There was no way their father didn't know about the true intentions of the hoodie. After all, he too was an angry teenager who grew up to be an even angrier adult. He didn't talk too much about it, but she could tell he went through the ringer. And this time, he couldn't scream this problem away, despite what his parents thought. Yeah, he had to have understood.
"...Stella," she starts, gently, "I don't think Dad is angry-"
Stella scoffs, somewhat mumbled due to her face into her chest. "What? So-So he's yelling at me for fun?"
She can't help but snicker, for C.J. had griped about the same thing a time ago... and Mordecai... oh, and Rigby, too, for that matter.
"No, no... I think.. I think he's just scared."
"...scared?" Stella pulls away, looking up at her with a frown. "But why would-"
"Stella, you've been going back and forth with Dad for weeks now, and you're wearing a hoodie that says you want to die that you stole," she answers, stroking her head, "he's worried about you."
The first time Edith learned about what suicide was when she was a teenager, although it was not because of anything she felt herself. A classmate of hers had jumped off of an apartment building downtown, dying on impact. She barely knew him, but the melancholic mood that wafted through the school hallways like wind was palpable. So when she went home bewildered and even a little sad, she told her father what happened and asked the question that was on everyone's mind: why did he do it? Why would anyone want to end their own life? And so, he solemnly sat her down and explained what it was and why it might happen.
He reached forward, at that time, to cup her cheek in his hand, thumb idly stroking her face. "Edith, you'll tell me if... anything happens to you, alright?"
She quirked a brow. "What do you mean?"
He sighs, moving his hand to her knee instead. "I mean- If you ever feel like you might... want to do that, you'll tell me, OK? Please?"
While he was an angry teen, she was a lonely one. He was concerned, he realized, that she was going to get "ideas" and meet the same fate. She wants to retort by saying she would never do that and it was silly, for the concept fell through her fingers like sand. Instead, she just swallowed thickly and nodded.
"I will," she had said, after a moment that felt like an eternity, "I promise."
If he was scared then, at even the possibility of it when Edith gave no signs, then he had to be terrified right now. He almost lost Stella when she was just a baby, and he swore up and down he would never let that happen again. He did not want to lose her, it was no wonder he was screaming so loud.
"...he's scared for you, sissy; he's afraid he's gonna lose you."
A chill travels down Stella's spine, the words hitting her like a bucket of cold water. Clearly, she had never considered this. Her hands turn to fists, clenched at her sides as tears brim in her eyes again.
"Then...Then why doesn't he say anything?! He just keeps yelling at me!"
Edith sighs, rubbing the back of her head uncomfortably. "He... isn't very good at expressing himself. But Stella, you haven't told him anything either, technically."
Rigby had once said that a brick wall had better social skills than Edith ("and those can't even talk!") before Mordecai punched him. She's come a long way, she would like to think. She should rub it in his face.
Stella opens her mouth to argue back, but instead sighs, shoulders sinking in defeat.
"...I didn't-I didn't mean to scare him. I just-I just thought-"
"I know. It's OK, Stella."
"I-I-I mean, I don't think I even really want to die, you know? I just- I don't- I just want to stop feeling so awful!" She cries, burying her face in her hands. "I want to tell him, but-but what if he-he thinks I'm crazy, sissy?!"
Edith gently takes her hands from her wet face, a warm smile on her lips. "He won't," she says confidently. "He loves you, Stella. More than anything." She gives her little sister's hands a firm squeeze, as if to emphasize her point.
Stella sniffles, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of the hoodie that started all of this. She looks down at it for a moment, thinking.
"...you aren't gonna make me return it, are you?"
She opens her mouth to say 'of course I'm making you return it,' but quickly shuts it. That probably wasn't a good idea... maybe Rigby was right after all.
"...No," she answers, clearly reluctant, before looking a little sad. "Why? Do you... still want it?"
"No, no! ..Well, kind of, just- Please don't make me return it? That would be so embarrassing!"
"Why would that be embarrassing? Anyways, you shouldn't have stolen it then... but," she sighs, obviously not liking this, "you can just get rid of it."
"...are you going to call the police?"
"Ugh, gross, no. Just... just throw it away, alright? Dad will definitely make you return it."
Stella nods, already in the process of taking the hoodie off. "Of course he would," she grumbles, shucking it onto the floor, "probably would march me to the store, hand it back, and then freak out on the employees for selling such 'bad clothing for teens.'"
Edith chuckles; he would absolutely do that. "Alright, you about ready to go? It's getting dark out."
"Yeah, I'm ready..." She says, hand on the apartment doorknob, voice uneasy. "Actually, uhm, Edith? Could you... come with me?"
Edith looks up from where she's picking the hoodie up, presumably to toss it. "Yeah, of course; I'll walk you down, alright?"
"No, well- yes, but... can you come with me when I talk to Dad?"
She stops what she's doing, hoodie hugged to her chest, a bit surprised by the request. It would probably be a very vulnerable and exhausting, although needed, conversation. It would also be long, and it was getting late.
She frowns. "I thought you would want to do talk to him alone."
Stella shrinks sheepishly, face growing a bit red. Her grip on the doorknob tightens, growing warm in her grip. "Yeah yeah, you're right. That was stupid, forget I said it-"
"Hey, I didn't say that. Stella, if it makes you feel more comfortable, then of course I'll come."
"...you will?" She says, voice small.
"I will," she affirms, nodding. "I will always go with you."
Been playing a lot of Stardew Valley again these weeks (fun fact: SDV was my short-lived hyperfixation just before I got hardcore into Regular Show), and now that I finally did the thing where I reached level 100 in the Skull cavern, I think I can take on some new questions again ^^ Have already been brainstorming a bit about Asks that were still in my inbox, but fire away with new questions.
General chitchat's welcome too :>
I shamefully forgot today's my gumball girl's birthday 8'D
“Can I get a uhhh…”
The original creator of Stella is @tr85n ! They’re a really cool content creator, and they’re very nice! (Also the person that inspired eke to start drawing again.) They’re art is amazing, too!
(The audio is from a Clearance episode, it’s a cartoon. Some of you might’ve heard of it.)
8'D‼️
Babyyy 🥹
(Don't worry about it, drawing hands was once the bane of my existence too. You'll get better as long as you keep drawing and having fun with it ^^)
I should actually use those Alt text descriptions on my art. I live in shame.
@tr85n TAKE YOUR SKRUNKLY CHILD BACK
I just saw this would be funny to draw because of the “antenna” Stella now has. This took around 51 minutes or so, but this was minutes well spent to get this masterpiece of a shitpost :3
STELLA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, GO TO @tr85n if you want to see Stella.
anyways I’m going to go shrivel up again, bye!
Thinking of giving Stella a wee bit of a redesign, just a tiny alteration that won't affect too much how she's been drawn these past 7 years (ʘᴗʘ✿)
Tadaa~ Turns out the hat-with-bow was a beanie all this time <:'D Same goes for older Stella's beret, but I suppose her hair covers the lid.
Thinking of giving Stella a wee bit of a redesign, just a tiny alteration that won't affect too much how she's been drawn these past 7 years (ʘᴗʘ✿)
Can you make one where bendad wakes up and stella is eating his gumballs (odd request)
What if I killed myself
Violence
why do I feel like Stella is the exact type of personality to have a Mirrormask-style magical journey of learning to not take her dad for granted? IDK if you've seen Mirrormask but the relationship between Stella and Benson feels very similar to the relationship between that movie's main character Helena and her mom
Hold on a second... *goes to Wikipedia and reads the entire plot of the movie (in stead of just WATCHING unspoiled lol)*
8U... Yeah, that is defs what I had in mind for a new Bendad+Stella adventure. (not an exact copy of Mirrormask, but "magical journey of learning to not take her dad for granted" is pretty much the gist of it!
One day, when/if I have the willpower again, I'll give y'alls a story featuring old man Dunwoody and young adult Stella. The latter having a very bad time <:3
(Skips will be there too... and some minor roles for the other lot)
I still have fond feelings for the gumball machine and that other lot, still making up stories in my head with Stella too. When will my art motivation return from the war 😩
MY COMISSIONS!!!
This is kinda old but nothing changes except my art style, which I provide examples for!!! (And I prefer to be paid upfront but no worries if you wanna see the draft first xd) please share if you can’t commission me! x,33
I mostly need money to ship late Christmas gifts! Also to start my eBay soon xdd cause I need supplies! Pls share it would be the world to me!😿✨✨
Examples!!!
I wanna be able to help my parents - pls spread around! Not sure how else to get more people to see, but hopefully I figure this out. If you wanna just send money lmk! - anything helps!!!
⚠️Dental Fund Emergency Update
🔁Reblogs highly appreciated!!!
I hate to come here after being quite inactive from burnout to say that I was hit with a bat to the face about teeth extraction payments being separate from the braces payments I’ve already been paying…
If any of you would like to donate to my kofi and maybe request a lil something I am totally down! Id do it now while I’m still on winter break 🙏💖 HOWEVER DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED!! Even if you donate a dollar I’d be happy to draw you a doodle or sketch! I haven’t quite hammered out some kind of commission method at the moment as I’m too stressed to officially start commissions but you can think of it that way! Please see my kofi for details!!
Thank you all!
I also have a Venmo if you’d like to go through there! I’m not sure if it’ll work as clean as kofi tho?
And lastly if you’d like to talk to me about anything fund related or anything else, you can friend and message my discord @/ citruscrisp. (Add the period!!)