#(( lola lies to herself and other news ))

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Revenge

kai parker x bonnie bennett

summary: even though kai is away for good, something still nags at bonnie. he deserves more pain than what she gave him; he should get equal to what he made everyone else suffer. the witch shakes her head. desiccation is punishment enough for any vampire, hybrid, or heretic. she’s seen it plenty of times.

still. despite her revenge, she craves more.

tags: NONCON / dubcon elements, non-consensual touching, blood drinking, minor violence, degradation, hate sex, painful sex, edgeplay / edging, orgasm control, pain kink, hand-jobs, blow-jobs, cussing, biting, teasing, sounding, unsafe sex, begging, voyeurism, masturbation, thigh riding, dominance, forced submission (dom!bonnie x sub!kai)

word count: 8k

a/n: i watched a 2 min clip of 'what lola wants' and then spent the next twelve hours writing this😅

Bonnie’s sick of being treated like crap. She’s tired of being used, manipulated, and abused by witches, werewolves, and vampires alike. She’s tired of friends and enemies demanding favors and then neglecting her when they’re done. She’s sick of all of it. 

But out of all the people at whom she’s the most angry, it’s Kai Parker. 

The man she was alone with for months, trapped in 1994. The man who left her there, and then raised hell in her hometown in her absence. The man that had no problems killing anyone to get what he wanted - even children.

It’s him who she hates most above every other person who’s wronged her. So when Bonnie finally got the upperhand, she was more than happy to put him in his place. Now, Kai is stuck in a new prison world; chained with the strongest metal she could find. He’s there all alone, his least favorite song on repeat, to face an eternity of misery until he slowly desiccates.

Bonnie can’t help but feel proud of herself. 

But even though Kai is away for good, something still nags at her. He deserves more pain than what she gave him; he should get equal to what he made everyone else suffer.  

The witch shakes her head. Desiccation is punishment enough for any vampire, hybrid, or heretic. She’s seen it plenty of times. 

Still. Despite her revenge, she craves more. 

It’s been a couple weeks since she locked him up and threw away the key. Bonnie had expected to forget about him by now. She could live her life without his torment, or the fear that he’d find and hurt her. She should be free from all the pain he caused. 

Yet… she can’t stop thinking about him.

If he’s still on her mind, she thinks, then he deserves more than what she gave. Tighter chains, louder music, less hope. Or perhaps… more pain. To give him hope, but then to take it away. To make him feel something, but then leave him with nothing. 

Bonnie’s skin prickles at this thought. Nerves carve a pit in her stomach as a new plan forms in her head. It’s risky, wicked, and downright sinful, but it makes the edges of her lips twitch with amusement. Kai hasn't gotten all that he deserves, but she’ll make sure he does by the time she’s through with him. 

~~~~~~

The ascendant’s hidden in a locked box under her bed. She told Damon and Alaric that it was in a safe in the Salvatore mansion. Obviously, she lied. Bonnie wanted to keep it closeby for reasons just like this - in case she’d ever need to check up on the man. As if he were a Peanuts’ character trapped in a dangerous, little snow globe. 

In five minutes’ time, she sends herself to the new prison world and makes her way to the bar where she had chained him weeks ago. She can already hear the Spin Doctors’ worst hit song from outside, and can’t help but cringe at the thought of hearing it on repeat. 

Bonnie enters the bar as quietly as she can. The door creaks, though, as she shuts it, so when she approaches the center stage, a half-dessicated Kai is already staring at her.

His gaze is cold, but as soon as he recognizes his guest, a smile creeps on his face. 

“Bonnie Bennett. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She scoffs at the irony. “My being here does not mean pleasure for you.” In a split second, she turns off the tv, relieving them both of the annoying music. 

“Oh, but it always is when you’re around,” he flirts, “and besides, that,” he gestures to the now blank screen, “is also a pleasure to have off.”

Bonnie rolls her eyes. “Actually, I’m here to give you more of what you deserve. Pain.”

“More punishment? Is that so?”

The woman joins him on the stage, but keeps a distance. “You won’t be joking around by the time I’m finished here. Might as well give up the act now.”

“What are you going to do? Hurt me? Hit me?”

“Oh, I’m going to do much worse than that.”

Kai can only follow half her movements with his eyes. When she circles around to his backside, he’s rendered incapable of defending himself. Bonnie smirks when he struggles against his chains. He’s afraid, she realizes. She has the ability to strike fear in him. 

Bonnie comes up close enough to press her body into his chair. She flicks open a switchblade and presses it to his neck. 

“How does this make you feel? I have all the power over you right now.”

Kai settles at the feeling of the blade on his neck. Struggling against the chains would only make him bleed and weaken him more. 

“Nothing to say? That’s a first.”

“Bonnie-” he manages.

“Ah, ah, ah, you lost your chance to talk,” she interrupts at once. “Now, you stay still. If you struggle against those again, you’ll surely regret it.”

Kai doesn’t answer, nor does he move. Satisfied with his obedience, Bonnie removes the knife from his neck and cuts her pointer finger, just enough for it to bleed. She switches the knife closed and tucks it into her jean pocket. Kai’s veins immediately show under his eyes. He’s starving, and she knows it. Bonnie grabs his neck, squeezes it, and pulls him back. Their eyes meet. 

“What,” he chokes out, “are you doing?”

“Be quiet.” Bonnie touches her bleeding finger to his lips. His veins darken even more at the small taste of her blood. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

At her vague consent, he darts out his tongue to lick his lips. The grayness of his slowly desiccating state fades away, and his eyes roll in pleasure. 

“Bonnie-”

“I said,” her hand tightens on his neck, “be quiet.” She lets another drop fall to his lips, then nods for him to lick it up. After a few more, he seems to get a small fraction of his strength back. Kai starts to look more like he used to - annoyingly handsome. His boyish features return to their usual youthfulness, as does the green-ish tint in his eyes. She lets go of his neck and walks around to stand in front of him. 

“What are you doing?” He asks again, genuinely confused. 

The girl, several inches shorter, yet currently way overpowering him, crosses her arms. “Getting my revenge.”

Kai narrows his eyes. “Isn’t that why you chained me up?”

“If you think that’s all you deserve, you’re sorely mistaken.”

She stalks closer to him.

“Why did you give me your blood?” He asks, sweat beading at his forehead as he nervously anticipates her punishment. 

“So that you’d feel everything I’m about to do to you.” She gets even closer. Her knees graze against his. 

“Which is?”

“You ask too many questions, do you know that?”

“I’ve been told.”

“Yeah.” Suddenly, she hits her fist onto his chest. It isn’t hard enough for the chair to rock, but it catches him off guard. “It’s been nice not having to listen to you talk nonstop. The last few weeks have been so blissfully quiet.” She pushes him now, this time with both hands. 

Kai doesn’t speak. If he could, he’d grab her hands, but his chains don’t budge. 

“And I’ve tried to forget about your stupid face and move on with my life, but I can’t ignore the little voice in my head that tells me you haven’t suffered enough yet for what you put me through!”

“Bon-”

“So that’s why I’m here! And you’re going to feel everything. That’s why I gave you my blood. So you’d remember how good it feels to be awake and alive again, just for me to take it away. I control you, Kai. You don’t have anything over me. You’re powerless. You’re nothing.” She spits the words out, cruelty in her voice, knowing just what to say to start up his rage. Though she’s right - there’s nothing he can do against her. 

Anger and fear shoot through his body. His blood runs cold. Kai jumps at his chains, veins darkening again, but it’s no use. He couldn’t get out when he was at full strength, and he certainly won’t get out now. Still, he tries, at least to loosen them. 

Bonnie, meanwhile, just watches him struggle. She has the nerve to smirk, angering him more. “You’re only hurting yourself,” she mutters. 

Kai doesn’t care. He continues to fight uselessly. 

After a minute, though, it suddenly seems she’s had enough watching him. She slaps both of her hands onto his legs, palms open, sending a stinging sensation up his spine. “Stop fighting. You look pathetic.”

“Bonnie,” he cries to her, though does stop moving.

“Shut up.”

“Bonnie, I’m sorry. Please let me go. Let me out. I’ll be good, I promise.”

“I already gave you that chance. You can’t be trusted. You can never be allowed out again.”

“No, I promise, it’ll be different this time! I’ll be different. I’ll-”

“I said, ‘shut up’!” She slaps his leg again. Her hand lands dangerously further up his thigh. He flinches from the unexpected pain. 

“Bon,” he tries again.

Astonished at his refusal to listen, she looks him dead in the eyes. “Have you ever listened to a word anyone’s told you? I tell you to be quiet and you just keep whining! It’s so fucking pathetic.”

His eyes widen. He’s never heard her cuss before. 

“Finally! Maybe you are capable of doing something right.”

“I can, I promise! Let me prove to you that I-”

“Awh, nope. Back to square one.”

“Wait! You tricked me!”

“I didn’t trick you! You tricked me! Over and over when you made promises to me and continuously broke them. You can’t do anything right. Can’t even shut up for one second.”

Kai bites his tongue when he wants to reply. At first he was amused by her bullying, but now it’s getting to his head. Bonnie can see it in his eyes. She’s weakened him enough that he won’t fight her back anymore. 

“Good. Now stay that way. You can only speak if I give you permission.”

Kai is confused, but doesn’t ask. His tongue bleeds from the pressure he puts on it. 

Bonnie’s hands run further up his legs. Her fingers curl in between the chains, feeling the heaviness of the metal. 

“Do these hurt?”

Kai nods.

“Good.”

She gives them a tug, then abandons them. Her hands move to his belt, toying with the buckle. 

“Bet that’s uncomfortable,” she chuckles. 

Kai expects her to examine more of his confined hell, maybe to confirm that his boots are tied too tightly, or that his shirt tag is itchy, but her focus has yet to leave his belt. He swallows, watching her fingers trace the buckle’s golden metal. 

“Pretty tight, too. Would suck to be bound in a chair with a belt that’s too tight. Imagine the stomach ache. Yikes.”

Before Kai can even consider a response in his head, Bonnie’s undoing the buckle. He blinks in surprise, wondering if he’s dreaming. The woman lets it fall to his sides when it loosens, then she traces a finger down the center of his jeans. His pants tighten by the second. His lips part in pleasure, but he doesn’t dare make a sound. 

She then pulls down the zipper and feels for his quickly hardening cock. When she gets a hold of it, she brings it through the hole. 

“Thank god you’re big, otherwise this wouldn’t even be worth it.”

The degrading praise makes him even harder. Kai clenches his fists and squeezes his eyes shut. The urge to say her name, taste it on his tongue while she holds his cock, is strong, but he fears the consequences if he speaks. 

Bonnie runs her fingers along his length. At first, she just admires the size. Her nails scratch slightly, but the pain feels good. As soon as pre-cum starts to dribble from the tip, she rubs her thumb in it. She smears it around his head, making it wet and sticky. Bonnie spits in her hand to wet the rest of his length. Then, with his cock squeezed in between two of her fingers, she starts to jerk him off. 

She starts slow, but picks up pace the harder he gets. Whenever her spit dries, she adds more, but it isn’t adequate lubrication. Neither care, though. Bonnie doesn’t care about his pleasure, and Kai’s too desperate. She watches him lean back into the chair, chest heaving as he fights the urge to moan. He’s sweating profusely. He looks so weak in her hands, with his pleasure depending on her choices. Bonnie spits on her other hand and mixes it with his remaining pre-cum. She jerks his length with her whole fist now, while the nails on her other hand dig into his sensitive head.

“You can speak,” she instructs. 

Kai lets out a deep sigh almost immediately. A shudder runs through his body, followed by a heavy moan. “Bon,” he pants, cut off by his own need to moan again. 

His sounds of contentment are some of the prettiest she’s ever heard, but she’d never admit it. Instead, she jerks him faster. She tightens her grip around his cock and pulls on it. Moans continue to tumble from his lips, one after another, while Bonnie doesn’t slow down for a second. 

That is… until he’s close. 

“Fuck,” Kai whines, “fuck, Bonnie. Don’t stop, I’m so close.” 

They lock eyes. She runs her tongue along her lower lip. A little tease.

“I’m so close, Bon, I’m gonna- oh, fuck-”

Any second now, he’s gonna explode. Bonnie drops his cock immediately and watches it hang in the air. It’s red from the friction, and probably sore from the dryness. 

“Why’d you stop?” Kai asks in between pants. “I’m- why- Bon-”

The woman straightens her back, smirking. “That’s enough for now, don’t you think?”

“No! Wait! Bonnie! Don’t leave, please! Don’t leave me like this.”

She laughs as his cock starts to soften. The lack of stimulation combines with the cool air in the room, leaving him edged. Kai is still pleading with her, but she tunes him out. Then, once he’s soft enough that he’ll need to work back up a sweat to come, she tucks him back in his pants and secures his belt. 

“Goodbye, Malachai.”

With that, she turns on her heels and returns back to her world. 

Bonnie washes her hands as soon as she gets back to her dorm, but she can’t shake the feeling of his heavy cock resting in them. She sighs to herself, conflicted with the thought, but decides not to linger on it. Instead, she thinks of Kai, and what he’s probably feeling at that very moment. Maybe he’s yelling - angry at her for visiting just to tease him. Maybe he’s crying - having been so close to finding relief, only to have it taken from him. Either way, she feels proud of herself. Kai can’t control her anymore, but she now has certain control over him, and she’s not going to stop until she’s satisfied. 

~~~~~~

Two days after her secret visit to the prison world, Bonnie returns to it. Alaric and Damon had already made plans for the night, giving her enough time to edge Kai for another round before returning unsuspiciously to her room. She has it all planned out, and neither man should suspect a thing. 

She repeats the same steps as before, creeping into the bar, finding Kai waiting for her as soon as he heard the door. His face is mixed with emotions in her presence. Emotions he probably doesn’t even understand, but she can identify some: anger, relief, desperation. She bites back a smile at knowing she can pull those feelings out of him just by entering a room. 

“Hello, Kai.”

“Bonnie,” he greets, watching her carefully. 

“Miss me?” She teases, finally letting that smile free.

“Ha ha. Stop making jokes.”

“Okay. Guess I won’t try to lighten the mood.”

He glares at her. 

“Yeah, okay, guess not. Seems like what they say about blue balls is true… guys get so grumpy!”

“Can we just skip the awkward part and carry onto however you want to punish me next?”

“Alright, fine.” Bonnie stalks up to him and puts her heeled foot on his knee. “I haven’t really planned how I want to do that yet today. Any suggestions?”

Kai trails his eyes over her toned leg. “This works.”

“Ha ha,” she returns the same dry tone he used. “Never mind, I got it.” Bonnie takes her foot off him and immediately starts on his belt again. She’s leaning into him just a little bit to pull him through his jeans’ hole, when she feels something touch the back of her knee. Quickly, she whips around to see his fingers grazing her. Kai stills his hands at once, and when she looks back at him, he’s grinning. 

“Couldn’t help myself.”

“You do not touch me,” she shakes a finger at him.

“You’re touching me.”

“I’m punishing you for all the shit you put me through.”

“By touching me?”

“It’s a means to a very satisfying end, where I leave you very much unsatisfied.”

Kai purses his lips, obviously holding back a laugh. Probably a snide comment, too, but luckily he doesn’t say it. 

Bonnie glares at him, irritated once more by the man. Without much thinking, she slaps his soft cock, which she had just pulled from his jeans. Immediately, the man buckles - as much as he can in his chains. 

“Ow!”

“I’m not here to make you feel good.”

“Noted.”

His cock starts to grow anyway. There’s a red slap mark on it, but the sudden pain seemed to get him hard. Bonnie stares, incredulous. 

“You’re serious?”

“I can’t control it.”

“You’re pathetic.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

For a moment, she’s quiet, as if thinking up a new punishment plan. Kai watches her face with curiosity. Incidentally, he gets harder thinking of how she might hurt him next. 

“Did you like it yesterday when I hit you? Did that turn you on, too?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the one that had your hands on me.”

“Did you like it when I had my hands around your neck?”

“You could recreate it and we could find out.”

She scoffs, “good try.”

“Thought you wanted me hard so you could punish me more?”

“Well, it seems that job has already been done for me since we’ve been sitting here, talking about it.”

Kai looks down at himself. “Huh. Well, would you look at that?” He catches her eye again, a proud smirk on his face. 

Bonnie immediately slaps his cheek. “Fuck you for enjoying this.”

“Was that supposed to be part of the punishment? Because hearing you cuss at me also helped yesterday.”

The woman straightens her posture, seething in frustration. “You’re so irritating, I can’t deal with you!” She’s quick to leave the bar, giving Kai almost no time to call after her. The door slams behind her, and he’s left in complete silence. 

~~

Five minutes later, Bonnie comes back in, still seemingly annoyed, but less angry-looking. 

“What-” 

“Don’t start. Don’t say a fucking word to me until I say you can.”

For some reason, Kai obeys. He squeezes his lips shut and watches as she kneels in between his legs. His cock has softened again since she left, but her touch brings him back in a matter of minutes. Her grip is strong as she takes him in her hand and jerks him back and forth. His body relaxes, then releases the pre-cum she needs to glide along him more smoothly. Though instead of using it as lube like he expected her to do again, her tongue makes contact with the tip of his cock. His head is enveloped in her warm mouth as she takes in his length. Kai moans, forgetting his instruction to be quiet. Bonnie slaps his thigh instantly, but it only makes him whimper. 

“Shut up,” she tells him. A strand of spit still connects her lip to his cock, though she had pulled off him to talk. 

“Sorry.”

She glares at him, but then goes back to her task. Bonnie traces the thick vein on the underside with her finger, then goes back over it with her tongue. Kai bites his own tongue, once again, to not make another sound. His body tenses as he struggles against his own desires. 

“You can speak but try not to sound so fucking needy,” she snaps. 

Kai nods. 

She puts her mouth on him again. Her lips stay on his head while her hand does all the work to get him off, but he’s not complaining. She maintains her tight hold, squeezing slightly, bringing a little pain. 

Kai starts to moan again. Soft ones, trying to sound less needy, as he was commanded. Though once he gets close, he starts to lose control. “Bon-”

Bonnie nips the skin on his head. He jumps in shock.

“Bonnie, ah-”

“Close?” She pants, separating her lips, but then blowing cool air where she had bitten.

“Yes. Please don’t-” She lets go. “-stop. Ah, no! Bonnie, no! Why? Please! Please just let me-”

“No.”

“Bonnie!”

The woman stands up. She waits for him to start going soft, then tucks him back in again. 

“See you later, Malachai. Maybe.”

“Bonnie, please! Don’t go, I-”

“Remember what I said earlier? Don’t try to be so fucking needy.”

~~

Moments after Bonnie washes her hands and sits back on her bed, Damon pops in the room. 

“Hey.” He eyes her.

“Hey.”

“Where have you been?”

“Studying.”

“I came here, you weren’t here.”

“I was at the Grill.”

“Oh.”

“Need something?”

“Nope. Just… checking on you.”

“I’m pretty good today. How was it with Ric?”

“Pretty good, too.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah, um. Mind if I stay here just for a little? Stefan’s been angsty and I just…”

Bonnie smiles. They’ve grown quite close in the last year. “Sure.”

“Okay, cool.” He lies down in Elena’s bed. 

Bonnie continues to study while Damon chatters on about his night with Alaric. She listens the best she can. Though when he comments about her strayed attention, she’s quick to blame her homework, and not the vicious thoughts swarming her head about one Kai Parker, and what exactly she’ll do to him next.

~~~~~~

The next time Bonnie can get away from the drama of Mystic Falls, she takes a short vacation to the prison world. Her excuse, this time, is needing some peace and quiet after dealing with heretic drama for the last four days. Although ironically, her escape would be found with another heretic. But Bonnie shakes this thought away as soon as it surfaces. Being with Kai is not an escape; it’s a continuation of his much deserved punishment. It’s her revenge on him for all his wrongdoings. She needs to deliver it as much as he needs to receive it. Besides, it’s addicting, every time she leaves him sore and begging for her to come back. It’s empowering. 

That’s why she keeps going back. 

This is the third time she’s visited him. Though instead of walking right up to him on the center stage, Bonnie disappears behind the bar. Kai had heard and seen her come in, but her change in routine has made him curious. 

“What are you doing, BonBon?” He asks, a slight tease in his tone.

Bold of him to tease her when he’s the one tied up. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She fires back. 

“You know what they say?” Kai clicks his tongue. “Third time’s the charm.��

“You wish.”

“Aw come on, Bonnie. Wouldn’t it be so fun if we could come together? I’m dying to know what your pretty little moans sound like. And you’ve heard mine, but I can be louder.”

“Do I have to remind you that this isn’t supposed to be fun?”

“But you have to admit, it kinda is.”

Bonnie looks at him, rolling her eyes. She’s about to go smack that stupid smirk off his face, but then she notices a metal glint on the shelf beside her. It takes her attention from him, and she chuckles. 

“What?” Kai asks.

“Nothing.”

Bonnie then disappears into the kitchen on a quest for something wet. Something in this bar that she could use in place of lube. She smiles when she finds it. 

Two minutes later, she’s standing in front of Kai with her newly found tools. He looks at them, then back at her. 

“Coconut oil?”

“Mhm.”

“And a bar spoon.”

“Yep.”

“What are you gonna do with those?”

“Something dangerous.”

Kai shifts in his seat. She knows the debate he’s having in his head. She knows him now like she knows the back of her hand. 

“No objections?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really.”

Kai purses his lips, not giving her an answer. 

“You’ll be fine. Just don’t think about it yet. Because if you get hard, it’s gonna hurt.”

“Wait what?”

But she’s already busy with his buckle. She puts the spoon in between her teeth while pulling him out, then crouches down to prep him. Kai watches with a morbid curiosity, trying to guess her next move. Bonnie, meanwhile, lathers the end of the spoon in coconut oil. Then, she applies some to the tip of his soft cock. 

“Bon,” he can’t help the groan from the contact, “what are you doing?”

“Stay still. Tell me if you need more lube.”

“Okay.” Because what else is he gonna do about it?

Bonnie seems to enter a deep concentration as she lines the spoon up with the tip of his head. She keeps one hand on his cock to hold it in place and slowly inserts the spoon end into the urethral hole. 

“Oh god,” Kai mutters, quickly catching on, “Bon?”

“What?”

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I’ve seen it in a video.”

He narrows his eyes. “What kind of-”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Okay. But hey, have you ever done this before, because- oh!” He’s cut off - thankfully - by a moan as she reaches his prostate. “Oh god,” he says again, this time out of pleasure. 

“Are you okay?” She asks. She doesn’t know why; it’s not like she cares.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” His voice is raspy as he answers. She tries to ignore the way it makes her feel. 

“Okay.” She twists the spoon. It’s coiled handle would be felt against his walls, but she could only wonder how it’d feel. Judging by the strained groan that leaves his lips, it’s intense. 

“Bonnie-”

“What?”

He says nothing. 

“What?”

“I don’t know, I just-” She pulls it out a little, then pushes it back in. The motion effectively cuts off his speech again. 

“I like this,” she smirks, “it shuts you up.”

Kai looks down at her. “Who knew you could be such a sadist, Bonnie?”

“Who knew you could get turned on by a spoon in your dick?” She fires back.

He doesn’t have an answer. Whether he’s embarrassed or speechless, she’s not actually sure. 

Satisfied with her newfound ability to quiet him, Bonnie pulls it back again, until it’s almost out, and then slowly pushes more into his prostate. 

“You still fine?” She asks again, still, not sure why she cares. 

“Yeah. More of that,” he points to the floor.

“What?”

“The that.”

“Descriptive.”

“Lube stuff.”

“Oh.” She takes a scoop and applies it to his head, as well as what length of the handle isn’t buried inside him. The whole thing doesn’t fit, but she only needs it long enough to hit his prostate.

“Thanks.”

“Hm.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, watching her twirl it. 

Bonnie puts some of the oil on her free hand, then starts to rub the outside of his length. She can feel the tool that’s inside, and finds herself having to bite her lip to not moan from the pleasure she’s giving him. 

“Oh my god,” Kai’s words snap her out of her own mind. 

“Don’t get hard,” she warns again, feeling it happen as she speaks.

“I’m trying not to. Hard when you’re touching me like that.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.”

Bonnie continues to jerk him off per his request. She watches his face, which contorts between expressions of pain and pleasure, as he becomes erect. She’s stopped moving the spoon for now and instead lets it rest inside him. Kai chews on his bottom lip until it bleeds. 

“Bonnie-”

“What?”

For a second time, he doesn’t answer. Bonnie decides to chalk it up to that maybe he just likes to say her name when he’s being touched. The thought makes her proud. For fun, she pushes the spoon into his prostate just a little further. 

“Ah- fuck-” His body shivers, and she wonders if he’s close. 

“Update?” She asks, not wanting to directly ask if he’s okay again. 

“Um-”

She smirks, reading his face. “Close? But don’t want to tell me?”

“Bon-”

“You have five seconds. See if you can come in five… four…” She begins to carefully pull the spoon out. 

“Wait, wait, wait! I’m close, don’t- just give me a little more time!”

“Two… one!” As soon as it’s out, she drops his cock. “Whoops! Out of time!”

“No, wait! Bonnie, please! I can’t do this anymore. I need,” he’s panting heavily, “need it. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Sorry, try again next time.”

“Bonnie!”

“Are you okay? Need more lube? Just for, I don’t know, comfort?”

“I need to come, Bonnie. Please.”

“So is that a no?”

“Bon-”

“Taking it as a no,” she mutters. “Okay… just because you look like you’re on the verge of passing out, and as much as I hate you, I’m not that mean, I’ll give you a little treat.” She retrieves the switchblade from her pocket, cuts her finger, and lets a couple drops of blood drip onto the spoon part of the bar tool. His veins appear quickly at the mere sight of her blood, and he finally shuts up about his desire to come. Bonnie is careful in letting him sip off the spoon, then refills it once and feeds him again. Then, as he’s preoccupied with the taste of blood, she tucks him back in his pants and redoes the buckle. 

“Bye.” She puts the spoon in the kitchen sink, along with the oil, and then waves goodbye to him as she leaves. 

~~

That most recent visit stays in the forefront of both their minds. 

Bonnie wonders what got into her to even make her do it in the first place, while also being proud of herself for stimulating him in such a dominant way. Never would she expect that from herself, yet once she started, it was hard to stop. She found herself actually enjoying it - both the act and the intimacy of it, as well as his moans. She even had to stop herself from moaning in the middle of it as she listened to him.

As she thinks about it, though, she remembers what he had said when she first entered, “wouldn’t it be so fun if we could come together? I’m dying to know what your pretty little moans sound like. And you’ve heard mine, but I can be louder.” 

And he had gotten louder. If they weren’t the only people in the prison world, she would’ve worried about others overhearing him. 

Still… she wonders how exactly he’d react to her sounds. She bets there’s a way to edge him with her own voice; to pleasure him, maybe without even touching him. And then, of course, to take it away just the same. She smiles, liking the plan forming in her head. 

Because as much as she might be getting turned on by his voice, she’ll never let him know. At least this way, she can get some pleasure for herself without him getting any of the credit. 

As much as Bonnie thinks about that night, Kai thinks about it tenfold. After all, there’s nothing else for him to do. At first, he’s still coming off from the high of trying something new. He hadn’t come, but the experience was still very enjoyable. He even swears he can still feel the coils against his walls, turning and turning. Kai shifts; the memory of the sensation makes him hard. 

But as the feeling fades, and the taste of blood expires from his lips, he grows angry. Angry at the fact that she’s been edging him for over a week. Angry at the hunger gnawing at his stomach. Angry at the way she’s using him for sexual gratification - no matter how much she claims it’s punishment. Angry at himself for enjoying it every time and forgiving her each time she comes back. 

He’s pissed. His blood feels like acid, and he’s desperate for his own revenge.

~~~~~~

As soon as her heels click on the bar floor, Kai’s looking for her. He has a nasty speech planned for her, and the moment she comes into view, he’ll spit it out until she feels guilty enough to let him come. Rage dances in his eyes and the words balance on his tongue. 

“How do you feel?” Bonnie’s voice hits his ears. She comes out of the shadows slowly, not only edging him in a sexual practice, but now also with the way she approaches. 

Kai seethes. But the moment he opens his mouth to shout at her, his jaw drops. There she is, fully emerged from the darkness, as sexy as he thought he could only ever picture. She wears a bustier top with black leather pants, plus her heeled boots. Her breasts are pushed up and neck is fully exposed. Kai’s eyes travel from her collarbone, to her breasts, and then down the rest of her body. His breath catches and pants tighten.

“I asked you a question,” the woman repeats. 

“I, uh-”

“Hm.” Bonnie grabs one of the bar chairs and swings it around to face him. She sits, straddling her legs apart, and leans back carelessly. There’s about ten feet between them. Ten feet of tense, sexually charged energy. 

Kai tries to form a word, or even possibly start the rant that he had planned, but his throat is dry. 

“You have nothing to say?” She challenges. 

“You’re-”

She cocks her head at him. “No? Pathetic. Can’t even compliment how good this top looks on me.” Bonnie leans forward suddenly. Her breasts threaten to spill. “Tell me - why is it I have to do everything myself? I guess the saying is true… if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” She leans back again, studying him. Kai’s silent, now rather intimidated, as her eyes rake over his form. His eyes, dilated pupils bearing a pleading look. His lip, bloodied from being chewed between his teeth. His neck, skin flushed from edging without relief. His cock, hard in his jeans once again, desperate for touch. Bonnie smirks. “Well? Come over and have me your way, if that’s what you want.”

Kai struggles against his chains. 

“No? Don’t want to touch? Guess I do have to do it myself.”

He fights again, and this time, finds his voice. “No! Bon, I want- please-”

“Sorry, missed your window.”

Bonnie unbuttons her pants before slinking a hand into them. She finds her clit with ease and wastes no time rubbing little circles into the tissue. A soft moan escapes her lips. Her legs widen involuntarily. Kai can only watch the scene before him as his cock hardens uncomfortably. Bonnie can see the outline from where she’s sitting, but she only spares him a glance before rolling her eyes back in her head. 

“Bon,” Kai tries again. He can’t grab her attention, though. 

One of her arms snakes up to her hair and she digs into her own scalp. She breathes deeply at the pleasurable feeling, then lets her hand drop back to her shoulder. 

“Bonnie… I can make you feel good. Please. Let me out. I promise, I can do better.”

The woman pauses for a second. She chuckles. “Better? You really think so?”

“I know so. Just give me a chance. Please.”

“Never thought I’d see the day where Kai Parker is pleading.”

“Bonnie, I’m serious. I promise.”

“Okay then, come over here and do better. I dare you to try.”

Kai tries to get out of his chains again. “I can’t, you need to let me out.”

“Can’t? I thought you said you could?”

“No, not that. Bon- please!”

She shakes her head. “Boys and their egos… always thinking they can do it better.” Bonnie starts up again; Kai can see her hand moving in her pants. She puts pressure on her clit, dips her fingers into her core, then goes back to her clit when they’re slick. Her lips separate and quiet whines spill from them. Her free hand drops to her chest. She squeezes her tits from outside her top, before running her hand down the side of her body. 

Her body is beautiful, but Kai’s mouth is too dry to tell her. He’s angry that he’s not the one pleasuring her, and also that he can’t pleasure himself. There’s nothing he can do but watch as she draws herself closer to her own orgasm. 

A mere seconds later, with no warning to him except for the way her pace quickens, Bonnie comes. She grabs the back of the chair as her legs go weak, and several moans, much louder than her soft, little whines, sound like heaven to his ears.

Kai’s heart beats in his chest as she recovers, and he wonders he might’ve come without even being touched. He squeezes his legs together just in case. 

When Bonnie finally comes back to her senses, she looks up at him. “I do a pretty good job by myself, don’t ‘ya think?”

Kai knows better than to answer. Instead, he watches her pull her hand out from her pants, button them, and stand up. Her fingers are coated with her own wetness. He can see it on her hands reflecting from the neon light behind them. 

Bonnie then smiles and rounds his backside, just as she did on her first visit. Kai follows as much as he can, but loses sight of her quickly. Before he can ask what she’s doing, her fingers are up against his lips. The smell of her fills his nose. 

“Suck.” 

He does so immediately. Kai isn’t even tempted to feed, he’s so overwhelmed by her taste. Once her fingers are clean, she pulls them from his lips and stands in front of him. She looks him up and down, then leaves. This time, she doesn’t even say goodbye. 

~~~~~~

The fifth time Bonnie visits, Kai’s hard the moment he hears her enter the building. When she reaches the stage and sees his tight jeans, she laughs. 

“Wow. You must be pretty uncomfortable.”

“Bonnie, please.”

“Begging has gotten you nowhere, yet you still continue to do it.”

“I need to come, please. It hurts.”

“I thought you liked the pain.”

“Not this kind of pain.” 

She stares down at him. “Hm. Maybe. If you stop begging me like a brat, maybe.”

“Okay. I’ll do whatever you want. I promise.”

She laughs. “Well there’s not much you can do. I mean, I’m not going to unchain you.”

He swallows hard. 

“But maybe I’ll let you come. If I’m feeling nice by the end of today’s punishment.”

Kai nods, but not too quickly, not to seem needy.

“So how do you want this to go?” Bonnie stalks around him, focused on the way he reacts to her presence. His body shakes with the need for relief. It’s almost like she’s Pavolved him to get hard the moment she walks through the bar door. The thought of having that effect on someone - on Kai Parker, nonetheless - makes her wet. 

“I don’t care, I just need something.”

“No begging, remember.”

He bites his tongue. “If I suggest something, you’ll just do the opposite.”

“What?” She fakes offense and puts a hand on her chest. “That would just be rude.”

“So is edging me for over a week.”

“Oh, you’re fine. Don’t be so dramatic. Besides,” she suddenly leans into his ear, “pretty sure you came last time without permission. So…”

“I didn’t. I promise. I thought I did too, but it was just pre. Trust me. If you let me come, you’ll see for yourself. I haven’t, but I really need to.”

“Begging again…”

“Bonnie, please.”

She sighs, giving up on that. She’d be lying anyway if she said she didn’t like to hear him so desperate. The whole ‘no begging’ thing was only to see if he could do it. Clearly, he can’t. 

“Okay.” She comes around to his side and traces a finger down his chest. “Let’s see if you’re telling the truth, then.” Bonnie expertly unbuckles his belt with one hand, though she doesn’t take him out quite yet. “Are you completely hard? Or do you still have a little bit to grow?”

“I-”

She slaps his inner thigh. In a couple moments, the outline in his jeans thickens. 

“Good to know pain still does it for you. Was kind of afraid the sounding was too much.” She finally pulls out his cock and lets it bounce against his leg. “Was it too much?”

“No,” he answers immediately, “felt good.”

She smiles. “What an interesting little thing you are.”

“You started it,” he fires back. 

“Ah, ah, ah, don’t talk back to me.” Before he can apologize and beg again, she adds, “and don’t touch me.”

“Wait what?”

Bonnie straddles his leg without answering, then lowers herself onto him. Her core is separated by two pairs of denim, but Kai swears he can feel her warmth through the layers. She’s soaking wet, yet chastising him for being hard. His throat dries. 

“Bon- ah!” 

Without warning, she’s grabbed his cock and has begun to jerk him off yet again. Kai digs his fingernails into his jeans while fighting the urge to reach for her. His body reacts to her stimulation, producing pre-cum faster than it ever has before. Not even in the 1994 prison world had he ever edged himself as badly as Bonnie did this last week. And even worse, he’s had to completely rely on the woman for his pleasure. Kai lets out a choked moan as she spits on his cock to wet it. He misses the way her mouth felt that second night, but doesn’t dare mention it. 

Instead, “can the coconut oil make a return?”

“You were fine with the dryness the first night.”

“I-”

Bonnie either pities him or actually understands. He doesn’t know, but she cuts him off. “One moment.”

Her hand leaves his cock entirely, then disappears under her own pants. Within seconds, it re-emerges, glistening with her own wetness, and settles back on his cock. Kai groans at the feeling. It’s wet and warm and coats him better than her saliva does. She jerks him faster once her hand starts to glide better. 

“Did my moans live up to your expectations of what they’d be?” She asks suddenly. 

Kai stutters out a ‘yes’ amidst the pleasure. 

“Would you like to hear them again?”

“Uh huh.”

“Do you wanna make me come? I promise I’ll let you come if you can get me there.”

“Yes. Bonnie, please.”

“Good. Beg for it.”

“Thought you said ‘no begging’?”

“Changed my mind. Not like you were following that rule anyway.”

He gives her an embarrassed smile, not meeting her eyes. The unexpected submissive behavior takes her off guard, but she’s not complaining. 

“Eyes on me, Malachai.”

His eyes snap up.

“Good.” With that, she starts to rock her hips on his leg. The friction between their jeans scratches her clit, but it doesn’t hurt. In fact, she likes it, and starts to rub harder. Her arm wraps around his shoulder for a better grip. “Good,” she repeats, “you’re doing well. Are you close?” She hadn’t slowed in her feat to get him off, not even during their brief conversation.

“Uh huh.”

“Okay.”

“You promise I can come?”

“When I say so.”

“Okay,” he pauses, “are you close?”

“Not quite.” Bonnie’s never had much luck getting herself off on pillows and fabrics. She’s tried, but most often needs clitoral stimulation to come. Despite that, she does feel herself reaching the edge; that knot in the stomach that comes with a high. Maybe it’s the pressure on her clit from his jeans. Maybe it’s just Kai, and his body, and the way she’s always had a desire for him, even though she hates him in every other aspect. 

“I wish I could touch you,” he breaks the silence. Well, the pause between their conversation. The room has been filled with the sounds of rubbing denim, the slick sounds of his cock, and their heavy moans, since things started picking up. 

“You haven’t earned that right yet.”

“That implies I could.”

“Shut up and let me focus on this feeling so I can come.”

Kai shuts his mouth immediately. He, too, decides to concentrate on the sensations that surround him, drawing him closer and closer to orgasm. 

“Bonnie, are you close?” His voice is panicked. She can tell he won’t be able to hold off for much longer. 

“Shut up-” 

“But-”

The woman leans forward, burying her nose in his shoulder, and a second later, biting the clothed skin there. Kai flinches for a moment, but then hears the moans tumbling from her lips and knows she’s reached her high. 

“Bon-”

She nods into his body. “Go ahead and come, Kai.”

Finally, with permission, and after four days of being on edge, he’s allowed the pleasure of finishing. A moan from deep inside his throat spills out at the same time a thick load shoots from his tip. There’s more than Bonnie expected, but Kai doesn’t seem surprised. 

“Fuckkk.” His whole body shivers in pleasure. 

When Bonnie trusts her own two feet, she climbs off his lap. There’s a small wet spot on his jeans where she was sitting, and a darker one on her own. 

“You okay?” She asks, watching him recover.

Kai offers a lopsided smile. “Mhm.”

“Satisfied?”

“Yes.”

Bonnie takes one more look at him, then remembers why she’s here. Punishment. Revenge. Certainly not mutual masturbation. The woman straightens her back. “Good.” She turns to leave, unsure what else to say.

“Wait!” Kai abruptly yells. She stops in her tracks. “Now that you’ve let me come, does this mean you won’t be back?”

She turns back to face him, snorting in amusement. “What, you like this?”

“I like you,” he admits, hoping the truth doesn’t betray him. “I like you touching me, even if this is the first time you’ve let me finish.”

“Who knew Kai Parker would have an edging kink?”

“I don’t. I just like you, Bonnie.”

The woman stares at him. 

“Please,” he continues, “don’t leave me here. I know I don’t deserve it. I know I’m a horrible person. I know you hate me. But please… you can’t hate me that much if you’ve visited me five times just to edge me. So even if you keep doing that - taking your anger out on me or using me to get off, whatever - keep doing it. I don’t want to spend another block of my life in isolation, Bonnie, I can’t.”

He has a point. She wouldn’t have kept coming back if some part of her didn’t like him at least a little. And on another note, if she keeps abandoning him in prison worlds, he’s only going to get more and more ruthless, less and less moral. As much as she hates him, she can’t do that to him. She shouldn’t. Deep inside her mind, a voice reminds that she doesn’t want to, either. She takes a deep breath. 

“Next time I’m bored, maybe I’ll take pity on you and let you come again.”

Kai already knows she’s caved. She’ll be back. “Thank yo-”

“Don’t want to hear it.”

“Okay.”

“If you can prove to be good, that could work in your favor.”

Kai nods quickly.

“Goodbye, Malachai.”

[ginevrastilinski-ocs]

The Society OCs! Bc I just finished it!

Other than Laurie (that was born even before I actually started the show lmao my boy) (that finally has a LI and a plot yay!) now I have so much more ocs (and even more ideas to introduce lol so I will do another post asap)

Maisie Pressman - The youngest Pressman; the black sheep of the family; TBD ship

FC: Sydney Sweeney

Beatrice "Bambi" Vaughn - the baby of New Ham; she wanted to go with her sibilings at the camp (she started screaming and her parents were like okay okay just stop) so she ended up with the others; "jeez teens are idiots" (technically is a teen herself, she's just a year younger lol)

FC: Sadie Sink

Eva Vaughn - middle child; tries to keep her younger sister from getting killed and her big brother from dying bc he can't take care of himself; Allie & Harry ship

FC: Abigail Cowen

James Vaughn - oldest person in New Ham; is trying to keep everyone safe (doesn't really work but he tries 🥺); "yeah yeah I'm fine" and then proceeds to faint

FC: Cameron Monaghan

Chelsie Wu - Clara's twin sister, Helena's cousin; the "mean bisexual" to Clara's "even meaner lesbian"; TBD ship

FC: Lola Tung

Clara Wu - Chelsie's twin sister, Helena's cousin; the "even meaner lesbian" to Chelsie's mean bisexual; Elle ship

FC: Havana Rose Liu

Isabelle "Izzy" Tomkins - Elle's sister; Campbell is her number one enemy; TBD ship

FC: Olivia Scott Welch

Amaya Luz - the little music lover/future singer of West Ham; tries to keep the moral up with her music (doesn't really work but we love the spirit); Allie ship

FC: Rachel Zegler

[sst-confessions]

greetings, songbirds! please forgive my lateness, i know you all wait eagerly for your weekly dose of monday madness, but, trust me when i say i had a good reason. you see, within this school there are many people, who claim to have many sides, but in my humble opinion- which is, dare i say, objective fact- they can best be broken down into two kinds of people: there are the faithful, and there are the faithless. i might even say that’s all they are.

before you begin to point fingers and declare sides- i must tell you, neither of these sides are any better than the other- in fact, they are both equally horrid things to be, constantly racing to dig themselves deeper and deeper into the same hole.

let’s discuss our faithfuls, shall we?

here’s something you’ll only ever see from me once: a formal retraction. it appears that we’ve taken to some false information- grant has personally asked us to clarify that he and emmy, reported to be an item last week, are merely friends. you can make many things of me, but a liar won’t be one of them. but, of course, i should’ve known better than to report on this in the first place, it was beneath me to not turn up my nose at the prospect that grant would ever in his right mind even think of moving on from the girl who, well, let’s see- broke his heart, cheated on him, and lied about it? is that all? tell me, grant, is any of this seeming wise to you in the slightest, or do you need your head surgically removed from the clouds before you can answer that question?

what? i never said the retraction came with an apology.

our faithless, on the other hand- have been playing a different game. little miss michigan has been trying to play both sides- sticking to her dear old friend everett, and his tormentor, kitty. but, it looks like she may have picked her side- because this weekend, she blew off everett to meet up with none other than her old camp friend. you know, carrie- normally, when you ditch your friends for the cool kids, you’re supposed to kiss up to the queen bee, what are you doing wasting your time on the third best?

we are not born into these roles- they are made for us, but alas, most of us are creatures of habit. we’ll never change- the faithful will obey, and the faithless will betray. but what about when a person just can’t seem to make up their mind?

it look’s like delilah’s been two-timing for our favorite two-timer, none other than lola herself. our girl’s got a little more bite than we’ve given her credit for! shame she wastes it on the hands that feed her and turns her back on the only friends who’ve ever truly managed to care for her. after she snapped in everett’s face and played hooky for the past week- she comes back with a new girl on her arm and a shiny new collar around her neck. she thinks she won’t come crawling back with her tail between her legs as soon as she realizes she can’t play with the big dogs? she’s got another thing coming to her. we can’t all have the best of both worlds.

this wasn’t a betrayal. this was a crisis of faith. delilah was, and forever will be: faithful.

you might ask, dear songbirds? who am i? where do i, your favorite mod fall on the scale of faithful to faithless? well…

i am the god you worship.

[affluenzafm]

you know you love me.

Meet FRANCESCA "FRANKIE" HOLLINGSWORTH, or if you read the Anti Grapevine, DADDY'S GIRL. She is a 24 year old LAW STUDENT, that currently resides in the UPPER EAST SIDE.

She is known around the city for her GENEROSITY & PETTY demeanor, but they may be hiding something… SHE HAD AN EMPLOYEE FIRED AFTER THEIR SECRET RELATIONSHIP WENT SOUTH. 

MADISYN MENCHACA, CISFEM, SHE/HER.

Born into the influential Hollingsworth family, Frankie had expectations thrust upon her before she could take her first steps or utter her first word. As the only girl in a family of boys, the pressure to uphold the family image weighed heavily on her from a young age. But Frankie wasn’t one to follow a script. Beneath the polished exterior her parents insisted upon, she found little ways to rebel—pushing boundaries, questioning rules, and carving out a life that was uniquely hers. To outsiders, Frankie might seem like the stereotypical rich girl: pampered, entitled, and accustomed to getting her way. But beneath the designer wardrobe and polished facade lies someone with more grit and depth than people realize. She’s determined to step out of her family’s shadow and make her own mark—on her terms. Now, with an unexpected move to New York City, Frankie views this as her chance for a fresh start. In the fast-paced chaos of the Big Apple, she’s ready to show everyone she’s more than just a Hollingsworth. For the first time, she’s chasing her own dreams and learning to define herself outside of her last name—spoiled brat or not.

it's all about who you know.

MILES HOLLINGSWORTH. brother. The relationship between Frankie and Miles is complicated—full of disagreements, different views, and occasional tension. Yet, beneath the surface, there’s a deep understanding that no matter how much they clash, they are all they truly have in the end. Over time, they've learned to put their differences aside and make a vow to always look out for each other, especially when it matters most. Despite the friction, their bond is rooted in an unspoken loyalty, knowing that, when the world feels uncertain, they’ll always have each other's backs.

LOLA PACINI, SHAY POWERS. best friends. This trio couldn’t be more different, but their differences are what make their bond unshakable. Each girl brings something unique to the table, balancing one another out in a way only they can. They’re each other’s strongest support system, always ready to lift each other up through life’s highs and lows. While their personalities sometimes clash, leading to trivial arguments, their loyalty to one another runs deeper than any disagreement. At the end of the day, nothing and no one could ever come between them.

JONAH HAAK. sneaky link. Frankie and Jonah’s relationship started as a bold move to rebel against her parents—an act of defiance that gave her a sense of control over her own life. To her, Jonah was everything they wouldn’t approve of, making him the perfect choice to challenge their expectations. But as the days turned into weeks, her perception of him began to change. Beneath his carefree exterior, she discovered someone thoughtful, creative, and surprisingly supportive. Frankie finds herself drawn to Jonah in ways she hadn’t anticipated, blurring the line between rebellion and real feelings. For the first time, she’s starting to wonder if this relationship means more to her than the statement it was meant to make.

this character is taken.

[a-marlene-s]

Commission: Actions and Consequences

Tags: (I’m going to do a reblog tomorrow with the tags.)

@miner249er commissioned me to write this fic.

If you like my work, please considering supporting me! https://ko-fi.com/a_marlene_s

Warning: SALT SALT SALT SALT. CLASS SALT! LILA SALT! ADRIEN SALT!

Oh, and there’s a bit of Lukanette in this~

----

You know what they say…

All actions have consequences.

Every choice has a consequence.

Be responsible and be…

You get the idea.

This has been on the mind of everyone in the school of Dupont for who knows how long. Oh wait, that really hit home when one Lila Rossi came to Paris and started her lies. It looks like the only ones that were clearly fooled by her lies is the Akuma Class. Including their own teacher!

Well… except for Marinette.

She is the only one that is not fooled into believing such things. Who in the right mind would believe any of that? Akuma class, that is whom. People began to pull away from them. One by one, not wanting to be connected to them. Not so much for the fact they are known as the Akuma class… it is for the lack of regard they have for Marinette.

How dare they treat Marientte in such a way! After what she has done for them! For all of them! They believe the words of that liar over a friend they have known far longer. Some have tried to reach out, but Rossi is always near or just sucks them back into her webs of lies. Whatever work they have to get their friends back to a world of reality, it is reversed back the moment they step back into that classroom filled with webs.

Many have tried and tried again to help them. To help them see the light of what has been going on, but they all refused to see the light. Many of them growing toxic to themselves that it is better to cut ties then to deal with them anymore.

Who could blame them?

They tried. Truly tried.

Did they want to lose their friends?

No. They did not. But for their own health and sanity… they cut their losses and moved on. At least, they are reassured, that the only ones in Rossi’s grasp is the Akuma class sans Marientte Dupain-Cheng. For which, they made a promise to get protect her from them. She does not deserve the mistreatment. No one does.

-.-

It started out small.

Too busy to hang out.

Leaving messages on read.

Avoiding having them around.

Cutting conversations short.

Many other things to get away.

Some others… are more up front with their dislike with Lila Rossi.

They do not bother to hide their disgust.

Some kept quiet to a degree…

Mireille gave Lila a worried smile as she started to tear up about Aurore’s mistreatment towards the latter. She simply patted Lila’s cheek, leaning close so that she could wrap her arms around Lila to give her a comforting hug… before whispering into her ear as everyone watched on. “Play along… after all… this is just a game for you. You don’t want to disappoint your audience.”

It wasn’t much of an issue to play along with Lila’s games when she tried to bring in the Akuma Class as backup. Long as you show sympathy, play along with Lila’s games against her… you should be good. Lila will never break in character in front of them. Long as you don’t call her out in front of them and act just as deluded to make her mess up, it’s all good.

Then there are the times one has to be more up front…

“Achoo! Ugh, sorry, allergies you see.” Aurore sneered out as she ‘accidentally’ stabbed her umbrella into Lila’s hair when she sneezed. “I’m allergic to bullshit.”

Lila’s jaw dropped as she tried to pull her hair but only wincing as her hair really got caught in the umbrella. She looked around, hoping to catch someone’s attention. But… no one is paying any mind. If anything, one of them even went as far to offer Aurore an allergy pill. “Why are you doing this? I never did anything to anyone!”

“Oh, shut up. We all know you’ve been mistreating Marinette since day one.” Aurore teased, there was a glint in her eyes as she easily untangled her umbrella out of Lila’s hair. “All of us were willing to stand back because Marinette asked us to. Then you got her expelled… Let’s make some truths…”

-.-

Slowly but surely, things began to change for Bustier’s Class. Or better known as, the Akuma Class began to see a change. Then again, things have been happening and have been so caught up in Lila’s lies to even take note of any of it at first.

Many have already put a distance between them and themselves.

It’s silly really. None of them really had taken note of the fact here is now a wall between them. Slowly growing as time goes by. It really came ahead when news spread around on Marinette’s expulsion and her return back to school without much of a say on what happened.

Except for the fact Lila claims Marinette had stolen an answer sheet, her necklace and pushed said girl down a staircase.

Why no one bothered to look deeper into those lies, is beyond anyone at this point. What really got to the rest of the school is how the Akuma Class, Bustier and Damocles’ are so far up Lila’s ass that they wonder if they could even see the sun at this point. It was at that point, the gloves were off and no more.

It was time to bring out the big guns when word got out that Lila supposedly has a lying disorder… only to Bustier and Damocles. Only them, no one else. Thus, only causing more tension for Marinette with the rest of her classmates as they still believe the original lies. All of them giving her a side eye, wondering what she should do next.

Marinette doing something against Lila?

Hah.

It’s going to be the entirety of Dupont against Lila now.

Dupont vs the Akuma Class, sans Marinette. They love their sleep deprived cinnamon roll that could possibly kill them once she finds out what they are up to.

It would be so worth it though…

-.-

“I’m sorry Rose, I’m going to be busy that weekend. Busy, busy at the studio!”  Mireille smiled sweetly at Rose, Juleka, Mylene, Alya and Lila. “Nadja is prepping me to do live interviews over the weekend. I’ve been told I might interview a rock star! Isn’t that great!”

“Wow! That’s amazing, Mireille!” Rosa said in awe. The others following along, amazed by the news.  They were gushing over the fact Mireille is possibly going to interview a pop star soon. Going on and on… Mireille simply smile, keeping her arms behind her back and her knuckles turning white as she kept a tight grip on the back of her blouse. She kept an eye on Lila, her smile only growing as Lila tried to steer the conversation back to herself.

Mireille did not care; this would be the perfect opportunity for her to walk away.

Expect when she saw Marinette walk down the hallway with Aurore.

“Hey Marinette, did you hear? Lila knows who Mireille is going to interview.” Alya mentioned, grinning at Lila’s direction. “

Marinette paused, nose scrunching up. She looked over at Mireille to see her eyes narrowing at the direction of Lila. Clearly, this is one of the many lies Lila has up her sleeves. Aurore smiled at Lila, almost warningly. “Yeah, she told us last week.”

Marinette looked around her classmates to smile at Mireille. “Nadja finally got in contact with them?”

“Thanks to you, Marinette. Nadja got in contact with all of them.” Mireille smiled widely at Marientte and Aurore. “We can’t thank you enough for that favor! Come on! I know the perfect tea shop!”

Mireille walked over to Marinette and looped an arm around one of Marinette’s own. Her smile only grew as Aurore looped her own arm around Marinette’s free arm. The two girls quickly pulled Marinette away from Lila’s sights all the while talking about the interview and the tea shop.

“Did… did they just ditch us?” Alya pulled a face as she watched Aurore, Marinette and Mireille walk away. Mireille had earlier mentioned she was going to be busy after classes which is why they asked her if she was going to be free this weekend. Apparently, she’s supposedly busy with other things than to thang out with them. Why?

“Hey, girls… is everything alright, Alya?”

Alya and the rest of the girls turned around to see Nino and Adrien walking up to them. Her smile grew when she saw Lila warp an arm around Adrien’s own. What she didn’t see is how stiff his smile became but continued on.

Adrien looked ahead to see Marinette with a Mireille and Aurore. The three chatting away without a care in the world. His brows furrowed at the sight. As of late, this has been becoming the norm…

-.-

“Mom said we could hire a DJ for the event, but…”

“Davis already have the day filled?”

“Yeah. Along with Diego, Mei and Lola.”

“What about Nino? He DJ’s, too right?”

“Hah! Dad, don’t joke! Like I want him to DJ the party! Marinette is going to be there and if I have him there, he’s going to wonder why no one else in his class was invited. I am not going to invite a bunch of people that have been mistreating my friend.” Claude grimaced at the thought. He was not going to have Nino DJ his party. If things were different, things would have been different. It is his party. His. He is not going to run the risk of Lila Rossi and her flying monkeys coming to his party and making it all about her.

Yeah… that is not happening.

Lila will find a way turn the party so that it’s geared towards her. She did that at Izzy’s 15 birthday bash and it took Izzy weeks to console her after she regretfully invited Rose, who in turn invited Lila after she overheard the blonde telling Juleka about it. Rose never asked or apologized to Izzy about inviting Lila, who in turn invited her flying monkeys.

Yeah… Claude was not going to let that happen. To make sure that does not happen no one from the Akuma Class, except for Marinette, is invited to his party.

“That’s a bit harsh. I’m sure there’s more to the story. You and Nino were good friends for some time now.” Claude’s father said, worry filled his tone.

“And I thought Nino was close friends with Marinette far longer but apparently that does not matter to him.” Claude deadpan. “I am not going to have Nino DJ the party. Plus his girlfriend is Lila’s main supporter. If I do have Nino DJ, he’ll tell Alya who will tell Lila and I am back to square one. The one I want to avoid! I don’t want Lila Rossi at my party!”

“I’m sure she’s just trying to make friends…”

“…that’s what you said about Clarice before mom divorced you.”

-.-

Adrien paused mid-bite, straining his ears to overhear what is being said on the booth several seats away. He overhead Claude saying Nino and Lila’s names several times but never a clear sentence. It took a while before it caught on what is being said.

Izzy’s party was amazing to say the least! He went along as the rest of his classmates invited him along and he finally got permission to go by his father. The party was amazing to say the least! The music! The food! Everything else!

Why wouldn’t Claude want to ask Nino to DJ his party? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to invite everyone. It would be horrible to note everyone. Wasn’t Claude friends with everyone in his class?

Right?

Sitting across of Adrien is Nino, concentrating on a calendar that he brought out along. Nino has been… struggling to get gigs for a while now. It was not so much he could not get someone to hire him, from what Nino has been telling Adrien, it’s actually doing his job. As of late, he hasn’t been asked to DJ for anyone else outside of his class. Sure, there are some here and there, but at times… he needed to cancel because Alya wanted to do something with Lila and wanted him there for it.

-.-

Luka resisted the urge to pull out his ears as the rest of Kitty Section, sans Adrien and Marientte, whisper to other. All the while sending him weird looks throughout. This is the first time they have met up for practice in well over a month since they keep bailing on practice. Why? They prefer to hang out with Alya… who is hanging out with this Lila Rossi. All. The. Time.

They all have been talking about Lila Rossi… nonstop. Going on and on about her. To the point, Luka suspects that Rose wrote a song about her for some damned reason. Why are they talking about her?

Lila Rossi knows Jagged Stone.

How Lila Rossi’s dance move got stolen from Clara Nightingale.

How close she is to Prince Ali.

Lila knows a lot of people that could, supposedly, get them famous. How Lila has connections to help Kitty Section become famous. Knows someone that would make them better costumes. Along with even knowing how to write better music.

Lila this…

Lila could do this.

Luka stood up from his spot from the makeshift stage with his guitar in hand. There tunes are different, no longer in tune to the music, let alone to their hearts. More so when he is supposedly out of ear shot and they started to whisper about how Lila mentioned that he, the founder of Kitty Section, should no longer be in the band. How Lila told them how he is hold them back and that she knows someone that is better than himself.

Him holding them back.

Really?

Rossi is the one that is holding them back.

If they want to repeat that broken tune, so be it. He needs to find his muse. Luka left them to whisper to themselves. If Lila believes that they do not need him, so be it. Leaving without much of a fight, he knew when it was a time to retreat until they got their bearings. Right now, he now needs to find out more about Lila Ros-

“Psst! Over here!”

“Hey! You! Luka!”

Luka paused, an eyebrow raised as he slowly turned around to see two individuals, some of his sister’s friends from a different class, are calling out to him. They were both holding umbrellas, which only made them stand out more in his opinion. “Hello?”

“Come here!” The blonde motioned for him to walk over to them.

“Hurry before they see you!” The other said, pointing down the hall. Luka looked down said hall to see Adrien and some unknown girl that is clinging onto his arm. Oh.

Luka hurried over to the girls and they promptly hid him under their umbrellas and behind the pillar with them. It was close enough to listen into whatever Adrien and the new girl’s conversation.

-.-

Adrien stood by as Kitty Section walked out to meet him and Lila, and they started to talk about Lila’s advice. What’s this advice? That it would better for Luka to leave Kitty Section as it would be too weird for him to be in the band with them. It is concerning to say the least. Are the really going to kick out Luka from the band?

“It is better this way. Luka is only holding all of you back.” Lila smiled at her classmates as she tightened her grasp around Adrien’s arm. “All of you are better off without him. I’ve talked to that producer friend of mine and Jagged Stone, and they both agree. Luka is no good for your image.”

“I suppose you are right…” Juleka said, twiddling around with her gloves. Rose reached over to hold onto her hands and gave her an encouraging smile. Juleka chewed on her bottom lip as she thought it over.

“I am positive that Luka will understand.” Lila smiled once more and this seemed to put Juleka in a better place.

“We have been practicing without him for the last month.” Rose mentioned, tugging onto Juleka’s hands. “We could do it.”

Lila smiled brightly, increasing her hold around Adrien. She looked at the blonde for support. “Right, Adrien?”

-.-

Who does she think she is???

They have been practicing without him.  For the past month? Without him? Well, that’s one thing he could easily take with a grain of salt. What his sister is saying has his song beating a new beat that hasn’t been played for so long. What really got Luka’s attention is the fact they were all eating up Lila’s lies.

Are they really that gullible?

“This is just the bare minimum of what Rossi has been doing to your sister’s class.” Aurore explained, motioning for Luka to follow her and Mireille.

Luka’s brows furrowed over the blonde’s words. “…Is something being down about it?”

“More or less, but that’s for later. Right now, we are planning a party later for Marinette and we need you to distract her for a bit.” Aurore said, nudging Luka with her elbow and gave him a sly grin. “The party is for her. Did she tell you about her class situation?”

“Marinette has mentioned she wanted to tell me something but everytime she tried to say it, one of her classmates popped up and she would go quiet…” Luka trailed off as he took that in. Oh, that would explain some things. Shaking his head, he would ask her later about it. “I’ll talk to her later about it. Tell me more about this Lila…? I don’t like her song.”

-.-

Mendeleiev was never one that cared so much to know about the personal lives of her students. In terms that, she does not care who is dating (long as it is a healthy and very much legal relationship), knowing what her students are doing after classes (long as it is nothing illegal or against the rules), and well… whatever she had just witnessed from down the hall.

Ondine just broke up with Kim.  

Which is a big surprise considering how googly eyed they are… were for each other. A big shock, that’s for sure. However… considering what has been going on, it’s no surprise to anyone. Well…

To Bustier’s class that is. Those poor, poor, souls do not know what is coming to them. It was just a matter of time and patience before someone loses said patience. There is only so much someone could stand idly by or do their best to help others, before washing their hands of them. Look at herself? Mendeleiev did so to Bustier due to the fact the younger woman refuses to listen to reason.

Mendeleiev shook her head as she headed to her room. She needed to create some paperwork in hopes that will push some people to see things her way.

-.-

Adrien gulped when he heard the news that Ondine broke up with Kim. That came out from nowhere! Completely out of nowhere. Why did she break up with them? They were so happy together it does not make any sense.

A lot of things have not been making sense for a while now. Many of those things were small at first, but Adrien could no longer shake off that creeping feeling there is more t-

“Adrien… a word?”

-.-

Marinette stared down at her phone, her shoulders shaking as she read the text messages her fri… her classmates are sending her. Varies of texts that has her wondering what the heck is going on to her class, are they finally seeing the rest of the school just does not tolerate Lila?

“Block them, Mari.” Luka murmured into her ear while he played with her loose hair. He and Marinette were in her latter’s room on the sofa, with the bluenette snuggled up to Luka. He reached for the phone and took it from Marinette, ignoring the pout that was sent his way. Placing the phone in his pocket for safe keeping, Luka wrapped his arms around Marinette and reached down to give her a peck on her neck.

“I suppose I could forget about them for now…” Marinette giggled at Luka’s actions, she smiled when she felt Luka grin against her neck. She raised an eyebrow at Luka, despite the fact he could not see it. “Are you hiding something from me, Luka?”

“You could say that… Aurore and Mireille asked me to distract you as they set up a surprise.” Luka mumbled into her neck, his grin ever present. “How am I in distracting you?”

Marinette’s jaw drop when she felt Luka started to press kisses up and down her neck, her mind went blank just long enough to return the favor. This was so much better than dealing with her classmates demanding answers to something they should have known since day one.

-.-

“Ugh, again with Lila crap?”

“I know, right? Why does Alya keep posting those so-called interviews she has for Rossi?”

“I don’t know, but have you seen ClaudetteOneEye’s reaction and debunking of it? Hah! Her best yet!”

“She already did a reaction to it! I need to watch it!”

“We still have time before class, watch it now!”

Alya really wanted to storm out of the stall and yell at the individuals that were clearing mocking Lila, who in turn mocking her. What is there to debunk? There is nothing to debunk! Lila has been most telling about her history with Ladybug. They are best friends for Pete’s sake! Alya took out her phone and started her search to show those gir-

“You know how Alya always goes on and on about how she’s a reporter and always checks her facts…”

Snort.

“Hah. Her checking facts? Has she ever checked on any of the crap Lila has been spewing? Any of it?”

“I know, right? Plus, has she ever asked Ladybug about it before posting any of their interviews?”

“Like the little good reporter that she is? Unlikely. No wonder Ladybug has been ignoring her.”

Has… has she ever asked Ladybug about Lila? Alya ran a hand through her hair as she tried to think of an answer to her question. Of course, there were times when she has recently tried to get an interview, but Ladybug just… started to avoid her.

-.-

“Saving Jagged Stone’s cat? If they looked it up, they would have checked that him and his fiancé are allergic to animal fur.”

“Doesn’t he have a pet crocodile?”

“Yeah. He does.”

“That’s just as pathetic as her knowing Prince Ali and being friends with him.”

“Uggghhhh. That doesn’t even make sense, she’s been here in Paris for months before she started coming to Dupont.”

“That’s what I thought! Among the other bull she’s spewed out, the ones that grinds my gears are all the ones she lied about Marinette…”

“Yeah. They all known her for years and this new girl comes along and what? All that goes out the window?”

“Marinette does so much for them, and this is the thanks she gets? That they’ll believe Lila’s lies that she supposedly pushed her down the stairs, steal her necklace and some other bullshit?”

“Still heated about it?”

“Of course, I’m heating about it! They still think she did those things! From what Marinette told Aurore and Mireille, they didn’t even let her talk or defend herself. They took Lila’s side and expelled her.”

“Tell me again, how Marinette got un-expelled?”

“From what Marinette told them… Lila said she had a lying disease.”

“That is bull. I am so over the moon over the fact she’ll be leaving that class. Come on, Aurore said she’s going to need help setting things up.”

Juleka, Mylene and Nathaniel pushed themselves against the wall as they watched several students run past them towards the courtyard. Their expressions betrayed how they felt over what they just overheard. Did they just hear right? Lila has been lying this whole time… and none of them… No, just their class never caught it.

Except for Marinette.

Mylene shakily took out her phone to look up all of Lila’s stories, the others followed in doing so.

-.-

Adrien sat on a stone bench as he watched Kagami paced in front of him. Every time he tried to say something, she would shoot in a glare. He looked down on his lap as he tried to think of what he should say when he’s finally able to speak. Somehow, Kagami found out about Lila’s lies. All of them. From whom, he does not know. Maybe Marientte told her, he’ll have to ask her about it. She shouldn’t have told Kagami about Lila. “Kagami, did Marientte tell you about Lila? I-”

“Agreste, everyone at school and whoever has met Rossi, knows she is a liar. Everything that has ever come out of her mouth is a lie. Everything.” Kagami said in a tight voice. She stopped pacing to stare down at Adrien. “Marientte told me nothing. I was the one that had to go around to figure out exactly what type of person she is.”

“Why didn’t you ask me about Lila before you asked others?” Adrien asked, head shooting up to stare at Kagami with confusion. “I would ha-”

“You would have attempted to pressure me to not do anything against Rossi once I found out exactly what kind of person she is. However, considering you never told her off about that picture she took of the two of you…” Kagami looked up and down at Adrien, her mouth twisted into a scowl. “You would have attempted to have me stay quiet about Rossi’s nature. Just like you are doing to, Marinette… correct?”

“I-I just don’t want to cause problems!” Adrien exclaimed, pushing himself off the bench. “I don’t want any problems in class, and with Marinette trying to out Lila it was impossible. I don’t want Lila to get akumatized anymore.”

Kagami stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest. “And what of your classmates? Your friends? Marinette or myself? I was akumatized because of her, remember? Don’t we all matter too?”

“It’s more complicated than that, Kagami.”  

“Complicated? Complicated! How is that complicated! Explain yourself!”

“…”

“…What did you tell Marinette about Lila’s lies? Adrien, what did you tell her?”

“Could we drop this?”

“Tell. Me.”

“I told her, as long as me and her know the truth, does it really matter?”

“Adrien, it does matter! Everything matters! You are allowing Rossi to walk all over Marinette and make her out to be the bad guy for trying to stand up for herself.” Kagami snarled out, causing Adrien to jump. “You are forcing her to stay quiet about someone’s lies. You do realize once your friends find out, they will be the ones that are going to get akumatized. Not Rossi. What then? Who are you going to protect then?”

“I’m doing my best, Kagami.” Adrien pleaded.

“Your best is not good enough. Rossi is escalating and you are doing nothing. What will happen if she says you two are dating? What then? Far as I supposed know, are dating but this is extremely one sided considering you keep putting Rossi’s feelings above everyone.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“…you are pathetic. Your best is not good enough and it will never be.” Kagami sniffed, she pulled out her phone to look at the time and grinned a bit. She put it away before starting back at an obviously hurt Adrien. “What? Like I would allow someone who I am supposedly seeing, to put some other girl’s feelings above my own.”

Adrien opened and closed his mouth, unable to say anything as he was unable to respond to Kagami’s words. How was he supposed to respond that, there was no answer to that for him. “Please understand th-”

Kagami shook her head before she pulled out phone before putting it away. She gave Adrien on last look before walking away. “You need to stop putting horrible people above those that have been nothing but supportive of you… It’s no wonder why Marinette has finally given up.”

-.-

Ladybug swung around Paris at night as she thought over today’s events. It’s safe to say, that today has been one of the best days of her life since becoming Ladybug to say the least. She felt free and no longer held up to an impossible standard. To think transferring to a different class has made her feel as such. It also may have helped she told everything to Luka what has been happening to her since Lila came to Paris. The memory of that conversation made her blush as at the end of it, they are now officially together. It made her happy, immensely so.

Their first date was at the welcoming party Aurore and Mireille threw for her transfer to their class. Best date and party ever. The cherry on top, was when her former classmates crashed the party(apparently that was planned) and Claudette of @ClaudetteOneEye did a live reaction to one of the newest interview of Lila. It was priceless to say the least. Her former classmates tried to approach her but that was shut down immediately. Many other things had happened at the party that made it so much better, but that’s a thought for another day.

Right now, there is someone sitting alone at the park.

Is that Adrien?

Ladybug let out a sigh before she swung down to the park.

Adrien blinked a couple of times when he heard steps walking towards him. He looked over to see Ladybug walking up to him. He smiled at the sight of her. “Hello, Ladybug? Having a good night?”

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at Adrien, she sensed something is up with Adrien but did not make any notion for him to open up. “A little late to be out, Adrien?”

Adrien shrugged before he looked down at the ground, his brows furled deep in thought. “Can I ask you something, Ladybug? I need your advice in something?”

Ladybug stared at him for a moment before motioning for him to speak. Might as well hear what Adrien wants to say and need advice in. This is new considering how his advice has never been exactly the greatest.

Adrien began to tell her about the advice he had given to Marinette, when it came to Lila.

Adrien Agreste is asking her opinion on the advice he had given Marinette, who by extension, is actually herself. The same advice that had weighed heavy in her mind so much so, that it nearly akumatized her. Ladybug had stopped listening to Adrien as she felt anger started to bubble within her. This is too much, far too much. It was one thing to ask her about his original advice. Oh no, now he’s going on about Marinette’s actions that contradicted mentioned advice.

For what? To make sure that Lila does not get akumatized. Again.

“And Marinette? What of Marinette? Were you not even worried if she got Akumatized because of Lila?” Ladybug cut Adrien off. “Have you even thought of the highly possible chance she could be the one getting Akumatized over your advice? Paris got very lucky tonight there were no akumas out tonight otherwise the city would have Akuma’s at every corner of it.”

Adrien looked shocked over Ladybug’s words. His silence, his answer, has Ladybug starting to pace around.

“No, you did not care. What you cared is to make sure Marinette kept quiet and did not stand up for herself. Not only to Lila, but also by extension to Chloe.” Ladybug grounded out, sending Adrien a glare as she continued to pace. “You expected Marientte that as long as the two of you knew the truth, that nothing else pretty matters? That as long as Lila continued lying to everyone and allowing her to walk over Marinette, who is supposed to be your friend, that it did not matter?”

“It’s not like that, Ladybug.” Adrien stood up and approached Ladybug. Ladybug raised a hand at Adrien’s direction to stop him from getting close to her.

“Then how is it, Adrien?” Ladybug questioned. “You are prioritizing Lila over everyone, even if it puts them all at risk at getting akumatized themselves. Is that what you wanted to hear? That your advice is horrible. Let me tell you something, Marinette, your supposed friend to nearly get akumatized. Twice. It’s all because of Lila and the second time, Hawkmoth got to her and for some reason the akumatization did not take place. Lila caused that. All because she wanted to keep your promise when it came to her. Truth is that Lila Rossi is a liar that should have been exposed a long time ago and I am happy that it happened tonight. I am happy!”

“What about Lila? It was horrible what happened to her, she got humiliated in front of nearly the entire school.” Adrien tried to ask but was cut off when he saw Ladybug pulling out her yo-yo.

“To be frank Adrien… when it comes to bad people… you need to knock them down several pegs to get them to understand how wrong they are.”

[cryingin2d]

Make it make sense.

I've been silent for the last weeks because i don't want to deal with how skam france dissappoints me again and again. Now with the one and only reason i started watching the whole skam series: Maya and Lola.

I read Shirley's apologies, and i couldn't help but notice the comparison she did with Maya and Lola to Tina and Bette's break up.

And, as a fan of both franchises myself. I'm gonna try and make you pals understand why this comparison is INCORRECT. So you can have more arguments.

I know a lot of you haven't even watch the show, but i thing that even if you aren't gonna watch it, use this information.

So if you are still watching TLW, just know that i'll be talking about seasons 1-5. Spoilers.

What is The L word?

TLW is a 2004's series created by Ilene Chaiken, that follows the life of a group of queer women and their relationships.

Who are Bette and Tina?

Tinna Kennard and Bette Porter are a couple in the show. In season 1 is mentioned that they were together for almost 7 years until then. They were a BIG DEAL in the show. Always a favorite, even when some awful things happened. They also have a child together, Angelica.

Bette alone is an interesting character. She's been an art dealer, a dean and almost a senator in TLW generation Q. But irrational and sometimes self centered, but we're gonna talk about it later.

Tina is... a case. Her character wasn't really developped on the show, out of being the lover of x. She's on the cinema bussiness, but that was one of the only things we got to know. Until at the end of season 6 we got to know some of her traumatic past on the tapes.

Bette and Tina Throught the series

They're a mess. The break up and got back together a lot of times, they got married at the end of season 6 and everyone was happy... Until we got to know in TLW Generation Q that they got divorced.

Here's when the problem starts.

Shirley said >This<

"Like many viewers at the time, I was saddened by the end of the long-standing couple formed by Bette and TIne. But i never looked at this plotline or the showrunners (lesbians themselves) as homophobic or missrepresenting".

Now, im gonna explain you why this is incorrect.

Tibette did have Reasons to break up

As i said before. Tina in Bette were a mess as a couple. It was always open the option of them not being together at the end.

Some of these reasons are:

Cheating: On season 1, Bette cheated on TIna. On season 3, TIna cheated on Bette twice. Also, Bette cheated on Jodi, her lover on s4 and s5, WITH TINA.

Selfishness: The way Bette and Tina were selfish with each other was always an issue on the show. It got better with time when we talk about Bette. She went from just thinking about herself to (sometimes) thinking twice before hurting anyone else.

Impulsive decisions: On season 3 and 4, Tina and Bette fought over Angie's custody. Bette ended up kidnapping Angelica, and at the end it wasn't a big deal, Bette didn't get any punishment for it.

Some other things that happened that we can consider:

Bette cheated on Tina after she had a miscarriage, and tried to justify it saying that "she needed that" and Tina wasn't giving that to her.

On season 2, Bette called Tina while she was in new york to ask her if she could cheat on her (she didn't, tho).

I said it but BETTE KIDNAPPED ANGELICA.

Tina was still in love with Bette even when she was with Helena, even when she was with Henry, even when Bette was with Jodi.

When we compare Tibette to Mayla we have to think about something really big. Which, didn't ever happened. Maya and Lola had problems.

We were in front a relationship without communication. They talked about it, but never really had the talk, so talking about their unexistent communication is useless.

Maya runned at every sign of something bad happening. As an example, when she fought with lamif and stayed a whole episode at June's. Or, in season 7 when she left almost at the end while she was in a drama with Lola.

Lola is pictured as a clingy girlfriend, and Maya doesn't like that. But rather than talking to her, she told every problem she had with Lola, to June. A character we don't even know if it's gonna be there in season 10.

The point is, we can't compare a relationship with LACK OF COMMUNICATION, to a relationship with bumps throught the whole road. Mayla doesn't even have the same story as Tibette does. It is not correct to make a comparison, unless, you know... Shirley was really trying to make this an adult show. Now comparing a teen show to an adult show.

I hope you pals got it. I really love both shows and both ships. But we need to see some points without the fan lenses. I'm on the "this season was useless" side, and not happy with the comparison Shirley made. So i tried to make you pals get the point and be as informed as i can make you.

Hope you're having a great day, please stay safe.

[felipeandletizia]

Change of pace in the Queen's closet: why Letizia is now betting on small Spanish brands

During the summer the national firms blessed by the 'Letizia effect' have multiplied. Having her approval gives them a global impact, in addition to being able to sell out everything that she puts on. Why have she decided to show her support now?

During the summer the national firms blessed by the 'Letizia effect' have multiplied. Having her approval gives them a global impact, in addition to being able to sell out everything that she puts on. Why have she decided to show her support now?

Small, young, niche, of medium price and of Spanish production. The firms that have appeared in Queen Letizia's looks this summer share attributes that are increasingly valued by the fashion consumer but which, until now, had appeared discreetly and timely in the royal wardrobe. Except for some concessions – such as a dress by the Sevillian guest brand Cherubina that she wore a couple of years ago –, never before had Doña Letizia given such prominence to small Made in Spain brands. Although she has long since left the 'Varelismo' in the background and began to open up to new names in national and international fashion, including large chains such as Uterqüe or Massimo Dutti, the recent and repeated choice of labels such as María de la Orden, Galcon, Dear Prudence, Lola Li, On Atlas or Macarena Shoes marks a turning point. And it comes at a time when it can be interpreted as a message of support for a national fashion industry hit by the pandemic.  

This is how Sara Escudero, an expert in analyzing her looks and founder of the successful Instagram account Letizia, de princesa a reina, considers it. "Her style is adapting to current times and circumstances," she explains to S Moda. "Before it was quite usual to see her with the same firms, all led by the Puig group [Carolina Herrera is one of her recurring labels], but now she is betting on Spanish brands to defend our industry. It is also a way of transmitting greater closeness and reaching more people, since the prices of most of the outfits she wears are very competitive ”, adds the analyst. In this way, the result is very positive for both parties: the Queen builds a slightly more earthly wardrobe while supporting a sector that represents 2.8 of the Spanish economy and, brands, many of them unknown to the large public, gain international visibility, increase their prestige and skyrocket their sales, sometimes selling out the specific outfits chosen by Doña Letizia.

This was what happened, for example, with the white blouse and pants set that she wore a few weeks ago during the opening ceremony of the Arco art fair. “It sold out very quickly, that same day. We immediately got to work to replace it and thanks to the fact that the entire production process takes place within a radius of less than 25 km from our studio, it was available again after three days", they detail from On Atlas, a responsible sustainable Galician brand design. The story repeats itself in the rest of the labels blessed by the 'Letizia effect'. The young designer María de la Orden confirms by email that the Capri model, a blue and white striped dress that Her Majesty wore in Mallora, "is practically sold out" and for Galcon, a fashion firm that opened its doors this year , the navy blue skirt and blouse set that Letizia wore has already become their best seller. “We cannot imagine a better showcase for our designs. We must bear in mind that we went on the market very recently and this has put us on the map," says Pilar González Alcón, designer and co-founder of the brand.

The person responsible for all these choices is her stylist, Eva Fernández. "She's the one who acts as a filter between the Queen and the fashion brands. She is in charge of choosing the outfits that she considers that Doña Letizia may like, although then it is the Queen herself who makes the final decision and combines them with the rest of the accessories,” says Escudero. Eva, who was part of the team of stylists of Cosmopolitan magazine before meeting Letizia and starting to work for her, remains in contact with national brands, visits the showrooms and attends the events that communication agencies carry out to present the collections to the press. It is there that she records many of the outfits that the Queen later wears. "It was her stylist through our communication agency who chose the two models of espadrilles that she has worn this summer", confirm from the artisan footwear brand Macarena Shoes. On other occasions, Fernández buys online the designs that she considers appropriate for each occasion. "It was very exciting to receive an order like this," Galcon says.

As an anonymous source who works in a well-known fashion communication agency told S Moda, sometimes it is Eva Fernández who contacts them to request a piece that the Queen may like. Others are the brands who try their luck by sending her their creations. "One day we sent her a leather bag from a national firm and she liked it so much that she put it on. Again, however, we did the same with a clutch from another brand and she returned it to us making it clear that she thought it was beautiful, but she was not going to be able to put it on for protocol reasons. I also know that the Queen does not accept gifts and she always insists on paying,” explained the source.

On certain occasions, brands even design special models for her. This is the case of Lola Li's wrap dress that she wore in 2019 and that she repeated a few days ago. "We were commissioned by her stylist and for us it was an incredible surprise because we are quite a different pattern from the ones she usually wears," they detail from the brand. The appearance of the outfit, they assure, gave them great repercussion and visibility both inside and outside our borders. "Her style followed all over the world and, in our case, her choice marked a before and after, for which we are enormously grateful. When she put it on, we reached saturation levels on the web that we had never reached before. The white model was made exclusively for her so it could not be bought, but it sold very well in other colors," they say.

In the same way that Michelle Obama broke a spear in favor of small American firms demonstrating that the work of a first lady is also to support the national fashion industry, Doña Letizia now begins a new era in her wardrobe that promises to do the same. "She is the best ambassador we have and what's really important about her wearing one of our designs is not the economic repercussion or immediate popularity, but the fact that she endorses our brand and likes our style", affirms María de la Orden. From On Atlas they agree: "She is a very important support. Suddenly the same product, with the same effort, dedication and work, is discovered by many people who until then did not know it".

For Escudero, the landing in the royal closet of brands 100% Made in Spain, far from being anecdotal, has come to stay. “I don't think the labels she usually wears will disappear, such as Carolina Herrera or Hugo Boss, but in day-to-day or less formal events it is very likely that these new national incorporations will help her renew her wardrobe and transmit that support to the Spanish industry”, she points out. She also underlies a message of commitment to the environment, sustainability and crafts. Investigating the philosophy of all these labels, it is easy to conclude that their choice is not accidental or due solely to aesthetic criteria.

María García Alonso-Lamberti, founder of On Atlas, highlights the use of 100% natural, recycled or ecological fabrics of European origin in all her creations. “We avoid the use of polyester and plastic even on buttons, zippers, shoulder pads and trimmings in general. This makes the process much slower and more complicated, but essential in our approach”. Some values ​​that, added to the limited and close production and competitive prices (none of the outfits chosen by the Queen exceeds 200 euros), are similar and extensible to the rest of the brands recently incorporated into her wardrobe. You could even say that they share a taste for timeless Mediterranean-inspired creations. "In Spain we have a lot of national talent, artisans who have worked for several generations and, of course, top quality raw material. Spanish brands still have a lot to say and Doña Letizia makes it clear that we have nothing to envy the fashion of other places", they conclude from Macarena Shoes.

Source

[maxbernini]

What I find strange is that la mif know that Lola was crying the other day, and saw how Maya is hurt. So why they are so sure it’s « over over ». Like Bilal talked about How Lola will be with someone else, Redouane saying that Maya should meet new people.

Can they just say « you could talk and makes things better between the two of you, as you both hurting right now ».

Idk the break up seems so definitive. And imo Lola is appearing as the bad guy because no one seems to know that she broke up with Maya because she didn’t felt loved. Jo witnessing Lola saying hurting things to Maya, Tiff and Max saw the panic attacks…

Also they portraying the relation as toxic, as a spectator it’s hard to root for Mayla relationship since they are fighting since season 7 and don’t seems to know how to communicate.

this is longggg so i did a readmore but i’m on mobile so it might not work lol. i basically disagree with everything here, sorry 😭

“why are they so sure it’s over…why not suggest they talk” they literally already have? whilst maya doesn’t even accept the trailer breakup happened, la mif spend all of ep1 accepting it happened but thinking it’s temporary and can be undone. there’s a clip where max says he doesn’t want them to end up like his parents (divorced) and suggests maya texts lola. then there’s an entire clip dedicated to jo, again, telling maya she needs to reach out. when they discuss it at ping pong, they’re being light and casual. it’s only after ep1, when lola texts the group chat saying it’s over, that they take it more seriously. and what are they supposed to do then? push maya to ignore lola’s boundaries? she’s doing that by herself shsjsks

i don’t think they’re portraying lola as the bad guy. i don’t think anyone’s been shown as the definitive bad guy tbh. yes, maya’s issues are the major cause of this breakup, but i think the narrative’s been empathetic to her by immersing you in her POV. the whole “we know something maya doesn’t” thing works really well with that: we know not texting lola won’t end good, but maya thinks she just needs to offer time/space, and so we feel sorry for her, etc. the clement study clip is the most extreme maya’s been (biphobia, showing up uninvited, being insulting and dismissive). i think having lola react as she did in ep2’s finale was basically their way of balancing the scales of “toxicness” and saying that whilst she’s shown immense growth from s6, she still has a lot to learn: she had every right to be mad (maya just insulted her in public days ago, she’s under the assumption that maya is now interfering with her family by spreading lies), but she could’ve paused when maya denied the thierry thing and heard her out. she could’ve not cut maya off. she didn’t, and i don’t think any conversation they had that night would’ve been productive anyways, but like…they’re both flawed people lol. idk what to say. i think how they both act in arguments is incredibly in-character and doesn’t make them the bad guy. we’re only seeing jo/tiff/max see just the maya side of things bc of the pov format, but we know they’re still friends with lola and, like in the fence clip, are defending her and mostly think maya’s in the wrong. and yet! they haven’t actually taken sides! they’re treating both of them with kindness! la mif clearly don’t think there’s a bad guy either (the point of bilal’s comment on lola dating other people was more about maya’s biphobia imo, and the panic attack tiffax witnessed is also not entirely about her relationship either but that’s another topic lol).

“as a spectator it’s hard to root for them” i think this is an individual thing tbh, bc i don’t find it hard to root for them at all. i mean do i want them back together in this episode? absolutely not lol. any relationship they would have rn would be unhealthy as hell, which is what we’re seeing, and is why they’ve broken up. the show is literally saying love and history isn’t enough: both of them need to work on things, process their issues, seek help, learn to communicate better and exist without each other etc etc before a relationship would work. as for it seeming definitive: i can’t tell the future but i just don’t understand why anyone thinks they won’t be endgame lmao. i mean i wouldn’t even mind that much if they stayed friends and i still think they’re endgame. apart from s1 which was following the eva blueprint, when has skamfr not had an endgame? they brought back the old gen in s7 just to confirm an endgame (arthur/noee) and create another (alexia/new bf) lol. this is the first LI season, and their current most popular couple, and the writers love cheesy romantic moments. even if it’s rushed as hell, even if it doesn’t feel earned and is written terribly, they’re going to be endgame 😭 you’re free to feel however you want about that.

[angrylizardjacket]

dirtbags // 4: Lola

Summary: High school AU. 1985. Winter. Heather’s party is huge; Lola makes new friends, get better acquainted with some underclassmen, and turns out to be far cozier with the hostess than anyone could guess. The next day, Nikki comes to work despite his hangover, while Charlotte and Eileen plan Vince’s murder. Razzle’s just there to have fun. 

A/N: 6603 words. For @misscharlottelee and @julymotel , my beloveds, as always. Sorry it's late, it's been a hell of a week. But, here's the kids. I should say that this chapter does include slight, implied internalised homophobia, just as a warning.

judge if you want, we are all going to die. i intend to deserve it.

For the record, Lola isn’t a party-goer by nature, and the fact that she’s been to two in as many months is baffling her. Usually she just goes to see bands, and sometimes hangs out at peoples’ houses, but high school parties specifically alluded her for most of her time in Boston. It’s not that she wasn’t invited, but her mom had been something of a hardass, and the closest she’d ever gotten was when drunk kids made their way to the diner right before closing on a Friday or Saturday.

Her dad’s fully supportive of her going out and partying, which is weird in it’s own right. He writes down their home phone number on a piece of paper, in case Lola can’t remember it when she’s drunk - his words - and tells her to call whenever she needs a lift. Don’t go get into a car with strangers. Drink plenty of water. Be safe. Have fun. 

“Dad, you’re being weird,” she’d told him flatly, applying eyeliner to her waterline in the bathroom. Leo, leaning against the door with his arms crossed, was watching her with a fond expression.

“If I was a hardass and banned you from going out, you’d probably still sneak out anyways -” Lola goes to protest, which Leo finds sweet, but he holds a hand up, and she lets him continue, “not that I don’t think you respect me, but I just know what it was like being a teenager; if you got into trouble while sneaking out, you wouldn’t feel like you could call me for help,” he explained, giving pause, “but I always will, you know that, right?” And Lola nods, but goes back to applying eyeliner, knowing her father’s tone of voice too well, anticipating the fact that he was about to dive into a story of his own to help prove his point.

“When I was your age, or maybe a bit younger, fifteen or sixteen, me and some friends snuck out to a bonfire one night that my parents had absolutely forbidden me from going to, and I ended up needing to go to the emergency room from a burn I got on my hand from being an idiot around the fire,” and he raised his left hand, to show the still visible, large scar on his palm, “I was more terrified of what my father would do than of the burn itself so I didn’t try and call him or mum; I walked home from the hospital alone the next morning, and lied about how I got the burn.”

Lola paused, lowering the eyeliner pencil, meeting her father’s gaze in the mirror. Leo’s smile had turned a little sad at the memory; Lola doesn’t hear much about her grandparents, and she wonders if stories like this are the reason why.

“You’re my kid, Keola, I never want you to think you can’t come to me for help, okay?” It’s rare for Leo to use Lola’s full first name, usually reserving it for more poignant and earnest moments, so every comment about how he’s being a sap, or that she already knows, dies on Lola’s tongue. 

“Thanks, dad,” she smiles soft, and Leo smiles back, all crows feet and laugh lines, before he tells her that she looks badass, and he steps out of the doorframe, heading back downstairs to the diner. 

By the time Lola shows up, it’s just edging past eight-thirty, though the party still seems to be in its early stages. There’s music that can be heard down the street, and fairy lights scattered throughout the garden, though most of the partygoers who had already arrived are still confined to the house. Apart from a gangly, dark-haired boy whose face she knows, but whose name she doesn’t, sitting on the wide, ostentatious front steps, looking up at the stars glittering overhead. There’s a cigarette in a loose grip between two fingers, though the ash has already burnt down half of it without him tapping it off; it’s almost comical, she’s pretty sure he hasn’t even put it to his lips yet.

“You’re wasting that,” Lola points out, and the guy is jolted from his thoughts, the movement sharp enough to have the ash falling from the cigarette and to the ground by his shoes. He looks to the cigarette, which has gone out, and then to Lola, a little helpless, “I could take it off your hands,” she offers, unsure of how to proceed, and he holds the cigarette out, smile blooming on his face.

“I can’t get the hang of it; I’m playing a smoker in this play I’m doing in a month, and I’ve been trying, you know, make it feel natural, never seems to,” his mouth is curved into a bemused smile as he shrugs helplessly, watching Lola tuck the half a cigarette behind her ear. For a moment, his eyes roam his face, like he’s searching for something to recognize, and she can read it all over him when he finds it, his eyes alight with familiarity, “you work at the diner!”

Lola hates how disarming she finds his earnestness. He doesn’t mention her reputation or the rumours around her, which she’s pretty sure he would have heard since she’s eighty-percent sure he goes to her school.

“Lola,” she offers her hand, and he takes it, using it as leverage to get to his feet before he gives it a proper shake.

“Keanu,” he says, matter-of-factly, still grinning, and Lola suddenly knows where she knows him from. The school musical sign-up sheet is on the Art Faculty’s notice board right outside her art classroom, and she’s been staring at his name amongst a small list of others, including Eileen’s, much to Lola’s surprise, while she and the rest of her art class wait to get into their room.

At least she’s pretty sure it’s him; Keanu’s not exactly a common name. The only other time she’d heard it was in one of her dad’s stories, it was the name of one of his childhood friends -

She leaves it be; he groans and stretches, and there’s an idle moment where his shirt rides up, and Lola reminds herself to focus on the person who actually invited her, and to stop getting fleeting feelings for people she barely knows just because they’re pretty. Lola mutters that she needs a drink, and Keanu claps her on the shoulder and agrees, the two of them heading inside.

Heather’s house is in the same part of town as Vince’s, almost an hour’s walk from the diner, but somehow Heather’s is even nicer. Sprawling front lawn, abstract paintings and movie props on little, pristine pedestals inside, Lola feels like she’s lowering the property value just by stepping foot inside. The party was easily both the nicest and most raucous Lola had ever been to, which, granted, wasn’t saying a lot, but their house was wired with speakers, all connected back to the jukebox in the living room, and Heather’s parents had even let her hire coloured lights.

“As long as the cops aren’t called, we can do whatever we want,” was the message passed around the school from Heather herself. Lola’s feels as though that probably won’t bode well for her parents’ elegantly displayed collectables, but whatever, it’s not like it’s Lola’s problem.

Already there’s a decent crowd inside, and Lola loses Keanu amongst them, making a beeline for the kitchen, manoeuvring around the house with easy familiarity. She reaches pushes past several people to get to the fridge, reaching all the way to the back, past a set of tupperware, to the bottle of wine Heather’s mom had stashed there. Lola removes the sticky note telling everyone not to touch it, and uncorks the bottle over the sink, scowling.

It feels like she’s floating through the night, no-one around that she knows just yet, disconnected from everyone else, carrying the bottle of wine by her side, occasionally taking a drink. Moving from room to room, she takes her time people watching, and guessing how long before the various, expensive props and bric-a-brac were being used for things counter to their intended purpose. 

In the front room, there’s finally someone she recognises, kind of; the the young redhead, the fruit one- Peach! She’s unsteady on her feet, beautiful and angry, defiantly making her way through a can of cheap beer, and Lola wonders where the rest of her clique is, that sister of hers, Eileen, even Charlotte. 

“You okay?” Lola’s never been great at comforting people, but Peach is currently leaning against a wall at a forty-five degree angle after losing her balance, and scowling. She’s drunk. Already. Fuck.

“I’m fine! Freaking- fucking great!” She’s not even looking at Lola properly, glaring out the window she’d narrowly missed falling on. Lola follows her gaze. It’s just passed nine, and Tommy and Charlotte can be seen walking up to the door; they don’t see Peach or Lola, thankfully. 

“You - you’re friends with that... that mean, asshole, punk guy, right?” Peach asks, standing upright so suddenly she overbalances again, and Lola has to catch her elbow to keep her from topping. Peach slaps her hand away, but keeps her balance, obviously with a bee in her bonnet about something that Lola couldn’t even begin it fathom.

“Nikki?” Lola clarifies flatly, amused but not wanting it to show. Peach nods solemnly. Lola bites back a laugh, “yes, I’m friends with him, why?”

“Is he coming tonight?” Peach asks, tone almost forcibly coy and casual, raising her can of drink, taking large gulps as Lola says that he mentioned that he should be, and then asks why. Peach goes quiet. Lola had thought it impossible for Peach’s scowl to grow deeper, but it did, as a blush began to creep up her neck. 

“You know my sister, right? Eileen?” Peach says, instead, and Lola nods slowly, and she takes a swig of wine, “she’s a year - a single goddamn year - older than me; I’m sixteen, Lola, she said I was too young to go to a party like this.” And yeah, okay, Lola makes a face at that; she was the same age as Tommy, and he’s done objectively worse stuff in front of Eileen and Charlotte with no complaints. The last house party flashes through Lola’s mind, and she grimaces - “exactly, it’s dumb! Charlie had been dating Duff for a year by the time she was my age, and let me tell you, they were proper gross!” Peach sways a little, and Lola reminds her that she has no idea who Duff is; Peach calls him a word that shocks Lola to hear her say it, especially for a girl who had to correct herself from saying freaking to fucking just moments ago.

“Noted,” Lola nods, and takes another drink; she’s almost a third through the bottle.

“I’m not a child, Lola,” Peach says, as seriously as she can muster, and, as if light a lightbulb has gone off above Lola’s head, she realises why Peach was asking after Nikki. 

“You’re not,” Lola agrees slowly, and looks around, hoping to spot Charlotte or Tommy around, someone better suited to talking an angry, determined Peach out of something she’d regret. 

“Don’t take that tone with me,” Peach huffed, standing to her full height, which unfortunately for Lola, made her taller by a few inches, “you know what, fuck you, Lola -”

“Peach -”

“No, fuck that, I know that tone -”

“Never thought I’d see you out at a place like this, Peach,” there’s a warm familiarity in the voice that joins them, and Peach visibly relaxes. Lola turns, and sees Vince Neil, bleach blonde, decked out in his usual, obnoxious white. 

“Fuck off, Vince,” Peach mumbles, turning back to the window in an attempt to hide her sudden blush. Lola raises her eyebrows and looks to Vince, intrigued. The moment his gaze meets Lola’s, Vince turns quietly awkward, and can do little more than offer a shrug. 

“Peach?” He tries again, and Peach finishes her drink, tipping her head back, and doesn’t even seem to notice that she’s started to topple back until he catches her, “fuck, Peach.” He says, still holding her.

“You really should fuck off,” Peach says, softer this time, leaning into him, and something pained flashes across Vince’s expression for the barest moment; Peach doesn’t notice in her state, but Lola sees it. 

“Eileen been in your ear lately?” Vince asks through gritted teeth. Peach’s scowl back in full force, and she’s righting herself.

“No,” she snaps, an obvious lie, and she pushes past Lola, making her unsteady way to the kitchen, Vince obviously feeling some sort of obligation to her, following quickly in her wake. Thank God. Lola really didn’t want to take care of a girl she barely knows all night. 

She’s two thirds of the way through the bottle of wine, feeling good and buzzed, and she’s made polite conversation with the people she knows and the people she doesn’t, the people who know her by reputation, or from the diner, polite to a fault, knowing too much and too little about her all at once.

Tommy’s roped them into a conversation with a few kids from his year that Lola doesn’t recognize any of them, and one, drunk, brunette, stupid, asks her about the rumours, in a crude, roundabout way. Tommy’s hand is firm on Lola’s shoulder, apology in his eyes as he silently pleads with her to not make a scene. Lola kicks his asshole friend in the shin anyways, and spits that he has terrible taste in friends. 

Charlotte waves to her, but Lola doesn’t see it in her angry state, storming up the stairs to the second floor. It’s quieter up here, mostly. There’s a group in a side room playing spin the bottle, and people taking advantage of Heather’s parents’ bedroom, and the door to Heather’s room is closed. Lola bangs her closed fist on the nondescript door. 

“Who is it?” Heather’s voice, strained, rings out from the other side.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Lola whined through a lie, banging again. There’s scuffling on the other side, Heather hissing for whoever’s with her to go, to get out the window, anything. Lola smirks, “please, all the other bathrooms are -” and she fake gags, right as the door wrenches open to show Heather’s flustered face, hair a mess, scowling.

“What?”

“I’m lying,” Lola whispered, leaning against the doorframe, pushing down all her annoyance at Tommy and his asshole friends, and playing at being coy. Heather huffs an annoyed breath through her nose.

“I know,” she snaps, but lets Lola in anyways, and Lola automatically closes the door behind herself, leaning her back against it, watching Heather try and act casual, heading to her bed, “should I be jealous?” Lola smirks, and Heather shoots her a filthy look. Lola takes a long drink of the wine, and Heather’s expression turns from angry, to simply annoyed.

“Of course, of fucking course, you, the only asshole who actually knew about it-”

“Your mom can buy another one, it’s not like you’re not -”

“Don’t say it,” Heather warns, sitting on the edge of her bed, and Lola’s smile grows sly and amused. Heather’s gaze flicks to the door handle, “lock that.” 

“Yes, Princess,” Lola smirks, reaching over with her free hand, making quick work of locking the door.

“Do not,” Heather hisses at the pet name, and Lola pushes off the door, heading towards her, and offers her the bottle. Heather’s lips press into a thin line as the regards the drink she knows is completely illicit for a number of reasons, before taking it, and taking a drink - “fuck, how much of this have you had?”

In answer, Lola takes the bottle back and finishes it off. 

“You’re a pig and a thief,” Heather tells her, but Lola’s smile is all teeth.

“And you kicked out someone - a boy, I’m guessing - for this thieving pig,” Lola reminds her, placing the empty bottle carefully on the nightstand of her luxurious double bed. Heather turns scarlet.

“I thought you’d at least wait until eleven to find me,” she deflects, defensive at the truth in Lola’s words, to which Lola herself actually laughs, flopping back onto the bed, arms spread, two fingers hooking into the back waistband of Heather’s flirty, short skirt.

“The fact that I’m here at all is a miracle, Princess -”

“Don’t.”

“And you know you could have told me to throw up in the garden,” Lola points out. A moment of silence follows, she tugs at Heather’s waistband, and Heather follows the unspoken prompt, leaning back onto the bed.

“Boys don’t know what they’re doing,” she says, staring up at the ceiling, arms folded but feet still planted firmly on the floor, and Lola’s eyes go wide, delighted, twisting onto her side to look at Heather’s blushing face.

“I knew you liked me,” Lola teases, grinning sharp.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Heather scoffs, angling her head back to level a glare at Lola, after a beat, she reaches back, fingers nimble and cold but her grip on Lola’s jaw secure. She frowns at Lola’s lips, rubbing her thumb none too gently over the bottom lip, taking off the black lipstick painted there, staining her own thumb in the process. 

“Are you waiting for an invitation?” Heather prompts, frustrated, tone icy. Lola raises her eyebrows at the blonde's impatience.

“As you command, your highness,” Lola pushes herself up on her elbows, and off the bed, smirking in the face of Heather’s annoyance, before she scrubs at her mouth with the back of her hand, getting rid of the rest of her lipstick.

“I’ll be quick so you can get back to your boytoy,” Lola smirks up at Heather, kneeling between her knees, and in the next moment Heather’s legs clamp painfully tight around her head, bony knees pressing into her temples.

“If you tell fucking anyone I did anything other than get you water while you threw up in my bathroom, I will ruin your fucking life,” she spits, and Lola’s expression contorts into one of furious annoyance as she wrenches her head free, sitting back on her heels.

“As if I’d tell anyone; if you tell anyone, I’ll burn your fucking house down, do not test me on that,” she warns in return, before Heather relaxes and lays back, eyes back on the ceiling, waiting, “fucking pillow princess, I wish you’d get me a glass of water once in a while,” Lola muttered, leaning back in.

“Hey!” Heather objects, looking down, only to see the barely concealed fury smouldering in Lola’s eyes as she looks at Heather through her lashes. Lola orders her to shut up, presses a pointed kiss to her inner thigh, and Heather obeys without any more fuss.

All it took, in the beginning, was for Lola to confront Heather and ask why the fuck she couldn’t keep her eyes to herself during class, fully expecting a fight. It was after school, Lola had followed her into the bathroom after class as the school was emptying. Heather’s lip had curled, derisive, giving Lola a look like she was a bug beneath her shoe.

“You see something you fucking like?” Lola had snarled, ready to square up, chest puffed out, and Heather had rolled her eyes, scoffing about how Lola wasn’t even close to her type, before she’d realised what she’d said. 

Neither had known how to proceed in that moment, both terrified of how the other would react, Lola could see the sudden fear in Heather’s eyes at the admission. Very deliberately, Lola had relaxed her posture, looking Heather over with a new appreciation, and Heather had flushed under her gaze.

“I didn’t know it was like that,” Lola had smirked, gaze locking onto Heather’s. The blonde was embarrassed, furious at herself, “well if I ever become your type -” those seven words had changed everything. Immediately, Heather knew exactly what Lola had meant, that she wasn’t a threat in the way she’d feared, and that Lola was like her, in some way, in a way that was safe.

“You’re -?” Heather raised a single, perfect eyebrow at her.

“I don’t advertise it,” Lola said, voice flat, hands in her pockets and shoulders carefully relaxed, “don’t know, you know, who else is... like me.”

“Like you?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it here,” Lola had muttered, gaze flicking to the empty stalls, and Heather had given her a long, evaluative look, before stepping forward, apparently finding something she likes. 

Heather’s kind of pinning over a straight girl and none of the rest of the school has any idea she likes anything other than boys, and she’d like to keep it that way. No-one really cares about Lola the way they do about Heather, so they feel safe fooling around together at Heather’s under the guise of ‘studying’; they don’t really even like each other as people, it’s more mutually beneficial than anything else, but it’s kind of nice to have this understanding between them, free to be themselves without fear, even if it’s only for short amounts of time.

Now, at the party, when Lola goes to leave the room after all is said and done, hair checked in the mirror, lipstick reapplied neatly, Heather grabs her arm, quiet but no longer irritate in Lola’s presence, and Lola’s eyes go wide with question, but she too is silent. Heather steels herself, steps up to Lola, and then she’s got her fingers carding through Lola’s hair, and holding tight, and Lola lets herself be maneuverer, her head tipping and Heather’s lips on her neck. 

When Heather steps back, there’s the beginning of a hickey blooming on the juncture where Lola’s shoulder meets her throat, aching faintly, pleasantly, and her hands are soft on Heather’s hips, lips twitching into a smirk.

“You could have just said thank you,” Lola snorted, and Heather’s frowning, but it doesn’t seem to be specifically at Lola; she rolls her eyes. Lola presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, quick and chaste, and scrubs at the mark she leaves behind before Heather slaps her hand away and tells her to get out, though there’s no anger behind it. 

When Lola opens the door, she puts on a show of being a little more unsteady than she really was, and is surprised to see Nikki leaning against the wall a few feet away, chatting to Tommy, looking so carefully casual. Lola’s pretty sure she hears Nikki sigh something about needing to find a guitarist, but that’s the moment Tommy spots Lola. He tries to apologise for his friends, but Lola shrugs, letting the incident go easily.

And then Nikki’s eyes flick to hers, and he asks if she’s okay, and Tommy seems confused but Lola’s hit with a realization. She pulls back her act and tries not to smile too wide.

“I’m fine now, great actually, it’s sweet of you to care,” its absolutely and completely innocent, but she raises an eyebrow at him, as if asking how he knows that she was unwell. In lieu of response, Nikki stands to his full height, walks to the door, and knocks. Lola and Tommy watch, the former far more confused than the latter.

Heather opens the door wide, not a hair out of place, makeup immaculate and untouched, and tells Nikki to fuck off, swanning past him and down to the rest of her party. Nikki turns on Lola. 

“You couldn’t have thrown your guts up in a bush somewhere?” Nikki hissed, frustrated, and Lola does a great job at biting back her laughter, shaking her head and shrugging helplessly. 

“We’re you waiting out here that whole time?” Lola asks, and Nikki turns amusingly pink, stalking past her to the stairs, to which both Lola and Tommy followed, with Lola calling out a half-hearted apology, and Nikki telling her to shove it up her ass. 

gandhi said 'be the change you want to see in the world.' fuck that. be the trouble you want to see in the world.

“Don’t tell me you’re still mad about last night,” the morning after the party, or was it afternoon - midday after Heather’s party - Lola’s tying her red bandana around her head, hip leaning against the counter out the back by the fryer where Nikki was scowling at an order of fries that was bubbling away.

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Lola,” Nikki snaps back, looking up at her, still frowning, and Lola’s smile widens, just a little. Nikki sighs, relenting, his voice dropping low, “I’m hungover as fuck, just piss off, can you?” But it doesn’t sound half as cruel as the words themselves imply, and Lola dips to press her cheek to his shoulder in a moment of affectionate familiarity before heading out to start serving customers. 

It’s almost one when Charlotte and that English kid, Razzle, walk in, with the tall, pretty ginger, Eileen, sans their usual extras, but they take their spot at their usual booth by the window, talking quietly but animatedly. 

“- the nerve on him! Hi, Lola,” Eileen’s practically vibrating with pent up, frustrated energy, greeting Lola with what Eileen probably assumed was a smile, but was still definitely a scowl.

“Everything alright here?” Lola asked, forcing her voice even brighter than she’d usually attempt, and Eileen’s gaze dropped to the menu, going quiet, brooding, while Charlotte sat up a little straighter and smiled, clearly not on such an intense wavelength as her friend.

“Everything’s just great; plotting Vince’s murder, kind of starving, the usual,” she shrugs, and Razzle, by her side, snorts a laugh.

“Good to see you survived the night, Honky Cat,” he adds in lieu of a greeting of his own, and Lola takes a moment to process all the information she’d just been exposed to.

“’course I did, I drank my weight in water between shots,” Lola smirks at Razzle, before her gaze slides to Charlotte, “and that’s very fair; I’d ask what he’s done now, but I think I’ll take care of your order first,” she grins amicably and pulls out her notepad and pen, as the three of them order their usual drinks and lunch preferences.

Lola heads back to the counter, calling out the order to the kitchen, taking another few order to their various destinations, before getting her friends’ drinks together to take them over.

“- home and didn’t even call, Razz, she didn’t even -” Eileen was still ranting by the time Lola deposits their drinks before them. Lola’s pretty sure she saw Razzle and Charlotte deliberately knocking knees beneath the table, but doesn’t think about it too hard. Nor does she dwell on the memory of seeing them at the party last night, of a gaggle of cheerleaders around talking to Razzle, though he just kept trying to talk to Charlotte. Later, she’d definitely seen them on the sofas, talking with Tommy and some of Charlotte’s other friends, leaning in to each other, Razzle’s arm around her shoulders, playing with the whispy ends of her hair. Lola hadn’t thought much of it at the time; she’d made out with Tommy at her first house party in the area, it hadn’t developed past friendship. 

It was cute, if it was anything. 

“Lola, you were there!” Eileen turned very suddenly, the moment her cup had been placed in front of her, and Lola’s eyebrows shot up, “did you see my sister last night?”

It feels like a trap, because yes, Lola definitely did, but also -

“Yes, why?” Lola asks, slowly, cocking a hip.

“They’re in the middle of a blue,” Razzle said, with a fond smile at Eileen’s carefully neutral expression, while she stirred her drink with intent.

“A fight,” Charlotte translated, “and Peach went to Heather’s last night, and got kind of shitfaced, and Vince took care of her, was really quite sweet, but she stayed with him because his place was closer and Peach refused to call Eileen.”

“She stayed with Vince?” Lola said carefully, trying not to imply she was jumping to conclusions, but Eileen’s stirring ceased in favour of vigorous drinking of the drink, obviously stuck on a similar train of thought.

“She slept on the couch,” Razzle filled in quickly, “was still there when I left, tucked in with a blanket, all above board.”

“And you didn’t know where she was -?” Lola frowns, confused.

“Vince called at three in the morning,” Eileen glowered out the window, voice low and even, “dad was mad until he was grateful; the man’s backbone is made of marshmallow fluff. She was meant to be home at one.”

“But she’s okay?”

“It’s the principle of the thing, Lola,” Eileen had said, giving Lola a look far older and longsuffering than her seventeen years. 

“If we brought in Vince’s heart, would your dad batter it up and fry it for Eileen to eat?” Charlotte asked, tone teasing and light, to which Eileen rolled her eyes, but at least it got her to smile, even a little. Even when Lola snorted a laugh and told her ‘absolutely not’.

Later, on their break, Lola and Nikki sit on the roof of the building and share a serve of chips that he’d overcooked, and a cigarette, and Lola asks about Vince. Turns out Nikki doesn’t know much; he hadn’t grown up with the rest of them, had moved to the neighbourhood near the start of high school, and all he really knows is that girls apparently think Vince’s dick developed some sort of Midas touch over Summer.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s always been stupid pretty,” Nikki shoves a chip in his mouth before leaning back on his elbows, “far as I know, but you’ve seen his car, right? That fuck-off, expensive red one that sits in the teacher’s carpark, with the massive scratch in the paint along the left? Yeah that’s his; got it for his birthday last year and he’s been getting tail like nobody’s business ever since.” And Lola tries to process all this information before he’s barrelling right on ahead with, “speaking of; if you’re gonna nail Tommy, can you do it soon and put the poor kid out of his misery?”

“Excuse me?!” Lola had choked on her lungful of smoke, turning red at the suggestion.

“Yeah, poor kid was pretty convinced we were a thing and didn’t want to make a move; kinda stupid, but I dunno, admirable? Noble?” Nikki groaned through his words, laying back against the gravel of the roof, hand out for the cigarette. Lola passed it to him, glad he couldn’t see her vaguely guilty expression, knowing she’d slept with the girl he’d been hitting on the night before.

“Tommy has a thing for anything halfway pretty that’s not related to him, he’d be just as happy to boink any other girl,” Lola points out, and Nikki snorts a laugh in mild agreement, “and the only reason we’re not fucking is because you’re afraid my dad’s gonna rip of your arms like he’s the fucking Wampa from Star Wars.” She punctuates it by eating the last chip, laying out beside Nikki on the gravel, checking her watch. Five minutes before their break ends.

“Leo wouldn’t rip off my arms- I don’t think Leo would rip off my arms!” Nikki counters defensively, but that just has Lola laughing as she corrects -

“Sorry, no, your exact wording was ‘I don’t want your dad to Kali Ma my fucking heart like I’m that little bastard from Indiana Jones’,” Lola does an absolutely atrocious impersonation of Nikki, who’s laughing despite himself, “which you only took back because I told you he wasn’t Indian, and even if he was, it’s kind of a fucked thing to say,” Lola tells him pointedly, shifting onto her side, propping her head up on her hand as she smirked at Nikki. 

When Nikki looks at her, green eyes shining in the overcast, afternoon light, there’s something unreadable, teasing and soft all at once, like he’s entertaining an idea he’d considered unthinkable.

“I don’t think I could look Leo in the eye if I banged his daughter,” Nikki’s voice is soft and low, though he’s grinning wide, tone coy, eyes creasing in the corners, and Lola’s gaze flicks to his lips. 

“For Leo’s sake, then,” Lola matches his tone, corner of her mouth twitching into a sharp smirk when she finally looks back to his eyes, “and Tommy’s too,” she teases, pushing herself into a sitting position; she can hear it when he presses his head further into the gravel in exasperation, swearing under his breath. When Lola stands and smiles, the picture of innocence, she offers Nikki her hand to help him up; Nikki rolls his eyes, but is still smiling when he accepts.

“Your hair looks dorky like that,” Lola teases as she climbs down the fire escape.

“I know,” Nikki sighs, “but its better than getting hair in everyone’s food; I’m not gonna be the reason your dad fails a health inspection,” Nikki adds, a strange hint of protectiveness in his voice that warms Lola’s heart in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

“Don’t worry, Leo’s never failed a health inspection, he doesn’t intend to start any time soon.”

love is a dream someone else had last night.

Eileen and Razzle see fit to join their ragtag bunch of misfits at lunch the following Monday by the open gate and the science carpark, which Lola had been informed was the teachers’ carpark.

Lola doesn’t care who sits with them, except for the fact that she’d taken the leftover lemon merengue tart from the diner since it was being replaced with an apple crumble, and there was only enough for four. For the past week, Eileen’s been alternating sitting with them and sitting elsewhere, but she hadn’t been here last Monday, so Lola had assumed - anyways, now she’s worried she looks like a bitch, and not for an actual reasonable reason.

“What do you mean you almost got with Heather on Friday?!” Charlotte’s voice was somewhere between a horrified and disbelieving squeak where she was picking at the crust of the piece of tart she was sharing with Eileen. The lemon merengue debacle turned out to not be much of an issue, with Charlotte and Eileen sharing, and Tommy and Lola sharing too. Lola was incredibly focused on picking at a scab through the hole in the knee of her jeans.

“I mean I had my hand in her fucking panties when someone -” Nikki cast a very pointed look to Lola, “knocked on the door threatening to throw up, and I got shoved out a window,” Nikki played up being irritated, despite the fact that he was laying out on his side directly behind Lola, while she was leaning into him.

“You’re my hero,” Eileen told Lola, serious as ever, while Charlotte cackled with delight, and Razzle snickered from where he was touching up the left hand of Tommy’s sharpie-nails.

“You guys are a bunch of assholes,” Nikki huffed, shoving the remained or his own piece of tart into his mouth.

“I brought you food, show some fuckin’ respect,” Lola smirked despite herself, gently elbowing him in the ribs; he flicks her knee in retaliation.

“Absolutely not; you’re a cockblocking traitor and the worst friend I’ve got,” Nikki announced, nose in the air, and Lola leans all her weight back suddenly, tipping Nikki onto his back and laying heavy across his stomach as she demanded he take it back, the two of them getting into a petty squabbling match, shoving at each other while the others could only look on in exasperated amusement.

“I thought Heather had a boyfriend,” Eileen pipes up, to which Charlotte makes a a gentle ‘eh’ noise in the back of her throat.

“She’s getting laid,” Charlotte corrects with half a smirk, and everyone who was paying half attention understand easily. Tommy sighs, but it’s not nearly as dejected as he’s known for whenever the topic of girls he fancies being with other people comes up.

“Whatever, I got to second base with Pam that night, and no-one can take that away from me,” Tommy announces, watching Razzle finish off his pinkie.

“Good for you, man,” Razzle says, with his trademark sincerity. Eileen and Charlotte still can’t believe it happened, but unfortunately both Razzle and Vince had seen with their own two eyes and been able to confirm; Vince may be biased, but Charlotte trusted Razzle.

“Everyone got some fuckin’ action that night except for me,” Nikki whines, finally shoving himself off, “and the fuckin’ Vomit Comet over here,” he jerked his thumb to where Lola was righting herself; Lola flips him off in response. 

“I didn’t,” Eileen points out.

“You weren’t there,” Nikki rolls his eyes, “you don’t count.” 

Meanwhile Razzle and Charlotte had both gone very quiet, and very pink. However Lola, who had no patience for people trying to hide their somewhere-between-pining-and-sincere feelings from each other and from other people, instead turns her attention to Eileen as she’s sweeping her hair out of her face.

“Have things gotten any better with Peach?” She tried, tone hopeful, and Eileen’s expression barely changed, just the barest crease of a frown upon her forehead, though judging by the way Charlotte’s whole expression soured, things had not, in fact, gotten better.

“Came back on Saturday afternoon all sunny and smiley and mom was thrilled,” Eileen’s deadpan irritation really sold her exasperation at the whole situation, “that she was friends with Vince again, and she hasn’t said a word to me yet.” Eileen takes a deep breath, straightening up from where she’d been slouched without realizing, taking a deep breath, nose in the air as if rising above it all, “which is fine with me, because I have a ton of dialogue to learn and they want us off-book in a month.” 

This only sets them off fondly teasing the ever-unflappable Eileen, for her seemingly out of character choice to join the school’s musical, though they were all very proud of the fact that she scored the lead, even Nikki had voiced that he thought it was pretty cool. 

When Lola had asked about it, Eileen had made mention that it filled in a lot of free time, that it was something she could add to college applications, and that a friend had convinced her to do it; Keanu -

“I keep hearing that name around,” Lola muses, leaning back in her seat while they were waiting for their French teacher to arrive. Eileen raises her eyebrows, “is that the pretty, dark haired Senior?” Eileen, surprisingly, had flushed scarlet when nodding. Lola hummed thoughtfully, leaning back further until the front legs of her chair lifted from the ground; she hooked her feet around the legs of her desk as she contemplated.

“It’s a musical right?” Lola asked, and Eileen hummed in confirmation, “if you can sing, you know Nikki and Tommy are -”

“I’d rather eat an entire microphone,” Eileen responds flatly, already knowing what Lola was about to suggest before she’d even finished her sentence, and Lola really tries not to laugh, but she knows Eileen well enough by now that that response makes entirely too much sense.

“You make a fair -” and that’s when Lola’s grip on the table slips, her feet sliding quickly up the legs of the desk as she topples backwards, the momentum pulling the desk up with her legs and directly on top of her, winding her. At least it made Eileen laugh, mostly from shock, sure, but Lola counts it as a win.

[ayellowcurtain]

What is your least favorite writing on a season? This is excluding any love for a season bc of the way a talented actor managed to make the most of it or bc of some electric on screen chemistry etc

Okay, this is a hard question, anon! So hopefully I’ll be able to express myself correctly and not change my mind after overthinking this answer after posting it hahaha

So! To start, there are a few seasons that I don’t like but that I didn’t watch completely so it wouldn’t be fair for me to take those into consideration, even if what I saw of them I didn’t like. So that excludes: Kato’s season, Ismail’s season, Cris’ season and Nora’s/Viri’s season. I would put Bilal’s season inside that list too but I don’t hate his season, at all, I just think in the end, there was so much potential wasted too. Still a good season in my eyes though. And Eleonora’s season was bad but not because of writing but because of chemistry so that’s not in this answer too.

With all that being said and all those seasons not considered, I think writing wise, Lola’s season was my least favorite.

I think we had two major Lola plots that needed more development, more thought, more screen time, more text/social media depth. The plots kind of meet in the middle or become one but the main idea would be: tackling her coping mechanisms, her past and present traumas and her struggles in the relationships she has/had/was trying to create. As a whole character, with depth and all, Lola was made to be an amazing main because you literally didn’t need nobody else.

We would be inside her head and her POV so deep because she had SO much going on already that we wouldn’t need anything else. For the ones that love to feel deep inside the main’s head and POV, Lola would have been the perfect main.

And we also had one Daphné subplot that also needed attention. If you’re making the main to be the little sister of someone who was underdeveloped already, I would imagine you would give them some development too.

So from the start - think like you’re writing Lola’s season, okay? - you would have three solid plot lines to follow and you would have over two months to develop those, to properly start, introduce this new character who turns out to be the main character of a whole new generation, you would have the conflicts in the middle, maybe some growth, maybe another smaller fall out around episode 7 or 8 and you would have two solid, long episodes to close all the plots you opened.

And if you’re okay with that, thinks that there are still breathing time for the viewer, why not add another important plot: a LI, that will also need to be deeply developed because we’ve learned in the first few weeks how Lola works, or not, her love relationships, but we don’t much deeper about that, so we would need screen time to understand how in love!Lola works, how it’s different from the random, drunk or high hook ups.

Those things never happened to me during Lola’s season. There was barely any breathing time - when I say breathing time, I don’t mean space between clips but about clips that feel like there are actually about Lola and not about what’s happening to Lola. To me she felt just like a reactive thing that would just respond to events or other people’s feelings. The breathing times I saw in her season: the clip between Lola and Baz when they were cooking, most of Lola x Daphné’s clips and most of the Lola x Maya’s alone clips.

So my main problems with the season, writing wise were: Eliott’s whole plot, the sexual assault that didn’t have consequences, or follow-ups, the lack of depth into Lola’s POV during her own season, how little breathing time we had.

And that stained a bunch of characters to me, as a tiny writer myself. Not related to your question but, after the season, unconsciously, my headcanons about some characters changed completely, even Lola herself, to the point where the characters during Lola’s season and before/or after felt like completely different people, so much so that I don’t even take much of the events that happened into consideration or that the events stained my viewing of these fictional characters so much that I can’t write them the same way I did before the season.

[elendiliel]

Return from Umbara

Tags/warnings: references to the Umbara arc, and its emotional fallout; consequent hurt/comfort; family is more than blood 689 words Author’s Note: Trying something new... This demanded to be written and shared, but I’ve posted a few hurt/comfort fics in a row on AO3 and would rather not keep that streak going longer than necessary. So, as a compromise (and because I’ve been spending far too long on this site lately), I thought I’d try posting this one just on Tumblr and see how it fared. It may migrate at a later date.

The rest of Lightning Squadron is waiting when Fives finally gets back from Umbara. The shadow world is at long last under Republic control, in spite of everything Krell did or tried to do. Fives has barely slept in days. When he tried, on the ship that carried him and the remnants of the invasion force home, he kept reliving every nightmare battle. Hardcase’s sacrifice. Facing the firing squad, Kix and Tup among them. If Rex put that squad together, that was a shrewd move; if Dogma did, it was just brutal. Krell’s bloody rampage, and Rex steeling himself to execute the fallen Jedi. The moment Fives realised that it wasn’t the honourable captain who had fired the fatal shot – Dogma, loyal Dogma, the one they had had to exclude from their unconventional plan, had been pushed to breaking point, and the recoil had been lethal for Krell. The victims of the traitor general’s cruellest ploy – clones from the 501st and 212th, as close as their respective commanders, tricked into killing one another – scattered across the ground, awaiting burial. He knows the images will fade, in time, joining his memories of Rishi, Kamino, Lola Sayu and others. He’s a soldier; he’s been bred to cope with this. Eventually.

Even so, he’s glad to be home, and to see his other squad again. He looks for Echo, then reminds himself not to. Torrent and Spark greet him with welcome-back smiles, but Fives, as they seem to be alone, makes straight for Hel, almost collapsing against her as his arms fold around her tiny frame. In this moment, she isn’t his commander – she’s his safety, his strength, his sister.

Whatever happened on Umbara, Hel knows it was bad. Fives isn’t usually so demonstrative of his affection, even in private. She has to brace herself as she takes his weight; he’s bigger than her and still in full armour, bar his helmet. But she can handle it. She can feel his whole body shaking as he holds back tears he doesn’t want to shed, not even here, where it’s just them. Her arms wrap around him, gentle but reassuring. She doesn’t insult either of them with kind lies, such as it’s OK or it’s going to be all right. They’ve both seen too much to believe that. But there are some things she can truthfully say that might help. “It’s over,” she whispers. “We’re together again. I’m here for you, and I always will be.”

Minutes pass as they hold each other, the tremors subsiding as Fives gets himself back under control. Torrent and Spark join them, consoling their brother just with the warmth of their presence and affection. They don’t speak. They don’t need to. Not even to coordinate the inevitable physical breakup of the family circle. It’s only when they’ve drawn apart again and Fives has straightened up and begun to observe his surroundings that he notices the fifth person in the room, tactfully rendering herself mentally invisible in a corner. Hel introduces them. “’Ro, I’d like you to meet ARC Trooper Fives, my third-in-command. Fives, this is Padawan Ma’ro Saszalac.”

“Koh-to-ya, Fives.” Fives echoes the formal greeting, and as Ma’ro draws him into conversation Hel can sense his alarm and embarrassment at having their emotional reunion witnessed by a stranger being swept away by her friend’s charm. Ma’ro is a gifted empath and natural diplomat. Her talents and skills are doing as much for his wounded heart as his family’s love and support.

Padawan and ARC trooper are still chatting as the party makes its way to 79’s, their usual place to unwind after deployments, or remember fallen comrades. In this case, the latter is more likely. Lightning Squadron have adopted the Twi’lek custom of the mi’sou, a funeral that celebrates the deceased’s life, rather than focusing on the pain of parting from loved ones. Fives is grieving for at least one close brother, and Hel’s heart aches in sympathy. She’s not planning on running from that suffering, but she fully intends to help her brother to bear it, now and for the rest of their lives, Maker willing.

[the-m3chanic]

king of wishful thinking || solo (part 2/2)

Summary: Rumiko finally gives Tony what he needed.

-

They met on an island. No, that wasn’t right – they met the first time in an alley, when Tony burst out of the stifling gala and made his way to lean against the brick, when she had arrived in her red dress and clanging gold jewellery and passed him a drink. She had stood beside him, just close enough that their shoulders touched, and she hadn’t said anything, hadn’t needed to. Her eyes had been dead ahead as he finished the bottle, and once it left his lips, her mouth replaced it.

The second time they met, now that had been on an island, six months later, six months after Tony wondered why the hell he allowed her to stay over, why the hell he had stayed in the bed with her. It was a routine; fall into bed with someone, someone that made his stomach burn up like he’d drank all the whiskey in the world, then fall out of bed straight after, go down to the workshop, use that moment of relaxation to bring some new innovation into reality.

Rumiko had been his first exception. Even with Ty, he crawled into the other twin bed, turned his back to him and went to sleep. Rumiko talked to him afterwards, kept him up to two o’clock in the morning explaining electron collisions and Newton’s laws, and then she had given a single yawn, touched the side of his face and said, “I don’t understand a single word you just said, but I do like watching you say them, lover.”

Lover. He had kissed her so hard when she said that she just kept saying it, said it for years, every time receiving at least a smile, even in the midst of arguments. He could never stay mad at her, never had any reason to.

On that island, they’d gone for a walk on the beach after twilight. Tony babbled on and on for three hours again, something about economics, the stock market, trade unions … and Rumiko stayed quiet, occasionally letting out a small squeal when she found a new shell to shove in her purse to bring home. “Do you usually talk economics when you’re walking with a girl under a tropical moon?” she had teased, so he had kissed her, and she had told him that if her father was there he’d go insane, and Tony had pulled away.

“Why are you stopping? I love driving my father insane. A billionaire playboy? He’ll go nuts. Come on, lover, play the game.”

Rumiko wasn’t scared of her father, so Tony kissed her again. He played the game until it became more than a game, until he was in front of her down on one knee, making maybe the first proposal in history that didn’t include the word love in there somewhere.

She had pushed the ring out of his hand and grabbed him in a hug, pressing kisses all over his face. “I love you Tony Stark, I love you I love you I love you.”

Everything had been second to her (everything but alcohol, but she knew that). The company, his friends, even Ty fell to the way-side. He spent his days curled up on the sofa with her watching movies, occasionally tapping away on his phone, talking to managers and investors, and he spent the nights at galas and parties where she shone brighter than any light he could create.

She had made fun of weddings. At least, the ones big enough to warrant security at every door. She used to drag him along to ceremonies just to laugh at the whole damn idea. She made him promise there’d be no finger food at theirs, just a barbecue and a buffet, and that there’d be no prospective business partners to impress, no political leaders clamouring to get the young couple’s approval, none of that. Just them and three hundred of their closest friends.

Hypocritical. That was the word he’d use to describe the whole damn day. It was the perfect traditional ceremony right down to the bridesmaid dresses. Tony had fallen in love with Rumiko because she rebelled, because she was more than just the superficial party girl façade she hid behind. He fell in love with her because she was different. How things had changed, in every way.

Carol was safety. He rotated around her all night he was surprised she didn’t suffocate. When she made a movement towards the bathroom, Tony reluctantly agreed to hold their space in the queue for party favours; Carol wanted the bottle opener made of a massive diamond, probably because Tony had dared her five years ago to try smashing a diamond with her pinkie finger, and she never backed down from a dare.

Once the bottle opener was safely deposited in the inside pocket of his suit jacket, Tony’s eyes sought out the bar that was least busy and made his way towards it. He was halfway there when a small, intimately familiar body stepped in front of him, and he felt like he’d been slammed in the stomach by a bus.

Rumiko blinked up at him, her brown eyes shining, hair pulled up off her face in an intricate up-do. She still had that little unruly strand that lay flat against her forehead, and he was about to reach out, about to push it back, when she got there herself.

“Tony,” she said, her voice achingly familiar. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Eiko,” Tony blurted. Rumiko continued to look up at him. “Your dress. It’s an Eiko, isn’t it? 2016, Spring Collection?”

“Close, it was the Fall.” A small smile crossed her face as Tony clicked his fingers in frustration. “You always impressed me with your eye. Akinobu said the Fall Collection complemented the feel of the day. It also had more zeroes on the price tag, and you know I appreciate a good bargain.”

Tony shook his head, keeping his eyes anywhere but on hers. “Only you could include millions and bargain in the same thought.”

“No,” Rumiko said. “Not only me. You do that, too.”

The absence of lover rang true for both of them, and Rumiko hovered awkwardly before dropping the sentence. Tony appreciated it.

“Why did you invite me?” he asked, because talking money and fashion had never been what they did. (Well, it was, but it always meant something else too, something deeper. He saw to the steel underneath.)

Rumiko didn’t flinch. She always seemed to be a step ahead of people. Tony was good with machines, but Rumiko had always read other humans like a book. That was why they had worked for so long, why he had almost married her.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she said.

“I’m here. We’re talking. I have a phone, you know.”

“I wanted to talk about something important.”

“Me being tortured for three months was pretty important, you know? Ty called. You didn’t.”

“Yeah but you and Ty-”

“What?”

“It was different.”

“Was it?”

“He was your best friend.”

“Questionable.”

“He was your roommate.”

“He was more than that.”

“I was your fiancée. It’s different.”

“I was sleeping with him for years, I don’t see how that’s-”

Rumiko held up a hand. “What?”

Tony furrowed his eyebrows together. “What?”

Her face was almost impossible to read. She was shutting herself off from him again, that openness he had seen displayed almost all day vanishing in front of him. He tried to think back in the conversation, wondering what had changed, and then he realised.

“Wait.” The arc reactor whirred under his jacket. “Are you telling me you didn’t know?”

For all the facades, she built up around her, when it came down to it, she was a book that anyone could read if they cared enough, more like Tony than either would admit. Her hand moved up to her mouth. “I swear,” she muttered. “I mean, I knew there was something, but Ty said-”

“Ty said what?” Tony snapped.

“Ty said it was unreciprocated!”

He was underwater all over again, screaming to be let up, the lack of oxygen burning in his chest.

“He said he was straight, that you came out to him and he couldn’t love you that way. He said you never treated him the same afterwards, that’s why he was so angry…”

He was yelling, his chest was shorting out, he could hear Yinsen in the background arguing in whatever language he could that they needed Stark alive, that he was better this way than dead, that he wouldn’t make it out of the desert anyway.

Rumiko’s hand dropped, but it didn’t go to her side. Instead, it clasped Tony’s, and he allowed it.

“I know what I did was wrong,” she said. Tony wondered if this was the first time she had ever said those words in her life. He felt like he didn’t even know this girl, this woman, this wife and daughter and perfect heiress. “I know that, Tony. I know I betrayed your trust, but I swear to you, if you ever loved me at all, you have to believe that I didn’t know.”

Did it make a difference? Either way, she had slept with his roommate, one of his closest friends. She had slept with someone who wasn’t Tony, that was all that mattered. But somehow, looking into her eyes that were swimming with something not unlike …

Love.

“Ru,” Tony whispered. He could hear the crowd around them murmuring. Isn’t that the playboy she had a fling with back in the early noughties? No, that’s Tony Stark, international tech mogul. I heard he slept with his secretary. I heard he slept with everyone. He looked into her eyes, and the crowd faded. It always had. “Ru, why are you telling me this now?”

She glanced around. She had always been aware of her perception, always played on it, but now, twenty years down the line she played with it instead. She had finally fallen into place, finally given in to her family’s demands, and Tony couldn’t find it within himself to resent her for it. After all, he hadn’t gotten her out.

“I couldn’t talk to you when there … when there was still a chance of us.”

He could’ve written it, what her answer would’ve been. She had waited all these years until she was married, until she couldn’t go back to him, until he couldn’t take her back. She knew he would without a second’s hesitation, no matter what she had done. After the anger had evaporated, he’d been so damn lonely and drowning in his own regrets and self-pity that he would’ve easily fallen back into bed with her.

She wanted to wait until they couldn’t happen to fix what they had been before. It was maybe the most mature decision Rumiko had made in the course of their entire relationship, and Tony hated her for it.

“Right,” Tony said, voice cold. He reached into his jacket pocket, his hand pulling out a pair of sunglasses. “Is that it? I really have to get back to my date, the jet’s leaving in a half hour.”

Rumiko’s jaw squared. She would never be the one to beg him to stay, even when she should’ve. Even when she could’ve. “It’s your jet, Tony. You decide when it leaves.”

“You’re right.” Tony slipped the sunglasses on. He spotted Carol over Rumiko’s shoulder and pointed to the door. “It’s leaving in five. Have a nice life, Rumiko.”

She opened her mouth again, but he pushed past her. He stopped for only a second, a moment’s worth of hesitation at the door, and turned back to her.

“You look beautiful,” he told her, and them, because he couldn’t stop himself, “don’t fuck this one up too.”

For a moment when Tony stepped onto the jet, he felt like he’d accomplished something. He felt like he’d ripped that photo album in his workshop, the one hidden under plans and cardboard boxes, and he’d put a bookend on that bit of his life.

Then he sat down, put Carol’s new bottle opener to work, and drunk himself into a stupor that only ended when he woke up surrounded by models, a blond, muscular man on the sofa that had suspiciously blue eyes, and the overwhelming feeling that he’d fucked everything up.

Again.

[sophisticated-creepy]

Lola’s mind was swarming. Although one thought seamlessly bled into the next, there was a supreme lack of a single thread with which to follow, and completely lost in the void of her own mind, she hadn’t noticed she’d walked passed her destination, realizing halfway down the next block she had to double back to reach Curios and Oddities. She was stepping up to the main entrance as Modesta was walking out, holding the door open wide for a customer who had finished purchasing an order of candles and dreamcatchers, the lady’s arms draped in large shopping bags.

“Thanks again, and have a pleasant day,” Modesta told the satisfied shopper. “Lola! I thought I saw you walking by.”

“Hi, Modesta,” Lola chirped, perhaps a tad too sharply to even her own ears. “How was inventory?”

“Fine,” Modesta answered, her eyebrows knitting together in question. Lola’s energy was sporadic and fluctuating, sending out an unsettling vibe despite standing perfectly still in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe that was the issue: Lola was merely standing. Lola didn’t “stand”, she fluttered, like an overly caffeinated butterfly. If Modesta did find her friend by chance to be in a state of rest, some other part of her was usually moving, whether it were her arms gesturing about grandly during some ostentatious storytelling, or her eyes dancing to absorb the scenery around her. Lola was like the wind, and rarely remained stagnant, so when she noticed the eerie calm in the way Lola remained motionless, staring at nothing, she was immediately on edge and completely creeped out.

“Look, I know Halloween is right around the corner, but you are really starting to freak me out, Lola. Do you need help or something?”

“Sorry,” Lola spoke. She then blinked, her shoulders slouching downwards naturally, shifting back into a more fluid realm of movement and mannerisms. “Sorry,” she repeated. “Yes, actually, I was wondering if you could help me. Are you busy, or can we talk for a moment?”

“I’m not too terribly busy, come on in. What’s on your mind? You were a total zombie on the sidewalk just now.” Lola was ushered into the warmth of the shop, the scent of vanilla and cookies instantly had her relaxing, feeling once more at peace and in control of her rampant thoughts and imagination.

“I’m processing a lot of information,” Lola began as she stepped into the sacred space. “Actually, I’m trying to get some research done on a new story for a writing contest I’m entering.”

Modesta gave a light laugh. “Oh! Another story, huh? That explains your zone-out. What’s your theme this time?”

“The Hobblin’ Goblin.”

“Of course it is,” Modesta laughed harder. “Why did I even bother to ask?”

“Anyway…,” Lola transitioned, giving her friend a look that clearly meant she herself was not amused. “I have a deadline in little over a week, so I need to get as much research done as possible before I can do any actual writing.”

“Do you really need to do research? I thought you knew all there was to your loveable Hobblin’ Goblin.”

“It’s rather quite shocking on how much I don’t know, except for the everyday basics: he’s a goblin, he hobbles, walks with a crutch, and plays pranks. I don’t know the real, tangible origins, so I’m looking for the deeper meaning. I’m looking for his story.”

“I’ve never thought about it from that angle before,” Modesta admitted. “It’s a unique way to portray the legend, that’s for sure.”

Aggrievedly, Lola leaned her hip against a tall table stacked with candles and heaved a sigh. “I want to get some personal testimonies of people experiencing a real run-in with Mr. Goblin as part of my research to get a truer feel of his hauntings, but I’m coming to realize it’s going to be near impossible to sort the differences between a Hobblin’ haunt and a regular haunt.”

“I can help with that!” Jack sprung up from behind the furniture piece Lola and Modesta were talking next to, his boisterous appearance scaring the living daylights out of the two women, having the whole shop of customers stare in their direction as they each let out a scream of fright.

“Jack!” Modesta scolded after catching her breath. “Have you been waiting behind that table this whole time to scare us?”

Laughing, Jack nodded. “I was. But, do you at least get my point?”

“What are you talking about?” Lola asked, still trying to get her racing heartbeat under control.

“I heard you talking about the Hobblin’ Goblin. He pulls pranks, just like me, and like any other prankster, his jokes are mainly for his enjoyment,” Jack informed. “You can’t rely on the typical moans and groans and rattling of chains. You need to look for the fun.”

Lola snapped her fingers in confirmation. “That’s exactly what I said to Stacy. I’m looking for what makes the Hobblin’ Goblin so special, and I believe it lies in the fun. Do you mind if I record you saying that, Jack? From one trickster to another, I’m sure you’ve got some great insight I could borrow.” Eager to get a new perspective on her favorite goblin, Lola began digging around in her purse to renew her quest of investigation.

“Did you hear that, Mo? I get to be recorded,” Jack smugly stated, plastering on a cheesy smile a charlatan of yore would envy.

“I don’t think the world is ready for your mug,” Modesta sarcastically shot back. Lola emerged from her handbag, holding her tape recorder towards Jack’s face, his smile swapping out for a confused pout as he stared down the microphone of the handheld device.

“Tell me again about the motivation of tricksters, Jack,” Lola sweetly requested.

“Yes, Jack,” Modesta agreed, stifling her laughter to the best of her ability. “Tell the audio world all about it.”

“Uh, Lola, when you said ‘record’, I assumed---.” Jack trailed off, not wanting to hurt the wannabe reporter’s feelings, as Lola’s innocent expression at recording him with her archaic equipment weighed heavily against his conscience.

“Oh, shit, hold on,” Lola cursed. “I need to take notes.” Lola’s quick movements to try and free up her hands in order to get a pen and her notebook caused her to jumble and jostle the items in her arm, and she dropped her notepad along with the newspaper straight to the floor in a flurry of commotion. Modesta bent down to help Lola retrieve her items. When her fingertips brushed the newspaper, she hissed, jolted by the sharp sensation, and yanked her arm back, the feeling as if she had touched the coils of a stovetop scorching into her fingers. Looking at the periodical, her eyes fell on the front page, the grainy image of the train yard staring back at her, and Modesta could have sworn she had been punched in the gut.

“Oh, no. Nope. Not okay, and not today. Nada, nope, not happening,” she stammered furiously, and shoved the paper away from her. “I don’t know why you brought that newspaper into my store, but you need to take it outside now.”

Lola reclaimed the newspaper, slowly picking it up off the floor. “Well, that helps answer some of my questions,” she softly stated.

“Everything all right?” asked Jack.

“I was hoping Modesta would take a look at this picture in the newspaper. Even I got a weird vibe from it, and I wanted to get her opinion on the photo, too.” Lola gave the paper to Jack so he could take a look at the cause of excitement.

“Is this the train yard where that attack was made?” he asked, and Lola nodded.

“What attack?” Modesta asked, unconsciously staggering away from Jack as he held the paper out, studying the photo intensely. The residual tingle of being burned lingered on her fingertips, and her hackles were prickling in warry foreboding.

“I heard about it on the radio last night. A security guard was attacked by a demon,” Jack informed, dropping his voice at the end to whisper so as not to alarm nearby customers.

“A demon?” Modesta repeated, crossing her arms and raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Really? Someone approved that statement to be broadcasted all over local radio?”

“Hey, there’s no mention of the demon in the paper,” Jack stated, turning the pages to try and find the rest of the story.

“Why would there be? The article said it was the work of some kids’ prank gone wrong,” Lola interjected.

“What I heard,” Jack began, “was that the security guard was attacked by a hunched over shadow creature he saw lurking just outside the trees of the forest.”

“How would the radio station know that? The newspaper said the guard has a concussion and a fractured skull. He couldn’t make a statement. His partner found him after he fell,” Lola surmised.

“The dates are wrong, too,” Jack continued, his gaze sharp on the paper. “I heard about the attack happening two nights ago, not last night.”

“Maybe the radio got it wrong,” Lola theorized. “Or, maybe the paper has a misprint. Wait!” Jack’s words began to poke at Lola’s mind, helping to fit pieces of the puzzle together from her earlier haphazard thoughts. “Did you say something about a hunched over shadow creature? Here, let me see that again.” Lola reached for the newspaper and turned to the front page, squinting hard once more at the blurry image. “I can’t tell for sure,” she said at last.

“What are you looking for?” Modesta asked, still standing on the outskirts of her friends thanks to the uneasy item of interest.

“I think the photographer caught an image in the forest, but I can’t make it out. I’ll understand if you don’t want to, but could you please take a look for me, Mo? I get the feeling something’s there, but I need you to validate it or not.”

“Oh, there’s something in that photo, all right,” Modesta confirmed, not even having to look at the image, refusing to touch the newspaper.

“Let me take a look in a better light,” Jack requested, and leading the others to the main checkout counter, spread the pages out on the glass surface. Leaning over the image, he peered closely at the tree line. “I think I can make out a shape. Here, right?” Jack pointed to the same shape that first caught Lola’s attention. "It looks cut off, but that might really be a picture of some kind of figure.”

“Oh, my gracious!” Lola gasped. “What if this is proof of the Hobblin’ Goblin?” she asked in a burst of delight. “Isn’t he rumored to have lived in the forest? What if, what if,” she stressed, “this is him?” Her heartrate had picked back up several faster beats per minute, and the pleasant prickle of goosebumps began crawling up her arms, her earlier disposition melting to give way to the wash of excitement lighting her features. “We’ve got to check this place out!”

“No, Lola,” Modesta cut in harshly. “Absolutely not.” Lola turned to her sour friend, the brusque declaration confusing, and her expression must have read as much, for Modesta pointedly tapped a firm finger on the counter where they all hovered above the newspaper. “This is not safe,” the consternated brunette stated evenly.

“I don’t understand,” Lola spoke. “Why are you so spooked?”

“You wanted my opinion? This is it: stay away.”

“What exactly are you picking up on?” Jack questioned.

“I’m all for Lola doing her research on the legend of the Hobblin’ Goblin,” Modesta began to elaborate. “Since you’re looking for the ‘fun’, I suggest you stick to that route. This,” she indicated, waving her hand over the newspaper, “is not him.”

Lola’s excitement quelled as she stared down at the shape in the photo, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth in contemplation as she considered Modesta’s words compared to her impulse to investigate. This article was a tangible lead, a jumping point for her story to breathe life and take flight. She trusted her friend’s opinion, but nothing short of her own prodding could satiate Lola’s curiosity once it had been roused.

“I trust your judgment,” Lola began carefully, “but maybe we should check things out for ourselves. Come out to the train yard with me tonight.”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I’m leading that workshop tonight and Jack is helping run the store, so don’t even bother asking him,” Modesta replied.

“Sorry,” Jack apologized, shrugging his shoulders in pre-obligated surrender.

“Besides, you’d be trespassing. You don’t have the authority to go traipsing around on private property after hours anyway,” Modesta reminded. If it were anymore possible, Lola’s exuberance and spirits deflated with the realization that she wasn’t, in fact, allowed to do her investigating after hours. A rebellious side of her stayed hopeful, however, and the back of her mind was already formulating plans to get the research she so desperately sought.

“Lola,” Modesta drawled in warning, seeing the gleam of trouble brewing behind her friend’s eyes. “Give me your word you’re not going to go after this figure. Leave it alone.”

Lola rolled her eyes, but still held a smile, always appreciative of Modesta’s caring and cautious nature. “I give you my word I won’t go seeking this figure,” she promised.

“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I have customers to tend.” With that, Modesta flicked her eyes upon the newspaper one final time before turning away. A moment passed before Jack cleared his throat.

“You’re going to go after this figure, aren’t you?”

“Now, Jack, I gave my word, you heard me promise,” Lola reiterated.

“Just…please take Raph with you. I know you are more than capable of handling things on your own, but…if there really is something demonic out there, it’s best if you don’t face it alone.” He gave his friend a comforting squeeze on her shoulder before going to help Modesta with the store. Lola remained silent, thankful of her friends’ concerns, however, the desire to figure out this growing mystery of ghosts and goblins staring back at her from a newspaper headline had her solidifying in her mind what she needed to do in order to properly tell a story.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, that Lola. Always getting into trouble.

[doof-doofblog]

"It's Not Yours!"

Tuesday 4th May 2021

Hello again everyone and good morning! I'm up bright and early today to make sure I get this post up! So in the previous post I recalled everything I had caught up on, and Monday's episode ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger. Now Callum has revealed everything to Ben, are they going to be able to move on from this?! I'm really looking forward to finding out, so without further ado, lets focus on the episode!

The first thing I'm going to mention of course is Ben & Callum! Ben appears to be seething after learning the truth about Callum's betrayal to his family. Even though we all know that Callum was blackmailed into going behind the Mitchell's back, he tries his absolute best to explain himself to Ben. But the one thing that Ben wants to know is who was behind it, as he slams the dining room table in anger he demands Callum tells him truth. Realising he's going to have to come clean, Callum admits that it was Thompson who was behind everything. Ben begins to panic, asking him what he actually knows or what he's been told. But Callum swears that Thompson knows nothing and he hasn't told them anything.

As things escalate, Callum tries to persuade Ben that if they still love each other they can both get through anything together, but for Ben there seems to be no way back from this. He can't seem to fathom that he's been sharing his bed with someone who has betrayed his family and basically become a grass. Later on, as Ben takes some time to breathe and digest what he's just learnt, he take a visit to his Mum's. Kathy can see that Ben isn't looking in the best of moods considering he's due to be married soon. As Ben makes a slight comment stating that she shouldn't have bothered collecting the wedding rings, Kathy sits beside her son and demands an explanation. Ben doesn't really tell her very much, only that Callum has lied to him about something, but Kathy finds that hard to believe and questions whether her own son is has played a guilty part in any way. She actually gives her son some good advice - Callum is the best thing that's ever happened to him, if he loves him he needs to sort things out before their wedding!

As Ben listens to his Mum, he returns to the Mitchell household where Callum is anxiously waiting for him. But this time, there is no raised voices and no arguing, Ben is more quiet this time. In my opinion, it looks as if Ben blames himself for the way Callum has become. He recalls that when they first met, Callum was sweet and honest and terrible liar, but since he's been with him, Ben seems to think that he's somehow turned his fiancé into something he's not. Callum shakes his head, not believing a word that's coming out of Ben's mouth. Ben still voices his concern of not being good enough for Callum, claiming that at some point in the future he will hurt Callum, possibly more than once - not that he'll ever mean to but at some point, Callum will end up hurt. Callum refuses to listen to his partner and asks him straight out whether he loves him or not. Even though Ben admits that he does love Callum, he announces that regardless of that - there isn't going to be a wedding! Could this really be the end of Ballum? Will Ben be able to forgive his partner and actually end up marrying the one person he truly loves?!

--

The next thing I have to mention is Isaac, we saw that he flushed his medication down the drain - are things slowly taking a turn for Isaac now he's off his medication? Whilst he's sat in the Cafe, he seems to be staring at the missing poster of Bailey - but suddenly he begins to rip down every poster he finds as he realises that they've missed a digit on the phone number. Everyone seems shocked by this action, especially Lola. Even though Isaac explains why he's ripped down the posters, it looks as if Lola questions whether ripping them down was the best idea? He could've simply taken them down without ripping them or just simply penned in the missing digit?

As Keegan and Bernie continue searching the streets for Bailey, Keegan is saddened to see one of their posters ripped. Bernie tries to console Keegan by explaining that it could've been immature kids. But as they go off on their separate ways, Keegan witnesses Isaac ripping down more posters. As anger boils up inside him he rushes after him and confronts him about why he's ripping down their posters. Once again Isaac notifies him that he was doing them a favour because they missed a digit. As Keegan checks over the poster he realises his mistake, his anger evaporates and turns into worry, speculating that people might've been trying to call trying to notify them that Bailey had been seen or even found. As Keegan apologises for his outburst, Isaac is completely understanding saying that he would've reacted exactly the same way.

However as the day goes on, Lola decides to pay her boyfriend a visit, only as she walks in she can see that he's looked like he's not slept and is completely obsessed over finding Bailey. Could these small signs be the sign of a breakdown for Isaac? Lola pleads that her boyfriends gets some rest otherwise his meds won't work. However as soon as she mentions his medication, Isaac goes cold and she can see that he's hiding something from her. He realises that he can't keep this secret from her and informs her that he's stop taking his medication, but he's feeling fine! Lola seems shocked to hear this news and questions whether it's the right thing to do, to make sure that Isaac will be okay without his medication, she makes him promise to inform his doctor about coming off his meds. But even though Isaac promises, I've got the feeling that he has no intention about informing his doctor or even his parents that he's flushed his medication.

Meanwhile as the Taylor's are still fretting about Bailey, Jack decides to inform them that another way of getting the word out there about Bailey's disappearance would be to do a TV appeal. Even though Karen agrees to do it, Mitch doesn't feel that it'll make much difference and hides himself away whilst Karen tries to come up with a speech. Will Bailey be found safe and well?!

--

Now the last thing I have to mention of course is the Carter's. As Nancy prepares to open up the gym with Sharon and Zack, Frankie pays her visit trying to inform her half-sister that she completely understands Linda's worry, but also acknowledges that she's on Nancy's side. At the end of the day it's her body and she can do what she wants, she just wants to be the supportive sister. This act of kindness seems to really touch Nancy, she thanks her half-sister and invites her to take part in a trial run of the electric bike. This is the moment where I think Nancy realises that she'll always have a sister there to support her - which I found really sweet!

Only, without Nancy's knowledge, her Mum has gone behind her back and gone to the clinic and cancelled her appointment. Linda of course only thinks she's doing right by her daughter, but she needs to understand that it's not her body, she can't control Nancy's life. Only as Linda tries to explain herself to the doctor, she becomes a little light-headed and has to take a rest. As the doctor offers to check her over to make sure she's okay, Linda seems to realise what is actually happening to her - she seems to think she might be pregnant!

Returning back to the gym whilst Nancy and Frankie enjoy some sisterly bonding, Nancy receives a call and it looks as if it's not the best news. As everyone comes together back at the Vic, Nancy is raging with anger and explaining the phone call she has had to her Dad, she's learnt that her Mum has actually gone behind her back and cancelled her appointment. As Linda enters she tries to explain that she was only thinking of her daughter, but Nancy is furious, shouting at her Mum that she's the one who actually shouldn't be allowed kids! As Nancy walks out leaving Linda and Mick alone - Mick is also shocked to hear what his wife has done and claims that if it's something that Nancy really wants, hopefully she'll be able to rebook her operation.

Linda admits that all her life all she's tried to do was be the best Mum and support her children, but then she states "Maybe I'll get it right next time!" - Mick looks a bit confused and asks what she means by "Next time". But the pin suddenly drops and Mick realises that Linda is informing him that she's pregnant with her fifth child. Mick is completely over the moon, the look on his face is pure joy as he states that this is what the family has needed for a long time, a fresh start and a new little one in the family is just what they need, he joyously even thinks that Ollie would love having a little friend around, but then Linda drops the bombshell that she's actually in fact 5 months pregnant - if the dates add up correctly, it might mean that Mick isn't the father of the baby, and she could actually be pregnant with Max's child!

Oooh gosh!!! This is going to cause more sadness between Mick and Linda isn't it? Will she decide to keep the baby? Will Mick be able to stand by her if she's carrying someone else's child? We know that Kellie Bright is also pregnant herself and will be going on maternity leave at some point in the near future, but what could be her temporary exit story? I've got the feeling that maybe this could be it? Could this pregnancy come between the couple and will she feel the need to leave for a little while? Who knows? What do you guys think? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the recent episode! Thank you all for reading! I am so happy to be back and I can't wait to post up again very soon! Enjoy the rest of your day folks! Love you all xXx

[bayoubaron-archive]

     so, as for the changes i’m making to delores, they’re a little more severe than what xia’s changed with lola, though ultimately i intend to keep her core personality intact.

     to start with, sal is the first decent-ish man she ever dates. she was trapped in an abusive relationship with a man who was far too old to have any business talking to her in the first place prior, and so she’s very impressed with sal treating her like a human being. her grandfather was never abusive, but he very much made it clear what he felt her place was, and delores was too meek and anxious to object, or even think to object, so her life had been a series of going along with what others (primarily men) wanted of her.

     even that aside, she does truly like sal, a lot, and enjoys being with him, but still felt he was moving the relationship too fast for her comfort. however, at this point in her life, she still finds it nearly impossible to assert herself, her wants, and boundaries, and says very little about it. it doesn’t become an issue until she accidentally becomes pregnant with cassandra.

     delores always wanted to be a mother, someday, but she’s 22 years old and heavily involved in her ballet career, the one area of her life she really feels she has any independence and choice in. it’s something she wants to do, and getting pregnant robs her of that. she did consider getting an abortion, but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it. she and sal agree to be married, since they both feel that’s simply what people should do in this situation, but in no way is she ready to be married, much less have a child. she feels trapped in her own life, with no way to change its course, and its a course she isn’t remotely ready for.

     she keeps all of her feelings on it to herself, and goes along with becoming a housewife, still feeling this is what she has to do. she suffers some postpartum depression, but it isn’t so bad that its unmanageable. she hides it, and works through it on her own, but she’s extremely unhappy.

     for lack of a better word, she reaches a point of complacency over her life. she goes through the motions, and is in depressed in the sort of way that she doesn’t fully realize that she even is depressed. she’s able to function and care for her child and husband, and does have plenty of enjoyable moments that she’s able to ignore, or really, remain unaware of how she truly feels.

     soon after, she gets pregnant with nick. this makes matters all the worse for her, because somewhere in her mind she had developed a thought of one child being more manageable, and maybe she could still do something else with her life. her postpartum depression returns, and it’s far more severe this time. she has thoughts of harming herself and her children, but her most recurring fantasy is simply stealing sal’s money and running away and adopting a new identity. 

     this time, sal can easily tell there’s something very wrong, and convinces delores to seek help. after speaking with a psychiatrist, she’s convinced to admit herself to a psychiatric hospital. she stays there for a few weeks, and it helps her tremendously. being away from the life she felt so stuck in really opens her eyes to how suffocated she was by it, in addition to the professional help she receives teaching her a lot of things about recognizing signs of depression she couldn’t before. she also realizes how she has never asserted her wants or needs, not truly. 

     going through such an intense depression, and then coming out of it, has a major change on her. when she returns home, she tells sal she can’t be a housewife anymore. she wants to have her own life. sal doesn’t fully understand what she means, thinking she was always free to go out shopping or spend time with other housewives, but she makes it clear that there will be times when he has to care for the children on his own, or hire some help. she doesn’t care which. she pursues a career as a ballet instructor, which she really enjoys, since she’s still very passionate about ballet.

     things go smoothly for a while, but there is rising tension with sal’s feelings that delores will become like his own mother, who had severe postpartum depression and never bonded with him, and was neglectful and unloving. sal also becomes concerned that delores will or already is cheating on him, and begins feeling very insecure.

     this results in a huge argument between them, in which delores confesses how she wasn’t ready for marriage and children. sal hates hearing that, and the argument doesn’t go well. still, they end up working things out, and things go back to how they were. there’s still some tension, but for the most part they’re getting along.

     soon after, sal is arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. dolly very soon after finds out she’s pregnant, yet again. both things have her really thinking hard about her marriage. had things gone differently, had they met later, when she was more prepared for marriage and children, she realizes she would not have chosen sal, knowing he’s a career criminal. now, on top of that realization is a big reason why she wouldn’t have chosen him: the fact she could be left raising children alone, with a husband in prison. 

     at this time, her cousin, lourdes ( @bulletballet​ ) begins planting ideas in sal’s head, that delores will be unfaithful. sal has an attitude during his and delores’ visits and phone calls, which just pushes her further away. while she does have sal’s aunt around to help with the children, she still becomes extremely unhappy again in these years, especially with having to take maternity leave from work. on top of that, sal’s aunt pressures her to be more personally involved with her children. cassandra was also a teenager at the time, and a difficult one.

     delores plans to divorce sal. she makes her arrangements, but waits until he’s out and settled back into the outside world before telling him. they get into a huge fight, and she leaves immediately to stay with lourdes. lola tells her lies about how sal cheated on her with a white woman, and she easily believes it, after all of sal’s accusations of her cheating on him, especially.

a part two will come later on tonight, because i have to get ready for work and this is way longer than i thought it would be.

[theinvisibledreamergirl]

Chap. 6: “Some secrets remain secrets”

A.N: Heyoo everyone my shitty writing is back again! Don’t know if you are going to enjoy this fic but just an explanation- these events happen before Dolores arrival at Edenbrook soo... yeah in the next fic be ready for some confessions.....

MASTERLIST for more contents if you like!

———————————————————————

“Jonah!” She called. “Come on buddy we’re going for a walk!”

He barked approvingly and both of them got out from her apartment. Sienna had told her to move together as interns into a new apartment so in that way they could know each other better along with Elijah, Jackie and Landry. But Klaw didn’t give her a straight answer saying that the apartment where she was staying was her cousin’s and couldn’t leave it. Of course- another lie. The thing was that Klaw didn’t want to leave anyone the perception of being ‘privileged’. She wanted to live a normal life without being worried of what her friends would’ve thought of her and also had a tendency not invading her (as Imelda would’ve called) infamous privacy. Simon suggested to her that she didn’t have to hide herself of being who she was.

“This is your decision of course but let me remind you- not all the secrets can last forever so it’s best if you move together with them in case if you don’t want them to suspect.”

And she promised to Sienna rethinking again the option. It wasn’t actually a rented apartment as anyone else in their first year as interns would have paid. It was a big penthouse bought by her which costed somehow millions of dollars. And she owned a big library too- with almost 200 books read (as a bookworm she was) going always with the quote of Cicero: “A room without books is like a body without a soul”. Yes- she had lots of money thanks to her parent’s fund after their death giving a huge contribution at their workplaces and also- her work with the Mercy Park Crew. The only thought of them- yearning.

Four years had passed since she last saw them and gave them the last goodbyes. She still remembered the scene when Mona was going to be arrested at hospital; Jason Shaw and the Brotherhood getting what they deserved; Ximena and Toby moving together as a couple; Logan, driving with his yellow Lamborghini escaping again from the cops and Colt- starting a new life far, far away from her in Singapore. It was cold breeze in Boston early morning and immediately she zipped her jacket until it reached her throat.

“Jonah we won’t go too far away okay? We will go the park and walk for an hour ‘cause afterwards mama is going to cut people and save their lives. Got it?”

He did his bark again agreeing with his loyal owner.

A week had passed since she started her work at Edenbrook with full of different tasks led by Dr. “Blue Jerk”. She would always have a stoic voice when it came to being professional with him and he liked it (but she didn’t know it of course). Not all interns could remain that seriousness, assurance and self-confidence like she did and sometimes he gave her some warnings for the way she worked. She wasn’t afraid of him but one look from his piercing blue eyes and felt her knees buckled knowing that she had a weakness spot for them.

The clock was around 4:50 AM and her shift would start at 6. ‘Such a great way to start your day’ she thought. Her morning routine was always running for at least an hour keeping her AirPods listening to Arctic Monkeys as the only way to waken up her body but this time her husky dog wasn’t at her neighbour Lola where she would always leave him. So for today was only walking. Minutes later she started to text someone whom she really missed all this time judging now by the clock in his place was 6:30 PM.

When it came to lies Colt Kaneko was terrible at that task. Especially when you try to lie to Klaw Craig well- he would never accomplish it. He missed her a lot too. He was now the CEO of one of the most powerful car companies such as Hyundai in collaboration with Mercedes Benz in Singapore. Also he was the main manager of setting the dates of racing for the Formula 1 and MotoGP championships. Yes- he wasn’t anymore in dirty racing as he promised to his late father and Klaw to be a better person. With all of these duties he was really exhausted and stressed and was getting from time to time sleep disorder altogether with food because of his ‘stubborn restless ass’ as Klaw would say.  About the numbers well- whenever he was angry he would smash his phone into the ground or to a window always breaking it along with his SIM card. The reason was always when he couldn’t make a deal with other partners from sponsoring companies. And she knew it.

Of course he knew who Ethan Ramsey was. With all of her ramblings in his car while she was a med student he learnt what cells and their organelles were, how important were surgical instructions, pre-operation and post-op and then as he would call them blah blah blah and infinitive blah-s. Thanks goodness he never attended biology nor chemistry classes. He would always find her laying in a couch clutching that goddamn infamous book after long nights racing with other competitors and saving always in the last time their crew. 

“For fuck’s sakes- don’t you ever get tired from these stupid bloody things?”

“Why do you say that?” She murmured. “This book is veryyy,” she yawned. “Important for me Colt. Is the only wa-”

“Yeah, yeah it’s the only way you can get through your med exams and then become a surgeon like Chef Ramsey right?” He said annoyingly while rolling his eyes.

She frowned. “His name is Ethan.”

“Alright that’s enough for today ma’am.” He snatched the book from her and threw it away. “Now you’re going to fuckin’ sleep and don’t even try to disagree with me because I make the rules here. Got it?” His curt tone sent a shiver in her spine.

She nodded slowly accepting that there was a battle she couldn’t win, as he watched her brown eyes reflecting with his so intensely. In that moment he wanted so badly, so much to kiss her, but he decided not to, instead saying almost in a whisper.

“Sweet dreams my boss.”

“You too mister.”

Colt was proud of what this woman had achieved in her life but couldn’t understand one thing- if she was so good at knowing the cars, the engines, the motors, the races then- why she involved herself in medical school knowing that it was bullshit? But little did he know at that time who she actually was and what was the reason behind all of it. And now- the only thing that wanted to do was teasing her about that stupid medical hero or as he would call- the ‘young bro of Gordon Ramsey’.

I screwed it up didn’t I? Nice job Colt. You made her angry now. So far so great.

“Why is he such an asshole?” She groaned while smashing her phone to the shelter where she sat during texting. “Ugh I hate him!”

She lied to him when said that Simon was calling her because it was the only way to escape from Mr. Kaneko’s ‘never-ending teases’ knowing he despised that man. While she was rubbing her forehead in frustration she tilted her head to the left only to see that Jonah was missing.

“Jonah?”

She tried to stay convinced that he was hiding in a bush as he always did when playing together but he wasn’t there. He would never leave her alone without a sign and started to get panicked.

“Buddy, where are you? Please don’t scare me okay?”

No sign or response from him. Again she was shouting and tried to whistle.

“Jonahh!”

—————————————

Meanwhile at Dr. Griffin and Dr. Tyler’s apartment...

After a long shower which made his shoulders more comfortable now he was wrapping a towel in his waist and opened the door only to see his bed empty. Even though she wasn’t there he took a look at the wrinkled sheets and god- last night was crazy for both of them and enjoyed it so much. They were madly in love with each other and couldn’t resist every time they would glance up or work together in operation rooms. Klaw gave them a warn when she saw them again curled up in the on-call room and he chuckled while remembering it.

“Both of you are going to die from this heavy daily make out! Why can’t you just stop from this disgustin- ew!” She threw her hands in air and slammed the door.

Dan inhaled a good smell that was coming from the kitchen meaning that she had prepared his favourite English breakfast meal. But instead of seeing her with a wide smile she was tapping her foot on the floor and her right hand was covering his laptop placed in the desk.

“Good morning, Daniel!”

Shit I’m so fucked up she didn’t even call me Dan.

He always hated people who called him in his full name or better saying- he felt worried because every time they would call him Daniel then something wasn’t right.

“Morning my love!” He put on a brave face as if calming the storm that was coming.

“Don’t even try to seduce me with that smile of yours Griffin!” She said in an angrily voice.

Another bad move.

“Why? I didn’t do anythi-” She didn’t let him again finish the sentence while glaring at him.

“And don’t even try to unwrap your towel cause I’m going to cut it without hesitation!”

He gulped.

“You know that I can do that right?” She raised her eyebrows in a challenge.

Don’t play with the fire Dan.

“Y-yeah of course I know it heh.” He let out a shaky breath knowing that Dr. Imelda Tyler was capable of everything.

“Now,” she opened the laptop and sat in the chair while crossing her legs making him so badly to reach out and touch her. “You promised me something before we arrived in Boston, right?”

He closed his eyes while clenching his jaw because he knew that this day would come and she wanted to be present while he would do that goddamn delete. “Yeah.”

“Well you don’t want me to tell you what to do.”

Moments later...

“So who are these people?” She asked him while she was crooking her eyes trying to find the meaning of it; the stupidity behind all of his weird actions that in his language bank were called ‘things I do to protect my friends’.

“These are some med students from across the world that want to full-fill their truly desire- working in a highly prestigious hospital as our own called Edenbrook.”

“And how’s possible that you’ve tracked them down?”

“My my dear Imy... You clearly have no idea how the applying goes right?”

“I have no doubt how this process goes Dr. Griffin but remember? We did ours when we finished the med school not when we were in our last year.”

“I know Imy but in this case these guys have let their opinions- let me see... Ha! Gary Garrison: last year med student and his reason for apply: ‘My capability of remembering things is higher than you think’ Haaaa! Yea man until you come to thus hell!”

She had enough of it. He was skipping the real case and started to get tensed. “Dan why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“This. The hacking. Why? These people don’t seem as dangerous as you said. I think you need a consult with a psychiatrist.”

“I know Imy. I just wanted to make you laugh but... yeah these are not the people I'm looking for.”

“Then who?”

“The attendees.”

Imelda blinked two times in disbelief. “What? You mean they are dangerous?”

She wasn’t getting any responses from him which made her even angrier than she was before. The silence killed her.

“For God’s sake Daniel Griffin stop this bullshit and tell me what really is going on with you!”

“FINE do you want to know it?” He shouted aback punching his fist to the desk.

“Yes!”

He sighed slowly. “I’m trying to find the doctor who operated Klaw’s grandmother Mrs. Ahmad. She was operated here at Edenbrook in 2011 for a second level tumour in her abdomen. According to Klaw the operation was easy and Daisy could have been with us now.”

“How’s possible you know all of this?”

“I was going to change my scrubs in the on-call room while the door was ajar and well- I overheard Klaw talking with Mr. Spader and she was frustrated.”

“I want to know who the doctor is James! I know for sure that she was admitted here in Boston and don’t even try to change the subject!”

“...........”

“Say whatever you want James! Because whoever that goddamn doctor was attending or a resident in that time I’m going to find him or her! And not even you or anyone else can stop me!”

“Does this mean re-revenge?”

“Maybe. I don’t know if I can call it like that.”

“Dan...” She asked him worriedly unable to talk properly. “What if she g-goes back again to... y’know... to her bad side?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so Imy. She’s a doctor now and she’s grown up. She wouldn’t do anything peculiar for her own reasons. She would never hurt people especially the ones that are her colleagues.”

“Yeah I know but what if-”

“There are no buts or ifs my love. Our Klaw is a strong woman but also very sensitive which means she thinks and analyses the situation before reacting to it. So don’t worry it is going to pass.”

“But what about her grandma? Is it true that an attending or a resident wasn’t taking care of her dutifully as it had to be?”

“I guess so, and what is more weird is that none of their patients have her name. Which means-”

“That her file is thrown away or-”

This was the only verdict. “Hidden by someone.”

“Oh my god Dan what are we going to do?”

“For now we’re going to keep this from her.”

“No,” her eyes widened in shock. “No I won’t do this to her. We are already keeping her another much big secret from her! I can’t lie to my best friend especially for this topic. She has to know it Dan!”

He let another sigh. “It’s not that easy Imy. Look,” He took her hands and caressed them with his thumbs. “I know you are trying to say this is wrong but think about it. She has already passed too much suffering all these past 9 years and has enough of it. She has to find it by herself just like when she found out that her parents death wasn’t just an accident but something more. I believe that they have hidden many things from her but now, she has to focus on her future-”

“There’s no future without its past Dan and what’s more... Klaw won’t stop digging on this case because I know her. And she’s going to be mad at us.”

“Sweetheart, she has already passed three times PTSD... you know what that means right?”

“Yeah...”

“In that moment of speaking with Detective Spader I’m sure Klaw was just letting out her anger and rage and that’s it. So you don’t have to worry about it. You’ll see.”

“I hope so.”

“Now- where’s that nice smelling breakfast?”

———————————————-

Now at Central Boston Park...

Not long enough Klaw sees Jonah playing along with another dog happily. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes in relief. In that moment a man was approaching them and knelt down wearing a light brown cardigan but with his back turned to her she couldn’t make his face. She was leaning closer only to hear a gentle voice whom she could recognise it everywhere.

“There you go little one! Jenner, you have found a new friend I see!”

“Dr. Banerji?” She asked in surprise.

He turned his gaze at her with a wide smile that always appeared in his face. “Dr. Craig I assume, right?”

She was stunned by him at how he remembered her name- a name of just a little intern and nothing more. Naveen saw her expression and chuckled knowing that she hesitated.

“Darling, I don’t forget anyone who comes for the first time in our hospital as an intern, a resident or an attending. I consider everyone as my children so please don't be shy.”

“Oh, right.” She murmured and nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you Dr. Banerji! I was actually looking for Jonah and I really got worried-”

“So this husky’s name is Jonah... Any particular reason?” He asked curiously.

“Well I actually didn’t think much of it.” She scratched the back of her neck. “I just think the name ‘Jonah’ is- cute.” She shrugged her shoulders while letting a smile.

He hummed in agreement. He was wondering if Ethan would have known this given the fact that they knew each other from their ‘little battle’. His thoughts were interrupted when she started to speak again.

“So this is Jenner, right?” He nodded while she was padding her head. “Hey Jenner nice to meet you! I’m Klaw and-” She let a chuckle while Jenner was licking her hands. “Yes you’re such an adorable girl! I hope Jonah hasn’t upsetted you.” While she was saying the last words her serious expression landed at the husky as he lowered his head and cooed sadly.

“Oh please he was doing just fine my dear! You don’t have to worry.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “So Dr. Craig... how is the work going lately?

“Uhm well... pretty fine I think. I can’t tell much because it is only my first week and yeah... definitely I’m going to learn very much this year.”

“Have you decided in which field you want to specialize?”

“I’ve actually thought about general surgery and maybe after that the trauma surgery but still it’s too early I think.”

“Of course my dear you’ll have plenty of time to think about it. The most important thing here is that you need at first to be your own self. So in that way you won’t have low self-esteem and you’ll feel comfortable with your choice because your career is important among other things.”

“I totally agree with that.”

“And you’re also a good fighter as I’ve recently heard.” He gave her a small smirk in which she knew what he was referring to and immediately she wanted to give him an explanation.

“Dr. Banerji I’m truly truly sorry I knew I shouldn’t have reacted like that but that man was already offending Dr. Greene for being in a wheelchair whereas for Dr. Olsen he was about to punch him in his face and I had no choice but to-”

“Breathe Dr. Craig, breathe!” He laughed heartedly. “And please stop with these apologies!” She sighed in relief. “I have all the information needed from Dr. Tennant and I must say that was bravery from you.”

Again she was rendered speechless by the mentor, by the chief of medicine, director of the diagnostic team, also a general surgeon Dr. Naveen Banerji. Klaw didn’t know how to express how grateful she was hearing those words from a man who has spent forty years of his life in the field of medicine and has been teaching many generations.

“Please Doctor, if everyone were in my position they would do the same.”

“Well I highly doubt that for sure but if that’s what you say.” He said in a rueful smile.

He was right about choosing this intern for Ethan. It was like he found a mini Dr. Ramsey when it came to patient healthcare- precision, determination and intelligence. Naveen wanted to ask her if she had ever thought about joining Diagnostics Team but that was too early since she was still at baby footsteps in medicine. But time passes very quickly and he can imagine now what a great team they would be alongside with Dr. Ramsey, Hirata, Mirani, Tennant and Allen.

Again his thoughts were interrupted when a notification came from his phone revealing the name

My son.

“Excuse me for a moment Dr. Craig.”

“Yeah, sure- take your time please.”

He shook his head and thought some things never change.

“I’m sorry but the owner of Jenner is really worried about her so that’s why he’s texting me.”

“Oh- really? I thought this was your dog.”

“No, actually it’s my friend’s dog and we have a long-term friendship and partnership and he trusted me.”

“If I’m guessing right... is he a doctor?”

“Precisely and his name is E-” he then reminded that wasn’t a good idea knowing that Ethan didn’t approve him to share anything from his private life with others. “Isss Jonah.”

“Wow what a coincidence I didn’t expect this! Now I understand why he has named it Jenner- from Edward Jenner given the fact that he’s a doctor.”

“And you are correct again Dr. Craig. It is indeed and my pal is really obsessed with medicine and he only cares about patients life and nothing else.”

Again that sound was heard from his phone and he gave to her an apologetic smile.

“Please Dr. Banerji I don’t mind.” He nodded to her in acknowledgement.

While he was texting Klaw took a brief photo of Jonah and posted it on Instagram but in the meantime she wasn’t sure if it was the right thing because her friends would see it and would ask her a lot of questions. Then she heard a loud cough coming from Dr. Banerji that concerned her as he put a handkerchief into his mouth.

“Dr. Banerji are you alright?”

“Yes my darling don’t worry and you must go now because your shift starts after fifteen minutes right?”

“Ohmygod Dr. Ramsey is going to chew me!”

“Then go what you’re waiting for?”

“I-” She shook hands briefly with him. “It was nice to see you again Dr. Banerji!” She said quickly and then whistled to Jonah. “Buddy let’s go now say bye to Jenner!” Then she ran immediately holding her dog’s collar to catch the bus to her apartment.

Naveen laughed heartedly as he reminded Ethan when he would be late at his first year of residency but the thoughts were quickly faded as he coughed again and saw his handkerchief drained in some blood. Ethan didn’t know anything about it. Just a cold and nothing else. He mustn’t know it because sometimes the things you want to say are a lot more difficult than you think. And Naveen wasn’t ready to tell him.

—————————————————-

After 8 hours at Edenbrook Hospital:

“Why don’t you understand Aurora?”

Dr. Klaw Craig vs Dr. Aurora Emery. Again.

This time the nurses were most afraid of their encounters as they were both competitive when it came to solve the cases assigned to them. The patient’s name was Lea Anderson; age 23 with an injured knee and some scratches in her face and arms. The cause was a car explosion which unfortunately resulted in her husband’s death. She wanted to save him at last time but was late. The police explained that the explosion was set in purpose but in the wrong car which was even worse- the mafia killed innocent people without knowing what consequences would be. As the police took her statement she stared blankly to a spot in her room and said in a whisper.

“I want to see him.”

Both doctors were eyeing each other not knowing what to say until Aurora came close to her and changed the subject.

“First of all Ms. Anderson we have to insert the IV so you can rest okay?”

Lea grabbed forcefully her wrist. “I think you didn’t get it at first doc. I. Want. To see. My. Husband.” She growled and her eyes were full of pain and longing.

“Ms. Anderson please you’re hurting me!” Aurora winced as Lea had a strong grip on her.

“You’re hurting huh?” She let an incredulously laugh which made both the doctors wide their eyes in shock. “And what about me? What shall I do now Dr. Emery huh? Can you tell me what should I do now?! I said I want to see him. Now!”

“Lea, listen to me...” Klaw approached gently tucking away Lea’s strong grip on Aurora.

“Dr. Craig I want-” She sobbed.

“Deep breaths Lea, deep breaths. I know you want so badly to get up but first things first- your health is more important now-”

“Have you ever lost someone in your life Dr. Craig? Because you don’t look like you can understand me.” She said while shaking her head.

Klaw gulped hardly in her throat as her flashbacks came in her mind and dear- she understood Lea more than anyone else. Lea was physically and mentally shocked by all of these quick events and now she didn’t believe that her love of her life was gone forever. How was she going to tell her kids that their papa was not going to come home again? How was she going to sleep alone in her bed without glancing a ‘good night’ sleep? By these thoughts Klaw decided to forget her duty to only bring somehow justice to her patient... because she had felt it once too.

“Alright we’ll take you to him after I discuss something with Dr. Emery first. Okay?”

Aurora was furrowing her eyebrows but it faltered when she saw the glimmering and hopeful eyes of her patient staring at her and partially agreed. “Y-yeah we’ll be back soon.”

“Have you lost your mind? Her husband is dead and what’s more he’s burned! His body is in a devastating condition and if she sees him she might have complications later.”

“She won’t have unless we respect her decision.” She spat back.

She scoffed. “You are crazy. I’m not going to let this happen just because you say it. Weren’t you the one who said that the most important thing is the patient’s health?”

“Yes I’ve said it crystal clear but this situation hits different Aurora. Look,” Klaw sighed. “She doesn’t want any treatments from us unless she sees her husband. She doesn’t care if he is in that condition because no matter what, she loves him. If it’s the last thing she wants to do then we as doctors should agree with her.”

She shook her head. “You’re completely out of your mind. I’ll report this.”

“Fine!” She called when Aurora turned her back. “Do whatever you want. It’s not the first time you report to Dr. Allen though since he has a sympathy for you.” She didn’t realise the weight on her last words would be and she bit her lower lip knowing after a second that she screwed it.

Damn it.

Aurora’s gaze was hardened even more not believing what she heard. “What did you just say?”

“Aurora I-”

She raised her hand. “Stop. I don’t want to hear it anymore.” She took another deep breath and gave a devilish grin. “You know, I’ve been thinking... Why everyone thinks you and Dr. Tennant have such a good chemistry huh?”

No way. No fucking no. She wouldn’t think that I and the man who I consider as my brother can be...

“Watch your language Aurora!” Klaw shouted. “He’s my attending-”

“Emery! Craig!” A baritone voice behind them growled loudly and made both of them startled. “What the hell is going on?”

Those damn piercing blue eyes she thought were going to be the death of her one day but she composed herself not letting any other thoughts dragging her.

“It’s Ms. Lea Anderson’s case Dr. Ramsey.” Aurora answered. “Her husband had died in a car explosion and he’s taken to the examination room and she wants to see him without recovering herself first.”

“What did you suggest Dr. Emery?”

“Well I thought first of all to check her health stability and put her an IV. Also she has to run a colorectomy surgery and this is going to be under Dr. Lahela’s case which Dr. Craig didn’t agree on this.” She said while raising her eyebrow.

“I didn’t say I was against the treatment! Dr. Ramsey if you let me-”

“Fair well Dr. Emery.” He said while not breaking his gaze from her. “I’m expecting the lab results of this patient and you’re going to handle this case. You can leave now.”

“Thank you Dr. Ramsey.”

“What did you just do?” Klaw felt her eyes narrow in disbelief what she saw and heard.

“I beg your pardon?” He scoffed. “May I add that you are not even capable of handling such a delicate case and you don’t agree with the treatment your fellow colleague sets and without even a single responsibility you lose control and start to shout like you are in a bar or somewhere else but let me remind you Rookie-this is not a battlefield where you can punch people like you want or shout at them being a bossy around here. This is a hospital and as your attending you’ll do as I say!” He shouted at her as the some doctors who were walking past them flinched. “Do you understand?”

She had it enough. His words were like echoes in her ears like some mad sounds were engulfing her mind trying to make her go crazy. She resisted the urge to punch him in the face because just like other men he needed one too. For being such a jerk and an asshole all of this week. Always critising for her work and didn’t have any clue why he was doing it. She would dig the fingernails into her palms, fighting so hard inside her not letting to scream into him to say ‘you are wrong, you’re so goddamn wrong’. And now here she was- face to face with him holding her tears from her maddening, sickening and tiring battles she had faced all this time and decided somehow to reveal it. She crossed her arms behind her back and leaned close to him raising her head.

“Can I ask you something Dr. Ramsey?”

“Just spit it out Rookie.” He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose knowing that would be another stupid medical question that in his ten years of working with interns had taught to him.

“Have you ever lost someone in your life? Have you ever been in grief?” She never thought she would say it.

What?

He froze.

He didn’t know what to say.

He was completely caught up with this question as if somehow slapped back the memory of his mother’s abandon considering it as the grief and a black hole that led to his life and his father’s.

But that wasn’t much related to her question and he felt that something wasn’t right. He knew it when she left a week ago the Donahue’s bar without her friends after receiving a message on her phone that etched concern on her gorgeous face.

“No,” he was trying to find a meaning behind those words to understand her better but that was too early to know. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Hm, so you haven’t experienced it?” She nodded. “And now let me tell you... I hope one day you don’t get to go through that feeling Dr. Ethan Ramsey because you have no idea what if feels like when you lose the person you love most in this world or someone that you really care about ‘cause if you did... then you would understand her.” She was pointing her finger to Lea. “When you love someone Dr. Ramsey you just simply don’t care what the others say to you. If your heart says yes then you definitely should hear it. Say whatever you want now but this is my patient too and if something happens to her I would gladly take full responsibility on that but- you cannot come here and snap the case to Aurora without even listening to me first and not letting me explain what kind of trauma the patient is experiencing now!”

He was silent parting his lips as he was seeing her fight over him but as soon as she was finished her pager buzzed in her pocket.

“I have to leave now. Hope you’re happy with your choice Dr. Ramsey.”

With that she left to the elevator frustrated.

Her words were still blowing his mind again and again.

There was something about this intern.

This Rookie bewildered him and made him go crazy with her eloquence and intelligence in arguments.

And her words would be much more meaningful to him.

That day would come much sooner than he thought and after that he would make for the first time in his life- an apology which would completely change his life’s course 180 degrees.

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P.S: TAGS WILL APPEAR IN REBLOG ‘CAUSE THIS TUMBLR IS SO WEIRD AND THANK YOU FOR READING FOLKS. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU LEAVE SOME FEEDBACK SO I WON’T GO AGAIN IN MY OVERTHINKING PLANET LOL.

Bonus scene! Instagram post (2)

Chapter Seven: “An unexpected support”