Two exhausting days of what Bill could only describe as hell had left him on the brink of collapse. He had made little progress in dismantling the portal, a bottomless pit of hopelessness dragged him into back to the idea of blowing up everything. He had all the materials—just a bit of assembling followed by a quick and painless—
Knock knock
Bill froze, his thoughts spiraled. Ford! Is he back in another corpse? Did he make a new deal? Bills mind raised with panic before he was hit with a confused realization. Why is he knocking?
Cautiously, Bill approached the door, busted torch in one hand, metal pipe in the other. He strained to peered through the frosted glass, nearly dropping the pipe when he saw who it was—Tad.
Bill wanted to throw open the door and hug him, but fear held him back. What if Ford had possessed him? He couldn't risk it. Gingerly, he cracked open the door and tossed out the torch before slamming it shut. “Stand close to the glass,” he shouted, and “and shine the light in your eye!”
-
Tad stared at the door, then down at the torch in confusion. Slowly, he picked it up and did as told, leaning close to the glass. Through the frosted pane, he could see Bill’s blurry figure, shifting slowly as he inspected Tad. After muffled sound of approval, Bill fully opened the door.
Tad’s excitement shifted into horror as he registered Bill’s state. His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken, and his hair a long, tangled mess. He wore a black hoodie that did little to hide his frail body. Tad hesitated before walking in, eyeing the metal pipe Bill had clutched in his shaking hands.
“Bill? What happened?” Tad stammered out, rattled by Bills appearance, “Bill—” Tad was cut off, startled by Bill launching into a frantic summary of the past decade. His words tumbled out disjointedly, shifting from one thought to another. It was an unsorted mess of word vomit that left Tad reeling and his head spinning. But what had left Tad truely unnerved were Bill’s fearful glances to an empty space—glaring at some invisible monster.
Tad tried interjecting, attempting to get Bill to calm down, but Bill kept talking over him. When Bill mentioned how things were for the past week, being locked in a closet, barely eating or sleeping, Tad spoke over him.
"Woah, Bill—slow down. What do you mean you were locked in a closet?"
Bill opened his mouth to speak but faltered. Tad stepped closer, extending a gentle hand, “Bill?”
Bill ignored the outstretched hand, taking the torch from Tad and handing him the pipe, before turning to walk away. “It’ll be better if I show you.”
Tad wavered by the open door, staring down at the pipe in his hand, his thoughts a mix of worry and confusion. He took a breath, shrugging off his growing anxiety, before shutting the door, setting down the pipe, and following Bill.
Leading the way with the busted torch, Bill led Tad through the broken wall, past the busted closet door, and into the portal room. He showed Tad the portal, recounting his actions from the past three days with a nervous urgency. “This is why I wrote to you. Tad, I need you’re help to dismantle it.”
Tad stood in stunned silence, glancing between Bill and the portal before letting out a shaky breath “I—” his voice caught in his throat, his mouth felt dry. He coughed, then continued , “I think we should go upstairs and sleep. Just for now. I mean, if were gonna take this thing apart, we should be well-rested, right?”
Bill was taken aback, “What? No. Tad, This can’t wait. It needs to be dismantled now. Don’t you understand that?” He continued, trying to explain everything again but slowly trailed off, "Tad… you believe me. Right?“
Tad quickly nodded, “Yes. Yes, of course I believe you, Bill. I’m just—” He hesitated, “I’m worried. Bill, you… you look awful, it—its all just… alot.” He heaved a sigh and and placed his hand on Bill's shoulder, “Bill, please, lets go upstairs. God knows the both of us could use the sleep.” He let out rueful laugh.
Bill stared back blankly, briefly looking behind Tad before his expression twisted in frustration. He shrugged off Tad's hand and backed away. "I thought you’d understand. I thought I could trust you."
“I do understand, Bill. Honestly, I do.” Tad reached out again, “And you can trust me. I promise, you can—” Bill jerked away, a look of betrayal plastered on his face, his eyes darting between Tad and the empty space.
“Bill. Come on, I—”
"You think I'm crazy, don't you!" Bills barked, causing Tad to flinch back before he tried speaking again, “What, no! I don’t think that, Bill. I would never—”
“Go!” Bill barked, turning away, ”Just leave.” He whispering angrily through gritted teeth, trying to control himself.
“No, Bill I—I didn’t mean to—I don’t want to—” Tad reached out to grab Bill’s shoulder, gently pulling him back before—
Tad cried out in pain as he fell into a tangle of loose wires. He pressed his hand against his stinging face. A thick liquid trickling down his cheek and the smell of copper filled his nose. He pulled back his hand, reeling away at the sight of blood.
Tad jerked his head towards Bill who stared back in horror. He… he hit me. Tad looked to Bills hands, the busted torch held tightly in his grip. Bill hit me.
Bill approached, saying something Tad was too stunned to make out. He tried backing away but the wire kept him trapped. Bill stepped closer, reaching to grab Tad. Tad reared his legs back and kicked Bill away.
Bill stumbled back and fell onto the portal switch, crumpling to the ground. He looked up in a daze and was horrified to see the portal roaring to life. He scrambled to his feet but his legs gave out and he fell back to his knees. He tried standing again, but his body was caught and pulled by a new gravity.
Tad fought to free himself from the wire but his attention was pulled away by the sound of Bills screams. He looked up and saw Bill’s floating, his silhouette illuminated by the blue light of the portal.
"Help me! Tad! Please!" Bill kicked at the air, clawing desperatly towards Tad.
Tads movements became more frantic as he ripped away the wires, "Bill! I'm trying! Bill! I—"
Bill's body disappeared, engulfed by the spinning light. With a blast and flash of light, Tad was knocked back into the wire. He scrambled to free himself, “Bill! Oh god, Bill!” he raced towards the portal, searching for Bill. But he was gone.
Jheselbraum, on the rare occasions she saw Bill in town, noticed his behavior gradually becoming increasingly strange over the span of a few weeks. At first, his movements were clumsy and awkward, stumbling through the streets like a child learning to walk. She initially assumed he was drunk, but as time passed, it became clear something else was wrong. His walk became more refined, but completely different from his usual stride—his head held high, his steps confident, and his hands clasped neatly behind his back. However, this wasn't nearly as disturbing as his newfound hostility towards others. Bill, who had always been somewhat stand-offish but never rude, acted arrogant, treating those around him as if they were beneath him.
Bill also appeared disheveled; his hair was long and tangled, his clothes dirty, and his face gaunt. There was also something off with his eyes. Jheselbraum couldn't place it, but they just looked wrong—dark and empty, like something had crawled inside of Bill's skin and was poorly imitating him. Jheselbraum was filled with a growing sense of unease, the feeling in her gut that had kept her in gravity falls returned, leading her to pay Bill a visit.
-
When she entered his house, Jheselbraum was taken aback by its state. The place was a wreck—papers strewn everywhere, cobwebs draped over the furniture, and dust filled the air. Is Bill really living here?
She called out his name, but there was no response. She ventured down into the basement and found him working on the portal. He looked awful. With his long hair tied into a messy ponytail, revealing his condition was far worse than Jheselbraum had initially believed, "Bill?"
Bill jumped and looked up in surprise, “J-Jhesel? What are you doing here?”
"I was worried. About you." Her gaze lingered, examining his decrypate from, her face a mix of shock and concern.
Bill’s expression darkened as he turned to continue his work., “Im fine. You can leave now.”
"Fine? You call this fine?” Her anger surged, “Bill, what the hell is going on with you?"
For once, Jheselbraum didn’t hold back. Normally, she would leave in quiet frustration, wanting to avoid confrontation, but not this time. She had reached her limit. If escalating was the only way to get Bill to listen, then so be it.
She unleashed everything—her concerns and frustration from the last year, picking apart his every action. She questioned his sanity, asking if he was having a mental crisis. She tore him to pieces before threatening to contact his family, “Is that what it will to get you to pull your head out of your ass?”. However, this only managed to anger Bill and send him over the edge.
Bill had been frozen in stunned silence, but the mention of his family caused him to snap. His face contortinf with rage as he yelled, “Leave them out of this!”
He unleashed a barrage of cutting insults, using her insecurities and regrets as amunition. In his rage, he grabbed a nearby tool and flung it at her.
It missed, bouncing off the wall behind her and clattering to the floor. Jheselbraum stood in shock, face pale and eyes wide. She stumbled back, turned, and bolted up the stairs, fleeing the house and driving away.
Bill sat there, paralyzed, the weight of his actions crashing down on him. He wanted to chase after her, but his legs wouldn’t move. Minutes passed before he managed to stumbled to his feet and up the upstairs. The front door was open, left ajar by Jheselbraum. He reached outt, his hand hovered over the doorknob. I should apologize.
“You should stay here,” Bill shifted his attention to Ford. “Things will only escalate if you go after her.”
Bill, deflated, slowly closing the door. He stood in silence, staring blankly at the knob, fog clouding his mind. “You should rest.” Ford glided in front of Bill, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Bill silently obeyed, numbly turning and walking to his bedroom. He slumped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he feel fast sleep, unaware of what Ford did while he rested.
When he woke, he back in the basement, a sticky note left by Ford sitting in front of him: ‘There's nothing to worry about. The problem is solved. Continue fulfilling your legacy.’
A pit formed in Bill’s stomach and a lump formed in his throat. He swallowed hard, let out a shaky breath. Rising to his feet, he turned back to the portal, but a chilling anxiety brewed in his chest as he forced himself to continue working.
-
A week had passed with Bill tirelessly working on the Portal and Ford taking over his body at night. But eventually, something clicked in Bill's mind. Why wasn’t anyone banging down the front door? Why hadn’t anyone called? Knowing Jheselbraum, she would’ve definitely told his family about their fight. So why was no one there?
A cold shiver ran down his spine as Ford’s words flashed in his mind ‘the problem is solved’. What did that mean? Bill thought back, remembering all of his doubts, doubts he had kept hidden—doubts Ford had somehow known. Ford knew exactly what to tell Bill to keep his fears down. To keep him down. Something wasn’t right.
Unable to shake the feeling, Bill raced out of the house and into town. Heading towards Jheselbraum's apartment, he spotted her wandering the streets. Relief washed over him as he ran up to her and began apologizing, stopping when he noticed her confused and worried expression.
"Do I know you?"
Bill’s heart sank. His face paled as he looked her over. She was wearing the same clothes from when he last saw her, but no coat or shoes—in the middle of winter. He quickly wrapped his jacket around her, ushering her towards his car and out of the cold. But she recoiled in fear, wriggling out of Bill’s grasp before running away.
He tried to chase after her, but his exhaustion slowed him to a wheezing crawl. Bill spent the rest of the day searching, but the cold forced him to stop. Desperation pushed him to ask the police for help, but all they could offer was a vague promise to “keep an eye out.”
Bill had no choice but to return home. He needed to call the Jheselbraums family and tell them. Tell them... what exactly? That their daughter had gone mad? That she lost her mind and was now wondering underdressed through the cold? Thinking about it, he realized he didn't even remember their numbers. He couldn’t remember anyone's number. Bill never could, always having to rely on an old notebook with the everyones contact information listed.
Bill frantically searched the house, but the notebook was gone. Even his phone had disappeared.His breath quickened, becoming ragged, as the world collapsed in on him. Nothing was where it should, no one was acting how they should be. Nothing was right and he had no one—not his friend or his family. He was alone.
Bill crumpled to the floor in a sobbing heap before waking to a familiar cosmos. Ford hovered above him, trying to explain away all of Bill’s doubts.
Bill stayed quiet, listening to Ford try and rationalize what Bill saw. Then Ford paused, seemingly interrupted by a silent voice. He looked down at Bill, examining him with a narrowed eye.
"I want the truth." Bill's voice was cold, his eye fixed on Ford.
Ford sighed with annoyance, looking at Bill with disappointment. "I'll give you this one chance, Cipher."
With a snap, the dream unraveled, and Bill was bombarded with flashes of creatures and places he had never seen before, inventions he could never dream of creating.
"This will all be ours, my protégé.” Ford gestured towards the images, “Anything we desire. Everything we deserve."
Bill's head was spinning. Overwhelmed, he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, "No! I asked for the truth, Stanford! Give me the truth!"
Ford's eye darkened, and a flash of red anger painted his shape. He closed his eye, recollecting himself before he raised his hand, fingers bracing against each other. His eye reopened, staring at Bill with a cold indifference.
"To think I would've let you join me."
Snap
-
Ford took control of Bill's body, forcing it up from the floor and over to the basement door. First, he changed the doors passcode before heading down to the lab. There, he grabbed one of his secret side projects: a pin lock, which he installed on the closet door. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the portal, picking up where Bill had left off. He worked until Bill’s body reached its limit, its hand’s trembling too much to use. Finally, Ford locked himself in the closet. Now, Bill was trapped—only able to leave when Ford possessed his body.
-
Ford continued working on the portal, knowing it would be complete in a few more days. However, Bill didn't make it easy. When awake, he tried breaking down the door, leaving his body too exhausted for Ford to use, delaying the portal's completion. Bill’s continued escape efforts lead him to work his frail body past its limits. In a desperate attempt to slow Ford's progress, he restored to hurting himself. Forcing Ford to work with broken bones and trembling limbs. Ford tried reasoning with Bill—through flattery or insult—doing everything he could to break him down. But Bill held strong.
After a few days, Bill finally managed to break down the door and weakly climb upstairs, only to be met with another lock installed by Ford. In that moment, Bill nearly gave up. His body was wrecked, the pain being the only thing keeping him conscious. Ford tried encouraging Bill’s weakness, insisting his actions were pointless. But Bill fought off his desire to quit and steeled his resolve.
He tried kicking down the metal door, but his legs were too weak. Taking a moment to assess his surroundings, he realized he could just break through the wooden wall instead. With renewed determination, he shuffled back down to the lab and grabbed his tools. He spent hours tearing at the the wall, all while enduring Ford’s manipulation. Eventually he broke through.
Bill raced to the front door, only to be halted by a raging blizzard. It was too risky to push through the snow—he could die of hypothermia or pass out, giving Ford to the chance to regain control or manipulate someone else into finishing the portal. He had no choice but to find a solution inside the house.
Bill frantically searched for something—anything—that might help him deal with Ford. It was a feverish attempt made more difficult as night fell. Ford had taken the time to remove every light bulb in the house, leaving Bill in the dark and forcing him to return to the basement. There he found a busted old torch that he used to light his way.
During his search, he came across an old photo of him with his friends. A heavy pit formed in his stomach as he stared at the picture, a reminder of forgotten memories and broken friendships. Before he could dwell on it for too long, another photo caught his eye.
In it, a younger Bill smiled proudly as he held up a first-place prize from a science contest. Beside him stood someone he hadn't seen in almost a decade—his old babysitter, first friend, and big brother, Tad. Tears welled up in Bill’s eyes as he realized just how much he missed Tad. How much he’s needed him—now more than ever.
Suddenly, an idea grounded him. Bill jumped to his feet, rifling through drawers until he found an unfinished postcard addressed to Tad. “What good will that do?” Fords voice cut through Bills thoughts “He abandoned you, Cipher. What makes you think he’ll come back?” Bill paused. Ford was right. And even if he wasn’t, who was Bill to ask Tad to travel all the way to Gravity Falls just to help him? They hadn’t spoken in years. Did Tad even remember Bill existed?
Taking a deep breath, Bill steadied himself. I won’t know unless I send it. He wrote “PLEASE COME!” followed by his home address. Once the blizzard died down, he bundled up and made his way into the woods, placing the letter in an old, rusted mailbox. He lifted the flag and left, hoping—praying—Tad would receive it.
-
While waiting for Tad, Bill loaded up on caffeine and energy medication, trying to stay awake for as long as possible. He couldn't risk Ford taking over his body and locking himself somewhere he couldn't escape. Bill continued his search for something against Ford, but he couldn’t find his journals. He nearly tore the house apart, but there was nothing—Ford had either hidden or destroyed them. Defeated, Bill shifted his focus to dismantling the portal.
It was far from an easy task. Bill's body was weak from a lack of food and sleep, and with his journals gone, he had to rely on scattered notes and his foggy memory. He gathered what he could find, but between Ford’s constant badgering and Bill's sleep deprivation, it was hard to focus. Things only got worse when he started to have hallucinations—or what he convinced himself were hallucinations.
Every bump and creak sent Bill into panic, scrambling to find its cause. The only way he could get any work done was by tricking himself into thinking everything was fine. As long as he saw Ford, he was safe, his presence brought Bill a strange sense comfort. He could keep and eye on him and didn’t have to be completely alone—though its debatable if being alone would’ve be better than hanging out with your captor.
One night, after ignoring a series of thumps upstairs, Bill was startled by the sound of breaking glass. He looked around and realized Ford was gone. He’d been so focused on the portal that Bill didn’t notice his absence. Grabbing a long metal pipe, he raced upstairs, slowing as he neared the source of the noise. He was chilled to see a decaying body crawling through the broken window, its eye glowing a golden hue.
"Stop with these games, Cipher." The corpse’s voice was raspy, its words disturbingly familiar. Ford. "I gave you the opportunity to do one worthwhile thing in your pathetic life, and you wasted it."
Bill froze, trembling as the corspe staggered to its feet. "This is your last chance."
A bloody hand reached out toward him. Bill's grip on the pipe tightened.
"Cipher, my protégé, don't—"
Before Ford could finish, Bill swung the pipe down onto the hand, then back at Ford’s face, landing with a sickening crack. The corpse slammed into the ground. Bill stood panting, waiting for Ford to get back up, but the body lay still. Shining his flashlight into the dead man's eyes, Bill saw no glow—the pupils small and unreactive.
Bill dragged the body outside. It took him a while, but eventually, he managed to lay it beside the back porch. He stumbled back inside and returned to the basement. He tried dismantling the portal, but his hands wouldn’t cooperate. Shaking so violently he could barley hold a tool without dropping it. He told himself that he was just the cold, but even after an hour of sitting in the warm basement, his hands pressed tightly against his chest, the trembling wouldn’t stop. And then came the tears.
-
At one point, Bill toyed with the idea of blowing up the house. It would be the quickest solution and would set Ford back significantly. The idea intrigued him, but the intrusive thought of being inside when it exploded quickly snuffed out the plan. Besides, it was only a temporary fix. Bill needed something permanent. And then there was Tad. If he comes—when he comes— how would he feel, finding nothing but the ashes of Bill’s homes?
While exploring one of Gravity Falls’ caves, Bill stumbled upon a wall covered in ancient text. Bill recorded his findings and translated the writing to reveal an incantation to summon an oval-shaped entity. Bill hesitated to try the summoning but felt he couldn't miss the opportunity to push past his plateau and continue his research. So he read the incantation aloud.
Later that day, Bill experienced an extraordinary dream. While floating through an infinite cosmos filled with books and scrolls, Bill was greeted by the creature pictured on the cave walls. A yellow, oval-shaped being with one eye and glasses at its center–part of its form appeared chipped away. The entity, underwhelmingly named Stanford, told Bill that he was there to help expand his research by acting as a ‘mentor’.
-
Bill, though wary in the beginning, grew to trust his new friend. Ford shared his knowledge of Bill's world and the oddities that resided in it–though never enough to satisfy the man. He would always leave Bill with a tease of new information, promising to teach him more later on. Like a fishing lure, Ford would use his extensive knowledge to reel Bill in and keep him close.
Ford also fed into Bill's narcissism, telling him that he was special and different from those who had summoned Ford in the past. This gave Bill the love and attention he so desperately craved, inflating his ego just enough to keep him happy and obedient. Before long, Bill was completely wrapped around Ford's finger, hanging on his mentor's every word, utterly infatuated. Ford believed Bill was ready for the next phase of his plan, but he had to be sure.
To test Bill’s commitment, Ford asked Bill to remove his lazy eye, reasoning that it was only holding him back and that doing so would prove Bill was serious about expanding his knowledge. Bill's lazy eye–something he was teased for while growing up, but also something that he and Tad had bonded over–was an innate part of his identity. But Bill didn't hesitate.
-
A few months later, Ford revealed that it was nearly time for him to leave, explaining to Bill that he didn't have anything else to teach him, and soon there would be no point in staying. Bill was caught off guard and desperate to keep his Mentor close. He frantically searched for an excuse to have Ford stay, telling him that he still has so much more to learn, not just about his world, but about Ford’s too. Bill’s desperation grew, overtaking his mind in hopeless pleas. Don’t leave me. Please. Please don’t leave me alone. Not again.
Seeing Bill's anguish over his leaving, Ford relented before offering a solution. He explained that it wouldn’t matter if he talked about the makings of his world because Bill couldn’t experience it for himself–unless he could. Ford admitted to knowing a way for Bill to explore not just Ford’s world, but countless others, hinting that he could also continue as Bill’s mentor–if Bill was fully prepared to expand his research. Bill jumped at the opportunity, swearing that he was ready. Ford revealed his plan: Bill needed to create a portal that would open a gateway to other worlds, allowing him to explore beyond the limits of his dimension.
Bill was eager to create the portal, especially since he could work on calculations with Ford. However, they still needed to gather materials and build the machine. After realizing that it would take far too long to do on his own, Bill called his old college friends–some lent him supplies, while others traveled to Gravity Falls to help him build. But Ford was not happy. He chose Bill to do the work, not his bumbling group of ‘friends’ with their useless degrees. What infuriated him the most wasn’t that Bill had gone over his head, but that he was right–things were progressing much faster with their help. But this didn’t matter to Ford. He already knew the sting of trusting the wrong person, so he wanted them gone.
Ford couldn’t outright tell Bill to kick his friend out, so he restored to planting subtle doubts in Bill's mind, suggesting that his friends might sabotage their work. Bill, initially confused, tried to reassure Ford that there was nothing to worry about. However, Ford persisted, slowly dripping poison into Bill’s mind. Slowly, Bill began to believe him. He started double-checking his friends’ work, scrutinizing the materials they brought, and analyzing their actions. Ford's words gnawed at Bill until he was on the brink of sending away his friends. It was only after Ford confided in Bill, sharing how trusting the wrong person had cost him everything, that Bill was fully convinced.
One by one, Bill began dismissing his friends with various excuses, though it was clear that he simply didn't want them around anymore. Over time, they watched Bill twist into someone they barely recognized–cold and distant, treating them less like friends and more like subordinates. Some tried convincing Bill to let them stay, but he wouldn't budge. He told them they were no longer needed and that he couldn’t risk their shoddy work jeopardizing his project. In the end, Bill all but called them stupid before severing ties and destroying his friendships.
However, one friend, Jheselbraum, stayed behind. She sensed something was off and wanted to keep an eye on Bill, making sure he was safe. Jheselbraum would stop by Bill's home to check on him and hang out, and while he enjoyed her visits, Ford would always convince him to send her away. Eventually, Bill banned her from coming over, insisting he needed to focus on finishing his project and couldn’t afford any distractions. But Jheselbraum persisted, calling daily to check on Bill until she finally convinced him to let her at least drop off food.
Every time she visited, Bill was either locked away in the basement or gone from the house entirely. On the rare occasions she saw him, Jheselbraum noticed how worn down he looked–becoming more decrepit with each passing day. She tried talking to him, but he either ignored her or brushed her off, insisting he was fine and too busy with his project to worry about his appearance. The more she tried reaching out to help him, the further away he felt, like an ever-widening chasm. She could scream and still, he wouldn’t hear her, her voice swallowed by the void between them. Even when standing in the same room, Jheselbraum couldn’t help but feel they were miles apart, and it frustrated her.
It wasn’t long before Jheselbraum reached her breaking point. One day, she noticed a trail of blood leading to the basement and found Bill crumpled on the floor. She managed to get him out of the basement and into her car, wanting to take him to the hospital. But during the drive, Bill woke up and demanded she take him back home. He insisted he was fine and that a hospital visit would only waste more of his time. Jheselbraum tried reasoning with him but Bill rolled his eyes and muttered, “I knew you’d get in the way.”
Jheselbraum went silent, and her grip tightened on the steering wheel. She turned the car around, helped Bill back into his house, and placed him in a chair. She patched up his wound in continued silence. When she finished, she stood up, looked Bill in the eye, and told him that she was done. She wouldn’t be dropping off food or visiting anymore. She was through with him. However, Jheselbraum couldn’t bring herself to leave Gravity Falls completely. She was angry, but a feeling in her gut wouldn’t allow her to leave. Something was wrong. Though she couldn’t pinpoint what, she knew she had to stay–lingering around places she thought Bill might go, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Her actions more akin to monitoring a suspicious than simply looking out for old friend.
-
Now that Bill was alone, Ford concentrated his manipulation into pushing Bill further into isolation. He used Jheselbraum's leaving as proof that Bill couldn’t trust anyone–except for Ford. Yet, Bill began second guessing himself, more importantly, Bill geban second guessing Ford.
Bill tried his best to remain focused on building the portal, but doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind, festering until he couldn’t ignore it any longer. What exactly was Ford planning to do with the portal? Bill hated the thought–hated that he was question his mentor–but he couldn’t help it.
As soon as this doubt bubbled to the surface of Bills mind, Ford new instantly. Ford attempted to reassure bill, emphasizing that the portal was more beneficial for him than it was for Ford, stressing that his only concern was Bills success. However, this reassurance didn’t fully take hold, and Ford knew it.
Bill continued to build the portal, doubt still lingering in his mind. He didn't want to believe that his mentor had ulterior motives. Desperately, he clung to their friendship like a life raft in a vast, empty sea–though one of his own making. He wanted to believe Ford, to trust that their partnership was genuine. But as time passed, his doubts only deepened, and he bagan to long for his old friends.
Before Bill could act on his feelings, Ford intervened with further manipulation, choosing to have a ‘heart-to-heart’. He reminded Bill of their previous conversation about how trusting the wrong person had cost Ford everything. This time, he revealed that it was his brother who he had misplaced his trust in, leading to the loss of his family and his dimension–everything. Ford claimed that his journey for knowledge was meant to help others, serving as a way to overcome his past.
Ford also admitted that he had lied to Bill in the past, but not out of malice. He confessed that he was ashamed of his limited understanding of Bill’s dimension. Having always prided himself on his vast wealth of knowledge, Ford felt inadequate and uncertain about to teaching Bill. He explained that he feared Bill would take advantage of his naivety–just like his brother had. However, over the course of their partnership, Ford had come to genuinely trust Bill and was happy to call him a true friend.
Moved by Ford’s supposed vulnerability, Bill apologized to for doubting him, realizing that he had been wrong. Ford’s manipulation had work. Sensing the shift in Bills mind, Ford seized the moment to reveal a new ability: the power to control someone's body through their mind. He asked if he could try it on Bill. More trusting of his mentor than ever before, Bill admently agreed.
-
Weeks passed, Bill and Ford settled into a routine. When Bill was awake, he worked on the portal. But when he was asleep, Ford took control of his body and did the work to keep Bill alive–ensuring he ate, drank, and rested. Of course, Ford would also work on little side projects. Using the schematics of a former interdimensional follower, he created a tool that could erase memories, hiding it from Bill. Ford knew it was only a matter of time before one of Bill's pests would try to interfere, and he wanted to be prepared. It didn’t take long before he was proven right.
Shapes and Strange Ciphers AU: Brothers, Space Oddity
SaSC by me
Shapes and Pines by @/void-dude
Next Part
Bill
Bill advanced quickly in school, skipping grade levels and starting early in college. In his free time, he would talk to Tad about all the cool things he was learning and wanted to know. After some time, he started taking an interest in the obscure. However, Bill noticed Tad slowly drifting away and asked what was wrong.
When Tad said that life was just busy, Bill was upset. Believing Tad saw him as a burden and feeling guilty for wasting his time. Bill was also a little annoyed. He was so used to being Tad's center of attention that, when he wasn't, he felt Tad didn't care about him anymore. So Bill started talking to Tad less and kept things brief. Eventually, he lost contact with him but thought it was for the best, hoping that Tad would reach out when he was able.
-
After Tad left, Bill was alone. He only made this worse by closing himself off from others and leaning further into his education and research. However, as Bill learned more, he slowly began spiraling into an unhealthy dependence on knowledge. Bill didn't know when Tad would return, didn't know how to help him, or how to fix their tattered relationship.
These were problems that Bill couldn't solve, questions he couldn't answer. So why dwell on them? Instead, he focused on things he could figure out, delving further into the strange happenings of the world.
Bill started to discover things he never believed were real and questions yet to be answered. Questions he could answer. So Bill took the step to switch his main course of study from the mathematical and scientific to the oddities of the world.
Along the way, Bill slowly opened himself back up and managed to make friends with like-minded people who helped further his research. Eventually, he found himself in a place filled with the strange and unusual, a sleepy town in Oregon called Gravity Falls. There, Bill discovered countless supernatural wonders that he took to studying–recording his findings in a journal.
After a few years, Bill noticed that he had recorded many supernatural occurrences but not the reason for their occurrences. Bill had hit a roadblock in his studies and struggled to work around it.
Shapes and Strange Ciphers AU: Brothers, Loneliest Number
SaSC by me
Shapes and Pines by @/void-dude
Next Part
Background:
Tad and Bill are humans who grew up together. Tad babysat Bill for most of his life. Bill sees Tad as a big brother, and Tad sees Bill as a little brother. Bill was born with ptosis(drooping eyelid) that led to amblyopia(lazy eye) in his right eye. Tad was born with an eye nevus(freckle) in his left iris. Their eye conditions helped them bond, though Tad hated his eye freckle.
Bill was a big math and science nerd who had chosen his dream college before he was out of middle school. Despite his last name, Tad was a normal kid with an abnormal need to fit in. He wanted to be like everyone else, with normal lives and normal eyes. Tad focused so hard on fitting in that he ignored more important matters. When high school graduation came, Tad didn’t know what he’d do except for what everyone else was doing; attend college and study… accounting? Business? However, Bill continued to grow in his studies while Tad burned out and dropped out of college.
Tad
Tad began working in retail, finding a boring job at Malwart. On his time off, he'd listen to Bill talk about his schooling, fascinations, and dream college. Tad loved supporting Bill and was overjoyed when he was accepted into his dream school.
Tad would mindlessly listen to Bill rave about the different things he was learning in college, not understanding most of the stuff he'd talked about. Work was never fun, and doing the same thing for 9 hours every day was slowly driving Tad insane. But coming home to hear Bill go on and on about Quantum theory, trigonometry, or any other topic he learned in school was Tad's favorite part of the day. It helped Tad's monotonous day of work feel a little less boring, making things slightly more bearable.
However, when Bill shifted his focus to the more obscure, Tad's escape from the mundane was twisted, leading him to be captured by Bill's unusual new interest.
Now, all Bill talked about was the supernatural and strange, but Tad missed hearing about Bill's studies in math and science. None of it made sense to him, but he was more content learning a calculus formula than he was hearing Bill prattle on about the new cryptid he found. Whenever Tad tried shifting attention back to Bill's majors, he got a lackluster recounting of that day's lecture before Bill excitedly shared the latest myth he learned. He wanted Bill to talk about something normal and stop talking about the supernatural. Eventually, Tad wanted Bill to just stop talking.
Tad slowly started distancing himself from Bill, trying to avoid hearing about his growing interest in the abnormal. But Bill eventually noticed and asked Tad what was wrong. Out of fear of hurting Bill's feelings, Tad lied, saying he was busy and overwhelmed with work and that Bill had nothing to worry about. However, this only made things worse.
Bill also started distancing himself, feeling a little guilty for taking up Tads time. In the end, their friendship waned, ending after Tad moved away for a better job.
Tad blamed himself for being too cowardly to admit the real reason he was acting distant, for not putting aside his fixations, and for not supporting Bill. Tad was left hoping that one day, Bill would reach out and tell him all the fun, weird, or crazy things he'd learn. In the meantime, Tad wasted away at another boring job.
-
After a few years, Tad reached a breaking point. One second, he was in his endless cycle of work, eat, sleep, repeat, and the next, he was trembling on the breakroom floor, barely containing a shaky laugh. After regaining control himself, Tad left work and never looked back.
Tad's parents, alarmed by his irresponsible actions, asked if he was okay, offering to let him stay at their house. Tad swore that everything was fine and that he was simply taking a short break. He turned down their offer but promised things would return to normal after he had a moment to relax. However, that wasn't the case.
What started as a 'short break' spiraled into a year-long bender, but instead of alcohol or drugs, Tad got his high from committing crimes. Initially, Tad only did what he needed to survive, but stolen food soon turned into swiped wallets, a skipped tab into an unpaid loan.
Each act of thievery gave Tad an adrenaline rush that he would have never gotten from his dead-end job. Sure, it was wrong, and Tad did feel a little guilty, but now was the time for fun! Besides, he figured he'd already paid for his misdeeds by wasting his life on his old job, so, morally, he was in the clear. Right?
-
It wasn’t long until Tad stole from the wrong person and found himself locked in a cell. Too ashamed to call his parents for help, Tad stayed in jail. When it came time for his sentencing, Tad made a plea deal that resulted in five years of prison. After three years, Tad was released for good behavior.
He tried to get back into living a normal life, but things weren't that simple. With a criminal record, Tad struggled to get a job. On the off chance that he did, it wouldn't be long before his criminal history was found, and he was fired. Eventually, he gave up on getting hired for conventional work, settling on becoming a door-to-door salesman for what was obviously a pyramid scheme. Later, Tad switched to working as a used car salesman.
In the end, Tad had only managed to crawl right back to where he started, working another dead-end job and gradually building to another breakdown that would undoubtedly end with him returning to prison. The only thing staving off this eventual fall was the excitement he got from scamming others; though it wasn’t nearly as potent as before, the fear of serving more time weighing Tad down.
Of course, Tad still had to deal with the backlash of his swindling, forcing him to add 'traveling' to his job title as a used car salesman. He'd also grown accustomed to using pseudonyms and perfected his ability to read people –a skill he picked up in prison– so he always knew when to relocate before a mob of angry customers came for his neck.
-
This less-than-ideal situation continued to eat away at Tad for the next few years; the occasional attempt on his life by an angry customer or an attempt on his freedom by an angry cop gave him just enough of an adrenaline rush to keep going. However, Tad had reached another breaking point.
He once again found himself a nervous wreck on the floor, barely able to contain himself. But it was in the midst of this breakdown that Tad had caught what he thought was a break.
A knock from the door jolted Tad from his unkempt stupor. He cautiously checked the peephole to see... no one. Confused, Tad checked for a second time but was startled when a postcard slid through the mail slot. He checked the peephole again. Still no one. Tad looked down, examining the 'Gravity Falls' postcard. He bent over and picked it up, flipping it to see the words 'PLEASE COME!' His eyes widened when reading the signature: '– Bill.'
Stanley and Stanford Pines are twin Euclydian ovals with eye mutations. Stanford has two eyes, one on his side, the other on his face. Stanley has one eye on his side with a split pupil. Both could see the stars, Stanford better than Stanley, but they wanted others to see them.
After years of planning, Stanford had devised a way to show everyone the stars, and Stan's help was crucial. However, when it came time, Stanley wasn't there. He was late and Stanford had grown impatient. He's waited all his life to show everyone what they could see, to prove he and his brother weren’t crazy.
He justified doing the plan without Stanley, telling himself that it was nothing more than an insignificant role he could easily fill. So Ford [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]. It was all gone.
Stanley
Stanley found himself outside of his now destroyed dimension. He remembers bits and pieces of what happened – hearing [][][][][][][], seeing [][][][][][][], and feeling a searing pain in his right shoulder before everything went black. The only thing he knew for sure was that Ford and his plan had caused it. However, Stan didn't blame Ford for what happened. He blamed himself. If he had been there, Ford's plan would've worked. He was a genius whose plans never failed, and Stan was the idiot who dragged him down.
-
Stan traveled the multiverse, plagued by guilt and regret. For years, he tried to rebuild his life, but his self-hatred led to self-sabotage, leaving him back at square one. Eventually, Stan turned toward a life of crime, fueling his cycle of self-destructive. Each prison sentence made it harder for Stan to find a reason to keep going. If he was going to rot in a cell or be on the run for all of eternity, then what was the point? It wasn't until he discovered Ford was still alive that Stan finally found a reason to keep moving.
Stan wanted nothing more than to find his brother and apologize, but he held back, telling himself he wasn't good enough. In their time apart, Ford had who had become a powerful and well-known figure, while Stan had only become a low-life criminal. He needed to prove to Ford that he wasn't the same screw-up, that he could be better–he could be perfect.
Stan spent the next hundred eons improving himself–even got surgery to fix his eye, though he still needed glasses. Along the way, he heard plenty of great things about his brother, but he also some alarming ones. Still, he would convince himself that people had gotten the details wrong or just didn’t understand Ford's intentions. After all, Stan's brother was kind and caring. Sure, Ford had his moments of lashing out, but who hasn't? And, yeah, a lot can change in the years they spent apart, but certainly not enough to turn Ford into some kind of monster… right?
-
Stan's past criminal actions were catching up to him, bringing some very angry people along for the ride–old partners Stan had burned and were now looking for revenge. If Stan could deal with them first, he'd have a much easier time improving his life. He thought getting more money would help him pay them off, so he tried finding a job, but his criminal history made that nearly impossible. This forced Stan to keep committing crimes. He didn’t want to, fearing Ford would disapprove of his criminal past, but he wasn't left with much of a choice.
By the time Stan was confronted by one of his former partners, he still hadn't managed to collect much money. He was chased down, cornered, and on the brink of receiving a brutal beatdown when a 'backdoor' to another world opened nearby. Without hesitation, Stan jumped in.
Stanford
Stanford was left with the wreckage of his home. His mind went into immediate damage control, deluding himself into believing everything was Stanley's fault. If only Stanley listened to him and had arrived when told, none of this would've happened. They could be watching the stars with their family if Stanley wasn't such an idiot. Stanford is a genius whose plans never fail, but Stanley ruined that. He should've never trusted Stanley with such an important plan because now Stanford was alone, his entire family was dead.
-
Stanford traveled the multiverse, using the knowledge he gained and the things he researched to distract himself. Forget stars. They were nothing more than balls of gas, and there were greater things to discover. He began to seek not just knowledge but power. His unchecked narcissism led him to conquer worlds, doing whatever he pleased.
Along his travels, Ford met many creatures. The few he found interesting or useful would be offered to join him and gain knowledge. However, if they no longer served use or started to become burdens, Ford would [][][][][][][][][][]. He didn’t need anyone slowing him down, he didn’t need more Stans.
Ford would do anything to further his research and allowed nothing to get in his way, not even himself. Only one of Ford's eyes could see in front of him, the other was on his side, 'getting in the way.' With the help of one of his 'friends' he got rid of his 'useless' eye. The surgery left Ford with a chunk of his form missing. However, his eyesight did not improve. He'd lived with both eyes all his life, so his eyesight needed time to adjust. As a result, Ford started wearing glasses.
Ford had made quite the name for himself. He was either a bringer of great knowledge or destruction. People created shrines, some out of respect and many out of fear. Ford had traveled far and wide, leaving a scar of devastation that crossed the multiverse.
However, Ford eventually became bored. He had access to so much, but it all felt so small. He wanted to explore places he couldn’t reach but realized his form was too limited. He needed something better. He deserved better. He needed pawns and knew exactly where he could get them, from a place he could only access through the minds of lower beings. It had been years since Ford's last visit, but he had already left his mark. It was only a matter of time until someone useful came along and found it.
Alternate Universes to the Shapes and Pines au by @void-dude
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DISCLAIMER!!! These are by no means canon to Shapes and Pines!!! These are alts of that au!!!
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I did a thing
1. Shapes and Strange Ciphers(SaSC): Human Tad and Bill, Euclydian Stan and Ford.
Tad ⇄ Stan , Bill ⇄ Ford
I already have a 22-page google doc with a summary of The Twins and Shapes bgs, plus a slightly more detailed looks at what each did before reuniting/meeting(plus lore comments). It stops at Tad and Stan meeting.
It's a bit of a mess and has some clunky moments, but I need to share it before I explode 😭
(I also have no clue how Dipper and Mabel or a lot of other characters would fit in this so it's literally just to play around with the shape fuckers dynamics 😅)
6/8 posted
1: Stan and Ford - Twins
2: Tad - Brothers, Loneliest Number
3: Bill - Brothers, Space Oddity
4: Bill and Ford - Need a hand? Pt. 1
5: Bill and Ford - Need a hand? Pt. 2
6: Bill and Tad - From States Away
7: Tad - To Worlds Apart
8: Tad and Stan - Need a friend?
2. Swapped!Shapes and Pines: Everyone swaps roles but not personalities. There are slight changes to mold the role around the character or mold the character to fit the role, but I tried to keep things mostly the same(biggest changes are in Tad and Bill).
Stan ⇄ Ford , Tad ⇄ Bill , Fiddleford ⇄ Preston , Mabel ⇄ Dipper , Pacifica ⇄ Tate , etc.
This one's a lot less put together(3 pages) and is just tables, bullet points, and lore comments. It's also not done, stopping after Ford meets Bill.
Depending on how long I decide it takes Ford, Fidd, and Bill to fix the portal, Mabel and Dipper may or may not be in it. Kind of leaning towards keeping it 30 years with the excuse that Stan doesn't leave notes like canon Ford does.
I like coming up with dumb little backstories explaining how characters ended up how they are and how their personalities slightly adapt to or change their role.
(Please ignore how I miss spelled 'role' as 'roll' I was hungry)
This au can also be changed to fit more to the og canon by swapping Tad out for an in universe character(also changing Stan's relationship with the big bad) and getting rid of Bills role.
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Also, huge thanks to the explosion of the Gravity Falls Fandom and the amazing creators who inspired me out of my art block prison.
Specifically, @/void-dude! Their Bill in therapy with static Ford gave me the kick I needed to start drawing again. Their Tad also infected me with the need to make a Euclydian oc who, I just realized, I never posted on here. Whoops.
Anywho, these past few weeks have been awesome for my creativity and horrible for my school work.
Gonna drop the Shapes and Strange Ciphers in peaces(plus lore screenshots) because I don't know what the text limit on tumblr is, and I want to keep some parts to their own post.
I will also drop bits of the swapped au as I work on it(warning that things will definitely be changed along the way and the label 'canon' is used very loosely) and it's possible that I will come up with or be inspired to make another au and get swept away in that.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my rambles, your reward is below 👇
Random head canon about Ford and Bill swaping places au. If Bill had his own journals, they would be filled with polaroid pictures instead of drawings.
Why you may ask?
Because Bill sucks at drawing and his skills are equivalent to this aus Ford:
The only reason he had photo realistic stuff in the BoB is because they were just that, photos:
Are Bills terrible drawing skills not actually canon and just another hc? More than likely, yes. Do I still think this is funny and stupid? 100%
This post made me sad at first but going back and reading it 2 more times, noticing the basket, and seeing the damn bread, made me cry and had me walking around my house, ranting to myself, like a crazy person.
I looked for void-dude’s post about Tad's feelings towards Stans's death and cried AGAIN.
I find it so crazy that a fan comic of a fan AU had me feeling so gutted.
You and void-dude are so talented and I love that you can make such amazing things and are kind enough to share it.
I hope you never stub your toes or step on a Lego ever again!
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