#Ford helps McGucket regain his memory

[baddecisionsgoooo0]

Grundletale (or Grunkletale)

more thoughts on the Grundletale Au (also I think I like Grunkletale better)

it starts out the same as regular Gravity Falls, up until Bottomless Pit.

Grunkle Stan never returns from the second time falling in, and the kids are concerned. within the week, they call a meeting with Wendy and Soos, and Soos becomes interim Mr. Mystery. Soos accidently becomes the town favorite, and Gideon loses popular support. The shack gets a series of expansions as Soos makes more money than ever before. The twins refuse to tell their parents Stan is missing, not wanting to return home.

Meanwhile, Stan hits the bottom and tries to figure out a way back home. He meets Flowey, and immediately reads Flowey as a threat. Toriel sorta saves him (Stan was about to throw down), and Stan presents himself as his Mr. Mystery persona. Stan hits on Toriel, she then tells him she's married.

Stan causes a distraction to slip past Toriel and escapes into the wider underground. From there, Stan has to find his way home. Although, something seems wrong. For some reason, Stan is haunted with images of Ford.

Turns out, there are a few dimensional weak points in the underground. In one of them, Stan pulls Ford through. because Ford wasn't moments away from killing Bill, he's not as mad. With certain characters, they may even get therapy!

Stan and Ford do something and break the barrier, letting monsters out into Gravity Falls. they return to see that shack is now massive, Soos is acting as Mr. Mystery, and the kids kept trying to find Stan.

The kids are confused, Soos accidently calls Stan dad, Wendy is glad her boss isn't dead. Stan takes back ownership of the shack, and Bill isn't really able to get any chance to enter the universe.

During a discussion about ownership of the shack, (Ford had it built, Stan paid 30~ years of mortgage, Soos expanded the shack massively), Stan purposely calls Soos his son, and hands him an adoption form.

[nenoname]

what are your thoughts on the Stan twins' codependency? would you like it to get addressed in canon in some way aside from the line on the tbob website?

oh i definitely think it could work well as an overarching plot for stan o war stories along with their many other issues

stan's self worth was always tied heavily to his brother and it's been said that he always "was seeking approval from people like him", and his entire life has always revolved around ford even when no one else knew he existed

i feel like stan regaining his memories via being told his family's perception of him did actually help a lot against him perceiving himself as "the worse half of a duo" and more of his own person…. however with ford going "yeah i'm dedicating the rest of my life to my brother" we now have him with that problem and also potentially putting stan on a pedestal

a huge part of ford's other relationships is him subconsciously trying to use them to fill the void that stan left (and bill taking advantage of his childhood memories/nickname to easier manipulate him) but i'm sure his relationships with mcgucket and dipper are gonna be wayyyy healthier now at least

a pretty much unanimous opinion of the fandom is that both of them will be devastated at the idea of the other dying before them, and i think ford might get pretty freaked out about how much time they'd have left, especially considering how bad stan's health is (but also ford simultaneously wanting him to be able to indulge in his vices)

+ concepts of either getting seriously hurt always makes me think of this cos theyre both self sacrificial bastards

and while ford took the lesson from tbob of "yes i can rely on my brother and family for support", the wheel of shame shows that stan very much didn't learn that and likely doesn't want to burden ford with any of his own baggage

i do think that their adventures encompassing their different wants is good tho!!! if stan was only tagging along with ford pursuing anomalies then that'd be concerning, but he immediately gets excited for "babes and treasure!!!!" too, plus they have different people they can confide with and have their own hobbies, opposed to when they were teens where ford had his clear set of interests while stan... didn't (ford going to a bunch of school clubs vs stan basically choosing to be by himself during that haunts me)

[m0rkl]

The People We Become || Reverse AU || FiddAuthor

Hurray I have a name for this AU now! Please come yap with me more about this and the messy FiddAuthor relationship I'm about to describe

Fiddleford and Stanford's Relationship

After their initial falling out because of the portal and Bill, Fiddleford had told himself he was going to erase his memory of his entire partnership with Ford and go back to his wife and child. He promised Emma-May this would be the end and, were this the canon timeline, this would be the final use of the memory gun that really fries Fiddleford’s brain making him the ‘Old Man McGucket’ we see in canon.

But when Stanley falls into the portal and it blows up, Fiddleford notices the explosion and rushes to the lab instead. He ends up taking care of an unwell and confused Ford and not going back to Emma-May. He explains to her that Ford doesn’t have anyone else and Emma-May understands that, but she can’t have Tate expecting his dad to come home when Fiddleford simply won’t put them first. They agree to a divorce and that Fiddleford will stay out of their lives for a while, except for birthdays, holidays and the like.

Emma-May and Fidds have a good relationship nowadays, but Ford is very awkward around the family and has no interest in being a father figure to Tate. This is one of many points of conflict in Ford and Fidds relationship.

Early in their relationship, they had a lot of issues due to Ford being insensitive and getting frustrated with Fidds memory issues, but ended up going to couples therapy and having Ford learn how to assist Fidds through his memory lapse episodes and set up the house in a way that would be helpful to him.

They might be married but their relationship is far more complicated than at first glance.

Ford is ace-aro, but loves Fiddleford in his own way. He wants Fidds to be his companion for life, but it's not romantic love.

Fiddleford, however, is romantically in love with Ford and has to navigate the fact that Ford does not and will never want him in certain ways. Is it totally healthy? No! No it is not.

They sleep in separate bedrooms, but Fiddleford will sleep in Ford’s bed on occasion, especially if he’s had a memory lapse that day.

They’re legally married. Ford was the one who brought it up after gay marriage was legalized. He was very excited, but extremely unromantic about it as he thought it would be great for their tax situation and health care. Fiddleford was endeared, but a decade later is still sad they never had a proper wedding. Fiddleford loves referring to Ford as his husband or other pet names, but Ford almost exclusively called him Fidds or Fiddleford.

Fiddleford very much grounds Ford and reminds him how to be a human being rather than a work-machine. He gets him to eat regularly and sleep a semi-decent amount, as well as tries to help regulate him emotionally sometimes, even if he isn't always successful.

Ford challenges Fiddleford's creativity and they still work on inventions together, even after Ford starts turning more to writing. They go on adventures, chasing after the bountiful weirdness of Gravity Falls and save each other from various situations.

Over the years Ford is happy with their situation and Fiddleford is… happy? If a little unsatisfied. He knows Ford won’t love him the way he wants and Fidds desperately tries to convince himself he’s okay with how things are. But he is very much romantically in love with Ford while Ford cares about him and wants his company, but does not feel anything romantic towards him.He understands that Ford feels things differently and its not bad, but its not meeting all of his needs either. They both tell themselves this is fine when it's not really.

Everything comes to a head when eventually, Ford regains his memories and realizes what Fiddleford has been hiding from him all these years. 

They fight because in Fiddleford’s mind, he did this to save Ford from the portal and from himself. He knows Ford would have destroyed himself trying to save Stanley and put not only himself, but the whole world at risk opening it again.

Fiddleford tries to explain his point of view and how much he feels like he’s given and suffered for Ford over the years, but it goes unheard. Ford just is furious that he was lied to and likens Fiddleford to Bill, which isn’t wholly true, but devastates Fiddleford nonetheless.

While Ford settles Stanley into the house, Fiddleford goes to live with Tate, who does live in Gravity Falls.

Their break up causes some tension between Mabel and Dipper because Mabel is siding with Fiddleford and Dipper is siding with Ford. The twin’s aren’t entirely looking at the situation as black and white, but they do pick sides.

Mabel tries really hard to bring them back together through a series of ‘parent trap’-like hijinks, but it doesn’t really turn out like she hopes. However, Stan talks to Ford and they discuss the long years where Ford didn’t have anyone to rely on by Fidds. Stan also talks a little bit of sense into Ford and helps him realize that sometimes Ford lets his anger get the better of him and he doesn’t properly listen to what other people are trying to say.

Ford and Fiddleford finally do talk about their feelings and what went wrong on both ends. They decide that for the moment they still need some time apart for the moment and they’ll see how it goes from there.

[thelastspeecher]

How do Lute and Angie feel about Fidds as Old Man Mcgucket? Do they resent Ford for ultimately causing their brother's mental decline

Oh!

Well, broadly speaking, I think that Angie and Lute struggle to see their beloved big brother in Old Man McGucket. Once Fidds is able to regain his memories (which almost certainly includes memories of them) and heal, become a bit more like his old self, they feel like they're getting their big brother back. He's not the same as he was before and he never will be, but they can accept him like this. He was always a bit kooky, to put it mildly. Most of the family is, especially when they get older.

I think Angie and Lute would feel like they can't really connect with Fidds after he fully spirals. They'd look out for him (leave food or money or clothes or whatever out for him) and talk to him and just generally try to take care of him. But there's a distance. This isn't their big brother.

And oh yeah 100% there's some resentment towards Ford. A lot of yelling, possibly some physical violence when they find out the full extent of what happened between Fidds and Ford. They feel like Ford could have checked in with Fidds more often or even just listened to him, and that could have helped things out.

[thatabitcryptic]

Timestuck fidds and Mabel having a blast making molasses ice blocks, knitting leg warmers and playing the banjo

Ford’s just in the corner like

Tfw you have a demon in ur brain and your crush and great niece from the future are indulging in their horrible tastes instead of trying to get it out

[orangeoctopi7]

Spiderstan AU Chapter 12

RESEARCH

No one was in a good mood the next morning. Stan was still nursing a huge headache as he recovered from the last bits of Gremloblin neurotoxin. Ford was still cross with Stan for endangering himself and Fiddleford the previous day, as well as a bit distracted thinking about what Bill could possibly be sending him. And poor Fiddleford had obviously not slept a wink last night, although whether that was due to discomfort from the broken arm or anxiety after the Gremloblin attack was unclear. 

“Are either of you feeling up to retrieving our supplies?” Ford asked as they all poked at a breakfast of instant oatmeal.

“No.” Stan grumbled into his bowl, pinching the bridge of his nose, as though he could draw the tension out from behind his eyes.

“...Fiddleford?” Ford asked when his friend didn’t respond. The inventor looked up with a start.

“Wh-what?” he reacted as though someone had just threatened him.

“I just want to know if you’re feeling up to going back up the hill and retrieving the supplies we had to leave behind.”

McGucket fidgeted with the sling that was holding his broken arm in place. “N-n-no, no I don’t think so.”

Ford frowned with concern. “Alright. I should be able to manage on my own with the amulet of levitation. Stanley, could you at least take Fiddleford to the hospital, so you can get a professional to set it and provide a proper cast?”

“Waste of money, if y’ask me.” Stan grunted.

“I didn’t ask you.” Ford hissed. “Fiddleford, I suppose it’s your own choice whether you want to go see a doctor or not.”

“No! I’m not crazy! I’m not seein’ no shrink!” his friend snapped.

“...I meant for your arm.” Stanford clarified, after a moment of stunned silence.

“...Oh. R-right…. Yeah… r-reckon I oughta…” 

“Look, buddy, if you don’t wanna go to the hospital, no judgement here.” Stan assured the inventor. “And if you do wanna go, I’ll drive ya, just don’t expect me to come in with you.”

“They don’t charge you for sitting in the waiting room, Stan.” Ford rolled his eyes.

“No, but if I ask for a cup of water, they’d probably add it to your bill.” Stan countered.

Ford stood and grabbed his coat, along with a small turquoise stone set in a brass broach. “Well, you two work out what you want to do. I’m going to go retrieve our things.”

“Try not to get yourself killed while you’re off on your own, ok?” Stan called after him as he left.

“I’ll be fine, mom!”

Stan and McGucket just sat chewing their oatmeal for another moment or two before either of them spoke again.

“So, uh, just to be clear, did you want me to drive you to the hospital, or…?”

“Oh, I reckon I should go.” McGucket nodded, more confident this time. “Mainly ‘cuz this make-shift cast an’ sling Stanford made fer me ain’t ‘xactly comfer’ble. A professional one’ll prob’ly be better protection, too.”

“Alright, we’ll go in a minute, just lemme finish eating.”

“While we’re out, I think we oughta talk ‘bout Stanford’s, uh, mysterious friend.”

Stan grimaced. “Yeah. I think that thing was here again last night. I was too out of it to go check, though.”

“Does it show up every night?” McGucket asked anxiously.

“Nah, I only felt it a few times while you were gone.” Stan informed him. “And two of those were during the day. I dunno what that thing’s deal is.”

“That’s ‘xactly why we gotta learn more ‘bout it.” the inventor. “It don’t seem like Ford’s gonna be very forthcoming with information, so we’ll have to start askin’ around the town.”

“How do we do that in a way that, y’know, doesn’t make people think we’re crazy?”

Fiddleford flinched at Stan’s words, and he needed a few seconds to regain his composure.

“Like I said before, lots’a Native American artefacts round the valley have that one-eyed triangle on it. I’m sure if’n we just ask people if they know what it is or where it comes from, act like we’re jus’ interested in the history, that won’t turn no heads.”

“Yeah, cuz I’m sure people will believe a guy like me is just interested in history.”

“Why not? Nobody here knows you ‘cept maybe as Ford’s brother, if they don’t just mistake you for ‘im outright. It ain’t that hard to believe.”

Stan opened his mouth to argue, but Fiddleford had a point. Maybe this would work.

* * *

After dropping Fiddleford off at the hospital, Stan started asking around about the yellow triangle thing. While most folks at least recognized the symbol when Stan drew it, no one really knew where it came from or what it was, other than something associated with the illuminati. Nobody knew about its connections to local Native American folklore. Stan supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised, it wasn’t like he expected the hospital receptionist to be an expert on Native American history.

Thankfully, Fiddleford’s checkup didn’t take too long. Stan had just wrapped up a conversation with an old farmer when the inventor stepped back into the waiting room, wearing a new cast.

“Any luck?” McGucket asked as they climbed back into Stan’s car.

“No. Shockingly, none of these yokels know anything about our mysterious visitor.”

“Hmmm, I reckon we’ll have better luck researchin’ at the library.”

Stan groaned loudly.

“What’ve you got against libraries?” Fiddleford asked, like an insult to the library was as bad as a personal insult.

“Nothin’, libraries are great, they’re some place I can go for air conditioning or heating and just sit around for a few hours without raisin’ a fuss. What I ain’t a fan of is researching.”

Fiddleford chuckled and shook his head. “Well, lucky for you I’m plenty experienced in that department. S’pose you could chat with the librarians while I do the book research.

The library was nearly empty, considering it was the middle of the day on a Wednesday. Of course, that meant the librarians weren’t too preoccupied to answer some questions. One helped Fiddleford search the catalog for books on the local tribes’ history and folklore, while the other talked to Stan.

“Ah yes, you see a lot of this figure in ancient art.” The librarian nodded. “Many people erroneously assume it’s a Freemason or illuminati symbol, but it actually becomes much less common after European contact.”

“Why’s that?” Stan asked.

“Hmm, I’ll admit I don’t know. We haven’t got access to any recordings of local oral tradition. Although I’ve heard many Native American communities are starting to tape that sort of thing. If you really want to know the original story behind that symbol, you should go to the original source!”

“Yeah, cuz I’m sure they’re eager to share the story with some random white guy.” Stan rolled his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sure as long as you’re respectful, they’d just be happy someone is taking an interest. Warm Springs Reservation is only about an hour and a half drive from here, they’re a confederation of Tenino, Wasco, and Paiute tribes. They have a museum, you should go pay them a visit.”

Respectful wasn’t usually in Stan’s vocabulary, but he supposed this case was an exception.

Seeing as the librarian didn’t have much more info for Stan, he contented himself with browsing the library’s comics section while Fiddleford did his book research. The nerd took much less time than Stan had been expecting.

“This library’s collection of local Native American folklore ain’t what I’d call extensive.” Fiddleford shook his head, “I was only able to find a couple of tangential references to the thing. All I got is it’s associated with knowledge.”

“Hmph, no wonder Ford’s buddy-buddy with it.”

“What ‘bout you, did the librarian have any more info for ya?”

“Not really, but she did recommend I go visit the nearest reservation and check out their museum. Not a bad idea really, ‘snot like we’ve gotten any info from anyone else. Plus, I bet they’ve got a casino!”

“That’s not really gonna help us figure anything out.”

“No, but it’ll help me blow off steam. Besides, Ford’ll be suspicious if I suddenly wanna visit a Native American museum. I’m coverin’ my tracks.”

* * *

Thanks to Ford’s photographic memory and stopping to get directions from a passing gnome, the young researcher was able to find their gear and carry it back to Fiddleford’s truck in just a few hours. Retracing his steps brought back memories of their hike, both good and bad. That night around the campfire had been nice, talking about their plans for the future, joking with Stan… but then the next morning, he’d overhead his friends talking behind his back.

“...And while you were on vacation, he kinda implied he wasn't up here alone before you moved in. I think this has been going on for a while. Maybe even years. Did you ever notice anything weird right after you moved in?"

"Other than that creepy triangle symbol everywhere? Not really…"

Ford grit his teeth, and the levitating objects in front of him wobbled. Didn’t they trust him? Even if he couldn’t tell them about Bill, couldn’t they at least understand that he was just doing what he could to further their research? Why did they automatically assume Bill was dangerous?

“...They could have at least asked me…” The researcher muttered under his breath.

“WELL, THEY COULD HAVE, BUT WE BOTH KNOW YOU WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER.”

“Bill!” Ford startled in surprise.

“HEYA SIXER, THOUGHT I’D COME KEEP YOU COMPANY WHILE YOU PICK UP AFTER YOUR BROTHER’S MESS.”

“Thank you, Bill, I appreciate it.” Ford smiled gratefully.

“HEY, WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR! NOT LIKE THOSE JERKS WHO LEFT YOU TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN.”

“Well, that’s not their fault. They’re both still recovering from the Gremloblin attack yesterday.”

“SO, WHAT’S EATIN’ YA, SIXER? BESIDES YOUR OWN BODY’S METABOLISM SLOWLY BURNING ITSELF OUT.”

Ford sighed. “I just wish I could tell them about you. It’d make things so much easier!”

Bill tisked. “THEIR REACTION TO MY HELP AT THE ALIEN SHIP IS PROOF ENOUGH, THEY JUST WOULDN’T GET IT.”

“But if I had a chance to explain--”

“WE’VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS, FORDSY. EVEN IF THEY DO TAKE YOUR EXPLANATION SERIOUSLY AND DON’T THINK YOU’VE FINALLY LOST IT, ARE YOU REALLY NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THEY’LL JUST GO ON SUPPORTING YOU? WE BOTH KNOW WHAT STANO’S LIKE WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING BIGGER AND BETTER. AND FOUR-EYES ALREADY ADMITTED TO YOUR FACE HE’D RATHER BE WORKING ON HIS OWN PROJECTS BACK HOME WITH HIS FAMILY. YOU REALLY THINK HE WOULDN’T TAKE THE FACT THAT YOU’VE GOT ME AS A SIGN HE’S OK TO PACK UP AND HEAD BACK HOME?”

“N-no, he wouldn’t… I still need his help!”

“HMMM, MAYBE YOU’RE RIGHT. MAYBE HE’D HELP HIMSELF TO YOUR PRELIMINARY RESEARCH AND PUBLISH IT HIMSELF FIRST.”

“Fiddleford’s my friend, he wouldn’t do that!”

“OH RIGHT, I FORGOT! YOU TWO ARE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS YOU’D NEVER LIE TO EACH OTHER OR TALK BEHIND THE OTHER’S BACK!”

Ford did not have a good rationalization for that.

“I’M JUST SAYING, STANFORD, BE CAREFUL WHO YOU TRUST!”

* * *

Stan and McGucket were helping themselves to a late lunch when Ford returned with their equipment. 

“So you went to the hospital after all.” Ford observed, nodding at Fiddleford’s new cast.

“Oh, yep…” Fiddleford answered. The inventor still seemed anxious and distracted.

“How long did they say you’d need to wear the cast?”

“‘Bout a week…” Fiddleford tapped his foot nervously.

Ford frowned. “I was hoping we’d be able to start connecting the hyperdrive to the portal tonight, but I supposed Stanley could help lift the superstructure.”

“Mmmnope.” Stanley declined. “I’m headin’ out to the casino tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“To gamble, genius, what do you think I’m gonna do at a casino?”

“No, I mean… why do you feel the need to go to a casino?”

“Have a little fun, make a little cash.”

“...Is this because I still haven’t gone grocery shopping?”

“What!? No, for cryin’ out loud, Ford, I just wanna go out and spend a night on the town!”

“On a Wednesday?”

“Yeah, that’s how you beat the crowds! I figure I deserve a break after fighting a monster and getting poisoned!”

“Oh…” Ford deflated. “... that’s fair. But… you’re coming back afterwards, right?”

Stan rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, your latest specimen isn’t gonna fly the coop.”

Stanford frowned at his brother’s comment, but didn’t offer a retort. Instead he set about fixing his own late lunch. “So yet another day goes by where we make no progress on the portal project.”

“Stanford, I know yer eager to make your mark and get answers, but there really ain’t any reason we can’t take another day or two!” Fiddleford assured him. “There ain’t no ‘Weirdness Rush’ yet.”

“Perhaps, but one thing I’ve learned over the last six years here is that it’s far too easy to get distracted by every little fascinating thing one comes across here. If we don’t stay focused, we could easily keep putting it off until it just never gets done. I prefer to strike while the iron is hot.”

“Well, you keep striking iron, Ford.” Stan waved him off. “Tonight, I’m hopin’ to strike gold!”

* * *

After Stan left, the two scientists spent the night going over calculations and carefully inspecting the hyperdrive. Ford was disappointed they wouldn’t be able to start hooking it up to the mechanics of the portal just yet, but it was the kind of delicate mechanical work he only trusted McGucket with. He wished he had some more manual work to preoccupy his mind tonight. The young researcher had a hard time focusing on his calculations; his mind kept wandering to his brother.

If Stan won the jackpot, he’d be able to support himself. He wouldn’t have any more reason to stay here and work with me… Would he even come back? Would he even bother telling us?

Ford sighed with frustration as he realized he’d just read the same equation three times over. He really needed something to keep his hands occupied while he worked. He reached over to McGucket’s desk for what he often did when he needed something to keep his hands busy, and picked up his friend’s Cubics Cube. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed it still hadn’t been solved since the last time he scrambled it. He’d never seen Fiddleford leave it unsolved for more than a few hours. He glanced over to see the young inventor also seemed to be having trouble focusing on his work.

“You can’t concentrate either?” Ford asked, noticing how Fiddleford’s knee kept up a steady pace of 2 kbps, but his eyes stayed fixed at the top of the page he was supposed to be checking.

Fiddleford startled at his friend’s words. “S-sorry, jus’ tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.”

Ford offered him a sympathetic smile. “I don’t imagine so. I’m sure you’ll be on the mend soon enough though.”

“Mmm.” McGucket hummed noncommittally. “And how ‘bout you, what’s keepin’ you from concentratin’?” 

The researcher hemmed and hawed for a moment before he finally settled on an answer. “I suppose I’m a bit concerned with Stanley. I know he’s staying here because he’s got nowhere else to go, and I’m happy to give him a place to stay, but if things go well for him at the casino tonight… why would he stay here if he suddenly acquires the means to support himself?”

McGucket huffed a small chuckle and rolled his eyes. “It’s like I keep tellin’ ya Ford, you oughta be tellin’ him this stuff, and not me! If’n you really want him to stay, then you gotta be honest with him!”

“I-I am!” Ford insisted, willfully ignoring the fact that he was not, in fact, being honest about Bill. That didn’t count. He’d tell Stan if he thought Stan needed to know.

The inventor just rolled his eyes again. “Mama was right, can’t be honest with others if’n ya ain’t honest with yerself first.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You know what I mean, ya lost yer temper with me the last time I brought it up!”

Ford scoffed. “I am not under some deluded hope that if Stan stays, it will magically solve our issues.”

Fiddleford nodded. “Yeah, it does seem like you two are past that point. Now you’re just wantin’ to keep him around ‘cuz he’s your brother and you’ll miss him!”

The atmosphere of the room instantly went cold, and the pages of calculations in Fords hands crinkled as his grip tightened. “I would absolutely. Never. Try and keep Stan around. Just because I would miss him.” He enunciated through clenched teeth. “I… I simply… I have his best interests in mind! And the interest of my research! But I’m not trying to keep him here! He’s free to leave! He--he’s free to pursue other interests!”

McGucked raised his hands placatingly. Obviously, he had touched a nerve. “I’m sorry, I misspoke! I jus’ meant to say you care about him is all!”

“Of course I care about him! When was that ever in question!?”

Fiddleford gave him a steady look. “When ya went more than ten years without talkin’ to each other.”

Ford flushed. “It’s not like Stanley ever reached out to me! And I was the one who had a regular address and phone number! How was I supposed to talk to him, when he was always traveling!? Even our mother never got more than the occasional postcard!”

“I’m not sayin’ yer brother’s blameless in this, Ford, I’m jus’ sayin’ you could stand to actually let him know how you feel!”

“I don’t even know how I feel half the time!” The researcher burst. He was stunned by his own words, and took a moment to collect his thoughts and calm down a bit before continuing. “Stanley’s my brother, and he was such an important part of my life growing up. Of course I care about him. But the things he’s done-- the things he still does-- the way he ignores what I want because he thinks he knows best-- it infuriates me! So I suppose you could say my feelings for him are… complicated.”

Fiddleford nodded. “Family’s always complicated.”

Ford scoffed derisively. “This is considerably more complicated than the average family squabble.” 

McGucket laughed. “You’re right about that! Well, if it makes ya feel any better, I’m pretty sure Stan ain’t gonna run out on ya tonight, even if he does win it big at that casino. He’s got unfinished business here, after all.”

“That’s an odd way to refer to our continued studies of his powers, but I suppose you’re right.”

* * *

The parking lot for the Warm Springs History Museum was completely empty. Not that the casino lot across the way was packed, but it at least had a few cars parked near the entrance. Stan worried the museum might be closed, but he saw the light was on, and the door was unlocked.

There didn’t appear to be another soul in the building. Stan wandered around from one exhibit to the next, looking for anything that might be related to Ford’s mysterious benefactor. Stan wasn’t really all that surprised that he didn’t find anything. Finally, he rounded a corner and found the gift shop. A teenage girl who was probably supposed to be the cashier sat in front of a small TV. It was clearly supposed to be playing a VHS that the gift shop was trying to sell, but instead an Itira 3600 was hooked up and playing Brick Break.

“Uh, ‘scuse me?” Stan cleared his throat and knocked gently on the counter.

The girl didn’t glance away from the screen, eyes carefully following the bouncing pixel as it broke through another line of bricks. “Yeah I know you’re there I can see your reflection on the screen. We close in like ten minutes, just grab whatever you want and I’ll ring you up once I clear this level.”

“I’m not here to buy anything.”

“Then you better turn around and head back to the casino, ‘cuz bricks ain’t the only thing I can break.” 

“I don’t want anything from you either!” Stan assured her, waving his hands innocently. “I just got some questions about, uh, tribal history.”

“That’s what this museum is here for, sir.” She answered flatly.

“The thing I’m askin’ about isn’t in the museum, trust me, I checked.”

“We got history books too.”

“I doubt it’s in there either. Hey, if you’re too busy, is there someone else I can talk to?”

The girl tisked and tilted her game controller. “Yeah yeah, just a sec. I just got one more line at the top.”

Stan rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers on the counter impatiently. He supposed he couldn’t blame the girl. This was probably a very boring job. He knew most people who came this way were probably more interested in the casino, not the history of the people who had to run it just to make ends meet.

The girl finally cleared the level and put her controller down as the new level loaded in. “Ok, what’s your question.”

“Ok, this might sound stupid, but can you tell me more about what this thing is?” Stan pulled a pamphlet off the counter and drew the triangle with the eye. “I think it’s usually yellow?”

The girl raised her eyebrow in surprise when she took in Stan’s drawing. “Oh… that. You don’t see anything about that in here because that’s associated with… I guess the best word for it would be curses?”

Stan’s heart skipped a beat. “R-really? The little research I did on it beforehand said it was associated with knowledge.”

“Yeah, cursed knowledge.” The girl told him. “I’ll admit, I’m not super familiar with it. It’s kinda really ancient. When Nathaniel Northwest swindled us out of our land in Gravity Falls, we were relative newcomers. All the other tribes in the area believed the valley was cursed, because of that thing.”

Stan gulped. “What, uh, what’d it do?”

The girl put on her best storytelling voice. “Well, a thousand years ago, there was an old shaman called Modoc the Wise. He and his people worshipped that being. Until one day, Modoc learned its terrible secret. Modoc warned the people that the being they’d been worshipping was a liar, and that it would lay waste to the valley. But before he could tell them any more, the being drove him mad, and he slaughtered half his tribe before lighting himself on fire to try and stop it!”

Stan paled. “So, uh, this guy’s really bad news, huh?”

“That’s an understatement, but yeah.” The girl nodded. “Why do you want to know, anyway?”

“Uh, I live in Gravity Falls. I’ve just seen this thing on a lot of stuff, wondered what it was.”

“Ah, well, have fun living with the knowledge that your hometown is cursed!” She smiled viciously at him. “Now, it’s closing time. Are you gonna buy something or not?”

* * *

Stan tried to take his mind off things at the casino. His superhuman reflexes made him a whiz at the slots, but he had learned in the past that winning too much tended to draw unwanted attention. Of course, Stan was too busy trying to process what he’d just learned to pay much attention to his gambling, so it’s not like he could have won it big even if he was trying.

After just half-an-hour, it was clear that his heart just wasn’t in it today. Stan decided to play a round of Craps before he left, just to get in some dice rolling. Then he’d head home.

Careful. He warned himself. Don’t go callin’ that place your home. You know the second you get comfortable there is the second Ford decides he doesn’t want you around anymore.

By the time he finished, Stan managed to leave with about $20 more in his pocket than when he came in, so it wasn’t a bad night, gambling-wise. And he had at least learned something about that triangle guy. It just wasn’t good news. The trip certainly wasn’t a loss. So why did Stan feel like he hadn’t gained anything?

These thoughts weighed so heavily on his mind, that he never noticed the eyes on him as he left the casino.

“We’ve found him.” A shadowy figure spoke into his walkie-talkie.

* * *

PSM WAZF FFY OENKGK KS LELB, TPXLL QAT? YOP HGR’T PQB KEDO TF UVDI GJ YFWY FPV JRZGUUW?

[fungus-amongus00]

What about an au that Stans about how “weird” “Old man mucket” is and Ford askes about him, then Stan is confused but tells him where he lives and ford talks to his bud for the first time in a long time.

I am so sorry if this is confusing :(

No confusion here! I gotcha ^^ Hope you like it! FEELINGS TIME

Stanford remembered hearing it that morning and nearly dropping his coffee in the process. It had been the mention of a name he had forgotten about momentarily. After all, in all his travels across the multiverse, small things like that were bound to slip his mind. However, the fact that it brought about such a sudden reaction had shown that the memory was not entirely gone. It was still very much a part of him, and hearing that name, brought about a multitude of emotions. The strongest one wracking his brain was of….regret. 

“Hey, kids. Did you see the latest video on Bramble? Man, I swear, that Old Man McGucket keeps getting crazier and crazier. I dunno what he’s gonna do next,” Stanley laughed and then even harder when Mabel showed him another video. 

“I mean, yeah, it’s funny, but I feel kind of bad for the guy. He lives by himself near the dump, and no one’s tried to, you know, help him at all?” Dipper added, sipping on his strawberry milk. 

“Ah, lighten up, kid. As far as I know, that’s just..how he lives. He doesn’t seem like he’s unhappy or anything.” Stanley did stop laughing momentarily. Of course Dipper always had to be the realist just like someone else he knew. He finally noticed Ford standing in the doorway, looking like he was about to pass out. “Sixer? You all good over there?” 

“Oh, no, Grunkle Ford! You dropped your mug.” Mabel hurried over to scoop it up. Luckily, it wasn’t one of the ceramic ones and didn’t break upon impact. It took Stanford a couple of seconds before he registered she was grabbing paper towels to clean up the mess. 

“Terribly sorry, Mabel. I zoned out for a moment there,” he apologized, helping her sop it up before it spread to the rug. “I just...you guys were talking about Fiddleford Hadron McGucket...right?” 

Stanley raised an eyebrow. How the hell did those two know each other?

“Wait, how do you know his full name?” 

“Did you not read his journals, Grunkle Stan? McGucket was his assistant in his research. He was...a genius, really,” Dipper said with a concerned look towards Ford. “I would’ve done something, but..I’m not exactly sure how to help him. He lost a lot of his memory.” 

“You said he lives over by the dump, right?” As soon as Dipper said “yes” in response, Ford was out of there in about five seconds flat, dashing off towards the dump. 

“Ooh! Should we follow him, Dipper? Maybe Grunkle Ford can get the old Fiddleford back!” Mabel gasped. By the look in her eyes, Dipper could tell she had already made up her mind. 

As soon as she ran off, Dipper sighed and grabbed his backpack. He’d really hear it from both Mabel and Grunkle Stan if he didn’t go with. “Uh, be back in a bit, Grunkle Stan!” 

Stanford didn’t stop running until he got to McGucket’s shack. In hindsight, he could’ve had Stan drive him, but this was urgent. He gasped when he saw where he was living. Oh, Fiddleford… He felt that guilt hanging heavy on his chest again. How long had he gone on not even knowing he was here? Of course, he had only recently returned to this dimension, but still! How could he forget about the person most dear to him. The person who….he betrayed..for an interdimensional demon with empty promises. For a moment, he stopped himself as he started walking up to the shack. If his memories returned...would he hate him still? He wouldn’t blame Fiddleford if he never wanted to see him again.

Mustering some courage, Stanford took a deep breath and continued onwards to what sort of resembled a door. A six fingered fist lingered at it a moment before tentatively knocking. He heard rustling from within before a raccoon bolted out of there, making him jump and nearly fall over. Was a raccoon his only company now?? His heart nearly stopped when Fiddleford stood in the doorway, his beard all the way down to his feet and what looked like...a bandage on his beard? Stanford wasn’t about to question it. Fiddleford stared blankly at him before saying, “Well, howdy, there! Can I help you with somethin’?” 

The words caught in Stanford’s throat for a moment. There was so, so much he wanted to say, mostly “I’m sorry, so sorry,” but he held it back. He didn’t know how much of his memory was missing, but given his living conditions, and the fact that he wasn’t completely pissed at him right now, he’d say a lot. He held up a six fingered hand in a wave, putting on his best smile even though his body simply didn’t want to, no matter how much it hurt. 

“Hey, Fiddleford. I’m an...old friend, Stanford Pines. Do you..remember me at all?” 

Fiddleford seemed utterly confused. He “hmm’d” to himself, scratching his beard and looking Stanford over. It got to the point where it seemed to be causing him physical pain, finally stopping with a groan. “Aw, sorry, there. Can’t seem to recall your name, but you’re that new scientist guy that arrived here in Gravity Falls, right? Sorry if I’m wrong. My memory ain’t what it used to be, you know?” 

Stanford let out a sigh and an understanding nod. He figured this was probably going to be the case. Perhaps, he needed some stimuli to get things going. 

“It’s alright, Fiddleford. I know you’ve been through a lot...trust me, I do, so I hope you don’t mind this.” 

Taking a breath, Stanford reached out to place his hands on Fiddleford’s shoulders, slowly drawing him into a hug. 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, Fiddleford. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for everything that happened. I should’ve put my trust in you, not Bill. Driving you away is one of my deepest regrets. Even in other dimensions, it haunted me in my dreams. I wish...I wish I could take that hurt away, but we both know even the memory gun isn’t perfect. Memories don’t simply disappear, right, Fidds?” In that moment, he didn’t think about if Fiddleford didn’t know what he was talking about. All that mattered now was that he was hugging him again. He didn’t need forgiveness. It was the closure that he’d get at least. 

For a minute, Fiddleford stayed still, but he slowly wrapped his arms around Stanford, sighing softly. Just feeling safe in his arms and his familiar scent, he felt a rush of memories coming back to him, especially with the use of his old nickname Stanford often called him back then. He glanced over when he felt Stanford trembling, tightening his grip on his shirt. His head..well, really hurt, especially at the fact that Stanford was here and in his arms. 

“It was a tough time for both of us. And you know, I forgive you, Stanford. It’s been far too long for me to hold onto a grudge now.” 

Stanford gasped when he heard him call him by his name. Were his memories..returning? Was his hypothesis correct? Tears started to run down his cheeks as he cupped Fiddleford’s face with trembling hands. “Fidds….you really remember me? I-I mean, you shouldn’t forgive me. I betrayed you. You were the person I was closest to, and I turned my back on you, drove you mad enough to use the memory gun on yourself. I..I don’t think I deserve it..” 

“Oh, Stanford,” Fiddleford chuckled, looking up at him with the softest smile. “What matters is learning from your mistakes. Obviously, you found out the truth about Bill and his intentions, and you worked hard to correct your mistakes. Like I said, it’s been too long for me to hold onto a grudge, right, old buddy?” 

He winced a bit when another headache and rush of memories came on. “Ah, look at this. You’re sparking so many lost memories o’ mine. It’s like magic!” 

Stanford let out a choked laugh, having to remove his glasses a moment to wipe away his tears. 

“Yeah, it kind of is. I would say magic doesn’t actually exist, but..I’ve seen far too much to say that anymore. Plus, Mabel would probably kick me in the shin if she heard me say that.” After taking a moment to collect himself, Stanford offered his hand to Fiddleford. “How about we find a place to chat and catch up? My brother actually turned the old cabin into a tourist trap of sorts, but it’s a good place to hang out in. And really? A shack, Fidds?” 

“Hey, don’t blame me! I lost my mind, literally!” Fiddleford teased and accepted Stanford’s hand. The warm touch of it was something he really had missed. 

“OH MY GOD, GRUNKLE FORD! That was sooo cute! I actually started crying myself,” Mabel squealed from a nearby bush as she tumbled out of it followed by Dipper. “Oh my gosh! You guys are literally the cutest!” 

“Mabel...they just met again after...a really long period of time,” he said, having forgotten the exact number. “How about we give them some space?” 

“Oh, yes, yes. Space is important, but afterwards you guys have to tell me everything!” 

Stanford chuckled as he watched her drag Dipper off, guiding Fiddleford along. Things were still a little...awkward, but he was sure they’d regain their footholds in their relationship again. Things were a little different now, but after all these years, Fiddleford was still Fiddleford, and that was enough for him.

[snekatiegf]

Gravity Falls Headcanons

Some of these are mine, and some are inspired from others I've seen. These are all post-weirdmageddon

Dipper and the Multibear are penpals

Mabel is still close with Mermando and they still write all the time. While Stan and Ford were out in the sea, he used his political power to keep them protected by sending other sealife to watch over them, at Mabel's request. They don't know about this, besides the occasional guide that has to come on board.

Soos does an incredible job at running the Mystery Shack and ends up being able to expand it some, and find new attractions- some of them are actually real fantastical creatures.

After a bit, the residents of Gravity Falls got super used to paranormal happenings. Between the Blind Eye being disbanded, and Weirdmageddon not being something everyone could just forget about (anymore at least), it's just regular occurrence. However, it will never fail to completely baffle any visitors.

Dipper and Mabel started keeping a little journal of their encounters back in California. Of course, a whole year there is nothing compared to one summer in Gravity Falls, but it was nice to keep it up. Mabel did all the illustrations.

Mabel stole some of Stan's brass knuckles before leaving for Piedmont. When Stan learned about this the next Summer, he just laughed and said to keep them. She hasn't used them yet, but she has threatened people with them.

Mabel made a lot of money over the year by getting her friends to play poker with her and gamble real money- only a couple of dollars really, but it adds up.

They both ended up taking wrestling and got super good at it, scarily good at it actually.

Even though they all have phones, Mabel, Candy, and Grenda write to each other all year, just for the fun of it.

Waddles starts to grow really big really fast. It's not that big of a deal at first, but turns into a disaster after a while. Mabel refuses to get rid of him, so they board him at a barn.

McGucket really likes Waddles because he grew up on a pig farm. Whenever he comes over to the Shack when the twins are back in town, it won't be rare to see the two bonding.

He'll deny it to the end of time, but Stan loves Gompers so much. He almost ends up taking the goat with him on the Stan O' War II, but ends up leaving him with Soos with veiled threats to take care of the animal.

Soos accidentally called Stan dad a couple times. The first time it through them both off, but eventually they get used to it and allow it to happen. It baffles the others, and it makes Dipper and Mabel super happy to see. Mabel's made a couple jokes about how it makes them cousins, and Soos is thrilled by the idea.

Melody and Soos end up getting married pretty quickly. She had been meaning to move to Gravity Falls permanently for a while, and once Soos became the new Mr. Mystery, she had much more reason to. They never do end up having kids, but they probably accidentally adopt half the kids in town like Stan with Soos.

(Stan legally adopts Soos at some point)

Many people abide with the "never mind all that" act, but those are the ones who were lucky enough to get frozen early on and didn't see much. The people who talk about Weirdmageddon are the ones who were out surviving on their own, the refugees in the shack, those who were most affected by Bill's twisted jokes. They just can't pretend it never happened, so they all confide in each other about what went down.

Dipper and Mabel try to visit Gravity Falls every moment they can. Any break, if they can convince their parents, they spend time in Gravity Falls. They ended up going to Gravity Falls for New Year's and there was a giant party at the Shack. Stan and Ford came home, too.

Likewise, their friends from Gravity Falls sometimes come down to visit them. Usually it's Candy and Grenda, but sometimes Pacifica and Wendy, and occasionally Soos and Melody. Ford and Stan came by once, but they had to be along quickly.

Pacifica does end up working at Greasy's Diner, and ends up learning to bake there. She's surprised to find she enjoys it a lot, and she finds it calms her down, too, and she is quite good at it. She begins baking at home, too, and eventually also at the Shack, where she likes to share her creations with the Pines'.

While at first she's a little worried about going back there, Pacifica starts spending a lot of time at the Shack, even with the twins gone. It's a place of comfort. She gets closer to Soos and Melody, who become pseudo- parents to her, and eventually she finds her going there after school much more than she does her own place.

Wendy and Robbie become super close friends once the awkwardness and hostility fades, and they end up hanging out loads.

With Soos, Melody, and Abuelita all living in the Shack, there's just not enough room for everyone when the Pines' come to visit. If they're there for only a couple days, usually they lodge on couches and on inflatable mattresses on the floor. But if they're there for an extended amount of time, like over the Summer, they stay at the McGucket manor. McGucket is more than happy to let them stay, and the place is huge and has more than enough room. (Also, if anyone notices that Ford's bed is empty during the night, and he and McGucket come out of the same room, they don't mention it.)

Soos and McGucket start to bond over crazy inventions. Soos himself, while not quite an inventor, is very handy, and he has an excellent imagination and can make up the coolest of things, which McGucket can almost always make with no trouble, laws of physics be damned. They've almost burnt down half the town, and probably destroyed parts of the McGucket manor, and definitely destroyed parts of the Shack, but they seem to be having fun.

Pacifica finds herself hanging around McGucket Manor/ the old Northwest Mansion sometimes. She had a lot of bad memories of the place, but she ended up there a lit whenever the Pines' came to visit and stayed there over the Summer. Eventually, even when they're not there, she still comes by and begins to get along with McGucket. Sometimes when Soos goes there to help McGucket with his inventions, she comes along and might help out a bit to.

Before she was an adult, Pacifica basically gets unofficially but communally adopted by the whole town. Her parents are always so busy trying to find ways to regain their fortune and never really cared for her in the first place, so she often finds herself wandering town, and eventually gets quite close with a lot of the residents.

[eregyrn-falls]

This is a great read, I fully agree, and I just wanted to emphasize this part because this puts it so well:

Stan got his memories back at the end because Mabel refused the tragedy the universe set out for their family. Isn’t that such a beautiful conclusion to a show about defying both the odds and the expectations placed on you? Isn’t that fitting?

YES.

And yeah, in Journal 3 they specify that it took a week for Stan to more fully recover his memory, and it took help from everyone, like Ford pulling out old home movies and stuff. 

I don’t know that they could have dealt with the “instant fix” issue unless they’d had a whole other ep to work with.  As it is, they did SO MUCH with the time they had.  I can’t hold that pacing issue against them because it allowed for the ending that we did get.  (There might not have been time to get to Stan and Ford’s reconciliation, and Soos becoming Mr. Mystery, and the excellent good-byes at the bus stop.)

Also, I’ve watched a bunch of reactors go through the series recently, and a couple of things always strike me.

First: while it’s a short amount of time, it ALWAYS hits people hard.  Everyone feels that impact, and many seem uncertain that what Mabel’s doing is really going to help. I’ve watched so many people’s faces light up, their posture change, the moment Stan says “Waddles”.  It’s compressed but it WORKS.

Second: it’s always so interesting that, in the moment, everyone* seems to forget that we saw the solution play out earlier with McGucket.  How he watched a video of his younger self, and that started him on the road to remembering more and more, until we see how much he’s regained by the time Weirdmageddon comes around.  Yeah, the ep in which they showed us that solution was like... 13 eps before the end?  But we also get reminded several times in the last episode of how much better Fiddleford is doing.

Maybe it’s partly because people think that this has to be different, because the point was erasing all of Stan’s mind, and you can’t fix that without undoing the destruction of Bill.  (And while there’s been just a TON of fandom exploration of that topic, it seems like the show intends us to understand that Stan regaining his memories *does not* bring back Bill.)

But like... Fiddleford also erased all of his memories; just, over a longer period of time.  And, we also know that repeated use of the memory gun doesn’t just erase memories, it really damages the mind in a lot of different ways.  (Which explains why some of the other townsfolk are... the way they are -- eccentric, etc.)  Fiddleford arguably had the most damaged mind of all.  But he got his memories back, and with him is also started with just one reminder session.

(Ford not thinking there is any way to really regain Stan’s memories is due, I think, to a few things.  First, that before he went into the Portal, he knew of the memory gun, but he didn’t have a whole lot of experience with it.  Second, he didn’t get to see the memory gun’s effects on people over time -- he never got to see Fiddleford at the height of his memory loss, he first encounters Fiddleford again once Fiddleford has started remembering.  Ford didn’t know how many times Fiddleford had used it on himself, or how thoroughly he’d obliterated his mind and memories.  And finally, I feel like Ford’s pessimism has to do with his guilt, his perception that his brother has been hurt so badly in order to fix Ford’s own mistake.)

ANYWAY.  Yeah. Given that the show told us the solution to Stan’s memory loss, it’s also striking that that moment hits so hard and we don’t really remember the solution until it actually works.

(* I say “everyone” in a general sense, I’m sure there are people who did remember when watching it!)

I’ve been thinking about Stan’s sacrifice in the finale recently; specifically the idea that it should have been permanent, that it would have more weight if it was permanent.

And, here’s the thing. On one hand, I understand. It would have more weight. It would sit heavy in your gut and make you truly understand the things we do for family. On the other hand… Well… I don’t think it would be fitting. Not because it’s a kids show (as if kids aren’t perfectly capable of understanding tragedies), but because the show itself has consistenly been about defying the odds. It was Stan spending 30 years trying to fix an interdimensional portal built with the help of a demon and alien technology despite being a high school dropout and only having one third of the blueprints. It was Ford spending 30 years desperately trying to rectify his mistakes by going against a demon with unimaginable power no matter the cost. It was the kids dealing with countless monsters and people with bad intentions and still managing to win every time despite it all. It played very much with the concept of destinies.

Stan got his memories back at the end because Mabel refused the tragedy the universe set out for their family. Isn’t that such a beautiful conclusion to a show about defying both the odds and the expectations placed on you? Isn’t that fitting?

And I know people will say that it’s unrealistic. But it’s just. Look. I love tragedies. I love writing them, I love reading them. But I don’t understand people who say tragedies are more “realistic”. It’s just that. I think people don’t understand a really important thing about real life: Real life doesn’t give a shit about what you think should happen. Real life doesn’t have happily ever afters, sure, but it also doesn’t have constant misery. Real life doesn’t have stories tied neatly in a bow, it doesn’t have thrilling arcs with grand gestures, it doesn’t care what you think should be the conclusion to something! It might have impressions of those things, sure, but at the end of the day, things just, happen, in real life. An ending filled with kittens and rainbows is just as “realistic” as a tragic one. And as such, “realism”, or at least the way it’s used here, is not a very reliable perimeter when judging certain things in fiction, you know what I mean?

It shouldn’t be so quick, I agree with that. A total erasure like that would take time to fix. And I’m pretty sure it canonically did? But we saw it get resolved insantly in the show since they couldn’t just show us the whole recory without messing up the flow. While that might be frustrating it’s also understandable! I mean, headcanons exist for a reason, and I know for a fact that a majority of the fandom including me pretty much agree that it took a long time for Stan to recover fully; and even then he probably lost some memories permanently along the way.

But the point still stands. A sacrifice doesn’t have to be permanent to be profound. A story ending happily doesn’t mean it’s being naive.

At the end of the day, the show’s ending fit the tone of the show, fit the themes of the show, was navigated perfectly by the characters of the show and was recieved well by the fans of the show. It was consistent and true to the story it was telling. And isn’t that all that matters?

[enigmatist17]

Reconnecting (FiddAuthor)

So, I'm not sure what quite happened with this, but I have to admit I like what came of this.

“H-He lives in the dump?!” Ford spluttered, eyes wide as he glanced at the other people at the kitchen table with him. Mabel was smiling nervously as she stirred her glass around idly, Dipper’s eyes cast onto the ground as he had placed the second journal down to eat. “Why do you care about that crazy old hillbilly?” Stan questioned, backing his seat a few inches away when Ford’s angry glare settled on him. He found himself regretting that sentence when Ford all but tossed him into the car after the meal was finished, icy silence filling the car as Stan quickly (and most likely not legally) drove his brother to the dump, speeding away the second Ford had closed the door. “Fucking moron.” Ford cursed under his breath as he watched the car disappear, shaking his head as he slowly pushed open the gate to the town dump, his heart going lower and lower into his chest as he made his way inside. “Haha! This is great, that old loser can’t stop us!” Picking up the jeering tones of teenagers Ford turned a corner, his face a scowl when he saw some teens spray-painting the phrase McLoser on the side of a ramshackle looking home. “That is vandalism!” Ford’s booming voice echoed throughout the scrapyard, the kids bolting without even seeing the angry man behind them, the can bouncing on the ground as it was dropped and left behind. Scowling Ford picked up the spray-paint, studying the ingredients to see if it would be easy to wash off. “Aw, don’t you pay them no nevermind.” A jovial voice spoke up behind him, Ford glancing over curiously before his eyes went wide. The years had not been kind to his former partner, the man’s arms full of metal and scrap electronics that were unceremoniously dumped into a large metal can just outside of the small home. The man’s eyes were a familiar shade of hazel that Ford knew by heart, shining a bit as they studied the trench coat wearing man that appeared to be more of a statue than anything at the moment. “Y’all lost or somethin’?” “I-I…” Ford didn’t know what to say, eyes locked on the other as Fiddleford hopped up to balance on a rickety chair with an amused look. He was thin, and seemed to only able to afford a ratty looking pair of brown overalls, though one would hardly notice it under the large white beard that covered most of his thin frame, Ford a bit confused at the band aid. His feet were calloused from what had to have been years without wearing shoes, Ford’s heart dropping more and more as he turned his gaze to the small shack beside him. “Can I help ya?” Fiddleford chirped, leg bouncing slightly as the tall (and somewhat handsome) male turned to gaze at him again. “I…” The man seemed at a loss for words once again, Fiddleford frowning as he took in the man’s looks. He was tall, kinda like that Stan Pines fella, but he had the body of someone who worked out every day and had gone through something tough, his stance one ready to fight at the drop of a hat. His wild blue eyes seemed to stare into Fiddleford’s very soul, the gaze unsettling yet…familiar. “Y’all been here before? I can’t figure it, but ya look real familiar.” The southerner smiled, eyes narrowed slightly as the man moved closer, his six-fingered hands gripped around the canister almost…wait. Before Ford could get close Fiddleford nearly leapt off his perch, eyes wide as he scrambled back from the confused man. “Fiddleford what’s wrong?” Ford asked, quickly examining the area only to see there was no threat he could perceive with his hand hovering over his blaster. McGucket had used that distraction to scamper up the nearest pile of metal and garbage, Ford looking up at him when he saw McGucket was gone. “Fiddleford?” “I-I dunno who ya are, b-but get out!” The man shrieked before clutching his head as if in pain. “I don’t…” “You must be regaining some memories right now…” Ford thought to himself as Fiddleford slowly opened his eyes, locking them onto Ford who looked very nervous and concerned. Memories of his old college buddy, a man who had asked him to change history, the man who ignored his warning like a fool, the man who had tried to rekindle their friendship until he disappeared one day, all of this flashing before McGucket’s eyes like a high-speed movie. “Fiddleford please say something, I…” Ford trailed off when the southern male began to climb down from his perch after shaking his head slightly, his racing heart calming after the silence over the last 20 minutes as his old friend had stared at Ford as if in a trance. Once on the ground Fiddleford regarded the other in front of him critically, fishing a painfully familiar pair of green goggles from somewhere under his beard and placing them on his face. “Stanferd…is that really you? The real you?” The question was quiet, Ford slowly nodding his head as McGucket tilted his head. “I…was rescued from the multiverse by my twin Stanley just two weeks ago, hence the unfortunate damage to the town.” Ford rubbed the back of his neck nervously, shifting his gaze to the ground. “I was wrong, so wrong and I apologize for not listening to you when I could have.” “Stanferd…” Fiddleford’s voice was soft, the male walking over to Ford and kneeling just a tad to look up at Ford like he had done in their college days, a small smile on his face. “We all made mistakes.” “Yours don’t potentially end the world.” Ford smiled weakly, Fiddleford straightening the best he could to give the man a tender hug, one that was received quite warmly. “Nah, but mine like ta destroy towns.” Fiddleford chuckled, cheeks a slight red as he burrowed his face against Ford’s chest with a sigh, lanky arms wrapping around Ford in a way so familiar it caused the first genuine smile on his face in god knows how long. “Still making robots huh?” Ford chuckled in his deep voice, the southerner grinning up in a way that sent Ford into a fit of laughter. McGucket felt his heart skip a beat as he listened to the man laugh, feelings that he had forced himself resurfacing with such a vengeance it left him breathless. “Ya know me, I don’t change much.” Fiddleford shrugged, Ford wiping away some tears from his laughter. “I see that…among other things.” Ford’s tone went serious. “How long have you lived here?” “Don’t quite remember when, my noggin’s still a little lackin’ in that department.” Fiddleford grinned weakly, gaze uncertain as he stared at his abode. “My god Fiddleford…I am so sorry you’ve had to live like this.” Ford sighed, his arm wrapped around Fiddleford’s back tightening slightly. “It’s not yer fault, I shoulda listened to ya ‘bout that gun of mine, though I reckon it woulda changed nothin’.” Fiddleford shrugged, slipping free of Stanford’s grasp with a cheerful grin. “Had I not been blinded by my foolishness, I could have helped you recover.” The elder sighed, running a hand through his greying hair as Fiddleford shrugged uncomfortably. “Stanferd, don’t ya go blamin’ yerself, I did this to myself.” Fiddleford said sternly, the two taking shelter in his home when a light rain began to fall upon them. The house was a mess, and the more Stanford took in the more his heart sank at the deplorable conditions his friend was forced to suffer in. Sitting down on the only other chair in the small home Stanford watched Fiddleford make some tea for them both, the researcher’s gaze focused on the southerner. When Fiddleford flashed him a smile Stanford felt his heart skip a beat, something that surprised him despite all he had been through over the years, though as it happened once again it all clicked for Stanford. Stanford had not felt any romantic inclinations over the years, not even when he was a teenager much to his parents’ disappointment. Fiddleford had been something of an anomaly to Stanford from the start, the two having clicked within the first week of sharing their dorm in a way many would perceive as being in a relationship. Naturally he had denied such things over the years, but looking back with all the experience he had now, Ford realized that perhaps he had just been oblivious to what was clearly happening in front of him right now. Without realizing it Ford had stood up at one point, Fiddleford’s question dying on his cracked lips when Ford gently took his gaunt face into his hands, deep navy eyes staring into bright hazel. “Hadron…I’ve been a fool.” He murmured, the southerner’s heart racing as he gazed back into the eyes of a man he had loved for over 40 years, but hadn’t had the guts to come forwards and say as much. Back then there was a stigma about those sorts of things, and for a long time he kept silence and diverted suspicion by marrying a woman he had no love forward. When Stanford went missing, he had lost a part of his heart and for so long Fiddleford didn’t know how to get it back. Yet now here was Stanford, the two standing still before slowly Fiddleford leaned up and did what he had dreamt of doing for so long, closing his eyes with a quiet hapy sigh. He kissed Stanford Pines, and god was it perfect. At first McGucket felt hesitant as there was no pressure being returned, but the strong arms that had gone slack at the initial gesture wrapping around his thin body sent his heart soaring. Eyes snapping open Fiddleford gazed at the peaceful look on Stanford’s face, the researcher slowly opening his eyes when he finally realized that Fiddleford had stopped kissing him. “S-Stanferd…” He breathed, hoping that this moment was real and that he wasn’t lost in a dream that would leave him a wreck if he woke. “F-Fiddleford.” Ford seemed just as breathless, a slight blush creeping its way over his cheeks. “That was…” “Amazin’?” Fiddleford grinned slightly, arms wrapped around Ford’s neck as if to keep himself steady. Stanford just nodded in agreement, a dumb smile on his face as Fiddleford eventually shooed him back to his seat. They spent the rest of the day talking, though Fiddleford ended up relaxing against his…friend? Boyfriend? Aw heck, he wasn’t sure but he sure wasn’t complaining, curled up against Ford as he explained some of the dimensions with an excited sparkle in his eyes. The more he spoke the more Fiddleford remembered their late study sessions back in college, how Ford would constantly ramble about this or that while an amused (or sometimes stoned) Fiddleford would watch while chiming in here or there. When Ford spoke of researching strange lands with what he had available, Fiddleford caught himself remembering their portal building days, how manic Ford had become with his insane obsession that nearly ended everything, their nights of theorizing what could have been, but never were. He remembered the final time he saw Stanford, how seeing what Bill really was had terrified him to the core, how angry he had been that Stanford had ignored his warning and how he had stormed out into the snowy woods. The next month Stanford begged for him to return, begging he would shut down everything if he came back…then he never came back, not that Fiddleford would have remembered. “Hadron?” Ford spoke the name again, a bit concerned that he received no reply once again from the frail man resting comfortably against him, this being the fifth time he had called his name. The southerner blinked and glanced up at Stanford, his expression one of regret yet his eyes now held a familiarity that Stanford hadn’t seen up until now. “Is something that matter?” “Just…rememberin’ is all.” He cracked a soft grin, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to Ford’s chin. “If you’re certain.” Stanford smiled, gently holding Fiddleford closer as they relaxed under the ratty blanket Fiddleford owned. “When it stops raining…would you like to come with me back to my- the Shack?” “Me? Really?” McGucket was taken aback at the offer. “Absolutely. My brother may have my name right now, all in all that is still my house and I can do whatever I please with it. You could at least sleep in the old den, Stanley has left that room alone at least and I don’t use it much. I mean, I’m not asking you to move in, just at least sleep and get some proper meals and whatever else you want to do.” Ford rambled on, Fiddleford watching with an amused look until Ford trailed off with an embarrassed look. “I wouldn’t mind me a bed ta sleep, and some good food that ain’t from a can.” Fiddleford agreed, Ford nearly jumping up in elation had he not remembered Fiddleford was lying atop him. The two shared a laugh, spending the time talking until the rain had stopped and Ford insisted on taking Fiddleford back at once. It was rather comical to see two men in their 60’s walking along the main road towards the small town’s attraction, a small lanky man nestled on the taller man’s back, but the two seemed quite as ease. It was twilight when they emerged into the clearing that held the Mystery Shack, Fiddleford waving to the younger set of twins who were understandably confused to see the town hillbilly being carried by their great uncle, the two walking into the house after exchanging brief greetings. Stan didn’t even seem surprised at the pair who went into the room he had boarded up years ago, a small smile tugging at his lips when he heard the two laugh a bit from the kitchen. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all McGucket made his brother happy, and that’s all he cared about even though they still had a bit of a rocky relationship.

[enigmatist17]

Recovery (Ford and Stan Pines)

So, this would have really gone great for @forduary, but my brain decided “Nah let’s do this in the middle of @fiddleford-appreciation-month instead, isn’t that a great idea?????”

Goddamn it brain, why... T_T

Anyways enjoy some shameless bonding!

”Don’t leave me…please don’t leave me…I don’t want to be alone anymore…”   Stan stared at the ceiling above his bunk, a tired sigh escaping him as he hear his brother from the other side of the cabin mutter heartbrokenly in his sleep. It had been like that every night since Weirdmaggedon, since he had been forced to erase the mind of a brother he only had recently gotten back. Stanley still hadn’t completely regained all his memories, but getting out of Gravity Falls and sailing around had helped the process tremendously. At least, it had been helping Stanley. Ford catered to his every whim and did things Stanley knew (or had a feeling he knew) Stanford would never had done in the past, but his anxiety had begun to take its toll. More than once Stan woke up to the sound of Ford sobbing in the bathroom in the hallway, or retching out his dinner over the railing of the ship they called home after a panic attack he would try to keep hidden. Whatever Ford was feeling, it was eating him up inside and Stanley was worried Ford would lose it if he wasn’t careful. Slowly inching out of bed Stanley stood up, sighing as he padded over to his brother’s bed and slowly sat on the mattress. Ford didn’t move from where he lay curled up against the wall, breathing erratic as he continued to suffer through whatever nigh terror took ahold of him this time. “Ford?” Stan spoke, his voice a bit gruff as he reached out and placed a hand on Ford’s shoulder, which proved to be a mistake. Years of traveling the multiverse had made Ford a light sleeper, the man instantly turning and landing a left-hook on Stanley’s jaw, sending the male to the floor as Ford pinned him down almost immediately, knife at Stan’s throat. “I-I’ll you here right now Bill!” He snarled, eyes a mixture of pure hatred and fear as he pressed the blade deeper. “Ford, stop this right now.” Stan grunted, trying to get away from the blade as Ford kept him pinned in his strong grip. “it’s me, Stan!” “Don’t you lie to me! I’m done with your lies and tricks! I’m not the stupid naive moron you tricked all those years ago, I’ve changed and I’m going to kill you!” He hissed, though his eyes were beginning to become unfocused, giving Stanley a chance to punch his brother in the face. Ford stumbled back and loosened his grip enough where Stanley turned the tables and pinned Ford down, arms held behind his back as his face was pushed in the carpet. “Kill me! Kill me and be done with it!” “SHUT UP RIGHT NOW STANFORD!” Stan’s roar echoed throughout the cabin, Ford’s struggles soon ceasing as he began to heave, Stan quickly grabbing a wastebasket for his brother to vomit into. He wheezed when he finished, Stan cradling Ford against him as he waited for his brother to breathe properly once more. “Just let me die…” Ford sobbed quietly, weakly wiping his face with his coat as tears went down his cheeks. “No, absolutely not pal.” Stan said sternly, his look one of concern as he helped his brother get to his feet and to the washroom, making sure he brushed his teeth and tongue before making sure he lies down on his bed. “You are gonna get some rest, and I’m gonna make sure of it.” “Stanley…” Ford’s protest was silenced almost immediately, the male drifting off to sleep far quicker than he would have liked due to the absolute exhaustion. Stan sighed as he settled in for the long haul, eyes drifting towards the photo of the niece and nephew they so adored unconsciously. Their smiling faces prompted an idea, Stan slowly and quickly grabbing the sleek laptop nearby and flipping it open, a small grin on his face as he began to type. ”Ssh, you’re gonna wake him up.” ”No, you’ll wake him up!” Ford turned onto his side, hoping this movement away from the fervent whispering beside him would quiet down as he did want his sleep…wait, what? Sitting up quickly Ford’s eyes snapped open, immediately reaching for his blaster at the strange movement to his left. He seemed to come to some sort of awareness as he looked where his weapon was pointed, eyebrows scrunching together as it became clear he was aiming his weapon at Dipper and Mabel, eyes wide as he lowered the gun. “Please forgive me children! I-I don’t know…I…” “It’s ok Ford, it’s fine.” Stan said soothingly from behind Dipper and Mabel, having walked in only to see his brother aiming his alien gun at the two frightened thirteen-year old’s, who had the good grace to stay completely still. Ford took a few shaky breaths as he registered just who exactly was in the cabin with him, his look one of confusion as Mabel hopped up onto the bed with a big grin. “M-Mabel? Dipper? What on earth are you doing here?” Taking a deep breath, he looked out of the porthole, surprised to see they were still within the Artic. “Grunkle Stan convinced Mom and Dad to let us come here for a while.” Mabel chirped with a big grin, Ford looking even more confused. “He said you have like, a ton of Ph.D.’s, whatever those mean, and that you really needed us because of your, uh…?” “PTSD.” Stan filled in gently, unaware she had known that little fact. “I told them everything, and I know how much these kids mean to you, so I asked if they could stay with us for a little bit. If you teach them somethin’, they can stay.” “And they agreed once we told them we would show our progress.” Dipper finished, coming closer to his idol when Ford pat the top of his covered leg, Ford’s strong arms wrapping around him protectively. While Ford loved everyone, he felt such a strong affinity for Dipper due to the fact he reminded the researcher of himself when he was young, often going to Dipper with some sort of question he didn’t quite know the answer of with things like technology or social interaction. “We may or may not have begged to go until they finally got sick of it.” Mabel giggled mischievously, Stan chuckling as he ruffled her hair. “Oh, and Mr. McGucket helped us too!” “He did?” Ford asked curiously, leaning back against the boat’s side as he described all the gadgets his old friend had given the younger twins, a small smile gracing his lips. Stan was pleased to see his brother not paranoid for once, arms crossed as he listened to his little favorite niece drift off in the middle of conversation to veer into something about how school was boring after learning so much over the summer. Ford didn’t even notice his brother slip away and return with drinks for everyone, the two sharing a glance before the elder twin smiled and returned his attention back to Mabel and Dipper. These kids were a godsend, and Stan didn’t know what they would have done without the two they had come to love, nor did he want to. He had his family, and he was just fine with that.

[enigmatist17]

The Time It Takes (Fiddleford McGucket)

For the Week 2 prompt of @fiddleford-appreciation-month --> Memories/Recovery

Fiddleford found himself jealous at times, of Stanley Pines. The man was a bonified hero and was praised for all he had done, and of course Fiddleford was there to always lend a smile. But underneath his good nature Fiddleford felt rather lonely, the first to always vanish into the background whenever Stanley remembered something else from days’ gone by. He wished it was just as easy for himself, but it seemed Fiddleford was rather unlucky in that regard. At first there were large gaps, long days where nothing would trickle back until an insignificant action or phrase would bring back a small memory here or there, and even so those were his good days. After Weirdmaggedon it got a little easier, the horrific creatures and Bill himself restoring a fair amount of his self that for a time Fiddleford felt the most complete he had in years, but that high faded when it was back to the usual routine of remembering little to nothing. Tate would hear at times his father’s frustration, either throwing himself into an inventing frenzy for days on end, or lying in bed all day sadly reminiscing what of his past he could remember while trying to look through old photos his son had managed to salvage and see if they could help him. Once it was made clear how much his memory loss affected him, Fiddleford found things changing. Ford began to come over (once he had returned from his voyage with Stan) daily, old notes and photos of their younger days spilling from his arms as he lay them out in the large den and described to him for hours what their days had been like before his disappearance. Stanley would drop by every so often, begrudgingly telling him of the days he had watched Fiddleford lose his mind, unaware of at the time why he had been growing more frenzied until he became the hillbilly the town had come to know. Fiddleford recalled those days with a grimace, but any memory regained was a memory, so he was glad to take what he could even if they weren’t ones he liked to have back. Tate would try and work with his father in his own way, Fiddleford often in the best mood when he and his son would be found near the small bait shop he worked at sitting on the pier talking about his previous family life before he had been divorced. It still was depressing at times, and there were days his thoughts were bleak as he wondered if he would ever truly regain who he had once been years ago, but looking at the many pictures around his home, or the special ones in his wallet were more than enough to restore his thoughts to a more positive outlook.

[enigmatist17]

Remember (Stanley Pines)

I wrote this for @stanuary

I feel after Weirdmaggedon Stan and Fiddleford would bond over the fact that they are both remembering things.

Stan loved his niece and nephew’s with all of his heart, he really did. It had been just shy of a month after Weirdmaggedon, and he had been getting his memories back left and right do to constant exposure to his life over and over. It always made the weathered conman smile inside every time his brother lit up at the mention of any new memory he recovered, and the two bonded over and over just to reaffirm that the two would never be separated again. He found an unlikely kin however, with a person Stan never had expected, gladly welcoming them into his home whenever the familiar pick-up truck made its way down a familiar path.

 Fiddleford McGucket knew what Stan was going through, although his path was much harder to overcome, the conman found himself welcoming the other to his (and his twin’s) home on a constant basis. At first they stay apart as Ford spent time catching up with his old college friend and apologized on a constant basis, but as Fiddleford unwittingly helped Stan regain some memories of the hillbilly he had begun splitting his time between the two. You could find them on the back porch, idly chatting about the past or about some sort of creature that would scamper by without a care for the two old men reminiscing of better days. By the time it came for Ford and Stan to go sailing around the Artic Stan found himself missing the mechanic who embraced him tightly while subtly (or at least trying to be with a conman) leaving something in Stan’s coat pocket, the younger twin not glancing at whatever it was until that night Ford had fallen asleep at their cabin’s desk with coffee cups scattered about.

 “I can’t wait for ya to come home.” Stan smiled, hoping this memory would never fade.