Stanford "BILL'S OUT GUNS OUT" Pines (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
deciphered) wrote2015-09-17 07:05 pm
deciphered) wrote2015-09-17 07:05 pm
(no subject)
〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Stanford “Ford” Pines
CHARACTER AGE: Old man aged
SERIES: Gravity Falls
CHRONOLOGY: After The Last Mabelcorn
CLASS: Anti-hero
HOUSING: Preferably Heropa 18! If for some reason that's not possible, I'd prefer he live on his own.
BACKGROUND:
Gravity Falls takes place over the summer vacation of Dipper and Mabel Pines, two 12 year-olds who are sent to stay with their great uncle (or grunkle) Stan in Oregon. Though they were initially resigned to have a less-than-exciting time in a less-than-exciting place, things quickly turn around when Dipper discovers a hidden journal detailing the various supernatural phenomena present in the quirky northwestern town. Out of the many mysteries surrounding the journal, the greatest is the identity of the author himself. Eventually this is revealed to be Stan's twin brother -- the real Stanford Pines -- whom Stan has been impersonating for years.
Stanford and Stanley Pines grew up together in a small town in New Jersey. Despite their differences -- Stanford had smarts while Stanley had "personality" -- they were virtually inseparable. Neither was good at making friends, but they always had each other. It was the Pines twins against the world, and their greatest fantasy was to sail as far away from New Jersey as they could, exploring the world and looking for adventure. It was a dream the two clung to as they grew up, even working on restoring a boat together in their spare time. But when Ford's high school science fair experiment drew the attention of recruiters at a prestigious university, he suddenly realized he had options. Though he desperately wanted to go, he promised Stan that if the board wasn't impressed with his work, they'd keep to their plan. It was a promise he would regret. When the recruiters came the next day, his experiment was ruined, with every sign pointing to Stan as the culprit. While Stan admitted to breaking it by accident, Ford refused to believe it was anything but sabotage, a desperate act to keep him there because Stan couldn't handle him leaving. In Ford's eyes, he'd been betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust. Stan was kicked out by their parents, and by the time Ford enrolled in his last-choice university, the two were no longer on speaking terms.
Ford refused to let his school become a setback, and eventually obtained his PhD ahead of schedule, along with a substantial grant to continue his research. Inspired by his own physical anomaly -- polydactyly in the form of a sixth finger on each hand -- he chose to pursue the study of scientific anomalies on a larger scale. This led him to Gravity Falls, a location with an unusually high concentration of supernatural phenomena. Eventually, though, he hit a roadblock -- while he was making great progress in studying the paranormal occurrences themselves, he had yet to find anything to indicate a cause. His desperation to find answers increasing, when he found an ancient inscription describing a being with answers, Ford ignored all warnings and read the incantation aloud.
This was how he met Bill Cipher, a dream demon posing as an otherworldly "muse." Bill first appeared to Ford in dreams, appealing to his ego with flattery and the promise of helping him change the world. "Inspiring" Ford with the idea that he could complete his research by building a gateway to other worlds, Bill planted the seeds (and blueprints) necessary to begin construction on an interdimensional portal. Bringing in his old college friend, Fiddleford McGucket, as a partner, the two scientists began to spend every waking hour building and perfecting Bill's machine. Meanwhile, Ford's trust in (and obsession with) Bill grew, and he struck a deal allowing Bill to move in and out of his mind and body as he pleased. Ford was riding high, exhilarated by being "chosen" and on the verge of his greatest discovery. But when it came time to actually test the portal, Fiddleford was nearly sucked in and got a glimpse of the true nature of Bill's plans in the process. Suspicious of where -- and from whom -- Ford was getting his ideas, Fiddleford tried to convince him it was dangerous and argued to destroy the portal. When Ford refused, too reluctant to give up his life's work, Fiddleford quit and left him to complete the work on his own, plagued by the fear they'd unleashed something terrible.
Though he initially resolved to continue, the doubt sown by Fiddleford's experience within the portal led Ford to confront Bill about the reality of what he'd been building. While it was a gateway to other worlds, it was meant to operate as a gateway between their world and Bill's world -- the nightmare realm -- specifically. Betrayed by the realization that Bill saw him not as a friend and partner, but a tool for destruction, Ford shut the portal down. But it wasn't that simple -- to Bill, a deal's a deal, and Ford had struck one "until the end of time." In over his head, Ford grew increasingly paranoid and unstable as he fought to keep Bill out of his mind and away from his work. Unwilling to outright destroy his research, he chose instead to hide it, and in his desperation reached out to the only person he felt he could trust to help him carry it out: his twin brother. Stan answered his call for help immediately, but it quickly became apparent that time and distance had done nothing but help to solidify the rift between them -- Ford still blamed Stan for ruining his career, and Stan blamed Ford for leaving him behind and ruining his life. The mutual resentment boiled over into a fistfight, and when the portal was accidentally reactivated in the melee, Ford was sucked in shortly before the power source failed.
Effectively stuck, Ford spent the next 30 years moving between dimensions while Stan struggled to rebuild the portal in order to get him back. When he finally succeeded, it wasn't a happy reunion -- Ford returned still holding a grudge for the events leaving him trapped, and the revelation that Stan had been impersonating him since his disappearance only served to exacerbate things. Though he was back, he was in the company of family he was either estranged from or had never met, and tasked with the job of containing a dangerous interdimensional rift created during the operation of the portal.
Though Ford initially keeps Dipper and Mabel at a distance in order to keep them out of danger -- both from his research and from the threat of Bill Cipher -- he eventually begins to reach out, involving them both in working to prevent the looming danger. While eager to accept them both as family, it's Dipper with whom he immediately strikes up a relationship of trust. In Mabel, he sees his brother. In Dipper, he sees himself -- an impression only strengthened when he learns that, like him, Dipper was tricked by Bill to disastrous consequences. While Mabel is an ally, it's clear he sees Dipper as his partner in the oncoming fight, sharing knowledge and secrets as they prepare for what lies ahead.
PERSONALITY:
Stanford has always had trouble fitting in -- nerdy, weird, and with a rare mutation resulting in six fingers on each hand, he grew up as an easy target and without many friends. His longing for a place "freaks" like him belonged was the source of his interest in the paranormal, an obsession that followed him through childhood to form the basis of his research as an adult. First dominating his life through a sense of kinship and later through necessity, Ford thrives on understanding the supernatural. Though his experience with Bill effectively ruined the life he'd made for himself, it hasn't dulled his enthusiasm when it comes to the strange things he's encountered -- he speaks of an infinity-sided die he obtained during his travels through different dimensions with the same kind of excitement that greeted having his car crushed by a forest monster when he was younger. He's intensely curious and seeks to understand things as thoroughly as he can, placing a special priority on documenting all information he can for later reference and use.
But in addition to his affinity for the weird, Ford's mutation and the resulting alienation from his peers left him with a yearning to be liked. He had a best (and only) friend in Stanley growing up, and their falling out resulted in the loss of the one person who'd accepted him unconditionally. Though he plays at being fine with isolation -- he'd cut himself off from the population of Gravity Falls so completely that Stan didn't even have to try in order to take his place -- at heart he's a lonelier person than he'd like to admit. He craves that same understanding he had with his brother, and is not only quick to bond with people he feels he can make a true connection with, but throws himself into these relationships wholeheartedly. When Bill showed an interest in him and his work, the trust he placed in him was so complete that Ford completely shifted his line of research to suit Bill's interests and eventually gave him free rein over his body in a gesture of friendship. Similarly, when he realizes he and Dipper share an interest in the same hobby, he literally drops everything to play board games with him for days. Despite having promised Stan to keep the twins out of danger, this connection is the catalyst to involving Dipper in his work, sharing both sensitive information about Bill's plans and secrets about his own past.
This level of emotional investment runs both ways -- betrayal cuts deep, and when Stanford holds a grudge, he holds a grudge. If his trust is broken, it's an intensely personal event and not a mistake he's willing to make twice. Despite both years of unwavering acceptance and the fact that he overcame all obstacles to have an incredibly successful career, he never forgave Stanley for sabotaging his chance at his dream school. Likewise, when he finally makes it back home he refuses to thank Stan for getting him out, instead pointing out it was his fault Ford ended up in the portal in the first place. With Bill, he channels his anger into a near-singleminded dedication to both preventing his plans from coming to fruition and preventing him from taking advantage of anyone else. Forgiveness isn't something that comes easy, if it ever comes at all. He's just as hard on himself for his own mistakes -- his mindscape manifests as a landscape of regrets, and he's plagued by nightmares fueled by guilt over his past actions.
Between his time spent buried in his paranormal research and his time spent navigating the space between dimensions, Ford has a skewed view of what's normal or appropriate behaviour. His time away from their world has left him out of touch with both societal and cultural norms, and while he's aware of this fact, he doesn't go out of his way to mitigate it. Ford gives the twins things like mind control devices and weapons without stopping to consider whether it's normal until after the fact, if he considers it at all. His hesitation to involve children in the fight against Bill is minimal despite Stan's warnings, and he treats Dipper as more of a partner in protecting their universe than someone in need of protection. Though he's always wanted to do things in the interest of the greater good, the raised stakes and extended dissociation from our version of humanity left Ford with a tendency to pursue this with a great deal more ethical ambiguity than he once would.
Though his experiences with Bill and the multiverse have both left him irrevocably changed, at the core of things, Ford is a pretty amiable guy with a good heart. His paranoia is driven by a real desire to make up for his past mistakes, and he wants nothing more than to set Dipper on a path he wishes he would have chosen when he was younger. He's always considered knowledge a powerful thing, now more than ever -- his hope is that by sharing what he's learned, he can prevent history from repeating and give Dipper what he needs to help save them all.
POWER:
Portal Creation: Ford is able to create a pair of portals for him or others to move through by firing a fixed entrance and exit point from each hand. Only one of each can be set at any point in time, and creating a new entrance or exit will remove the previous one and change the path. He must be able to see where he's placing either opening, though there does not need to be an unobstructed route between him and the intended location.
Wild Magic: Ford rolls a d20, with the resulting effect depending on the number obtained:
(This is intended to function either by using a random number generator or with predetermined results only in rare circumstances and in direct communication with other players.)
FINAL NOTES:
Will be bringing in journals 1 & 2, as well as his terminator-esque ray gun!
CHARACTER NAME: Stanford “Ford” Pines
CHARACTER AGE: Old man aged
SERIES: Gravity Falls
CHRONOLOGY: After The Last Mabelcorn
CLASS: Anti-hero
HOUSING: Preferably Heropa 18! If for some reason that's not possible, I'd prefer he live on his own.
BACKGROUND:
Gravity Falls takes place over the summer vacation of Dipper and Mabel Pines, two 12 year-olds who are sent to stay with their great uncle (or grunkle) Stan in Oregon. Though they were initially resigned to have a less-than-exciting time in a less-than-exciting place, things quickly turn around when Dipper discovers a hidden journal detailing the various supernatural phenomena present in the quirky northwestern town. Out of the many mysteries surrounding the journal, the greatest is the identity of the author himself. Eventually this is revealed to be Stan's twin brother -- the real Stanford Pines -- whom Stan has been impersonating for years.
Stanford and Stanley Pines grew up together in a small town in New Jersey. Despite their differences -- Stanford had smarts while Stanley had "personality" -- they were virtually inseparable. Neither was good at making friends, but they always had each other. It was the Pines twins against the world, and their greatest fantasy was to sail as far away from New Jersey as they could, exploring the world and looking for adventure. It was a dream the two clung to as they grew up, even working on restoring a boat together in their spare time. But when Ford's high school science fair experiment drew the attention of recruiters at a prestigious university, he suddenly realized he had options. Though he desperately wanted to go, he promised Stan that if the board wasn't impressed with his work, they'd keep to their plan. It was a promise he would regret. When the recruiters came the next day, his experiment was ruined, with every sign pointing to Stan as the culprit. While Stan admitted to breaking it by accident, Ford refused to believe it was anything but sabotage, a desperate act to keep him there because Stan couldn't handle him leaving. In Ford's eyes, he'd been betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust. Stan was kicked out by their parents, and by the time Ford enrolled in his last-choice university, the two were no longer on speaking terms.
Ford refused to let his school become a setback, and eventually obtained his PhD ahead of schedule, along with a substantial grant to continue his research. Inspired by his own physical anomaly -- polydactyly in the form of a sixth finger on each hand -- he chose to pursue the study of scientific anomalies on a larger scale. This led him to Gravity Falls, a location with an unusually high concentration of supernatural phenomena. Eventually, though, he hit a roadblock -- while he was making great progress in studying the paranormal occurrences themselves, he had yet to find anything to indicate a cause. His desperation to find answers increasing, when he found an ancient inscription describing a being with answers, Ford ignored all warnings and read the incantation aloud.
This was how he met Bill Cipher, a dream demon posing as an otherworldly "muse." Bill first appeared to Ford in dreams, appealing to his ego with flattery and the promise of helping him change the world. "Inspiring" Ford with the idea that he could complete his research by building a gateway to other worlds, Bill planted the seeds (and blueprints) necessary to begin construction on an interdimensional portal. Bringing in his old college friend, Fiddleford McGucket, as a partner, the two scientists began to spend every waking hour building and perfecting Bill's machine. Meanwhile, Ford's trust in (and obsession with) Bill grew, and he struck a deal allowing Bill to move in and out of his mind and body as he pleased. Ford was riding high, exhilarated by being "chosen" and on the verge of his greatest discovery. But when it came time to actually test the portal, Fiddleford was nearly sucked in and got a glimpse of the true nature of Bill's plans in the process. Suspicious of where -- and from whom -- Ford was getting his ideas, Fiddleford tried to convince him it was dangerous and argued to destroy the portal. When Ford refused, too reluctant to give up his life's work, Fiddleford quit and left him to complete the work on his own, plagued by the fear they'd unleashed something terrible.
Though he initially resolved to continue, the doubt sown by Fiddleford's experience within the portal led Ford to confront Bill about the reality of what he'd been building. While it was a gateway to other worlds, it was meant to operate as a gateway between their world and Bill's world -- the nightmare realm -- specifically. Betrayed by the realization that Bill saw him not as a friend and partner, but a tool for destruction, Ford shut the portal down. But it wasn't that simple -- to Bill, a deal's a deal, and Ford had struck one "until the end of time." In over his head, Ford grew increasingly paranoid and unstable as he fought to keep Bill out of his mind and away from his work. Unwilling to outright destroy his research, he chose instead to hide it, and in his desperation reached out to the only person he felt he could trust to help him carry it out: his twin brother. Stan answered his call for help immediately, but it quickly became apparent that time and distance had done nothing but help to solidify the rift between them -- Ford still blamed Stan for ruining his career, and Stan blamed Ford for leaving him behind and ruining his life. The mutual resentment boiled over into a fistfight, and when the portal was accidentally reactivated in the melee, Ford was sucked in shortly before the power source failed.
Effectively stuck, Ford spent the next 30 years moving between dimensions while Stan struggled to rebuild the portal in order to get him back. When he finally succeeded, it wasn't a happy reunion -- Ford returned still holding a grudge for the events leaving him trapped, and the revelation that Stan had been impersonating him since his disappearance only served to exacerbate things. Though he was back, he was in the company of family he was either estranged from or had never met, and tasked with the job of containing a dangerous interdimensional rift created during the operation of the portal.
Though Ford initially keeps Dipper and Mabel at a distance in order to keep them out of danger -- both from his research and from the threat of Bill Cipher -- he eventually begins to reach out, involving them both in working to prevent the looming danger. While eager to accept them both as family, it's Dipper with whom he immediately strikes up a relationship of trust. In Mabel, he sees his brother. In Dipper, he sees himself -- an impression only strengthened when he learns that, like him, Dipper was tricked by Bill to disastrous consequences. While Mabel is an ally, it's clear he sees Dipper as his partner in the oncoming fight, sharing knowledge and secrets as they prepare for what lies ahead.
PERSONALITY:
Stanford has always had trouble fitting in -- nerdy, weird, and with a rare mutation resulting in six fingers on each hand, he grew up as an easy target and without many friends. His longing for a place "freaks" like him belonged was the source of his interest in the paranormal, an obsession that followed him through childhood to form the basis of his research as an adult. First dominating his life through a sense of kinship and later through necessity, Ford thrives on understanding the supernatural. Though his experience with Bill effectively ruined the life he'd made for himself, it hasn't dulled his enthusiasm when it comes to the strange things he's encountered -- he speaks of an infinity-sided die he obtained during his travels through different dimensions with the same kind of excitement that greeted having his car crushed by a forest monster when he was younger. He's intensely curious and seeks to understand things as thoroughly as he can, placing a special priority on documenting all information he can for later reference and use.
But in addition to his affinity for the weird, Ford's mutation and the resulting alienation from his peers left him with a yearning to be liked. He had a best (and only) friend in Stanley growing up, and their falling out resulted in the loss of the one person who'd accepted him unconditionally. Though he plays at being fine with isolation -- he'd cut himself off from the population of Gravity Falls so completely that Stan didn't even have to try in order to take his place -- at heart he's a lonelier person than he'd like to admit. He craves that same understanding he had with his brother, and is not only quick to bond with people he feels he can make a true connection with, but throws himself into these relationships wholeheartedly. When Bill showed an interest in him and his work, the trust he placed in him was so complete that Ford completely shifted his line of research to suit Bill's interests and eventually gave him free rein over his body in a gesture of friendship. Similarly, when he realizes he and Dipper share an interest in the same hobby, he literally drops everything to play board games with him for days. Despite having promised Stan to keep the twins out of danger, this connection is the catalyst to involving Dipper in his work, sharing both sensitive information about Bill's plans and secrets about his own past.
This level of emotional investment runs both ways -- betrayal cuts deep, and when Stanford holds a grudge, he holds a grudge. If his trust is broken, it's an intensely personal event and not a mistake he's willing to make twice. Despite both years of unwavering acceptance and the fact that he overcame all obstacles to have an incredibly successful career, he never forgave Stanley for sabotaging his chance at his dream school. Likewise, when he finally makes it back home he refuses to thank Stan for getting him out, instead pointing out it was his fault Ford ended up in the portal in the first place. With Bill, he channels his anger into a near-singleminded dedication to both preventing his plans from coming to fruition and preventing him from taking advantage of anyone else. Forgiveness isn't something that comes easy, if it ever comes at all. He's just as hard on himself for his own mistakes -- his mindscape manifests as a landscape of regrets, and he's plagued by nightmares fueled by guilt over his past actions.
Between his time spent buried in his paranormal research and his time spent navigating the space between dimensions, Ford has a skewed view of what's normal or appropriate behaviour. His time away from their world has left him out of touch with both societal and cultural norms, and while he's aware of this fact, he doesn't go out of his way to mitigate it. Ford gives the twins things like mind control devices and weapons without stopping to consider whether it's normal until after the fact, if he considers it at all. His hesitation to involve children in the fight against Bill is minimal despite Stan's warnings, and he treats Dipper as more of a partner in protecting their universe than someone in need of protection. Though he's always wanted to do things in the interest of the greater good, the raised stakes and extended dissociation from our version of humanity left Ford with a tendency to pursue this with a great deal more ethical ambiguity than he once would.
Though his experiences with Bill and the multiverse have both left him irrevocably changed, at the core of things, Ford is a pretty amiable guy with a good heart. His paranoia is driven by a real desire to make up for his past mistakes, and he wants nothing more than to set Dipper on a path he wishes he would have chosen when he was younger. He's always considered knowledge a powerful thing, now more than ever -- his hope is that by sharing what he's learned, he can prevent history from repeating and give Dipper what he needs to help save them all.
POWER:
Portal Creation: Ford is able to create a pair of portals for him or others to move through by firing a fixed entrance and exit point from each hand. Only one of each can be set at any point in time, and creating a new entrance or exit will remove the previous one and change the path. He must be able to see where he's placing either opening, though there does not need to be an unobstructed route between him and the intended location.
Wild Magic: Ford rolls a d20, with the resulting effect depending on the number obtained:
(This is intended to function either by using a random number generator or with predetermined results only in rare circumstances and in direct communication with other players.)
FINAL NOTES:
Will be bringing in journals 1 & 2, as well as his terminator-esque ray gun!