#raquel creates

[notchainedtotrauma]

Willow Smith by Adrienne Raquel

[cristinabencina]

🎪 Welcome to The Night Circus! I was commissioned by The Folio Society to create an illustrated edition of the book, The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. I was so ecstatic to take on this job because The Night Circus was one of my favorite books! Thank you so much to everyone at Folio, Raquel, Sophia, etc for making this dream job happen!

Follow Cristina on instagram!

PRINTS AVAILABLE FOR THE NIGHT CIRCUS HERE!

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #13 | 11.11.24

Feels good to be back! This is our first post-Kickstarter devlog and I'm so excited to be writing it.

First of all— Lost in Limbo was successfully funded on September 20th, 2024! 🎉🎇

Yep, it has been almost two months, but it's still something to celebrate! Thanks to every single one of you for making this possible! We didn't meet all our stretch goals (there were a lot and taxes are a pain) but that doesn't mean we are giving up on those. More on that another time.

There's a lot of things we want to show y'all, so let's jump into it!

A sneak peak of Envy's postcard!

Raquel has been working hard on getting the "special postcards from your favorite LI" ready to send them to print ASAP! Initially we were going to use art we already had of the LIs, but we thought it was more exciting to offer y'all exclusive art pieces. After this, Raquel will focus exclusively on the rework of the sprites!

We hosted a few polls and got a lot of feedback. If you missed it, you can check it here!

Astro says hello :^)

As you know, the Extended Demo will feature more locations, including a glimpse of the MC's city, Faybourne! Astro is getting the main street ready for you and your bestie as you go on about your day. I've calculated around three / four different and new locations to properly pace the demo as we imagined it in the first place!

The writing deparment (me. i'm the department) has been focusing on the Extended Demo script. I have a lot of things to play with, like the flavor choices, the personality choices, and more. I want to create a proper balance because one of the things y'all asked for was more choices, and the pacing needed a bit of fixing, as we already knew!

The Extended Demo will actually introduce characters you've heard about, like your mom, your ominous grandmother, and your bestie. So no more talking about them, you'll actually get to meet them like we wanted to!

There will also be more time with the LIs, and hopefully the amount of time you spend with each one of them will feel more balanced, too.

Programming has been an adventure! Huge shoutout to Feniks for helping me figure out how to properly make a toggle for the timed choices as well as helping me polish the personality system. What a lifesaver!

So the timed choices toggle now works perfectly. That means you'll be able to turn them off if you'd like to play the game without being jumpscared by a timer—that doesn't mean you won't be able to mess up, though, on purpose or not :^) This is a dark game, after all!

The personality choice system lets you decide how the MC reacts to things including the nature of your romance with the LI. That means dialogue will automatically change in certain parts of the game to reflect the personality of your MC, some options will be locked, some unlocked, etc. There's three different personalities available.

For colorblind folks, the choices will have a different icon when you hover over them for you to know they're different!

Also, I've started coding some extra mini cgs Kayden's been working on! There'll be more in the Extended Demo to enhance the experience, so we hope you enjoy them! :^)

All the packaging stuff has arrived to our provisional headquarters (Raquel's home), and our business cards have been secured! Every backer with physical goodies will receive one for free :^) This month has been all about managing Backerkit, orders and merch, as well as preparing the Extended Demo. We hope we can receive everything very very soon and start shipping packages starting December!

For now, that's it! There's a lot of stuff going behind the scenes, a lot of things that need attention, and a lot of planning happening. Also the catastrophe the DANA has been on our cities is keeping me a bit on edge, but I'm trying to focus on work. This Saturday I'm going on a trip to Greece with my family, so I'll disconnect then! It's our first time traveling to a different country since I was like...seven years old? And we have been saving up and preparing a lot for the trip, so we are excited :^)

I hope everyone has been taking care and doing alright! Have a huge hug from the Ravenstar Team, and see you around!

[venussaidso]

ˢᵗᵃʳ⁻ᶜʳᵒˢˢᵉᵈ ˡᵒᵛᵉʳˢ

A lot of Nodal pairings in the media are star-crossed lovers.

She's Swati. He's Ashwini.

Such as 1968's Romeo & Juliet, which is a Rahu-Ketu destined pair.

Olivia Hussey has Magha Moon, Ashwini Sun while Leonard Whiting has Ardra Sun.

In the retelling of this tale, Romeo Must Die instead has a Ketu-Ketu pairing. Starring Magha Moon Aaliyah and Ashwini Sun Jet Li.

And in 2013's Romeo & Juliet, it is now Rahu-Rahu. Ardra ASC Hailee Steinfeld plays Juliet while Swati Moon Douglas Booth plays Romeo.

Then this trope resets back to Ketu-Rahu in the animation Gnomeo & Juliet, in which Ashwini Sun James McAvoy voices Gnomeo (Romeo renamed) and Shatabhisha Sun, Ardra Moon Emily Blunt voices Juliet.

Hailee Steinfeld, again, in this trope, but lesbian. In the series Dickinson, Susan Gilbert and Emily Dickinson are exclusively a Rahu-Rahu star-crossed lovers pair, with Sue portrayed by a Shatabhisha ASC native and Emily by an Ardra ASC native.

The film Brokeback Mountain also has this star-crossed lovers trope. Heath Ledger had Ardra Moon and Jake Gyllenhaal has Mula Sun.

In the film Through My Window, Raquel and Ares couldn't be together for all three films (the worst films you'd ever watch) without their social backgrounds getting in the way. Raquel is played by an Ashwini Sun native and Ares is played by a Mula Moon native.

[can't find ONE gif of them not making out, not dry humping on each other, it's genuinely just porn 💀... still though they had this trope down for a while]

In the film Meet Joe Black, Joe Black & Susan Parrish are literal starcrossed lovers. They are both played by Mula natives.

In the upcoming film Queer, Shatabhisha Sun, Ashwini Moon, Swati ASC Daniel Craig and Swati Sun Drew Starkey are star-crossed lovers during the 1950s.

In the film, Call Me by Your Name, Mula Sun & Magha ASC Timothee Chalamet and Magha Sun Armie Hammer play star-crossed lovers.

In fact, a lot of gay/lesbian centric love stories tend to star nodal people!!! Whether the characters are star-crossed lovers or not.

Such as the film Blue Is the Warmest Colour which stars Ardra Sun, Mula Moon native Léa Seydoux and Shatabhisha Moon native Adèle Exarchopoulos.

I'm currently drafting an essay touching on this deeper. I simply made this post as a foundation for further connections. Also I don't want to make it as if I think Rahu-Ketu, Rahu-Rahu and Ketu-Ketu are interchangeable. I just find it interesting that nodal energy is always present in this trope. I have to set apart the differences and lessons within each pair.

Also this just made me realize why this trope is my fav and why it deeply resonates, even though Romeo & Juliet are so unserious to me. With great writing, the best nodal tension ever is created. 💀

EDIT; FINISHED THE ESSAY HERE YALL GO

[varda-star-queen]

✨🐾 Quenya & Kittens – Now with ART! 🐾✨ I’m just popping in to remind everyone about this soft little fic because… I now have the most gorgeous illustration for it — created by the incredible Raquel (@nekroticism). I can’t stop looking at it and SCREAMING about how perfect it is. 🖤

Let me just point out some of the details, because oh my stars: 🔹 The tattoos. 🔹 His sword. 🔹 The sage blossoms. 🔹 The word “Nampat” inked so beautifully. 🔹 THE MUG. ("Mr Sexy"—🤣🤣🤣 TY @itwillbeourswansong for bringing this to the party) 🔹 The kitten — that tiny face!! 🔹 Her dress — so beautiful, so stunning. 🔹 Her expression — Well, let’s be real, we can all relate.  🔹 The glasses — still on his head (lolz) TY @greenleaf4stuff for this inspo! 🔹 And him, completely oblivious, reading his Rumil poetry book. 💖

 ✨ It’s just chef’s kiss perfection.

🖋️ Fic Title: Quenya & Kittens 📚 Ship: Professor Adar x Student Mirdania 🏛️ Setting: Modern Uni AU | Office hours & accidental kittens 💘 Vibe: Fluff, slow-burn yearning, books, and funny mugs

If you love: 🐈 surprise kittens ☕ academic rambling as foreplay 😌 a ridiculously hot and oblivious professor 📖 a sweet, clever girl trying so hard to focus on her work (and failing) —this one’s for you.

📍Find it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65437822 💬 And yes, a hot sequel is coming for Spice Week 👀🔥

[maslosstuff]

The recurring characters of Macchio Falls! There are more to come in the future

Information about each character is below

Bash Johnson (Junior)- The high school quarter back and stereotypical school bully. He keeps those lesser than him under his thumb; even bullying teachers to give him an A+. There’s nobody he hates more than the ninja, he vows vengeance from the ninja for stealing his spotlight

Morgan Kranski (Junior)- The Deputy Mayor’s vain and spoiled daughter. She can destroy a girl’s spirit with just her words alone. Morgan wants nothing but to dethrone Heidi as head cheerleader, often teaming up with Bash to achieve her goals. She doesn’t have a problem with Howard

Bucky Hensletter (Freshman)- A clarinet playing dork who often meets the misfortune of being Bash number 1 target. Bucky loves to create symphonies with his talent but he often backs out of publishing his work.

Julian Fowler (Sophomore)- Older cousin of Theresa (by a month) Julian always looks for the positive of a bad situation, he may be not that bright but he makes up for it by rocking out

Theresa Fowler (Junior)- An outgoing and trendy stylist, she loves to try new things whether it be on her body or an extreme sport. Whenever Randy is feeling down or needs a new haircut she’s your girl! She doesn’t attend Macchio high

Pradeep Channa (Sophomore)- Former student at Flackville High, Pradeep is gifted in the field of science and astronomy. He’s often paired with Howard on class projects (This always makes Randy jealous)

Chen kang- Snappy and straightforward. Chen always gets to the point, wasting no time for arguments as even if she’s wrong she’s right. As an photographer, Chen is determined to picture everyone at Macchio High, being obsessed with getting a picture of the Ninja. As every year the Ninja is listed in the “Not Pictured” section of the yearbook. Her parents own the best beauty shop in town (the only one) “You’ve Got Nails Salon

"Stevens" Stephen Richards (Junior)- An outgoing, talkative chill guy. Stevens is always looking for a good time to party and flirt with girls. He isn't without his generosity always helping the little guy, he's deeply ashamed of his academic achievements as he pretends to be stupid. His prestigious parents are unaware of his tomcat endeavors

Susan Thermopolis (Sophomore)- Sarcastic and stern. As student council president she takes her job seriously and those in her inner circle describe her as bossy. She is assertive and outspoken, often sharing her opinions freely. She used to play the flute as a freshman

Raquel Antfee (Freshman)- Sweet and bubbly, yet slightly airheaded. Raquel loves cute things and doesn’t take no for an answer. Whenever someone is in need (whether they like it or not) she on the case. Despite her kindness she has a competitive edge and feels lonely.

David López (Senior)- A man a few words but overall a chill guy despite his peers. He doesn’t take pleasure in bullying others and would help the unfortunate. He’s also a massive musical theatre fan, he shares this interest with Juggo.

“Juggo” Jeremiah Marceau (Freshman)- A silent exchange student from France whos passionate about silent films and the art of mimicry. He loves to tell jokes but no one can understand his silent humor.

[sacredhyacinth]

i love your work sm, i come from youtube and your art is so good ♡

idk if im just so slow and dumb, but i don't understand the lore? like, i understand some things, like the roman-mina-raquel situation, aurora problem, stuff like that.

but the main plot is what i don't understand :P

what is their goal? what do the gods have to do w everything happening to the friend group? are they descendants??

i hope this doesn't come off as rude, i just wanna understand

HI it’s ok I understand! But yeah they are descendants!!

Loretta’s main goal is to secure a spot in the temple as a patron/regular member instead of a Siren, since she doesn’t know what her afterlife has in store for her after she dies—so this way secures her position after her death!! though to become a member of the temple (as a descendant of the gods) she needs to be approved by each spirit—for example the reason she’s working with David is because she needs Reina’s approval

though while going through these trials, she discovers this weird hidden element of the temple, and she goes further down the rabbit hole with working with david, dahlia and harmonia, once Loretta completes her tasks with David, she’ll move on to working for Willows’ approval, which we’ll see Serene (his daughter and Mira’s sister)

that’s Loretta’s plotline though, and I can see why it can be a bit confusing, but for the others: Gabriel, Melanie, and Amara, they all want lives off the island, Gabriel who wants to travel and tour with his band, and Melanie n Amara who want to move to NYC and create a fashion brand, Lori is the only one who wants to Stay and finds escapism in the temple.

ALSO the butterfly masks thing is meant to represent which hall/group a worshipper belongs to, since the butterfly mask is an indicator they are a patron of Flores. It can be used to see the other descendants/ghosts

[cameronspecial]

A New Kind Of Normal (Part 10)

Pairing: Dad!Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Sexual Joke, Mentions of Drugs and Being High

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 3.7K

Summary: Rafe has to make his grand gesture to get his buttercup.

Masterlist

Stella sits on Rafe’s lap in the booth, colouring in the book he brought for her. “Daddy, how come you and Mommy haven’t gone on a date yet?” she interrogates. She stopped her artistic flow to look up at her dad. He pauses for a moment not sure what to say to her. “Your mommy doesn’t think we should be together, little witch. Believe me, if your mommy wanted to be with me, I would be with her in a heartbeat.” Her head refutes his statement, “That’s not true. Mommy said she was going to ask you out last week. She likes you, Daddy.” This brings a picture into focus for him. When Raquelle came over last week, he remembers seeing a blur of teal come out of the elevator for a second and then go directly back inside. The colour is one he is familiar with as it is a part of Luna’s Diner’s colour scheme. He thought it belonged to her diner’s bomber jacket, but he wasn’t too sure. Now, this brings it all together for him. It was her and she saw him with Raquelle. 

“Stella, I think Mommy saw Ms. Raquelle returning my watch to me and thought I might have been taking her out on a date,” he concludes to his daughter. A frown falls on her lips, “Oh, no. We have to show Mommy that you love her.” “We absolutely do. How can we do that though?” he agrees.

——

With Rafe not allowed to watch Stella by himself, he had to enlist the help of his sisters. Sarah took Y/N out for a spa day and Wheezie promised to babysit Stella so that Rafe and his daughter could get everything ready at the house. “Rafe, I think that’s too much sugar,” Wheezie notes as she watches him pour the sugar into the measuring cup over the bowl. The sugar creates a pile in the measuring cup, overflowing into the mixture below. Rafe looks a little defeated and groans at his mistake. The young girl places a hand on her father’s back, “It’s okay, Daddy. Mommy likes sweets.” Rafe’s concern softens at his daughter’s words and they continue to bake. He sprinkles some confectionery sugar onto the table, throwing a little at his baby girl, who lets out a sweet scream. 

She scoops a handful in her hand and throws it at her. He plays at being angry at her, watching her run away from him. Her giggles fill the air with joy and her father chases after her. He picks her up around the waist, flipping her over so she is upside down. “You think that was funny? Huh, little witch,” he joyfully scolds. Her body waves in his arms like an air dancer. Wheezie watches the moment with a fond smile, “Rafe, you guys have to get back to baking if you want to finish before Y/N comes back.” 

He listens to his sister, righting his daughter upright. He gives her cheek a kiss and places her on the counter beside the bowl they are using. He lets her take the pastry dough out of the bowl, helping her when she struggles with the parts sticking to the bottom. Wheezie brings over a stool for Stella to stand on so that her niece can help roll out the dough. The force of her tiny body isn’t enough to roll the dough into the shape it needs to be, but Rafe is there to help apply the pressure needed. Stella scoops some of the filling onto her spoon and attempts to eat it. His hand stops her movement, “Little witch, you can’t eat that. It has raw egg in it. You can get sick.” He puts the filling onto a cut of dough. Her tiny pout makes him feel bad, so he gets her some candy from the cupboard. Her frown turns into a smile, chewing on the chocolate Kiss. They work together to make the buttercups and put them in the tiny muffin moulds. “Good job, let's get these in the oven,” he announces, opening the hot kitchen appliance and putting the tray on the rack. 

The timer dings after thirty minutes and Rafe goes to take the lemon buttercups out of the oven while Wheezie and Stella continue to watch their movie. They wait for the pastries to cool before arranging them into the letters they need. The words start to form a sentence and now, all he needs is to wait for Y/N to come home. 

——

She finds the lights in her house dim and this causes a crease to form between her eyebrows. The house is unusually quiet for a house normally filled with her daughter’s words. “Stella. Rafe. Where are you guys?” she calls out to the seemingly uninhabited room. Her purse finds a place on the entryway side table and she enters the kitchen. Her hands search around for the light switch, eventually aiding her ability to see. Something on the kitchen counter catches her eye. She notices they are arranged in a special way and she approaches the surface to read what it says. I love you -R. A smile crosses her face and tears start to form in her eyes. Her hand covers her mouth, trying to hide her expression. She looks around in search of the man, who wrote her message. She finds him behind her, looking at her with hopeful eyes. “Stella clued me in on a little misunderstanding that may have happened, so I thought I’d show you how I truly feel,” he explains to her. He takes a step forward, grasping her hand into his. She follows his motion and looks up at him. 

“And what misunderstanding happened?” she asks. He moves a piece of hair behind her ear, “You saw Raquelle at my house and probably thought something was happening between us, but I promise, nothing is. She was just bringing me my watch back. She tried flirting with me, but stopped immediately when I told her how serious I am about you.” A smile starts to form on her face, warmth filling her stomach at the mention of how he feels about her. “And how serious are you about me?” 

“So so serious. I told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and that’s true. I love you, Buttercup. So will you go on a date with me?” 

“I love you too, Button. Let’s go on a date.”

Their lips find their place on top of each other, working together to deepen their passion. She pulls away, gasping for air and places her forehead on his. “Where’s Stella and Wheezie?” she questions, eyes trying to find the mop of muddy blonde hair that matches her father’s. Rafe points to the door, “Wheezie took Stella back to her place. She wanted to give us some privacy. She knew our daughter’s tiny ears would be nosey.” “Ugh, our daughter is so nosey. Last week, she saw our neighbour got a package and wanted to open it to see what they got,” Y/N agrees with a small laugh. He could listen to her laughter all day, but hearing her call Stella their daughter for the rest of their lives will never be enough for him. Even if it would continue into the afterlife, he doesn’t think it is going to be enough. 

“She definitely gets it from her mama. You were nosey about my life all those years ago and look where we are now.”

“Excuse me. Last time I checked, you were the one who came to me. So if she got her noseiness from either of us, it’s you.” 

‘Okay, you might be right. How about we blame Benedict and call it a day?”

“I can work with that. He is worse than both of us combined.”

“Deal, so about that date.”

——

Nerves. Why is he feeling so nervous? He’s been on plenty of dates, he is so comfortable around Y/N and they’ve already had sex so it’s not like he won’t know how to pleasure her if they do end up going down that route. But for some reason, the only thing that can cause his palm to rival Niagra is going on a date with the woman he fell madly in love with. Per Stella’s advice, he is taking Y/N to paint their own pottery place. He waits for Y/N to come over, glancing at the clock every so often. He offered to pick her up, but since their daughter is being babysat at Y/N’s house, Y/N said they would feel less pressure if she met him at his house. The knock on the door has him stumbling over his own feet. He straightens out the plain black t-shirt he is wearing and tugs the cap of his dad hat down. 

With a whoosh, the door opens to reveal Y/N all ready for their date. She is wearing a pink short-sleeve ribbed shirt with a sweetheart neckline. Her black skirt shows off her perfect legs and he is mesmerized by the way it flows with her slightest movement. She is wearing a golden pendant necklace with Stella’s name engraved on it. Her hair falls in soft curls and her side bangs are pinned back. Her tan ballerina flats tie her outfit together. Rafe suddenly feels underdressed in his black shirt and tan khakis. His keys are clipped to his belt loop and he was going to tie the outfit together with his usual golden chain. He also makes a note to bring his dark blue Carhartt jacket in case Y/N gets cold. 

“You look beautiful. I think I got my outfit wrong, so I’m just gonna go changed real quick. Give me like two seconds,” he is about to go to his room when her hand catches his wrist. She shakes her head, “Don’t. I like it. It gives you such dad vibes. It suits you.” He smiles at her compliment, feeling that he is finally ready to make dad jokes and yawn as loud as a plane’s engine. “Then I’ll just stay right here,” he confirms. They stand, staring at each other for a second. He realizes they haven’t kissed yet, so he brings his lips closer to hers, giving her time to pull away. She stays there, letting him come to her before deepening the kiss. Her arms try to wrap around him, but the thing in her hand comes between their faces. They both separate to see a canvas-like fabric in front of their eyes. “Right, sorry. Stella wanted me to give you this. She wants you to wear it so you don’t stain your clothes,” she informs, handing him the kid-sized apron. He opens it to see Stella’s name scrawled at the top and the print of her tiny hands underneath. He knows it will be comedically small on him, but he is going to wear it anyway

He rolls it up and puts it in his back pocket, “I shall wear it with pride. Are you ready to go?” “I am, let’s hit the road,” she exclaims, taking his hand into hers. He really hopes she doesn’t feel the sweat lining his palm. He opens the door to the passenger side and helps her into his truck. 

——

“Seeing the Rafe Cameron so focused on his painting is funny to me,” she whispers, her face close to his. Her hot breath fans his face and he hopes the blush creeping on his cheeks can’t be seen. He takes a second to put his brush down, “Why? Is it because my big hands make the brushes look small?” “You wish. I wouldn’t inflate your ego that much. No, it’s because I’m pretty sure you are colour-blind and right now, you are so focused on the details of your ceramic,” she teases. He brings his face close to her ear, “If you don’t want to inflate my ego, then you might want to stop screaming so much whenever I make you cum. But I need this to be perfect, I am painting it for my little witch.” “Ugh, next time I’m just going to not make any noise if you are going to be like that. And she is going to love it, just so you know.” 

They get back to work on their own projects. Y/N can’t decide which colour to pick, so she holds up the ceramic, “What colour should I make the writing? I can make it blue to compliment the setting sun or maybe black to just stand out completely.” “I think you should do black. It will stand out more,” Rafe advises, unfurrowing his concentrated brows. She notices the smudge of paint along his jaw and giggles. Her hand reaches out to brush it off. His hand grabs hers before she can pull away, turning his lips toward her hand and kisses her on the palm. They both smile at each other and focus back on what they are doing. 

——

They didn’t talk much throughout the date, but that was okay. It was mostly filled with comfortable silence. They had so many opportunities to get to know each other before their first date, so it didn’t need to be the general course of conversation while they were working. Instead, they spoke softly about their week. About advice on how to improve their ceramic piece. About the most random things that come to mind. They considered going out for dinner once they left the ceramic place; however, the constant texts from Josh about Stella questioning how the date was going made them decide to order something at home with her. Even though her other uncle and her aunts offered to watch her, the youngest of the bunch was chosen because he was the one less likely to be a hyperactive puppy when they got back. The small family of three waves goodbye to Y/N’s youngest brother, closing the door once he is out of sight. 

“How was the date?” Stella inquires with an intrigued look on her face. Y/N smiles at Rafe, “It was amazing, Baby. Daddy and I had so much fun.” “Yay! Can I come on the next date?” Stella squeals while kicking her tiny legs. Rafe looks down at her in his arms, “I’m sorry, little witch, but I want your Mommy to myself for at least two more dates. Could you forgive me?” Her parents couldn’t think she could get more excited. “Yes, yes, yes! It means you really love each other. I can wait.” The adults both laugh, putting aside her cuteness to ask her what she wants for dinner. They ate dinner as a family, recounting almost every detail of the date to their daughter. After, they settled on the couch and snuggled together to watch a few episodes of Bluey per Stella’s request. As the night starts to creep on the clock, Rafe gets up to head back to his apartment. Stella is sleeping on Y/N’s chest, but Y/N still takes a second to stop him from going. “Do you want to sleep over?” she mumbles, combing her fingers through their daughter’s hair. His lips turn to a vertical point and leans down to kiss his girl on the lips, “I would love to. Let’s get this little witch to bed.” He takes his time with taking Stella into his arms, bringing her to her bedroom so they can get her changed into pyjamas. 

The family gets themselves ready for bed and intertwines their limbs together in a cuddle on Y/N’s bed. Stella lies in the middle of her two parents, enjoying the warmth they provide her. Her ears are finally no longer prying into her parents’ conversation, so they can talk about what they truly thought about the date. “You really did enjoy the date, right? You weren’t just saying that because Stella really wanted it to,” he verifies with worry dripping from his voice. She gives him a sleepy smile, “Yes, Rafe. I did love painting ceramics with you. I promise. Did you have a good time?” “Yeah. I never thought I could find such happiness in something so serene, but I did with you. I’m so thankful you showed me a calmer side to life because partying was really getting to my old creaky bones,” he jokes. They let out soft laughs. The laughter dies down and he can’t help but stare at this domestic moment. 

The light coming from the lamp, which they will leave on for the rest of the night for Stella, backlights Y/N’s hair with a warm glow. He can see the slight droop in her eyes and knows she is struggling to stay awake for him. “You aren’t that old. Just have one year on me. If you are old, then I am too and that is not allowed,” she reaffirms, her hand finding the skin of his arm to trace patterns. He leans over to give Y/N a kiss, “You aren’t old, Buttercup. We can stay young forever, together.” “Forever and Always?” she mimics the words her daughter often mutters to her father. His heart heats up at her words, “Forever and Always.”

——

The sun invades the room, yelling at Rafe to wake up. His arms reach out in the bed to pull his bed companions into his chest, but his hand meets the sheets. His eyes yawn open to reveal an empty bed and he can now hear the giggles of his girls coming from the kitchen. He notes the slight chill that fills the August air, going to the dresser to pull out some sweatpants to pull on. Stella and Y/N freeze when Rafe makes an appearance in the kitchen like they were caught in a crime. His eyes find a black blur at their feet and he now knows the reason for their giggles. “Salem, come here. You know Mommy and your sister aren’t supposed to be the ones feeding you. They always give you too much food,” Rafe scolds the kitten, picking him up to distance him from the food. The pet gives a small mewl, rubbing himself against Rafe’s warm and bare chest. Rafe gives the feline scratches on the head. Stella pouts up at her dad, trying to take Salem into her reach, “But Daddy, you were taking forever to wake up. Salem was going to starve to death.” “Sure, that’s the excuse you guys keep giving, but when Salem can’t walk by himself, don’t blame me,” he chuckles with a shake of his head. 

Y/N walks over to him, handing him his coffee in the mug she made for him on their first date. It has a painted silhouette of Stella on Rafe’s shoulders at the beach. They are both watching the sunset and on the other side, it reads #1 Dad. It’s his favourite mug. It has been for the past year now. “We have to be ready by twelve to help Sarah and John B set up for their gender reveal. It means we have to take a shower right after breakfast,” Y/N warns, staring Rafe dead in the eyes. He gives an offended look, “Hey! Why are you looking at me?” “Because out of Stella and me, you take the longest to shower so I don’t want you making us late. Your sister needs help and I want to relieve as much stress as I can for her,” she critiques, heading back to the food on the stove. He gives a salute, “Message heard. I shall be ready by twelve, Buttercup.” 

She gives a satisfied hum in approval and tells Stella to set the table with her father’s help. Breakfast goes rather quickly, with the five-year-old giving her parents an animated retelling of her dream. Once breakfast is cleaned up, the family breaks away to begin getting ready for the day. Rafe is returning from the laundry room with his button-up shirt in his hand and is passing by Stella’s room when she stops him. “Daddy, can you help me put on my necklace, please?” “Of course, I will, little witch,” he agrees, entering her room and going to the small ceramic jewellery box he painted for her. He helps her put it on before getting into the shower. At eleven-fifty, Stella, Y/N and Rafe are by the front door, getting their shoes on and bidding goodbye to the last member of the family who can’t come with them. Rafe helps Stella get into the car, helping her get buckled into her car seat. He gets into the driver's seat and reverses out of the driveway. His hand finds Y/N’s hand, intertwining their fingers and bringing them to the centre console. 

Through the back mirror, he watches their house fade into the distance. The house he has been living in with his two girls for eight months and with the young black cat for the past month. Moving in with Y/N and Stella has been an absolute dream. He never thought he would be a year sober with a five-year-old daughter, a two-month-old cat, and the most brilliant girlfriend ever, who is on her way to being the brightest star in Hollywood if he had anything to do with it. His life plan a year and a half ago was just to party and make his father proud, but now, he has a much better life than he ever had planned for himself. He’s been a year sober. Stella and Y/N helped him realize his father’s approval means nothing to him if it didn’t make him happy either and has finally let himself be free of that pressure. The past few months have been filled with laughter, fun and love, which has given his life true meaning. Now, as he heads to a party to determine if he is going to get a niece or nephew in the next few months, Rafe can’t help but be excited for the Forever and Always he will get with Y/N and Stella.

Taglist: @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming @drewstarkeyswifehoe @kisstaya @magicalyoura @mp-littlebit @loverfu55ii @dark1paradise @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @alyisdead @emeloyy @js-a-writer @kisstaya @optimisticsandwichgladiator @justdamnpeachy @theoraekenslover

[astridhoff03]

My top ten favorite Barbie movies

Like every young girl I loved the Barbie movies. These are some of my favorites. I like that they are timeless, that you can watch them in every age and still enjoy them like DreamWorks Trilogy Classics or Disney and Pixar Movies. They are still fun too watch and I am really happy the Masterpiece of the Barbie movie that Greta Gerwig created, accomplished this again with a deep meaning behind the story, which is why this movie is so great.

I also recently saw some of the new Barbie movie stuff that is animated and I have the feeling it’s no longer also for us old fans, it’s more for the younger audience. Which isn’t bad don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice to see when Barbie gets new fans, but with the old movies and the cinema version of Barbie I had more the feeling that it was for everyone. But the new Barbie dreamhouse show feels still for everyone. It’s a good show maybe not as iconic as life in the dreamhouse, which is still the best Barbie show today, but it takes another interesting turn on Barbie, her family and friends. I like that her parents got introduced, they are very nice and seem to love each other dearly, which is wonderful. Barbie herself is as always a great protagonist and I like that they tried to make her more relatable. Ken is a bit similar to his life in the dreamhouse self so he is still a dork but adorable, which suits him perfectly. They also have a Ryan and Raquelle, which are called Tammy and Tray. Which is fine but I would’ve liked if Ryan and Raquelle had a comeback in this, they were the best characters in the previous dreamhouse series.

[notchainedtotrauma]

Adrienne Raquel, Eye to Eye, from Onyx

Adrienne Raquel, In Her Element, from Onyx

Adrienne Raquel, Blu Bills, from Onyx

[eldiabo]

— OC Presentation🌻

Raquel Morgenstrahl is a sweet soul who is always lost in her daydreams. Don't be fooled by her shyness or paint-stained clothes! Behind those stains hides an enthusiastic, creative and kind girl... She just needs a little push to come out of her shell. The truth is that she has spent many long years away from society, and a helping hand would be welcome.

Fun Facts:

Raquel is quite shy , but this stems from her upbringing — she never had the chance to socialize with anyone other than her "mother" and "brother."

At school, Raquel tried to be more open and true to herself, but in the end... she faced rejection, which reignited her paranoia. Now, she isolates herself socially to avoid her fear of being rejected again.

Speaking of her "mother", the girl has a terrible relationship with her, as her so-called "mother" never accepted that "her son" was actually a girl. This left Raquel with a deep fear of rejection for simply being herself.

She got her first cell phone after being accepted into RSA — a "gift" from her mother (though Raquel doesn’t know it was really just a way to track her). Despite that, she was overjoyed, to the point of taking over 4,000 photos in her gallery.

And now for a cuter fact to lighten the mood: Raquel loves making her own clothes! She sews, paints (and even eats paint) to create comfortable, practical outfits for her daily life.

Oh, and she likes the taste of crayons (yes, she has terrible food tastes).

Playlist based on your personality:

[gegesimmer]

Child Conversions - Part One 🤍

Hey there lovelies! I received a lot of requests to convert some of the hairs I've created so I decided to start working on a few. It's not as easy as I thought it would be so I will be releasing these in between new hairs I create🤍

Download links (PUBLIC):

Kelly Hair (child) - CF | SFS

Raquel Hair (child) - CF | SFS

Naomi Hair (child) - CF | SFS

OR

Support Me ⁝ Direct Download 🤍

Original Hairs: Raquel Hair | Kelly Hair | Naomi Hair

Any support is honestly appreciated!🤎

Thank you to everyone who likes and reblogs my content! 🤎🤎🤎

[writing-for-life]

Nada—Nekroticism Illustration (Raquel Diez)

Everyone who creates Nada art honestly deserves a medal because there’s so painfully little of it. Thank you!

[christianobangnaldour]

introduction post ❤︎︎

about me :

my name is Grace and I have been a reality shifter for close to 3 years now.

I am from New Zealand 🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🔥🔥🔥 also a major k-pop fan !! my ult groups are stray kids (major), itzy, tomorrow x together and kiss of life 🤞 though I stan like 10 other groups too 💀✋

my current bias and bias wrecker(s) from each of my ults:

skz bias: bang chan

skz wrecker(s): generally it’s the rest of the group 💀 but my main bias wreckers for the longest time have been hyunjin and seungmin 😞✋

itzy bias: chaeryeongg

itzy wrecker(s): 2shinz 😞😞 (yuna and ryujin)

txt bias: yeonjun

txt wrecker(s): beomgyu and kai ‼️

kiof bias: JULIEEE

kiof wrecker(s): haneul 🤩

I have shifted 5x before, back in late 2022, though I took a break from shifting for my mental health and have not shifted since then. I have been on my journey towards shifting again since I ended my shifting break in May of 2023 :)

So far I have shifted to All Of Us Are Dead (a K-Drama) 4x, and I have shifted to Miraculous Ladybug 1x.

I am 16 years old, and the cut-off for people I would like to interact with my blog is probably 25, maybe younger too depending on how weird people get (I am a little weird myself, but I will not hesitate to block you if I find your interactions with my blog disturbing).

and please please PLEASE if you are an anti-shifter, do NOT interact with my blog. I DO NOT need your negative energy in my safe haven, you will be immediately BLOCKED. please do not interact with me and go take your negativity out on something useful in your life for once.

my main DRs (currently) :

Cosmic (my own K-Pop girl group DR)

3rd Gen K-Pop Soloist

Stray Kids 9th Member

Better CR (I have 4 different ones)

(p.s. I will do a little introduction to all of these DRs soon :))

OTHER DRS I HAVE :

Miraculous Ladybug (my first script and the first place I shifted to 🤞)

All Of Us Are Dead (2nd place I shifted to and also where I have shifted the most so far in my shifting journey)

Mean Girls

Itzy 6th Member

TXT 6th Member

Enhypen 8th Member

Own Survival Show (basically I created a k-pop survival show for a DR and participated in it)

Life in Korea/Dating a K-Pop Idol

K-Idol High School

Life in Korea/High School in Korea

Alice in Borderland

Sweet Home

True Beauty

Vincenzo

M1XTAPE (another own k-pop girl group)

ICON1C (yet another own k-pop girl group except this one is an early 3rd gen group while my other ones are early 4th gen groups)

Jujutsu Kaisen

Naruto

K-Pop Soloist

Welcome to Samdal-ri

A Business Proposal

XO, Kitty (shhh it’s only for Minho)

K-Drama character High School (basically where I go to school with a bunch of characters from my favourite K-Dramas)

Wednesday

Victorious

Never Have I Ever

Descendants

Barbie Princess Charm School (YES I’M SHIFTING TO MY FAV OG BARBIE MOVIES CUZ WHY NOT 😝)

Barbie Fairy Secret

Barbie Mermaid Tale

Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse (imagine how fun would it be to be friends with Raquelle 🤭🤭)

Good Morning Call (my man Daichi needs justice after Nao rejected him for the walking talking breathing red flag 😞✋)

(oh also p.s. a lot of these are unfinished scripts that I scrapped bc I get distracted by a new DR idea like every week 💀🙏 I might also do some introductions for a few of these DRs too since some of them I am still really excited about and want to share with y’all 🙃)

DO NOT INTERACT :

anti-shifters (I can never say this enough)

k-pop haters (pls just leave me and my silly obsession alone 😞)

people who judge others desired realities (THIS IS A SAFE HAVEN FOR A REASON Y’ALL)

people who spread misinformation about shifting

people who pressure and manipulate others into sharing their shifting stories (literally if they don’t want to share their experience in their DR LEAVE THEM TF ALONEEE !! it’s THEIR desired reality not YOURS. people are not obliged to tell their stories if they don’t feel comfortable doing so bozo)

generally anybody over 25. like I stated before, I will block you if your interactions are too disturbing for me (regardless of age), though if you are just a shifter in their 20s wanting to interact with me then feel free ☺️ I just made the cut off 25 because I don’t feel comfortable speaking with anybody older than that just for my safety. oh also I am not open to DMs from anybody over the age of 18 also for my safety, but feel free to send me asks tho !!

ot6 riize fans 👎👎 (RIIZE IS 7 !! JUSTICE FOR SEUNGHAN !! SM ENTERTAINMENT CONDONES BULLYING AND ABUSE !!)

there are a lot more that I will probably add here later but I just can’t think of them at the top of my head anymore (I literally have the memory of a goldfish goodbye 😖✋)

DO INTERACT :

funny people (PLEASE I need humorous people on this blog)

15-17 yr olds (please please PLEASE if you are a shifter in this age range, also specifically a k-pop fan too 😖 please slide into my DMs I need shifting friends my age and also more k-pop friends my age 🙏)

STAYSSSS (adding to the above statement I also NEED stay friends pls pls pls hmu on DMs if u are in my age range 🙏🙏🙏)

shifters who shift to similar DRs as me (apart from my main DRs I have like 50 other DRs that I will probably start working on again sometime)

that’s pretty much it really I’m actually very lenient on who can interact with me cus in all honesty I just wanna find my typa ppl to talk to and be friends with mahn 😭🙏 I’m a little bit weird but I promise I won’t scare you away too much 😞✋

okie dokie (yo) thank u all for reading this it’s def the most crucial part to read on my blog before exploring further 🙏 btw I am not that new to tumblr I have been on here for abt 2 months on a separate private blog to get the jist of this app before I decided to make a shifting blog 😄 I hope you guys enjoy my blog and my future upcoming posts, I will do my best to stay active on here, something that I have not been good at when it comes to social media 😣 oh also I DEFINITELY should have mentioned that I am a loud and proud yapper 🔥🔥 so this blog will be filled with a looooot of long paragraphs 😁😁

I wish you all only the best of luck during your shifts and shifting journeys, you discovered shifting for a reason ! if you weren’t meant to shift you wouldn’t have discovered shifting ! I believe in you all !! mwah 💋

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Companies in Brazil step up initiatives to foster diversity

Amid ongoing debates on sustaining diversity programs, organizations highlight their efforts and commitment

While some companies are scaling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts, others are intensifying their initiatives and reaffirming their commitment to the agenda.

Heineken, for instance, is taking significant steps to foster inclusion. In addition to its affinity groups, the company runs leadership programs and training designed to equip managers with the tools to create safer, more welcoming work environments. “Last year, the common module for all leadership training focused on psychological safety, which allows us to cultivate an inclusive atmosphere where people can be themselves and are valued for it,” explains Raquel Zagui, vice president of people in Brazil and global head of DE&I at Heineken Group.

Looking ahead to 2025, Heineken plans to launch the “Elas que Brilham” program, which aims to accelerate the careers of women in traditionally male-dominated fields. The 12-month program will train 15 women from various regions of Brazil who work in production, sales, and distribution to take on leadership roles. “Another important focus for 2025 is advancing the careers of Black professionals. To achieve this, we will invest in the ‘Potencies’ program, which is designed to strengthen soft skills and fast-track these professionals’ growth within our organization.”

Heineken has also revamped its recruitment and selection processes to eliminate unconscious biases, ensuring all candidates have equal opportunities. Currently, women hold 44% of leadership positions, with a goal to reach 50% by 2026. In terms of racial equity, 36% of leadership positions are occupied by Black employees, and the goal is to increase this to 40% by 2030. “To drive this transformation, we launched a national internship program for young Black people across Brazil last year. Today, 47% of our interns and 60% of our young apprentices are Black,” she adds. Additionally, the company continues to enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities, with 5.3% of employees currently identifying as such.

Continue reading.

[sacredhyacinth]

Sorry if this has been asked before or if it’s bordering on spoiler territory, but I’m a new BM fan so my knowledge on the lore is a bit off

But I’m interested to know if Mira and David have a thing going on

I know David holds a strong attachment towards Mira as a way to cope with the death of his mother because she was one of the only few who stuck by him while everyone moved on with Reina’s death (and we can’t forget about Mira’s guilt about it as well)

Additionally I remember seeing a few artwork/videos of them acting very close and the whole Lady Light and Prince Marc where Davi’s light was slowly seeping in Marc’s name (that’s right I did my homework for this ☝️🤓) which gave such a huge “No matter what timeline we’re in, I’ll always be by your side” aaaahhhh type beat (Gabriel and Loretta are side eyeing at this)

But considering Gael is here and, in my interpretation, there looks to be some feelings reciprocated between him and David (although it looks to be quite angsty as they both seem to be chasing each other in circles and not really saying anything, Raquel and Mina are weeping at this—)

And of course can’t forget about Mira and her past relationship with Harmonia, even though both parties moved on (at least I think? Harmonia definitely has considering she’s living her cottagecore life with Dahlia raising their emotionally unstable kid by the name Loretta while playing Minecraft)

I kinda feel like that embodiment of that one meme of that guy with the tinfoil hat with the chart behind him, trying to connect the red dots as I prove to my imaginary demons on why Mira x David is based but I’m just speaking to air and no one is seeing anything

Like I cannot be the only one that sees David and Mira falling under the “We’re soulmates but unfortunately we met too soon so we’re stuck in this limbo until we finally mature and truly embrace this love to the fullest extent”

Anyways, sorry for the long rant, I had to get this out of my chest because I’m just being plagued by cute images of David and Mira but idk if it’s my delusions speaking or if there is basics to this, so I needed to go to the source directly and finally move on with my life

(that’s a lie, BM has a chokehold on me, thank you for creating this amazing story, keeping cooking)

WELL

both of them are plagued by their own narcissism and high expectations to genuinely have a romantic relationship—like for example David can’t emotionally handle a relationship with Gael cause bro self isolates 24/7 and he’s just growing tired of him being around constantly, like it’s not like he doesn’t love Gael, he just doesn’t like him if that makes any sense whatsoever

but Mira and David are just right person wrong time (yes I know it “doesn’t exist” but I don’t have another term for them)