Chapter Text
Even with all the crazy going on, the chaos of classes and upcoming midterms and the boys and the witches and magic - Bloom notices.
And maybe she wouldn’t, if Tecna weren’t so stark an opposite, but when Stella’s phone buzzes she tenses and her eyes grow hard whenever anyone so much as alludes to her family, and -
Tecna is exhausted with her family’s worry, but she loves them and knows she is loved and she so visibly affirms that to the rest of them without even trying that Bloom has never once considered that Tecna’s siblings or parents are hurting her. Stella, though -
“So what percentage of your parents are being assholes?” Bloom asks, and flings herself down onto the absolute rats nest of a bed Stella is also flopped on. They’re alone, Stella’s bedroom door closed, and it’s been a long, frustrating day of classes - professors getting increasingly dismissive of Bloom and the girls getting increasingly snappy in turn. They’re all exhausted. And maybe that’s why Stella doesn’t waive it away.
She sighs, and rolls over onto her side to better look at Bloom, and Bloom reaches forward because Stella’s eyes are swimming with tears and her makeup is already smudged.
“Do you mind if I dump on you?”
“Wouldn’t be here if I did, babe.” Bloom murmurs back, and Stella’s whole face screws up as she tries not to cry. Stella takes a deep breath, and then another, and Bloom’s impressed even beyond the way her own eyes are already stinging - deep breaths have always just made her cry more.
“They had an arranged marriage. Mom’s from…Solaria has two…groups I guess. Not like how Earth groups itself, but our magic is - distinct. Half of the planet draws its power from the sun and half from the moon. Two totally different cultures and societies and all that. And it’s - the fighting is so petty, I fucking swear - “
Stella cuts herself off with a groan, and rubs her eyes. Bloom lets out a little hum of acknowledgment.
“It’s - It’s been pretty one-sided since they got married and ascended the throne, right? They rule jointly. I’m the first half-breed to be, like. Celebrated. Can’t tell you how great it was growing up with my grandparents - anyway. Solarians become adults at eighteen, but Lunarians become adults at sixteen. Dad always pushed for Solarian stuff to be celebrated publicly. He didn’t even want me to have my adulthood ceremony, but - Mom just had one privately with me, and - we weren’t really close growing up. And I can’t help but wonder how much of that was Dad’s fault, because she’s - “ Stella cuts herself of with a hardly noticeable hitch to in her breath.
“…What happened?”
“It’s - I’m an adult in her eyes. So she doesn’t hide stuff from me anymore. Not that she really did before, but she’s - we talk and she tells me stuff and…I knew they were divorcing because she found out Dad’s been cheating on her, like, their entire marriage. And that sucked, because I love him but he hurt her and he hurt me, and…I think she knew before, though. She just - I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they waited until I was off-planet before starting this.”
“Did you know?” Bloom asks quietly. Stella still looks frustrated, and Stella’s always been one to vent, to need to push it all out there in the open, to purge.
“I should have. I think he’s brought me around his - mistresses. Before. But - no. I wouldn’t have protected him if I’d…” She shakes her head and knocks her headband askew. Bloom reaches out and plucks it free of her hair because Stella might be obsessive about fashion and pampering but her hair still snarls worse than Bloom’s ever seen and if she’s going to emotionally drain herself now, she won’t have the energy to deal with that later.
“So he’s being a jackass.”
“He told my mother to abdicate or he’d make the divorce public and draw me into it.” Stella says flatly.
Bloom blinks.
“…Your dad is trying to overthrow your mom?”
“She’s the one with the royal bloodline. He married in. He says it’ll be fine because I’m his heir, and I’ve got all the royal blood anyone could possibly want in me!” Stella spits out, enraged, and the air around her hands is already shimmering with heat. Bloom pushes herself up, mind racing, thinking, and -
“You guys have social media, right?” She asks slowly, and Stella’s eyes snap to her.
“You have a plan?”
“Maybe. If you’re up for it. I might…have an idea. For removing your dad’s blackmail.”
“What would that be?” Stella asks, pushing herself up already, the intensity of the cosmos itself lighting up her eyes. Bloom chews on her lip for a moment, and then shrugs.
If this goes south, at least Stella’s tried. At least they’ve tried.
“Go public with it first.”