#because that does seem like something a parent could choose to do and probably made her story more believable

[oveliagirlhaditright]

LOL. In the Buffy tie-in book I read ("Unnatural Selection"), Buffy had to come up with the cover story that she and Angel were married and had two daughters: Ginger and Joy. And she came up with those names because ginger (the spice) was right in front of her, and the brand of the dishwasher she owned was "Joy"?

But an AU--or better yet, a continuation of this--where they have daughters and actually name them that. Pfft.

Also, interestingly enough, in these tie-in books, Buffy dreams of having kids with Angel quite a few times (like in moments where she gets to see her perfect life).

Not that that's what this was, but it's still definitely interesting.

[oblique-lane]

idk if youve done it yet but i would actually lose my mind if you did an analysis for demo

Aye aye captain 🫡 Time to overdramatize again!

Let's address Demo's wounds

(Demo's backstory was changed through the years but I'm sticking to the older version because I find it more grounded)

Demoman's story is easily one of the most tragic of all the mercs. Imagine you have been abandoned from birth, your parents simply rejected you for what you are. But luckily you have been adopted by some good people who replaced your parents and made you a relatively happy child.

And then you accidentally kill them. You're 6 years old. How does that feel?

I can't even imagine how a child's brain can't comprehend the idea of being a murderer. It was an accident, of course, they were blown up by a big explosion he created (genius kid found out how to do that, huh?) but still. His parents were dead and he knew it was his own fault. He learned he was dangerous as he is.

How was it like pondering about it in the orphanage?.. "I didn't want this! I want to go back and fix it, I'm so sorry", something like that. But he couldn't go back in time, so being covered in such an avalanche of guilt, he learned he needs to repress himself.

Demo have always had an explosive temper (no pun intended), it was his true nature, pure emotion: if he's happy, it's 100%; if he's angry, it's a full blown storm. If he loves, he loves with all of his heart, and he has a big one.

Living on the impulse, all or nothing, that crucial accident revealed that letting his true nature go will only end up as destruction in the end. Irreparable damage.

We don't know what exactly was happening to him during his orphanage years, but if I'm to guess, repressing everything about him: his interests, his character, his whole nature, was a thing to choose. He thought that he had to become still and quiet as to not to repeat that kind of tragedy ever again. He probably didn't have people to be friends with either, either because people rejected him for his past, or he avoided them himself due to his internalized shame, at least that's a guess.

But everything repressed returns to the surface sooner or later. As a child, living for so long under overwhelming guilt, grief, hate, pain and sadness, under the skies that are almost never sunny in a all-year-long damp and coldness of the Ullapool. Incomprehensibly grey. It was depriving.

He was always fascinated with explosions. He didn't touch it for a long time, but maybe something like seeing fireworks again one day made something inside him tremble... And to remember.

Explosions. Launch... Acceleration... Release. And every time the release happens, his soul fills with excitement, the body feels lighter and shivers go up the spine. Release happens inside his head too, for the explosions make his worries and pain go away for a moment.

He couldn't find another way to release his bottled up emotions, so gradually he returned to make explosives again.

It was something like an addiction. Similar to pyromania, except no one bothered to research this one. At the moment of explosion he could let his anger out, he could scream, he could run around freely, he could sense heat in his chest; he could be himself. As he once was.

Everything was cold. But the explosions were hot.

He thought it was under control, just a little bit of KABOOM after school, but he craved more and more every time, more vivid, more violent...

That's how he lost his eye. (...Was it a subconscious act of selfharm?)

The missing eye was a forever reminder of how deviated he actually was. He learned that he couldn't repress or change what he truly is - a monster. A Black Scottish Cyclops, wether it were his peers who called him like that or he himself, out of misery. There was indeed something seriously wrong with him.

It seemed like the only thing he was capable of is destruction. Destruction is the only environment he's comfortable with. Peace was always so anxious and depriving, and breaking things felt calming, so he figured it must be right.

And then his birth mother came and took him back, "now that's he's a worthy DeGroot". It was unexpected but... Pleasant. So he wasn't THAT worthless after all, huh? Turns out, it was really familial, the destruction thing. At least he found out that there was a reason behind all of this.

His new mom was, saying honestly, pretty cruel with words. She was not at all gentle, she was very strict, demanding and straight up abusive. It was never enough for her no matter what Demo did. She didn't want results from his work, she's just always wanted to mess with his brain.

And for whatever reason... This setup felt right for him. To be thrown around like that, to be humiliated harshly, it felt fitting, it wasn't causing anxiety or anything. He has to be a scapegoat, he had to forget about being a child and to start working as an adult, at the same time somehow replacing a father he still didn't have, but it felt good enough. Confusing relationships felt good enough.

Destruction was his habitat, and his heart could no longer accept anything else.

Cruelty wasn't warm though, just familiar, just an environment to not to go insane. But he craved warmness so badly... Yet every time he would get close to someone and receive a little gentleness and care, it would feel sickening. It felt unnatural, it reminded him of his lost parents and of everything that's wrong about him.

The only warmness his body could accept was alcohol, making him bubbly and comfortable and relaxed. He almost felt normal, happy even. Alcohol heat made him melt, and he felt so fulfilled as if he was in paradise, back to the womb.

Yet after the effect wears off, he feels lonely as ever. Quickly, existing without alcohol becomes pain. Existing at all. He became an addict.

Not that everyone he met rejected him, rather, he subconsciously reached out to those who would be cruel to him. Again, gentleness hurts wether he knows it or not. He's only good in destruction.

Lonely and clingy, ready to overshare, overall mess yet carrying a big baggage of love that has no one to give it to. Maybe because he can't give it to himself in the first place. There's so many issues unresolved because he can't handle them alone, yet there's no one to help since he was already trapped in a closed circuit of self sabotage.

He will keep acting like a party beast, always crazily emotional and overdone upbeat, a simple drunken man who will not be taken seriously that way. Maybe that's what he wanted, to not be seen as deep by anyone for not be reminded of his misery once again.

Seems like we bought that too.

...

The enemy Soldier might be an exception though. The man he really treasures his friendship with turned out to be an enemy; repeating the rule again: it's only acceptable when dangerous. Soldier deeply cares for Demo, however he's not gentle or pitying, he's as destructive and explosive as Demo is, and these two are a very rare perfect combination of destructing each other in the act of love. Both broken beyond repair, soul on soul, forever to be misunderstood by the outsiders. This is something about this relationship that looks like a golden lining.

They will not fix each other, but they sure are going to have a good time!

[between-two-fandoms]

Thinking about after Buck and Tommy have been dating a while, and they're like having Maddie and Chim around for dinner or something, and it's getting late and Tommy and Buck are cleaning up and have settled into easy domesticity and Maddie and Chimney are having their own little conversation still at the table, but Maddie is watching because that's her brother and she's curious. Buck is talking about whatever his latest research subject is and he realises he's been talking for like ten-minutes straight and that Tommy hasn't been able to get a word in (not that he wants to because he likes listening to Buck) and Buck kind of bashfully apologises for rambling and Tommy just jokingly goes "that's okay, I love you anyway." And Buck doesn't clock it, and him and Tommy continue on, but Maddie does. Because she remembers her brother when he was hurt and yelling at their parents. She remembers younger Evan with his broken bones and desperate eyes, and she's looking at Evan now and he's calm and happy and knows without a doubt that he is loved.

Sorry, my replies tend to be three times the length they probably should be. I just like to babble about how much I love these characters. Sorry for any typos or grammar errors I don't know how to shut up sometimes.

My heart. Nonnie you're making me feel things. Maddie would be so happy for Evan. She's a little hesitant about Tommy at first, he's Buck's first boyfriend. It's all new waters, she's his sister, it's in her blood to be nervous for him. But she trusts her brother's judgment and Tommy seemed like a good guy at the wedding. Plus Chimney vouched for him, he's probably not the worst guy her brother could fall for. (More under cut)

Her sweet, precious, little brother who just wanted to be loved found someone. He found someone who loves him anyway. Evan found someone who she can see loves him so, so much. She didn't have to look too closely to see it. It's not a fake, surface-level puppy dog love either. What surprises her the most is that this is Evan, not Buck, in her kitchen with this person who's opened the world to him. It's Evan who's smiling and rambling and gentle and kind. It's been so long since she's seen him be Evan, and not live with the weight of Buck on his shoulders.

She knows in her Big Sister Bones that Tommy's someone who will keep her little brother's heart safe. Maddie will never be able to explain to Tommy what that means to her in words. But she watches them. (maybe not as subtle as she hoped). She watches her brother interact with him, watches Evan be all happy and relaxed and content. Unafraid to love and unafraid to be loved back.

She listens to how Tommy speaks to her brother. In a low, deep timbre that settles into Evan's bones. Tommy speaks like Evan was made to be cherished, holding his cheek as if Evan was his entire world, standing in her kitchen as they put dinner away. Tommy looks content too, enamored from the sheer energy radiating off of Evan as the night continues. As if being able to have Evan is enough, as if Tommy knows her brother doesn't have to be anything but himself to be worthy of love.

She sees the look in Tommy's eyes and is suddenly reminded of Chimney, reminded of the love she shares with her husband. She thinks Tommy already knows how special it is for Evan to choose you, to be important in Evan's life. She wonders if Evan has realized how gone for the Pilot is for him, probably not. She loves her brother but he can be a bit stupid unless someone spells it out for him. Still though, can tell Tommy's planning on sticking around for a long time, and she hopes he does. Evan and Tommy are good together, good for each other. She relaxes into Chimney's chest, leaning back as they watch Buck and Tommy try to set up a game of Pictionary. "So what do you think?" Chimney whispers, setting Maddie's wine glass aside for her. She looks up and kisses him on the chin.

"I like him," she says, smiling when Tommy somehow gets stuck in the legs of the whiteboard stand trying to set it up. Buck helps him get out of it, then plants a kiss on his lips, all rosy-cheeked and sappy. Yeah, Maddie thinks, Tommy's worthy of her little brother's heart.

I love supportive big sister Maddie with my whole chest.

If anyone's interested I might make this a fic. Maddie's POV ofc.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i was thinking about how ariel from the little mermaid is criticized so harshly for "giving up her voice and family for some guy" when there was definitely a lot more to it than that.

ariel had dreams outside of eric. she wanted to see the world, she wanted to get acquainted with humans and human traditions and she wasn't satisfied with her life underwater. that was the whole point of "part of your world", she barely mentions eric in it. he was just a bonus in her new life, not her entire purpose.

why am i talking about a random disney movie? it's because i was thinking of lumity, and how amity also rebelled against her family for a new life. except.. amity really only mentions luz (and "the others" because let's be real, she did not give a shit about willow and gus at that point). amity's sole reason to go against her family's values was luz.

this, if anything, could be considered "giving up everything for a love interest" but people don't see it that way because amity's parents were shitty to begin with. but if you look at the little mermaid from a different perspective, you could argue that king triton wasn't a very good parent either.

he literally throws a temper tantrum just because his teenage daughter has a crush on a guy. ariel is legit terrified in that scene, and regardless of whether triton had good intentions or not, he made his daughter feel unsafe and turn to an impulsive decision in a moment of emotional distress.

all of this to say, you could argue that ariel had no reason to stay with her family either, given that her father lacks emotional sensitivity and does not sit down and try to communicate with his child, instead of destroying her collection and scaring her away.

coming back to amity, i can understand that luz inspired her to actually do something about her abusive parents, and that's sweet. but we never get to see what else amity wanted. since they never established a friendship arc between amity and gus or willow (she apologized to willow, sure, but the rekindling of their relationship happens much later on), all we know is that amity is tired of being abused and she wants to be with luz.

from an abuse victim's perspective, amity standing up against her parents was powerful. but unlike ariel, amity doesn't seem to want anything besides luz. and she never explores what she wants to do, now that she has successfully cut herself away from her mother's influence. her whole life revolves around luz after that.

there was that abomination brawl episode but even that ended up being about luz. the brawl was just a quick montage, it only existed for the emotional drama that came later on. in fact, even when the plot was focused on amity, it was more about her relationship with her father rather than her autonomy and personal interests.

there's a reason why a lot of people liked the mean girl version of amity. she had personality, she had interests and goals, she had CHARACTER. it was all fake and a result of trauma, but it was there and it helped flesh out her character. but after she is redeemed? there's nothing left of the old amity, not even the more positive/neutral traits, and her only personality is "luz's awesome girlfriend".

amity's arc should have been about exploring what she wanted outside of her parents' wishes. abuse often turns you into a shell of a person and recovering from years of trauma isn't as simple as getting a romantic partner. it takes therapy (and that is canonically an option in the boiling isles, let me remind you), it takes self-reflection, it takes giving yourself the permission to choose your own destiny and explore yourself outside of your abusers' expectations.

and amity gets none of this. her trauma and arc was resolved too quickly, even for a show that was cut short. they just gave her a makeover, got her into a relationship with luz and called it a day. the only reason people aren't giving her the ariel treatment is (probably) because lumity is a queer ship.

[diamondcitydarlin]

'time for round two of making teenagers uncomfortable on the internet'

Listen. No one is shipping beetlebabes for the sole purpose of 'making teenagers uncomfortable on the internet'. Unless the adults in question are your parents/guardians, none of them are responsible for the stuff you might see while being 'on the internet'. None of them are responsible for your discomfort from what you might see. None of them are obligated to stop having fun in their own fandom spaces simply because a teenager exists 'on the internet' who doesn't like it (who is also perfectly capable of staying out of places they don't want to see, I PRESUME) no more than adults at a bar are obligated to not drink because there are people under the age who can't (fittingly, most bars in the US don't admit people under the age at all). You know who is responsible? Depending on your age of teenagedom, it's either to some extent your parents/guardians, but also you. Yeah, sweetie, you. I've been on the internet since the late 90's when I was NINE and I'm here to tell you right now that learning how to cultivate your own experience online is an extremely important tool. If you don't learn now how to keep your nose out of things that you don't like, you're going to have a very hard time filled with round-about arguments and constant drama and maybe worse when you could just be having fun with the things you do like and ignoring the stuff you don't. You see, my sweet summer child, feeling 'discomfort' about something benign does not inherently give you the right to shit all over whatever it is that made you uncomfortable or make up insinuations about the consenting adults participating in it. Unless there are people dropping shipping art into your inbox against your will or something (there aren't) it actually is none of your business at all, and doesn't concern you in the least. Like my goodness, you kids have ALL kinds of protections you can use to weed out things you don't want to see that we didn't have back when I was a 'teenager on the internet', blocking, blacklisting, browser extensions that can help with that, etc, and yet somehow we seem to have better understood back then how to mind our own business and stay out of fandom spaces we didn't want to be in. Nowadays all I see are children running into the devil's sacrament uninvited and claiming to be personally affected by said sacrament when all of us are wondering what the fuck they're doing there in the first place when there are clear signs denoting what sacrament this is. You don't have to see the movie, you don't have to see shipping content, you don't have to be 'exposed' to any of this at all; in this day and age, you choose to be, which makes any discomfort you feel as a result of that your own responsibility. The only person making 'teenagers uncomfortable on the internet' in this specific instance are the teens themselves.

And again, a little crash course in history here since the education system probably failed you, but using simply the existence of children as an excuse for why adults can't do consenting adult activities with each other has historically been used as a way to demonize and weaponize violence against marginalized groups. Yall are literally just stealing pages from homophobic/misogynistic/racist/transphobic conservative playbooks. That may not be your ultimate goal in coming after fandom spaces, but it's where that kind of behavior and thinking always ends up in the end. If you think alt-right entities won't harness that sense of youthful moral outrage for their own ends then I have a bridge to sell you.

Anyway, point being, no random adult on the internet or IRL is responsible for you. Random adults on the internet or IRL are not your parents/guardians. They have no obligation to eschew their own interests just because kids are wandering into places where they shouldn't. I honestly worry for any child on the internet who thinks this way, because there are absolutely predators out there that will abuse this sense of 'every adult is responsible for my comfort'. They aren't, and I'm sorry the adults in your life that actually are responsible for you failed you so much as to not teach you otherwise. Unlearn this now before you get hurt, please.

[princessvisionary101]

💘❤️‍🩹 Nuada x Disowned Human Princess reader who her parents and her sister neglect her.

Part 2 of ?

Summary: Your father wants your older sister to be the perfect queen to the Bethmoora clan. Your sister wants everything to be perfect for her. Your mother never wanted anything much. You however, want to know why your sister’s dream guy, or elf in that matter, wants your attention and your presence to himself.

@meowiemari @ccruzmoon @kitty-chan33 @ozzyynka @helios-dios-del-sol @fictional-hooman @philiasoul @bluebear142077 @personofyou @shiranai-atsune @all—that—jazz @ynskywalker1 @izzyshima @cora-witch @moodyblueberrytree @ajourneytobeweightless @the-lonely-abyss

Part 2 my people! Let’s make this a good one!

While you two were walking in the hallways of the palace, you wondered if you could find many books about the Bethmoora clan.

Now don’t get it wrong, you didn’t want to learn the Bethmoora clan’s history because of some strategy or something to use against them, but learning more about other beings than just other humans was enough to dream about exploring the outside world.

Ϛ⃘๑•͡ .̫•๑꒜ℒℴѵℯ❤

Seems as though the advisor was a little concerned about what you were thinking. Probably curious instead since it’s been a long while since anyone showed pi Now don’t get it wrong, you didn’t want to learn the Bethmoora clan’s history because of some strategy or something to use against them, but learning more about other beings than just other humans was enough to dream about exploring the outside world. Who could blame him since he is the one who was technically force to guide you somewhere away from the important “royal meeting”.

“So your highness” he started but you hold up your hand quickly. “If you want you can just call me (y/n). Everyone back home usually doesn’t say your highness only for specific reasons.” You said before walking a little faster to catch up to him. “Oh? A may I ask why do you receive disrespectful treatment as though your title does not exist? Surely your parents must be furious about this sort of mishap with the servants I presume?”

You looked down while walking a little slower than usual. He had to slow down a bit to see your frown better.

“No I’m sorry.” You said while looking up at him with a small smile. “The clan may have seem to have good respect to their king and his children, but mine do not serve the same purpose but just to fetch me food and books from the library.”

“Ah I see then.” He stops in front of the library doors and turns to you in a look you can’t recognize. “Then please forgive me if I seem to have been shown to displease you in any way.” “Oh! Not at all!” You said waving yours hands in front of you while trying to choose your words carefully. “You were great help to me and great company as well! Thank you for showing me where the library will be at.” You both bow before he leaves and you went inside the room where still the knowledge you wanted to see can be found.

The library was very quiet and looks to be taken care of just like yours from back home. It seems as though it was used a lot , account of the books piled up on the tables and the many shelves that look almost like you were in a maze. It was messy, but it made you felt at home with the place you leave through the books filled with fantasy, drama, romance and surprises at every corner in every page.

And speaking of surprises in every corner-

“Can I help you human?” A baritone voice said that sounded more of a command then a question. You turned around and spot a elf with long white hair and a frown that makes it obvious you weren’t welcomed here.

“I’m sorry if I’m intruding you sir.” You bowed with your head hung low. You never got over the habit of apologizing to many people who deemed you as a nuisance. You have your sister to thank for that. “My name is Princess y/n and I am here to spend my time here while my family finishes a meeting. I’m very sorry again for intruding.”

You couldn’t tell if he was upset at you or looking at you at all since you still had your head hung low. Maybe he’s wondering what kind of Princess “hung her head low to a elf no less?”

Huh…he thought so too.

“We’ll I’m not allowed to join them while they discuss about important matters, especially with the king of your clan.” You responded, having no trouble sounding more reserved towards the gentleman who didn’t seem to be displeased at your presence nor didn’t seem to want to dismiss you from the library.

“Very well then,” he says sitting down at the chair across from you while you raise your head and see him walk to the table you are occupying and picks up a book from the table, “then I’ll just continue reading from this book while you bid your time reading from the others. I do recommend though that you don’t cause any disturbance that might upset the librarian.”

He states right before glaring at you with a very look of distrust. You can’t seem to read him that well. He doesn’t seem to have any problems with you staying but he also seems to be annoyed with you around. It’s a continual battle of whether to please him by departing and finding a new place to spend you time or just to stay and be quiet. Since technically you don’t know the place well, it shouldn’t hurt to stay quiet and just find a book to read; especially since he seems to already look irritated by just feeling your presence.

“Alright” You responded, “but I do really mean it about me leaving the room if I’m bothering you sir.” you then pick up a random book from the nearest shelf and start to read. He glances up at you before continuing to read his book.

You both end up reading in silence while the sun was shifting from the afternoon to later mid-day. You would occasionally pick a different book when you finished yours and start reading with a small smile upon your face. It seemed like forever ago when you would go to your library and read books that had questions that you wish to know. For example, you were curious about how pirates act nowadays or if there was really a treasure island for pirates to roam and search of.

While you were busy reading a plot twist in your book, you failed to sense a pair of eyes watching you from time to time when you scrunch up your nose or when your eyebrows furrow during a chapter of the story.

Once you found a stopping point, you raise your head to see those pair of eyes looking at you from across the table. It freaks you out at first because usually the looks you get are either in disgust or in denial of your heritage of your family. In this case, you couldn’t tell what he was thinking of what he felt about you.

“May I ask why you are staring at me sir?”

He closes his book and lays it on top of the table before he crosses his arm on top of them.

“Why aren’t you with your family in the dining room discussing with the king? Normally, most humans are with him trying to have an alliance with our people, especially princesses who generally aren’t found in a library to waste an hour.”

You looked down embarrassed by his remark targeted to you, well it would sound so, and closed your book so that you can try to focus on this elf man across from the table.

“Well for starters sir, my family have always left me out of their conversations, especially when they go on their outings when they have time to get together. I do try to talk to my maids or the butlers, but most of the time I see their displeasure in talking to me. This led me to see that I don’t fit into anyone’s expectations of a good daughter or a great princess in their eyes.”

You looked at him and was surprised that he seemed to pay attention to your words. How long ago did someone look at you and listened that same way this librarian was?

“And are you ok with the way you are treated? It doesn’t sound like you enjoy feeling ignored or disrespected by others, including your own servants whom you have the control over if I’m correct.”

“Maybe so” You responded with a genuine smile at him, “but I rather someone talk to me or like me not because they have to, but because they desire to do so.”

Before he could respond, a servant walks to him and whispers in his ear in the language you couldn’t understand before seeing that he probably is about to leave you alone. He walks with the other elf, and they start to chatter behind your back. It seemed suspicious since the servant kept glancing at you from time to time and the man would have a small frown every now and then. Their conversation probably isn’t a good one you thought. He comes back and takes the books he had in his arms, and you already notice that it’s a sign that he is about to leave.

“Oh! Are you needed elsewhere sir? I’m sorry to take much of your time if you were supposed to leave soon!” You stand up but he stops you before you did anything else strange.

“It is nothing that you should worry about, but yes, I am needed somewhere. However, my servant also told me that the meeting is done, and you are asked to meet your family at the dining room where the king is at.” He gives his servant the small stacks of books for them to put away before strolling over to you with his hand extended in your direction. You got confused for a bit until he chose to grab your hand and leave a gentle kiss on your palm. You never felt so flustered at the fact that a man, let alone a prince had left the touch of his lips linger on your hand before raising his head at your level.

“I hope you have a wonderful time here in the library and I would like to extend my gratitude for your honesty and kindness.” He then leaves you alone at the table, feeling bewildered at his change of attitude, and you start to wonder if what you said to him made him had a different view towards you. You don’t think about it even when you walk out of the library doors, and you hope that the way he talked to you wouldn’t be the last time someone treated you that way. It has been forever since someone didn’t mind your presence.

You’ll probably come to regret that thought once you realize what you’re really in for.

(Hello! Thank you so much for reading chapter 2 of the disowned princess reader x prince nuada silverlance. Now to keep my message short, I have been busy trying to work but currently I've been fired since I couldn't work full time and now I got time to myself :3 I also just started college, but since I got less homework, I will be trying to make more fanfics on this blog, including trying to finish this series which I come to enjoy.

I thank you all for enjoying the first chapter and I hope that ya'll continue to read and share my fanfic by reblogging it! See all of you soon and have a wonderful day!)

[cripplecharacters]

Hello, I have a question. In one of my projects, set in a vaguely 1600s fantasy pirate setting, one of my characters starts out as a burn survivor, with a large burn on her cheek.

She wears a scarf initially to protect the burn from the salt air as well as some self esteem issues, however I don’t want to fall into the masked burn survivor trope, or have a self-hating disabled character.

If it helps, over the course of the story she gets access to hydrating salves and stops needing the scarf as she grows to accept her facial difference.

Thank you for your time, and for all the help you give to us!

Hi!

I think protecting a burn scar from salt is smart. It also could help with the sun-related issues. However, the scarf should be of an appropriate material - a rough texture would only irritate and scratch it, which causes even more problems. If you mention that, or show the process of her choosing something that works for her from that angle, I think it would be much more of a "medical device" and less of a "hiding disability".

It's important to discuss why she has the self-esteem issues. Don't make it into a "Duh, obviously someone with a facial difference would have low self-esteem, just look at them!" which I constantly see.

Was she bullied or harassed over being disabled?

Is she traumatized from experiencing abuse or aggression? Does she fear that being visibly disabled will make her a target for violence again?

Was there a particular person who made her feel that way, like a parent or a "friend" that influenced her view of herself?

Was society around her lacking examples of happy burn survivors, so she assumed that she can't be happy either?

Make it clear why she feels that way, and don't make the narrative frame her facial difference as the root problem. The problem should be the thing that caused her to feel insecure. It's the same as the fact that mobility aids aren't a problem, inaccessibility is - at least that's how I look at it as someone who has an FD and uses a mobility aid.

This is by no means disability-specific, but look out for tragedy porn. Even if she has had bad experiences, I guarantee you that she had happy ones as well. In her case, maybe she met the funniest girl ever at the 1600s fantasy pirate burn unit, maybe the doctor who treated her helped her discover a new hobby while she was stuck in bed. Her backstory shouldn't boil down to "happy (abled) life, then the Accident, then horrible (disabled) life". That'd be a very hurtful message to send.

I do appreciate that she gets character development around her facial difference. I will say that this internal change often comes from seeing other disabled people thrive, being proud, shown as beautiful and valuable, etc. Representation is important in stories, even in-universe. This was certainly the case for me, and is the reason why now I'm so loud about including happy and positive people with facial differences everywhere. This stuff doesn't exist in a vacuum, you're affecting how people see themselves. It also leads me to my last, probably comically predictable point, which is...

Add more burn survivors, or at least characters with other facial differences, into the story. Preferably ones that have the low self-esteem either far behind them or haven't struggled with it in general (we exist). They don't have to be major characters but even just mentioned; e.g. your character thinking about other survivors she met in the place that treated her burns, or her seeing people with visible facial differences out and about and it making her think about why she even hides hers, etc. In short - don't make shame seem like the default reaction to having a facial difference, because it isn't.

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

[thebroccolination]

THE CLASS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KAWI AND PISAENG MADE CLEAR FROM THE VERY FIRST SCENE IN "BE MY FAVORITE"

The other day I realized something: the VERY FIRST SCENE of Be My Favorite sets up the class difference between Kawi and Pisaeng.

This series is so bafflingly smart and well-written.

Okay, so! Kawi is the child of a loving single parent who seems to have struggled financially all Kawi's life, so when Kawi decides on humanities for his major, everyone around him tells him he’s selfish and that he should be choosing a major that will enable him to make sufficient money to take care of his father.

And even though Kawi's father is lovely and encourages his son to choose whatever path that will make him happiest, the financial strain and personal guilt of his choice clearly weighs on Kawi.

One of the first things we learn about Kawi as a character in this first scene is that he doesn’t have enough money to socialize. Even though his peers are actively reaching out to him and would probably hang out with him even if he didn't pay to go out with them, it's not an easy thing to have to tell friends constantly that you can't afford to do what they want to do. So he closes himself off from everyone around him.

Meanwhile, Pisaeng is ludicrously wealthy, and while he’s also the child of a single parent, she’s involved in several industries that ensure Pisaeng a wide network of opportunities for his future. He has his own worries, but as we see over and over: money isn’t an issue he's ever struggled with or will likely ever struggle with.

So here’s what I love about the series' opening scene:

Pisaeng is in the background the whole time—asleep. And the first thing we see Kawi do is almost fall asleep. But the reasons are different: Kawi is exhausted trying to make ends meet and study, while Pisaeng has the luxury of coasting through school.

So, later in the series when Kawi tells Pisaeng that life isn’t as easy for him and he doesn’t just get things the way Pisaeng does, we’ve already seen that seed planted in the very first scene!

Kawi is a humanities major because he's passionate about writing and music and he wants to be a creative professional one day. Pisaeng probably just picked a major he thought he could breeze through.

And I love how Waa's put Pisaeng in the background with his face turned away from the classroom, because even though Kawi is the more obviously closed off of the two, Pisaeng is just as isolated when the series begins.

I love this series so much.

[kwisatzworld]

Palmist Joan Elizabeth read Vale's hands, knowing only that they belonged to a bike racer, nothing more. 'His past lifeline curves round the base of the thumb. Nothing to do with longevity; it's how a person lives their life. This chap is very independent. Childhood may not have been an easy time. It's not a criticism of parenting; his very strong, independent spirit made him someone who wasn't easy to parent. It seems his life has gone in blocks, with some difficulties.

'He's unsure - not from his lack of commitment but other people's. With that sorted I see him zooming into the future in a controlled way; this chap has control over his life. Something of a temper I'd suggest, but he's probably only lost it once or twice because he likes to be in control.

I know he's a racer but I have to say I'm surprised. It's almost as if he got into what he's doing by default. I'd assumed that, because of the strong determination in his hands, he'd be very clear about what he's doing. In fact there seems to be a sort of vagueness. He probably found that he was very gifted and thought "I'll have a go". One day he'll wake up and say "I've had enough of this", and do something completely different. It'll certainly be creative. He's a very intelligent chap who could choose any career.

'Whatever he does needs movement, people, changes. Repetition is like death to him. A very emotional man too; his heart line shows more than his share of emotional events, some of which he's vowed never to repeat. He's buitt a strong defensive mechanism around him.

'He has a very sympathetic nature, but he likes to get on with it. Money-wise there's strong financial security. He's a very intuitive man who sums up people quickly. He doesn't suffer fools gladly, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of him. He may have a lot of acquaintances but very few real friends, If he makes a friend, that's it, you've got him for life.'

[amourdivine]

𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃.

Hello, my loves. I hope you're all doing wonderfully well. Although this pick a card was not the #1 winner in my most recent poll, I know that many people here are excited to build a family, so I decided to provide something fun for you! I hope you enjoy it & please don’t forget to provide feedback, if you will; If you liked this reading, please consider booking a paid reading or tipping me at @ amourdivinetarot@gmail.com! xo. ♡

how to choose your pile.  take deep breaths for a few minutes & look at each and every one of the piles separately. which pile sparks a feeling inside you? which pile gives you a strong memory or calls out to you the most? take your time and feel free to come back to it later.

♡ ♡ ♡ personal readings are available. click here to know more!

♡ ♡ ♡     pick a card masterlist & information.

disclaimer. none of the images are mine unless stated otherwise! this is a general reading for entertainment purposes. tarot is a divination tool & is not a substitute for medical and professional advice, nor is it meant to be taken as such. i do not take responsibility for any choice(s) made by you or others regarding my readings. please remember you are responsible for life and in power of it.

amourdivine. 2021 - 2023 © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content.

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑶𝑵𝑬.

strength | the star | king of wands

Hello, pile one! I’m not sure if it’s just my mind, but I keep seeing a lot of colors for this pile, especially primary colors, so it’s possible that you might have this child with an LGBTQ+ person and/or be LGBTQ+ yourself! I also saw a lot of crayons even before shuffling, so I think your kid will definitely be a very artistic type. A lot of messages came through even before I shuffled, so I think this kid is absolutely ecstatic about being a part of your family as your child.

This child is going to be very, very feisty and funny. They might be a bit of a tomboy or just a bit “rough” around the edges, but they’ll be very protective over you and their family as well. You could be a parent twice or more, so I don’t think this will be your only child, but definitely the eldest. Also, if you decide to have any pets at the time, they’ll probably want to do and know everything. Your future child’s asking you not to get frustrated when they ask you a bunch of questions about the world, pile one. They really wanted to get that across before moving on with the other messages, because they might be the type of super sensitive and feisty kid - very in touch with their emotions and they easily get hurt by words, but they have a very big and forgiving nature. Also, they’re asking you not to be overprotective, since they’re your first child, they want you to give them independence and autonomy slowly. Remember what I said about the pet? Yeah, they want to learn how to do things and they’ll watch you a lot in secret. Perhaps you’ll be up one morning and when you’re about to feed the cat, you’ve noticed that your kid’s already pouring the food onto the cat’s bowl. That’s adorable!

Something here tells me they might have fights and I can see a kid pushing another off the playground, but your kid will not start them per se. They seem very short-tempered and I can almost hear a little voice in my head going “they started it!” because your child might be very protective over others, especially animals. Also, right off the bat, they’re apologizing for coloring the walls with crayons? Not sure if that’ll resonate for all of you, but if it does, please come back to let me know! 

Also, if your child’s a little boy, your second child will be a little girl or vice versa. I can picture a little boy looking after a little girl in these cards, almost like one of them is playing and the other one’s making sure they don’t stray too far. I can’t say much about the other children, but this child will be your first and I doubt it’ll be the only! They’re so giggly, they might love it when you do a funny face or style their hair in a unique way. Also, this kid might be a bit eccentric like the artist they are - they could draw little monsters everywhere and love playing with makeup or looks regardless of their gender. They’ll brighten up your world and love you unconditionally, pile one. By the way, I had a lot of trouble spelling the words and since I’m channeling your future child’s message, I think they’ll ramble a lot and possibly mix up words at first. They’re really asking me to emphasize how loved you’ll be, in a way you have never ever felt before. This child is also urging me to tell you to take care of yourself physically and emotionally, but they also want you to promise that you’ll stay safe for them. They really love you so much, pile one. If you liked this reading, please consider booking a paid reading or tipping me at @ amourdivinetarot@gmail.com! xo. ♡

additional messages & signs: 333, pluto, leo and aquarius season, august, collecting beach shells, ginger or light blonde hair, freckles, tooth fairy, book quotes, “you can be a fighter”, “tell me everything”, “who did this to you?”, chocolate chip cookies, rainbows, lgbt parade.

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑻𝑾𝑶.

the fool | ace of swords | king of cups

Hello, pile two and welcome to your reading! While shuffling, I saw many cards related to Leo and other fire signs, but mostly Leo. I also heard “single parent,” so it’s possible you may raise this child on your own or become a single parent yourself. I love the freshness and boldness of this child. They may be a bit reckless and, well, foolish, since we have The Fool card here! But on a more in-depth interpretation, they seem unafraid and a bit of an airhead as well. They’re a bit brash and blunt with their words - may occasionally embarrass you in public, but all is done in good faith. They’re extremely pure and good-hearted, so it may surprise you that they’ll never grow out of that typical “naiveté” of a child’s, even well into their adult years.

This child may be born during the months of August or October, given the Leo and Libra signs I’ve gotten here. Although naive, they hold a lot of emotional wisdom and depth to them. They may be overlooked during their childhood years at school, perhaps their more extroverted and youthful nature can get them in trouble and make people underestimate or misunderstand them. However, they’re not a natural troublemaker or mischievous by any means. They’re quite witty and may have a knack for sarcasm or wordplay. Also, this kid looks like they’d be easily lost into books and works of fantasy. They have a wild imagination and it’s something they’re asking you to protect and cherish. This pile reminds me a little of pile number one, but with more maturity to them and emotional depth to them.

Despite looking like an airhead, they may actually be quite observant to the things other people don’t pay attention to. They may forget to do homework or the occasional house chores, but this child will be extremely emotionally sensitive - they may be the first to notice when one of their peers isn’t doing well or may use humor to lift other people’s mood, but this child may struggle with insecurity or confidence, deep down. They may feel they need to overperform in order to be cherished and loved, so they’re asking you to use plenty of words of affirmation to remind them how good they already are.

This child may have a bit of a dramatic flair to them as well, but like I mentioned earlier, it’s all in good nature. Do not joke about their feelings, though! Under this whimsical and dramatic nature, they take emotions very seriously. It’s quite an interesting juxtaposition - hence why I also feel that they may be misunderstood or taken for granted by their peers, at times. They may be neurodivergent and so, it’s important you check in on them. If this child is autistic, for example, allow them to take pride in these traits that make them different and unique. Also, you’ll learn a lot about the world through this child’s eyes. They have a very unique way of perceiving things. If you liked this reading, please consider booking a paid reading or tipping me at @ amourdivinetarot@gmail.com! xo. ♡

additional messages & signs: leo or sagittarius, pisces, scorpio, september, october, twitch streamer, video games, “you were born to stand out”, neurodivergent, adhd, autistic, fair, blunt, sensitive, quirky, lego house, marvel movies.

𝑷𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬.

seven of pentacles | knight of swords | eight of pentacles

Hello, pile number three! Welcome to your reading! Honestly, I had a little bit of a tough time shuffling for this pile, just because the messages and the overall feeling of it was so intense. They seem quite introverted and hardworking, like an old soul in a young body. It’s quite different from my previous piles, since this child holds a lot of seriousness and introversion to them, which is not actually a bad thing - they’re devoted to making you a proud parent.

They may tend to take things very seriously and to heart, however. Whatever you say to your child, they’ll take it to heart, so be careful with your words around them - it seems it can go either way. I get a bit of “middle sibling” energy from this, so they may tend to overwork themselves in order to gain people’s approval or excel in their studies to gain a sense of control. It reminds me a bit of Saturn and Capricorn as their overall concepts.

It breaks my heart a little because this child seems quite guarded. They may have a hard time opening up or simply feel that you’re too busy for them. Their main love language seems to be quality time and acts of service, so it’s important you take plenty of interest in their hobbies - no matter how “weird” or “quirky” they may seem to you, this child is very booksmart, even though sometimes they may come off as a “know it all,” they want to become resourceful and helpful, someone that you’re proud of in the long run. Aw, my heart.

Now, they may also be extremely competitive. I think they may partake in several extracurricular activities at school and become some kind of valedictorian during college. They’re reliable, trustworthy and quite solid. Although may be a bit of a wallflower as well, so be mindful when you engage with your kid, since they need their own time and may struggle with placing boundaries. This child is asking you to remind them that you’re the parent - not them, and they don’t need to have it all together. So no matter how many times they struggle with their perfectionism, it’s important you bring them back to their qualities and how worthy they are of everything.

They may also be naturally strict with themselves and have extremely high standards. They may get this from you, as well, if they witness you being harsh on yourself, they may become adept of this behavior since this child idolizes you a lot and may have troubles with their own self-image or self-worth outside of their achievements. Please remind them to have fun, a lot of it! Not everything has to be a task or a side hustle, and this message seems to apply to you as well. They acknowledge you’ve worked hard to build financial stability for them, but remember to bond emotionally with others and not pass these false beliefs onto your loved ones. Honestly, they’re a little bit of a “mini adult”, it reminds me a lot of the child character played by Dakota Fanning in “Uptown Girls,” especially the scenes in which she struggles with vulnerability and receiving affection. This is a very responsible kid, it warms my heart to know how much motivation they’ve got to succeed in life and to make you proud. They adore you so much. If you liked this reading, please consider booking a paid reading or tipping me at @ amourdivinetarot@gmail.com! xo. ♡

additional messages & signs: “why don’t you do something for yourself?”, capricorn, virgo, taurus, horseback riding, harvard, straight A’s, INTJ, ISTJ, good enough by lifehouse, “and now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good”, you’re on your own kid by taylor swift, "fear of being average"

amourdivine. 2021 - 2023 © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content.

[blorbologist]

Re-watching Calamity (for ~research~) and this time around Patia has really stood out to me. Of course Cerrit and Laerryn and Zerxes are showstoppers, but I decided to pay more mind to the other three members of the Ring of Brass, and just... Patia Por'co, guys. Patia Por'co.

Patia's relationship to what she knows (and does not know) is, I think, the pure distillation of knowledge is power.

She carries all her knowledge, all of Avalir's knowledge, with her, levitating, all this power at her fingertips. I think that there's something to be said with her about how generational power and knowledge are so often intertwined - children of alumni having easier access to the same academic leg up as their parents, knowing who to know, having the ins and outs of how this works handy. I don't believe any of the other members of the Ring of Brass come from backgrounds like this, and if not it's fitting that the only one that does is the one most tied to knowledge. On top of being an elf to boot, something which must amplify the consolidation of resources throughout the years.

[Shunting the rest under the cut bc oops this got Long]

I think it's interesting, too, how Patia seems extremely adept at navigating the lies and half-truths of Avalir's politics, yet reserves honesty for her friends. If someone lesser than they knows what they shouldn't, she will take that power away from them. On my relisten, I'd forgotten that one of the memories the Ring of Brass analyzes tries to throw Patia under the bus, and how quickly she shows Nidas memories proving that she did as right by him as she could. And the reveal that she and Zerxes tried to bring back Evandrin, and upon the failure she removed the painful memory at his request.

(Mechanically, too; as a wizard, her knowledge literally is her power. That's the wizard thing, baby, and if Laerryn exemplifies a wizard whose INT is intellectual skill/problem-solving, then Patia is probably INT as memory. Streetsmart and booksmart besties. Also revealing herself to goad Dean Hollow into popping back in, only to immediately Sphere her and cause the bitch to get eaten by her own spell? Maybe that's a stretch of my 'knowledge is power' bit, but it's too fucking cool of a moment not to remind you of it.)

The first time she died, it was for knowledge. Touching the Tree of Names, and she never did let it go (would she, if she could have?). When she died - that first time - did she meet the Raven Queen?

Patia's direct tie to quite possibly the second-most knowledgeable being in the Exandrian mythos (behind Ioun, but I'd argue you know a lot to handle fate and death, on top of being a wizard in life) feels very deliberate to me. The Raven Queen, the mage who did what no other could (except Vecna a long-ass time later, and only for like a day or two), was at least a contemporary. Perhaps a teacher, or mentor, or admired idol. And now Patia can't even remember her name.

It's funny how much knowledge was actually taken from Patia, between that name and her parents'. Just as she removed knowledge from others. No matter how powerful you get, even with a protective ring, you are always at the mercy of your predecessors. What they chose to do with knowledge. And what Patia chooses to do, now.

In her last moment alone, she relates this knowledge to selfishness. Her grandfather's decision to make a city fly because he and others could. The Gau Drashari's decision to keep all information about the Tree of Names secret. While I disagree with her a bit, it really rounds out knowledge is power - because it's hoarded, it's made a tool for selfishness and control. And Patia acknowledges it likely always will be selfish, but for now at least she can break this cycle.

She breaks Avalir, the model of it her grandfather holds, and sends the Librarium with all the knowledge she carries to Maya.

(I'll note that Maya probably doesn't know what the orb is or does, so sending the model library is a great way to help get that message across, too, on top of the meaning of the moment.)

When it comes time to send all of Avalir's knowledge away, it's not some mage acquaintance from another city she sends it to. Hells - she doesn't even teleport herself out, with it, to ensure its protection and proper use. She sends it to a child, a teenager, the daughter of her friend. Someone with no power, who will have nothing but her family in the Calamity. I can't quite pin down why she choose Maya. Because a teenager is innocent, uncorrupted by power? Because she wanted to give the family of her friend leverage, knowledge to rebuild, a fighting chance?

There's so much Patia did not live to know. She points it out herself that she never found love, or became a parent, all for the sake of Avalir, for knowledge, for power. To maintain the legacy that preceded her. Excellent DMing on Brennan's part to take the quiet moment, as the sphere is sent to Maya, to then put Patia in the place of a child, one robbed of the knowledge of who her parents even were.

And yet. As she sends all she has ever known away, she still reaches for it. Almost wants it back. Almost.

Her story begins and ends with a wish: happy Replenishment, grandfather. And on that fateful day, in place of the stolen tithe she and Laerryn and Nidas have been shuffling around the city, she gives her life to save the world. and she gives away the knowledge to rebuild it.

And there's nothing else she needs to know.

IDK. I think we should talk about Patia more.

[luffyvace]

〜Kats x black gn! Reader〜

Katsuki x black reader seems like power couple so I’m doing it 😎

enjoy<33

Okay so starting off with your drip

he honestly thinks your fits is 🔝 tier!!

but he never says it out loud 😐

if he does it’s at least not directly 🤷‍♀️

words of affirmation isn’t his thing..

but you know what is?!

act of serviceeeee 🤪

soooo..he’ll buy you clothes!

some times he’ll surprise you with stuff he knows you’d like and say he just happen to walk by

(he deliberately went looking for it)

and other times he just tells you to throw some clothes on, takes you to your fav clothing shop and tell you to pick out what you want 🤷‍♀️😊

he’s probably already picked up on AAVE from others he’s heard talking and context clues

so you can use it around him without having to explain

He’ll use it occasionally if the situation calls for it but he always uses it right—and never overuses it when unnecessary

as for your hair he’s more likely to buy you the products than he is to actually help you wash your hair

just cuz he knows you know what your doing

plus you can do it yourself, your not his child 😂

he could if he wanted to, but he chooses to stick to restocking your supply :)

his head massages>>

and by that i mean if you just got your hair braided and your head hurts he’ll gently massage your head without messing your hair up

Your hair is probably filled with oil and cream but he can just wash his hands :P

(If) he can braid hair i feel he wouldn’t have a problem with doing it

his braids and lines would be straight and he’d be quick at doing it after getting the hang of it too

if he can’t for some reason or another he’ll book you a good hair place/hair dresser

he’ll give you his moms hair products not to mention!

certainly gets it for free too

no way he’s paying for his ‘old hag’s” crap 😒

-katsuki

(he probably has his own from her because she forces him to take it. He likely avoided it at first and used something else out of spite, but once he tried it and discovered it works really well he started using hers instead)

besides after mitsuki finds out he’s getting some of it for you he gets extra from her

(partially bc she made him take it and partially because he wanted you to have some as a gift)

your food (let’s say you can whip up some delicious food) is pretty good to him!

he easily prefers cooking with you over any other class 1a student

simply because he tolerates (loves you) way more than any of them

cooking with him is pretty fun since your good and you don’t get yelled at!

you have a good nose for seasoning as well~

another thing ;P

your features are something he admires often

if you sit in front and diagonal to him it’ll be easier for him to not get caught

but he won’t deliberately turn around to stare if not, obv 🤡

he likes how distinct they are, gives him a lot to observe

i don’t know he just really likes looking at you (in a non creepy, romantic, way) 👍

especially when you look so peaceful while sleeping <3

your culture/dancing is something interesting for him to learn

And whether you know it or not yes he likes to learn (nerd 🤓☝️)

he leans more towards your culture tho

and there’s nothing you can do to get him to dance..

but he’ll watch you dance !

ofc not in a weird way, just seeing the dance itself and criticizing it (not in a rude way dw)

btw

Imma tell you right here right now no matter how dark or light your skin is, it was never a problem for him and never will be💗

he buys you bonnets when they rip or you loose them

if you loose them and he finds it after buying you another one he’s gonna smack you upside the head 😆👍

He probably relates with some things as far as if you have strict parents :P

actually, not probably.

so at least you have someone you could talk to about that

moral of the story? you and katsuki are highly compatible 💗👍

Trying to clear my drafts 😛

hope you enjoyed these dear black readers!!

[chronicsyd]

I was watching a video of someone breaking down the lyrics of Wish and why fundamentally they don’t work; but the whole thing angers me because it Could have worked if they just went with their original idea to Begin with. I’ve mentioned before that they should have gone with Star Boy but the songs in Wish REALLY emphasize WHY that sentiment rings true. Because “At All Costs” was SUPPOSED to be a duet between Asha and Star Boy because the whole thing sounds like a lovers lullaby and him wanting to love Asha “as a human does” per say. But now it’s just Asha and Magnifico singing to a bunch of crystal balls which loses most of the emphasis that song was trying to portray in the First place (not to mention how Stupid it is that the wishes are just crystal balls like this is where the 2d animation would have stood out).

Now, “I’m a Star!” Just needs to be entirely scrapped and reworked cause they could have used the song to show how Star Boy thinks and feels about things upon his initial introduction cause I’d presume that Star Boy would probably be someone very upbeat and excitable, but incredibly naïve about how the world works at the same time.

And “This is the Thanks I Get?!” COULD have really worked if they went with this plan as well cause Magnifico is supposed to be feeling unappreciated and disrespected and if Asha were his daughter and going against him cause of her feelings for Star Boy and how Magnifico was handling the wishes then That makes sense. But in the film we got, the town already seems to respect him and he doesn’t really have a reason for the way he acts which is why his switch to villain seems so abrupt.

Also the lyrics, rhythm and cadence would need a Drastic change but that would probably be Disney needing to just fire Julia Michaels and going with someone who’s Profession is making lyrics for Musical Theater instead of pop songs cause all these lyrics are just “ohh wishes!” “Ohhh stars!” And whatnot instead of building up Anything narratively. (Cause even though Lin Manuel Miranda has kinda become a meme at this point he still Knows how lyrics should build a story. Except for the Scuttlebutt but that’s just a one off thing that was truly Terrible). But hey, this is just me ranting on something that I should be letting go at this point but whatever 🤷‍♀️

(Also it bothers me that Disney was like “oh we can’t have Asha have a romantic interest in 2023 how can we show she’s a strong lead in 2023 if there’s a love interest!” Even though there’s Plenty of ways to do that with the two building off each other in a natural way and the fact that Asha doesn’t really have a character arc Anyways and her being Magnifico’s daughter would have made this work as well cause she’d have to choose between her feelings for Star Boy and going against her parents wishes just UHG I’m so pressed can someone make a Wish fixed fanfic so I can read that instead please?! Thank you.)

[spotlightlowlife]

Helluva Boss has responsibility issues - Stolas, Stella and Octavia edition

Yep, Stolas is likeable, in his own right and the fact that he's part of a ship, which is a formula to certain success. However we know Stolas, we don't know Stella nor Octavia.

Let's be honest, this drama started off pretty reasonable.

We had no reason to believe Stella had done anything wrong, when we met her in a flashback, what was there to indicate Stella and Stolas didn't like one another?

We even see them sharing a bed in that big whole castle.

Fast forward to the future and Stolas has cheated which lead to their bitter divorce, which is an unfortunate common case, Stolas is in the wrong, doesn't mean he's a monster who deserves the worst to happen to him. Stella on the other hand has put a hit on him, a horrible thing to do yes, but a random act of malice, no.

Yet the worst happened in making light of Stolas's very common mistake and pushing it onto Stella

Why do this? Why take away from his story, his tough decision making and the fallout from his actions, the loneliness he feels in his big dark home and the fear of retaliation? He was a complex character in the making and pretty likeable regardless of his questionable conduct.

He has been absolved of responsibility in an attempt to make him more liked than he already was.

He could have been sympathetic simply down to the unsuitable arrangement and being born to fulfil a purpose, something that seems a theme in his lineage.

Now he's another victim. A victim of years of abuse at the hands of this horrible volatile woman who humiliated him every chance she got who he had no choice but to put up with because arranged of the evil institution of arranged marriage. He initiated the divorce, easily, which would have to be on grounds of his adultery

so Stella moved out, but he had to put with years of this marriage, which had the clause of a child being essential, their child is 17.

Stella and Stolas get given the exact same sob story

yet where Stolas was a cute, innocent and inquisitive child who just met his first friend and crush in little Blitzø, Stella was an aggressive scary fiend from day one, so as Stolas grows up to keep some of his childhood attributes, where does this leave Sella? A mean girl at her core?

This is a absolutely what we get, a simply irredeemable villain, a dramatic woman scorned who put a hit on her ex, then when we learn more, she's elevated to a wicked woman who just loves the drama.

With Stolas being a victim now who deserves the transactional relationship with his first crush and Stella being a evil and proud yet probably set to be shadowed by her probably more padded out brother, we also have their neglected daughter.

We don't have any evidence of Stella being a bad or inattentive parent, just because she was a bad wife that one episode, but we also don't know anything about their dynamic, this rare example of a character having parents, having a mother and being of an age of dependency, but nothing.

One interesting thing about Stolas's backstory was that he appeared to have his own palace, no mother only staff, his dad visited and wasn't sure which of his children Stolas was but what he did know was that this particular one had that purpose and this business arrangement had been made for him. Loneliness and the realisation of dysfunction could have served as Stolas's personal conflict in choosing to upkeep the unsuitable relationship, rather than 'Stella is a meangirl'.

We are used to sad backstories, yet we have Octavia, a child being left behind in real time and as grown as she may seem, she's still a kid, yet she manages to be one of the most sensible characters in this.

On top of maybe knowing about the bounty on her dad (pity we never see how his hospitalization impacted on her as his technical only loved one)

and having to be reminded of his cringy hookups with Blitzø (that dirty talk over the phone in her presence, also the reminder that though Blitzø is our likeable leading character, he's someone deeply obnoxious by design) and the time he manages for him,

along with growning up amungst hostility, she is now a child of divorce, which shouldn't be a bad thing considering her parents open dislike of one another and their marriage being something forced, however there are other factors, the back and forth continues dispite her being old enough for neither of them to speak again, along with her birth alone being the contracts completion.

Yet she doesn't ask for much, a dad who's interested on the occasions we see her, hears her and sticks to their plans. She expressed no idealistic wishes for her parents to be back together nor did she feeling the need to know what their issues were nor pick a side and fight for it.

Her interests are in the stars and sky, Stolas's line of work.

When it comes to interest and investment in a subject that could go on to be her trade, Octavia may be up there with the sin leaders we have met so far. She has been show to want to learn and be resourceful, going as far as to sneak into IMP to steal back the travel grimoire in order go about alone a day out she looked forward to.

It wasn't as heartwarming as I'm sure it was intended to be when Octavia's very valid upset undermined by Loona, who truly doesn't know any better, who advised Octavia to cut her dad some slack, Loona who is in her mid 20s and proved that episode that a toddler has more reason and self control than her. But this was Loona's time to shine in her grow up moment before returning to her usual aggressive self, so that's that.

[lonely-parrot]

Routine and motorbike

@jegulus-microfic june prompts

Day 19: Mechanical

Word count : 1113

Summary: Regulus doesn't feel good, how will he escape that? Bit angsty I guess, reference to depression

Every day of Regulus’ life is the same way.

He wakes up, in a too big bed, Mr. Kreach comes and open his curtains for him. He goes downstairs to eat with his parents that he greets the way they taught him to.

And life goes. And life goes.

School has ended for a year, but Regulus isn’t in a wedding hurry. He’s only nineteen, and his parents have agreed to wait for a bit before choosing his wife for him. He learns how to handle the fortune of the families.

He learns how to be the Heir his brother should have been. He’s not as good as him.

Every day of Regulus’ life is the same way.

He lives through them as a robot would. Mechanical.

Always.

The.

Same.

Way.

*

James doesn’t understand a single thing to what Sirius does, but that doesn’t prevent him from loving to spend time watching him lovingly fix an old motorbike. Sirius is good with that, mechanic and all. He tried to teach it all to James, who has only ever had a smile and a vague nod, so he ended up stopping. Now, he talks about that to his dad.

And to Moony, but it isn’t really fair or objective because he doesn’t understand either; Moony is just the type that would pay to listen Sirius talks, and Sirius doesn’t care that Remus doesn’t understand, because he just loves when he stares at him lovingly like he does while he gets to talk about what he likes.

Anyway, James never had to understand it to love it, just because it makes Sirius happy. It had been one of the first thing Sirius was able to get up for after he moved to the Potters. You could have thought that, after having left his abusive household, he’d be happy, but it hasn’t worked that way. For months, he couldn’t leave his bed, he spent his time fixing up the wall, only moving to go to the toilette, and when one of the Potter came and forced him to eat.

James remembers the day he arrived to take care of Sirius – since he couldn’t do it himself, and James will always do what Sirius can’t, and Sirius does what James can’t – their dad just bought a motorbike, wanting to fix it. That information had made Sirius look at James, something rare enough to be noticeable. The days after, all the Potters talked about it, until Sirius asked if he could see it.

James sometimes wonders how things would have happened without that. Hopefully, he can ask all he wants, he doesn’t have to see it. Instead, he can watch Sirius, covered in motor oil, grinning at him like a child, while they talk about everything.

“I love you, Siri…”

Sirius looks at him, a bit surprised. His smile returns quickly.

“Love you too, Jamie!”

*

Always the same.

Always the same.

Not the good same.

Not the comforting same. The one that chokes you. One that makes Regulus go crazy.

Waking up. Greetings, eating. Reading. Snob partying. Eating. Sleeping.

Nothing great.

Nothing. It’s always the same. Even the tears that streams on his cheeks until the odd hours of the night are the same. The muffled sobs against his pillows until he can’t breathe, until he wishes he really wasn’t.

He needs to escape.

He thinks of Sirius. The night he escaped, he told Regulus, “come with me, we don’t need them. With me, you’ll always be safe. Please…”. Regulus stayed here.

Regulus wants to call Sirius’ name at night, because he needs to be saved, and who better than Sirius?

*

“Do you think of your brother sometimes?”

Sirius seems furious.

“Why do you ask that?”

“I don’t know, I just remember him younger, and I wonder how he is now…”

“He’s living the nobility life I quit. There’s nothing else to say. He was always more fit to that than I am. He’s probably really happy.”

“What if he isn’t, though? What if he isn’t and he has no one to save him?”

*

He needs to stop that.

He can’t let it stay that way forever.

He looks at the hill from his window. He needs to do something.

A motor roars outside, an unusual sound, up in the manor.

*

“What if he isn’t, though?”

“James. James!”

Sirius is at James’ side, near his bed.

“Wa’sgoin’ on?”

“I need to see him.”

“You should sleep, and we’ll go tomorrow.”

“James. I need it now. Please.”

Now, they’re on the first motorbike Sirius bought alone, in the middle of the night, travelling the countryside.

*

The motor comes closer.

A motorbike on the perfectly neat lane. Black hair flying against the sky.

Regulus knows that silhouette from instinct alone; Sirius is here. Sirius has come back for him. He runs down the stairs, he opens the big door and arrives there, just in front of Sirius and James, both waiting on him.

“You’ve come.”

*

First thing James notices: Regulus is pretty.

Second thing: he looks like Sirius when he moved to their house; he looks bad.

*

Regulus is packing. Sirius hasn’t let their parents talk, and Regulus is packing, with Sirius and James at his side, and he’s going away.

Since in all the years they’ve spent aside, Sirius hasn’t lost his ability to be an idiot, they’ll be forced to wait a few hours for Fleamont Potter to come with a truck to fetch the motorbike, since all three of them can’t fit.

And then.

Freedom.

*

Regulus seems to live his departure as bad as Sirius. Sirius who spends hours every day with him.

One day, Sirius is occupied, so James comes and take his place. He starts talking to him about Sirius. About mechanic. How’s that work, even though he doesn’t really understand. Basically, it’s the same everywhere, to a few minor variations.

“My life was like that.”

Regulus spoke.

Regulus spoke!

“Mechanical. Everything was the same. Everything was… it was too much.”

“Has it changed?”

“No.”

*

Regulus wants to talk more.

He does, days after days. He’s eager for when James is going to be there. He’s more willing to eat. He goes and cleans himself.

James spends time with him after.

James is handsome.

Regulus is getting better, and he likes to hear James talks. One day, he grabs his hand, of his own will, like that.

Apparently, he likes to watch James, to hear him, and he really really likes to hold his hand.

[moonsgemini]

seeking arrangements- v

summary: Rafe feels regret in the pit of his stomach and knows he needs to lay it all out in order to get the girl back. His honesty leads to romantic moments, vengeful exes, and pinot on the beach.

warnings: angst, fluff, 18+, kissing, very suggestive language, thomas, toxic families, bad moms, cursing, escort!rafe

wc: 3.9k

an: one more part left!!! I’m sorry but I dislike conflict soooo much so I try not to write too much of it lol. I hope you guys enjoyed <3 I honestly kinda hate it & feel like it's all over the place but I also like it ????

series masterlist - previous part

Rafe was going crazy. For the last week he had been living off of Lola’s attention. He wished he could go back to when he was picking her up at the bar and she was all over him. That moment between them felt so real. Like they weren't doing it to convince anyone of anything. The truth is it was how Lola felt. She wanted it to feel real like that all the time. That's why she thought he also maybe wanted something more.

He was so good at being independent and keeping his feelings out of these things. Rafe didn’t expect this doe eyed girl to completely turn his world upside down. His feelings for her were starting to be all consuming, even in his sleep he was dreaming about her. Rafe just hoped being honest with her would help him earn forgiveness and her trust again.

When he woke up the next morning she was already downstairs having an early coffee with her dad. Rafe played the part of a good boyfriend and went over to kiss her on the head good morning. He felt her stiffen as he did so. Even more confirmation that he had royally screwed up. The tension between them didn't seem palpable, but to Lola the air felt thick.

Even if things seemed fine she didn’t want to risk her dad suspecting anything was wrong so she just gave Rafe a soft smile. Not looking at him for too long or her brain would turn to mush and she’d forget why she was upset. They barely spoke a word to each other while they got ready for family brunch. Lola doing her best to ignore his presence. Tried to ignore the smell of his cologne and the droplets of water on his chest when he walked out of the shower with just a towel around his waist. He was torturing her in every way.

She felt like a complete loser. He had rejected her advances and then had insinuated that she was nothing more than another client. It was clear to her now that she had probably made Rafe so miserable that he was choosing to retire and find someone to settle down with. Lola felt humiliated. The first guy she opens up to since Thomas and he breaks her heart almost just the same.

Lola had thought he felt the same because of how nice he was to her. He also stood up for her and was attentive of her. No one has done that, not without her giving 110% of herself first. She felt carefree around him.

Now they were sat next to each other with all her family around and the bridal party. They had hired someone to set up tables and food in Lola's parents back year that was connected to the beach. Umbrellas also set up to keep the June heat away.

Rafe kept thinking about how perfect she looked in the lavender dress she wore. He wanted to take her away and apologize and confess his feelings for her. She wasn’t hiding her emotions very well this time as she pushed around her last few pieces of waffle around her plate. Barely staying engaged in conversation. It hurt him to know he had caused this.

Rafe had to endure the torture of her getting ready. Her leaned over the sink lips pouting as she applied lipgloss made him want to get on his knees behind her and beg for forgiveness in more than one way. Now he’s having to sit at brunch and see her try to look like everything is okay when he can tell she’s hurting.

“So love birds how was last night?” Tabitha asked raising her eyebrows at them suggestively. She was sitting across from the couple drinking her own mimosa.

The couple looked at each other briefly, “Uh it was good.” Lola smiled trying to put up a front.

“Just good?” Tabitha asked looking over at Rafe. Almost like she knew he had done something.

Before he could say anything Lola rolled her eyes with a weak smile, “Tabi some things stay private.”

“Yeah yeah,” She waved them off as she grabbed the champagne bottle in the middle of the table, “shit it’s empty.”

Lola perked up at the excuse to go away and clear her mind for a second, “I can go get some.” She pushed out her chair walking towards the house.

Rafe quickly stood up, “I’ll help.” Finally having an opportunity to be alone with Lola.

Lola cringed slightly, her back still turned to him as he took long strides to catch up to her. They didn’t speak as they walked into the house and towards the basement where the wine cellar was.

“Lola I have a lot I need to say to you,” Rafe said breaking the silence as they reached the bottom floor.

Lola’s heart began to beat faster. She closed her eyes and sighed turning towards him, “Rafe just go ahead and say it. I understand you don’t like me that way and I was too forward. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night.”

His heart ached as she spoke, “You have never made me uncomfortable. I-I wanted to do something so bad last night it physically hurt me to pull away from you,”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, “Well then why did you? You’re so confusing Rafe. You’ve been nothing but the perfect fake boyfriend and then we have moments where I-I feel like it’s not fake. Like you’re actually being real,” He stepped forward grabbing her hand interrupting her, “Because I am being real. When I saw you sitting there at the bar when we first met I thought to myself that no way is the prettiest girl in this whole room is the one paying me to take her out. Then I got to know you and I was even more baffled at the fact that every person isn’t falling at your feet.”

Her heart swelled at his words, “Rafe I-“

He reached up and grabbed her face gently, “You are the most beautiful extraordinary person I’ve ever met and I’ve only known you for a few weeks. This sounds crazy but I want to spend forever getting to know every part of you. I don’t want to be friends when we leave here, I want to be more.”

She smiled shyly at him. Lola’s face felt hot because no one had ever said anything so nice to her, “I want to be more too. I care for you so much Rafe and I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t let you have me.”

He felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Hearing those words made him grin like an idiot, “Let me take you on a real first date then, when we get back to city.” He moved his hands rubbing them down her arms to hold her hands again. He brought them up to his lips kissing her knuckles softly.

Her racing pulse not easing with his romantic gestures. She felt like the lead in those romance books she was always reading. Rafe felt like a dream come true, never had she met a man that communicated how he felt and didn’t let her sulk for days before giving a half assed apology.

“Of course Rafe,” She couldn’t fight her grin.

He leaned forward pressing his lips to hers. It hadn’t even been 24 hours since they last kissed but it felt like a life time. The way her soft lips felt against his was a feeling he’ll never get used to. He let go of her hands wrapping his arms around her wait, his palms flat on her back gently pushing her towards him. Lola’s palms slid up his arms to wrap around his neck. One hand sliding up the back of his head gently tugging on his hair. She loved the feeling of him against her. She sighed softly into the kiss before he gently tugged on her bottom lip.

“As much as I’d love to keep going and even finish what you started last night I don’t want anyone to come looking for us and catch me inside of you,” Rafe said kissing her cheek then her nose.

She slapped his chest playfully, “Rafe! Don’t be so vulgar.”

He laughed as she stepped away from him to get the bottles of champagne they came for, “That wasn’t vulgar sweetheart. Vulgar is me saying we could get caught with my dick in your tight wet pu-“

“Rafe! Stop!” She shouted with wide eyes not wanting him to continue, “You’re gonna kill me,” She laughed.

"Also it's not always going to be this easy to get me to stop being upset with you," She continued, "Well you actually do have a lot of making up to do."

"I plan on making it up to you and prove that I'm worth your time. Don't worry sweetheart you'll probably be begging me to stop proving myself," He winked teasingly.

"Okay you're done," She laughed walking away. His words were making her feel flustered so she needed to walk away.

He smiled and grabbed the three bottles from her hands following her up the stairs. Of course he wasn’t going to let her carry a thing.

“Finally geez!” Tabitha shouted as the couple approached, “wow you two look chipper.” A smirk now appearing on her face.

“Why wouldn’t we be? My sister gets married tomorrow,” Lola said trying to deflect.

Penny who sat a seat away from Tabitha exclaimed, “Isn’t Lola just the best!” Clearly the mimosas had gotten to her now.

They sat down in their seats from before Rafe handing out the bottles. He felt giddy as Lola scooted her chair a bit closer to him. Lola felt relaxed for once. The whole time, no matter how convincing Rafe was, in the back of her mind she worried someone would find them out. Then they’d think she was some pathetic loser who lied about having a boyfriend and then paid one to go out with her. But now she didn’t have to worry about that because she knew that Rafe was being genuine.

The two love struck idiots were too busy feeling the butterflies in their stomachs to notice Thomas glaring at them from down the table. He couldn’t stand the sight of them. Mostly because he couldn’t stand seeing Lola happy. He liked when she was miserable because of him because it made him feel good to know he had that affect on her. But here she was with a guy more attractive and kind than him and she was glowing. He hated it.

Thomas hated it so much after the bachelor party and after spotting them kissing across the street he went back to his airbnb and did some major research. Searching Rafe’s name on every platform. He could barely find anything on him. Rafe only had instagram and only three pictures on his profile. One with his sisters, one with his friends, and one of him at the lake on his boat. He found his very successful company and net worth but Rafe tried to live a very private life so there was not much on him.

Until Thomas used one of his instagram pictures to reverse image search. He’d never admit to anyone he did this. That’s when he started stumbling upon pictures of Rafe at different weddings. He somehow ended up down a rabbit hole where he read an article in a magazine from an anonymous man. Talking about how he has a successful company but likes to keep women company because he knows what it feels like to always be the single person at parties.

He thought he was being a little crazy for jumping to conclusions. But after sitting up almost all night thinking about it he took the leap and figured put Rafe was a male escort.

His theory wasn’t confirmed but still he sat glaring at the couple who he couldn’t figure out. Because if he really was an escort he was good at his job, Rafe had them all convinced he was really into Lola.

Penny stood up clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. Harry stood up with her placing his hand on her back. She smiled widely, “We are so happy to have you all here for our special day tomorrow. This amazing week is almost coming to an end and I wish it could go one forever!”

Harry smiled at his fiancée before beginning to speak, “We have to head to the courthouse to do some final things. Please try not to get too drunk before the rehearsal dinner tonight guys.”

“We’ll see you all in a couple hours on the beach!” They waved and everyone shouted their goodbyes as the couple walked away.

Lola was glad to have some time for just her and Rafe before having to deal with more of her family.

She turned to him, “Rehearsal dinner is at seven so we have some time to hang out.”

Rafe placed his hand on her thigh rubbing smooth circles on the exposed skin from her dress, “Sounds perfect, how about we get a bottle of wine and find a private spot on the beach?”

She leaned forward kissing his cheek softly, “Sounds like the best day.”

“Lola honey come try on your bridesmaids dress incase we need to do any last minute altering,” Lola’s mom interrupted standing on the other side of the table.

Lola sighed, “Sure mom. I’ll come get you when I’m done if you want to hang out in my room or something.”

“Take your time babe,” He brushed hair behind her ear, “I’ll be here.”

She grinned widely not being able to fight the heat in her face. Lola followed behind her mom to the house.

Rafe stood up and was making his way to porch to catch up on some work. Everyone had dispersed to whatever they were going to do to keep themselves busy while the couple was out. As he walked up he heard someone jogging behind him to catch up to him.

“So uh Rafe how’d you and Lola meet again?” Thomas asked suddenly, not even bothering to greet him.

“Why?”

He shrugged, “Just want to hear it again how you two love birds met each other.”

Rafe scoffed, “Sure buddy. We met at a bar, and I couldn’t let the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen leave without trying to talk to her.”

Once they reached the top of the deck Rafe stopped and turned facing the guy he really didn’t like. For someone who cheated on their ex he seemed very interested in her still.

Thomas nodded his head, “Right right, so you guys didn’t meet online or anything?”

“No, what’s up with the questions?” Rafe crossed his arms over his chest, looking as broad as ever.

He smirked shrugging and mimicking Rafe’s position, “Just want to make sure Lola has found herself a good guy. Don’t want her to be paying for someone’s company or anything like that.”

Rafe’s face never changed even though on the inside he panicked for a second. But then he realized he could use Thomas’ stupidity to his advantage.

He laughed, “I really don’t think she needs you looking out for her.”

“I’m just say desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Rafe took a step closer to him not wanting to hear his bullshit anymore, “Look Thomas, I know what happened between you two so I really don’t like you. I also don’t like you assuming you think you know what’s best for my girlfriend. I also don’t like the things you’re insinuating about her. So I think it’d be best if you fucked off because if I remember correctly your boss and I are golf partners.” Yeah Rafe did a bit of his own research too before he even came here.

It turned out that Rafe’s golf partner was Thomas’ boss. He was a big guy in finance who was worth millions and he liked Rafe. He saw him as like a son he never had, so one word from him and Thomas’ job was out the window.

He scoffed, “You’re bluffing.”

“Should I call Martin right now? Or should I just wait until a couple weeks from now when I see him at his wife’s birthday party," He smirked, "see after you blatantly insulted my girl on the boat I did some research and found out where you work."

“Whatever dude, treat her like shit. I don’t give a fuck.” Thomas practically stomped away like a toddler. Rafe grinned to himself and sat down on the sofa on the deck starting to look through his emails.

-

Lola loved clothes and all that girly stuff, it made her feel pretty and delicate. But having to try a dress on in front of her mom made her want to crawl out of her skin. Her eyes picked up every one of her flaws and it made her feel horrible. Except this time was different.

“You look amazing darling!” Her mom swooned as she watched Lola spin slowly in the light blue satin gown.

“Thanks mom, can I change now?” She asked brushing her hands over her stomach to smooth out the dress.

“Sure. Ugh you’re so grown up,” Her eyes began to water and Lola would have felt like it was sincere if her mom hadn’t messed up her life so much.

Lola went back into her parents bathroom to change. Her mom sat at the end of her bed facing the bathroom door.

“Honey you do know that I’m sorry for everything.”

Lola sighed, “Yeah mom.”

“Because you don’t come and visit me anymore and-and you’ve changed so much-“

Lola slipped the straps of her summer dress back on her shoulder, “That’s why you’re sorry? because I don’t visit you anymore.”

“Well yes-“

Lola opened the door abruptly she cross her arms over her chest, “You made out with my boyfriend and I was stupid and forgave him only to find out he had been cheating on me half of the relationship. Of course I’m going to change mom. The one person in this world who is never supposed to betray you hurt me more than ever. And I’m talking about you not him.”

Her mom frowned, “If I could go back I would change everything.”

Lola shook her head, “Mom you just would try not to get caught this time. I need more time.”

Her mom sighed, “How much more time? You’ve clearly moved on so what more can there be?”

“Just because I’ve found someone who actually cares about me doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten everything that got me there. That was the worst heart ache of my life and-and you expect me to be over it now?”

Her mom didn’t say anything, just as Lola expected. She scoffed and walked back downstairs not wanting to hear more excuses or feel like it’s her fault her relationship with her mom is ruined.

When she walked out onto the deck in the distance she could hear her family and the bridal parties, to her left Rafe was sat typing away on his phone. She smiled to herself remembering all his words from earlier. She walked over to him and plopped down next to him. He turned towards her and smiled.

“How was the fitting?” He locked his phone and set it aside wanting to give her his full attention.

Lola sighed tilting her head back looking up at the sky, “It was fine, my mom just being herself like always.”

“I think I know something that can help take your mind off things,” He places his hand on her giving it a gentle squeeze. He also chose not to tell her about Thomas because he didn’t want her to worry. Rafe would make sure she never had anything to worry about.

Her mood instantly perked up, “Like what?”

“Like a bottle of pinot and a blanket right over there,” He pointed at a spot on the beach in the distance, “Just me and you.”

“Sounds perfect,” Lola grinned and Rafe leaned forward kissing her cheek.

-

“When we get back I’m taking you out,” He turned his head on her lap to look at her, “Treating you like a princess.”

Lola brushed her hands through his hair gently, “I can’t believe you even like me.”

Rafe scoffed offended that she had insulted herself, “Babe I can’t believe you like me. You’re a dream come true how can I not like you. The sweetest prettiest girl.”

She leaned back on her elbows tilting her chin up to the sky feeling the sun on her chest but she didn’t need it to feel hot. Rafe was so good at making her feel warm all over with just his words. She felt like she was on cloud 9.

“How were you single?”

He shrugged, “I liked it that way, I didn’t want any complications. Then I met you and being around you felt so easy.”

“You don’t need to keep buttering me up. I’m already yours,” Lola teased. Her heart couldn’t take his honesty.

He sat up sitting across from her. The sun had began to set only orange and pink hues painting the sky. They had to head back to change for the rehearsal dinner soon but they were trying to savor every moment before then.

“Lola you deserve to constantly be showered in compliments,” He kissed her knee that was now bent towards the sky, “Now lets go finish what we started and make shit head jealous.”

“You’re gonna make me have a permanent smile on my face if you keep saying the right stuff Cameron,” Lola laughed as they got up.

They packed up their things and headed back to the house. Rafe’s arm wrapped around her shoulders as they talked about the pets they had growing up.

-

The night was filled with catching up with her parents friends and a few of Lola’s old college friends. Rafe stuck by her side through it all. He knew when she would start to get uncomfortable and would find a way to excuse themselves. People would be impressed by Rafe’s success, some even knowing his company already.

He never really had this problem with clients in his past. He didn’t realize just how well known and successful her parents were until now. It solidified his opinion that Lola was a lot different than her family.

Penny was thriving on the attention from everyone. Flashing her ring at any moment possible. Lola liked to keep to herself, finding any excuse to be away from any conversation. She never felt like she fit in with these people.

“At least tomorrow’s our last day here,” Lola said sipping her drink. They were leaning against the bar.

Rafe nodded his head, “I honestly can’t wait to get back.”

She turned to him with a smirk, “So they really are that bad huh?”

He shook his head, “They’re not that bad but sometimes this place reminds me too much of home and there’s a reason why I live in the city.”

“Right there with you,” She paused for a second, “I know you don’t talk too much about it but whenever you’re ready to tell me more about your family I’ll be ready to listen.”

He gave her a lopsided smile, “I know baby.”

She brought her drink up to him, "To one more day."

He raised his glass tapping it against her cheering, "To one more day."

-

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