[Ford pauses then gives a small, mirthless chuckle, fingers picking at the lining of his pockets.]

Something like that.

[He reaches to rake a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling older than he should. His lips quirk a bit, unsure of what to say. It was easy talking about it with Dipper, because Dipper at least understood some of what had happened to him, understood the dangers that Ford had brought upon them. He hunches his shoulders, glancing away.]

In a way, my own hubris was my undoing.

[His ideas had been noting short of hubristic, really, but what else could you do with a dream demon manipulating your every move.]

I had intended on separating my journals so that they might never come together again, as I'd come to learn that someone I'd put my trust in had betrayed me, and I called my brother up to assist me. The portal had been shut down for some time, but I still had everything - the coordinates, the settings, etcetera - written down in my journals. We...we fought, and somewhere along the way the portal activated.

[He remembered shoving Stan in the vicinity of the console, remembered the shove into the switch that activated it. The vortex swirling behind. Ford crosses his arms, turning slightly.]

I was sucked in before it shut itself off completely.