#eclectical muses

8). [Isabel has love and support from her dads and extended family...but she also was very alone. Both her dads had to work---Seta often international work while Ray had long work days---, Scheza was traveling for her job as a writer, and Yukomo's workaholic tendencies often mean that she's not seen for months at a time; this often meant Isabel was with her uncle Joaquin or on her own. While she holds no resentment towards her family for having to work in order to provide, it did hurt during times she just wanted and needed them present. She often wished her mom didn't pass so not to be so lonely, and to have a mom like many of her peers do. Isabel doesn't voice this, she internalizes it and it's also motivates a lot of what she does and how she cares for others. It's also why she held onto certain friendships so closely. For better or for worse.]

6). [When Clo's parents were still around, it was a happy home. Mom was a baker and dad was a fisherman, they didn't need much, they had each other. So their sudden passing really hurt Clo, and tragically, it lead to his predicament with Boyd Perlman. The Perlmans took in Clo because the father was friends with his dad, and while they were nice people, they were too trusting in their son, often taking everything Boyd told them to be true. This trust in Boyd is why they ended up turning a blind eye to his darker tendencies, and mistook Clo's cries for help as him still grieving. Boyd's older twin sisters were a reprieve for Clo, often making sure he was fed and stepping in when they caught their brother being horrible to their youngest addition, but they were also significantly older than than the boys, so they had their own lives they were focusing on. This environment ultimately led to Clo's low self worth---feeling he was a burden to others and not worthy of love---and caution with adults, and his unfortunate reliance on Boyd until he finally found the strength to leave him.]