#literally everything is worth it for this
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Puritanical shit like this is censorship and control packaged in a way that hypocrites will get on board with.
Sex isn't the fucking problem, fiction isn't the fucking problem.
The point of censorship like this is controlling people, keeping them ignorant, and suppressed.
Famously banning swaths of books is considered a BAD thing.
Oklahoma is attempting to pass a bill that would ban explicit romance novels. Authors, narrators, and sellers could all face fines of up to $100,000 and up to 10 years in jail for each instance.
If you live in OK, call your representative and tell them this bill should not be allowed to pass.
This is likely a test case. Republicans will try to pass it in OK and if it passes other states will likely try to pass similar laws.
In the meantime, get physical copies of books you like. Download those pdfs. Archive your AO3 stories and keep them on a physical hard drive. (Storing those files in the cloud could be problematic in the future as the company managing the cloud service can see what your files are)
#romance#everything is filth to oppressors#you are not exempt#and of course they are getting through on the back of ‘protecting children’#THIS IS LITERALLY CENSORSHIP#this puratanical bullshit is MEANT TO CONTROL PEOPLE#ok#oklahoma#just realised this may be my first time ever writing out the word oklahoma#which isnt important rn#i just thought it was a weird data point of my life#politics#book ban#book banning#censorship#smut lovers fuck this shit off#like#one of my theories about these broligarchs is that they just need to try reading something that isnt self-fallating or bullshit#theyd still be assholes but maybe they would mellow the fuck out#probs not#but its a nice thought#anyways#FUCK TRUMP#FUCK MUSK#FUCK THESE GREEDY SPINELESS SCUMBAGS IN THE REPULICAN PARTY WHO ARENT SAYING A FUCKING WORD#AND ARE ACTIVELY HELPING DESTROY DEMOCRACY#HOPE YOU CHOKE ON A BEACH WORTH OF SANDPAPER COCKS
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been seeing some responses to the many many lawsuits and other actions taken against trumpet and munkfruit that fall along the lines of "this isn't enough, it's already too late, you can't fight fascism with the law, we're all gonna die." i understand the fear, truly, but i'm curious as to your thoughts on it, as to me it seems like this sort of behavior/posting doesn't do much beyond embolden the narrative that everyone actually likes these bastards and they're too powerful to be stopped.
Welp. This is the kind of question that requires me to write a long and complex sociopolitical/critical/historical/Discourse-esque analysis that will take a while and which I am trying to do only selectively, but I'm at home on Saturday morning, I don't have anything else to do right now, and it does present me an opportunity to address some things I've been thinking about. So. We'll give it a shot.
The first thing that has struck me is that in a few short weeks, we're getting a sharp empirical disproving of two common online-leftist fallacies: one, the old "both parties are exactly the same" chestnut, and two, "the only resistance that matters is Violent Glorious Revolution" (which somehow and conveniently never happens). We had months and months of "Biden is just as bad as Trump!!!" being spread as gospel truth in online-leftist circles, and then when Harris took over, it switched just as seamlessly into "Harris is just as bad as [or even worse than] Trump!" Now, as I have said before, there were plenty of legitimate criticisms to make of Biden, particularly the Gaza policy (upon which Harris notably differed). But it's quite telling that the keyboard warriors who spent all of last year howling for The Righteous Punishment of Biden-Harris (regardless that the obvious ancillary consequence was letting Trump come to power) have either disappeared completely when it comes to dealing with the results of that rhetoric, or have switched to "everything is doomed so I guess we shouldn't bother anyway." Like. Trump is now proposing to fully ethnically cleanse Gaza and either blithely hand it over to Israel or build Jared Kushner Beachfront Resort Disneyworld, and what do we hear in protest? For the most part, crickets. These are not serious people. Their opposition is not morally consistent, and it only depends on how they can make themselves look good. I thought that Trump was somehow supposed to be magically better than Biden particularly on the Gaza issue, and that was why it was worth letting him get elected? Or something? Something!?!
I'm curious as to whether those people still legitimately think that Harris would have spent her first few weeks in office dismantling USAID, signing weekly anti-trans executive orders, unleashing ICE across the country and terrorizing immigrant communities, putting the Project 2025 guy in charge of the Office of Management and Budget, letting Elon Musk run rampant with Treasury data, nominating the likes of RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to Cabinet posts, trying to freeze all federal funding, stripping DEI initiatives, dismantle the Department of Education -- etc. etc. The thing is, as ghoulish as it is, none of this is a surprise, because it is literally what Trump and his people spent the entire presidential campaign loudly, openly, and repeatedly promising to do. However awful they were and are, they were not remotely secret about their intentions. That information was out in the open every time they opened their mouths. But too many people didn't pay attention, rationalized it away, decided that "he won't actually do that" (despite the fact that he launched a literal violent coup attempt on the Capitol the last time he was in office), or just made up their minds that Trump Will Reduce Grocery Prices and refused to listen to any information that countered that view. What do we get now? Trump laughing off the grocery-prices issue and insisting that it's "not a priority" and Musk managing to claim that the real problem is government spending, not corporate greed. Again, this was completely predictable, because y'all got willingly suckered. It was not hard to see it coming.
That said: if the Glorious Online Leftist Revolution is still coming, and by some lights we might now legitimately need it, where the fuck is it? Are they still out there banging the drum against Trump and his "let's ethnically cleanse Gaza" policy and anything else that they insisted, they swore up and down, was functionally equivalent or possibly even marginally better than Biden-Harris getting another term? No. They're either dead silent, offering weak excuses, or completely giving into "we're doomed there's no point fighting back through weak shitlib institutions that are obviously terrible and will fail" blubbering that makes no fucking sense. One, because they move the goalposts so constantly that there's not even any attempt to reckon with the last effects of their damaging bullshit, and two? As I said, where's the fucking Revolution magically coming to save us and install a perfect leftist utopia (which is never how revolutions have ever worked) and sweep away Government Tyranny? Is that only for when a Democrat is in office and you can have confidence that the government is not going to come after you in the middle of the night for talking about it? Now that there's an actual fascist in power, it's somehow too hard to resist at all, even in small, institutional, and everyday ways that are often far more effective at practically confounding the bad stuff instead of empty and useless online echo chambers, so guess we should all just give up??!
Fuck. That.
This is also why we have to talk about the catastrophic lack of information literacy and critical thinking skills in young leftist spaces. A good example is the recent migration of TikTok users to the Chinese app RedNote. It was sweet for a little while as there was cultural exchange and friendship and memes. But then, predictably, it dove hard into "ah, once again The Evil US Government Has Lied To Us and there are no problems at all in China!" I have seen posts float by on my dash that unironically claim this is the case and China is truly great and Americans should want to move there and clearly all that business about authoritarian control and mass repression was just a ruse by, again, The Evil US Government. If you are so utterly devoid of basic information literacy and research abilities that your standard of proof for "is the Chinese government repressively authoritarian and totalitarian" is "a random Chinese person on an app in a country where the Internet is viciously controlled and voicing the slightest criticism can make you disappear told me that it isn't," then for Christ's fucking sake, you need help. For one, it wasn't just the US government saying this. It was, y'know, Chinese dissidents, the entire nation of Taiwan, historians, academics, researchers, the Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang, etc etc. If your only standard for believing or supporting anything is "the opposite of what the US government thinks," then you are perfect targets for authoritarianism. Hey, a person living under an authoritarian regime who will punish them if they speak out against it told me everything was fine! Clearly there's nothing to worry about and we should want it here in America!
Come on. Come on.
This is also the case because uneducated young leftists like to unironically label themselves "communists" or "Marxist-Leninists" as if it's cool and hip and has never been involved in anything problematic in all of history, so anything that calls itself that must be supported. Shoutout to the idiot in my notes recently who reblogged a several-year-old post just to shout at me about how historical communists NEVER worked with or collaborated with fascists, because something something The Communists Were The Pure Shining Good Guys! (Uh, nobody tell them about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.) Clearly, the Chinese Communist Party is good and beneficial, end of story, no more criticism or caution needed! Obviously, yes, official American policy toward China has often been driven by basic Sinophobia, and the determination that nobody can change American hegemony or unipolarity or its ability to call the shots how it pleases. But if that is the literally only criteria you're using, then yeah. If you're so unaware that "the Chinese people are ordinary human beings" and "the Chinese government is repressive and authoritarian" are statements that can and in fact do coexist, then apparently you've missed the situation you're in right now, where "the American people are ordinary human beings" and "the American government is repressive and authoritarian" is also the case. Because online leftism is essentially devoid of a consistent moral principle and will just blithely switch up to support Bad Things as long as they're being done by governments with the correct ideological label, here we are.
Anyway. This is getting long, but the main takeaway is that the "all resistance against Trump is doomed and I guess we just gotta die :(" line is now, somehow, often coming from the same people who were constantly yelling that the only hope was a Glorious Revolution against Biden-Harris, and it is somehow even stupider. So you'll trumpet about Gloriously Overthrowing The Government all the day long as long as a Democrat is in office, but the instant a Republican gets in there instead and starts acting like an actual fascist, welp, time to just shut up and accept our doom and not even bother to struggle? Please tell me how any of that makes sense. Especially when actively confounding the Trump/Musk Axis of Evil is already working. There is also the fact that the establishment-media types are supporting this narrative for reasons of their own; witness the fact that the entire US corporate media is owned by oligarchs who hastened to bend the knee and pledge fealty to Trump 2.0. They obviously also have a reason for inculcating hopelessness in you, and that the only recourse is to shut up, accept it, and let them continue to rob you blind. Because American democracy will never matter as much as money, power, and control for the Billionaire Bros.
The point is: this is a bad-faith narrative on all sides. Whether it's coming from the online leftists in their latest head-spinningly hypocritical volte-face, the oligarch-owned corporate media that wants to feed you constant Bad News to keep you clicking and worried and distracted and unable to resist, the Trumpist power that wants people to quit making this pesky stink about all their authoritarian fascist adventures, or anyone else. There is nobody who has your best interests at heart if they are telling you that everything is doomed and the only thing to do is lie down and take it. There is no logical reason you should listen to them. Go forth and keep resisting, in whatever way presents itself. Those cumulative small actions are far more effective than any Splendid Revolution that never, ever materializes, while the people who preach it just sit back and whine about how things are so bad now so clearly they couldn't. Shut up.
It is always important. It always matters. It will make a difference.
Courage, etc.
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Your Spring 2025 Blessings
🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼
I intend that everyone has a lovely spring
To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at [email protected]
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Picture 1
- This spring you'll be successfully completing a task or goal that you have been tirelessly working towards for quite a few months. For some of you, this could have been years in the making too. With one thing achieved, you can now move on to something else but don't forget to be in the moment and celebrate this win either. Whatever you have crafted will receive it's recognition too.
- Recovering lost wealth or in simple terms, the money you have spent (or some of you, if you have incurred loss) will come back to you twicefold.
- You'll also feel less lonely. Infact, you'll feel as though a community, person, Friends etc have your back. Which in turn is making you feel secure within yourself.
- New love and emotional renewal for some of you a happy relationship as well. Your cup will be filled. Don't worry.
- A lot of fun, shared joy and celebration with friends/family/found family.
- A new and better environment or home/work space.
- Harmony at home.
- Most of you will be around people who share an alleviated and positive mindset that will in turn lead to you having a better one. You'll have a much better outlook on life. This in turn will make life easier compared to the 'at my wit's end' feeling you may have been having for the couple of months.
Picture 2
- This spring you'll be blessed with the ability to create a secure and and nurturing life for yourself while balancing everything else with grace. The financial freedom you have been seeking will will come. You'll feel a sense of self sufficiency and a deep sense of confidence in your self worth.
- You'll also be able to take a pause and learn something new. You'll also have a new perspective of things that help you navigate circumstances better instead of feeling like you're stuck.
- If you're a student or pursuing higher education this will also be a promising time for you.
- Realisation that what you fear becomes so insignificant once you take your awareness away from it.
- A possible mentor or guide who helps you learn or hone your existing skills for the better.
- The urge to lead confidently rather than simply follow and be answerable to others.
- A lot of you have been struggling with anxiety or anticipating the worst possible scenarios or outcomes. You may even weed certain friends or people out of your life who are adding to this feeling. This could simply mean that they take more from you than they're willing to give. Others might be dealing with people who simply want to have control over you. But you'll be blessed with the right people, right connections and honest friends who push you out of situations and mindsets that have been constricting you. Your own intuition and wisdom will be a great blessing within itself as well.
Picture 3
- This spring you're stepping into your power, your untouched potential, waking up and realising that you're not going to hold yourself back anymore. A lot of you will put yourself, your talents, your skills etc out there. You're laser focused on your end goal and vision. So whatever happens in between is simply your means to the end. You want to simply enjoy your journey now, experience your life. And you will.
- Some of you might be getting something you have been wishing for and will keep it a secret from everyone. I also sense some of you will literally run away/flee a place or situation that you can no longer be bothered with.
- Soul searching and finding your own path.
- Offers and opportunities to choose from.
- Finally being able to regulate your nervous system most of you have felt on the edge and don't have the best sleep cycle or healthy lifestyle. This will change.
- Preparing for a summer getaway.
- Unfiltered happiness. So the glow up that shows externally is because you feel that way internally. You'll have plenty of blessings to count even if initially you feel like you're everything on your own. You've always been the lone wolf afterall. But your tribe will find you. Start actually living your life rather than surviving it.
#free readings#divination community#pick a card#pac#pick a picture#pick a pile#spring 2025#spring 2025 pick a card#tarot readers#tarot community#tarot readers of tumblr
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Bartender Sukuna Headcanons - R.S
Bartender Sukuna who hates his job but is so damn good at it. Every time he works the bar is packed!
Bartender Sukuna who is such a stereotype. A tall hot guy, with tattoos and tight black shirt walks into a bar and……no one is surprised. If you could imagine everyone’s hot, dream guy bartender, it’d be him.
Bartender Sukuna who loses points on the personality section. His drinks are great, but his chat is poor. He already isn’t much of a talker, which is why he didn’t expect to last so long in this job. But pear it with too many flirting girls, aggressive drunk guys and underaged kids tryna work a drink off him, he’s a total nightmare to be around.
Bartender Sukuna who you can totally trust with your cup. Drunk girls unknowingly leave their drinks unattended all the time, and Sukuna watches each and everyone of them. If another person, male or female even attempts to get close to your cup, he’s on top of it, instantly.
Bartender Sukuna who hates hookup culture, especially in bars. Drunk sex is so sloppy, and wet. It’s 10% sex and 90% delirious efforts to actually get there.
Bartender Sukuna who rarely ever entertains women. Let’s be honest, he’s a really hot guy, so it’s not uncommon that women approach, and try to take him home. Now while he does appreciate the ego boost, he refuses to entertain anyone he couldn’t possibly see a future with.
Bartender Sukuna who loses all this logic the second he meets you.
Bartender Sukuna, who has quite literally never seen someone so beautiful. You were so different. It was a unique vibe, something about the air around you. From the way you talked, to the slight twitch of your lip before you smiled, to your mannerisms, everything you did completely encapsulated him.
Bartender Sukuna who cannot function every time you enter the bar. It throws him off his game in more ways he’d care to admit. He’s spilling drinks, messing up orders, billing the wrong people. The whole thing is just a complete disaster and you’re to blame.
Bartender Sukuna who already hates your friends. He thinks you’re too good for them. They’re sloppy drunk, don’t pay much attention to you, and ditch you for random guys at the end of every night.
Bartender Sukuna who isn’t the least bit surprised when you stumble over to the bar with a sad look on your too pretty face.
“What’s got you so down in the slums”
He can’t believe he’s actually talking to you.
“Nothing”
Okay, not giving him much to work with there.
“Then why are you pouting so hard. Keep it up and your face’ll get stuck that way”
You chuckle.
You’re laughing at his jokes? Just say the word and he’ll marry you right now.
“It’s my friends, they always ditch me at the end of the night”
What assholes.
“Let me think, this is the third time this week they’ve done that yeah?”
“Heyyy, how’d you know”
“I’m a bartender, its my job to know my customers”
“Well, you’re not wrong. It’s just frustrating because I’m happy that their finding people and all that but it’s every night, sometimes I just wanna get through the evening with just us you know”
“Well, if you ask me, you need new friends anyways”
“Well good thing I didn’t ask”
“Ooo feisty, I like it”
“Yeah whatever”
“Cmon you should smile more, you’re too pretty to be this sad”
“Ugh, do you use these lines every night? Try something else”
Gosh, he’s never met a women so combative, he loves it.
“No that was actually a new one, I take it you aren’t a fan though”
“No not at all, but you’re cute so I think I’ll let it slide”
You think he’s cute? He’s totally got this in the bag.
“Well, for what it’s worth I think you’re pretty cute too”
Bartender Sukuna who spent the rest of his shift talking to you. He doesn’t think he’s ever said so much in his entire life. But the conversation just flowed, it was so natural.
Bartender Sukuna who’s ashamed of how quickly he offered to take you home. When it was finally time for you to depart, he was worried about you driving even though you had maybe one or two not very strong drinks. He was surprised to hear that it wouldn’t be a problem because you ubered here and intended to take one back. But what kind of man would he be if he didn’t at least offer to take you himself.
Bartender Sukuna who has absolutely no idea how he ended up in your bed with you beneath him.
Bartender Sukuna who has the best sex of his life that night.
Bartender Sukuna who before he falls asleep, with you in his arms, is already planning your first real date.
border by @plutism
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[Image IDs: Series of tweets from Sheila O'Malley (@/ sheilaKathleen) on 08.06.18 reading: The year after my dad died was so bad I don't remember 90% of it. I moved to a new apt and was unable to unpack. For Months. I was ashamed I couldn't unpack. How can you be Unable to unpack? Just open the g.d. boxes. That was the year I cried for 19 days. Straight. /1
My good friend David - whom I've known since - knew I was struggling and he felt helpless. He said "you are loved" "we need you". I was like, "Doesn't matter, but thanks." So he took a risk. It very well could have ended badly. I could have lashed out. /2
I could have been really Really offended. But he took the risk. He sent out an email to a group of local friends (w/out my knowledge) and said, "Sheila is struggling. She needs our help. Let's all go over there and unpack her apartment for her. Bring food. Let's make it fun." /3
David sent me an email saying "will you be home Thursday night? Can I stop by?" I said "Sure." Sitting surrounded by 200 unpacked boxes. /4
At 6pm on Thursday night the doorbell rang and 10 of my friends barged in, bearing platters of food, cleaning products, and complete unconcern for me 'wait ... you (start all caps) can't come in here I haven't unpacked yet" (end all caps) protestations. They ignored me and got to work. /5
They unpacked by boxes. They put away my 1,500 books. They hung pictures for me. They organized my closet and put away all my clothes. Meanwhile, someone set up a taco-making station in kitchen. People brought beer. By the end of the night, my apartment was all set up. /6
I literally was unable to do (start all caps) The simplest things. (end all caps) And nobody judged me. They were like superheroes sweeping in. One friend arrived late, stood in the hallway, looked at me and said, (start all caps) "Put me to work." (end caps) /7
One of my friends basically took over hanging all of my posters and pictures. "I'm really good at measuring stuff. Let me put all these up in your hallway." I hovered, not wanting to give up control: "wait ... put that one there maybe?" She said, "Go away." I did /8
She she was so much better at hanging stuff than I was! Here are my friends putting away my books. /9
Cutoff picture of someone putting books on a bookshelf.
Here's a break for dinner. Please note that my friend Sheila's dinner plate is resting on my DVD player. /10
Picture of people sitting and eating. One person has a DVD player on their lap and a plate on top of that.
I was overwhelmed at the sight of all of my crazy friends turning themselves into Santa's workshop. On my behalf. W/out asking me. They just showed up and barged in. I was embarrassed for like 10 minutes but they were all so practical and bossy I had no choice but to let that go.
At the end of the night, I looked at my friend's husband - a quiet taciturn guy who drives a tugboat on the Hudson - practical, man of few words - and I just looked at him, speechless, not knowing how to say Thank You, especially to this tough resilient self-sufficient man.
He looked at me, saw the look on my face, understood the look, understood everything that was behind it - and said, "Listen, baby, what we did today was a barn-raising."
That's the end. The "ask for help" advice is well-meaning but not really thought through. There's shame, there's enforced helplessness, there's the feeling you're not worth it, etc. My friends didn't wait for me to ask. They showed up. They took over. They didn't ask.
When they all swept out of there 4 hours later, my place was a home. Not only was everything put away - but now it had a memory attached to it, a group memory, friends, laughing, dirty jokes, hard work. These are the kinds of friends I have. Be that kind of friend to others.
To reiterate: this plan could have backfired. I very well could have been offended, insulted, hurt. David took that risk. Being a friend takes commitment. A willingness to take that risk. /End IDs]
This is literally the most heart warming story I have read on Twitter so far. I think this is exactly what friends should do, and I feel everyone deserves people like this.
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Midterm
Summary: When Asia's in need of a few lessons regarding matters of the bedroom, her colleague and friend, Kelvin, offers his expertise.
Pairing: Kelvin Harrison Jr. x Black!OC
Warnings: Mature Content (18+)
Word Count: 6k
MASTERLIST
Reading a congratulatory email with kind words and instructions to sign a lucrative offer was easy. Simply slip out of your third boring morning meeting, disappear into the surprisingly vacant courtyard, and spend no less than 30 minutes oscillating between excitement and sheer panic while clicking through pages of contracts to add your digital signature to an encrypted document. Kelvin followed the plan to the letter and then some.
The hard part was stifling the urge to scream at the birds and trees during peak business hours.
Voice low and eyes shifting in search of potential eavesdroppers, he sat in pensive silence to contemplate the gravity of his decision. In a little over a month, he'd be a Chicago resident. He'd wake up in his Chicago apartment, walk the Chicago streets, pass by Chicagoans on the way to his Chicago office, and then grab dinner ingredients at a Chicago grocery store. His license would change. Mail would need a new forwarding address. Updated voter registration, new doctors, a change in insurance, learning a transit system; change after change both excited and unnerved Kelvin all at once.
Part of him wanted to barge into his Head of Creative's office and slam his resignation on the table before clicking his heels together on the way out the door. Fuck this job. New and greener pastures were on the horizon! The other part, the terrified part of him that'd been worried sick since Saturday morning, couldn't even say the words out loud for fear that the wooden benches would absorb and tell his secret before he'd had time to craft poetic, well-thought-out lines.
In his mind, Kelvin thought he'd managed to maintain an impenetrable poker face. To a stranger or work acquaintance unschooled in Kelvin-ology, he could come across as convincing enough to overlook. For Asia, watching him from the communal kitchen, worry causing his knee to bounce in triple time told a different story.
"You know you can just go out there and talk to him, right?" Savannah's sarcastic introduction to an otherwise quiet moment cut through Asia's brain fog enough to garner attention as she shifted her weight from one side to the other. "I'm joking," Savannah laughed, trying to ease the tension between them. Asia's quick glance at the back of Kelvin's head provided the final number of a winning lottery sequence. "Wow, you really like him. Like, you two are a couple! I knew it."
Asia tried to remain casual as she crossed her arms and shrugged. "What are you talking about? Kel is my work friend."
"Must be a hell of a work friend for you to spend the night from his place. I noticed the cabinets, but I couldn't confirm until later that day when Kelvin took a meeting from the same place."
Savannah's cheeky grin sparked fear in Asia's heart. Widening her eyes, she craned her neck to see who may have heard her business in the area.
She leaned closer, keeping her voice low as she spoke. "You can't say that out loud," she cautioned. "We're being discreet!"
"Love you so much, Asia, but literally everyone knows."
"Everyone like who?"
"Asia," Savannah reiterated. "Every. One. The main crew has a group chat and everything. You just won me $20 bee-tee-dubbs. I'll share, promise."
Panic should've set in for Asia. Maybe dread and a tinge of fear. They'd broken another rule and crossed another carefully considered boundary in the pursuit of each other. Asia should've been nervous about how their not-so-secret pining had run through the office rumor mill and what it might mean for perceptions of her professionalism as one of the few Black women in the building. But relief was the only emotion worth exploring in the immediate aftermath of Savannah's revelation.
No more hiding. No more planning entrances five minutes apart or driving separate vehicles in busy morning traffic when one would suffice. They could share dinner leftovers during lunch and stop sneaking quiet giggles at jokes shared via text. No more hiding.
Relief helped Asia slowly release the extra air tightening her lungs and expanding her chest. She nodded at nothing in particular. "I expect my cut in all ones. It's for our strip club fund."
"Oooh, spicy," Savannah sang, stepping closer to speak in a hushed whisper. "So… how's it going with you two? How different is personal time Kelvin from work Kelvin?"
"Uh, I mean, you know. He's…you know."
Any sense of calm that offered a reprieve from an onslaught of complicated feelings was quickly replaced by the need to run out of the room and vomit. Knowing was one thing. Asking questions and wanting the scoop on something Asia deemed sacred and untouchable in conversation beyond what she chose to share was different.
Words sputtered from her lips as she tried to offer an explanation vague enough to get Savannah off her ass. The quiet roar of glass panes sliding on a metal track clipped Asia's start-and-stop sentence, turning all attention to Kelvin as he stepped in, looking like he'd just had his heart ripped in two and was trying but failing to keep his emotions intact. Savannah didn't seem to notice when she flagged him over. Asia couldn't take her eyes off his frown and sullen expression. Kelvin knew his face had betrayed him as soon as he was close enough for a thorough look at the questions knitting Asia's brows together.
Trying to play it cool, he swiftly pulled his hand out of his pocket and offered a wave to both ladies. "What's up?" A greeting he'd used a million times suddenly sounded bizarre. First mistake.
"Hiii!" Savannah's severe lack of subtly pulled a reluctant laugh from Kelvin before he shifted his gaze to focus on Asia.
"Asia. You good?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. What about you? You good?"
"I'm good now, yeah."
Anxieties feasting on his mind momentarily paused in reverence for Asia's presence. A true breath of fresh air. One he'd fight tooth and nail to keep in his life, distance be damned.
Savannah stood between the pair and their smitten grins, looking back and forth to see who'd make the first move. "This is just the cutest shit ever. I can't take it." Googly eyes slowly turned into blank stares aimed in her direction. Hint taken. "No, you're so right. I should get out of here. Asia, remember to put the thing on the slide at some point. In the one deck."
"Bye, Savannah!" Kelvin and Asia watched Savannah awkwardly scurry off to do only God knows what until they were safely alone.
Without a buffer to fill in the gaps, all the nausea-inducing worry from the morning's events came flooding back for Kelvin in another crushing wave. Had he been thinking straight, he would've opted to save such delicate news for the privacy of his living room when all the thoughts sitting jumbled like Soul Train board letters were sorted into the proper place. Unfortunately, life-changing information sure to shake the still-wet foundation on which they'd built their relationship ran off with his rationale long ago.
Kelvin opened his mouth to speak, then closed it when words didn't come out. He tried again. Then, one more time before finally forcing, "I have…something to tell you," into the atmosphere.
Asia tilted her head in curiosity. "So do I. Is yours good news or bad news?"
"Doesn't matter," he answered, trying to smile through the rapid thudding in his ears. "You go first."
Don't press, Asia. Resist! An inner monologue determined to usher Asia away from the sins of her past forced back 101 questions to make way for her surprise. "You know how the Moët client is looking for new artists for that summer series activation?" Kelvin nodded, vaguely remembering project details he'd contributed to in a past life. Asia reached into her back pocket to showcase two laminated passes on lanyards. "I convinced Chris and Sid to give me their passes so we could pull up. Now, we don't have to go all the way to Australia to see RINI. Fun, right?"
Kelvin recognized the big reveal as something he should be excited about. And, had present circumstances not reared its ugly head, he'd have no trouble sharing Asia's toothy grin and silly dance. He tried to fight the heavy haze clouding his day by raising his hand for a high five and flashing a vacant smile. "That's great, baby. I'm excited. Really."
So much for honesty.
Asia couldn't hide her skepticism, pushing her eyebrows high, and Kelvin couldn't hide his discomfort, which made him fidget with the contents of his front pockets.
"Yeah," Asia answered, disappointment in his half-assed reaction instantly stealing the light in her eyes and turning her bright smile into a shell of itself. "Um, what was your news? Anything good?"
Tact was never Kelvin's strong point. Breakups over text and ghosting were more his speed, no matter how much he hated that fact about himself. What everyone else saw as sleazeball behavior reserved for fuckboys deserving of eternal banishment to hell, he saw as protecting feelings.
Promises were promises, and Asia was worth more than slipping back into bad habits. Kelvin had to rip the band-aid and deal with the residual blood later. "Remember the Chicago job?" he asked, wringing his hands.
Oh no. Intuition and a random tarot reader told Asia to be on the lookout for roadblocks, but, dammit, she thought that meant traffic on the interstate or an annoying client ask, not the nagging tug of the Midwest.
"Yeah," she answered cautiously.
Kelvin adjusted the hydrant-red beanie on his head and sighed. Rip. The. Band-Aid. "They…called me back with all my negotiation demands met. And…”
"You took the job."
Patience was never Asia's virtue. Why beat around the bush when they could lay all the bad shit on the table and try to salvage a few pieces good enough to keep for fond memories later?
"Yeah." The finished sentence turned an abstract concept into reality, weighing so heavily on him that he found looking Asia in the eye and lifting his head too difficult. He repeated after her in a low, measured voice, "I took the job."
Suddenly, Asia couldn't help but hyper-fixate on her surroundings. The low hum of two French door refrigerators holding employee lunches was annoying. It always had been, but today, it sounded like an army of flies buzzing around the mess Kelvin's news had created. Distant laughter made her nostrils flare. How dare someone find joy in a time like this? The kitchen was too big and too open to contain the grief rising within her. Then, the stupid ping of notifications on Kelvin's phone threatened to blow her gasket. The stimuli converged simultaneously, bringing fresh tears to prickle at her waterline.
Asia forced them all back while Kelvin waited for her to say something to prove she didn't hate him. She extended a closed fist in his direction to match a closed-mouth smile. "Congratulations, Kel. I'm so proud of you. If we were somewhere else, I'd hug you."
"Hug me to sneak in for a choke or a real hug?"
"A real one," Asia chuckled, the sound of it returning to her stilted and lacking the mirth she intended. "I know you're bored here. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?"
Past all the hurt feelings and rage bubbling in her chest, Asia couldn't allow herself to stomp out Kelvin's fire with negativity. She'd save that for a tearful phone call with Sabrina or a good cry in the shower. Kelvin needed reassurance that he'd made the right decision, not the moaning and wailing she had planned for a moment alone.
"Yeah…" Kelvin paused to scan Asia's face for any sign of an impending adverse reaction but found none before he answered. Nothing. Not a shred of any identifiable emotion presented itself to Kelvin. Anxiety gripped him again. "Asia, don't shut me out. I know you have questions and fuckin' feelings. C'mon. Don't leave me out here by myself."
"Not here." An almost undetectable waver in her voice was enough to shatter Kelvin's heart into a million pieces. He watched her blink back tears to speak again. "Can we just be happy, please? For a little longer?"
He sighed, accepting defeat. "Okay." A mental reminder to add 'needs a moment before tough conversations' to his running list of things to know about Asia ran through his brain like neon letters on a marquee.
His index and middle fingers brushed across his puckered lips, collecting affection he quickly passed on to Asia. She kissed the spot his lips once occupied as a silent promise to revisit the subject when heightened emotions had time to return to baseline.
"You hungry? My treat."
An olive branch. Collective ease passed between them once Kelvin flashed a toothy grin at Asia and gestured ahead of him toward the courtyard doors. "After you."
What Kelvin couldn't have in her raw, unfiltered thoughts, he was more than happy to gain in a spare moment of mindless chatter over sushi a block away.
Something was better than nothing.
If left up to Asia, Chicago and all its complications would disappear because of her commitment to ignoring them.
City sounds and radio chatter on Saturday evening had spent more time filling silent gaps of conversation than Kelvin and Asia had for two straight days. The elephant in the room quickly became the elephant at the dinner table late Thursday night when Asia side-stepped the topic to discuss Married at First Sight instead, the elephant in the bedroom when the thought of Chicago kept her mind wandering too much to enjoy Kelvin feasting between her legs, and the elephant in the backseat while she pretended not to notice her boyfriend stealing glances at the red light.
Given the chance, Asia could avoid broaching the topic for weeks. Kelvin, on the other hand, couldn't ignore issues festering into resentment day by day. Before long, he'd carefully label boxes and precious belongings to ship to their new home. Being on the brink of drastic change without a resolution wasn't an option.
Standstill traffic and a small car accident separating them from their destination provided the perfect opportunity to catch Asia in close quarters and force the issue. Kelvin took a deep breath and slowly turned the volume down on one of Tyler the Creators' piano-heavy tracks, earning a confused side-eye for his behavior.
"Everything okay," Asia asked, shifting her body towards Kelvin so he could feel the full weight of her annoyance.
He shrugged. "You tell me, Asia. I'm not the one tiptoeing around some really important shit right now. Is everything okay?"
"Kelvin, not right now. We can talk about it when we get back tonight."
Arms crossed at her chest, and a deep frown sent Asia retreating into herself, frustrating Kelvin to the point of no return. When he imagined the first roadblock in their relationship, hogging the covers or choosing the thermostat's temperature came to mind. He expected little hurdles to make room for the big stuff. The relationship-altering, make-or-break whammies either strengthened a couple or sent them careening toward total implosion. This behemoth was a tsunami of complications he didn't expect but wouldn't allow to throw him off course.
"You said that last night and the night before. I'm tired of 'tonights!' It's happening, Asia! We can't get around the shit. So, talk to me right now!" Kelvin's body vibrated in time with his hands gripping and releasing the steering wheel until he practiced in and out deep, soothing breaths brought him back off the ledge. Asia watched his shoulders slowly slump away from his ears before he reached over to rest a warm palm on her inner thigh to stroke his thumb against smooth denim, his eyes apologetic as he looked over at her. "I didn't ask you to be with me for no reason. Can we talk about what all this means for us?"
Asia rested her hand atop his to twist the ring on his finger while she tried to gather words and explanations she'd practiced for days on end. "I don't know."
In all her soul-searching and reckoning with the inevitable, she realized that she had no idea what the next steps were.
She always had the answers, the plan, and the foresight to know how to proceed in any situation. This one, though – this flurry of warm feelings filled with complicated explanations and head-spinning romance – she couldn't figure out. Not even when she turned to practical skills and timeline plotting to make it all make sense.
I don't know. Kelvin wasn't sure what he expected when he decided to corner Asia for an answer, but that wasn't it. Not knowing was worse than not caring. He could deal with the finality of no longer giving a fuck. However, the uncertainty in what he thought was a reasonably black-or-white scenario was unnerving. Kelvin let the gut punch settle until Asia spoke again to soothe the pain she'd inflicted.
"How…how would it work," She questioned in a small voice, her eyes low to avoid cracking the nerve she'd built. "Tell me you have a plan. Because, if you don't, I –"
Kelvin rushed to reassure her. "I have a plan. Trust me." For once in his life, Kelvin was moving intentionally. No stone left unturned; no possibility left up to chance. "I leave in six weeks. Give me two to get my shit together, and you're on the first flight into O'Hare."
"And after that?"
"We'll talk every morning and every night. Then I'm on my way to you every other week, baby. And every other month, I'll make sure you get to me. Nonstop flight. The price doesn't matter. All you need is a packed suitcase. Or not. You can be naked the whole time. That's fine by me."
Two nonstop flights a month, airport pickups and drop-offs every other week, Fridays in, Monday mornings out, constant connection over the phone when the physical was out of the question—simple enough. There was no fluff, only a concerted effort to make a less-than-ideal situation work. The happiness didn't have to die if they didn't let it.
Still, Asia wrestled with separating idyllic assumptions from reality. What happened when schedules presented challenges? Or when the weather interrupted? Did distance make the heart grow fonder or help intertwined lives push away the realities of life together hundreds of miles apart.
Kelvin could see the wheel turning for Asia while she mulled over his proposal from every angle. "Give me a little more time, okay?" Deflating. The air in Kelvin's sails came through his nose in a disappointed huff just as traffic began to pick up enough for steady motion. She held his hand in place, hoping he could feel the intention behind her hesitancy. "I'm not closing the door on us. I need to make sure we're prepared. That's all."
The absence of an enthusiastic yes wasn't a no – another tidbit to add to Kelvin's growing Asia file. He'd have to find comfort in the details to keep her in his life. And damn, did he want to keep her in his life. His plan had more legs, including a permanent address change for Asia.
"That's okay. Take your time," he answered as he laced their fingers together and brought the back of her hand to his lips. "Just don't leave me hanging like that again."
"I won't. I'm sorry."
Relationships came with a learning curve Asia had to experience to understand. No one in her life had prepared her for conflict resolution. Being an only child taught her how to play by herself and keep her secrets close to her chest. There was nothing in the manual about coexisting with another human she cared for more and more each day. She didn't know how to share items or feelings. But Kelvin made her want to try. That had to count for something.
Once tense quiet returned to the comfortable, wordless quality time Kelvin and Asia had come to enjoy, it followed them for miles to the venue until the need to mix and mingle took center stage.
In a room full of strangers intermixed with a few familiar faces, they moved around like a couple for the first time. Introductions as a tandem flowed naturally. Seeing them move from group to group hand in hand amused but didn't surprise team members who'd long had their suspicions confirmed by Savannah. 'Alvin' as one member of the group named them. Not their preferred choice, but good enough for the moment.
As alcohol flowed and inhibitions were disarmed, smooth crooning and soul-stirring baselines from the artist of the hour pushed tomorrow's problems further down the road.
Kelvin kept a hand on Asia's hip while she allowed her body to sway along with RINI's soulful cover of Leon Bridges' "That's What I Love." Hearing his voice beyond the warbling of his JBL speaker from Asia blasting music far too loudly reminded Kelvin of the first time she shared her new favorite artist with him. She made him listen to Ultraviolet twice all the way through, forcing him to commit more lyrics to memory than he ever did for any other artist. Truthfully, the music didn't hit the same when she wasn't in the room. He tried listening on his own, but it was missing something or someone to add the depth he needed to make the album spin worth his time.
Applause filled the room just after the final strum of RINI's guitar reverberated. Asia beamed from a spot toward the back. Asia claimed she was fine where she was, but Kelvin knew she was too scared to get close and act like a crazed fan. His lips found her temple for a quick kiss as RINI prepared to end his showcase.
"I gotta find a way to get out to the States more. This is great," he laughed, causing the audience to join him. "My time is ending, but I can't go without singing the song that put me on your radar. Big thanks to Moët for letting me spend some time with you tonight. I'm excited to get to work this summer. Until then, this is Meet Me in Amsterdam. I hope you enjoy."
Asia couldn't contain her squeal, earning a low laugh from Kelvin once the open notes of her favorite song began.
I would sail across the world
Row this boat from dusk till dawn
Kelvin and Asia had heard the song plenty of times together, so much so that Kelvin was tired of its slow drone and accompanying music video. Both RINI and Meet Me in Amsterdam were on his list of things he could live without and still die a happy man.
Until the lyrics started to circle too close to home. A plea for the songwriter's love to make the leap and meet him in a foreign land felt like a page ripped directly from Kelvin's journal. Had he possessed the talent, he would've sung into Asia's ear while she leaned against him, caught in the rapture of beautiful lyrics.
She didn't need Kelvin's additional vocal performance to know her partner had fallen victim to the magic. She was right there with him, letting the music speak where neither her heart nor mind could reach.
Won't you come closer; let it take over
I don't need anything; I just want you
"I just want you." The words came out before Asia could stop them. She was never one to fall into the melodrama of romance, but maybe she'd never had an adequate opportunity. Maybe all she needed was a few glasses of white wine and a man looking back at her like universes formed in her eyes to give in to what she'd always considered unrealistic and a little corny.
Kelvin wrapped an arm around her waist before dipping his head to meet her parted lips as she craned her neck to get a better look at his face. "You got me."
Turning in his arms, she faced him head-on. "I want to try. For you. Let's make it work."
"Every other week. I swear."
"I know. I believe you."
Rolling waves filled with blinding passion set their bodies aflame, connecting them for a kiss too searing to start and end in a room full of people. Some things were best experienced behind doors clumsily kicked closed after Kelvin and Asia burst through the door of his apartment connected at the mouth.
Small items clattered on the ground as they bumped into the wall, sending anything not bolted to Kelvin's entryway table scattering in the darkness. The moonlight streaming through his balcony door was the only light to illuminate their path. They couldn't care less. Kissing and fondling were their only priorities on the way to shedding extraneous clothing.
The bedroom was too far, and the couch didn't provide enough leverage for what Kelvin wanted to do for Asia. The counter was too high off the ground, unfortunately. The table, though, was perfect.
Kelvin thanked God for weightlifting as he hoisted Asia up into his arms, tongues still dancing as he walked them across the room. Asia used her forearm to swipe decorative mats and rattan charger plates to the floor so her backside could fill the empty space.
Soft panting and the light smack of lips coming together and separating rhythmically filled charged cold air. Asia flinched when Kelvin slipped his hand beneath her t-shirt to reach her bra's front clasp.
"Take this off. Hurry up," Kelvin demanded as he stepped back to pull his crewneck over his head. He didn't have time for frilly language and sweet kisses. Maybe later, when they'd calmed down from their high. This first fuck was for all the sessions they'd missed between quiet nights in and words left unsaid. A little something to take the edge off.
Zippers sliding down, garments rustling, and leather sliding out of thin loops made Kelvin's apartment sound like a department store dressing room until they were reconnected in mind and body.
Half-dressed with goosebumps pebbling an expanse of rich brown skin, lovers let their hands roam freely while they grinded against each other.
Asia moaned at the feel of teeth gently tugging her bottom lip before pulling away to breathe. "C'mon, Kel. Right now," she rushed on in one breath. "I need it."
"What about the condom? It'll only take a second." Kelvin asked, half-hoping but not expecting Asia to abandon her primary stipulation.
"Fuck a condom. C'mon."
The go-ahead to proceed with caution thrown to the wind put them on a path to the sort of carnal and fleshly satisfaction Kelvin's father warned him about before he left home at 18.
Sorry, dad. This shit feels way too good to miss out on, Kelvin thought to himself as he slid into Asia's warmth inch by inch. He was weightless for a moment, floating in otherworldly bliss while he fit himself inside her body. "Fuck," he whispered.
"Oh…yes. Yesyesyes." Asia's toes curled, gripping at nothing in a desperate attempt to remain tethered to the atmosphere. "Wait a second. Don't move." Crossing her ankles at the small of his back, Asia pulled Kelvin in a little deeper, smiling at the small groan he muffled against her skin. She just needed to feel him. In six weeks, they'd have to plan moments of intimacy and simulate sex through a screen, waiting for the day they could be together in the flesh. Tonight, with his body filling every dip and ridge like the final piece to a puzzle, they could kick the can down the road for a few more days. "Okay. I'm ready."
Agonizingly slow thrusts helped them get acquainted with one another in a new way. Kelvin lifted his head from the crook of Asia's neck, yearning to look her in the eyes for an added layer of closeness. He pecked her nose, lips, chin, cheeks, and lips again, trying to keep those three words at bay.
"Faster, baby." A firm request teetering on begging broke through Kelvin's haze while Asia tried to pull him into her body by his shoulders.
He smirked. "Oh, you can talk now?" His taunting made Asia squirm against him for extra friction before he stopped and held her in place. "You up for another lesson?"
"Mhmm," she forced out, hoping her compliance would get her closer to the real fun.
"You been quiet all week. Imma need to hear you tonight if you wanna cum."
A horny, exasperated sigh preceded a short whimper. "What? I don't know how t –"
"Yeah, you do," Kelvin encouraged. Tell me what you want, and then I'll give you what you need."
Near painful throbbing has Asia ready to agree to anything if it meant she could finally come off some of the pressure from a stressful week. Quick agreeance earned her a return to Kelvin's slow back and forth, a shiver hitting both their spines as he took a shallow dive inside.
Asia took a deep breath and tested her voice. "You - you feel so good?" She closed her eyes, hoping Kelvin would take pity on her feeble attempt only to be rewarded with nothing. She tried again. "Right there, baby."
"We'll be here all night. Relax. Be confident."
Relax. Be confident. The gentle reminder and suckling at her neck helped Asia partially release the valve on her nervousness. Kelvin rocked into her expert precision and care, waiting to hear more.
A choppy moan caught in her throat before she could speak again. "You fuck me so good. You really thought I was gonna let you get that far away from me?"
Kelvin groaned and sped up enough for Asia to notice. She smiled, palming the back of his head to keep him close.
"There it is," he whispered. "Keep goin', beautiful. Tell me some more."
Bingo. Electricity sparking between them opened up a whole new world of vocal possibility. "I want all you got tonight, baby. Can you do that for me? Fuck me until I can't take anymore?"
"Uh-huh. I got you."
Asia rubbed circles at the nape of his neck, feeling a jolt in her body from another change in pace. "Mmm. Deeper, baby. You can do better than that, right? For me?" Her provocation ignited a burning desire for Kelvin to perform. He needed the glory. Asia dropped her talking display long enough to moan through her man putting his entire being into testing the limits of his little circular wooden table.
If sweet talk couldn't get him to knock the rings out of her, goading him with a challenge undoubtedly did the trick. Scratching against his back, demanding more depth, more speed, and more kissing spurred Kelvin into fast, furious fucking.
In no time, they were close. Deliciously, dangerously close. No protection meant no staying for the final hoorah. He had to time his exit perfectly for the right mix of precision and mutual satisfaction. Though Kelvin seemed to care, Asia was just hitting her stride.
"I think about you all day, waiting for you to fuck me just like this. I want you so bad sometimes." Asia confessed while Kelvin fucked her on his toes. "Even at work, when we’re not supposed to. That’s when I need you the most.” Grabbing the sides of his face with both hands, Asia forced him to look her in the eye. "Be good for me, baby. Make me cum."
Instructions? A command? A simple slip of the tongue? Kelvin couldn't bring himself to waste brain power distinguishing. He needed to focus. Focus on Asia's nipples rubbing against his chest and how her breaths and his started to become one. Then, the light sheen of sweat helping their bodies slide against one another. He focused on the sticky coating of arousal inviting him to rub his thumbpad against her clit.
Asia squealed, then licked Kelvin's open mouth. He rasped out a command of his own. "Come on! Come on!" Resolve began to wane. Any longer, and they'd be in the nearest drug store taking the walk of shame toward the Plan B pills.
If the walls ever decided to talk, they'd blush when recounting the vision of Asia forcing Kelvin's mouth against one of her breasts, trying to balance the sting from his hand colliding with her thigh with his warm tongue tracing braille on her areola.
Her body seized, making it almost impossible for him to pull out. Every other week on a stuffy flying bus sounded like hell, but if he had this to look forward to after the wheels touched the tarmac, he could drum up some enthusiasm in no time.
At the last moment, Kelvin forced himself out of his favorite place on earth just in time for the fruits of a mind-bending orgasm to spill from his head onto Asia's inner thigh. Together, they watched fresh semen coat supple skin, their chests heaving and ears ringing. Kelvin couldn't speak. He could only watch as Asia gathered a small amount on her fingertip and swiped it against her tongue.
Kelvin moaned when Asia moaned to relish the sensory experience of his taste. "Did I pass?" Her question fell on deaf ears, with Kelvin more focused on gathering more semen on his fingers to pop into her mouth. She treated him to a show, sucking the digits clean. She spoke again. "Answer me, baby. Did I pass?"
"With flying colors," Kelvin finally answered. Asia smiled into a searing kiss, reveling in her accomplishment. A new skill had been unlocked, and one more accolade had been added to her mental trophy case.
Another lesson to take her mind off of the inevitable. At least until the morning rolled around to wash the fresh coat of paint she'd forced over a very real, immovable problem.
RINI blasting from phone speakers dampened behind the bathroom door reminded Asia of the night before and how she'd allowed the heat of the moment to lock her into a contract she'd neglected to read the fine print on.
Facing the bedroom window, Asia snuggled deeper into warm sheets and scanned the pros and cons list on her phone. Pro #1: She could eat deep-dish pizza every other month. Con #1: Her man wouldn't be nearby multiple days a week. Which was more important. She couldn't decide. Food or the comforts of stable, local partnership?
She had started typing a new con when Kelvin emerged from the bathroom naked and moisturized from head to toe. "You awake now?"
Fuck. Asia thought she had more time to plaster on her happy face. She used a pretend yawn as her buffer. "Yeah," she answered, faking the funk. "Good morning, baby."
"Morning." Unbrushed teeth could never stop Kelvin from getting his first kiss of the day. He nuzzled his nose against hers before speaking. "Sleep okay?"
"Mhm. You?"
He nodded and slipped into bed beside her. "For the most part. I gotta show you something, though." Kelvin reached back to retrieve his phone from the nightstand's charging station. A few taps against the screen presented a short list of apartment options for Asia's inspection. "I started looking at some spots in the middle of the night. This one has a crazy second room for an office. Look at that view."
A wall of windows overlooking the downtown cityscape made Asia's stomach churn. Reality smacked her in the face. He was leaving and waiting on her approval on an apartment she couldn't stand in a city she wished didn't exist.
"That's so nice, baby. You can get a nice couch in there as a gaming room, too."
Kelvin considered her suggestion and nodded. "Damn, that's a good idea. I need to take you with me when I look next week. You down?"
"Uh…yeah. Yeah, I'll come." Asia shook off her rapidly increasing heartbeat and scooched closer to rest her head on Kelvin's shoulder. "Can you show me another one?"
Enthusiasm fading into meaningless sounds turned Kelvin into Charlie Brown's teacher as he gushed over layouts and natural light. She nodded along to nothing in particular. Smile. Rub his arm. Act supportive. Be the perfect girl. Just be happy for a little longer.
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So Jon went into space when he was 11 and came back 6 years later, when he was 17, yes?
And then he hung out with the Legion for a bit, but since Bendis is the king of decompression, it doesn't seem like he was there for more than maybe a few days before the book was canceled.
And then in Superman: Son of Kal-El, he decided to enroll in college. Which made me raise an eyebrow, because he's only 17, but fine, some people start a year early. Or maybe he had a birthday somewhere in there. But more importantly, he never finished high school. So...what's the plan there, Jonno?
Anyway, Jon literally doesn't even make it into the administration before he blows his (temporary) secret identity and has to leave. And since that comic, which was published nearly four years ago, Jon has not attempted to go back to college. Or finish high school. Or get a job. All of which are valid choices, but like...what does he do all day?
Also, where does he live? Because Clark and Lois adopted two kids and I doubt their apartment had three or more bedrooms. Did they move? Did Bruce buy them a penthouse? Is Jon sleeping on the couch?
Meanwhile, Jay - who last we saw is a college undergrad, probably a freshman - shows up as the head of communications for Steelworks. Which...no! Not only is he hilariously, insanely unqualified for that job, but from everything we know about radical leftist anarchist Jay Nakamura, the last thing he would ever want to do is become the mouthpiece for a corporation!!!
And then Jon decides he wants to move to San Francisco.* Um...with what money, baby? You don't have a job. Are you going to live on your boyfriend's VP salary? How is he supposed to finish his second semester of college from the other side of the country?
And this week Jay declared that they are "twentysomethings." NO! NO YOU ARE NOT!!! YOU ARE NINETEEN AT MOST!!!!!**
Anyway this is mostly a petty rant, but here's the reason it matters. Even though I would love to know how Jon spends his time and where he sleeps, it's not all that important for me as a reader to know. The issue is that I'm very certain that DC doesn't know. I'm sure if you asked all the writers and editors who have worked on Jon in the past five years, they'd have different answers.
And that matters, because how a character chooses to spend their time when they aren't punching Doomsday tells us something about them. Clark Kent being a reporter tells us what he values. Same with Barry Allen being a forensic scientist, or Hal Jordan being a test pilot. Even Bruce Wayne having a civilian life that is mostly for show.
If Jon is [insert vague age here] and lives [somewhere] and puts his energy into [file not found], he isn't a character. He's a cardboard cutout with the words "Good Representation" written on it. (Which, on that note, I feel like if you asked those same writers and editors to describe Jon, they'd say "He's Superman's son and he's bi" and...that's it.***)
Anyway. If you're wondering why Jon seems so much less vibrant now than he did when he was ten, it's worth noting that when he was ten, we knew where he lived and who his friends were and how he felt about his pets and his parents and his cultural heritage. And now we don't even know how old he is.
*Well, actually, I'm not convinced that Jon does want to move to San Francisco, but he's convinced himself that he does, which is pretty much the only interesting thing they've done with him in half a decade.
**Do not tell me that time passed and they've been dating for years, because a) that has not been demonstrated in the comics in the slightest, and b) Damian is still 14. So unless Jon and Jay went back to that volcano, they've known each other for maybe six months.
***Possibly excepting Nicole Maines, who seems to be doing something interestingly messy (see above re: San Francisco), and Sina Grace, whose issue of Shazam! this week was the first time in five years a writer has acknowledged that Jon probably has trauma. But I'm still mad at him over "twentysomethings."
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unfortunately their con merch seems to usually be a bit disappointing so I don't think you're alone in that! there's a reason the critique is usually "bad designs". if you want to talk about it I think people will know you're coming at it from a place of wanting it to be better
(besides, we know the dream branding payoff is that it's great quality, so ultimately I'm okay with it being mostly bad designs)
I've mostly seen con talk on twitter where the discussions is OVERWHELMINGLY positive about the art and design. Now that I know the artist is Lauren, their head designer, I do feel more comfortable critiquing it because my first thought was they commissioned a kid/teen to do the art and I wouldn't feel comfortable giving them a critique.
Lauren is a great graphic designer and we see that in the regular DT merch but also the con merch. The layout of the panels in the comic, the use of text, overall composition are great for both the poster and the shirt. There are a few things design wise that show a lack of understanding for comic creation, but I'll give her a pass there because she isn't a comic designer and not within the industry of comics, so most of her design mistakes or misplacements are rookie mistakes and don't detract from the overall compositions. I think it's worth noting, but again, not the main point of my critique.
The main problem is the art.
Now, regardless of skill and technique, art is important and anyone and everyone should be allowed to create and share. But when you are creating art as a professional, critique is a requirement of the job and necessary to being an artist. The internet and how it approaches art culture is very anti-critique because they see critique as inherently negative criticism, not constructive feedback. So, when I saw the overwhelmingly positive response, I felt like sharing my opinion would immediately be shot down or misinterpreted. But I am a professional artist. I went to school for art. I am still very active in both the online and irl art communities and even have my work currently showing in a gallery, where I recently received praise and critique for. My opinion and my critique are not the end all be all and everyone is allowed to come to their own conclusions, but I very heavily preface with this because I need people to know I am coming from a place of good faith and genuine knowledge in the subject matter.
So, when I look at the actual art for the merch, my first thought is, "they should've hired an artist and not a designer." The main problem is that the art shows a lack of skill and understanding for illustration. The figures are awkward and stiff. The faces are asymmetrical and fail to properly convey likeness to the Dream Team. The linework and shading is sloppy and rushed. The biggest detractor to me with all of this is that everything appears to be heavily traced.
Now, people get up and arms about tracing. Tracing is a tool. It is by no means a bad tool or "cheating," and it is and will always be very important to art and illustration, but there is a difference in using tracing as a reference versus using it as a crutch. The merch art uses it as a crutch and this is obvious because of all the reasons I stated before: the figures are stiff and the movement is not gestural, the linework is sloppy and focuses more on getting in certain details rather than following lines that would be natural to the poses and the light source, and specific clothing items like Dream's harness and cape and Sapnap's shoes seem slapped on top of the figures without a reference and knowledge of perspective and construction. Another big arrow pointing to tracing is how the bodies and heads do not match up with the posing as the heads and bodies were clearly traced separately and then added together later. Note the lack of necks and, again, misunderstanding perspective and movement.
I think to best catch how this is traced without thought or editing is to look at the faces and the hands and see how the lines don't make sense for naturally capturing a figure.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/73f7fe7441dba8f3aea0f8e46308c3f7/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-17/s1280x1920/8e1225a5714d8af2579c9070a8e02814b80016aa.jpg)
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/410ac13056fef5cdd6937944617e1eb4/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-b2/s1280x1920/a4085dfc2e323b8e3a5dee784c60ce181ed2d79e.jpg)
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I also think the shading and coloring are very poorly done and outright sloppy. The shading has a graphite texture to it which in the world of comics is just not a common texture. Comics were traditionally ink and traditional shading is very heavily graphic and focused on hard black shadows. For the merch art, this sorely sticks out more as it's right next to graphic linework and solid spots of color that were likely added via paint bucket tool. It breaks up harmony in the piece and instead of having the intended effect of drama, it's messy. On top of that, there are a lot of points where the color of the shading leaves the linework in a way that is clearly unintentional and does not add to the pose or movement of the characters.
A great resource for line work and graphic shading is Framed Ink. My copy is in storage, so I just pulled these from Amazon.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/be34dcf0031fabdbc89d44b6d099472b/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-6f/s540x810/997e166ff707f6a8c2a02945836fd747d9bd5adb.webp)
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/748c07ccc8c2dfdda26d27b12c475ce9/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-d7/s540x810/1203ac2352d5ee277612206118e61c969b57e234.webp)
I also think the design of the characters could use some work in recognizability and communicating their powers more. Dream is obviously flying and has a cape in his signature green, but what about his mask? The smile is his brand and is undeniably important to his identity as both a character and a content creator, but it's completely missing from his character. George is the most recognizable and has the clout goggles and Supreme shirt. His powers are clearly communicated and play off his name well, but why are the goggles clear and what is with the clocks on his shoulders. The design choice there adds more confusion to his abilities and character. And Sapnap... Well.. Sapnap is ginger and that's all I'll say there.
To sandwich my critique with a bit more positive, I think the concept is very effective and fun! I like the idea of putting them into the comic world and making them superheroes. It's cheesy, but it has a great sense of playfulness and nostalgia, and might even have the ability to bring in a new audience if they continue with this idea. I've said before that I think Dream could really capitalize on the graphic novel/comic industry if he were to bring some of his Minecraft stories, or other ideas, to that format. Obviously he would have to remove Minecraft from it to avoid copyright, but my point still stands. I know this is likely a one-off merch design for the special event, but I think they could really play off the superhero idea, and if they get a good artist that can actually do comic work (pick ME, choose ME, love ME!!! /ref /j), they could make a short and fun comic run that I think a lot of people would enjoy. Again, all they really need is a competent artist and some character design changes to clearly communicate their story and it would be awesome!
It's important to recognize that comics are digital now and there is a lot more variety in tools and textures that are used, but since this is trying to emmulate classic comic art, I think it's important to share the traits and history of traditional comics. There is a lot of a bad comic art in the comic industry, of course (coughrobliefeldcough), but there is still and understanding of comics and comic culture within bad comic art that is lost in the Dream Team merch. Below I'm sharing some photos that show a wide range of comics and comic resource books that cover a wide range of traditional to modern to cult/zine comics. I was actively referencing them writing this and want to clarify that the world of comics is very broad and ever changing, but when they are referencing the classic superhero action/adventure story, there are certain standards and traditions in play.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/b56d809092e3eeb574321aa521bade1e/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-24/s540x810/afc95af2835a57a05e600be19bccb000eb3be0b0.jpg)
Some pages from Spider-Man 1965, specifically notice the use of black as graphic shading, graphic and clean line work, and also minimal backgrounds to make the characters stand out more.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd0b899589f3509cc785f6fe81e2a1a4/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-c3/s540x810/bd25f9824a3687d5b2aee5496f3b0a63bc89ca09.jpg)
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Kick-Ass Volume 1 for an example that isn't classic superhero, uses modern comic coloring, but still consistent with line work and incorporating it into movement and shading. Sorry about the blood, this comic is very fucking violent.
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/480cbafacf21a6bd84f9141e380c94a8/79d28a2d2a3f4e16-00/s540x810/65dafbe166ca31e72fb5944fb511b720cf864ee4.jpg)
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#we just got a letter#dream team#dteamblr#dtblr#art discussion and critique#not meant to be aggressively neg#literally just a critique#im also very curious on the cost of the merch bc cons upcharge everything and while hes always had quality manufactured merch#i dont think the quality of the art is worth his already high prices + convention pricing but thats not my place to speak on#until i know the con pricing
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^^^^
I was at my parents house a while back (measuring fabric for a doona cover, they have a bigger floor) and my mum pulled out my old diagnosis paperwork to prove something related to the conversation we were having and oh hey look I was literally diagnosed with dyscalculia at like seven years old.
I spent my entire academic life failing maths classes and hating myself for it because I did well at everything else so WHY COULDN'T I JUST GET THIS ONE THING. I could have had an explanation and support, but no one thought it was worth telling me.
Communicate with your fucking children.
Not to sound like a person who actually cares about children, but it's so alarming that there's this tendency and trend of not telling kids about their medical conditions that are in their charts.
I'm finding out as an adult that they (though it's not documented who) diagnosed me with a life-long, chronic condition without telling me when I was a teenager. I found out recently when I got curious about my medical charts, and otherwise, I would not have known what's wrong with me. I've been left with more questions than answers, and I feel like a private investigator investigating my own damn health and life.
Is this medical malpractice? Yes. However, I think it also speaks to a broader point of how children are seen to not be entitled to their own lives in any capacity, to the point where they are (intentionally or not) made ignorant about things that are or will affect them.
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is that so? you seem to know quite a bit about him, especially when it regards him being obsessed with pure vanilla. why do you think that is?
-🥛
Oh my gods, do I get to list my reasons? Thank you so much for asking this, Milk Anon!
Why Shadow Milk Cookie is so obsessed with Pure Vanilla Cookie
We're all aware of Shadow Milk Cookie's whole weird thing with Pure Vanilla Cookie, right? He hates him so much, but he's completely obsessed with him. He wants to torture this man and tear him down and prove to him that they are two sides of the same coin. That they are each other's other halves.
But why? Why is he so obsessed with this Cookie? Surely there's more to it than just their souljams.
He sees himself in Pure Vanilla Cookie
(Notice how he's looking at Pure Vanilla Cookie's eyes; not the Souljam)
I think that Shadow Milk Cookie is telling the truth when he says that he and Vanilly are each other's other halves. Just like Pure Vanilla Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie was worshipped for being a being of Truth and knowledge. Just like Pure Vanilla Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie wished to seek the truth and help all cookies. But, unlike Vanilly, that truth corrupted Shmilk.
As of now, I think that Shadow Milk Cookie went through the same thing that Pure Vanilla Cookie is currently going through. He's doubting himself. He has gained so much knowledge and that knowledge had crumbled the world around him. So what did he do? He turned to Deceit. With deceit and lies, he can finally control the narrative, as he is the one creating these false truths. And, he can also lie to himself, and have control over the parts of himself that he can't.
Now, compare this to Pure Vanilla Cookie. He is now the holder of his (Shadow Milk's) Souljam. He is being worshipped as a hero, just like Shadow Milk Cookie. He is being worshipped as a being of Truth, just like Shadow Milk Cookie. And Shadow Milk Cookie can't stand that, for whatever reason. For one, that's his souljam that the witches took away. But, it's also more than that. Whether it's him not being able to see what he could've been if he had just hadn't fallen into the sweet freedom of lying, or if he just wants to quicken the path he thinks Pure Vanilla Cookienis destined to go in, or Hell, it might even just be the need to corrupt this hero just because it feels good, he doesn't want him to be that hero anymore. He wants to see him crash and burn and become just like him ('him' Shadow Milk Cookie).
He is projecting onto Pure Vanilla Cookie
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/fde144e476b242ce2f2f31bd7b38ddd1/2e33e487bb9c47d1-9f/s540x810/c26940051c164f4757bff538974f5f42913cbcde.jpg)
For just a moment, we see a look on Shadow Milk Cookie that resembles... something. Guilt? Regret? Whatever it is, it's worth noting. And he doesn't like it, so he has to crush it.
It goes back to Shadow Milk Cookie wanting to control the narrative. By lying, he controls everything. He controls the false realities he's built. But something broke through that for just a moment, and right after, he tries to crush Pure Vanilla Cookie.
This post explained it well.
He has the slight guilt of making Pure Vanilla Cookie suffer so he could understand what he went through as the Fount of Knowledge. Not to mention the PROJECTING. He literally made Pure Vanilla Cookie dress up as his pre-corrupted self.
Him and Pure Vanilla Cookie are truly each other's other halves, but Shadow Milk Cookie is realizing that that means ye has to deal with parts of himself that he doesn't like. And he needs to crush that.
Tldr; Shmilk is obsessed with Silly Vanilly bcuz he sees himself in him, which makes him project onto Silly Vanilly.
#half moon cookie answers#cookie run analysis#cookie run theory#shadow milk cookie#pure vanilla cookie#shadowvanilla#cookie run kingdom#cookie run#crk#cookie archives#cookie run roleplay#crk roleplay#cookie run kingdom roleplay#crk rp#cookie run rp#cookie run kingdom rp
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you’re so productive like omg too many food in just a few days??!!?! ilysm u literally help soothing my downbad for phainon and mydei pls write more abt them especially mydei ToT looking forward for more wonderful works<33
anw an arranged marriage between mydei and reader who secretly loves him pls like they’re both sassy but obedient at the same time :3
Yandere!Mydei x Reader
You weren’t sure what surprised you more—the fact that your parents arranged a marriage for you without so much as a warning or the fact that it was with Mydei of all people.
Mydei, the warrior. The man of few words, sharp actions, and unreadable gazes. He was not unkind, but he was intense. And while he had always been close to Phainon, your best friend, you had never considered the possibility of marriage to him.
Yet here you were, seated in your family’s courtyard, watching the very man you were to marry approach you with the same unwavering steps he took into battle.
He stopped in front of you, arms crossed, golden eyes locked onto yours. You didn’t miss how his gaze flickered, assessing you the way he would an opponent before a duel.
“You’re not protesting.” he said at last.
“Should I be?” you replied, tilting your head.
His brow furrowed slightly. “You wanted Phainon.”
You blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“You look at him.” His tone was factual, not accusatory, as if he were merely stating the obvious. “You favor him. Now they’re forcing you into this marriage instead.”
A beat of silence. Then, unable to help yourself, you let out a short laugh.
“That’s what you think?” You crossed your arms, mirroring his stance. “That I wanted Phainon?”
“You never denied it.”
You sighed, shaking your head. “I never confirmed it either.”
For a moment, he didn’t speak, only watching you with the same intensity he carried into war. Then, as if deciding the conversation wasn’t worth dragging out, he exhaled through his nose and turned slightly.
“Come.”
“Where?”
“We’re going out.”
Your lips quirked. “How romantic. Sweeping me away already?”
He ignored your sarcasm. “We’ll disguise ourselves.”
That piqued your interest. Disguises weren’t uncommon for royals, it was one of the only ways to walk among the people without constant scrutiny. But the fact that Mydei was the one suggesting it? That was unexpected.
Still, you followed.
The market was alive with the hum of voices, the scent of fresh bread and spices thick in the air. Vendors called out their wares, children ran past with laughter, and craftsmen displayed their finest work.
Dressed in simple garb, you and Mydei moved through the crowd with ease. If anyone recognized you, they were wise enough not to say anything.
Despite his usual stoic nature, Mydei’s presence was different outside the palace. He didn’t speak much, but he was aware of everything. His eyes flickered to every small movement, every shift in the crowd, every possible threat. It wasn’t just habit, it was instinct.
You, on the other hand, took everything in stride. While Mydei remained on guard, you blended in effortlessly, casually glancing at stalls, taking in the sights.
“You seem unbothered” Mydei commented after a while.
“Should I be?”
“You’re marrying someone you don’t love.”
“You assume too much” you replied, pausing at a stand selling trinkets. “Tell me, do you think I should be weeping and cursing fate right now?”
He didn’t answer immediately, but his gaze darkened slightly. “I expected some resistance.”
You let out a short breath, shaking your head. “You’re mistaken about a lot of things, Mydei.”
He frowned, but before he could press further, a vendor called out.
“Ah, you two! A fine couple, yes?” The elderly woman at the stall smiled knowingly. “A gift for your beloved, young man?”
Mydei didn’t react at first, his expression unreadable. Then, to your mild surprise, he stepped forward and picked up a delicate silver hairpin, a faint red gemstone at its center.
Without hesitation, he handed over a few coins and turned to you.
“For you.”
You raised a brow. “A bribe?”
“A reminder,” he corrected, stepping closer. He reached out, and before you could protest, he tucked the pin into your hair with precise movements, his touch lingering against your temple. “That you belong to me now.”
There was no arrogance in his words, no playful smirk—just cold, firm certainty.
Your heart skipped a beat.
Oh, Mydei.
If only he knew.
The wedding was grand, of course, it was. Two powerful families uniting was no small affair, and every noble, warrior, and dignitary who mattered was in attendance.
You stood at the ceremonial altar, adorned in regal attire, jewels glinting under the sunlight, your hair styled meticulously with the very hairpin Mydei had bought you days prior. Across from you, Mydei was a vision of strength, dressed in traditional wedding garb.
Phainon and the rest of your mutual friends were in the front rows, watching with barely restrained grins.
“My, my, what a sight.” Phainon drawled, his hair glinting under the light as he leaned toward one of your friends. “Who would’ve thought Mydei would actually settle down?”
“More like, who would’ve thought they’d agree to marry him” another friend teased.
The jesting continued, and you smirked at their playful antics. It wasn’t that you didn’t take this wedding seriously, you did. But the lightheartedness of your friends eased the tension of an otherwise overwhelming day.
Unfortunately, Mydei didn’t share the same amusement.
While you exchanged vows, sealing your union before the gods, you caught glimpses of him stiffening every time Phainon or another friend laughed, every time they whispered something that made you smile. His grip on your hand tightened ever so slightly, his golden gaze darkening.
It was subtle, but you knew Mydei well enough by now to recognize what this was.
Misunderstanding.
The wedding feast was lively, filled with music, laughter, and endless toasts. You mingled as required, exchanging pleasantries with nobles and warriors alike. Phainon, ever the social butterfly, stole much of the spotlight, grinning as he recounted tales of past battles.
“So” he drawled, sidling up to you with a knowing smirk, “how does it feel? Becoming Mydei’s spouse, I mean.”
You rolled your eyes. “Why do people ask that as if I were shackled and dragged to the altar?”
“Because our dear Mydei isn’t exactly the romantic type” Phainon teased. “Tell me, did he at least try to woo you? Or did he just stare at you intensely until you agreed?”
You chuckled, shaking your head. “He’s been… himself.”
Before Phainon could respond, a shadow loomed over you both.
Mydei's expression was unreadable, but the way he stood—close, imposing, was anything but casual.
“Phainon.” His voice was sharp, curt.
Phainon raised a brow, clearly amused. “Ah, husband duties already? Should I be worried?”
“Leave” Mydei said simply.
Phainon smirked but raised his hands in surrender, stepping back. “Alright, alright. No need to get all territorial.”
As he walked away, Mydei’s gaze snapped to you. You only sighed.
“Really?” You crossed your arms. “You’re going to be like this today?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he took your wrist firmly and led you away from the feast.
----
The journey to your honeymoon destination was swift. As per tradition, a private retreat was arranged—a secluded manor surrounded by sprawling fields and quiet lakes, far from the eyes of the kingdom.
You barely had time to take in the beauty of it before Mydei finally spoke.
“You enjoy his company too much.”
You turned to face him, unimpressed. “Whose?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Phainon.”
A laugh escaped you. “Are we seriously still on this?”
“You smiled at him more than you smiled at me today.”
You sighed, rubbing your temple. “Mydei, I smiled at everyone today. It was my wedding.”
“You laughed more with him.”
“Because he was making jokes,” you deadpanned. “Do you want me to be miserable?”
He stepped closer, golden eyes burning into yours. “I want you to want this marriage.”
You exhaled slowly. “And what if I do?”
He stilled. “Then prove it.”
Silence stretched between you. Mydei was strong, a warrior of action, not words. He wouldn’t believe reassurances alone—he needed something tangible.
So, without another word, you reached up, fingers curling into the collar of his wedding robes, and pulled him down.
The kiss was unexpected—he stiffened at first, caught off guard. But when he realized what you were doing, what you meant, he responded with a fervor that sent heat curling through your spine.
When you finally pulled away, breathless, you smirked.
“Was that proof enough?”
Mydei stared at you, stunned, then exhaled sharply, his lips curling ever so slightly.
“You’ll have to prove it again.”
And this time, you didn’t mind.
#yandere x reader#yandere#hsr x reader#honkai star rail#hsr x you#yandere honkai star rail#yandere hsr x reader#honkai star rail mydei#mydei x you#yandere mydei#mydei x reader#hsr mydei
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the real reason rhysand is not enforcing the ban of clippings knowing some old lords in illyria still let it happen in their camps is bc he does not want to lose some of his soldiers
he mentions it a couple of times of the heavy loses illyrians took during the war
if rhysand actually enforced the ban of clippings he would have to deal with the men refusing to follow through. he would have to kill his soldiers
funny how rhysand allows blood rite to happen which is literally hunger games, where more than half of his future soldiers die in to “prove their worth”
its an illyrian tradition but illyrian men can argue so is women’s wing clipping and binding
neither of them are right bc let’s be real the reason men take part in blood rite is bc they are thrown into warrior camps at a young age, before they hit double digits. they don’t get a proper safe childhood, instead they are made into soldiers
rhysand does not want to lose his soldiers and that’s why he only allowed women to train so he can have more soldiers
ic was disappointed bc only a 2-3 women came to train like?? acting like making a change is such a hard thing when;
most illyrians don’t fuck with ic. no trust there
not all women want to learn how to fight. why do they have to train and learn how to fight?
everything we know about how illyrians train and fight is downright brutal. why will the women want to go through that willingly?
why can’t illyrian women just be free? have autonomy over their own life and body?
the women have not been offered any protection from repercussion they might face for wanting to learn how to fight. who will protect them for the monsters in their home?
an fyi women can know how to fight and still be abused
“illyrian women can now protect themselves” but where is the law to protect them?
why are they jumping over dozen of things that are needed to happen first?
there’s no banning abuse or sa or offering shelter in the library for them, there’s no banning forced marriages, there’s no rights for them!
illyrian women are being allowed to train so they -like the illyrian men- can be future soldiers for night court otherwise rhysand would start with giving them basic rights first
rhysand can’t give them their basic rights bc most will choose to not be warriors
#don’t expect mr ‘i tried’ to actually make a positive change#free illyrian women#anti rhysand#anti cassian#anti inner circle#anti ic#anti acotar#illyria#illyrians
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Jealous!hazbin hotel x reader + first kiss 😠❤️
Author notes: hiiii guysss (^-^)/ so I decided to combine the query and the result of the votes I'm sorry if there is any spelling I'm sick 😷 I hope you like it , and send me a message if you want a specific fanfiction (^.^)(^-^)/❤️ requests are open !!!! And i will do a part 2 too ❤️🫶
Warning: nothing
Charlie🌈
◇Charlie loved you so much but she never dared to confess her feelings, she doesn't know why but there is something in you that intimidates her, maybe your beautiful eyes or your hair or your voice that she could listen all day without stopping no matter she loves you to the point that she could spend hours listing everything she loves about you.
but one day there was this new fisherman at the hotel and she found him too close to you yes much too close but she decided not to pay attention to that until one day she saw you laughing with this stupid fisherman and she couldn't help but feel bad and sad and you realized it so in the evening you decided to go see her in her room
"knock knock"
"charlie is everything okay? I come in"
" hey hi what are you doing here I didn't expect to see you I thought you were with (Jeremy) " she said his name with disgust
" no I was worried about you, and I was right what's happening lately I feel like we're drifting apart"
"maybe it's because of Jeremy who you keep talking to, you don't even spend time with me anymore"
" wait charlie don't tell me you're jealous of him?"
"no it's just that I like spending time with you and to be honest mmh yes I'm jealous yn because you see I...I really really love since day one and I..."
you couldn't help but interrupt her and take her in your bars while delicately placing your lips on hers and you whispered in her ear
"i love you too, and don't worry i'll never leave you again my love".
Vaggie❌️
♤From the first time she laid eyes on you she fell madly in love with you, she wanted you next to her, she wanted to protect you. vaggie is someone who quickly becomes jealous so believe me when I tell you that the time you decided to make her jealous was a bad thing yes very bad. you were chatting with à demon a feeling of rage invaded her entire body and he couldn't help but grab you by the arme and bring you back to the hotel lobby, which was empty at that moment.
"hey vaggie what's going on? "
"vaggie nothing it's just I uh shit I love you I love you and seeing you laughing and having a good time with this idiot makes me crazy" you laugh "my vaggie you know it's not worth putting yourself in such a state" you approached her and kissed her delicately on the mouth
Angel dust🕸
♡Omg you are the only person who really understands him and who was able to help him believe in the fact that he could become better and seeing you so close that someone else would literally break his heart he would never get over it. He saw you laughing with this demon, he felt empty and sad and unfortunately you didn't notice it until the evening. while you called angel to go eat you saw his beautiful face filled with tears and you said to him
" hey angel what's wrong "
nothing nothing I'm ok
" angel I know you and I know when something is wrong please tell me we usually tell each other everything "," listen you know you are everything to me you are the only person who understands me and for who I really matter so here I am I really love you more than anything in the world " he approaches you and kisses you, he captures your lips in a passionate and at the same time sweet kiss
Alastor🦌
☆Alastor him being jealous pfffff impossible that's what he said to himself before meeting you he found you so perfect you were the only person who knew how to attract his intention, your voice so sweet your beautiful face that's what pleased the radio demon, so one day when he saw you with a voxtech phone in your hand he didn't know how to keep calm he grabbed you by the arms taking care not to hurt you snatched the phone from your hand without saying anything then whispered in your ears
"you know my dear you are a person for who I have appreciation and respect so for your own good I would advise you not to do this again, you are mine and mine alone understood? "
then he places a sweet kiss on your lips and leaves you alone with your thoughts
Husk🍻
♧The first time he saw you he immediately saw something in you that he hadn't seen in anyone else, it may be linked to the fact that he loves you more than anything so one day while you were talking with angel he started flirting with you like he usually does with everyone so you decided to join in his game which made our cat angry 😠 in the evening while everyone was going to bed you decided to go down and have a last drink with husk but this time he seemed a little colder than usual "hey husk what's wrong?" "nothing, drink your drink and leave me alone"
"what but why what is there?"
"angel do you like him?"
"what no fuck he's my best friend ever I could.... wait a second don't tell me you're jealous husk"
"No , never "
"yes ...yes" you said with a big smile on your lips seeing how much husk was blushing "you know I don't like Angel but you... I like you a lot husk" he looked at you in shock he didn't know what to say anymore so you leaned over the counter and kissed him
sir pentious🐍
□Ohhh he is ready to do anything for you he literally sees you as a god he loves you more than anything so one evening when he saw you flirting with someone for fun his little snake heart broke in two and he was going to hide in his room with those eggs until you noticed his absence:
" hey can I come in, pentious where are you are you ok ?"
"ho y/n it's you my dear yes ... yes everything is fine"
"you're lying I know you, tell me what's wrong"
" This person you were flirting with today did you like them?"
"no at all why?"
" Well to be honest it reassures me because I like you a lot "your heart skipped a beat he was so cute you grabbed him in your bars and kissed him I can tell you that after this kiss he never let you alone
Lucifer🦆
●His little tiny heart is breaking, poor boy he loves you so much and just being away from you is driving him crazy
so see you with another demon literally kills him so he will do everything to try to get you back and avoid losing the person he loves the most ,the person who was able to overcome this depression and who is always there for him so yes he loves you more than anything and no one will be able to take you from him so one day he took his courage and told :
"you listen y/n I really really love you you are everything to me you are the person who took care of me when I was so bad there was no one except you so I am no longer afraid to tell you I love you I love you more than anything and seeing you with another demon makes me sick I want you by my side always and..." you took him in your arms and kissed the king with so much love and sweetness
ho if you knew how he loves you❤️❤️
I hope you like iiit ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i maybe, if you like it , i will do a part 2 \(_ _)
#hazbin hotel#angel dust#lucifer hazbin#alastor hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel vees#hazbin vox#lucifer x reader#alastor#hazbin hotel husk#hazbin hotel lucifer#fanfiction#sir pentious x reader#alastor hazbin x reader#charlie morningstar#hazbin hotel charlie#hazbin alastor#vaggie#vox the tv demon#nifty x reader#lucifer morningstar#husk x reader#angel x reader#angel dusk#jealous!lucifer x reader#sir pentious#lilith#hazbin lucifer#hellverse#stolas#vox hazbin hotel
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since a couple of you (@nectarinesinthesun444 @perksofbeingpoet) asked, I figured it was worth posting
my dps ✨️hot takes✨️
disclaimer bc people get mad: these are just my opinions, if you disagree, that's okay!! people are allowed to coexist with different opinions. this is a post for friendly discussion only. please don't start discourse or block me just bc you disagree, I enjoy the fact that we all interpret this media in our own way. thank you.
alot of people flat out don't understand charlie as a character and mischaracterize him as a result. (hint: if you see him as just the funny one you need to watch the movie again)
I dislike movie knox just about as much as book knox. he's still entitled and selfish, and I don't think he deserved redemption. (I simply cannot see him in a fanon lens, I just don't like him)
I do however, wish he was written better. In that his character became all about chris, and less about his friends, which lost his character a bit, because occasionally I do see the potential.
while i like her more... i dislike chris. I obviously feel bad for what happened to her, but she is kind of a shitty friend if you think about it. she was constantly ditching ginny for boys (ergo: why i don't ship them) and quite literally cheated on her boyfriend, who was in fact, her friends brother.
relating to that, chet may be a meathead asshole just in general, but he did absolutely nothing wrong when it came to knox and that is a hill i will DIE on.
oh!! hey!! we shouldn't joke about the paddling scene!! literally ever!!!
the "except sex" line is taken way too far. it's not (canonically) gay. boys joke about sex. let's move on.
relating to that... i don't fault anyone for shipping anything legal—but some ships simply have no evidence in canon. (knarlie, chrisginny) and I'm absolutely terrified to say that... but it's true
in that same vein, many people mistake charlie's disapproval toward knox's methods with chris (especially the phone call scene) as jealousy—when in reality, it's just that—disapproval. this is a bit of an inconsistency issue, because this was much more evident in the book/original script—that charlie tended to push knox around a bit, especially about that, but regardless it's still disdain.
charlie isn't in love with everyone. he's just like that.
also— sexuality headcanons are also obviously fine. but if you say charlie is bi/gay/etc. ONLY (allow me to repeat—ONLY) because of his flamboyant tendencies, that is extremely stereotypical and rubs me so far the wrong way.
its okay to not like cameron for what he did. obviously he's not pure evil, but people are allowed to dislike a character for doing a bad thing. its not okay to be ignorant, but it is, in fact, okay to understand and still dislike a character.
already went over this kind of, but literally every poet (+the girls) gets mischaracterized and/or generalized on a large scale. like, why is half the fandom convinced pitts is braindead? and somehow, todd is incapacitated and has anxiety about everything?? I feel like the movie makes a point to say that these characters are nuanced and multifaceted, and yet they continue to be shoved into one box like two-dimensional high school archetypes.
#again—its okay if you disagree#i enjoy discussions#take this with a grain of salt#bc it is NOT that serious#alot of these are abt charlie im sorry#if yk me yk my brand#anyways ily guys thanks for reading if you did#dead poets society#dps#dps boys#charlie dalton#ginny danburry#steven meeks#gerard pitts#knox overstreet#todd anderson#neil perry#chris noel#chet danburry
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ignoring everything else, elon musk’s net worth is nearly 400 times taylor swift’s, so even if you’re genuinely politically illiterate enough to not care that only one of these people is a fascist destroying the government for parts, even that part of it doesn’t hold up. a lot of you literally just hate women and it’s also been very clear for years and years that a lot of white women think they can do the “oh i’m not like other white women” thing by making a big deal out of hating taylor swift, the most antiracist action there is, i guess
#+ it’s really less that they think they’re being antiracist than that they’re trying to remove themselves from the category of white women#like they’ll talk about white women like that category doesn’t include them
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𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 + 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 masterlist
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/b4c46ed3cf1bb7f3e868e5e81c8d00e9/0922619a683569d1-7e/s400x600/f3b96726a0165502f28d609b67251cf8e6081c3a.jpg)
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/7a9061b4dec4d4301929df2e9047c945/0922619a683569d1-11/s540x810/ee60ef58613db1bbd24e88be0ae987fafb368543.jpg)
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𝐝𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐤𝐢: 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝
Dave would be the cute, silly boyfriend with you. For sure, his idea of going to the gym came from wanting to get strong to keep you safe and not look like a wimp if he saw any threats. He’d take you to the gym to workout together and ward off the attention of other guys. He’d love you playing with his hair, even if you made it all messy. He would wear his Kick-Ass costume in front of you, pretending he was fighting, just because you said he looked hot in it. He definitely has a thing for you in cosplay.
𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
Tangerine's an impulsive man, but beyond that, he’s decisive and does everything with intention. If he found a girl worth it, he wouldn’t waste time with the nonsense of dating for years or stringing you along. He’d jump right into a casual “Want to be mine forever or get lost?” in the middle of the night. He’d grumble when you told him to stop hurting himself in dangerous situations, but secretly loves when you care for his wounds and are gentle with him when he’s in pain, thinking about taking even more risks just to have you take care of him.
𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐢 𝐯𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐲: 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫
Whether single or not, he can attract attention wherever he goes, including from you, even if you’re already promised to someone from the nobility, whose name he wouldn’t even remember. He’s complex and passionate, and would seek you out at the most inconvenient times to satisfy you, entertained by your innocent yet sinful ways. Fascinated by danger, he’d provoke even in front of authority, only to apologize later, claiming it was a stress-related mishap at the barracks.
𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
Friedrich is a respectable man, given his title, but when it comes to you, all the etiquette goes out the window. However, he would try to be discreet, not wanting to offend you or tarnish your public image, as he didn’t care about his own. Your opinion would be the only one that matters. He’d give you expensive gifts, not that it was essential, but it was his way of showing that you were worth more than every damn penny he had. He’s a fantastic father, but he would dedicate most of his time to you, sometimes wishing the kids would grow up faster so he could have more intimate moments with you.
𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐨𝐲
Tom is a jerk, that’s obvious, but it seems the dirtier he is, the more attractive he becomes. Tom would be your contact, always calling you on lonely nights, and vice versa. It would be strictly casual, but some nights, he’d catch himself wondering if he should change to see if you’d give him a chance. He could pretend to be your boyfriend at a party if some annoying guy was hitting on you (he’d also pretend for a free lunch at Burger King).
𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟: 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬
Pietro’s nature is carefree and easygoing; a serious relationship would interfere with this moment in his life, where everything is rushed and he needs space. From the little he knows about physics, he’d casually say, “Two bodies can’t occupy the same space unless it’s on the bed, and I’m up for that.” Deep down, he’s a lover boy, doing anything for you, but always using the classic excuse, “Pffft. I’m a hero, that's literally my job.”
𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
James is endearing, sweet, and intimate, like an open book. He’s definitely the perfect husband. He’s funny, fascinated by you, and would always give you books as gifts since you looked so charming when focused, which was his favorite view of you. He’d let you wear his glasses because you looked beautiful, but would quickly ask you to take them off, worried you might develop vision problems. If you liked a specific food, he’d try to venture into the kitchen to make it for you. If it went wrong, he’d just add a little magic and keep it a secret. And if you found out? Well, it’d be hard to complain to James Potter—he was handsome and made your favorite dessert.
#x reader#reader insert#imagine#fanfic#aaron taylor johnson x you#aaron taylor johnson x reader#aaron taylor johnson#aaron taylor johnson fandom#atj x reader#tangerine#james potter#tom ryder#pietro maximoff#friedrich harding#alexei vronsky#thinkingfairy#headcannons#headcannon
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