Stancest Codependency. They're Supposed To Be One, One Cannot Live Without The Other, Ford Is The Only

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I saw that ask you got and i just wanted to say that it's so funny to me when people are like "why would you ship stancest ew" acting like they didn't sail off into the sunset together after DECADES of Stan openly pining for Ford. If they weren't written as siblings they would hands down be the most popular ship of the show

There's a long answer, and then there's the tldr at the bottom marked in red text. Long answer: If they weren't siblings, you literally wouldn't be able to escape this ship. It would have been THE ship of tumblr after the finale had aired, considered the "healthy" ship and the good ending, would be considered canon even if they didn't kiss, and it would be the standard by which all the other ships are judged. You would have people writing essays about how they literally took off on a ship, guys! It's so obvious and a metaphor for marriage and and- But here's where I can extend a bit of empathy that perhaps they wouldn't give me, as well as look at things from the perspective as someone who has seen shipping culture their entire lives. First off- most people don't want to fuck their siblings. I know, shocker. Most people who ship Stancest probably do not want to fuck their siblings, but people who don't CERTAINLY do not want to. It's the most repulsive thought in the world to them. There is such thing as being in such a close platonic relationship that it's an impossible thought. I think a lot of people who want Stancest shippers to die or whatever find that kind of desire utterly repulsive, that and let's be real, 1nc3st in real life is rife with abuse. It isn't a healthy thought to get those wires crossed. People who do not like this ship are empathizing with either of the brothers and projecting their own repulsion onto them. But here's the other bit. I'm not shipping Stan and Ford because they're siblings. Most of my ships are not 1nc3stuous. I don't find that element hot or cute, and while I'm not here to harsh anyone's vibe, if that's the only reason you ship Stancest I really don't want to talk with you about these characters. People see ships as inherently sexual, as inherently sexualizing, as "you must only ship this because you want to see the characters fuck". And mind you, with Stancest I don't see it as a bad thing at all to draw them doing things or being attractive together, etc etc. Not at all, and I'd be a hypocrite for saying otherwise. My point is, that's where people's minds go, that's the assumption that they make. They find 1nc3st repulsive, and clearly the ONLY reason I would ship it is because I like sexualizing that and only that aspect about it. Basically, they assume I must LOVE 1nc3st in and of itself, because otherwise why would I ship brothers? Now here's where I go back to the first statement, because most people I've seen don't just ship them for that reason.

You ever seen that meme about "if they have chemistry, I can't make them NOT have chemistry"? That's why I'm here. EVERYTHING about how Stan and Ford are written is tailor made to be SHIPPED. Aside from literally bounding away on a ship, they have a closeness and codependency that most brothers in fiction do not. Alex himself has said they need each other, Ford in the third journal said he was going to spend the rest of his days making up to Stanley. Stanley has spent his entire life wanting NOTHING but his family, his brother by his side. He seems more bonded to his brother than to any one he's ever tried to date, and Ford likewise. I'm sorry, but these two are not getting a "healthy" ending. They aren't going to be with anyone else. There's no version of them in which they find separate partners after having a little adventure around the world for a year or two then just go off in separate ways. This is the most "childhood friends to lovers" story I've ever seen. These two are NOT healthy to begin with, why would anyone expect them to start when they're that old and that hurt by everything in their pasts? I don't believe it inherently has to be sexually 1nc3stuous, but it could be. Wires are already being crossed. It's rare for anyone to be loyal for 30 years to one person when they aren't in love, and Stan wanted to get his brother back so badly that he forgot his own goals and even threw away his own identity to get him back. His entire life was for Ford, and after Journal 3, it should be obvious that Ford's entire life is for Stan now, too. What I'm trying to say is, while this ship isn't the healthy ending, it is the BEST ending for either of them. I think people who wanted Stan to be able to deny going with Ford don't understand him or his character, or what his character NEEDS, same as Ford. And I think people who try to separate the bros for shipping purposes or who don't want to do 1nc3st or accidental emotional 1nc3st are not fully reading the same things, watching the same things that we are. If they weren't brothers, everyone else would see exactly what we're seeing. They would see this as the love story it is. TLDR: I understand why people won't ship this ship, and I try to be empathetic, but these two have been given the kind of story that would ping the lovers radar to anyone if they weren't brothers and I'm not going to ignore that just because they are.

Merry Yaoimas!

Stanford Pines is sapiosexual and idiotsexual for Stanley Pines.

Oh, you’re still here? More under the cut off :)

Listen, Stan is an idiot, but not because he’s stupid or poor traversed academically. It’s because he has no sense of self preservation. Hell yeah, gonna go beat the shit out of a pterodactyl at my big old age of 62 for my niece! Cataracts? Psh, eye sure don’t know ‘em! Up against a crowd of the living dead? Gotta do it for my niblings! Glasses, who needs them? (Until Stan actually really needs them to actually see anything at all and it hurts to look in the mirror, but that’s a story for another day.)

And Ford pretends that he hates how self sacrificing Stan is, but it secretly makes him all gooey inside that Stan was and is a better person than he’ll ever be. Stan’s self sacrificing ways stem from his love for his family, not from any true idiocy. It reassures Ford that Stan, no matter how much of a kleptomaniac he is, still loves with all his heart despite how everything in his life has mangled him beyond repair. Stan’s love is the one thing Stan has left for himself, and he loves fiercely. It soothes whatever inkling in Ford that doubts that Stan broke his science project on accident, despite how long ago that was.

But, another darker part of Ford adores that he has to take care of Stan when Stan fails to, because Stan needs him to, because Stan can’t take care of himself without Ford, because Stan needs Ford to keep him in check, and because Stan needs him. Ford relishes in this satisfaction of knowing that Stan loves him to the point of self-destruction—which subsequently makes Ford go down a spiral of oh my god I’m just like Bill how could I do this to my own flesh and blood? I am sinful beyond redemption.

Stan appeals to Ford’s sapiosexual side because he taught himself quantum physics while running a business, and successfully convinced the government that he was dead. And I don’t think anyone else mentions this, but he also successfully convinced all his enemies he was dead. For 30 years. With how many enemies Stanley Pines had? That is an impressive feat even Ford recognizes. Rico? Oh yeah, Stanley Pines died in a car accident. Really sucks, cause I was gonna extort him for money and peel his skin off with the back of a rusty fork.

And Ford fucking preens in this fact. He can make advanced quantum physics jokes and Stan will understand. Stan might not laugh, but he’ll understand and Ford will pull a chuckle out of Stan that just makes his insides go all gooey all the same. He’s not alone in his academic interests anymore. Stan understands. He always did, but now he understands understands. Stanley was never just the twin with brawn, but now he’s the brawn and the brain in the most tempting ways for Ford. His strength was always attractive to Ford, but his brain? Absolutely a temptress.

It feeds into how Ford, after all this time apart, wants Stan and Ford’s life to consume one another in the ways it never could in these past 30+ years. Ford desperately craves the codependency they had in their childhood, the suffocation. The saying “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” is very much applicable to Ford’s longing. Stan’s self sacrificial ways and the academic fruits of his resilience satisfy Ford’s cravings.

Now, if only Ford could admit these feelings.

Aimer jusqu’à en souffrir

Ford loves stan so much it’s embarrassing like,,,we get it you want to fuck your brother,,,,,

LITERALLY i cannot stop thinking about how much he wants that motherfucking cookie and has THE WORST POSSIBLE COPE FOR IT

like look at this man. brothers dont look at their brothers like that. hes so hopelessly downbad in every conceivable way

thats not even touching on how despite how he acts, he actually cares SO much about what stan thinks of him. like despite spending 30 years of his life trying to bring his brother back, stan actually plays the hating game WAY harder and more convincingly than ford. which says so god damn much about how stupidly down bad ford is

like is he so SO fucking bothered that stan thinks hes a dangerous know it all? literally tossing and turning at sleep about his regrets about bill, fiddleford and the portal and you get stans voice just booming over this "TRUST NO ONE" which says sm about how he feels about stan not trusting him and how he regrets that too— despite the fact he clearly doesnt trust stan hes upset that stan feels the same

and ugh fucking look at this man. how you gonna threaten to kick this man out when youre cheesing at him at almost any concievable moment. inviting him to play your nerd game with him and your nephew (which btw is funny as hell of him when theyre ON BAD TERMS). when asking where hes been. theres no need to do all that

mind you you literally never catch stan ever smiling at ford after tots and pre-weirdmageddon make up unless hes mocking ford. which is really fucking embarrasisng i hate him so much SJBFSUXJSJJDDU

The better reunion and some clingy Ford😌

The fascinating thing about having only just joined gravity falls fandom, but being previously aware of its presence on the internet; is I know a decade ago the only character with major presence out of the fandom was Dipper. Like if you stumbled on fanart or content while not in fandom most of it involved him. Dipper getting possessed, Dipper beat up, Dipper tormenting his family while possessed, him with Wirt of garden wall.

So when I watched I expected a slightly different show. Something slightly less rounded. Something really only focused on Dipper. Primarily I expected more Dipper getting possessed whump. I thought he was possessed for a string of episodes at one point bc of the sheer amount of Dipper possession art I saw roughly a decade ago.

But now the characters with the biggest presence are the old men. In particular theres alot more focus on Fiddleford than ever. Alot of art, analysis, and fic is recontextualizing the traumas these old men have been through. The way the memory gun is an analogy for addiction, the way Bill is just a shitty abusive ex (an entertaining one, but one nonetheless), the way that the show tackles generational trauma so on an so forth.

But thats still not the show in its entirety, the microscope just shifted.

What I'm saying is there is a non zero chance some poor soul will walk into Gravity Falls thinking its more about old man Mcgucket than anything, only to get wildly confused. I wish them luck I can only imagine the show that existed in their head before watching and I hope the tonal disonace was as funny as mine was when I realised Dipper was just some sweaty kid who loved his family.

abt your post saying that a popular gf artist drew stancest, do you happen to have those images... *bats eyelashes*

(not the original anon btw)

here you go! (warning: lotta nsfw/suggestive)

^huge fan of this one in particular. it’s so cute

Song: When She Loved Me by Sarah McLachlan / stancest told in lyrics