! and that kind of thing works wonders on someone who has already settled with the idea that they're inclined to be alone just by design.

trying to put a cap on this. in relationships like the one he's had with his brother or fiddleford it doesn't even necessarily have to be ""toxic"" (vague term anyway) or outwardly bad to be built on unhealthy attachment patterns, and considering for a good chunk of ford's life his attachment to others can be characterized as "I can only trust ONE person at a time" it feels essential to any discussion of his CPTSD or canon trust issues. That is something that happens a lot in Real cases of CPTSD (hi) and only further snowballs into More trauma by leaving you vulnerable to manipulation and abuse (see: bill.)

I've been going on for way too long now and I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the thing I wanted to elaborate on sorry. that post traumatic stress disorder can complex

[creativity-deficient]

So, in defense of Stanford Pines

As the gravity falls fan in me has awakened once again per the release of the Book of Bill, I wanted to write a quick character analysis/essay on one of my two favorite characters in the series, Stanford Pines.

Now it’s important to note that Ford is in fact, a very flawed character, and this essay is in NO means meant to downplay that. He’s absolutely an egotistical asshole who was way too in his own head and focused on the end goal to fully appreciate the people and things he has around him, which ultimately ended up playing a huge part in his downfall.

However I do want to talk a little bit more about his side of things, as this is something I feel like isn’t quite done enough justice in the series, making it easy to just see him as a jerk or take Stan’s side in the fight between them, and has always been something I’ve really appreciated about both Journal 3 and now, the book of bill, both providing a new perspective on his character and exactly WHY he turned out the way he did.

I want to start from the beginning, by delving a bit into Ford’s childhood.

It’s a common misconception in the fandom that Ford had a good relationship with his father. He was the loved child, while Stanley was the unloved child. Now there’s no denying that Stan’s relationship with his father was…considerably worse, but with how deep Ford’s own insecurities and his obsession to “be the best” lie, I find it very hard to believe that his own relationship with his father was a healthy one either.

Filbrick was considered a VERY strict man, who was not easily impressed, making it very likely that Ford was either groomed into thinking, or at least at some point convinced himself that his smarts were the only worthwhile thing about him, especially since he pretty much already felt like a freak because of his fingers.

It’s even mentioned in the book of bill that his father wouldn’t want him returning home without millions. I mean, does that SOUND like a loving father to you?

And that brings me to his falling out with Stan. Yeah, EXTREMELY dick move to let your father kick out your teenage twin brother over some dumb mistake, however, it’s always felt a bit weird to me, like there was much more going on then just “you destroyed my project I’m throwing out our entire brotherly bond we spent the last 17-18 years building fuck you” because let’s face it, huh??? Kicking your own TWIN BROTHER, who you have been best friends with all your life, to the curb for some dumb school you literally learned about DAYS ago was something that never made sense to me, and I always struggled to understand why and how it even had to come to that.

But, let’s look it at this way. To Ford, Stan was the only person he had. They were the only people each other had, the only people that truly got each other. Ford considered Stan the only person he could trust at that point in time, this only person who wouldn’t treat him differently than others. And what does that person do? Completely betray that trust and destroy his project. Yes, we know that it was an accident, but Ford didn’t. Was he wrong to automatically assume that Stan did it on purpose instead of just, you know, talking it out? Oh absolutely, but we already established that he clearly doesn’t have healthy coping mechanisms, and all things considered, I don’t think Stan really helped his case when it came to proving his innocence, as both before and even after the confrontation, all he can seemingly think about is their boat. All things considered, I can’t completely blame Ford for thinking it was an act of betrayal. Does that completely justify his response? Oh absolutely not. But I DO think the situation goes a bit deeper than people assume.

Then we have his time in gravity falls. It’s hinted at a bunch throughout the series, journal 3, and the book of bill that Ford, despite his anger, truly missed his brother, and regretted his actions towards him (the swingset and stan o war in his dreamscape, holding on to that photo of him and Stan as kids all those years, not being able to think back on his childhood at glass shard beach without growing sad, etc).

“Well, why didn’t he just contact him then???”

Well, to be fair, he kind of had a lot going on, and by a lot, of course, I mean Bill.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the relationship between Ford and Bill was EXTREMELY toxic. Bill, doing what Bill does best, leeched onto Ford’s already deeply set insecurities to led him into a false sense of security, one where bill and ONLY bill truly understood him, and that everyone else was out to get him and couldn’t see his true potential, effectively isolating him from his friends, family, and even society.

Ford went through HELL in this period of time. He was left alone by bill for long periods of time until he was desperate and dependent enough to lash out. He was gaslit and manipulated into pushing the people he cared about away. When he decided he wasn’t going to do bill’s bidding, he was literally TORMENTED for it. In all fairness, I don’t really think he was in the right mindset for ANYTHING during that time, losing himself in BOTH his own stubbornness and this endless cycle of abuse.

Despite this though, despite ALL of this, all the manipulation, their falling out, etc, Stan was still the ONLY person (apart from Fiddleford) Ford thought of to take the Journals, the only person he considered to be trustworthy. Yes it was petty of him to bring up the project yet AGAIN (let it go my dude), but I do think it is important to acknowledge that he still thought of Stan pretty highly at the time, or else that wouldn’t have been the case.

“Oh but Alex he told Stan to get away from him yadayada!!!” Uh, no he didn’t. He just told him to hide the journals, not that he couldn’t come back afterwards, that was just Stan assuming the worst.

On that note, I do think it’s important to also acknowledge that while Stan is definitely, in the eyes of a lot of people as well as myself, the more sympathetic of the two, he’s definitely made his fair share of mistakes as well. I don’t think there’s really truly a right or a wrong in this argument, I think instead both of them are two very complex characters who had both been through a lot at that point, and both have made their mistakes (even if Stan’s were a bit more justified in most cases)

Then of course, he gets pushed through the portal, and spends the next 30 years between dimensions.

Now for anyone who hasn’t read journal 3 (spoilers ig? The book is pretty old atp but I figured I’d give one anyways) Ford is basically told by an oracle that he “has the face of someone who is destined to defeat bill” (a lot of people call him egotistical for assuming the oracle was talking about him and not his brother, but I digress. If an oracle looked YOU deep into your eyes and told you you had the face of someone destined to save the universe, be honest, would YOU think they were talking about your sibling??) Ford then proceeds to spend the next 30 years building a weapon to effectively defeat bill, and just as he’s about to finally use it, he’s sucked (not literally) back into gravity falls, not ONLY effectively erasing all of his hard work and progress, but risking weirdmaggedon in the first place. On TOP of it all, he also learns that Stan has been using his name all these years, and that he now has a pretty extensive criminal record.

Yes, Stan did it all in his best interest, and Ford could’ve absolutely shown more appreciation, but all things considered, I’d be pretty pissed off too.

But, all things considered, at the end of it all Ford still has those he hold close to his heart. He missed Stan all those years, considered Fiddleford a true friend and was super appreciative to have him there while they worked on the project together, he’s joyous to find out he has a niece and nephew, etc, and when he realizes he’s hurt these people, namely his brother and former lab partner, he feels immense guilt, and does everything he can to atone to it.

I truly think Stanford’s character development is one of the best in the series, as he finally learns to appreciate what he has instead of trying to chase down an unachievable end goal, and it’s definitely something that I feel goes unnoticed in the grand scheme of things when it comes to his character.

Now, what was the point of this 1 am ramble?? The point was the highlight the wonderful complexity of Stanford Pines’s character. Yes he was an extremely flawed man. Someone who pushed away those he loved him pursuit of greater things, and let his own pride be the fall of him. However, at the same time, he’s also a man who bears a lot of scars, both metaphorical and literal, and an extremely complex character who deserves a lot more than to be characterized as this “cold, uncaring asshole” something I’ve seen WAY too much of. I feel like it’s important to acknowledge that he’s made mistakes while also recognizing the complexity of a lot of it too, as well as acknowledging that he did indeed, learn from those mistakes.

[legobiwan]

Hey lego between bill Cipher and dimentio who do you would win in a battle?

I'm going to give the edge to Bill. But with some caveats.

Let's start with the basics.

Physical Combat

For as formidable of an opponent as Dimentio can be, we never once see him throw a punch or engage in physical combat throughout the entirety of the events of SPM, minus when he's merged with Luigi and the Chaos Heart as Super Dimentio. But we know he can be dealt physical damage, as evidenced by his defeat at the hands of Mario & gang and later, Luigi.

Bill, on the other hand, is perfectly capable and even eager to dole out a fist or two, as long as he has a physical form, as seen during Weirdmageddon.

Now, if Bill isn't manifested, then it's a bit more of an even fight, as both combatants have to rely on magic and manipulation to gain the advantage on the other. Bill is relegated to the dreamscape/mindscape, while Dimentio, who is wholly (mostly, kind of) physical, would have to battle Bill in his own mind, which could be....chancy, given just how unstable Dimentio is.

Bill is relegated to what he can draw from Dimentio's mind, which is probably nutso enough to use. Dimentio can traverse dimensions, but that's useless if the fight is in your own head.

Advantage: Bill

Manipulation

Both characters rely heavily on manipulation as a means of control and victory. Bill's downfall is his ego (if he had taken one second to really look at Stan and Ford's swap, he could have won the universe right there and then). Dimentio is just a tad bit too impatient. If he let Luigi stew an iota more, if he had taken just a slightly different approach during their confrontation in Bleck's Castle, things might have gone a bit differently. (And really, all Dimentio had to do was call upon Luigi's dicey memories of being Mr. L, of his brother attacking him. He could tell Luigi they're working towards a common goal of defeating Bleck or something similar and it may well have worked).

I doubt that one could have out-manipulated the other - they'd just be like two snarling dogs the entire time throwing out increasingly baroque insults at each other.

Advantage: Tie

Ability to Die

Let's get into my favorite topic, the cosmic/metaphysical realm.

Bill is a trillions of years old cosmic being (demon) that comes from a dimension of beings who are absolutely able to be killed. (How do we know? He murdered his entire dimension/world). What we don't know is how. And I imagine it's not easy. Ford needed a damn memory gun to excise Bill and it's not 100% certain he's completely wiped from existence, especially given his deal with the Axolotl.

Dimentio is complicated because in my mind, even when we meet him, he's not wholly corporeal. In that, I believe he's half-Pixl, half-Ancient. Meaning he can die, but he has a long lifespan that is linked to his memories and existence pre-whatever his father did to him in those experiments with the Dark Prognosticus. (As an aside, I do not think his father is the Author of the Prognosticus. That person, at least in terms of my personal mythology for SPM, is and will remain a perennial mystery).

Of course, Dimentio can gain a semblance of immortality if he is protected by the Chaos Heart. And in my mind, anyone who merges with the Chaos Heart (and as far as we know, this is relegated to Luigi and Dimentio only, as Bleck only sought to control the Chaos Heart, not merge his metaphysical form with it) - anyway, anyone who merges with the Chaos Heart is likely functionally immortal, considering that the Chaos Heart can only be delayed, not destroyed, and that entropy, is, you know, a thing.

So in that sense, Dimentio might win the war, although Bill would certainly win the battle.

Advantage: Dimentio

Human Avatars

Both Dimentio and Bill use others as a kind of proxy to accomplish what their goals, mostly notably, Ford with Bill and Luigi with Dimentio. So this question could really come down to Ford versus Luigi, which is a fascinating concept.

Before I get into the strength of alliances with their respective "patrons", let's just talk about native abilities.

Oddly enough, both men are from a similar geographic area, meaning they share a common culture (even though the Jersey Shore and Brooklyn are two wildly different animals, there's still a fair amount of crossover there). So temperaments and difficulties coming of age in such an environment wouldn't be too dissimilar.

They're both scientists, albeit Luigi is on the practical, engineering side and Ford is more of a theorist in quantum physics and cryptozoology. They both feel unappreciated and feud with their brother, who is their polar opposite (seemingly).

They both, at first, did not show a capability for fighting, which changed with necessity - Ford in the Portal and Luigi in his encounters with King Boo.

They both are skilled marksmen (Ford and his guns; Luigi as a sharpshooter in the Rabbids series).

They are probably pretty evenly matched in this realm.

The only difference, in my mind, is their dedication to their "benefactor." Luigi has never trusted Dimentio. Ford has been a one-man cult in his devotion to Bill. Depending on when these two interacted, Ford would 100% win based on that shrine alone.

Advantage: Bill

Age

We don't know exactly when the Mario world takes place in comparison to our own, but let's stick with the idea that Mario and Luigi get sucked down that warp pipe sometime in the 90s, only because the cartoons were formative to my youth and a lot of my heaadcanons are based around this notion.

Why is this important? Because the events that preceded SPM occurred about 1500 years in the past.

Bill, on the other hand, is trillions of years old. He killed Time Baby. (Well, less killed than kicked the can down the metaphysical road). I don't think Dimentio is the first magician trickster Bill has encountered. The only mitigating factor here would be the Chaos Heart, and honestly, the Chaos Heart is something that I feel falls far beyond the control of Bill or Dimentio, as it's the embodiment of entropy in the universe, or the inevitable end of all things from which will begin life anew; the ourborous of life and death and there's nothing even Bill can do about that).

But in isolation? Bill's just seen more than Dimentio.

Advantage: Bill

Conclusion

While it wouldn't be impossible for Dimentio to defeat Bill, I do think Bill has a pretty large advantage given what I've outlined above. This being said, if they actually decided to join forces, or even better, if a turned Ford and Luigi decided to join forces (and how fun would that be?) Well, RIP multiverse.

[fordtato]

fiddleford mcgucket for the ask game?

Oooooh, thank you!!!!!

favorite thing about them least favorite thing about them favorite line brOTP OTP nOTP random headcanon unpopular opinion song i associate with them favorite picture of them

Favorite thing about them: Fiddleford's got such manic energy! He just drank the alien milk in the Journal! He tried to hit the hide behind with a banjo! He just likes makin' shit, even if it has no use or is dangerous! He's a big ball of jitter and PURE rabid ambition.

Least favorite thing: Hirsch said in the DVD commentary and in a stream that McGucket is nonconfrontational, more of a follower, and that this is why he didn't do more to stop the portal. This frustrates me to no end, and I am FULL of thoughts on it.

Favorite line: "Remember what happened to Icarus..." OR "When Gravity Falls and Earth Becomes Sky, Fear the Beast With Just One Eye"

brOTP: If Myserty Trio was canon? Stan and Fiddleford. But also Ford and Fidds being best friends makes me so happy.

OTP: Ford and Fidds being lovers also makes me so happy

random headcanon: I feel like Fiddleford knew about Bill, even if Ford never says it in the journal. I think Ford just didn't know. fanfiction exploring this kind of became less common after J3 when there was no indication that Fiddleford met Bill, but Fiddleford having an experience with Bord??? It gives me goosebumps.

unpopular opinion: I feel like a lot of people like to make Fiddleford the "common sense" one out of Ford and Fiddleford, or that Fiddleford was the more "domestic" of the two. Like Ford would go do something dangerous and reckless and also he'd burn the kitchen down trying to cook, and then Fiddleford would shake his head and go "well, might as well cook dinner and prepare some bandages for that scallywag for when he comes back tsk tsk tsk." No, I think they both *thought* they were the Common Sense one, but neither of them were, and that the shack was more of a science frat house, just accumulating a mess, while they were both working there. It's like when Fidds drank the Space Milk and Ford was in the journal like "oh my god i cant believe he did that." I read that like "I can't believe YOU didn't." So yeah, I'm not a personal fan of "common sense househusband" readings of him. I also disagree with people who are like "Fiddleford did nothing wrong uwu" - if he knew the apocalypse was coming but didn't do more than just erase his mind, I would say that's not correct. BUT I don't think he's unsympathetic or a bad person. I think it makes him complicated. And I think him being complicated is another one of my favorite parts of him.

Song I associate with him: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

favorite picture of them:

[knicks-knacks]

what you said about ford is just so goddamn true it drive me nuts! 90% of his portrail by fandom is not just as this akward nerd but also the one w/ more common sense between the stan twins which is like ???? are you... kiddin me...? they're basically making them the new sam & dean winchester which is so ooc i can write a 10 page essay about it smh.

i knoooowww omg sometimes i just need to sit and rant abt it im always frustrated af UGH. this is like the only thing i dont like abt fandom everyone starts having really ridiculous fanon about characters that aren’t even true. and like fanon is okay tbh but???? when you fight with others and try and justify a character's actions and shit by YOUR OWN HEADCANONS like. can you just.  walk away and never appear in front of me ever again

and yes omg like???? stan ain’t the picture of great choices but he has way more common sense than Ford but Stanford has literally a total of like 0.4 common sense. like there were a fuck ton of warnings surrounding the summoning spell for ford for one, then the whole shaving with fire and giving children weapons and mind control devices i mean ford can u not

and I FEEEL UUUUU SO HARD DUDE i think at this point with all the times i’ve mentioned it + all the asks I’ve answered + all my rants I’ve probably written 10 pages already on this exact topic and other related things

[originalwinnercheesecake]

More Idea’s for multi-track students

Multi-track studies is starting to become more popular at hexside

Edric and Emira taking multi-tracks has literally been the ending I have wanted for them since 1x12 “Adventures In The Elements” when we learned they are top scorers, and got strong hints that one reason they skip school frequently is that they are bored in class and do not see the point when they already know most of whats being taught. Like I do not care about seeing them in ships (I have seen people post pretty compelling reasons why they should at least become friends with Viney and Hunter, and I would like to know whom the “date” Edric went out with in TtLG is, but ultimately that is not what I am most interested in with them) just put my children into a curriculum that is both challenging and rewarding to them. Its even better that while they are still taking illusion together (something they have always done as a team); they also have classes where they will be separated and can have their own space to pursue individual interests. I don’t think anyone has pointed this out yet but Edric and Emira are only like 1 year younger than Stan and Ford were in A-Tale-of-Two-Stans and we got a tiny glimpse of them starting to have similar problems to Stan and Ford in Grom. So changing things up now can help spare them a lot of bad/issues down the road.

Now let’s move on to Mattholomule. Him deciding to take illusions along with construction is something I did not see coming, but I love it. Thank you Gus. It makes a lot of sense too. We saw Matt try and do construction magic in TtLG and we saw how his efforts were... kinda rough/ not exactly tuned. Its not that he is necessarily bad/has no talent for construction. It’s just that he seems to struggle a bit with turning images in his head into actual objects outside his body. This is a very real and common issue for a lot of people. It does not mean give up, it just means that maybe someone needs to add an extra step or try apply a diffrent way of going about a task. Illusion magic is a perfect example of that. Lets say Matt needs to design a structure. Do it in illusion first. Get the height, angle , and all those little details smoothed out. Then use the illusionary structure as a diagram for the real 3d structure. By Labyrinth runners Mattholomules magic has already become much more fluid. He may have started out as just a stooge for a jerk who had an easier time than him,but our little construction rat will make a great witch yet.

Now with season 2 ending and season 3 shortened I do not expect many more episodes to take place in Hexside (sighs because Hexside is one of my favorite places in the boiling isles) and I really do not think we will have time for an episode surrounding the cast trying to encourage more into students into multi-tracks. But we could still get an ending where the show is going over all the changes that have been made on the isles over the course of the show, and one scene shows a bunch of secondary/background characters now wearing multi-track uniforms as they mingle around Hexside. Here are some ideas for who may be interested in what.

Skara: Starts taking healing as well as bard magic. She very well may already want this. So much of Skara’s time and so many of her actual genuine friends are with the healing track

Boshca: I could maybe see Boscha, if given the opportunity, deciding to take beast keeping as well as potions. Fairies would be her favorite beast.

Puffer fish headed Abomination Student who “just wants to get through the year”: you know the one with the cute sloth palisman. I am less sure about him than some of these others, but what if he starts taking oracle and abominations.

redheaded queer oracle student: oracle and bard

Hunter: So whatever Hunter decides to do at the end of the season and whomever he decides to go with we all agree he will be enrolling at Hexisde right? As for what classes he will take I can see him enrolling in potions and plants. (Not just for Willow, again I am not basing these off ships). Both are courses he could take even with his setback of not having a bilesack, both kind of fit in with the types of wild magic he has let himself slip into having fun discussions with Luz on. And the colors to those tracks could kinda represent his two personas “The Golden Guard” and “Caleb, star player of the Emerald Entrails” and him fully fledging into his own person. If these two are not enough for him maybe throw in oracle, depends on if that would make him more or less anxious.

Amity: okay so I can never see Willow or Gus taking multi-track classes. I really think they are supposed to be personifications of plant and illusion magic and all that those particular tracks are capable of. So if that's the rule for Luz’s inner circle of friends, and accounting for just ho much Amity has been shown to genuinely care about and have passion for Abomination magic, then I kind of want her to just sick with it... But I also note just how much she has been shown to care about and be passionate for books and literature. So I would also maybe like to see her join the bard track and go on to write abomination tutorials or stories surrounding abomination witches.

[presidentstalkeyes]

Okay I need to know all about Psychonauts Fslls

An ask? I'll take it!

Admittedly I haven't thought much about this AU lately, but have everything that comes to mind: (Also, to avoid confusion, Ford Pines and Ford Cruller will be referred to as Ford P and Ford C, respectively)

Gideon Gleeful's amulet was made of Psitanium, based on Ford C's description of the mineral "making psychics more psychic, but also making unstable people more... unstable". Gideon's dad put him on TV as a newborn, so he was already a little unstable. :V

The Pineses and the Aquatos share a common ancestor - Tanya Romanoff, Caryn Pines' mother, who was also a literal fortune-teller that ran with the circus. Fled to America from Grulovia with her husband back in the 20s when the Gzar at the time blamed the Russian Revolution on psychics and tried to have them all rounded up.

Caryn's sister Shprintze returned to Grulovia later to marry circus ringmaster Angelo Aquato, had a son called Lazarus, got divorced and went back to America (whereupon she married and got divorced two more times, but that's another story). Tanya had some latent psychic abilities that she passed down to her descendants, but not nearly as strong as the Galochios'. The majority of them never even realized they had psychic potential at all.

(Brief sidenote - in this AU, the Deluge of Grulovia happened 30 years before the events of Psychonauts, not 20. TBH it just makes more sense to me that way, given the ages of the characters involved and the events that took place during that time gap, and here it has the added bonus of coinciding roughly with Ford P's disastrous portal test. :V)

In the 'present', Dipper Pines & Razputin Aquato, distant cousins, know each other over the internet, whenever Raz can access a computer. They basically never get to see each other in person, for obvious reasons. They mostly swap True Psychic Tales theories and trivia and argue over whether or not magic is real. After Weirdmageddon, Dipper told Raz all about it; Raz's theory was that there was an undocumented Psilirum deposit underneath Gravity Falls that made the town suffer mass hallucinations, and that Bill Cipher was the disembodied astral projection of a powerful psychic with delusions of Godhood.

Mabel Pines' latent powers began to emerge thanks to her contact with Gideon's amulet, combined with being trapped in Cipher's dream-bubble leaving a certain mark on her. Dipper first thought to call Cousin Raz about it after the cops came to their door to complain that someone had been telepathically broadcasting Sevral Timez music all over the neighbourhood. Mabel soon has to go to the Motherlobe when the implications of her psychic awakening come to light. Raz's fellow interns aren't too thrilled about another barely-a-teenager 'psychic curiosity' barging in (and by 'fellow interns' I mean Norma; Gisu and Sam are more like 'finally, I have found my people'). Dipper also gets to meet Raz's family - he and Dion instantly hate each other. Much friendliness and 'friendliness' all around. :V

They later find out that Stan hung around the Psychic Six and helped raise money for them, putting his conmanship to good use. He wasn't considered a proper member of the group, chiefly because his own psychic powers were pretty weak (he could throw a mean Confusion Grenade, though), he didn't live in Green Needle Gulch with the rest of them and had zero interest in participating in their various experiments. He also avoided Otto Mentallis as much as possible (reminded him too much of Ford P, what with his experiments that tend to blow up in his face), and don't even get him started on 'those two hippies that talk to plants'. By contrast, Cassie O'Pia basically became his therapist for a few months; she taught him all about Projection and how he's unwittingly become a master of it, with how many archetypes he has. Unfortunately he had to cut off all contact with them as part of the whole 'faking his death' thing.

Also, at some point, this dialogue happens:

Mabel Pines: "So yeah, an' he kinda worshipped Ford, I guess, but then the whole almost-apocalypse thing happened an' I guess he's looked back at that time an' he's realized ol' Fordy's made some kinda bad decisions an' he might be a doofus? Just a little? So yeah, that's my epic conclusion to my epic mental check-up!"

Hollis Forsythe: "...I'm sorry, you were talking too fast. Were you talking about Mason Pines or Razputin Aquato?"

[dammarchy211]

1. do u mind if ppl make ur art their icons? Just curious!!

2. I love your cryptid kidz take!! Im curious if youre planning on including any other fandoms, and the age differences between the kids (I HOPE THIS DOESNT COME OFF IN A WEIRD WAY i was wondering bc dibs so tall in comparison to the other kids)?? Im so curious about ur thoughts on their individual dynamics with one another!! Or what the gals think of each other :3!! or if tak will show up..

SORRY FOR THE BIG BLOCK OD QUESTIONS I LOVE STUFF LIKE THIS IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY... Ur art style is really cool so it really caught my attention!!

(I had a big paragraph written and tumblr crashed while I was writing it :,,-) )

It’s ok I love questions!!!

1. No I don’t mind! Just credit me in ur bio or smth

2. I probably won’t be including any other fandoms as to not clutter it, as well as the fact I was kind going off a formula of nerd kid + his sister. No particular reason, just for a pattern ig?

The age differences between the kids r Raz- 10, Jude- like 12 (I say like as he doesn’t actually have a canon age lol), Dib- 12 like in the iz movie, and Dipper- 13. I made Dib taller to add variety to their designs when put next to each other and also because all of the kids in iz are basically the same height I thought I’d say fuck it and have some fun with it lol

(For simplicity, Ford will refer to Ford pines, and Cruller will refer to Ford Cruller lol)

As for dynamics, Jude and Dib would get along Rlly well, just kinda as an instant click type thing since they have so many similarities. They’re all definitely friends but I feel like Dipper and Jude would but heads the most. Dipper tends to be really cautious, and while Jude does exercise caution, it’s usually for more ‘nonsensical’ reasons. Jude has a more reckless idea of problem solving (ie wanting to just shoot the cultists and burn down their hideout in act 1) and that wouldn’t really sit well with Dipper lmao. Dipper also would try to like, assert himself as letter with all of his planning shit but it probably wouldn’t work that well. Jude and Dib are also the most unhinged out of the 4 so Dipper and Raz are like 🤨 a lot. Raz would get along with all of them very well, however there’d definitely be at least a little bit of “you’re like 10 how come you get to be able to do all of this cool stuff???” And the other 3 would ask him a bunch of questions constantly because “omg you’re really psychic???? Lemme take notes.” Dammek would try to lead them around or “supervise” them as like the “cool older teen friend” but he has even less common sense then the 4 of them and the worst advice— Dammek high school bullies Zim. Gaz, Frazie, and Joey would kinda just be like “ew it’s my nerd brother and his nerd friends.” But still hang out with them, Mabel on the other hand just regular hangs out with them bc she doesn’t want Dipper to go on adventures without her! The girls would get along pretty good as well, however I feel like Joey would be Kinda cold to Mabel bc she has a tendency to be a little mean to people when they’re more social or optimistic than her, but she would get over it eventually and they can talk about animals or sparkly stickers or something jfhdjdjd. Xefros is a little upset that Raz is psychic because telekinesis used to be his thing and now there’s a kid that’s like 4/5 years younger than him and better at it 😔 the 4 boys would probably follow Roxy, Ford, Sasha, and Cruller around a lot because they wanna! Do science stuff n go on adventures and missions! Stan would also try to have fun with the kids but in a Stan sorta way. Sasha would so get into an Argument w/ Prof. Membrane they would hate eachother— Any of the alien enjoyers would be SO STOKED about Dammek, Xefros, and Zim (even tho zim keeps insisting that he is, In fact, not an alien). Tbh Dammek n Xef probably already know what Irkens are and Zim probably already knows what trolls are (and would probably freak out if he found out the condensce/Betty Crocker was on earth lol) Raz and Zim also get “huh u guys sound similar” a lot (I wonder why D-: /s).

OK THATS ENOUGH RAMBLING!! I just have so many thoughts for this flghdkgfisheudd

[sweatersexual]

just some black ink on some blue lines (and a shadow you won’t recognize)

Read on AO3

Stan wished he knew what was going through Ford’s mind when he’d packed this box and shoved it in a closet. When they were kids, they’d insisted to their mother on cleaning days that the piles of the stuff in their room were organized, they had a system. Ford probably still had one, but Stan was no longer privy to it. He’d probably be annoyed with Stan for messing it up if - when - he got back.

But if Stan was going to turn this room into a gift shop, this closet would have to be cleared out. So he dug through the motley collection of vinyl records, books, part of a research paper, a jar of molasses, and a Cubic’s Cube, placing most of them in the pile of Ford’s things to be packed away and eventually returned to him. The book on Fifth-Dimensional Calculus, though, that might be helpful with the portal.

Two loose sheets of paper fell out as he flipped through the book. A letter, but not addressed to anyone. Still, Stan had spent enough time bent over that journal to know Ford’s handwriting back to front.

I’ve fallen in love with him, the letter read. I never imagined I could fall in love, let alone with a hog farmer from Tennessee, but he’s brilliant and charming and something electric runs through me every time we touch.

The confirmation that Ford was gay after all these years was hardly a surprise to Stan. He’d suspected Ford’s sexuality for about as long as he’d questioned his own. But Stan could never imagine writing anything so sappy about a guy he himself was into. Stan snorted as he continued reading.

I know you would tease me if I told you this in person. That’s only one of the many, many reasons I can never send this letter. But I feel like I have to tell someone about this or I’ll burst. Anyone else would think I was some kind of pervert. But somehow, I think you would understand.

I know we never talked about this, back when we still talked. We both knew how our father felt about men loving other men . . .

This letter was written to Stan. Ford had wanted to tell someone he was in love, and he had thought of Stan, even though they weren’t talking to each other. Ford must have picked up on Stan being bisexual in some way and known that it would have been safe to come out to him, if circumstances were different.

Well, he’d have been safe from homophobia. Safe from the usual brotherly mockery was a different story.

We both knew how our father felt about men loving other men, and his disapproval hung like a specter over everything we did. I know some psychologists would blame his overbearing nature for my current inclinations . . .

Overbearing nature, yeah, that was putting it lightly. “He’s an asshole,” Stan muttered to himself.

. . . but I can’t help but feel that if an overbearing father makes one queer, there would be a lot more queer people in the world. And psychology is a very inexact science anyway.

Stan had already figured, but it was nice to have someone as smart as Ford say that at least one of the theories people put out about why people weren’t straight was bogus. It didn’t matter why he or Ford loved men, because they weren’t about to change, and they weren’t hurting anybody. The sooner more people realized that, the better.

I’ve given up on analyzing why I feel the way I do about F. The fact that we have so much in common probably has something to do with it, but we didn’t always get along so well. When we first met a few years ago, I found his unique blend of hick and hippie mannerisms very off-putting. He thought me stuffy and intractable. Still, we managed to stand living together long enough to become close friends, and now, something more romantic in nature as well.

A few weeks ago, he insisted we take a break from studying. We drove out to the middle of nowhere and stargazed, something we’ve done several times before. Talking about space excites our imaginations. It has sparked many a conversation about the future, not just our own hopefully bright ones, but that of the world and humanity at large. This time, however, we got on the subject of how grateful we were to have each other in our lives. I’m a loner by nature, as you know, so connecting with anyone as well as I do with F is rare and precious. No sooner were the words out of my mouth than his lips were on mine, and I was reciprocating wholeheartedly.

When the kiss broke, he looked at me questioningly, worried, I think, that either of us would come to our senses and acknowledge the enormity of what we had just done. Instead I simply kissed him back. We’ve shared so many since then, and the close quarters of our dorm have proven too enticing to get schoolwork done without distractions. I’ve had to relocate to the library several times in order to get any real studying done.

That nerd. Of course his main concern about getting a boyfriend was how it would cut into his study time.

Despite how busy we are, we’ve still found time for things like walks around campus or daringly holding hands in the back of a dark movie theater. But mostly we’ve spent an increasing amount of time in each other’s arms back in our dorm. We made love last night. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ll have you know he’s just as considerate and patient in bed as he is anywhere else. Perhaps even more so.

Oh come on. “Considerate and patient?” That’s how you’d describe your waiter, not your lover. Had the sex not been that good? Not that Stan wanted to know the details, Ford had been right about that, but sheesh, Stan expected something more spicy than “considerate and patient.”

I can’t believe I just put that down on paper. Thank goodness you’ll never read this, you’d say I’m such a sap. I can’t help it, I’m in love and the only one I can talk to about it is the object of my affections. And as much as I do love talking to him about us, it would be nice, just for once, for someone else to know how happy I am, and why.

Yeah, Stan had been there before, when he’d dated guys who weren’t out. It sucked, not being able to introduce him to your friends, having to worry about who was watching when you so much as held his hand. So much of what was normal for couples just couldn’t be for you.

But sadly, disappointment is just as much a part of life as love is. You taught me that.

Stan winced. Ford had basically just called him a disappointment. Stan had known their father had felt that way about him, and Ford probably did too, but damn. Seeing it in writing like that still hurt.

Even F may leave me someday. As lovestruck as I am, I can still see the obstacles ahead of us clearly. I try not to let it taint my time with him now, much in the same way I still look back on our childhood fondly, even though it ended so badly.

I still keep that photo of us on the Stan-o-War, you know. F has seen it. He thinks we should talk to each other. I have no idea how I would even start. And sending this letter is still very much out of the question. Ma thinks you moved from the last address you gave her anyway. I would tell you to call her, but that would involve talking to you.

See you never,

Ford

Stan turned the letter over and sighed. Disappointment or not, at least Ford didn’t completely hate him. You didn’t write a letter like that to someone you hated. You didn’t keep a picture to show your boyfriend. You didn’t fondly reminisce on old memories. It sounded like Ford had considered reconciliation as a possibility, but not one he knew how to pursue. Stan could understand that. He had felt the same way.

Stan wondered if he had enough information to look up this F guy. Surely it wouldn’t be hard to track down a Backupsmore alumnus who’d been a hog farmer from Tennessee and had the first initial F. Maybe he was the owner of the smaller sized clothes Stan had found lying around the house, or of the vinyl records that didn’t seem to fit Ford’s music taste. Or maybe Ford had moved on from his college sweetheart and they belonged to someone else.

No, looking up F was a bad idea. Either he’d figure out Stan was impersonating his brother and ruin everything Stan was working for, or he’d believe Stan was Ford and Stan would have to pretend they had romantic history. Neither option was worth the hassle.

Stan ended up keeping the letter down in the basement with his brother’s journal. Whenever Stan reread it, he felt every minute of the decade plus he and Ford had spent growing apart. In another life, could they have shared those moments together? Could they have come out to each other in person? There was a whole relationship as adults they could have had, and maybe it was still a possibility.

Stan just needed to get that portal up and running.

[graboidfarmer]

Here’s a sneak peek of the next chapter of Where the Light Is, because it is kicking my ass and I don’t know when it’ll be done.

Suddenly it's all too much. You can't take any more of this. Your face still hidden in your hands, your shoulders start to shake with silent sobs. Your mind barely registers Stan's big arm, wrapping around you and pulling you into his bear-like embrace.

"I think I'm cracking up," you choke out, your voice muffled by his shirt. "I just saw Porridge sitting in your chair, and I know for a fact that she's outside with Mabel. I can't even tell you and Ford apart anymore. I'm really starting to lose it, Stan. I can't do this."

"Sure you can," he says in a soothing tone — or at least, as soothing as someone with a voice like his can make it. "You want to know why?"

You shake your head against him, too tired to reply.

"Because you're a fighter. I can tell. And not just because you flipped Ford ass-over-teakettle that day in the woods."

You snort, but he goes on, unfazed. "I don't know every detail about your past, but I know you've seen some shit. You've put up with things no one should have to deal with. But guess what? You're still here. You pushed through it. Just like you're gonna push through this. You just gotta roll with the punches. And don't let some little bitch plant knock you out. You got it?"

His slightly ridiculous attempt at a motivational speech makes you smile through your tears, and the "little bitch plant" part actually succeeds in pulling a chuckle out of you. "Wow," you say, feeling a bit lighter. "You sound like Mickey from the Rocky movies."

"Heh. Yeah, I guess I do." Letting go of you, he punches you on the shoulder, with almost no force behind it. "You're a bum, Rock," he says, putting even more gravel in his voice. "You're a bum."

"I ain't no bum, Mick," you reply in your best Stallone impression, which isn't much of one at all.

Stan laughs and messes up your hair. "You hang in there, champ. We need you around to bridge the gap between Ford's braininess and my... not-so-braininess."

"Hey, you're smart, Stan," you tell him vehemently. "A lot smarter than you give yourself credit for. Ford may have the genius IQ, but..." You hesitate, feeling guilty for what you're about to say. "I think you got most of the common sense."

"Well, that's true." He grins. "At least I'm not dumb enough to keep a universe-destroying die in a cheap plastic case." He stands up and stretches, his joints popping audibly. "Now what do you want for lunch? Sandwiches? Leftover enchiladas? I swear Soos's grandmother made enough to feed the entire Mexican Armed Forces."

You sink back into the couch. Just the thought of eating fills you with trepidation. It's all you can do to chew your food at this point. "I don't want anything," you mutter, closing your eyes.

"You have to eat, kid. You can't afford to be losing weight. There's not a whole lot of you to begin with."

You sigh and shake your head, trying to ignore the moisture accumulating behind your eyelids. "Can't. It's too hard."

There's a short silence. "How about one of those... smoothie things?" he suggests. "There's a blender in the kitchen. I can throw in some fruit and yogurt and stuff. How's that sound?"

You have to bite your lip to keep it from trembling. "Okay. Thanks, Stan."

His big hand comes to rest on your shoulder for a moment. And then the weight is removed, and you hear his footsteps recede from the room. In that instant, you resolve to do something nice for Stan, when all this is over and done with. He deserves every bit of kindness that comes his way.

[introvert-no-chameleon]

Of Monsters and McGuckets

Fiddleford just wanted to have his morning coffee in peace, but Gravity Falls and the Stan brothers had other plans.

AO3

Fiddleford Hardon McGucket considered himself to be a patient, level-headed individual. One had to be if they ever hoped to survive Gravity Falls, and, even more daunting, live with Stanford and Stanley Pines. Keeping them in line was an occupation in itself. His co-workers were two of the most chaotic and morally questionable people he’d ever met in his life. (Then again, as someone who had once made a giant robot to terrorize his ex-wife in an admittedly misguided attempt to get her back, maybe he shouldn’t be throwing stones in that last department).

The point is, when it came to dealing with uncommon and frustrating situations, he usually managed to keep a straight head. But on one deceivingly lovely morning, just when he’d went out to the porch to sit back with a nice cup of coffee and the sun had just begun to kiss the horizon, he saw two large monsters sprinting towards the shack, and. Well.

It was only reasonable that he’d react the way he did.

The first thing he did was spit out his early-morning coffee, ruining his only clean tie in the process. The second thing he did was dash into the shack like the Devil Himself was on his heels. Lastly, he slammed the door shut, locked it, and began combing the living room for the shotgun he knew for a fact Stanley kept around. He thanked the Lord Stanford wasn’t here, lest he’d be chastising Fiddleford for “harming” (defending himself against) a perfectly healthy specimen. Never mind the fact that half of these subjects of study had tried to eat him, no sir. Scientific discovery was always more important.

(Sometimes, Fiddleford wondered how on God’s green earth Stanford Pines hadn’t fallen to his death into a ravine or some other nonsense in pursuit of an anomaly. Heaven knows the man, while undeniably brilliant, was severely lacking when it came to common sense).

A bang rattled the wooden door of the shack. Fiddleford yelped, dropping the pile of books he’d been in the process of moving in his scramble to find the gun. He eyed the secret lab entrance and wondered if the door would hold them back long enough for him to make a dash for it.

“Fidds, we saw you run in, will ya just open the door?”

Fiddleford froze. That voice, while even more gravelly than usual (a thing he hadn’t thought possible) was definitely familiar.

“Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit,” he said, dazed, as he walked over to the door and unlocked it. “Stanley?”

Upon closer inspection, he couldn’t deny that the square-jawed face that peered down at him belonged to Stanley Pines. There were some…notable…differences, such as the fact that he had glowing orbs for eyes, all his featured seemed to be carved from stone, he had ridiculous pointy ears and fangs to boot. He’d be right at home next to the gargoyles from those pictures of cathedrals he’d studied for his History of Western Art course.

“Took ya long enough,” said Stanley, ducking his head under the doorway and lumbering inside. Each step made the floorboard groan loudly, and for a few seconds Fiddleford thought the man would break through the wood floor. “Thought we’d never get back.”

“Stanferd, do ya have…fur?” said Fiddleford, stepping away from the door to let the other man in.

Stanford—it couldn’t be anyone else, not with that straight-backed posture and furrowed brow peering over thick-rimmed glasses—walked in behind him, hands behind his back.

 Hearing the question, Stanford adjusted his glasses, with a large, six-fingered paw. His facial features were lion-esque, as was his entire body, save from the colorful green, blue and red feathered wings that trailed behind his body. He even had a cute little lion tail poking out from a hole in his pants. “It appears so, yes.” He cleared his throat. “We may have a…problem.”

Stanley, who had gone to the fridge to get a beer, came back glaring at Stanford with those bright yellow orbs. “No shit, Sixer. I hadn’t fucking noticed.”

Stanford’s ears flattened against his skull. Fiddleford would’ve found it amusing if Stanford wasn’t now 7 feet tall and didn’t have large, sharp teeth. “Language, Stanley.”

Fiddleford considered grabbing some alcohol as he took in the situation. After a few attempts at forming words, he finally settled for the question he found himself asking on a near-daily basis. “What in tarnation did ya two get yerselves mixed up in now?”

“Oi, don’t look at me,” said Stan. He jerked his clawed thumb at Stanford. “Mr. Science here was the one who just had to walk right into a mysterious, glowing lake that he almost drowned in.”

Stanford’s tail twitched, and he growled. “We almost drowned, Stanley, because you turned into 300 pounds of moving stone.”

“I was only in the lake because you started flailing around growing a tail and screamin’ for help!”

Ford sniffed, chin held up in that way it got whenever he’d start getting defensive. “Swimming with wings is incredibly difficult.”

“Yeah, I would know, I have them now.” Stanley stretched out his bat-like wings for emphasis.

Judging by Stanford’s bloodshot eyes and Stanley’s slouched posture, along with the fact that they seemed even more short with each other than usual, Fiddleford guessed that they’d been arguing on and off about this for a while. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Now see right here, the two of ya best calm down, you’ll tear the shack apart if you start fighting bein’ like this.”

The two of them, while far from calm, quieted down.

“Right,” said Fiddleford. “So ya discovered some magic water that turns folks into monsters?”

“Yup,” said Stanley. “We found it in some hidden path behind some bushes and a couple of boulders.”

It’s almost as if it was hidden away for a reason. “Did ya at least remember where the path is?”

“Of course,” said Stanford, having the audacity to look indignant. “What do you take me for?”

“An idiot who got us turned into two walking Summerween costumes because he couldn’t just collect the water in a cup and some gloves like a normal scientist?” said Stanley.

“As if you would know what a “normal” scientist does,” said Stanford, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Alright, fellas. Let me just get some food in me and then we can go back out and get some samples,” said Fiddleford. “I need me some caffeine to deal with this.”

Stanford opened his mouth but Fiddleford stopped him with the same withering glare he’d give his son whenever he tried to step out of line. “Stanferd Pines, if ya think I’m gonna run around the woods with the two of you, in this here state, on an empty stomach, yer sorely mistaken.”

“Fidds has got a point,” said Stan. “You probably haven’t had anything other than that piece of toast since you woke up.”

“I suppose some food wouldn’t hurt…” said Stanford. “I did have an incredibly strong urge to maul a deer we spotted on the way over.”

Fiddleford was getting some bacon out of the fridge when he heard the end of the sentence. He straightened up and slammed the door with more force than strictly necessary. “Y-ya did?”

Stanford seemed to come to the same conclusion Fiddleford had, because he raised his paws up. “Oh, n-no, rest assured. I don’t have any inclination to eat you.”

“Thank the Lord…”

“After all,” said Stanford, rubbing his chin. “According to mythology, sphinxes only consume humans if they are unfortunate enough not to know the answers to their riddles.”

“Don’t I feel better,” said Fiddleford, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do ya reckon ya can still have some bacon and eggs?”

“Yes, that’ll do,” he said. “Oh! I must write down our findings in my journal. Now, where did I put it…” Stanford went up the stairs, muttering to himself the entire way.

“Ya know, he actually started running on all fours at least twice on the way over.” Stan grinned through another sip of beer. “was the funniest thing I’ve seen all week.”

Fiddleford sighed. That would explain the fighting. He rolled his eyes as he saw Stanley reach in the fridge for another can and shut it before he could. “Stanley Pines, it is 8 o’clock in the morning.”

“Ooh,” Stanley raised his eyebrows. “Two last names in less than five minutes, it’s a new record.”

“Stanley.”

Stanley pouted, and even with his new…physical features, Fiddleford still found it endearing. “Aw, come onnnn, Fids, I’m emotionally distressed!”

“Yer no such thing.” He smiled a soon as back turned to the other man. He took out their skillet and placed it on the stove.

“Y’know, I gotta hand it to ya. You’ve gotten a lot more assertive since we’ve met, it’s kinda hot.”

“Yer flattery will not sway me into lettin’ ya get another drink.”

Stanley laughed behind him. “Yeah, yeah. I’m still bein’ serious. Ford didn’t even try to fight you about getting breakfast. If it was me, he’d be yelling at me by now about how we were wastin’ time and crap.”

“It doesn’t take much for the two of ya to get at each other’s necks.” Fiddleford cracked an egg on the edge of the skillet. Anyhow, that’s because he’s hiding away scribblin’ field notes. The moment he’s done, he’ll be tryin’ to drag us on out of here.”

“Eh, true.”

For a moment, the eggs sizzling and snapping on the pan filled the warm silence. His stomach grumbled as the savory smell of cooking food reached him. “Stanley, can ya hand me the coffeepot?”

The floorboards creaked behind Fiddleford. A shadow loomed over him. “Stanley?”

“…You’re not, uh, scared of me or nothin’?” Stanley’s voice had gotten so quiet Fiddleford had hardly heard him.

Fiddleford glanced back at Stanley, who despite his size was hunched over, looking mighty small for someone who was now a literal boulder.

“Why on earth would I be?”

Stanley blinked meekly. He gestured towards his entire body. “Uh…’cause I look like this?”

Ah. He did try to threaten them with a shotgun. Some of the unease he’d gotten rid of returned, but he tried his best not to show it. He swallowed down his fear as best as he could. “Should I be?”

Stanley frowned. “Eh, I mean, I feel different, but not in a “eat somebody” kinda way. I do have a very strong urge to perch on the roof and attack pigeons.”

“Fascinating.” Even without his caffeine, his scientific curiosity was finally starting to get the best of him. “Well, gargoyles are known as guardians meant to ward against evil. Perhaps you’ve developed some sorta protective instinct…”

He stopped mid-ramble. Even without eyes to speak of, Fiddleford could tell Stanley was avoiding his gaze.  

Fiddleford brought his hand to Stanley’s cheek. It felt warm, to his surprise, like rock that had baked under the afternoon sun. Stanley peeked up at him. “Darlin’, the only thing I’m afraid of is the damage you’ll cause around the lab if we don’t turn ya back. Yer like a bull in a china closet as it is.”

Stanley chuckled, leaning into Fiddleford’s touch. “Somebody has ta make things interesting around here.”

Something crashed overhead, quickly followed by a string of curses. A series of heavy objects thumped against the wood overhead.

“I’m alright!” called Stanford’s voice. “I simply knocked a bookshelf over my person, but this new form is surprisingly durable!”

“Things are interestin’ enough as it is,” said Fiddleford, his brief moment of curiosity gone as soon as it came. “Where in tarnation is the coffeepot?”

“Relax, Fiddlenerd, I’ll make ya a fresh one.” He went over by his side, giving him a playful shove that sent Fiddleford to the ground. “…Oops. Sorry, uh, forgot about the whole…stone thing.”

Fiddleford glowered up at his boyfriend, taking his hand as he helped Fiddleford back up. “Yer lucky a got a soft spot fer ya, else I’d be mighty cross.”

Stanly gave him the gentlest peck on the top of Fiddleford’s head. “Once I have my human body back, I’ll make it up to ya.”

Stanley gave him a cup of his precious lifeblood, black with two sugars, just as he liked it. Smirking, Fiddleford took a sip, getting warmed by more than just the coffee. “I’ll hold ya to that.”

*

Somebody please give Fiddleford a raise. 

Comment on what monster you all think Fidds should be, and I may do a second part. I've read some people make him a scarecrow, and I considered making him a centaur.

[passionate-reply]

Stan Ridgway is best remembered as the guy from Wall of Voodoo, and Wall of Voodoo are best remembered as the guys from “Mexican Radio.” But there’s a whole lot more to Ridgway’s solo career, which began with 1986′s The Big Heat--Americana, epic narratives, and a whole lot of digital synth. (Transcript below the break!)

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, we’ll be looking at an often overlooked solo debut: Stan Ridgway’s The Big Heat, first released in 1986.

Stan Ridgway is best remembered as the original frontman of Wall of Voodoo, and Wall of Voodoo, in turn, are best remembered for the single “Mexican Radio,” a landmark bit of New Wave eclecticism that became an unlikely hit thanks in large part to heavy rotation on MTV. That said, like a lot of ostensible “one-hit wonders,” the span of Ridgway’s artistic career is quite a bit more varied and more interesting than this solitary recording might suggest. While I don’t believe that “Mexican Radio” is simply a novelty song that can easily be dismissed, I will set it aside for the time being, because any attempt to cover the rest of Stan Ridgway’s work is probably better off without worrying about it. Instead, let’s take a look at his first bona fide solo release: the 1983 single, “Don’t Box Me In.”

Music: “Don’t Box Me In”

“Don’t Box Me In” was a collaboration between Ridgway and percussionist Stewart Copeland, then known chiefly for his work with the group The Police. While Copeland is now fairly well known for his work composing scores for cinema and video games, this was one of his first forays into that field: the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptation of Rumble Fish. Based on a novel by S. E. Hinton, most famous for The Outsiders, Rumble Fish was actually a tremendous flop for Coppola, perceived to be a bit too avant-garde for its own good, and Copeland’s percussion-led score for the film, experimental in its own right, certainly didn’t help that perception. Despite all of this, “Don’t Box Me In” managed to do fairly well for itself as a single, achieving substantial alternative radio play purely on its own merits. And merits it has, weaving together the experience of a fish trapped in a tiny bowl with a more universalized sense of human ennui, being overlooked and underestimated by everyone around you. Not to be underestimated himself, Ridgway has not only written these evocative lyrics, but delivers them in a manner that shows a complexity beyond his semi-affected Western twang, conveying fragility and uncertainty alongside indignation and determinedness. This is also the version of Stan Ridgway whom we meet when we listen to The Big Heat.

Music: “Camouflage”

Despite being the very last single released from The Big Heat, the eerie war yarn “Camouflage” would go on to be the most successful track from the album, and Ridgway’s best-known hit as a solo artist. Perhaps surprisingly, the single was largely snubbed in the charts of Ridgway’s native USA, becoming a much bigger hit throughout Europe. While playing the harmonica and sporting a bolo tie, Ridgway seems to almost play the character of the quintessential American, and perhaps it’s that quality that’s caused this apparent rift. Is it necessary to analyze his art through the lens of exoticism in order to find it appealing?

It’s a hard question for me to answer, personally--I might be from the US myself, but at the same time, the vast majority of the music I listen to is European, as a natural consequence of being chiefly a devotee of electronic music. There is still a sort of novelty factor I find in Ridgway’s work. I remain in awe of the fact that a musical genius exists who uses a hard R, and says “huh?” instead of “pardon me?” But, of course, I am amazed by this moreso because it makes me feel “represented,” for once, in a musical tradition which is important to me. If people from Britain’s crumbling industrial centers like Sheffield and Manchester have made great electronic music, then surely synthesisers can also tell the stories of the American Rust Belt, where I come from? For that, we’ll have to step away from the sort of typified narrative of “Camouflage,” and take a listen to the album’s title track.

Music: “The Big Heat”

“Camouflage” told us a tale as old as time, in which a benevolent ghost offers one last act of aid to a vulnerable human being. The album’s title track, on the other hand, alludes to a particularly 20th Century form of storytelling: the detective drama and film noir, as hinted at by its allusion to the classic Fritz Lang film of the same title. Ridgway assumes the perspective of the hardboiled detective, hot on the trail of some mysterious quarry, and it is the innocent passers-by he seeks information from who respond with the song’s banal refrain: “Everybody wants another piece of pie today.” For as much as people have mocked Ridgway’s singing style over the years, you’ve got to appreciate his lilting delivery of this line here in the first verse, where it comes from the mouth of a female character.

It’s easy, of course, to see such apparent non sequitur lyrics in Ridgway’s oeuvre as merely ridiculous, as many quickly do with the likes of “Mexican Radio,” but the more you listen to him, the more his style begins to make sense. The instinct to find humour in things is deeply connected to the feeling of being surprised, and encountering the unexpected. Ridgway happens to be all about delivering the unexpected, and it’s precisely the surface-level absurdities and surprises his lyricism offers that make us think more deeply about the stories he tells. The title track of The Big Heat isn’t about pie, but rather the fact that everybody its characters encounter appears to be grasping for more out of life, and hungry for something else. It’s what drives criminals to transgress against the law, and it’s also, perhaps, what drives the detective to devote himself to the pursuit of the abstract principle of “justice.” To both the villain and the hero of this story, the civilians they brush past are little more than means to an end, despite their display of greater wisdom and insight into these issues than anyone else. Ridgway excels at conveying this sort of saintly everymannishness, and does so with similar gusto on the track “Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)”.

Music: “Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)”

“Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)” was actually not released as a single, which is perhaps surprising given its hooky quality and sprightly synth backdrop. While “Camouflage” is assembled chiefly from traditional instruments, with only a subtle intrusion of Yamaha DX-7 to remind you that it came out in 1986, many of the other tracks, like this one and the title track, are willing to double down on electronic influences, and ride the wave of “peak synth-pop” that was easily cresting by the mid-1980s. That aside, the central theme of “Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)” is the quotidian avariciousness one encounters among ordinary folk, and the psychological effects of living in a “mean world.” While the text mostly revolves around the idea of living in fear, and the paranoia of knowing that “everything changes hands when it hits the ground,” it reaches a climax by showing us an actual situation where this occurs: the pathetic figure of a filthy old man who finds a small bill in the road, and, in a fit of folk superstitiousness, is said to “thank the street.” The song’s tension lives between the bustle of the jealous ones, and the reality of life for those desperate enough to pick up money from the street. Like many of Ridgway’s greatest works, this track simultaneously portrays the mentality of the common man in a direct and serious manner, but also opens up room for it to be criticized. This everyman bystander persona is assumed more directly in the track “Drive, She Said.”

Music: “Drive, She Said”

While the album’s more electronic elements are its main draw, in my eyes, there are still a number of tracks that remain dominated by traditional instruments, “Drive, She Said” being a prime example of them. While narratives are always at the center of Ridgway’s work, “Drive, She Said” moves us away from omniscient narration like that of “Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)” and back into the mind of a specific and individualized narrator--in this case, a cab driver who somewhat reluctantly transports a bank robber, with whom he might also be falling in love. While it doesn’t have the supernatural implications of “Camouflage,” the two stories do seem to have much in common: an ordinary person meets someone who quickly reveals their extraordinary nature, and despite the brevity of their encounter, the protagonist is deeply affected, and perhaps changed, by the events. Much as “Pick It Up (And Put It In Your Pocket)” sees fit to shatter its apparent main premise, with an interlude that shifts the tempo of the music as well as introduces the contrasting figure of the old beggar, “Drive, She Said” introduces an interlude of its own: the driver’s reverie, in which he runs away with his enigmatic passenger. As in many of Ridgway’s tales, we must consider both the beauty of a wonderful dream, and its sheer impossibility.

On the cover of The Big Heat, we see a portrait of Stan Ridgway looking glum, which is not itself terribly unusual for an album cover, though the fact that he’s behind a metal fence certainly is. The main focus of the image seems to be Ridgway’s environment, a bleak industrial setting full of towering machinery, and no other traces of human beings. The absence of other figures in this scene draws attention to the scale of the machines, as well as the fact that in many parts of the US, including my own, it’s very common to see equipment like this that’s fallen into disuse and disrepair. Much as ruined aqueducts and palaces mark the places in Europe where the Roman Empire had once held fast, these sorts of derelict manufacturing facilities are a common sight in America, and serve as reminders of the squandered “American Century.” While many album covers have shown me places I like to imagine myself visiting, I don’t have to imagine what being here might be like, having grown up in a place whose pride left soon after the steel industry did. It strikes me as exactly the kind of setting that Ridgway’s narratives ought to take place in: dirty, simple, well-intentioned, doomed, and all-American.

Ridgway’s follow-up to The Big Heat would be 1989’s *Mosquitos,* an album that largely abandons the many synthesiser-driven compositions found in his earlier work. It’s hard to fault him for this decision, given how much the mainstream appeared to be souring on synth-pop and electronic rock by the end of the decade, but it does mean that this album offers little I’d want to listen to recreationally. That is, with the exception of its third and final single, “Goin’ Southbound,” a practically epic drama of small-town drug smugglers trying to survive, and one that fires on all cylinders when it comes to fiddles dueling with digital synths. This track feels like it would fit right in on The Big Heat, so if you’ve enjoyed this album, don’t miss it.

Music: “Goin’ Southbound”

My favourite track on The Big Heat is “Salesman,” which, to my surprise, received a small advance promo release without ever becoming a true single. The titular character, an unctuous but insecure traveling salesman, is as rich a narrating persona as any of the many in Ridgway’s catalogue, and I love the way the refrain just feels like a song you might make up while idly doing something else, silly and yet primal at the same time. It captures the feeling of living “on the edge of the ball,” enjoying the freedom of spontaneity, but also, perhaps, suffering for its enforced sloppiness. That’s everything for today, thanks for listening!

Music: “Salesman”

[runrundoyourstuff]

8 Favorite Works of the Year

I was tagged by the wonderful @mimik-u! Maggie, I feel so grateful to be in this wild fandom world with you, and to have you as a chavruta to think about important issues with via the medium of fic and some of our favorite stories! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again ad naseum--this is a very real and very important thing, and it’s such a gift to share it. If you haven’t already, please check out some of Maggie’s work. It’s amazing, and as someone who has been following it for a few years now, it’s been amazing to see how it’s grown!

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome work! 

Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Essences (Steven Universe, 5539 words)--I wrote this piece as a part of @fandomtrumpshate for @pearldefiance, and it’s about Pearl helping Yellow Pearl adjust to freedom after CYM. This is probably my favorite fic I’ve written, not only this year, but ever, because I feel like I was able to draw out real character insights in subtle, emotive, and yet effective ways--and I was really proud of it. I also felt like, even more than other fics I’ve written, there were real character arcs with a real resolution, even in 5000 words, and that is something I am very proud of too.

2. Switch (Gravity Falls, 3483 words)--Sometimes you write certain pieces, and in the experience of writing those pieces, you really feel like you come to understand a certain character. I had a piece like that for Pearl. I had a piece like that for Iroh. And for me, this was a piece like that for the Gravity Falls character Ford. Essentially, in this fic, I track Ford’s character trajectory-- especially his body issues and sense of low self-esteem--through pre-canon, canon, and post-canon, by examining his relationship with a body-swapping carpet, (an invention of his that is featured in an early episode of the cartoon). This felt like a deeply personal piece for me--I felt like I saw a lot of myself and my own issues in Ford here, and the process of writing this piece felt deeply cathartic.

3. Pikuach Nefesh (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 788 words)--I watched Buffy for the first time during the quarantine, and while there was a lot I loved about it, something I didn’t love was Willow’s disappearing Jewishness. What I tried to do here is put some of Willow’s choices at the beginning of Season 6 in the context of her Jewishness (without letting her off the hook for them), and also to push back against the highly Christian-normative rules of the Buffyverse. 

4. Kintsugi (Steven Universe, 1471 words)--I was just really happy with how this one turned out. This is just a piece reflecting on the experience of the “un-shattered” Gems, i.e. the Gems that Yellow Diamond shattered during SU pre-canon and canon, and then reconstructed in Steven Universe Future.

5. Always Thought I Might Be Bad  (Steven Universe, 406 words)--One of the most compelling parts of Diamond Days, I think, is this idea that Steven has been dealing with an identity crisis for so much longer than we as viewers have necessarily explicitly noticed. Those seeds were always there in canon, though, and this little ficlet was just an attempt to draw them out. In particular, this piece takes place in early s4, as Steven is still reeling from the revelation that his mother supposedly shattered Pink Diamond, and how that affects his larger crisis. This was a pretty angsty piece...and I was really satisfied with it.

6. We Changed in an Instant (We Became So Much More) (Steven Universe, 1474 words)--For me, one of the joys of writing SU fic is noticing common threads between characters, and in this piece, I tried to do that with Pearl and Ruby, reflecting on the similarities (and to some extent the differences) between Ruby’s relationship with Sapphire and Pearl’s relationship with Rose. I really felt like I got at something real with these characters here, and I’m pleased with how that happened.

7. Remembrances (Gravity Falls, 2075 words)--Another Jewish fic! This one I wrote for @daysofawesome, an awesome Jewish fanfiction fest that I relaunched this year with the permission of the original creator. Gravity Falls is a show about growth, community, childhood, and family--and in this piece I tried to frame some thoughts I had about that, especially as it exists in the finale, through the lens of Jewish ritual. (The Pines family are all canonically Jewish, even if that is only hinted at in first level canon). I’m really satisfied with the results here also.

8. Sunrise (Gravity Falls, 877 words)--Don’t have a lot to say about this one, but I felt like I was getting to know Ford and Stan’s dynamic here. This is a post-canon piece, trying to grant Ford and Stan a little bit of post-canon catharsis while they’re at sea, and I enjoyed writing it quite a lot! I tag @findswoman, @fanfoolishness, @coffee-b, @palezma, and anyone else who wants--with the reminder that this can be fic, art, or any other creation!