STIGMA.

still unable to verbalize the hopeless dream in my heart.

STATISTICS.  BACKSTORY.  CONNECTIONS.  MUSINGS.

Late evening rolls around and Don feels a sense of tiredness wash over him as the sky darkens, revealing a blanket of stars. After an eventful evening, he takes some time alone, his body settled in the sand, watching as the waves calmly sway. He thinks of the day come and gone after spending all morning and afternoon with Thea. The press tour for their new series was already proving tedious, journalists taking it upon themselves to ask inappropriate questions about their respective pasts. It was strange how in moments like those, he just wanted to see Jolie. Over the years, their relationship has become somewhat of a much-needed comfort for Don. Jolie was his safety net, the one constant in his life that he couldn’t bare to let go of, even in the face of new change and two growing minds.

The need to see her leads Don here, sitting on the beach and unlocking his phone, going to text his girlfriend. The light from the screen illuminates his tired face as he goes to type out a message. Back when their romance first began, his words used to flow freely and without a care, now he endured a sense of unwavering nervousness in the face of communicating with the one he loved. 

In the distance, ocean licks a crowded shore, and music filled the air enveloping Santa Monica pier. The End of the Trail music festival comes as new relief for Don, the actor able to wander about the event without being recognized or approached too often. Most were there to sway and bob their heads to the musical acts, as well as play games and ride the carnival attractions. He was previously meant to attend with his equally famous girlfriend but she was busy with other affairs. So, instead, he arrived with Thea. Somewhere amongst the mingling and wandering about, he lost the blonde. Now he was weaving through strangers on his own before finally stumbling upon a familiar face. 

There’s an element of common decency that you lose when you become famous. People begin to view you as public property, the likes of who you are now up for grabs. And, sure, being Don Kim and Thea Ellis came with more pros than cons, but the cons themselves often felt all-consuming. The con today was being asked invasive questions during the press junket for their new HBO series. They’ve had to dodge many at this point despite it being only the beginning of the tour. Their respective agents and managers now have to inform most journalists and interviewers of what not to ask which makes Don feel cynical and like a prop. In a world full of real people and too-curious minds, he only had Thea to relate to, and something about that made him feel both saddened but warm.

“Hey,” He greets the blonde, sitting beside her inside the empty room where they reside. The two were given a quick break before finishing up the last of their joint interviews. “People can be really...” Don begins, attempting to find the right words, “Nosy, I guess.” He decides on, shrugging his broad shoulders. Though, in hindsight, nosy wasn’t the right term. Inappropriate was a better suited word to describe the people they’ve encountered today. A sigh escapes Don, mentally embracing the quiet that envelopes the both of them for a quick moment.