#Community Self Build Agency

[calicocreatures]

this used to be really hard for me because i had overcomplicated the idea of consent. if i hadn't had an explicit conversation with someone about them wanting to regularly text, i thought, then i need to watch for signals that they're interested in the conversation. how quickly do they text back? do they text back at all? if they don't respond, i should interpret that as a signal that they're not interested, lest i cross an unspoken line.

what i'm realizing now that my community has blossomed is that thinking like i used to was a great way to 1. assume a lot of people don't like you, 2. keep the list of people you think of as friends very small.

i'm still overcoming the self esteem issues. i'm learning to do what feels like "imposing" myself. but when i assume that people who have already responded warmly to me would like to continue hearing from me, i feel more vibrant.

i have a writer friend who texts me back once every couple of months. in between, i'll send her a message - "read this book that made me think of you. i'm imagining you reading it, and i'm imagining you writing it."

one of my friends is sick, so i send him a message. he doesn't respond because he's resting, but i still send him memes and jokes to give something to smile about next time he checks his phone.

in person, people apologize. "i'm sorry i didn't respond to your message yet - i have a hard time keeping up with texts, but it's not you," they'll say. "me too," i'll tell them. "try not to worry about it. let's pretend like we're writing each other letters." now texting feels like leaving notes for each other. "i was here, and i'm happy to imagine you will soon be here, too."

every now and then the internet decides it should revamp the ole “stop texting first and see how many friends you lose” when in reality you could literally just communicate that u feel bad that ur the only one texting first

[aeth-eris]

★ how to maximize profits via 2nd house ★

aries in the 2nd house can maximize profits by capitalizing on their entrepreneurial drive and competitive spirit. aries benefits from fast-paced, high-energy ventures where they can lead and make quick decisions. they might excel by launching a fitness training program, offering personal coaching services, or starting a motivational brand that sells products like athletic apparel, energy drinks, or performance gear. aries could also find success with subscription boxes focused on high-adrenaline hobbies like hiking, martial arts, or adventure sports. by embracing ventures that allow them to innovate quickly and take the lead, aries can build profitable businesses that leverage their passion and high energy.

taurus in the 2nd house is well-suited for steady financial growth through high-quality, long-term investments and products. they thrive in businesses that emphasize luxury, beauty, and quality, such as a high-end skincare line, organic foods business, or eco-friendly clothing brand. taurus could also consider starting a boutique furniture store that sells artisan-crafted or vintage items, as they appreciate products with enduring value. with their talent for creating a comforting atmosphere, taurus might excel with a bed and breakfast, a spa, or a wellness center that offers relaxation services. taurus maximizes profits by focusing on products that prioritize quality and offer a luxurious experience, appealing to clients who value longevity and craftsmanship.

gemini in the 2nd house can boost profits by tapping into their adaptability and communication skills, especially in diverse, mentally stimulating fields. they could thrive by starting a digital marketing agency, offering copywriting or editing services, or launching an online course platform that covers a wide range of topics to cater to curious minds. with their natural social skills, gemini could also excel in creating a networking app or social media consulting service. offering services like translation, podcasting, or even freelance journalism can keep income flowing, as gemini is well-suited to manage multiple streams of revenue. their knack for curiosity-driven ventures and networking makes them ideal for businesses that involve idea-sharing, quick adaptability, and community engagement.

cancer in the 2nd house can increase earnings by focusing on nurturing and emotionally resonant businesses that bring comfort to others. they might start a home-cooked meal delivery service, a childcare center, or a family-focused event planning service that organizes intimate gatherings like birthdays and reunions. cancer could also do well in real estate, particularly with home staging or property management that emphasizes creating warm, inviting spaces. they could excel in interior decorating, especially with a focus on cozy, family-oriented spaces, or start a handcrafted candle or blanket line. by building businesses that revolve around care, comfort, and family, cancer can create loyal clients and establish long-term success through emotional connections.

leo in the 2nd house maximizes profits by showcasing their creativity and leadership, often excelling in businesses that allow them to stand out and build a brand. leo could find success with a personal brand consultancy, fashion line, or luxury event planning business. they might enjoy launching a social media channel focused on lifestyle or self-improvement, where they can attract sponsorships or sell branded merchandise. leo also thrives in roles where they can influence and inspire others, so they might consider starting a motivational speaking business, an acting or dance academy, or a high-end boutique. with their flair for self-expression, leo profits best when they create high-quality, visually captivating products and services that let their star power shine through.

virgo in the 2nd house finds financial success through practical, detail-oriented services that provide high value and efficiency. they excel in businesses that involve organization, health, and precision, such as financial consulting, tax preparation, or a personal organizing service. virgo might also thrive with a nutrition or wellness coaching business, offering tailored health plans or holistic products like herbal supplements or self-care kits. a digital bookkeeping service, copyediting business, or virtual assistant agency could also bring them steady profits, as virgo’s meticulous nature appeals to clients who seek reliability and structure. by focusing on services that emphasize quality and organization, virgo builds a reputation for excellence that attracts a steady client base.

libra in the 2nd house can increase earnings by leveraging their skills in diplomacy, aesthetics, and partnerships. they could start a wedding planning business, a floral design company, or a luxury lifestyle brand that sells carefully curated home décor items. libra would also excel in public relations consulting or brand management roles, where they can help clients present a refined, balanced image. creating a high-end art gallery, a boutique law firm, or a relationship coaching service could also align well with libra’s skills. libra thrives in partnership-focused ventures, so building collaborative business models or co-founding a business with others can also enhance their profitability and bring a sense of harmony to their financial life.

scorpio in the 2nd house maximizes profits by tapping into their ability to handle intensity and complexity, often succeeding in fields like finance, psychology, and research. scorpio could build wealth by creating a private investigation firm, a psychotherapy practice, or a financial planning service specializing in wealth management or estate planning. they might also thrive in real estate investment, particularly with properties that need transformation, such as flipping houses or managing rental properties. scorpio may also excel in businesses related to holistic healing, offering reiki or shadow work coaching. by focusing on industries that require trust, depth, and resilience, scorpio can attract clients who value privacy and are willing to invest in transformational services.

sagittarius in the 2nd house can increase profits by embracing their love for adventure, growth, and education. they could launch a travel agency specializing in unique cultural experiences, a language learning platform, or a motivational speaking business that offers courses and workshops. sagittarius could also thrive by creating a publishing company focused on philosophical or inspirational content or starting a tour guiding business for international destinations. their enthusiasm for knowledge makes them great at teaching, so they might consider offering online courses or starting a coaching business in a field they’re passionate about. by aligning with growth-oriented ventures, sagittarius can attract an audience that values inspiration and big-picture thinking.

capricorn in the 2nd house maximizes profits through disciplined, long-term planning and a practical approach to business. they’re well-suited for businesses like a corporate consulting firm, project management agency, or investment portfolio service. capricorn could also do well in real estate development, particularly with rental properties or commercial buildings. they might find success by starting a financial advisory firm or creating a luxury goods company focused on high-end, timeless products like leather goods or fine jewelry. by aligning with industries that reward patience and professionalism, capricorn can build a solid financial foundation and enjoy steady growth, often seeing long-term success through conservative but reliable investments.

aquarius in the 2nd house can increase profits by focusing on innovation, technology, and humanitarian ventures. they might launch a tech startup, a renewable energy company, or a social media platform that prioritizes community and ethical interaction. aquarius could also find success with a nonprofit organization focused on social justice, an eco-friendly product line, or a collaborative workspace for creatives and freelancers. their futuristic mindset makes them perfect for ventures in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, or virtual reality. by aligning their finances with progressive and forward-thinking industries, aquarius can attract clients and customers who value innovation and social impact.

pisces in the 2nd house maximizes profits by leaning into their creativity, compassion, and spirituality. they may thrive in a music or art therapy practice, a spiritual coaching business, or a holistic wellness center that offers services like yoga, meditation, and crystal healing. pisces could also succeed by creating a boutique art studio, a dream journal line, or a subscription service for wellness products like essential oils, herbal teas, and calming rituals. they’re drawn to businesses that help others heal or connect with their inner selves, so they may also find success in fields like astrology, psychic readings, or intuitive counseling. by aligning with businesses that emphasize emotional well-being and creativity, pisces can build a profitable venture that resonates deeply with clients who seek personal and spiritual growth.

[astrogre]

People Represented in each House

Including niche examples

1H

Yourself, your persona. You as an individual. Your role models (projection of your ideal self)

2H

Business partners, business collaborators, acting/modelling/any agency you are under. Podcasters you listen to, literal social media influencers, salesman, your self esteem mentors,your real estate agent, your savings coach, your bank, your stockbroker

2H includes people who influence how you earn money. 2H represents people who can influence your personal values and your self esteem E.g a Ben Shapiro to a politically curious individual, the kardashians to a teenage girl. 2nd house can also represent people involved in the maintenance, acquisition and management of your possessions and finances

3H

Your siblings, your neighbours, your relatives like extended family, peers and acquaintances like the people in your class you know of but don’t talk to enough to say they’re your friend, peers, acquaintances, colleagues/coworkers, professors, educational teachers, speaking coach, language teacher

3H is related to intellectual pursuits, learning, just all forms of intellectual development, mercury sits well here. It’s about the people who you interact with daily as they influence your way of communication The individuals here would influence your communication style, interests and knowledge

4H

Your mother (mother figure if you don’t have a mother), your parents but particularly your mother figure, the collective of your whole family, ancestors, caregivers, people that live in your house like your flatmates, your housemates, housekeepers, butlers

4H represents the physical home, the mother, familial connections, nurturers etc. so the people here would be the ones living in it and those who have influence in your domestic life

5H

Your children, your inner child, you as a parent, your nieces, your nephews, romantic partners (short term), artistic partners E.g co-writers, collaborators, people involved in your projects, your students, your mentees, your investors, your hook up partners, people who you gamble or just play games with.

5H represents children, creativity, your mentoring to others, gambling, fun, joyful light love affairs, it’s also ruled by Leo. So we have these people involved with these themes

6H

Coworkers, colleagues, employees, staff (individuals who work under you or provide a service to you), your doctor, your contractors, your nurses, your teammates, your healthcare providers, your therapist, your career coach, your internship mentor, your assistants, your service providers, your pets, your gym colleagues, your fitness instructor, your nutritionist, your organiser, your HR department, your vet

6H represents work environment, daily routines, service, health and well-being, these are the people that you find under that setting

7H

Romantic partners, your spouse, life partner, your closest friends, confidants, allies, your supporters, your business partners, anyone you form a pact with, your clients, your customers (the kind you engage with in professional settings), your lawyers, your legal team, your competitors, your opponents, your matchmaker, your wedding planner, your relationship therapist

7H ruled by Libra represents all relationships that also includes bad ones btw, business relationships, marriage, 7H represents companions, partnerships, professional relationships, legal matters, professional representation so the people that fall under this house would be those that build relationships with you

8H

Financial partners/advisors, therapists, inheritors, beneficiaries (who you inherit from), occult teachers, your intimate long term sexual partners, your accountant, your councillors, your psychologist, your insurance agents, your estate planners, your morticians

8H is associated with death, sex, psychology, transformation, joint resources etc. and so these are the kind of people that 8H would represent

9H

Your professors, your teachers, your spiritual leaders, your priest, your pastor, your favourite scholars, your favourite philosophers, your lawyers, your judges, your legal advisors, your authors, your educational materials, your foreign friends, your foreign connections.

alike to 3H in education but 9H rules higher education so it’s an octave higher than 3H in terms of the teachers associated with it. 9H also represents justice and law so it would include people that work in this field that you encounter

10H

Your father, your boss, your mentor, your manager, people of authority, your parents (father in particular), influential figures you look up to, e.g your fave celebrities, government, politicians, your PR team, your publishers, you as a role model, your admirers like the people who look up to you, influencers, your business, icons

10H association with self-image and reputation and classic Saturn authority would include those who are involved in those themes

11H

Friends, peers. Social activists, humanitarians, philanthropists, inventors, forecasters, visionaries, leaders, community organisers, trendsetters

different from 3H in the sense that with 11H friends, you actually share the same goals and interests in mind whereas with 3H it’s mostly an exchange of communication about these parts of yourself and they are less as significant in your social life compared to 11H type of friends

12H

Spiritual beings, your religion, spiritual forces, your subconscious mind, artists, creative people, writers, hospital patients, prisoners, monks, religious people, volunteers, dreamers, charities.

12H represents those that can derive what is within their inner secluded world and bring it into reality. It’s associated with empathy, mental/spiritual state, seclusion and the bed. The people here would be those that would retreat, help others and tap into realms beyond the physical)

[gabrielleragusi]

For Artists: My Experience with Commission Platforms and Illustration Agencies

Hi there! I’ve been wanting to compile a list of commission platforms that I’ve personally used for the longest time, and I finally did it! I’ve highlighted the still-active commission platforms in bold and struck those that don't exist anymore so you can jump to the sections that interest you without needing to read my entire story.

Let me start by briefly introducing myself.

I’m Gabrielle, a fantasy illustrator. Since 2014, I’ve been working on book covers and illustrations for publishers, authors, and book subscription boxes. Early on, work wasn’t as frequent as it is now. I had to search for opportunities myself, and even small private commissions were important for building my portfolio and earning some money, which I’d spend on materials, books, and online courses. Like many other artists, I started out by trying my luck with the biggest art community available at the time.

DeviantArt

2009-2018

Once upon a time, there was a virtual haven called DeviantArt. To my teenage self, it was a magical place. I signed up in 2009 and thought I’d never leave!

At first, I created an account just to share my work and learn. I didn’t even think about commissions for four or five years. But when that first inquiry finally landed in my inbox, things took off! My mum swears she remembers my excitement when I got my first commission, but for some reason, I’ve completely forgotten about it. I can't remember what it was or how much it paid. It might have been a portrait of a fantasy character.

Commissions on DeviantArt were fairly frequent, especially considering my cheap prices at the time. I used to offer discounts and post my rates in my DeviantArt journal, or in Commission groups that featured artists either monthly or weekly. After checking out my profile, a client could simply send me a private message and from there, we’d discuss payment, deadlines, and other details, and the platform didn’t take any fees, much like how ArtStation works today. Everything happened through private messages or email, with direct contact between artist and client.

The downside of this process was that there was no dispute resolution system on the platform. I had to handle all issues myself, and unfortunately, problems did arise sometimes: there were clients changing their minds about commissions, asking for refunds after work was delivered, refusing to pay, or just ghosting me. These issues didn’t happen because clients were evil, but rather because I was inexperienced and allowed some to take advantage of my naivety.

However, all that frustration helped me develop my commission process through trial and error (mostly error). And despite the challenges, I can say with satisfaction that most of the commissions I received through my DeviantArt profile were positive experiences.

DeviantArt eventually introduced a commission feature for Core (Premium) users, which came with a platform fee, but I didn’t use it much, and I’m not sure if it still exists.

The real beauty of dA, though, was the connections I made. I was able to meet people, both artists and clients, that I’m still in contact with today, and some of whom I still collaborate with.

I closed my account in 2018 or 2019, but by that time, I hadn’t really used it for a couple of years. The new user interface was a bit of a turn-off for me. I had always loved the geeky, and dare I say cozy, look of the old green and grey aesthetic, with its customisable panels that you could move around and personalise with HTML code... But I digress.

Artists and Clients

2013-2016

While taking small commissions on DeviantArt, I discovered Artists & Clients. It was a nice platform for clients to get things like their D&D characters or groups illustrated for relatively cheap. I think my highest price was $50 for a single character portrait, with the platform taking a 15% cut. I used it for about two or three years before the platform started to change.

As more artists with hentai art styles flooded in, the homepage shifted, and so did the clientele. There’s nothing wrong with drawing naked anime girls, of course, but you can understand that if a client is looking for a fantasy, semi-realistic painting of their female orc character, or a realistic portrait of their spouse, it's more than likely that they won't bother sifting through a sea of anime girls to find the style they want, imagining it isn't here. Let's just say that, at the time, the website took a definite direction that wasn't in line with my genre, but this direction didn't make the different, more realistic art styles stand out either.

Soon, commissions slowed down for me, so I closed my account, but by then I was already working elsewhere.

That said, this platform could still be a useful tool if you’re looking to take on smaller commissions.

DreamUp

2014-2015

DreamUp wasn’t an AI generator back then. It was actually a subsidiary of DeviantArt, where clients could post projects and artists could apply. It was a competitive platform that offered well-paid work–very well-paid. I remember seeing jobs posted that ranged from $300 to $1,200. DreamUp was a very professional platform for clients with a mid to high budget.

I believe I landed my very first book cover commission through this website when I was in my last year of high school. I remember getting the job and going to school the next morning, excited to share the news with my classmates. Everyone was super thrilled for me (we were a really close-knit class!), and I felt like I was walking on air.

Unfortunately, as far as I know, that book was never released, but it didn’t matter because I was moving forward, and fast.

I’m not sure when DreamUp was shut down, but I do know that DeviantArt held onto the copyrighted name, assigning it to something so anti-old DreamUp that it still boggles my mind.

ArtCorgi

Now Artistree

2014-2019

When I received an invitation to join ArtCorgi from its founder, I already had a somewhat consistent portfolio. I was painting portraits and fantasy illustrations, and the clients on this platform were looking for both–your typical wedding and pet portraits, as well as book covers, which were what really interested me. To get to the latter, I had to do the former. Over the years, I’ve painted so many realistic portraits that now I have a strict rule for my own sanity not to do them any more. I have great respect for portrait artists, but it’s just not me.

When I first submitted my prices to the person I was in contact with, she kindly suggested that I raise them... a lot. That was a major step forward in my professional career. I went from charging $50 to $100/$200 overnight. And to my surprise, people actually wanted to commission me at those prices!

From 2014 to 2019, I took nearly every commission that came my way. I never spoke directly with the clients; all instructions and feedback went through my point of contact, which helped maintain a level of professionalism, although now that I’m used to working directly with clients, I’m not sure I’d want to go back to having an intermediary.

Sadly, as with all good things, this chapter came to an end. My point of contact eventually left communication in the hands of someone else, and shortly after, the commission fee changed to, I believe, 30%.

Simply put, 30% is an unrealistic cut for a website like this. For an agent that gets you all kinds of big work in the publishing industry, sure, but since this was not the case I had to stop taking commissions. Despite that, my overall experience with ArtCorgi was very positive.

Today, ArtCorgi joined another platform, Artistree. As far as I can tell, Artistree doesn’t take any fees from artists, with clients covering a small cost instead.

Sketchmob (?)

2016-2020

This was probably the platform I used the most. I’ve lost count of how many commissions I received through Sketchmob. Many. Enough to generate a steady income at the time. With reasonable fees and a variety of art styles available, clients contacted me almost daily. Communication was direct between artists and clients, and payments could be split. The review system also worked very well… for a while.

Once I raised my prices, requests became fewer and farther apart. But by then, I was already working with my own clients.

Is this platform still active? Who knows. The website is still up and the chat feature works, but I’ve seen users complain that money available for withdrawal never arrived via PayPal (the only payment method the platform accepted, if I remember correctly). Personally, I wouldn’t risk completing a job through Sketchmob right now, at least not until they release an update.

If you’ve used the platform recently and successfully received payment within the last six months, please let me know, and I’d be happy to update this section!

Upwork

2017-2019

In 2017, I was determined to break into the book publishing industry. After trying out Fiverr and Freelancer.com with no success (the competition was too fierce for someone just starting out), I decided to give Upwork a shot. The platform looked very professional, and while the process sounded a bit complicated, I wanted to land the interesting projects I saw featured in my category. I really wanted to work with a big client… but big clients didn’t seem to want me, despite having the Rising Talent badge.

In two years of bidding for jobs and submitting proposals, I only landed two projects: a small commission from a private client who actually reached out to me, and another project that I bid on.

Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic at the time and truly appreciated every opportunity that came my way. But looking back, I can see why Upwork didn’t work out for me. The platform just wasn’t the right fit for my style and niche, which is fantasy illustration. Graphic design, however, was (and still is) in much higher demand.

The commission process on Upwork wasn’t as simple as on other platforms. For instance, at the time, costs were calculated hourly, which was a challenge for someone like me who prefers working with flat fees (having already calculated my average hours spent on an illustration). From what I’ve seen, this has since changed.

One positive aspect of Upwork is its current 10% cut on what artists earn. I don’t recall if this has changed over the years, but 10% is quite reasonable in my experience. Of course, 0% would be even better, but for a platform as large as Upwork, 10% is fair.

Illustration Agency

2019-2021

By 2019, I had built a solid, consistent portfolio thanks to my personal work and commissions. I had a simple website in place, my Instagram following was growing… I was steadily working toward my goal of illustrating covers for big publishers (which didn't happen until two years ago).

So, when an illustration agency reached out to me one day, I was over the moon. I had always heard that artists were the ones who had to approach agencies, not the other way around.

Well, that should have been my first red flag.

I won’t name this agency because, unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about it. In fact, the word “nothing” perfectly describes my involvement with them. Nothing came of this barely there experience.

The agency invited me to sign up, not on an exclusive basis, but they assured me they’d get me work. That work never came. Once in a while, I’d receive messages saying they were trying to pitch my portfolio to a French publisher or another client, but... nothing.

Please understand that meanwhile I was already working directly with shops and authors, so I don’t believe my portfolio was the problem. The real issue was something I didn’t realise at the time: some agencies do this. They feature talented artists in their catalogue without having actual clients lined up, just to appear more professional and credible to potential clients. Did this strategy work for them? Maybe. I’ll never know.

In 2021, I politely asked them to remove my portfolio from their website, and that was the end of it.

After that, I never actively sought out an agent again. By the time my portfolio was strong enough to approach a serious agency, I just didn’t need representation anymore.

Hireillo

2019-2022

My experience with Hire an Illustrator, or Hireillo, is mixed. At the time, Hireillo was a platform that hosted artists' portfolios, featured artist-submitted news, provided useful articles, resources, and directories of artists and agents. I joined the site hoping to catch the eye of publishers, but I was mostly contacted by authors and one fellow artist for a graphic novel.

Unfortunately, most inquiries didn’t go beyond the first couple of messages due to budget constraints. I did, however, have fun sharing news about my painting process and projects I landed on my own, which were often featured by the website. Additionally, if I had questions about 'complicated' things like copyright, or just needed advice, I could ask the website’s owner and that was incredibly helpful.

Despite these benefits, I didn’t see any real results, which was a little disappointing. The subscription fee was also... odd, for lack of a better word. $5 per week. In the end I just couldn’t justify the cost, so I stopped using the website altogether.

Reedsy

2019-2022

Finally, we come to the turning point.

I remember stumbling upon Reedsy randomly. It wasn’t very well known at the time, and I think it still isn’t. I was nervous when I submitted my portfolio because their catalogue features the best of the best: designers who’ve created covers for bestsellers, THE bestsellers, people who’ve worked on Stephen King covers, or George R.R. Martin's. Designers, editors, and marketers who are veterans. I didn’t have high hopes for my application. So, I was in shock when it got accepted.

I had an introductory Skype call with a representative from Reedsy, who explained how everything worked. Before the call ended, I remember asking if there was a good chance I’d get work through the platform. The rep laughed and said, “Yes.”

A few weeks in, I understood that laugh.

Reedsy has an overwhelming demand for book covers and commercial projects. For every designer there are many more clients. In peak seasons, I was getting requests almost every day. I’m not exaggerating.

Reedsy transformed my portfolio and my pricing structure. Thanks to the income I earned through the platform, I was finally able not to take everything that came my way but be selective and choose only the projects that really interested me.

The commission process is simple: artists pretty much decide how to split payments, what to include in agreements, and the best part, the most beautiful and helpful feature of all, they can request and adjust deadlines. For someone like me who's terrible with deadlines, this feature was a lifesaver. The admins are also very kind and responsive, available via email or chat.

Unfortunately (this is my last 'unfortunately', I promise), my time on Reedsy came to an end for personal reasons. I’ll explain since it’s no secret.

All my images on Reedsy were watermarked with my signature (my full name), which apparently violated the platform’s rules. Why? Because if a client saw my last name, they could contact me directly and bypass Reedsy, which meant the platform lost potential fees. I’ll admit this did happen a few times, but I had the good sense to redirect the client back to Reedsy.

After three years, an admin finally noticed and asked me to remove my full name from the watermark and any text on my profile. It was a simple and reasonable request, but here’s where the problem started. Profiles on Reedsy are public, and images appear in search engines like Google Images, meaning anyone could download my work and use it without permission. Sure, watermarks can be removed, but uploading my work without one in the first place felt like a bad idea. Btw, not only do I use watermarks, but I also use Glaze to protect my illustrations before sharing them online.

Anyway, for this reason, and also because I couldn’t get over the fact that full names were public at the time, something I won’t get into because, believe me, I tried over email, and my reasons went into the void (now, last names are just initialised, like Gabrielle R. Okay. Sure.), I had to close my account–they would have done it anyway because it was already 'flagged'.

Overall, if you’re willing to overlook the last name conundrum, I can’t recommend Reedsy enough. If you have a killer, solid portfolio and a love for books and editorial projects, go for it!

--------------------------------------------

I hope you'll find this useful! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask (: Oh, and here's an old article I wrote in 2020, titled:

Tips to freelance illustrators to avoid being screwed over

Who knows, maybe I'll write another 'article' post in four years!

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

Wellness surveillance makes workers unwell

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TORONTO on Mar 22, then with LAURA POITRAS in NYC on Mar 24, then Anaheim, and more!

"National conversation" sounds like one of those meaningless buzzphrases – until you live through one. The first one I really participated in actively was the national conversation – the global conversation – about privacy following the Snowden revelations.

This all went down when my daughter was five, and as my wife and I talked about the news, our kid naturally grew curious about it. I had to literally "explain like I'm five" global mass surveillance:

https://locusmag.com/2014/05/cory-doctorow-how-to-talk-to-your-children-about-mass-surveillance/

But parenting is a two-way street, so even as I was explaining surveillance to my kid, my own experiences raising a child changed how I thought about surveillance. Obviously I knew about many of the harms that surveillance brings, but parenting helped me viscerally appreciate one of the least-discussed, most important aspects of being watched: how it compromises being your authentic self:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2014/may/09/cybersecurity-begins-with-integrity-not-surveillance

As I wrote then:

There are times when she is working right at the limits of her abilities – drawing or dancing or writing or singing or building – and she catches me watching her and gets this look of mingled embarrassment and exasperation, and then she changes back to some task where she has more mastery. No one – not even a small child – likes to look foolish in front of other people.

Learning, growth, and fulfillment all require a zone of privacy, a time and place where we are not observed. Far from making us accountable, continuous, fine-grained surveillance by authority figures just scares us into living a cramped, inauthentic version of ourselves, where growth is all but impossible. Others have observed the role this plays in right-wing culture war bullshit: "an armed society is a polite society" is code for "people who make me feel uncomfortable just by existing should be terrorized into hiding their authentic selves from me." The point of Don't Say Gay laws and anti-trans bills isn't to eliminate gender nonconformity – it's to drive it into hiding.

Given all this, it's no surprise that workers who face workplace surveillance in the name of "wellness" feel unwell as a result:

https://www.ifow.org/publications/what-impact-does-exposure-to-workplace-technologies-have-on-workers-quality-of-life-briefing-paper

As the Future of Work Institute found in its study, some technologies – systems that make it easier to collaborate and communicate with colleagues – increase workers' sense of wellbeing. But wearables and AI tools make workers feel significantly worse:

https://assets-global.website-files.com/64d5f73a7fc5e8a240310c4d/65eef23e188fb988d1f19e58_Tech%20Exposure%20and%20Worker%20Wellbeing%20-%20Full%20WP%20-%20Final.pdf

Workers who reported these negative feelings confirmed that these tools make them feel "monitored." I mean, of course they do. Even where these tools are nominally designed to help you do your job better, they're also explicitly designed to help your boss keep track of you from moment to moment. As Brandon Vigliarolo writes for The Register, these are the same bosses who have been boasting to their investors about their plans to fire their workers and replace them with AI:

https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/14/advanced_workplace_tech_study/

"Bossware" is a key example of the shitty rainbow of "disciplinary technology," tools that exist to take away human agency by making it easier to surveil and control its users:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/01/bossware/#bossware

Bossware is one of the stages of the Shitty Technology Adoption Curve: the process by which abusive and immiserating technologies progress up the privilege gradient as their proponents refine and normalize dystopian technologies in order to impose them on wider and wider audiences:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

The kinds of metrics that bossware gathers might be useful to workers, but only if the workers get to decide when, whether and how to share that data with other people. Microsoft Office helps you catch typos by underlining words its dictionary doesn't recognize; the cloud-based, "AI-powered" Office365 tells your boss that you're the 11th-worst speller in your division and uses "sentiment analysis" to predict whether you are likely to cause trouble:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/21/great-taylors-ghost/#solidarity-or-bust

Two hundred years ago, Luddites rose up against machines. Contrary to the ahistorical libel you've heard, the Luddites weren't angry or frightened of machines – they were angry at the machines' owners. They understood – correctly – that the purpose of a machine "so easy a child could use it" was to fire skilled adult workers and replace them with kidnapped, indentured Napoleonic War orphans who could be maimed and killed on the job without consequence:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/12/gig-work-is-the-opposite-of-steampunk/

A hundred years ago, the "Taylorites" picked up where those mill owners left off: choreographing workers' movements to the finest degree in a pseudoscientific effort to produce a kind of kabuki of boss-pleasing robotic efficiency. The new, AI-based Taylorism goes even further, allowing bosses to automatically blacklist gig workers who refuse to cross picket-lines, monitor "self-employed" call center operators in their own homes, and monitor the eyeballs of Amazon drivers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

AI-based monitoring technologies dock workers' wages, suspend them, and even fire them, and when workers object, they're stuck arguing with a chatbot that is the apotheosis of Computer Says No:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

There's plenty of research about AI successfully "augmenting" workers, making them more productive and I'm the last person to say that automation can't help you get more done:

https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/augmented-workforce

But without understanding how AI augments class warfare – disciplining workers with a scale, speed and granularity beyond the sadistic fantasies of even the most micromanaging asshole boss – this research is meaningless.

The irony of bosses imposing monitoring to improve "wellness" and stave off "burnout" is that nothing is more exhausting, more immiserating, more infuriating than being continuously watched and judged.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/15/wellness-taylorism/#sick-of-spying

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[angelishere407]

You might have heard of Black Wall Street. Meet the founder, O.W. Gurley.

In 1905 Gurley and his wife sold their property in Noble County and moved 80 miles to the oil boom town of Tulsa. Gurley purchased 40 acres of land in North Tulsa and established his first business, a rooming house on a dusty road that would become Greenwood Avenue. He subdivided his plot into residential and commercial lots and eventually opened a grocery store.

As the community grew around him, Gurley prospered. Between 1910 and 1920, the Black population in the area he had purchased grew from 2,000 to nearly 9,000 in a city with a total population of 72,000. The Black community had a large working-class population as well as doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who provided services to them. Soon the Greenwood section was dubbed “Negro Wall Street” by Tuskegee educator Booker T. Washington.

Greenwood, now called Black Wall Street, was nearly self-sufficient with Black-owned businesses, many initially financed by Gurley, ranging from brickyards and theaters to a chartered airplane company. Gurley built the Gurley Hotel at 112 N. Greenwood and rented out spaces to smaller businesses. His other properties included a two-story building at 119 N. Greenwood, which housed the Masonic Lodge and a Black employment agency. He was also one of the founders of Vernon AME Church.

Source: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/o-w-gurley-1868-1935/

[stellarsagittarius]

Where you would meet your future husband / wife based on your Jupiter / Venus Persona Chart, Pt. 2

Masterlist: All my astrology posts at one place

(If you are looking for a man, check your Jupiter Persona Chart. If you are looking for a woman, check your Venus Persona Chart)

(Disclaimer: Don't be fixed on this reading! Always have an open mind because the Universe works the best when you have trusted and let go of expectations! Also, the chart won't tell you the exact place or time or how you would feel about something, no one can do that. What it WILL tell is the theme that can be the most prevalent during that event, and how the event can play out.)

Asteroid 1585 is the Union asteroid. It will show how you can "meet" or "come together" with someone.

◇◇ Union through the Signs ◇◇

Union in Aries or Mars as the Ruler

The energy will be sudden, spontaneous and impulsive. Expect the unexpected. Aries energy is in a constant motion. Mars rules motion and drive. The situation could be very new to you, or you were totally unprepared when this happened. Aries is hot and fast so it could be associated with cars, driving, amusement parks, the color red, spices, fireworks, war, battlefields, etc. [I hope nobody meets their s/o in a battlefield! It's giving Fortnite/PubG, tho, if Union has 4th or 3rd house connection!] Regardless, the energy will be quick and sudden. Expect someone to overcome their doubts or finally make the move. It's all about courage, being bold, and stamina. The communication is expected to flow quite well. You can meet while at the gym or in traffic. Think of a situation where you have to exert labor or force. This energy is giving, "Getting out and grabbing something!" The meeting will be direct, and for achieving a certain purpose. The purpose can be anything, but the communication will take place to get to something.

Union in Taurus or Venus as the Ruler

Taurus rules earth, natural beauty, the five senses, stability, a long term focus, the material realm. So this meeting could take a little time to materialize. With Taurus, there is the need for patience, to build a stable thing one step at a time. Perhaps communication takes time in this relationship. Taurus rules earthy color tones. Taurus energy is slow moving, practical, stubborn, materialistic. Perhaps you meet around nature or around a very pleasant weather. Perhaps self care is a big focus around the time you meet them! You might have long terms plans that you are working on, at the time you meet them. It could be a quiet phase in your life where you are taking it day by day, building things for yourself and focusing on living a very grounded lifestyle. You could be naturally drawn to their beauty or they could be drawn to yours. You guys might talk about/bond over the matters of your possessions or shared values/beliefs. You can give each other a valuable something on the first meeting.

Union in Gemini or Mercury as the Ruler

Gemini is quick, but it's not quick in the mars way. Gemini is quick mentally. It rules your mind, logic, communication, young restless energy, curiousity and an energy of speaking your mind. There could be direct communication or sharing of information involved. Gemini rules early education, the hands, writing, speech, words, information, news, etc. Perhaps you meet them while gossiping! This is a classic social media indicator, as well. This could be a person with similar ideas as you, they could even be "around" you a lot before you actually notice them. Like a classmate or a cute waiter at the coffee shop you regularly visit to complete your homework, and you realise that they are interested in what you are studying. You both will bond over similar ideas and interests, and will be very talkative right from the beginning. Some places could be a library, bookstore, classrooms, newsrooms, news agencies etc. (I have this with 2 of my besties that I met in high school, in our class!)

Union in Cancer or Moon as the Ruler

Cancer rules your emotions, your gut instincts, the person you are at the deepest level, what's truly in your heart, your home and privacy. So think of being in your comfort when you meet them. This could indicate having quite some boundaries up, the inability to open up right away, and being protective over yourself. This meeting can also happen in a very emotional period your life, or a period where the "mother" archetype is pretty prevalent, whether it's you or someone else very close to you. This could be at home, or somewhere where you feel comfortable. A place/time without rush or aggression or a lot of movement. This person might look straight into what you had been feeling. Opening up to this person may take some time. You might meet at somebody else's home, if not yours, like your Grandma's or Aunt's. Cancer rules water bodies, crabs, the home, seafood, the color of the moon, etc. Perhaps it's around a time where there's a significant event going on with the moon, like a full moon or a lunar eclipse.

Union in Leo or Sun as the Ruler

When there is Leo energy present in a chart, expect bold moves. Expect confidence and a desire for self expression. Sun as as the ruler signifies that this is gonna be a situation where you are shining/or they are shining. This is related to charm and creativity. This energy would make a situation/person lively, dramatic and strong. Situations that remind me of Leo and the Sun energy, is a creative social media platform, theather, the stage, being a leader or an influential person, getting major recognition for something, etc. This is also a situation where you are the center of attention. You might be in a very important part of your life regarding fame and recognition. Expect to meet in the daytime, or during a warm sunny day! You could be focusing on becoming more confident. Or you could be simply having a lot of fun, and life is filled with something exciting!

Union in Virgo or Mercury as the Ruler

Virgo rules the practical side of mercury. While Gemini is quick in thoughts and restless which can cause them to be in a scattered energy, Virgo is analytical, practical and grounded. Details don't go unnoticed. Virgo is related to health care, everyday tasks, an eye for detail, problem solving, fixing things, etc. You might be super focused on your work and routines when this meeting happens, to the point you become lost in details. This can lead to a meeting where you are pretty skeptical of the person, or you would want to know every detail of who they are, why they texted you, etc. You will meet in a pretty regular/ordinary manner. Think of going to get your groceries and you guys' bump heads. Virgo is the energy of a busy-body, someone who gotta run errands, check off the list, etc. This will be a pretty regular meeting, nothing over the top, no effort that you have to make to have that meeting. Go with the flow of your daily life, focus on your wellbeing, and one fine regular morning you will bump into each other. Also, pay attention to the details you would normally ignore because there might be something important that you would be overlooking.

Union in Libra or Venus as the Ruler

Libra energy is all about harmony, balance, relationships, the art of being pleasant, beautiful aesthetics, etc. It's different from Taurus energy in the sense that Taurus is stubborn and focused on materials and practical things, it's the natural kind of beauty. While Libra is the sort of beauty that radiates attractiveness, a good-looking face/style/body, etc. Libra also rules harmonious relationships, it is a very social sign. Think of a very high class event, where everything is very plesant, the interactions are super elegant, the aesthetics are super pleasing to the eye. This could indicate meeting through someone else, or meeting in a social circle, through networking, etc. Your beauty/fashion could be a significant factor in the meeting. You could meet in places related to art, fame, beauty, fashion, a place where your "image" matters, a networking event, music festivals, etc. You both could be introduced to each other through someone who is in the art/fashion industry. You both could connect over similar interests related to beauty and fashion. Or when you meet this person, you might be in a pretty well balanced/harmonious stage of your life. They might approach you in a very friendly manner.

Union in Scorpio or Pluto as the Ruler

Scorpio rules secrets, depth, taboo, intense emotions, privacy, etc. If Cancer is private and homey, Scorpio is freakin closed off shell, and the definition of intense. So, there could be themes related to privacy or secrets. If this has 3rd house connections, it's giving meeting while gossiping. You could be at a point in life where you are self-evaluating, you could be going through many transformations, you could be at a point where you are reconsidering which people to keep in your life and which people to cut off. The meeting itself can be at dark or secret place. There could be themes of alcohol, cigarettes, weapons, night, abandoned places, conspiracies, scandals, etc. You can meet through something that is quite a topic that we don't talk about just with anyone. On your first meeting, you both could be distrustful of each other, or the communication could be very lowkey and mundane (to avoid letting each other see deeply). This also relates to private accounts. I honestly can't say much about this placement. But yeah, this person or you could see each other as quite intense or closed off.

Union in Sagittarius or Jupiter as the Ruler

Sagittarius rules travel, philosophy, expansion, foreign lands, long distance communication, a broad horizon, a bigger and open mind, higher education, etc. Wherever Sagittarius is placed, it will give an air of expansion to the native, whether it's physical or mental or emotional. You can meet this person through travel or through pursuing some sort of higher education. And since it also rules long distance communication, social media is a thing here, especially if there is a 1st, 3rd or 10th house connection, since it relates to "profiles and messaging another person". Sagittarius will give a sense of abundance to the native, so perhaps you or your s/o will see each other as pretty philosophical or open minded. Sagittarius is also associated with exploration and being curious to see what is out there, so you can literally meet while having some adventure or activities where you do something to gain spiritual insight. This kinda reminds me of Ayahuasca, because you gotta travel to gain that wisdom, so take it however it resonates, it's more prominent if Sagittarius is in 12th house! So yes, this meeting will have the theme of philosophy and discussions of topics that are very wide and requires a higher perspective.

Union in Capricorn or Saturn as the Ruler

Capricorn is the energy of building something, reaching a certain height focused on building things, whether it's for your career or your hobbies or your relationships. Capricorn energy gives a structure to whatever house it's placed it. So it can be perceived as formal and ambitious. Capricorn is associated with hard work, hustle, limits, the order and structure of things, etc. It also rules the bones in a human body. And this is a classic indication for work and career. So you can meet your s/o through your work or career. Capricorn reminds me of buildings, so think of a a company or an apartment complex (depending on which house Capricorn is in). The first meeting could very well be formal and about a problem that needs to be solved. Capricorn reminds me of the color grey, and naturally quite dull colors, so take it however it resonates. There will be themes related to ambition, work, problem solving, public image, achieving a goal, etc. The situation could be pretty slow moving, but there will be this sense of loyalty and responsibility with each other. This isn't a meeting where you would ditch each other for the next two months or ghost each other after a week of talking. The communication will be carried out with a sense of responsibility! You both can be a bit shy as well :)

Union in Aquarius or Uranus as the Ruler

Aquarius is all the energy that you can't put in the label of other zodiac signs or houses. It has everything that is not classified or unusual. Uranus rules unpredictability, out of the ordinary, innovations (only when they are new, because after some time they will become a part of the ordinary). Aquarius is otherworldly. But it also cares a lot about this world. So think of humanity, environment, activism, wanting change for a better world, etc. As a first meeting, it could be super unpredictable! While Aries is the energy of being unprepared, Aquarius is kind of the same, but also unpredictable. With Aries, once you know what you got yourself into, you may plan ahead. But with Aquarius you don't know what will happen next. You both may connect over humanitarian themes, or the communication might feel super detached and aloof. This meeting wouldn't have emotional intimacy in it, there will be an aura of detachment. With Aquarius, simply expect nothing. It will happen in a super unique manner. You may want to look at the house Union asteroid is in, since it will give this meeting a better context!

Union in Pisces or Neptune as the Ruler

Pisces rules mysticism, the imaginary, dreams, visions, creativity, intuition and anything that is from the unseen realm. It has much to do with the mind, than the material world. This meeting can really feel magical or you won't be able to focus on the details. As if it just woo you away into a dreamy inner world. This can feel very intuitive and emotional. Fishes, water and waterbodies can be involved somehow. You might even meet your s/o on a vacation. There is the energy of relaxation, honoring your inner world, feeling vulnerable, etc. The communication might be pretty deep or you might miss out on plenty of details because of the dreamy nature of this situation. You might dream of this person the night before you meet them. Perhaps this person is a bit shy or you aren't able to know things/information about them clearly, (due to Neptune almost blurring out important details). It will be more passive and receptive. The places associated with Pisces are aquariums, art museums, theaters, bookstores, art/literature schools, picture galleries, etc. Look at more details of the place, in part 1 of the series!

You can book an Astrology reading with me 🌙✨️!

Stay tuned for more Astrology content ✈️!!

[genderkoolaid]

Over half of British men show signs of body dysmorphia, a recent report found. Within the community of avid male gym-goers, a study published last year in the US found that all participants who immersed themselves in bodybuilding practices described themselves as having some degree of muscle dysmorphia. Men, however, are less likely to seek treatment than women – despite one in three eating disorders occurring in men, according to the National Eating Disorder Association, only one in 20 people in treatment are male, Vargas says. Meanwhile, in 2016, it was reported that less than one percent of all the body image and eating disorder research was conducted exclusively on males, leading some researchers to state that this is a “silent crisis” in men’s mental health. [...] Swami sees this intertwining of muscularity and masculinity as a relatively recent cultural change, beginning in the early 90s, when fashion and beauty industries realised the market power of targeting men, he says. Men began to be sold the idea that their bodies are non-biological commodities to be invested in, he says. And with the backdrop of evolving gender roles, Swami thinks muscle-building offers immediate agency over one’s virility: “It’s the one form of masculinity that feels like it’s malleable.” But for Oscar*, as a transgender man, this malleability was a lifeline: while on a two-year wait list for hormone therapy, he started weightlifting to connect with his masculinity.“I thought, well, if I build more muscle, I know I can look closer to how I feel in my head,” he says. But living within a culture that valorises the muscular physique can delay recovery, MD sufferers say. “A lot of your physical symptoms to the outward world are great,” says Mycock. As a result, self-destructive behaviours can be hidden in plain sight. “It’s hard to stomach the nuance of it because for so long, we’ve been told it’s good – and no matter what, it’s good,” he says. He adds: “Exercise should be treated more like medicine, in the sense, there’s always a list of side effects.”

[technofeudalism]

We've learned from 4 separate police agencies that KKK fliers were scattered in subdivisions across Tennessee Monday night. We first heard of this occurring in the Highland Park subdivision in Chattanooga. Chattanooga Police tell us they are investigating after KKK fliers telling people to 'self-deport' were scattered across a Chattanooga subdivision Monday night. [ ... ] A community member reported seeing a group of people in a truck throwing the flyers in the roadway, CPD says.

Cleveland [Tennessee] Police told us Tuesday afternoon that KKK fliers have been found scattered around downtown Cleveland. The Athens [Tennessee] Police Department also confirmed with us that they have seen a 'small distribution' of these fliers in the area. Sweetwater [Tennessee] Police confirm to WATE that they are also investigating the distribution of KKK fliers. [ ... ] Similar KKK fliers were scattered on the same day in the Memphis area, featuring 'anti-immigrant images.' Other incidents were reported in Virginia and Ohio.

remember: if you see this shit in your small town or rural area, then rest assured that it is also happening in the big cities and the suburbs. carefully tear these flyers down if you see them and keep in mind that the Klan in particular is well established in the states you see on the flyer. keep your head on a swivel no matter where you are, but especially if you live in these states (TN, IN, KY, OH, PA). as of 2017, they had known organizations in 22 US states. this is without mentioning any of the other militias that have been building a deadly nationwide network over the last 8 years.

[earthytzipi]

I actually loved the writing of caitvi this season for a few reasons:

1. I was very fortunate to meet and consistently date my lovely wife. Having observed other adult lesbians... that shit is MESSY. It's so so so so so common for lesbians to date, break up, date again, break up again, accuse each other of abuse or of being toxic, then date again, break up another time, date another person in the friend group, and so on and so forth. This season felt very honest to me in that way. If everything had been smooth sailing for Caitlyn and Vi, I don't think I would have bought it, especially with all the conflict they set up in s1. I agree that Caitlyn is toxic to Vi in Act 1. I just also don't think that's a deal-breaker for an adult relationship as long as amends are made, and I think that Cait's decision to let Vi release Jinx is a HUGE way that she made amends. I don't think she needed to grovel (nor would that have fit her character)- it demonstrated SO much character growth for her and so much trust in, and love for, Vi.

2. I've seen a lot of displeasure with Vi's writing this season, mostly centered around Vi's loss of agency and relative passivity. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so, you know, grain of salt. It's just that, in my experience with trauma, you hit a breaking point where nothing matters to you anymore. You can't be resilient anymore. You've lost everything and you're grieving literally everything about the life you thought you had. (For the record, my trauma didn't even involve anyone dying, just abusive friendships, people cutting me off, and conversion therapy, and I *still* got there in my early 20s.) Vi shows a remarkable ability to push forward for Powder in s1, but by the first episode of s2, her resiliency is already breaking down. To me, it made complete sense that she showed more and more passivity and alcoholism as the season went on.

I think there's a misconception that trauma causes people to become strong. That is NOT what it does. It builds these insidious negative pathways of thought in your mind that wear you down over time. Eventually, it's too much. You can't take anything in stride. Everything becomes part of this pattern of hurt.

I think Jinx firing that missile was the breaking point for Vi. She lost her parents, she lost Vander, she lost her formative teenage years to prison, and the only reason she was still going at all was for Powder. That moment is the moment she decided Powder was gone, too. Imagine the grief of losing the last person you thought you had from your old life and not even being able to share that, because that person just killed a lot of people. In that light, the decision to join with the person who still cares about her and has been there for her makes sense, even though she hates the enforcers. I think that decision causes her a lot of pain and self-hatred which is reinforced when Cait leaves her, pushing her into the absolute pit of her trauma. Then all the events at the commune happen. Throughout the season she gains and loses hope about Jinx again and again, but when she's in that prison cell, from her point of view, she's just lost Jinx all over again after finally having her back for a while, and now Caitlyn, who she loves, for good.

In the end, when Cait says she engineered the whole thing to let Jinx escape? She gives Vi hope again in that moment. If Jinx isn't tried, she's still out there and Vi can still find her and try again. If Cait knew she would let Jinx escape and still be there for her, Cait still loves her more than she cares about revenge. Given how Cait almost killed a child to get to Jinx before, I think for Vi, this represents almost a complete 180 and demonstrates that Cait is sorry. I think their actions in that moment make perfect sense.

Anyways! To me, while I think s2 was definitely rushed as hell and had some other pacing issues, I loved the storyline for Cait and Vi.

[honeesucker]

✧˖°. Pro Hero Dynamight + CamGirl!Reader

Content: Death of children, Bakugo emotional hour, smut, happy ending.

*Not proofread.

Bakugo comes home after one of the harder days of Pro Hero work, to find you streaming... he didn't know his routine with you would lead to a second chance.

Bakugo who comes home from another difficult day where he arrived at a scene too late - a family grieving tonight as the building collapsed atop their two smallest children lost in the chaos.

He couldn’t help the sparks that popped off in his palms, watching with wide, horrified eyes as he caught a final glimpse of one of the kids eyes before the darkness and heavy concrete fell. Trying his hardest to wrangle the family away to one of the sidekicks on scene to control civilians, Bakugo worked hard with other heroes and rescue personnel to uncover the tiny bodies.

Fuck!

He had hoped for a miracle, that there would’ve been a pocket in the rubble that the kids got trapped in, saved from the horrible end. Gotten a few scrapes and bruises, hell a broken bone would be better than the nightmare he watched pulled from the skeleton of what was once a high-rise building. He had stormed off that night, away from Kirishima and the sidekicks, away from his agency where he would’ve normally wrapped up his day. He had stripped down from his Hero costume to black sweats, a black hooded sweatshirt and a beanie to hide his signature hair, and a black facemask to add additional cover to keep him from being recognized. His body was buzzing with rage. Rage at the unfairness of a world where innocent kids die. Rage at himself for being ten seconds too late. Rage at the fucking villainous piece of trash that caused the chaos, caused the damage, that ended up taking that family’s two youngest away. Bakugo had felt the acidic bile rise in his throat, the adrenaline pumping through him suddenly snapping away to an all-consuming self-reproach.

Ding!

A familiar notification chimed on his phone. It was 8PM, and 8PM on a Friday made his pants instantly tighten as his cock tented in his sweatpants as he thought of you. You who he found by accident one day while scrolling through endless pages of porn videos, girls with obviously fake shrill screams and overexaggerated expressions that looked more pained than pleasured. It was when his mouse slipped, catching the corner of an add with an accidental click; Bakugo cursing under his breath as he waited for it to load so he could close it out when he heard you. Soft, airy panting paired with the sweetest moans he had ever heard, his cock instantly springing to life as he watched with rapt attention at the way your pussy swallowed a translucent highlighter pink dildo. He immediately went and signed up to the actual site you hosted your streams on, paid for a membership to be able to communicate with you, and curated his work schedule around your streams (as much as he could, within reason given the nature of Pro Hero work) thus beginning his relationship with your schedule, and you (in his head).

8PM on a Friday meant you were going to do a longer stream, one where you allowed donations to control your actions: how you stripped your clothing, asking you to twirl, pinch, poke or stroke all over your body, say requested things out loud, etc. Bakugo loved your Subs Control night as you called it - something he always found a lot of pleasure in when he donated to your stream and asked you to do things that, while not giving away his true identity, would only be for him in his head. The way your sweet voice called out to him with a thank you and a smile, your eyelids falling half-shut as you complied with his requests with a shy bite to your bottom lip. Gods - he wanted you so badly.

Tonight was different though, tonight Bakugo's heart was heavy and his balls, equally. He felt disgusted with himself that despite the raging emotions for the situation, and his failure, he still needed to have a release and enjoy his time with you.

"Hi guys!" Your soft voice called out happily over his computer speakers, the darkness of his room enveloping him as he lowered his sweats to his thighs to free his cock and balls, his hand lazily stroking at himself as he watched you, calming down if only a little, for now. "I know we usually do Subs Control on Fridays, but I just got over being sick and don't feel my best, but I wanted to come on and apologize to all of you face to face. I hope you'll forgive me and meet me for Sunday's stream! I'll make it up to you all, see you then!" A pastel sunset background with [STREAM ENDED] and some stars and a fuzzy yellow-white crescent moon greeted his widened eyes.

No.

No!

Bakugo knew he was being selfish but he needed this break, he needed you. He quickly shot you a $5,000.00 donation with the message: "Please come chat with me, nothing sexual since you're not feeling well... please." Bakugo didn't see your expression of shock and curiosity as you received the donation notification, expecting something small from one of your subs that was probably wishing you well, and to feel better, etc. which has happened before... what has not happened before was the notification and attached message with an amount you rarely made within a week. You swallowed hard, you were already changed into an oversized Dynamight t-shirt and cheeky undies, but your makeup was still done, and you decided to give in to the request. GEMGD420* was one of your favorite subs, someone who always sent in uniquely sexy requests, tipped you, and just interacted kindly in chat and interacted with you on Twitter. You accepted his room invitation and soon you were shown on the video screen while you were met with a dark room, and dark outline of a large, masculine form.

"Hey Gem," you shortened his username, calling him what you called him in your head when you were streaming and saw his name. Bakugo's mouth went dry seeing you wearing one of the original merch shirts he designed when he first started his agency and rose to the top of the charts.

"Hey Bun," a deep voice said back, shortening your username HunnyBunny03. You didn't expect him to sound like that but the reverberation of his voice through his mic gave you goosebumps. You did have auralism. "M'sorry for dragging you back on, but I really needed a break from my mind tonight and you usually help me with that."

"I may not be as high-energy as I am on stream," you said, feeling yourself relaxing in your chair as you smiled at the screen, even if you couldn't see him. "If you don't mind that, I'm happy to talk with you about what's weighing on your mind, if you want... or we can just ramble on about whatever else you'd like," you didn't expect to hear what sounded like heavy breathing... but not the creepy he's definitely touching himself kind but accompanied with soft sniffles like someone trying to keep from crying. "Hey, c'mon Gem tell me what's going on?" Your voice was soft, coaxing him.

"I... I work as a Pro Hero," he admitted, wondering how far he wanted to take this with his identity - he could always send you a non-disclosure agreement with a payment if he had to. "Something really awful happened today, and I couldn't stop it from happening. I failed," Bakugo choked on a sob, trying to hold himself back from fully losing it over audio where you'd hear him. "I failed."

"Hey now," your voice was soothing like a Mother would do with her child. "I don't know a lot about what all Pro Heros deal with behind the scenes, but I know you guys deal with more than any one person should shoulder... even people who go through all of the training you Pros do, you still shoulder too much. You're still only human, no matter how strong your quirk - and humans aren't infallible." You heard him let out a few soft sobs, watching the darkened outline of his body shake over camera as he said something that nearly stopped your heart.

"Kids," he struggled out between gasping breaths, trying to calm himself down again. "Two kids were crushed by a building right in front of my eyes, and I only fuckin' missed them by ten damn seconds!" You didn't know how to comfort him with this, this was something heavier than you had experience with. A thought started swirling around in your head, a thought that caused a knot of anxiety to form in the pit of your stomach as you considered your options before you broke the silence.

"How..." you took a deep breath in, steeling your nerves with your decision. "How long ago did this happen?"

"It's been..." Bakugo looked at his clock reading 8:27PM. "It's been like four or five hours, I'm sure if you turned on the news you'd see them reporting on the villain attack that happened downtown."

"Twenty-four hours," you finally said after a pause on your end. Bakugo had been watching you, noting the change in your face as he wondered if he was telling you too much, how could he ever expect you to relate to his problem and not feel bad about it? He felt so guilting but then he was confused, watching you as you continued. "My quirk limits me to twenty-four hours..." your quirk? Bakugo had never heard you talk about having a quirk on stream, and while there wasn't really a lot of chances for you to talk about something like that between when you stripped, played games or fucked yourself on your myriad of silicone toys you had also been super personable with your subs, and shared a lot about your life.

"Your quirk?" Bakugo finally says, wondering what it had to do with anything.

"I can give you another chance," you said, the finality in your voice and the hard look on your face froze Bakugo. You weren't kidding, but what the fuck did you mean?

"W-what do you mean another chance? I don't-" you cut him off.

"I can rewind time up to twenty-four hours, and I can control who is affected by it by touching them." Your whole body was tense... you've never told anyone about your quirk, not since high school where people would always use you to redo their tests, or fix a social mistake and seem cooler the second time around... petty shit that exhausted you. You weren't a person to them, you were a time-machine for people with regrets... but this... this is something you'd feel better about helping with. "If you tell me where to meet you... if you come prepared in your gear ready to go back into that fight I can rewind to a point and you can take over and redo your rescue."

Bakugo was frozen in his chair. He never expected this would be the outcome of one of the worst nights of his life. Were you fucking with him? No... he couldn't claim to know you personally, but you just didn't seem like an intentionally cruel person. He was already standing up from his chair, shouting his phone number to you and telling you to meet him in an hour at the location of where the building fell, where the kids had been only hours before. He killed his end of the chat and you were left in the aftermath, sitting in silence as you sent him a text to let him know from your location you could get there in forty minutes. You killed the chatroom and turned off your computer as you got dressed in black joggers, a black jacket over your Dynamight shirt, and a bunny-eared knit hat. Grabbing your bag and running out of your apartment to meet a stranger you hoped wasn't lying to get you alone somewhere, but you were willing to take the chance if everything turned out to be true. You could truly feel like your quirk wasn't meant for useless tasks, instead doing something that you could feel good about... something you could help Gem feel good about.

Bakugo had gotten to the location in under thirty minutes, pacing as he realized he gave a full hour and might have to continue to wait, the pit of anxiety in his stomach growing as he stood in his Hero costume, full ready to go like he was back in the fight earlier... he worried that you were just playing an elaborate prank, that you lied about what you can do and was just trying to meet him. He didn't think you knew who he was, though, and again, he didn't think you were capable of being so cruel. It was only five more minutes when a small black car pulled up, and a shadow moved out of the car and toward him. Bakugo watched as you approached him, sucking in a breath as you were still wearing the Dynamight shirt, peaking through the open part of your jacket as you stopped suddenly in front of him.

"Dynamight?" Your voice shook a little, eyes wide. Yeah, you definitely didn't know who he was when you agreed to this. "You're GEMGD420?"

Bakugo let out a sigh, dragging a hand down his face at the mention of his username, uttering an embarrassed, "yeah, s'me." He watched as you pulled the front of your jacket tighter in an attempt to hide your t-shirt but he just chuckled and you walked forward, eyes turning away from him to stare at the rubble of the building. The skeleton of the high-rise was imposing, still smoking from an earlier fire and the smell of cement dust and blood hung heavy in the air.

"I thought a lot about how to do this on the way here, and I think I have a good plan." Bakugo listened as you asked where the kids had been, you both walking toward the edge of the building where the kids had been running out at the last minute, but not fast enough. You asked Bakugo how far back he wanted to go, and he just wanted an extra five minutes to grab the kids. He wasn't in the mood to relive the whole fight - he just wanted enough time to grab them and get everyone to safety. You nodded, standing a few meters back from where Bakugo would be able to run toward the kids. "My quirk knocks me out the further back in time I go... anything over an hour will incapacitate me. I will be fine; I want you to ignore me when I collapse because you will only have that five-minute window to get them. You said no debris falls this far back so I should be good here. Are you ready?" Bakugo looked at you and nodded. Taking your hand as a white-blue light began to surround you both and he watched with wide eyes as the previous activity of the day passed by them in a lightening rewind. Your grip on his hand tightened as you kept your eyes closed, focusing on the exact time you needed to reach. Bakugo watched as the other Heros buzzed by, emergency cleanup crews, police... Bakugo watched as the moment he was waiting for approached, the building beginning to rebuild itself before his eyes. It was when he caught sight of the children running from the lobby to where they were crushed underneath the canopy of the luxury building. Bakugo's body buzzed with anxiety and anticipation, waiting to spring when he saw out of the corner of his eyes time beginning to slow down, and your body crumpling to the ground. He fought his instinct to check on you as he remembered what you told him.

Don't worry about me. You have limited time to save the kids.

Bakugo rushed forward, knowing exactly where he needed to go as the familiar pleading screams of the parents, and the sounds of eruptions and crumbling cement surrounded him and overtook his senses. He saw them as he rushed forward toward the glass doors that had been blown out earlier, scooping each small child up under his arms as he carried the crying toddlers out from under the building just before he heard the deafening crack of the foundation as the familiar sight of the building collapsing in on itself replayed in front of his eyes again... but this time he was holding two crying kids, setting them down on the ground by the parents and paramedics as he bended and fell to his knees, crying there in the middle of the madness as relief washed over him. Kirishima had caught up to Bakugo, kneeling beside him with a large hand on the blonde's shoulder as he patted him reassuringly.

"Hey, c'mon Bakugo!" Kirishima's voice was reassuring, celebratory, but also held the weight of what they had dealt with all day. "You got everyone out of the building, that last minute save you did on those kids was amazing." Bakugo just nodded, his eyes drifting over to where your body lay on the ground, covered in a thin layer of cement dust and dirt as the buildings collapse sent debris all around them. "Shit, are they hurt? Did we miss someone?" Kirishima got up, helping Bakugo up as well as they walked over to you, Bakugo kneeling forward to pick you up and take you over to an ambulance.

"They're fine," Bakugo said, "looks like they might've taken a hit from something..." he needed his friend not to pry, as he set you in the ambulance and they began to check you over for injuries. They stated they would be taking you to the main hospital. Bakugo nodded, promising you in his head he'd come see you as soon as he could. He stayed behind with Kirishima to assess the rest of the damage, and gather all of the civilians, helping to triage injuries as they evacuated the area for the cleanup crews to come in and take care of the building debris. "C'mon Red, let's go wrap up." Kirishima nodded, following behind with Bakugo as they headed back to the agency for paperwork, and to get themselves cleaned up. Bakugo was riding a high, unlike anything he had ever felt before, his body on fire with an electric buzz of adrenaline and excitement... his heart full of appreciation at what you did for those kids, for him... he had to get back to you as soon as possible.

The few hours Bakugo spent at his agency wrapping up incident paperwork, showering and making sure everything was in order for his days off felt like an eternity when he was waiting to hear back from you. He had texted your phone in reply to the one you had sent him earlier but hadn't heard anything back from you. He called the hospital and got your room number, grabbing his things and dressing down in civilian clothes as he headed out to meet you once again.

Bakugo stopped at a specialty flower shop, remembering from one of your stream Q&A's you mentioned one of your favorite flowers was an Apricot Alexis Chrysanthemum... stupidly specific but when he saw the flower, he understood... it shared the same dusty pink color some of your cozy cute outfits had in common... and when he got a bunch of them in a simple clear vase it brought a small tip-up to the corner of his lip, imagining it in the background of one of your streams... maybe he should start sending you flowers weekly, if you'd let him - would that be too much? Bakugo had a hard time rationalizing what would be too much with the combination of his feelings for you as they grew as he watched your streams for the last six months, or the absolute gift you gave him of a second chance he never imagined possible after one of his hardest days as a Pro Hero.

Flowers would be the least of what he'd want to do for you... or to you.

Bakugo arrived at the hospital within ten minutes, hurrying to the elevator and the third floor where he knew you would be. Shuffling uncomfortably as people's gazes lingered a little too long... but he was in his usual disguise of all black casual workout clothes, a hat to cover his hair and a mask to cover his face (which luckily in a hospital wasn't all that suspicious). Bakugo finally arrived to your room, number M5309, luckily a single room so he didn't have to deal with avoiding a roommate or their visitors. Bakugo stepped through the door and shut it behind him with a soft click! as he saw you, eyes shut and breathing calmly, hooked up to some i.v. fluids and a heart monitor. The soft beep, beep, beep keeping him calm as he set the flowers down near the window, half-in half-out of the sun for you to see when you open your eyes.

"Hey Gem," your voice was quiet, soft and hoarse as you cracked your eyes open to see Bakugo frozen at the foot of your bed. "Sit down, you're making me uncomfortable."

"Sorry," Bakugo muttered, opting to pull the seat from against the wall at right beside you as he rested his arms on your bed, taking your hand in his as he played with your fingers and shifted your bones around like he was making sure they were all there and connected. You let him have his strange little ritual, whatever this was. "How're you feeling?"

"M'good," you mumbled out, stretching your limbs from lack of movement except the hand Bakugo was holding. "Feel super fatigued, that was one of the longer time-jumps I've done in a while but it's not all that bad... just the longer I go back the longer I'm out for - otherwise unscathed."

"Thank you," Bakugo's usually harsh, deep baritone was a quiet reverberant that sent a multitude of tingles across your body. "Thank you for doing that, that family doesn't have to bury their children now."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't partially just do it for you because I consider you a friend," you let out honestly, and Bakugo froze. "I've grown way too fond of you over the past year and to find out you're..."

"Fuckin' Dynamight," Bakugo finished for you.

"Yeah," you swallowed, looking straight at him. "Though I didn't decide to do it for Dynamight... I did it for Gem... and for the kids, because it seemed to be weighing heavily on you. Out of all the losses I'm sure you've had in your career, this seemed to be the hardest."

"I-I had never lost a kid before, let alone two with such a close margin... if you hadn't helped me, I'd still be living with this failure... that my best isn't good enough. My best is short by ten fuckin' seconds." Bakugo was shaking but you shifted in bed, using your other hand to pull him up out of the chair and into your arms as you enveloped him, his large body shaking with quiet sobs as he hugged you around your neck tightly. You could make out another choked thank you, but you ignored it. Just letting him get out everything he needed to get out, the wet spot on your hospital gown shoulder only growing but you held him tighter, having pulled him so hard he curled his body against yours on the bed as you happily made the room.

You never thought you'd have a chance to meet someone from your streams that you considered a friend, let alone that that friend was your favorite Pro Hero. It felt like a fever dream.

"It's okay now," you kept repeating soothing mantras to Bakugo as his breathing hiccupped, until it was a barely shaky intake of breath, and stuttering exhale... but calmer than before. "You're okay, those kids are okay, everything is okay."

"M'sorry," Bakugo said, his first instinct always being to apologize for his emotions being 'too big' as it had been said to him before. You wanted to punch whoever made him think he had to apologize for crying, even if it was himself.

"Shut up," you scolded him softly, pulling your arms around him tighter... well as around as you could since his muscled body was large enough to completely cover yours. "You're allowed to feel things and express those feelings... especially when it was something so horrible." Bakugo shifted his body until he was partially lying on his side, partially on you, resting his chin on your chest as he looked up at you like a puppy begging for snuggles. He couldn't believe he actually had a chance to meet you, his crush, and that you gave him the most amazing second chance. He watched a sudden change in your expression as you looked away from him that sent a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach, wondering what he could've done to make you upset... he didn't expect the tear to slip from your eyes that sent him into a panicked state, his mind working overdrive to try and find a solution to fix whatever he fucked up, until you stopped him dead in his tracks.

"You remembered my favorite flowers..." you were staring at the sparkling clear vase and a bunch of your favorite flower. "I don't remember talking about them before."

"Your Q&A stream back in... June?" Bakugo mused, remembering how much fun that stream was. He had the day off and you blessed him with an 8-hour stream, raffle, and one hell of a masturbation show in celebration of you reaching 100,000 fans. "That was a hell of a lot of fun, and you mentioned your favorite flower back then. It was the question I asked." You were watching him with such an intense stare Bakugo had to look away, he didn't know what you were thinking. If you thought he was a perverted freak, a stalker, a weirdo for remembering something so stupid for four months... his incessant negative train of thought was broken by you pulling him up by his jacket as you kissed him. Sweet and soft, but with such an underlying intensity it took his breath away. He stayed still, trying not to scare you off but as he heard a soft hum leave your throat, he couldn't help but need your lips with eagerness matching the sun. He cupped your face and pulled you to him, you both laughing a little at your teeth knocked together in the heat of the moment.

"Thank you," you pressed your forehead against his, both of you catching your breath from the fervor of the kiss. "They're beautiful, and you remembering my favorite flower is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." The look Bakugo gave you made you shrug with a sheepish look on your face. "There's a reason I'm a streamer and not out going on vacations with my boyfriend... I have a habit of dating shitheads."

"How about I change that?" Bakugo said it so instantly it even shocked him. Your mouth was open in a small 'o' as you blinked up at him.

"W-what?" Your mind was racing a mile a minute as your heartbeat fluttered in your chest like a trapped hummingbird.

"Sorry, I just meant," the blush that took over Bakugo's cheeks up to the tips of his ears as he stuttered over his words made your heart flutter. "I know it's weird, that I'm just some pervert that watches your streams, you don't even know m-" you cut him off with another heated kiss.

"Shut up," you said again. Bakugo's mind buzzing with the fact that no one has ever told him to shut up before, and you've done it twice now. "I think I'd like to get to know you..." you pulled him back in for a quick kiss, punctuating your words each time with a soft peck. "My friendly," kiss, "perverted," kiss, "weirdo internet stalker," kiss.

"You really mean that?" Bakugo whispered, looking up at you. "You'd want to get to know... me?"

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?" You asked, giving him your best fake offended face. "I know there are a lot of stigmas around sex work, and cam girls, but I thought the almighty Dynamight wouldn't be such a prude-" you were silenced with a kiss.

"Shut up," he grumbled at you, pulling you close to him as he closed his eyes to take in the moment while you tried your hardest to kill the increasing beep! of the heart monitor you were connected to, telling all of your secrets.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Bakugo's voice was almost a deep purr, the reverberating depth sending a shockwave straight to your pussy.

"You literally tipped on the stream I fucked myself with the Pro Hero dildo line, Katsuki," you rolled your eyes as you sucked in a breath, Bakugo running the thick, spongy head of his cock along your slick pussy, taking extra care to occasionally slap the weight against your clit. "I've basically fucked you already." At that statement Bakugo barked out a condescending laugh.

"That was a poorly modeled assumption of what they thought my cock looked like," Bakugo murmured, stopping his movements to let the heavy weight of his cock slap against his thigh with an audible sound. You gulped, looking at the monster he was going to be stuffing into you. "Does this look like your dildo even came close?" His smirk told you he already knew the answer: fuck no.

"N-no..." you breathed out, watching with wide eyes and a watering mouth as Bakugo leaned over you, one of his hands guiding himself to your waiting hole as he pressed forward into you. The stretch that came with just his cockhead had you squirming and whimpering underneath him. "F-fuck, Katuski! S'too much, too big! F-fuck!" Bakugo was living his fucking dream of having you writhing beneath him, of the way he knew your pussy would clench around him tightly as he bullied his cock into you. It had been a month of dating before you both caved into your desires, after one particularly good arcade date and a steamy make out session in a photobooth, you couldn't wait any longer - you couldn't keep going back up to your apartment alone to fingerfuck yourself to frustrated completion knowing your hands, your toys, couldn't come close to how you knew Bakugo would make you feel. Your imagination didn't even come close to the jarringly full sensation that left you panting as Bakugo bottomed out in your pussy, pressing painfully against your cervix as it gave away to an itching pleasure you couldn't quite describe.

"Gahhh-!" The deep grunt that came out of Bakugo as he felt your pussy clench around his girth was almost too much. He wouldn't last long with you feeling this good. "Fuck baby, s'too good... pussy feels too good around me, clenching like a little slut for me." Bakugo pulled back his hips, snapping them forward as the force shifted you on the bed, little wanton cries leaving your lips as he picked up his pace, and continued his assault. You'd never felt so much pleasure in your life and Bakugo had you seeing stars five thrusts in. "I don't think I'm gonna last long in this perfect little pussy, baby, feels like fuckin' heaven." Bakugo lifted your hips, large hands gripping the plush flesh of your hips as his cock began to drag across your sweet spot, a wet squelching sound filling the room as your body responded to his movements. Bakugo damn near fainted when he saw a mix of your juices and his pre-cum mixing in a creamy white ring at his base, he wanted to fucking taste it, taste what you both made together.

"K-Katsuki, gonna c-cum!" You had never reached a climax so soon without using a high-speed vibe on your clit, but here you were melting under someone's touch in as little as ten minutes.

"Yeah baby? Gonna cum on this cock, hm? Cum for me then, show me how good I'm making you feel," you damn near screamed with the power of your release as your pussy clamped down and milked Bakugo for all he had. You cumming sending Bakugo into his own release as his hips stuttered in their powerful movement, fucking you through the seemingly endless muscle contractions as you shook and shuddered beneath him, tears springing to your eyes and spilling down your cheeks as you looked up at the sweat-covered wet dream that was your new boyfriend. "Fuck, c'mon baby, gonna fill up your pussy, yeah? Gonna give you everything!" Katsuki nearly blacked out with how your pussy milked him, your body convulsing with sensitivity as he pushed forward, his balls hitting your ass as he flooded your pussy with ropes of hot, white cum. You had never felt so full in your life, between the sheer size of him and the size of his load you could swear you felt and tasted him in your throat.

Bakugo slipped his softening cock from you with a slow drag, your breath stuttering as he left your warm depths. He dropped forward onto the bed, moving onto his side as he pulled you into him, stroking your hair and kissing your temple as your body buzzed and tingled still. Your legs tangled together as you snaked your arms around his neck, pulling him down for a soft kiss before looking up at him through wet lashes.

"Wow," you breathed, a mischievous look in your eyes. "If that's how good sex with one of my subs is, I should start raffling off-" Bakugo cut off your joke with a harsh growl and a hungry kiss as he claimed you, holding onto your cheeks as he squished your face in-between his pointer finger and thumb.

"Ha. Ha." Bakugo looked at you with a seriousness that let you know he knew it was a joke, but his answer wasn't. "If anyone but me ever touches this pussy I'll kill 'em."

"Love you, Katsuki," you murmured, kissing away his frown as he pulled you closer into him, nearly wanting to crawl into your skin to feel closer to you.

"Love you too, jerk," Bakugo mumbled, his heart full of love for you but his mind thinking of ways to murder an invisible threat as he marinated in the aftermath of your joke. "You weren't really going to-?"

"No, asshole!" You hit him on his chest, laughing as you pinched his nipple. Taking the moment, he made a yelping noise to give him another kiss. "Just you, only you." You reassured him, knowing this joke would get you bent over his knees later, but you didn't mind that punishment as you fell asleep together in a mix of sweat, cum and soft kisses.

[kemetic-dreams]

Jamil Abdullah al-Amin (born Hubert Gerold Brown; October 4, 1943), is an American human rights activist, Muslim cleric, African separatist, and convicted murderer who was the fifth chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s. Best known as H. Rap Brown, he served as the Black Panther Party's minister of justice during a short-lived (six months) alliance between SNCC and the Black Panther Party.

He is perhaps known for his proclamations during that period, such as that "violence is as American as cherry pie", and that "If America don't come around, we're gonna burn it down." He is also known for his autobiography, Die Nigger Die! He is currently serving a life sentence for murder following the shooting of two Fulton County, Georgia, sheriff's deputies in 2000.

Brown's activism in the civil rights movement included involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Brown was introduced into SNCC by his older brother Ed. He first visited Cambridge, Maryland with Cleveland Sellers in the summer of 1963, during the period of Gloria Richardson's leadership in the local movement. He witnessed the first riot between whites and blacks in the city over civil rights issues, and was impressed by the local civil rights movement's willingness to use armed self-defense against racial attacks.

Brown later organized for SNCC during the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer, while transferring to Howard University for his studies. Representing Howard's SNCC chapter, Brown attended a contentious civil rights meeting at the White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Selma crisis of 1965 as Alabama activists attempted to march for voting rights.

Major federal civil rights legislation was passed in 1964 and 1965, including the Voting Rights Act, to establish federal oversight and enforcement of rights. In 1966, Brown organized in Greene County, Alabama to achieve African voter registration and implementation of the recently passed Voting Rights Act.

Elected SNCC chairman in 1967, Brown continued Stokely Carmichael's fiery support for "Black Power" and urban rebellions in the Northern ghettos.

During the summer of 1967, Brown toured the nation, calling for violent resistance to the government, which he called "The Fourth Reich". "Negroes should organize themselves", he told a rally in Washington, D.C., and "carry on guerilla warfare in all the cities." They should, "make the Viet Cong look like Sunday school teachers." He declared, "I say to America, Fuck it! Freedom or death!"

In this period, Cambridge, Maryland had an active civil rights movement, led by Gloria Richardson. In July 1967 Brown spoke in the city, saying "It's time for Cambridge to explode, baby. Black folks built America, and if America don't come around, we're going to burn America down." Gunfire reportedly broke out later, and both Brown and a police officer were wounded. A fire started that night and by the next day, 17 buildings were destroyed by an expanding fire "in a two-block area of Pine Street, the center of African-American commerce, culture and community." Brown was charged with inciting a riot, due to his speech.

Brown was also charged with carrying a gun across state lines. A secret 1967 FBI memo had called for "neutralizing" Brown. He became a target of the agency's COINTELPRO program, which was intended to disrupt and disqualify civil rights leaders. The federal charges against him were never proven.

He was defended in the gun violation case by civil rights advocates Murphy Bell of Baton Rouge, the self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, and Howard Moore Jr., general counsel for SNCC. Feminist attorney Flo Kennedy also assisted Brown and led his defense committee, winning support for him from some chapters of the National Organization for Women.

The Cambridge fire was among incidents investigated by the 1967 Kerner Commission. But their investigative documents were not published with their 1968 report. Historian Dr. Peter Levy studied these papers in researching his book Civil War on Race Street: The Civil Rights Movement in Cambridge, Maryland (2003). He argues there was no riot in Cambridge. Brown was documented as completing his speech in Cambridge at 10 pm July 24, then walking a woman home. He was shot by a deputy sheriff allegedly without provocation. Brown was hastily treated for his injuries and secretly taken by supporters out of Cambridge.

Later that night a small fire broke out, but the police chief and fire company did not respond for two hours. In discussing his book, Levy has said that the fire's spread and ultimate destructive cost appeared to be due not to a riot, but to the deliberate inaction of the Cambridge police and fire departments, which had hostile relations with the African community. In a later book, Levy notes that Brice Kinnamon, head of the Cambridge police department, said that the city had no racial problems, and that Brown was the "sole" cause of the disorder, and it was "a well-planned Communist attempt to overthrow the government."

While being held for trial, Brown continued his high-profile activism. He accepted a request from the Student Afro-American Society of Columbia University to help represent and co-organize the April 1968 Columbia protests against university expansion into Harlem park land in order to build a gymnasium.

He also contributed writing from jail to the radical magazine Black Mask, which was edited and published by the New York activist group Up Against the Wall Motherfucker. In his 1968 article titled "H. Rap Brown From Prison: Lasima Tushinde Mbilashika", Brown writes of going on a hunger strike and his willingness to give up his life in order to achieve change.

Brown's trial was originally to take place in Cambridge, but there was a change of venue and the trial was moved to Bel Air, Maryland, to start in March 1970. On March 9, 1970, two SNCC officials, Ralph Featherstone and William ("Che") Payne, died on U.S. Route 1 south of Bel Air, when a bomb on the front floorboard of their car exploded, killing both occupants. The bomb's origin is disputed: some say the bomb was planted in an assassination attempt, and others say Payne was carrying it to the courthouse where Brown was to be tried. The next night, the Cambridge courthouse was bombed

Brown disappeared for 18 months. He was posted on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted List. He was arrested after a reported shootout with officers in New York City following an alleged attempted robbery of a bar there. He was convicted of robbery and served five years (1971–76) in Attica Prison in western New York state. While in prison, Brown converted to Islam. He formally changed his name from Hubert Gerold Brown to Jamil Abdullah al-Amin.

After his release, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he opened a grocery store. He became an imam, a Muslim spiritual leader, in the National Ummah, one of the nation's largest African Muslim groups. He also was a community activist in Atlanta's West End neighborhood. He preached against drugs and gambling. It has since been suggested that al-Amin changed his life again when he became affiliated with the "Dar ul-Islam Movement"

On May 31, 1999, al-Amin was pulled over while driving in Marietta, Georgia by police officer Johnny Mack for a suspected stolen vehicle. During a search, al-Amin was found to have in his pocket a police badge. He also had a bill of sale in his pocket, explaining his possession of the stolen car, and he claimed that he had been issued an honorary police badge by Mayor John Jackson, a statement which Jackson verified. Despite this, al-Amin was charged with speeding, auto theft and impersonating a police officer.

On March 16, 2000, in Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff's deputies Ricky Kinchen and Aldranon English went to al-Amin's home to execute an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court over the charges. After determining that the home was unoccupied, the deputies drove away and were shortly passed by a black Mercedes headed for the house. Kinchen (the more senior deputy) noted the suspect vehicle, turned the patrol car around, and drove up to the Mercedes, stopping nose to nose. English approached the Mercedes and told the single occupant to show his hands. The occupant opened fire with a .223 rifle. English ran between the two cars while returning fire from his handgun, and was hit four times. Kinchen was shot with the rifle and a 9 mm handgun.

The next day, Kinchen died of his wounds at Grady Memorial Hospital. English survived his wounds. He identified al-Amin as the shooter from six photos he was shown while recovering in the hospital[citation needed] Another source said English identified him shortly before going into surgery for his wounds.

After the shootout, al-Amin fled Atlanta, going to White Hall, Alabama. He was tracked down by U.S. Marshals who started with a blood trail at the shooting site, and arrested by law enforcement officers after a four-day manhunt. Al-Amin was wearing body armor at the time of his arrest. He showed no wounds. Officers found a 9 mm handgun near his arrest site. Firearms identification testing showed that this was used to shoot Kinchen and English, but al-Amin's fingerprints were not found on the weapon. Later, al-Amin's black Mercedes was found with bullet holes in it.

His lawyers argued he was innocent of the shooting. Defense attorneys noted that al-Amin's fingerprints were not found on the murder weapon, and he was not wounded in the shooting, as one of the deputies said the shooter was. A trail of blood found at the scene was tested and did not belong to al-Amin or either of the deputies. A test by the state concluded that it was animal blood, but these results have been disputed because there was no clear chain of custody to verify the sample and testing process. Deputy English had said that the killer's eyes were gray, but al-Amin's are brown.

At al-Amin's trial, prosecutors noted that he had never provided an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the shootout, nor any explanation for fleeing the state afterward. He also did not explain why the weapons used in the shootout were found near him during his arrest.

On March 9, 2002, nearly two years after the shootings, al-Amin was convicted of 13 criminal charges, including Kinchen's murder and aggravated assault in shooting English. Four days later, he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole (LWOP).He was sent to Georgia State Prison, the state's maximum-security facility near Reidsville, Georgia.

Otis Jackson, a man incarcerated for unrelated charges, claimed that he committed the Fulton County shootings, and confessed this two years before al-Amin was convicted of the same crime. The court did not consider Jackson's statement as evidence. Jackson's statements corroborated details from 911 calls following the shooting, including a bleeding man seen limping from the scene: Jackson said he knocked on doors to solicit a ride while suffering from wounds sustained in the firefight with deputies Kinchen and English. Jackson recanted his statement two days after making it, but later confessed again in a sworn affidavit, stating that he had only recanted after prison guards threatened him for being a "cop killer". Prosecutors refuted Jackson's testimony, claiming he couldn't have shot the deputies as he was wearing an ankle tag for house confinement that would have showed his location. Al-Amin's lawyers allege that the tag was faulty.

Al-Amin appealed his conviction on the basis of a racial conspiracy against him, despite both Fulton County deputies being black. In May 2004, the Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously ruled to uphold al-Amin's conviction.

In August 2007, al-Amin was transferred to federal custody, as Georgia officials decided he was too high-profile for the Georgia prison system to handle. He was first held in a holdover facility in the USP Atlanta; two weeks later he was moved to a federal transfer facility in Oklahoma, pending assignment to a federal penitentiary.

On October 21, 2007, al-Amin was transferred to ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. He has been under an unofficial gag order, prevented from having any interviews with writers, journalists or biographers.

On July 18, 2014, having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, al-Amin was transferred to Butner Federal Medical Center in North Carolina. As of March 2018, he is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson.

Al-Amin sought retrial through the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Investigative journalist, Hamzah Raza, has written more about Otis Jackson's confession to the deputy shootings in 2000, and said that this evidence should have been considered by the court. It had the potential of exonerating al-Amin. However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his appeal on July 31, 2019.

In April 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from al-Amin. His family and supporters continue to petition for a new trial.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

I've been feeling climate anxiety lately. I think it's really necessary to change everything and progress towards a postcapitalist future that doesn't endanger our planet, our Pachamama. But I don't see how that will be possible. What do you think about this?

Hiya, thanks for getting in touch and sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. I get a lot of asks like this so I think I might make this another masterpost. Here’s climate anxiety solutions according to me:

1) Accept your feelings. Recognise that fear, grief, rage and despair are all normal, healthy, human reactions to paying actual attention to what is being done to our planet right now. You aren’t wrong or sick or overreacting by feeling them. Sit with the emotions, allow them to wash over you, cry, smash plates, punch a pillow, journal, write poetry, yell at the news, scream in the woods! Trying to repress these feelings will just make them harder to deal with.

2) Recognise that the paralysis of climate anxiety is not a good place from which to make a difference. Try to let horror, guilt and self-blame go, and lean into the love for people and planet that motivates all eco-anxiety. Start consuming good news stories and keying into activist spaces so that you can learn how others are claiming agency to fight this problem, and how you can emulate that. Remember that despair absolves you of responsibility and that true solidarity with the most affected means letting your emotions drive you towards action.

4) Educate yourself through reading, listening to podcasts, attending talks, seeking advice from elders, and more - whatever works for your particular life and circumstances. The more informed you are about these issues the more you’ll feel able to address them.

3) Make as many changes as you can in your personal life. Are you eating a high-carbon diet? Try to reduce that. Are you consuming a lot of water or energy resources? Look for green and low-intensity alternatives. Examine your transport habits and prioritise walking, cycling, trains, low or zero emission buses, sailing, and replacing longer-haul journeys with remote options. If you live in a throwaway culture, try to prioritise reuse and repair over consumption. Consider how your livelihood impacts the planet, and if it’s negatively and making change is possible for you, start the process of moving towards an occupation that lets you make a more positive difference.

4) Fight! Join a campaign group, write to your elected officials, attend a protest, donate money to causes if you can, commit civil disobedience if you feel willing and able. Put pressure on governments, businesses and the public to change their ways.

5) Prioritise joy and connection. Spend time in nature, watching animals or foraging for plants or swimming or walking or just letting it all wash over you. Link up with other people to talk through your worries, go hiking, lobby for climate justice, safeguard ecosystems and pass down your local heritage. Sometimes, take a day or two to check out of all these issues and problems and just spend time drawing, cooking, playing games with loved ones, or whatever it is that relaxes you. There are enough of us that you can take the time to avoid burnout.

I hope some of this was helpful, and do please get back in touch if you have any other questions or queries. You’re part of a huge global community of people who love and revere the earth and want to build a better future for all life upon her. Hold onto that.

[criticalcrusherbot]

One "criticism" that particularly bothers me is that Hazbin Hotel is a white savior fantasy. I'd very much like to hear your thoughts.

💁🏽‍♀️: We’ve actually got a bit of a nuanced answer for you 😅

🤖: This unit is programmed for maximum nuance. Nuance detected—analysis protocols engaged! We love nuance on this blog. Beep boop! 💖🤖

💁🏽‍♀️🤖: sigh Oookayyyy. Let’s break this down thoughtfully. First off—no, Charlie is not a “white savior” at this point. The white savior trope typically refers to stories where a white protagonist swoops into a marginalized community, solves their problems, and becomes a celebrated hero while sidelining that community’s agency. This often involves a dynamic where the savior is framed as inherently superior in intelligence, morality, or capability. That simply isn’t what’s happening with Charlie in Hazbin Hotel.

Charlie isn’t portrayed as swooping in from an outsider position; she’s deeply entrenched in the very system she’s trying to reform. As the princess of Hell, she holds immense privilege, but that privilege doesn’t automatically translate into success or unquestioned authority. In fact, she’s met with skepticism, ridicule, and outright hostility by both Hell’s citizens and its power structures. Moreover, the residents of Hell aren’t depicted as passive victims waiting for a hero—they’re defiant, complex individuals with their own agency and often reject Charlie’s mission outright.

But how does this trope apply to Hazbin Hotel? The parallels are loose at best—but there are still interesting elements worth unpacking.

First, Hell isn’t a traditional marginalized community; it’s literally the underworld with its own warped societal structure. That said, it does have a rigid hierarchy that mirrors class and race dynamics from our world.

Charlie’s position as Hell’s princess grants her immense privilege, making her mission to “redeem” Hell a bit fraught when viewed through a sociopolitical lens. In that light, the potential for a white savior-adjacent dynamic isn’t entirely off-base. Charlie’s belief that she alone can “fix” Hell could easily veer into condescending territory if the show doesn’t remain self-aware.

But here’s the thing—we actually like that this could be an intentional flaw of Charlie’s character. Her idealism sometimes borders on naivety, and if the narrative chooses to challenge that belief (perhaps by showing how she misunderstands the complexities of Hell’s social dynamics), it could make for a fascinating thematic exploration.

Right now, though, it’s too early to say whether this will be fully explored. Hazbin Hotel still has a lot of world-building and narrative legwork to do before fully grappling with themes like privilege and flawed heroism. But the potential is absolutely there.

For now, Charlie isn’t portrayed as superior or infallible—she’s hopeful, a bit naive, and faces constant resistance. The residents of Hell aren’t framed as helpless victims but as complex individuals with their own agency and defiant personalities. This dynamic helps the show stay clear of truly problematic “savior” territory for now.

In short, while Hazbin Hotel may not perfectly fit the “white savior” framework, it’s worth keeping an eye on how the show handles Charlie’s mission. If it leans into the tension between her privilege and the realities of Hell’s rigid hierarchy, it could become a truly compelling exploration.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

The shorter version: Hey could you talk about stone tops more? Or anything like that, people who like giving but not recieving?

The longer version: I’m sort of going through that process of self discovery, I’ve been meaning to ask about it somehow- basically I am sexually attracted to people (I think??), I get aroused, I enjoy masturbating, even talking with my partner about stuff we could do is arousing to me. I enjoy some submissive kinky stuff. Hell, my boyfriend (transmasc, both of us are) recently let me go down on him and it was like a fucking religious experience, I LOVED it, but I find it really difficult to enjoy anything being done directly to /my/ genitals. Like, I can feel the sensations, and they feel good, but I don’t build any arousal, like I can’t get in the mood? I know I’m not, but I do feel fucked up and broken. Spiritually, I want my boyfriend to rail me into next week, but physically I’m afraid there’s like. Something wrong with me, like,, I don’t work??? Idk. I’ve got major anxiety, I’ve got dysphoria, I guess I always figured it was one of those things. There’s only so many times I can feel Way Too Seen by fanfiction about Noted Asexual, Archivist Jonathan Sims before I start to wonder what exactly they’ve hit directly on the head, if that makes sense. I’m not asking you to Diagnose Me Asexual lmaoo but I was wondering about more like… asexual adjacent things? My boyfriend suggested I look into “service top” too. I… don’t feel like a top? I’m very submissive. But I’ve heard it’s not always top= dom, bottom=sub… how can I be a submissive top?

Sorry this is… so much. It’s really been weighing on me. Even if you don’t feel up to answering this I thank you profusely for the sex ed content you’ve been posting lately. Demystifying sex and promoting sexual health is so incredibly important, and even just what I’ve read from you makes a difference in the agency I feel over my sex life.

hi anon,

weeeeeee!!! this is a fun one.

so, first off, I'm just gonna throw this out there: liking the idea of something - for instance, your boyfriend railing you into next week - is not an innate sign that that's something you'd like in real life. I'll jack off to the idea of getting railed like Thomas the Tank Engine, sure, but in real life vaginal penetration has never felt like much of anything to me + I haaaaAAAAaaaate the idea of doing anything with even a teeny tiny slight chance of getting me pregnant. some stuff is fine to stay in the brain!

if you do ever decide to tentatively explore it with your bf, that's also fine and wonderful, but let's focus on what we know about your likes right now. you don't want to get fucked (awesome) but you like going down (also awesome). none of that means you are or aren't asexual, btw, there are loads of asexuals in the world who love to get railed and hate going down and also feel every possible way about every other possible array of sex acts. you're only asexual if you want to be, keep that in mind.

you're also only stone or a service top or whatever else if you want to be. words exist to be useful, not as an innate ontological truth to discover within yourself. personally I think it's waaaaay more important for people to refine their sense of likes, dislikes, communication, and boundary-setting than finding the exact right word for their particular cup of tea.

as long as we're talking about terminology, let's get into dom/sub and top/bottom. you're absolutely correct that they're not interchangeable, whatever the hooligans on various hellsites would have you believe. dom and sub are terms for power exchange play, when two people enact a power differential in which one partner is consensually given a great deal of control over the other, be it physically, psychologically, financially, or what have you. top/bottom simply refer to who is acting vs who is being acted upon during a sexual act; while some people identify intensely as either a top or a bottom, it's also a simple matter for those roles to switch on a dime depending on what kind of sex you're into. it's completely possible to have sex without designating anyone the top or bottom, and I'd argue that most people have sex without there actually being a dom or sub involved.

so can dom bottom, or a sub top? of course; people can mix and match whatever pieces of sexuality they want in their own explorations. a dom can boss their sub around like a little servant, giving them extremely detailed instructions about exactly how to rail them, and perhaps punish them (in the fun consensual way, obviously) if they fail to meet those expectations and don't get their dom off the way that was wanted. you can, and I cannot possibly emphasize this enough, do whatever you want forever.

a service top, incidentally, is generally considered a separate thing from a dom (which is not to say they can't overlap!) in that a service top isn't always dominating, but is topping because they enjoy getting their partner off in whatever way they like. the overlap of service tops and folks who are stone is notable!

in your particular case I would recommend not worrying so much about which of these terms, if any, are the correct one for you and focus way ore on exploring and playing with your partner to find a rhythm that works well for the two of you. doms, subs, tops, and bottoms all have something useful to teach people about how they like intimacy, but there's no rush to figure out which category, if any, you fit in. just focus on what's fun and feels good to you and toss the rest.

[centrally-unplanned]

Since I am blogging about it, I will outline my Tiktok "ban" stance - it is "fine", I have no objections and mildly support it, though I am not nearly as concerned about the tool as its proponents are and I approach it differently.

Fundamentally, "you can never impinge on freedoms in international relations" is a silly stance, because it leaves you vulnerable to exploitation by other parties. You do in fact have to "build" markets, rights, etc, none of them exist in the state of nature or whatever. China currently bans the large majority of western social media apps from the country as part of an explicit strategy for industrial policy for its own tech space and as information control on its citizenry. It is completely fair to go "samesies" in response, in the same way free trade agreements are signed by both parties. Now the US government didn't put a "until China lets Facebook in" clause in the bill or anything, but that is because everyone knows China isn't budging on this topic, I can't fault them for not bothering.

China also definitely does do the things it is accused of re: Tiktok. They aren't as heavy-handed as they are with their domestic platforms of course, but they algorithmically censor anti-China content, promote messages they care about, and share user data with central authorities. Now, I care about this less than others. Algorithms are perpetually overstated in their power, as users have agency, opinions, and also know what algorithms are and notice the rigging. The vast majority of people self-select their information consumption more than algs shape it. Tiktok is not a very effective tool in the CCP's kit. But it still is a tool, and again a stance of "the US government can never interfere with our speech institutions but foreign governments can go to town" is not practical stance, that isn't free speech at all. I find these crimes to be minor, but given that the punishment is "sell Tiktok to a US company at a fair price", that seems fine to me. The fact that ByteDance isn't doing that speaks volumes.

(I really don't care about the data stuff, as a bonus note. Data privacy is the perpetual "dog that didn't bark", and we in fact have large social costs from how religiously we try to protect it to avoid exaggerated harms. But it isn't of no concern, I am sure there are valid points in there.)

Still, I don't think people should downplay that it is legitimately awful for the community in practice. There are lots of wildly exaggerated numbers going around (no, 170 million Americans are not "active users" lol unless you stretch that word to the moon), but still, there are going to be millions of people who will have something load-bearing in their lives affected by a legal fight. The world is full of tradeoffs, I have no reason to think they should be happy about this. They have every right to lament it.

I do think this is another classic example of the US "legalism" policy dynamic - the idea of sitting down and just building the parallel infrastructure for US-hosted Tiktok once Bytedance refused to sell, and cutting them out of the loop entirely, was completely beyond us to consider, when that is the win-win solution to the dilemma. But w/e, in this case I recognize that is pretty idealistic, can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.