#obx characters series

[storytellerslense]

JJ Maybank character analysis

The meaning of the gun

"I got this thing, you know, to protect us" (JJ Maybank, Season 1, Episode 3)

At the start of the Pilot we see JJ Maybank as a funny, imaginative, rebellious guy who, although doesn't really think through the consequences of his actions, seems quite harmless.

However, his personality becomes a bit darker and erratic after he steals a loaded gun. He gets literally obsessed with always carrying it around and, to the dismay of the Pogues, does not hesitate to show it off for intimidation.

The possession of the gun holds a deep symbolic meaning for JJ Maybank, which goes far beyond the simple necessity of self-defense. Psychologically it can be described as "compensation" and a "defense mechanism." These terms describe how individuals use symbolic objects or behaviors to cope with inner conflicts or to make up for a lack of control in their lives.

The gun as a symbol for power and control

For JJ, who grows up in an environment where he has little control over his own life and safety, the gun symbolizes the opportunity to regain control. The gun gives him the feeling that he can protect himself and his friends.

Also, JJ is the one who faces the most oppression from many sides—whether it's from his abusive father, societal stigmas, or conflicts with the Kooks. Owning a gun represents a form of power that he otherwise lacks. It serves as a means for him to defend himself against those who oppress him.

In a powerful scene in Season 1, JJ points the gun at his abusive father and later breaks down crying to his friends: "I can't take it anymore... I was gonna kill him!"

The gun as an expression of JJ's inner conflicts

JJ's decision to possess a gun is an expression of his inner anger and desperation. The weapon represents his deep-seated frustration and his drive to combat the feelings of helplessness that overwhelm him due to his familial and social circumstances. It also expresses JJ's self-destructive tendencies. His willingness to take extreme measures highlights the depth of his emotional pain and despair.

The gun as a proof of coming of age

For JJ, forced to grow up early due to parentification, the gun also symbolizes his claim to independence and maturity. It is a means through which he can prove himself as capable and adult, someone who can protect himself and others.

Because he is often not taking seriously, JJ believes that possessing a gun will earn him more respect. It is an attempt to strengthen his position in the social hierarchy and assert his autonomy.

"(...) Remind you that I am the only one who can properly defend us." (JJ Maybank, Season 1)

The key moment of JJ losing his weapon

In "Outer Banks" Season 2, Episode 4 JJ Maybank finally gives up his weapon. It happens when the Pogues are about to get cornered by the police. JJ brandishes his gun in order to assert control over the situation. Recognizing this, John B steps in by assertively taking the gun out of JJ's hand, letting it fall to the ground, gently reassuring him, that he is going to be ok.

This message was extremely important for JJ, lifting the heavy weight of responsibility finally off his shoulders. JJ, being usually prepared to constantly put his own life on the line for the well-being of his father or his friends in order to "earn" their love and respect, was now protected and guided himself by his best friend.

"It's gonna be alright." (John B., Season 2, Episode 4)

After a short moment of indecisiveness and shock, JJ gives in and completes the act by quickly kicking dirt over the gun, so it stays hidden before the police can find it.

This is one of the most powerful, though underrated scenes in Outer Banks, because it really marks a key moment of JJ's personal development. It signifies his willingness to confront his inner demons: giving up control- for once not relying on himself but really trusting someone else's judgement. He is also accepted and cared for without having to proof himself or fulfill someone else's needs beforehand.

[lovrsin]

farmersdaughter!patty (my oc) x farmhand!rafe ❤︎

in the outskirts of sunkist, louisiana, patrica dunn tries her best to ignore her fathers farmhand and neighbor, rafe cameron.

[rotteneldritchhorror]

hate to say it-- kinda love how this season was shot...

the interviews being shot like that is so incredibly funny, the jj breakdown scene/longshot is literally a cinematic masterpiece, hate to say it but the surrealism of the nighttime scenes being so badly set during "night" is kinda iconic to me, some of the hand-held moments, the zoomes-

this season is kinda fucked up (cough cough. *stares*) but tbh.... its definitely not my least favorite

[willshookaspear]

NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE - 16: regrets.

Synopsis: Spending the summer before college with her aunt Rose's family by the coast was gonna be great. But when Rafe Cameron, Rose’s painfully hot, infuriatingly gorgeous and annoying step-son seems to be everywhere Josie and her friends are, Josie gets caught in the crossfire between the island’s two tribes: her new friends from the South side, and the country-club rich kids that her aunt’s family belongs to. As friction builds on the island, and Josie catches the attention of blond mess–of-hair devil-may-care surfer-boy JJ, it becomes harder and harder to ignore the tension in the Cameron house. Everywhere Josie turns, Rafe seems to be. And he has always and will always make her blood boil.

What do you do when you have to live in the same house as your enemy?

NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE CAMERON by willshookaspear

[saltwater-and-woodsmoke]

Six Feet Under the Stars | Rudy Pankow | Prologue

When Thea Ross comes back into Rudy Pankow's life five years after he graduated high school, he's not prepared for her to tell him their last encounter resulted in more than he bargained for.

words: 3.5 k

A/N: Oh look I finally got around to posting this. This has been edited and this version @teelagurl558 hasn’t read yet teehee. Okay I am going to bed now.

tagging people who might be interested: @pankowperfection @pankhoeforlife @sweettartforrudy

“Dorothea Claire Ross, how dare you enter this room without giving me a hug.” Chase Stokes' voice rang out across the meeting room from where he sat on the opposite side and end of the table from where the bleach blonde had just sat down. She held back the urge to roll her eyes at the twenty-eight year old, standing up to walk around the table to give him a tight hug.

“Where’s Em?” He whispered in her ear, “You didn’t tell me you got the role, bitch.”

“Mama Jen has her, Rylie said she would bring her in a couple weeks when I’m settled in my apartment.” She whispered back. “And after I got the role, I disclosed to Jonas that you are my cousin and asked him not to tell you, it was supposed to be a surprise. Speaking of surprises, he’s not here yet?”

“No. He’s stuck in traffic but should be here soon, he’s supposed to be in front of you.” He confirmed. “You’re gonna have to tell him.” 

She glared at him but said nothing, pulling away to return to her seat and sip at her too large, extra caffeinated salted caramel cream cold brew. She knew Chase already had the order memorized from how long he’d been buying it for her, and she could tell he remembered as he made a gagging motion as she took a drink. With a smirk, she sent a playful middle finger his way. 

“So, uh, not to pry or anything but what was that about? Clearly you and Chase know each other.” Madison was the first to speak after a moment of silence. 

“Oh. Yeah, we do.” Thea confirmed. “Known him for all 22 years of my life.”

“Thea is my cousin.” Chase explained. “My mom and her mom were sisters. Thea’s mom unfortunately passed away when she was a kid, and my mom kind of took over in the mom department because no offense to Uncle Grant but he had no idea what he was doing, so she’s like my little sister. She moved to live with my mom when she was 17 and that’s when we got super close.” 

Thea snorted, trying not to burst into laughter at him when he referred to her as his sister. From the corner of her eye she saw Rudy walk into the room, so she didn’t say what she was about to, just bit her lip and smiled politely at the blonde who sat down in front of her, apologizing for being late.

Throughout the table read, Rudy kept staring at her like he knew her from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place where. She knew she was going to have to tell him everything and she was dreading it. As the room cleared out, the pair stayed at the table, and Chase shot her a look as he left, silently asking her if she was okay. When she nodded, he smiled and left, leaving her and Rudy the only two still in the room. 

She could see the wheels turning in his head, making her try not to laugh as she sipped on her coffee and gathered her things to head back to her apartment. Finally, with a shake of her head she spoke to him for the first time in nearly five years.

“Ketchikan High School.” She told him. “I can still read your mind, Rudeth. Just because it’s been five years.” 

“I thought it was you.” He said. “Your hair changed, and uh, you look good.” 

“Uh, thanks. You look good too.” She half smiled. “Hey, uh, I actually need to talk to you about something. It’s not work related and I honestly should have told you five years ago, but I didn’t know I needed to tell you.” 

The blonde man raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. “Oh?”

“Yeah, uh, would you want to come back to mine so we can talk?” She asked. “I mean, if it would be okay with Elaine. I don’t want to cause an issue with her, I’m not trying to break you up over you hanging out with me or something. Not that I think she’s a controlling person or anything. Jesus Christ, I’m just going to shut up now before I have to bury myself alive.” 

Rudy cracked a smile as he laughed. Thea stayed quiet as she took him in again. She couldn’t help but notice for the first time just how much her daughter actually looked like her father. It was the same crooked grin that Emma gave her on a daily basis, and if she was being honest it was probably her favorite thing about her ex best friend. 

“Yeah, no, it’s fine.” he told her. “She’s out running errands then she has a meeting as well. I’ll just text her I’m catching up with you. Did you drive?

“No.” She told him. “I took an Uber.” 

“Excellent, you give me the address and I’ll drive.”

So admittedly, the drive to her apartment was tense. She knew it wouldn’t be as carefree as the drives they took in high school. Chewing on her lip, she glanced at the man driving as she tried to not imagine how different her life would be if she’d managed to tell him about Emma when she found out she was pregnant, but she couldn’t help herself. 

Would they still be acting, or would Rudy have given everything up to support his family? Actually, that was a stupid question because she knew the answer to that one. She knew that if Rudy had even had an inkling that she was pregnant when he moved to LA, he’d have been back in Alaska, or joining her in Florida. He’d be working a dead end job to support his daughter and would be doing everything in his power to make sure she was getting everything she wanted and more. 

That had been a huge reason why she hadn’t told him, knowing that he’d give up all of his success in a heartbeat to support his daughter. She couldn’t dwell on that now, knowing that in just a few minutes he was going to know about Emma Raine Pankow, and she didn’t know how he was going to react to that. All she could do was hope that it went well. 

One thing was for sure and certain, Rudy Pankow was about to get the biggest shock of his lifetime in the form of a blonde haired, blue eyed little girl and Thea wasn’t the one to blame for him not knowing, at least completely.

☼☽⋆｡°✧ ✧⋆°｡☾☼

As soon as the pair were in Thea’s apartment, she was nervous. She didn’t know how to bring it up, but knew it was going to have to happen and soon. With a sigh, she let them and made a beeline to the kitchen to find them something to drink, playing her words over and over in her head as she considered how to break the news. 

“Who’s this? She’s adorable!” Rudy had picked up one of the framed photos of Emma waiting to be hung up from the counter, studying it closely. “Are you a mom, Thea?”

Okay, so maybe she didn’t actually have to tell him that she was a mom now. She did however, much to her dismay, have to tell him he was a father. That was the scary part. You can do this, Thea, just say it. Rip it off like a bandaid.

“I am. She’s four as of February 19th.” She told him, pulling two Pepsis out of the fridge and handing him one. “Her name is Emma, by the way. And her Nana and Gammy absolutely adore her.”

“She’s four?” He raised an eyebrow. “Oh fuck, Thea, if she’s four and she was born in February. I-.”

“I didn’t find out until I was already in Florida, Ru,” she said. “I didn’t have your new number and I tried messaging you on social media but you never answered. Your mom and dad, Gammy and Gamps, by the way, didn’t even know until I went back for Christmas. I was eight months in at that point.” 

“Can I meet her?” He asked. “I mean, I want to meet her. What does she call your dad and stepmom?” 

“Poppy and Lola.” She told him. “And Chase’s mom and stepdad are Nana and Pa.” 

“So Chase?” He asked quietly, not sure if he was really ready for the answer.

“Is my cousin, Ru.” She told him. “His mom is my moms sister. But he has been nothing but the best Uncle Chase to Emma Raine this whole time.” 

“Emma Raine?“ he smiled softly. “Like, after your mom?” 

“Mhm” she hummed, “Emma Raine Pankow. The plan was always to tell you, Ru. You have all your rights to your daughter, you’re on her birth certificate.” 

It was quiet for a moment, like Rudy was trying to absorb the information that she’d just told him. He was a father. He’d gotten his best friend pregnant the one time they slept together before they both moved to separate sides of the lower forty eight, and she’d kept it from him for nearly five years. He had a four year old daughter, and he didn’t even know it. This had to be some sort of cruel joke, right?

“Press is gonna have a field day with this, you know.” He half laughed. “”Outer Banks actor teen father” I can see the headline now. Of course, they’ll have to actually read the article to see that the mother of said child is my friend with benefits from high school turned co star. And I had no fucking idea the kid even existed.” 

Thea didn’t exactly like his tone when he said that, spinning on her heels to glare at him and trying to contain her anger. Unfortunately her temper had always been an issue for her, although it had gotten better with motherhood. But standing here, looking at him with so much anger on his face, like all the information had just caught up to him, and his condescending tone made her snap.

“Excuse me?” She started walking towards him. “I tried to tell you! I messaged you multiple times, I called your mother to get your new number and she never called me back. Which I took to mean that you didn’t want me to have your number. So I made an executive decision, asshole. I chose to keep my mouth shut. You wouldn’t understand, you can’t. You don’t understand Ru, I chose to do this. I chose to keep her a secret, the only other damn person on set that knows about our daughter is Chase. This far from my first role, you can fucking google me, but you won’t find one mention of Emma Pankow on the internet, unless you follow my damn private Instagram. Which you, by the fucking way, unfollowed six days after you moved. I wasn’t even settled in Florida yet but you know what was settled already? Your daughter in my body. I chose to keep my mouth shut, to keep her a secret and not ruin your life because I chose to ruin mine!”

“That wasn’t your decision to make,” he seethed at her. “It wasn’t your right to keep my daughter away from me for four fucking years, Thea! I had no idea she even fucking existed! I lost out on four years of being a fucking father to my child! Four years, Thea! I missed it all. I don’t have a god damn bond with my daughter because of you. Yeah, we were fucking teenagers when I oh so unfortunately ruined your life, but that wouldn’t have stopped me from giving everything up for her, for you. But you know that and you still selfishly kept her to yourself for four years. You’re right by the way, I did tell my mom not to give you my new number but it was for your own benefit, Thea! I thought you deserved better than me.”

Before she could stop herself, her hand came up and made contact with his face. The force of the slap made him gasp in shock as his hand came up to run where he was sure a red mark was forming. Deep down he knew he deserved it, but at that moment he didn’t really care. 

“I’m selfish?! You told your mother not to give me your phone number. I told her it was important, which she found out two months before your daughter was born. That’s selfish Rudy. If you wanted to cut ties with me you should have told me in the airport that day. Did you? No. Instead, you told me you loved me and that you would wait for me to finish high school and come to LA with you. That was the plan right? I go to Florida for my senior year and then I move in with you in LA.” Her voice was raw as she yelled at him. “So, yeah, Rudy, you missed everything, four years of it but it’s not entirely my fault, is it? You missed every doctor's appointment, every kick, the birth of your daughter. You know what else you missed? Me going back to school two and a half weeks after I had an emergency c section, against doctor’s advice, because I was so sick when I was pregnant I didn’t have any days left. You missed Chase working nights and then staying with your daughter from 7:30-4 every day so I could fucking graduate. You missed me not even getting to walk  across the stage because your daughter was in the NICU with RSV and they didn’t know if she was going to make it. That was the fourth time I tried to get your number, asshole. I thought that if she didn’t make it, you’d at least like to know I did everything in my power to make sure she did. You missed her first day of preschool, you missed her first steps, first words — which was fucking dad, by the way, and you missed so many sleepless nights, you prick. Not because I was up with her, but because I was crying over you. You were my best friend, I gave everything to you, and you moved to Los Angeles and dropped me like I was nothing to you.” 

Before he could respond properly, the door swung open, as she hadn’t locked it behind her and Chase came walking in, sighing and rubbing his temples as he took in the scene in front of him. Thea was seething, her chest heaving as she stood in Rudy’s face, waiting for him to respond and Rudy held a pissed off look on his face, his cheekbone starting to bruise from the force of the smack he’d taken minutes before. 

“Separate it.” He demanded. “I’m serious, I could hear you both from downstairs.”

“You don’t get to come into my apartment and boss me around, Chase.” Thea sent him a death glare as she turned to look at him. He knew she was pissed so he held back the urge to roll his eyes at her. 

“I have been bossing you around for twenty two years, Dorothea, and considering you can’t be trusted to not assault your fucking baby daddy? It’s clearly not stopping now.” He tried to stay calm. “Sit your ass down on that couch right now. Rudy, you can sit on the chair there.” He took a few steps into the kitchen to check her freezer for something to put on the blonde's face, deciding that the bag of frozen carrots was going to have to do before wrapping them in a dish towel and handing them over to him. 

“You’re bruising, that should help a bit.” He sighed. “Now, we’re going to talk like adults because we aren’t seventeen anymore. You guys have a child together whether you like it or not. You have an amazing four year old daughter that I knew was yours, Rudy, the moment I met you. And sure, I could have betrayed my little sister and told you but it wasn’t my place and right now we have bigger things to worry about than your butthurt feelings that you didn’t know because you chose not answer your fucking phone because your child is going to be here in approximately four hours.”

“Four hours?” Thea questioned. “No, Rylie isn’t supposed to bring her for two weeks. I don’t have her room set up yet.” 

“Rylie called me because she’s been trying to call you.” Chase told her. “Mom had to go out of town and Rylie has classes she can’t miss so she’s gotta bring her today. I came over to help finish getting the apartment ready,  but walked into world war three.” 

“Right so Rudy should leave.” Thea said.

“You told me I could meet her!” Rudy interjected. Thea rolled her eyes, but decided not snip back at him. 

“That was before you called me selfish for doing what I felt was right.” She was calm, almost scarily calm. Chase knew she’d reached a point in her anger where she was so angry she was calm, and knew he needed to step in. 

“Okay here’s what we’re going to do before Thea decides to break your nose, Rudy.” He started. “You’re going to leave, and tomorrow, I am going to take Emma to the beach. While I do that, you two are going to talk. Like adults, none of this screaming at each other shit. You don’t need it and neither does Emma.”

“Again.” Thea muttered. “Break his nose again.”

“I’m sorry what?” Chase questioned. It was Rudy’s turn to snort in laughter, wincing as it spread pain through his bruised cheek. 

“Thea broke my nose six years ago.” He explained. “That’s how I got the deviated septum.” 

“He deserved it then too.” Thea deadpanned. 

“I did not!” Rudy argued. Thea rolled her eyes at the blonde. It seemed like, for a moment, they were back to their old selves. 

Chase rolled his eyes, moving to stand between them as he fought off the urge to scream. He was twenty eight and it currently felt a lot like breaking up fights between his younger siblings growing up, except this time it was the woman he considered his sister and her baby daddy. 

“I don’t care if he deserved it or not.” He spoke calmly. “Rudy, I am politely asking you to leave and when you guys meet up to properly talk tomorrow, for the love of all things holy, do it in a public place.” 

“Why because she won’t assault me in public?” Rudy’s snark was back, making Thea clench her jaw. “Clearly you don’t know Thea very well then.” 

“Pankow, if you don’t leave I am going to let her knock the shit out of you.” Chase told him as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “You and I both know she can throw a punch, and I’m about four seconds from letting her do it.” 

“Okay, I’m going.” Rudy stood up, handing the bag of half thawed carrots to Chase. “Tomorrow then. I will text Chase to tell you where to meet up.” 

The Stokes-Ross cousins watched as the younger man walked out of the apartment, Chase sighing as he looked at Thea. 

“You can’t just hit people because you’re mad at them.” He sighed. “What exactly happened?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She told him. “I need to get Emma’s room ready and now I have to figure out childcare.” 

Chase looked at her with a frown. He knew that she was stressing out, and he didn’t know how he could help it but to help her get the place ready. The absolute one thing he knew for certain was that Rudy and Thea were a hot mess. They always had been, he knew that. He’d spent several weeks trying to get her out of her funk that she was in because of him only to have the truth come out that she’d given everything to her best friend before she moved. He’d been the one that drove her to Walmart at four am to get a pregnancy test, held her when she cried for days because it was positive and she had no way to get ahold of the blonde man. 

He’d been the one to sit at the hospital with her for nearly thirty two hours while she was in labor with her daughter, then was the one who stayed with Emma during the day so that Thea could graduate. In a way, he felt like he’d been playing dad to his co-star’s child from the get go, but he was going to make sure that Rudy got the chance to be the dad he deserved to be, even if Thea wasn’t happy about it. 

With a soft smile, he turned to look at the blonde girl and sighed.

“Okay” he confirmed. “Tell me what you want me to do.” 

[httakv]

— please, like/reblog if u use or save ♡  

[nosensedit]

⊹ ִ࣪ এ credits on twitter ִ࣪ ⌁ like or reblog if you save! ♡ ¸. • *

[supermentaleyeliner]

kaos cancellation to wake me up and then you give me the serving obx cast for the premiere + first 9 minutes ?? what are you doing, netflix, trying to give me an emotional seizure ?? ugh (read the tags they do the speaking)

[bloodiedlamb]

Charlotte Mason, a wild spirit with a wicked temper, and a closet filled with ghosts. The oldest daughter, forced into parenting her little brother and his closest friend at the ripe age of 16.

Samuel Mason, a boy with too much brain and not enough brawn. The baby of the family, having never been exposed to the warmth of two loving parents leaves him barreling down a dark and dangerous path.

Maxwell Falkner, an ex-convict with fists of steel and a heart of gold. The youngest child, forever enshrouded in his older sister’s shadow, that is until her untimely death and poor taste in men leaves him with two teenagers to look out for.

Drugs, Abuse, Shame, Fear, Death, Family, the whirlwind that is life. Rafe Cameron brings hope to Charlie’s never-ending cycle of pain, but is it something he can maintain? Or is it something that sends her spiraling back into old habits?

— STORY DOES NOT FOLLOW CANON EPISODES AND PLOTLINES AND IS CENTERED AROUND THE AFOREMENTIONED CHARACTERS. FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY; RAFE IS MAINLY OOC, JJ HAS OOC MOMENTS.

* This story contains Drug Abuse, Sex, Violence, Death Graphic Language, Assault, Physical/Mental/Sexual Abuse, PTSD, Addiction, Mental Health Disorders, Traumatic Experiences & other possibly triggering topics. Read all warnings on Each Individual Chapter before continuing with the story. *

PROLOGUE.

chapter one.

chapter two.

GRAPHICS & SOUNTRACKS.

Home By Midnight. — OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK.

Charlotte “Charlie” Mason. — MOODBOARD.

Samuel “Sammy” Mason. — MOODBOARD.

Maxwell “Max” Falkner. — MOODBOARD.

Raphael “Rafe” Cameron. — MOODBOARD.

Jackson James “JJ” Maybank. �� MOODBOARD.

TAGLIST.

@blondedmuse @surprisenecromancy @bruiseology @porcelainmind

©️ bloodiedlamb.

[pogues-writings]

Annnddd this is Danny…

She’s kinda the leader of our group, so we call her Captain, or Cap for short.

She’s really creative— into all kinds of art stuff. She’s basically the next Van Gough. Yenno, without the whole going mad and cutting off your own ear part.

But her parents are pretty much legends on The Cut. Her dad owns a small bait shop and teaches surfing lessons to Kooks as a side hustle. Her mom? She was my dad’s partner in crime. She died two years ago in a car crash. It kinda shook us all.

Anyway, Danny’s been apart of the group since diapers— actually, the group started with me and Danny.

She smart. And strong. And doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’s the best at rollin’ J’s, cookin’ pancakes, and surfing. (but don’t tell JJ I said that) She prefers to skate everywhere and is kind of a hothead, in the best way.

She’s blood.

She’s loyal.

She's brave.

She’s a Pogue.

[dracowars]

outer banks season 03 february 23 !!! ahhh

[storytellerslense]

JJ Maybank character analysis

How parentification shaped JJ‘s personality

Part 1

Parentified children face multiple challenges. They often experience stigmatization, feeling judged or isolated due to their family dynamics. Additionally, they carry the burden of family secrets, keeping quiet about the true nature of their responsibilities and the issues within their home. These children are forced to grow up too quickly, dealing with adult responsibilities and emotional burdens, which can lead to psychological stress, anxiety, and role confusion. This dual pressure impacts their social development and mental health, often leaving them feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.

Stigmatization

JJ referring to his difficult and abusive home life after taking the fall for Pope. (Season 1, Episode 4)

JJ's behavioral patterns and anxiety caused by the stress of his family life are often misunderstood by others. Additionally, he is viewed by his environment as the son of an irresponsible and criminal father, which likely causes him not only shame but also increases the pressure on him to disprove the negative prejudices.

Stigmatization can also lead to stereotype threat by making individuals acutely aware of negative stereotypes and increasing the pressure to avoid confirming them. This heightened awareness and anxiety can impair performance and behavior, resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy:

"He's just like his father. He's a liar and a thief." (Kiara's father Mike Carrera, Season 3, Episode 5)

In Season 3, Episode 5, JJ overhears Kiara's father saying, "He's just like his father. He's a liar and a thief", labelling him based on negative stereotypes associated with his family background. The words visibly hurt and demoralize JJ. They also increase JJ's anxiety and pressure to avoid confirming these stereotypes. He notices Kiara's father's wallet and the stress of his comments then triggers the impulsive reaction to steal it before leaving the house.

"You'll be back here one day. It's in your blood." (Deputy Plump, Season 2 Episode 5)

In another scene, Deputy Plumb is in the Sheriff's Department when JJ arrives to see John B. After allowing JJ to see his friend, she intentionally leads him to see his imprisoned father. She tells JJ that he is destined to end up in jail because it's in his blood. Plumb's actions and words reinforce negative stereotypes and social stigma, contributing to his internal conflict and feelings of inadequacy, potentially having a significantly impact on JJ's behavior and self-perception.

Impulsiveness and the tendency to make solo decisions 

Having grown up in a high-stress environment where he frequently had to handle crises on his own, JJ has developed a habit of making quick, decisive actions independently.

Growing up in a stressful environment where he had to manage crises regularly, JJ has learned to make quick, decisive actions without seeking input. This habit translates into JJ often making impulsive decisions and acting alone without considering his friends' opinions. Parentification can lead to a strong desire for control and independence, as the child feels the need to manage everything themselves to ensure stability and safety.

JJ’s need to regain control over his life and situations manifests in making solo decisions, even if they are risky.

In Season 1, Episode 7, JJ gets into a heated argument with his friends about stealing money from Barry. The group votes against it, but JJ, driven by his own determination, decides to go his own way and separates from his friends. Possibly JJ is accustomed to make quick decisions under pressure due to his chaotic home life. In stressful situations, he tends to seek immediate solutions to regain control (over his life) without fully considering the consequences, exemplified by his decision to steal from Barry despite his friends' objections. It's also hard for him to trust their decisions. His separation from the group reflects his believe that he alone must handle crises, disregarding his friends' vote.

[whosstella]

I was abt to post something like this! Love this 😭

RAFE CAMERON & JJ MAYBANK + parallels

[willshookaspear]

NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE - 12: the competition.

Snippet:

"Fine," Rafe hissed, seemingly giving up. His eyes were black of frustration. His eyes darted down to her lips for just a second but then returned to dig into her eyes.

"Fine," Josie raised her brows in stubbornness, ignoring the tugs that would make it so easy to just let herself sink into him. It was like she actively had to force herself backwards, that's how strong her pull to him was. When Rafe looked as though he could explode he opened his mouth.

"Get back in the car," Rafe said through gritted teeth and pointed to the passenger door. Then he started walking around to his side.

"You don't tell me what to do," Josie hissed, feeling her hot face cool down and her breath come back to her as he stepped away.

"Get back in the car before I put you in the car," Rafe said firmly and opened his door and turned on the ignition. She could tell he wasn't joking and she wasn't looking to get manhandled today. Besides, she wasn't sure Rafe wouldn't just leave her by the side of the road. So she got into the car.

AO3: NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE CAMERON by willshookaspear

[caramello-styles]

Hiii 👋 I finished obx now I'm contemplating whether I should wait all episodes of carnival row or watch it now ? It's 4 episode rn and it will be 10 in total soo? I know I cannot wait over a month 🫣. I want to watch !! But I have ZERO RECALLING of what happened in first season because it's been literal 4 years 💀!!!!!! Did you watch full first season ? Are you watching now ? Help please

Hiii!! for me personally I love following ongoing show so yes I’m watching s2 rn! they left us hanging for four years ofc I cannot wait I dove into the second season right away 😂 and don’t worry they put a recap of s1 on the first episode of s2!! and they’re completely helpful even if you forgot the previous season 🫡 it’s your choice really! choose whichever you’re comfortable with

[whytheylosttheirminds]

I Remember Everything - Rafe Cameron

(Prologue and Chapter 1)

Summary: You left the island two years ago, leaving the love of your life a shattered man in your wake. Now, when you return, you find the sweet boy you once loved has transformed into a monster of a man. How can you detangle the real Rafe from the terrible things he's done?

Timeline: begins toward the end of obx season 3 and is mostly canon.

Content: this story contains sexual content, alcohol and drug abuse, and brief mentions of violence. All chapters are 18+, minors do not interact!

⯎series masterlist⯎

Prologue

Before gold, before grams, before the gun, there was you. Back when there weren’t crosses to steal, lines to snort, cops to run from, there was you. Long summer nights on the Druthers, your mom blowing up your phone ‘cause you missed curfew again. Skipping class and riding to the beach on the back of his bike. All the way back to grade school, playing tag and pretending you were pirates. Then middle school, that kiss under the lifeguard tower, a first for both of you. In high school, the night you got back from the “character-building summer camp” you had been shipped off to and you shared your other first. When you were first together, it didn’t even hurt, but just felt like fucking finally. 

He remembers it all, taking all of his strength to keep it stuffed under the surface. The coke, the violence, the drama he creates in his wake cover you up nicely, until those nights when he’s dead asleep and there you are again, leaving. When he wakes, it all comes back to him. How he sat on the curb and watched you go, bloody and hurt from the night that was your final straw. How he showed up on your doorstep the next day, like he was five-years-old again asking if you could come outside and play. How your mother told him you were gone and wouldn’t tell him where you went.

“Honey,” she said with something like pity in her voice, “Promise me, you’ll let her go, let her be happy.”

A promise he kept, until the day you rolled back into town with no warning. Your timing could not have been worse. After the summer from hell, the summer that made him a killer, he finally felt like he was in control. It wasn’t until he saw you, the only person in the world that ever really knew him, that he realized he had no idea who he was. 

Chapter One

You clutched your phone tight, reading and rereading the message. One you used to get nearly every night but hadn’t seen in two long years.

party at cameron’s tonite !!

It was a group text, sent by the girl from your high school you bumped into in the grocery store earlier that day. You had been back on the island for all of an hour before inevitably seeing someone you knew. You tried to duck quickly into the cereal aisle, but she caught your eye before you could disappear, an action you were infamous for.

“Omg, we need to hang out soon!” She had said, before handing you her phone to put your new number in.

You smiled your fakest smile and said, “it’s a must!” You didn’t think either of you really meant it, but apparently she had.

There were eleven or twelve other numbers in the group text, none you had saved, but you assumed they were likely other people from your high school. She probably just added anyone in her contacts she could think of, not even stopping to realize she was inviting the Kook prince’s former princess to his party. Your relationship had been the stuff of legend on this island. Everyone had an opinion, you were practically a celebrity couple, and it was the biggest news on the island for months when you left, suddenly disappearing overnight. Some real shit must’ve gone down around here since then to make it such old news that this girl didn’t even think about it when adding you to this text.

Your heart pounding in your ears, you couldn’t believe it when you felt yourself typing out i’ll be there :) 

You wore your hair down, the way you always used to have it in high school. After you left, you had cut it short, wanting to shed away as much of your old life as you could, but in the last few months you’d started to let it grow back. Now it flowed down to the middle of your back, tickling the skin of your shoulders where the thin spaghetti straps of the little dress you had on left them exposed. You let the front pieces fall around your face, a sort of curtain to keep an extra layer between you and the other partygoers.

You could not believe you were here. For real this time, not in a dream as you had been every night for two years, but really here. 

As you walked down the gravel path, it all came rushing back. The smell of Rose’s garden, the distant sound of the ocean lapping against the shore, the low thud of the music echoing through the crisp evening air. How many times have you walked down this path? How many nights had you spent here, your senses filled with the glory of Tannyhill, the glory of him? And yet now it felt so heavy, the sights, sounds, smells of it all were nearly choking you. Tears welled in your eyes, but something kept your feet walking towards those grand front doors, towards him.

Four years earlier…

The glass panes of the front door are slightly blurred, only revealing the soft lighting of the grand entryway on the other side. You had crossed this threshold at least a thousand times in the ten years since your family moved to this island. Knocking felt strange, you felt so small standing here in the porch light, surrounded by moths and the thick coastal August air. An envelope, wrinkled from being opened and rifled through so many times, was clutched between your clammy hands.

A figure you couldn’t quite make out approached the door, and your heart pounded in your ears as you hoped desperately it would be him who opened the door. But it wasn’t.

“Oh, hey - I- hi, Mr. Cameron,” you stammered, ever intimidated by the island’s most powerful man.

“Y/N,” Ward nodded cordially. “It’s after 10pm.”

You smiled weakly, if you felt small before, you feel positively infantile now.

“I was just hoping I could see Rafe for like, just a second,” you pleaded, putting on your sweetest smile.

“He’s studying,” Ward said. “You can come back tomorrow. Goodnight.”

Before you could protest, the door was closed and the blurred figure retreated into the house.

Never one to give up, you stuffed the letter into the back pocket of your jeans, and stepped back from the porch, sizing up the massive house to see which rooms still had lights on. You knew the blueprint of this place by heart, checking off each family member mentally as you scanned their window for signs of life. Wheezie’s room? Dark. Sarah’s room? Dark. Rose and Ward’s room? Still lit. This would have to be a stealth mission. 

You snuck around the side of the house and looked up at the last window on your list. To your excitement, the room was still lit. You saw a long shadow pass by the curtains, and you actually jumped a little from the thrill. After spending the longest summer of your life apart from the one person you wanted to spend it with, he was actually right there, just two stories off the ground.

You traveled 800 miles today, what was a few more feet? Blocking out the better judgment ringing in the back of your mind, you picked up a few pebbles from the rocky path that leads to the backyard, and started climbing the big tree that grew right up past Rafe’s balcony. How you were gonna get from the tree to the balcony? That was five-minutes-from-now-you’s problem. You chuckled to yourself as your body naturally found each branch and knot on the tree. You used to have competitions when you were kids to see who could climb this tree the fastest, and you beat Rafe everytime. You remembered the shocked look on his face the first time he saw you scurry up the tree, you were hoping for a similar level of approving surprise once you got where you were going.

Once you reached the branch directly across from Rafe’s balcony, you pulled one of the pebbles from your pocket and chucked it at his window as hard as you could. 

“Shit,” you whisper-yelled as the throw fell short and the pebble dropped, loudly knocking into the first floor window below. You couldn’t afford another noise-causing miss, so you recalculated the throw and bit your lip as you lobbed the next pebble hard. It smacked into Rafe’s window with a loud TINK and you smiled in satisfaction. You waited a moment, then two, and still nothing. The shadowy figure did not return to the curtain. You only had one pebble left, and you had never been good at climbing back down this tree. Remembering the time you fell out of it onto the waiting Rafe below, and you both ended up needing stitches, your stomach twisted in fear. You took in a deep breath and held it, letting the last pebble fly. Another sharp TINK, and a moment of baited breath later, the tall shadow finally returned to the window.

Rafe opened the curtains harshly and you immediately broke into a wild smile. He looked so cute in his fitted gray t-shirt and plaid pajama pants, his normally gelled back her falling in messy pieces around his face. You held back a giggle, delighted by the completely confused look on his face as he searched out the window for the cause of the sound. He lifted the window open and examined the two pebbles that had fallen on the windowsill. 

You took the opportunity to whisper a loud “psssst.” His face shot up in surprise and his eyes finally found you in the tree, just a few feet off of the balcony. Where you expected to see surprised delight on his face, you instead caught something cold and irritated.

“Y/N,” he whisper-called to you. “What are you doing?”

“I just got back, I wanted to see you!” You called to him, hoping his apparent anger was just in response to his own shock.

“I’m busy.” Rafe went to close the window and you felt your moment of opportunity slip away.

“Wait!” you stopped him. “Please don’t make me climb down. We both know it won’t end well.” You smiled a sweetly shy smile you hoped would melt his icy demeanor a bit.  

He sighed and looked at you annoyed for a moment before climbing out the window, his height requiring him to duck low in order to make it through. He had grown even taller over the summer, he must have hit 6 foot by now, maybe more. Your stomach flipped as you watched his athletic frame emerge from his bedroom, now able to see how defined his arms looked in the moonlight. You’d always thought he was a cute boy, but the way he looked right now lit a fire in your belly. Then you realized what it was - while you were gone, the cute boy-next-door had become a man.

“Just reach over,” he directed you.

“I don’t think I can without falling,” you explained. “I think I’m gonna have to jump.”

“Are you stupid?” He scoffed humorlessly.

Your heart sank, the boy you left behind three months ago never would have called you stupid.

“It’ll be fine, you just have to catch me,” you explained.

He rolled his eyes and opened his arms, reaching them over the bannister of the balcony, “fine.”

The brief moment of joy you got from his submission faded fast as you made the mistake of looking down at the gap between the tree and the balcony.

“Actually…” you said, bravery fading.

“What, are you scared?” Rafe taunted.

“No!” you insisted. You smiled at him, suddenly feeling like the two of you were ten again and he was daring you to jump off the trampoline into the pool in your backyard.

Now or never. With a deep breath and a sharp yelp, you threw yourself out of the tree and towards his waiting arms on the balcony. As promised, he caught you, and pulled you quickly over the bannister. His arms wrapped around your waist, yours around his shoulders, he held you there just a few inches off the ground.

You flattened your hands against the taut muscles of his shoulders, delighting in the strong warmth of them. But before you could fully revel in the feeling of being in his arms, he released his grip on your waist and you dropped the final few inches to the ground. Rafe quickly stepped back, breaking the lock your arms had around his neck. Despite the southern summer heat, the air between you suddenly felt ice cold.

“Rafe,” you whispered, stepping towards him, but he only pulled further away.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said without even looking at you.

Rafe started back towards his window, and something gave you the feeling he was not going to invite you to follow him through it.

“I need to talk to you,” you started to explain.

Rafe whipped around to face you, the way he towered over you at his new height sending goosebumps down your spine.

“Why don’t you go talk to your new boyfriend instead?” He snapped.

You were so stunned that you let out a little laugh, which only made his furrowed brow scrunch even more in anger.

“What are you talking about?” You asked.

“I saw the pictures your camp was posting on their website all summer. I saw you wrapped around that douchebag.”

It took a moment of confused silence for you to realize what he was talking about, when it finally dawned on you, you laughed again. He turned from you and started heading towards the window again, but you caught his arm, your hand not able to fit even halfway around it.

“No, Rafe,” you explained, “That was just Andy, one of the other campers. We were doing a trust fall exercise. He dropped me like two seconds after that!”

Despite himself, Rafe turned to look at you, eyes examining you nervously. 

“Are you ok?” He asked in a small voice, wishing desperately that he didn’t care.

You smiled softly, there he was - your boy. 

“I’m fine,” you assured him, showing him the small scar on your wrist. “Just a little scrape.”

A moment passed, he avoided your eyes but allowed you to step closer, your hand sliding down his arm and slipping into his, his fingers reluctantly intertwining with yours. You knew exactly what words he was struggling to find, but decided to let him get there on his own.

Finally, “Why didn’t you answer my letters?”

Your other hand reached into your back pocket and pulled out the envelope you had tucked away. You held it out to him wordlessly. He took the letter and held it to the light coming from his room, examining it with a confused look. The envelope was addressed to him at Tannyhill, from you at camp. When he finally noticed the “return to sender” label, it all clicked.

“They kept getting returned to me, I don’t know why,” you said as you squeezed his hand. “I asked to use my phone to let you know but they wouldn’t let me. I almost just snuck out of camp and came home so I could explain it to you.”

“Your mom would’ve been so mad,” he said, finally, finally smiling at you.

“Then she would’ve just taken away my phone and we’d be back where we started,” You said. “There’s like twenty more letters like that. I don’t know why they never made it to you, it’s like someone was sabotaging me.”

Rafe seemed satisfied with your explanation and the remaining bit of anger on his face melted away completely. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and suddenly threw his arms around you, lifting you in the air as you yelped in surprise, giggling as he started planting sloppy kisses all over your face and neck.

“Shhh, baby, my parents will hear you,” he whispered. “They’ve got me locked in my tower because I failed my last quiz in this fucking summer school pre-calc class.”

“Rafe!” you said in mock-scandal. “Naughty language!”

“Oh, baby, I can say way naughtier things than that,” he growled in your ear, your cheeks now burning from real-scandal.

“C’mon,” he said, setting you down and grabbing your hand, to lead you to his still-open window. 

He placed his large hand on the small of your back as he helped you through the window, climbing in after you and closing it slowly so as to not make a sound.

You and Rafe had done some more-than-kissing things before, but that was the night you gave yourselves to each other completely. He held you after, softly kissing the scar on your arm from when Andy had dropped you.

“Never gonna let that Andy asshole touch you again,” he said between kisses. “He can find his own girl, you’re mine.”

You giggled and he looked up at you in confusion.

“Rafe,” you were laughing hard now. “Andy’s gay.”

He broke into a bashful grin, a quick blush of embarrassment swept across his cheeks before he grew serious again and started kissing up your arm.

“I don’t care,” he said. “They should all know - all the Andys and Jakes and Chads and whoeverthefucks,” his kisses had reached your neck, “no guy is ever gonna get to touch you like me.” He pulled back and looked into your eyes with a sincerity that squeezed your heart. “Gonna love you forever. Gonna marry you, make you a mom. Never gonna spend three months, or even three fucking days away from you again. That what you want?”

“Yes,” you breathed, meaning it with your whole being.

“Good.”

Now…

The memories flooded your brain as you opened the door and stepped into the home you used to think would be yours someday. The party was swelling, the vibe feeling so familiar and so uncomfortable at the same time.

You made your way straight to the kitchen, desperately needing a drink. Every step you took sent a memory flashing through your thoughts like a shock to your brain. You passed the living room and saw movie-nights-turned-make-out-sessions on the couch, playing mario kart with Sarah and Wheezie while Rafe laughed at your hyper-competitiveness, prom pictures in front of the fireplace. You passed the dining room and saw the first family dinner you were invited to, how you made Ward laugh with a story about fishing your own dad used to tell, how Rafe squeezed your thigh under the table in pride. You entered the kitchen and saw the time you and Rafe set off the smoke alarm trying to make pancakes, the time he lifted you onto the counter and went down on you when his family was out of town. And then, standing by the keg, you saw the girl who invited you, clearly plastered already.

“Omg!” She yelled when she saw you.

Everyone else in the large kitchen turned and looked at you. It felt dramatic, but you could swear the whole room fell silent when they saw you, a comical record scratch playing in your head.

The girl who invited you ran over to you, beer sloshing over the side of her solo cup and onto her shirt. 

“I can not believe you came,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I completely forgot when I invited you, about, you know, you and-”

“Can I get one of those?” you cut her off quickly, gesturing towards her drink.

Before she could answer, a loud crash came from outside the kitchen’s open french doors. The heads that had all been watching you suddenly snapped toward the sound towards the crowded back yard. When the loud bellow of a man’s voice rang out, the people in the kitchen all ran towards the unfolding scene. You pushed through the crowd and out the doors, drawn inexplicably to the voice. Your heart dropped to your stomach when you realized why - it was Rafe.

There in the backyard, packed with drunk people and lit by string lights, Rafe stood with his fist clenched in the collar of some guy’s white button up, forcefully pulling the scared looking dude toward him while he yelled.

“I said none of that fucking cheap shit,” Rafe yelled at the guy you now realized was a cater-waiter. 

“I’m sorry sir, I-” Rafe threw the man down and he fell back in the dirt.

“This isn’t some ghetto block party out in The Cut,” Rafe yelled. “Do you know who’s fucking house you’re at right now?”

The crowd around you watched, most smiling in support of the man they looked at like he was a rockstar. You cringed at the looks of admiration in their eyes and took Rafe in with your own.

He looked different, harder. His floppy blond locks had been shaved off, and he had traded old t-shirts and jeans for slacks and a polo. He was as tall and built as you remembered, but instead of it being endearing, it was just scary as he looked down at the poor server like he was gonna kill him.

Then he spat on him. He actually spat on another human being. It disgusted you in more ways than one, and you felt your heart breaking in your chest as you realized you had no idea who this man was. The boy who held you on that night four years ago and promised to be yours forever clearly didn’t live here anymore. You turned quickly and pushed back through the crowd, unable to watch another second of this sickening display of toxic masculinity.

Rafe glared down at the pogue-scum in the dirt below him, an eerily familiar feeling washed over him as something moved quickly in the corner of his eye. He turned at just the right moment to see a whip of long hair disappear through the crowd.  But it wasn’t. It couldn’t possibly be. Surely, it was not you.

(chapter 2)

a/n: Hiiii this is the first fic I've posted in about 10 years!! Hope you enjoyed, forgive me if I'm rusty! More chapters to come :)