#euughhh

It had been ten minutes after Stan talked to Mabel. She wished to stay in Gravity Falls and not go home after summer, but he told her that as long as she had her brother with her, nothing bad could truly happen. Still, it was now lunchtime and Stan figured he should make some Stancakes and keep his niece company in her room. So that’s what he did, but as he approached the door with two plates of food in his hands, he heard something strange. He pressed his ear against the wood and heard loud sniffing that he recognized all too well. Mabel was crying. His niece was crying. He opened the door slowly and found Mabel sitting on the floor next to Dipper’s bed, her small hands covering her face as she sobbed. Stan was immediately in front of her, the Stancakes sitting on the floor beside them. “What’s wrong, pumpkin?” He asked, his voice so soft and gentle it even surprised himself. Mabel hiccuped and lowered her hands to look at him. Snot ran down her nose and onto her sweater, and she furiously wiped at it. “D-Dipper’s not coming home with me. I heard the walkie talkie. He’s- He’s staying in Gravity Falls. With Grunkle Ford. As his apprentice.” The words spilled out like a flood of syrup trapped inside a fragile dam.

Stan’s eyes widened as she crashed into his chest, hugging him tightly. “It’s not fair, it’s not fair! Why does Dipper get to play adventurer and I have to go home and face Mom by myself?!” She yelled. He wrapped an arm around her and tightened his grip gently. “Hey hey hey, talk to me. What do you mean you gotta face your mom by yourself?” He asked. Mabel pulled away from him and then noticed the plate of Stancakes, which have now gone cold. Still, she grabbed them and handed one to Stan. “Well, Mom’s not really…nice. Not to me, at least. To her, Dipper is her precious little angel. And he is an angel! He’s a good son. But I’m…” Her eyes were wet and she sniffled once again. “…not a good daughter.” Stan nodded and urged her to keep talking. “All I ever wanted was for Mom to look at me the way she looks at Dipper. Like she actually wants me here. But I know she doesn’t! If she did want me here, she wouldn’t tell me to stop talking or that I’m too fat to eat cupcakes or that flinging myself onto boys makes me look like a slu-“

“Mabel, slow down and chew your food. You’re gonna choke. Trust me, that’s happened to me before.” Stan interrupted. Mabel took a shaky breath and took another bite of her Stancakes. “It’s just…Mom is a bully. She’s a big mean bully. And I hate her! I hate her so much! But I’ll never say that to her face because she scares me. She didn’t like the idea of Dipper ‘leaving her’ for summer, and now that he won’t be coming home…” She swallowed her food. “I’m scared, Grunkle Stan. I don’t wanna go home. I don’t wanna look at the lady who hates me and tell her that her little boy is gone forever. She’ll say I’m lying about Grunkle Ford, that I forced Dipper to stay at Gravity Falls because I’m trying to ‘steal him from her’! That doesn’t even make sense! She’s his mom, not his girlfriend!” Mabel put her plate down and cried again. Stan held her tight and softly shushed her. Eventually, her breathing slowed and for once, she seemed calm. “Sorry…did I spill too much beans?” She asked. “No, you didn’t. You’re okay.” Stan said, running his hand down her back and feeling the soft fabric of her sweater. “I think I kinda get what you’re saying.” She looked up at him. “You do?” She said quietly. “Yeah. Do you remember the story I told you about me and Ford growing up?” Mabel nodded. They used to be best friends until they got all stupid, and that was exactly what she feared would happen with her and Dipper. She remembered that Stan got kicked out when he was a teenager, by his cold unfeeling dad. Then it hit her. She was being insensitive. If her mom was a monster under her bed, then her great-grandpa must’ve been the bogeyman. “I’m sorry.” She blurted out.

“What are you sorry for, sweetie?” Stan asked, already halfway done with his Stancakes. “For shoving all my problems onto you when clearly, you’ve been through worse.” She said. Stan’s face crumpled. “Mabel…there’s nothing to be sorry about. My dad was a jerk, and your mom is a jerk too. We just happen to have more things in common than what we thought. But I didn’t let my dad get to me, and you shouldn’t let your mom get to you too.” He said. Her eyes glistened with tears and she leaned into his side. “I’m just afraid of seeing her without Dipper. He sometimes distracts her from getting angry, and- and-“ She grabbed her cold Stancakes and ate it in one gulp. “I’m so mad at him for choosing to stay with Grunkle Ford and not me!” She said angrily. Stan was brought back to a different time—a time when he and Ford were both young, and stupid, and happy, and when his brother was working on a certain perpetual motion machine. “You should probably talk to him about it.” He told Mabel. She inhaled sharply and nodded. “You’re right. Maybe I’m wrong, and Dipper has an explanation. He always does.” Then she turned to Stan. “Thanks for talking with me, Grunkle Stan. You’re really good at talking.” She said. He smiled and patted her back. “It’s kinda been my thing. So uhhh…you want me to stay here or?” He asked. Mabel thought long and hard before shaking her head. “No, it’s fine. When Dipper comes back, I want to talk to him myself.” She said. He nodded and stood up, two empty plates in hand. “Tell me how it goes, pumpkin.” Then he walked towards the door and left. “I love you, Grunkle Stan!” She called out. As he reached the kitchen, he thought to himself: I should tell Shermie about his daughter-in-law’s unacceptable behavior.

I’m like one of those friends that tagalong with the group (and are otherwise not noticed at all) and are only invited out of obligation because they would never invite me before until I told them they’re leaving me out 🥱 They make it way too obvious they like each other more than me😪😪😪😪 Even after I gave one of them Desire: Unleash engene ver of their bias😓 But it’s like whatever I guess because I still choose to be silly and happy😛

･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

"three strikes and honey, I'm home... "

aka a praying mantis. i know a part of her green body is missing there, this painting's unfinished but i'm an artist so i hung it on my wall and told myself i'd do it later ↓

this is from january, btw...

posted the bug instead of the tank because it still needs some touch-ups...

poetry incoming soon too but i'm not telling when

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