authorofanomalies

I definitely want to do my best to play Ford as accurately as possible, so please feel free to let me know if you have any feedback. I will be screening the comments of this post for privacy!

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Ryu
Contact: emiliaakari.tumblr.com
Skype: Ryuko Akari
Plurk: CipherHunterRyu
Age: 28
Current Characters: N/A


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Stanford Pines
Age: Mid-Sixties
Canon: Gravity Falls
Canon Point: Post-Series

Background:
Our story begins on the shores of Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey. A stern man, Filbrick Pines, had not expected to become the father of twins. He’d come into this without a plan, so he shrugged, and named them both Stan.

Specifically, he named them Stanford and Stanley. The boys were nearly identical in looks, save for one key difference. Stanford, who would soon prefer to be called Ford, was an anomaly. He had been born with a unique trait, polydactyly. Growing up with six fingers and an unusually high IQ made Ford feel like an outsider, but having his rambunctious brother by his side made the years pass happily. As they grew, he and his brother were inseparable as they explored the beaches. Soon, their small town wasn’t enough for them, and they decided to build a boat, dreaming of one day embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives.

Of course, life caught up to the two of them and threw a wrench into their plans. While the boys looked the same, their personalities were drastically different. Stan was rebellious and free spirited. Ford was inquisitive and studious. His love of science fiction compelled him to explore science fact. All of his teachers were thrilled to see him enter his high school’s science fair. He had built a perpetual motion machine, an improbable feat for his age! It was such a feat, that a panel of judges from West Coast Tech, the most prestigious school for the sciences in the country, were coming to see his invention. If they were impressed, Ford would surely get into their school, and his future would be guaranteed!

… But, it would be a future without Stan. When his brother found out about the college, he was scared that Ford would leave him forever. In a fit of anger, he accidentally broke Ford’s perpetual motion machine. The next morning, when the panel from the university arrived, Ford’s machine wasn’t moving. His shot to get into his dream school was ruined!

Ford confronted his brother, feeling horrified and betrayed. When their parents heard what Stan had done, their father kicked him out of the house. Ford, being heartbroken at the loss of his dream, didn’t protest.

Not one to give in, Ford applied, and still got into a university, but Backupsmore was never anyone’s first choice. At a place like that, Ford would have to work twice as hard to be recognized. Luckily, that was what he did best! At some point during his college years, Ford would befriend a fellow student, Fiddleford McGucket. While Fiddleford worked towards his goal to design personal computers, Ford entered a doctoral program three years ahead of schedule. After writing a nationally acclaimed thesis, Ford was given a generous grant to pursue his own research.

Ford had always felt conflicted about his six fingers. After consideration, he chose his topic. He would study anomalies. He discovered that there was a hotspot of anomalous occurrences throughout Oregon, seemingly originating from one small town in the woods. That town was known as Gravity Falls. When he encountered gnomes within minutes of arriving, Ford knew that he had found his new home.

Everywhere he looked, there were new supernatural anomalies! As he discovered the different classes of ghosts, shape-shifters, and signs of alien life, Ford needed somewhere to log his discoveries. He began to keep a journal. In fact, he had so much to write that he eventually had three.

His enthusiasm soon molded into desperate frustration. Yes, he had much to learn about, but why was this town so different? What was causing all of the anomalies? Something had to be causing them! He knew he couldn’t discover them all on his own. He decided to call his old friend Fiddleford to become his assistant, but it still wasn’t enough. No matter how much he learned, he was always missing something.

He discovered caves with paintings describing a mythical triangular creature that may answer his questions. In spite of warnings, Ford read the hieroglyphics aloud. While nothing happened at first, Ford had actually summoned the creature, which came to him in his dreams. The creature said that his name was Bill Cipher, and that he was a muse. He came to the human world to inspire one brilliant mind in a generation.

Under Bill’s care, Ford gained access to untold knowledge. In return, he gave Bill free reign to enter his mind and control him at will. Bill told him of another dimension, where all of the anomalies originated. He encouraged Ford to create a portal to connect the two worlds. Ford thought that he was going to unlock the secrets of the universe…

… Until Fiddleford got a peek at what waited beyond the portal. His mind was broken, and he was so traumatized by what he saw that he walked away from the project. Before he left, he warned of the one eyed demon that would destroy the world.

Ford put the pieces together. Bill had tricked him. He was not a muse. He was a treacherous dream demon, who had been manipulating him to build the portal so that he could escape into their world. Ford swore to stop him, but Bill already had access to his mind. Ford’s mind quickly slipped into paranoia and hysteria. In a desperate attempt to keep Bill out, he installed a metal plate in his head. While hearing voices, and seeing phantoms, Ford knew one thing. His portal could destroy the world.

He hid two of his journals, knowing that the knowledge they contained was far too dangerous. One could only open the portal using all three. He knew it wasn’t enough to hide them all in Gravity Falls. He had to get the final journal far away, and there was only one person in the world who he knew would help. He didn’t know if he could trust him, but he had no other choice.

He called his brother.

Stan arrived, having lived in squalor for the past ten years, surviving by creating scam after scam. Ford showed him the portal, and presented him with his last journal. He wanted Stan to sail away, having his dreamed of adventure, and to bury the final journal far away from Gravity Falls. Stan was furious that Ford had called him for that reason. In the ensuing fight, the portal was switched on. One shove from Stanley was too much. Ford barely managed to throw his journal to his brother before being pulled into the same nightmare realm that had driven Fiddleford mad.

Little is known about Ford’s time in the portal. All that we do know is that he was constantly being hunted as a fugitive by Bill’s followers. Along the way, he traveled across many dimensions, making new allies and enemies. For thirty years, he constantly watched his back, barely keeping out of Bill’s reach. Little did he know, in his original universe, his brother had assumed his identity. Stan was even living in his house, which he had converted into a roadside Mystery Shack to pay off the mortgage. One day, thirty years after being lost, Stan managed to re-start the portal. Ford took his chance, and returned to his original world.

Much had changed, but Stan was still there waiting for him, and Ford was still furious at him. He didn’t care that his brother had saved him. By opening the portal again, he risked creating a rift in reality. Bill could easily exploit that! He would have immediately kicked his brother out of his house and re-claimed his identity, if it weren’t for the children that he met upon exiting the portal.

Dipper and Mabel Pines, as it turned out, were his niece and nephew. In many ways, they were similar to Stan and Ford. Dipper was studious and curious, often going out of his ways to solve mysteries. Mabel was a free spirit, who valued her childhood dreams above all else. When he learned that the twins were living in his house for the summer, he let Stan stay. Instead, he chose to stay in the basement, trying to clean up the mess that the portal had made, and containing any tears in reality it might have caused.

He didn’t expect to become attached to the young twins. Mabel’s innocence was endearing. Dipper had read his journals, and showed a keen mind. The boy had been exploring the anomalies of Gravity Falls, and had even been tricked by Bill as well. Ford felt a connection to him, and decided to confide even more of the town’s secrets to him. He even offered to make Dipper his apprentice. Little did he know, this offer, and a schism caused by his portal, would cause the end of the world.

Mabel was terrified by the idea of leaving Gravity Falls at the end of summer, because she saw it as the next step towards growing up. Bill saw her doubt, and possessed a friend of theirs to trick Mabel into unleashing the tear in reality. Bill finally had his way into their universe. His Weirdmageddon could finally begin!

Ford felt responsible for the coming doom. He had a weapon that he’d been searching for beyond the portal, but there was no guarantee that it would work. He made Dipper hide, and went to face Bill. His gun failed, and he was quickly captured. Instead of just killing him, Bill knew he would have a use for his former dupe, and froze Ford into a gold statue.

... And then Bill met a stumbling block. He couldn't get out of Gravity Falls, and the only person who could undo the barrier holding him in was, surprise of surprises, Stanford Pines. Even worse, he couldn't just grab the information out of Ford's head without the man's permission. This led to torture, which proved completely ineffective. The only thing that nearly shook him was when his family showed up to save him, and Bill threatened to harm the kids.

There was only one way that Ford knew of to stop Bill, and he and his brother were nearly responsible for the end of the world, because they couldn't get along long enough to use it. Ford lost all hope. Bill was about to capture the kids, and his whole family would die. The only way he could think of to save them was to sacrifice himself to Bill ... There was a way to save the world, and destroy Bill for good. If someone accepted Bill into their mind, and then they had their memories erased, Bill would be destroyed forever. The only problem was, Ford's mind couldn't be erased anymore, and his was the only mind Bill wanted.

... Which was why it was so convenient that his brother looked just like him. Stan was a conman at heart, and decided to beat Bill the only way he knew how, by lying. He convinced Ford to trade clothes with him so he could impersonate his brother. It worked. Bill immediately took the bait, and was trapped in Stan's mind before he realized the switch, which left Ford with only one choice. If he wanted to save the world, he had to erase every memory from Stan's mind.

The memory gun was a tricky device. It was effective, leaving Stan a complete blank and destroying Bill for good... However, there was an unexpected upside. Ford had been convinced that he was killing what was left of his brother forever. Turns out, the effects of the memory ray can be reversed with close contact with loved ones. The whole next week of their lives, Ford and the kids barely left Stan's side once; telling him stories, showing him photos, and even finding old video reels. Eventually, he fully recovered.

The entire ending gave Stanford an enormous wake up call. While he had considered himself a lone hero, he was actually just a hero's brother... And he was ok with that. He got to spend the rest of the summer with his family, and eventually came up with the perfect way to make up for lost time. He still wanted to investigate scientific anomalies like before, but he asked Stan to go with him... And if they ended up sailing around the world looking for adventure in the meantime, he wouldn't mind.

Personality:

Beyond anything else, Ford is dangerously inquisitive. Whether it comes from his high IQ, or from his constant drive to achieve greater feats, Ford will do anything to understand the world around him. His ambition has cost him elements of his own sanity and health, and nearly destroyed the world. This is the man who made a deal with a demon, because he thought it would help him gain more knowledge. Even when he knew that his research could cause Armageddon, he couldn’t stand the thought of his brother destroying the journals containing his life’s work. The thought made him protest so desperately that he ended up being stuck beyond the same nightmare portal he was trying to deactivate.

He’s been known to ignore his own needs, forgoing food and sleep to write and research. As if that wasn’t concerning enough, the man also has an insatiable hero complex. He will jump at the chance to protect others, or to sacrifice himself for the world’s sake. This becomes even more necessary, because he has a tendency to completely ignore safety protocols and warnings due to his pride. This often causes just as many disasters as he prevents, with the key example being the summoning of Bill Cipher. The arrogance of his younger days has turned into a serious case of guilt in his present, which fuels his drive to fix the mess he left.

On a lighter note, his sense of curiosity and wonder also comes alongside a deep passion for all things fantastical. When something grabs his attention, he gives it all of his energy. He is an avid lover of science fiction, and considers it his mission in life to create the science he has learned of in his favorite stories. He can get completely swept away by a good story. He can be immersed in his work, scarcely emerging from his lab for days. On the flip side, he can give up every single idea he is pursuing, as long as there’s the promise of a riveting game of Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons!

Passion can be a dark force, and in Ford’s case, it manifests in several ways. Ford has opened his heart in the past, only to have his trust betrayed. Ford can hold deep grudges, like his anger towards Stan for keeping him from his dream school. He spent his thirty years in the other dimension constantly searching for a weapon to kill Bill. Both Stan and Bill were once the most important beings in the world to Ford. Their apparent betrayal stung him so deeply that he finds it extremely hard to trust anyone. His single minded drive can also make him blind to the feelings of people around him. It didn’t even occur to him that he should thank Stan for saving him from the portal. When Fiddleford was becoming more and more worried, Ford ignored it, brushing him off until it was too late. When he offered his apprenticeship to Dipper, he completely disregarded how Mabel would feel. He does eventually realize the error of his way of thinking, but usually when it’s too late. In general, social situations are rough on him.

Ford has been regaining his ability to trust others. He had been used to fending for himself for thirty years. He had learned to be completely isolated. He was used to constantly watching over his shoulder for a knife in the back. By meeting Dipper and Mabel, and seeing their innocence, Ford has begun to re-gain his faith in others, especially in his family.

While working with others, Ford often takes charge. He finds that his intelligence gives him an edge. Playing to his ego can get you a very long way in dealing with him, and has lead him into some deeply nasty situations in the past.

Not much of Ford's personality has changed since his last time in Verens, but there has been one major development. Thirty years of paranoia and suspicion are hard to break out of, however, now that Bill has been defeated, Ford has received a massive portion of humble-pie. He's now come to terms with exactly where his stubborn pride got him, and had to reconcile with his mistakes. He's also seen exactly what came of blindly blaming his brother for all of the problems in his life. That doesn't mean that part of him will go away, but it now comes with a sense of guilt and a desire to make amends with the harm his actions have caused.

Abilities:
High IQ: Ford is able to retain vast amounts of information, and has a deep understanding of engineering, mathematics, and paranormal sciences. He earned his PhD three years ahead of schedule. His intelligence extends to a love of writing, and some knowledge of art. He is adept enough to create scientific inventions.

Marksmanship: Ford has a laser gun, and is not shy to use it if he feels threatened. He’s not a precise shot, but he can defend himself.

Mad Dice Skills: Having six fingers lets you do some sweet dice tricks!

Alignment:

I’m choosing Piphron. Every major victory or hardship in Ford’s life has been a matter of whom he has decided to trust. The very first iconic words that stick with you from his journals is the phrase “trust no one”. He’s so used to his trust being shattered in the worst possible ways. All of his development is focused on re-kindling his trust in others.

Other:
Ford's coat has been shown to have an unusual amount of storage. It has several extra pockets lining the inside. He also has invented, or helped to invent things that are very improbable. He would have his memory gun, along with his magnet gun and laser pistol at his current canon point. He will not, however, have any of his journals, as they would have been destroyed by Bill.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉


Thread: Here's a thread example from his last time in Emp!
Sample:

With a snap, Stanford Pines had his gun out of its holster and he was on his feet. His breath shuddered, but his hands were steady, leveling the arm-length gun to aim down the dim cave. He’d seen it. This time, for certain, it had to be real. A crack had echoed through the cavern. The flash of yellow light that he had caught out of the corner of his eye couldn’t have been an illusion, could it?! Had he seen a triangular shadow creeping just behind his own? How had he found him?! He wasn’t ready!

“Bill!”

His voice bounced from wall to wall Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!”

A moment passed. Then another. Ford’s fingers twitched at the trigger of his gun as one of his makeshift lanterns guttered and popped, the glass casing shattering. Afterwards, there was oppressive silence. Haltingly, never once letting the gun fall, he inched forward, eyes scanning from wall to wall as he moved. He hardly dared to blink. He peered at the lantern over the sight of his weapon. It was a simple thing, with a basic metal frame. He’d screwed it into the rock wall when he’d first picked this place as his shelter. He figured it would be easier then carrying it around everywhere. Right away, he saw the problem. The glass paneling had shattered.

Slowly, his breath evened as he ran through logical facts in his mind. The casing had given out. The flash of light must have been a chemical response to the sudden rush of extra oxygen the flame had received. As a result, the stressed glass gave way, shattering along the weak seam made by the previous crack. He’d have to fix it. No one knew where he was. Bill couldn’t have found him, yet.

He let the gun fall to point at the ground, still clutching the grip in a white knuckled hand. He shook his head with a sigh, turning back to his meager campsite. Apparently he wasn’t dying today, so he might as well get back to what his brief brush with life-or-death terror had interrupted.

At the back of the cave, he had spread out his smattering of possessions. A rumpled sleeping bag lay on the hard floor, mussed from Ford’s rush to stand. A red leather-bound journal lay open, having collided with his small backpack in his scrambling. After re-holstering his weapon, Ford reached for the book.

The small clatter that split the silence made him jump, one hand already back over his gun again…

… It was a pen. His pen had fallen out of the loose pages. He scrubbed a hand down his face with a groan, and settled down on top of his sleeping bag, preparing to finish the journal entry he had started.

He frowned. He’d lost his page. Instead of his record of the past few day’s events, he found a delicately sketched image of a swing-set. A rush of nostalgic pain hit him as the picture brought back images of his brother’s face, both young and innocent, and grown and angry.

He hated Stanley.
…He missed Stanley.

Rolling his eyes, and half-convincing himself that he should put the life he left behind out of his mind, he moved on. There was no going back now. He flipped through page after page until he found the final entry.

I’m still alive, barely. He had written. Turns out, my hunch was right all along. Bill was in this dimension before I even got here. I even caught a look at one of those ridiculous ‘wanted’ posters in town. They never get my nose right. It only bought me a few days. If I hadn’t found this cave right away, I would’ve been done. At least I got a few hot meals out of the locals before I noticed the multi-eyed sideways glances. It couldn't have been more then ten minutes after I escaped before I had a few eye-bats trying to peer in. I had to seal the entrance. He knows I'm here."

That was when his lantern had broken. He picked up where he left off. He had chosen to write in the atbash cipher today. He’d taken to switching his writing style with every entry. Even as the pages filled up, he knew that Bill wouldn’t be fooled by his codes for long. At this point, Ford just wanted to spit his defiance in Bill’s eye. He was leaving him one last annoyance for when he caught him.

Yes, it wasn’t a question of if he’d be caught. It was a matter of when. Bill was too powerful, and his reach too expansive for Ford to be naïve enough to think he stood any chance. He couldn’t relax. If he ever did, that was the exact moment that Bill would win. Ford would be damned if he would make it easy for him. Maybe if he got lucky, he’d even take a few chunks out of him on the way out.

As his adrenaline waned, the pen shook in his hands. He hadn't slept in days. He'd rationed out his food, but couldn't bring himself to eat. Bill would always find him, no matter where he went. Everyone was against him. No one was safe. His writing turned desperate, and then, he found himself scribbling a cipher, over and over on the page.

"20-18-21-19-20 14-15 15-14-5! 20-18-21-19-20 14-15 15-14-5! 20-18-21-19-20 14-15 15-14-5!

Trust No One!

The charcoal snapped. He buried his hands in his hair, biting down on a scream. Was it from fear? Anger? Frustration? He didn't know. He didn't have time to think about it. At that exact moment, there was a blinding flash as the flames of his lantern roared into a towering blaze. Again, the gun was out. He held it in one hand as the other clutched the journal to his chest. This time he only had time to scramble backward, not even managing to stand. His back hit the wall. He couldn't keep himself from shuddering as he tried to get as far away from the blaze as he could.

He stared, and stared... And realized that nothing more was happening. Slowly, his heartbeat calmed. As it did, the flames died back down to an innocent and gentle flicker. He blinked. Then, curiously, he glanced down to the journal to read over what he'd just written. The pit of dread in his chest flared again, and as it did, so did the flames. He repeated the test a few times, the results becoming less pronounced with each try.

... Fascinating.

Ford turned to the next page. What charcoal he had left had gotten crushed in the book, but there was a small usable stub left. He did not move from where he had ended up in his panic. He set the gun down beside him, not even bothering to holster it. At the top of the page, he wrote a title in bold cursive letters.

Empathic Fire

Questions: None!