#event: double or nothing 2022 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gffa · 6 months

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what order would you recommend reading the batman comics in? also where do you find the comics?

"What order would you recommend reading the Batman comics in?" only has one answer and that answer is for me to immediately burst into tears. Okay, this list is designed around what I think is most likely to get you into comics and having a good time, if you're enjoying the kind of posts that appear on this blog: - Nightwing 2016, you can start from issue #1 and just keep reading (well, once you hit the Ric Grayson arc, you can skim if you want) because it's a fun, light-hearted series that's just very easy to read and is my comfort series in a lot of ways. I enjoy Dick Grayson's character, it does a lot of work to establish him in his own city, but also touches on his relationships with his family, and I think is a great starting place. You can start with Better Than Batman, Back to Bludhaven, Nightwing Must Die, Blockbuster, Raptor's Revenge, The Untouchable, The Bleeding Edge, Knight Terrors (not to be confused with the 2023 event of the same name!), Burnback, The Gray Son Legacy, The Joker War, Fear State Then there's something of a 'soft reboot' where the volume numbering starts over (but issue #s keep going) with: Leaping into the Light, Get Grayson, The Battle for Blüdhaven's Heart - Robin & Batman (2022), a beautifully illustrated series from the early days of Bruce and Dick, where Bruce is not exactly the world's greatest parent, but he's trying, there's an amazingly emotionally satisfying hug, and it shows what a delightful hurricane child Dick Grayson was. - "The Murder Club" is just one story out of many in Batman: Urban Legends but it's a fantastic one, with beautiful art and a story that's about Thomas and Martha Wayne traveling forward in time to see what's become of their son, and they don't necessarily approve--until Dick and Damian are basically impossible to ignore and they see what Bruce is fighting for. For more general Batman stories (rather than ones focused on my Blorbo), I'm enjoying: - The Court of Owls [vol. 1][vol. 2] by Scott Snyder, which is a solid case story and introduces the Court of Owls, which I genuinely like as a relatively recent addition to Batman's rogues gallery! - Batman 2016 is a bit of a controversial pick, because not everyone enjoys the authors writing for this series, but I've had a blast with a lot of Tom King's writing, personally. I especially enjoyed a lot of the run-up to the Bruce/Selina wedding with Rebirth book 3 (there's a double date with Bruce/Selina and Clark/Lois that's just a silly, fun good time!), The Rules of Engagement, Bride or Burglar, The Wedding, and Cold Days. I wasn't really a big Bruce/Selina shipper before those issues, but they really won me over because I love a good hot mess of a couple that have a bunch of thorny issues between them, that Selina loves Bruce not as some mythic figure but as the dumbass guy she loves, and then some bonus quality content with Bruce's kids, especially once the wedding falls apart and he's in such a bad place and Dick Grayson is so good at stabilizing Bruce that it's unreal. (You can also read Preludes to the Wedding in around here, if nothing else the Dick + Hush one was really, really fun! Clark and Dick take Bruce to Batburger for his bachelor's party because they're horrible people who think they're funny, and it's DELIGHTFUL.) - Batman/Superman: World's Finest (2022) by Mark Waid is also more light-hearted, but is so much fun, the characters banter with each other, but you can see their genuine friendship and how it became to be one of foundational relationships in both their lives, and plus Dan Mora's art is always TOP NOTCH. (Plus, volume 2 is out as well.)

I limited myself to anything from the 2016 reboot ("Rebirth") because I think that's easiest to draw someone in and these are the starting places that I would enjoy, though, they do assume a fair amount of pre-knowledge about Batman characters, like personally I enjoyed Batman & Robin Eternal but I don't think it's a good starting point for what the comics are actually like. As always, if someone has a good suggestion for a newer fan, I'd love to hear them! Especially since I tend to be Nightwing-focused, that's where my area of expertise is, if you have some good Tim or Jason or Damian recs, feel free! Though, in general, I think you can pick up almost any trade paperback and it'll be designed to be read without too much confusion, so just find a character you think you'll like and jump in! :D (p.s. I'm linking to Hoopla pages because, if you have a library card with your local library, you can use it to sign in to Hoopla!)

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam #dick grayson #comics recs

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annabtg · 2 months

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AnnaBtG - my Ao3

Select works:

@jilyawards favourites

Mistletoe Mishaps (1.3k). Jily, canon, fluff. Winner of Favourite Canon 2023. Completed, rated G.

Lily Evans doesn't know why James Potter keeps on pointing out the mistletoe above her every single time. Well, she does, but she likes to pretend she doesn't.

Nom De Plume (46.5k). Jily, no Voldemort AU. Finalist for Favourite Magic AU and Favourite Fluff 2023. Completed, rated E.

James Potter, renowned potioneer, has a secret side career as an erotica writer under the pen name of Scarlett Goldwing. When his latest book starts to take off, and Scarlett is asked to promote it at a public event, he has no other option but to recruit his colleague Lily Evans to pretend to be Scarlett. The only problem is, Lily Evans hates his guts… or does she?

The Great James Potter (8.7k). Jily, canon, pre-relationship. Finalist for Favourite Canon Oneshot 2022. Completed, rated G.

Lily Evans has never held any appreciation for James Potter, even though he has always been a favourite among girls at Hogwarts. That is, until she starts paying closer attention to him...

Readers' favourites (below the cut)

Priorities (1.1k). Sirius & Lily friendship, background Jily, canon. Completed, rated G. Rec'd by @casquecest and @furiousgardenhologram.

When Lily receives some life-altering news, she turns to Sirius for comfort.

Scandalous (4.9k). Sirius/Lily fake dating, Jily, prophecy AU. Completed, rated M. Rec'd by @casquecest and @furiousgardenhologram.

Sirius Black attends Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black's wedding, with a controversial choice of a plus-one and the explicit intention of stirring up drama.

Are You Experienced? (12.7k). Jily, canon, fluff. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @abihastastybeans.

James Potter decides to ask Lily Evans to a Muggle live music show. This noble mission, however, requires a series of steps he is entirely clueless about: from procuring the tickets to finding the correct outfit, and most importantly, to spending an evening with Lily Evans without making an absolute fool of himself.

My Best Friend's Girl (12.4k). Sirius/Lily to Jily, canon. Completed, rated M. Rec'd by @casquecest.

Sirius Black and Lily Evans start dating during their sixth year at Hogwarts and their relationship is nothing short of perfect, to James Potter's silent suffering. However, things begin going downhill when next year, she is appointed Head Girl...

The Chaperone (7.5k). Jily, Petunia Evans, Sirius Black, canon. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @casquecest.

When Lily's father won't let her go out alone on a date with James, she has to resort to desperate measures: make it a double date with Petunia and Sirius.

Fixed Luck (1.3k). Established Jily, angst, no happy ending. Mind the tags! Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @kay-elle-cee.

The books warn: excessive intake can cause giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence. But good luck is addictive.

Over Spilt Coffee (1k). Remadora, angst, canon. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @nena-96.

Tonks's musings on the night she picked up smoking... the night Remus Lupin broke her heart.

Afterlife (microfic series, 1.1k total). Gen, James and Lily-centric. Rec'd by @nena-96.

James ships Harry/Ginny | Brother | Enemy | Unforgiven

AO3 Is Down (1.4k). Jily, Muggle AU, humour/fluff. Completed, rated T. Rec'd by @tinyluminaryzombie.

AO3 Status: Delayed emails have been sent out and the Archive is back! Thank you so much to our sysadmin james_ for interrupting his sleep to work on and monitor the situation. Inspired by this very real Tweet, an alternate universe where the sysadmin is James Potter, and Lily Evans is his supervisor who had to drag him out of bed so he could resolve the problem.

If you read my works, please feel free to send me asks or messages to add or update your recs!

#rec list #pinned post

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omegaremix · 20 days

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April 3, 2022.

It takes a good two months before a year starts to pick up for me. The first big win was in the final frigid day of February when I decided to take the train to Greenpoint’s Academy Annex for some records; the first stop of what would be an amazing record-store victory tour. Then arrived March. I drove four miles to the shopping mall to look for leather jackets when I discovered a new retro- video arcade opened up. Within a few days I walk in and spent the entire day re-living my Atari / Nintendo / SNES youth. Those eight hours were a thoroughly exhaustive one. I saw games which I threw many rolls of quarters into, to others I only read about and fantasized even seeing up until then. The original Super Mario Bros. cabinet, The Neo Geo MVS, Outrun, R-Type, Taito’s Superman, Atari’s Star Wars. Most of every great moment of my youth spent in delis, card stores, ice cream parlors, long-gone restaurants, and amusement parks were now all in one room.

Good thing I went because my all-time favorite ginger April* made a rare appearance in my store and I had to tell her about it. She came in to buy some A/V components like she always does and we spent a good ten minutes catching up on everything. April was a fangirl and a hardcore gamer of all formats so I had to share the wealth of news with her. Too late. She already went. Still, every visit from her counted as she was the cutest thing of pale skin, glasses, and Irish ancestry I ever seen.

I had another holiday spent with my Coney Island family. My aunt invited me to her daughter’s house in East Meadow for Easter where they, her aggressive right-wing country-music loving Trump supporter sons, her sister, and all the offspring you could think of would be there. A great four hours were had coloring eggs, watching Disney’s Encanto on the big screen, and an endless feast of Italian food were laid out for all to gorge ourselves to death. Blessings were counted and they were enough to cash them in for a bright sunny Sunday. I also enjoyed the hour-long drive from East Meadow through Rt. 27 all the way home.

In between all this was a major event I was chasing for a while. It would be nice to attend a Boy Harsher show and they’ve been making the rounds in New York City quite often. I jumped at the opportunity to purchase tickets after their Halloween show and ultimately got them - only for January show to be postponed. Blame the COVID- omicron for it. But Jae & Augustus pushed it back to April and this time nothing was stopping them from performing nor anyone attending The Music Hall Of Williamsburg.

I learned that it was a two-hour ride each way from my line to Penn Station and back due to transfers at the Jamaica Station. Not good as I had to work a 10AM shift. This time, I opted to drive out to the Babylon stop for a direct line to Manhattan and back for fifty-five minutes each. I went up the stairs and waited only a few minutes before the train arrived on an elevated platform. Nothing special about the train ride on a cloudy mid-50* weather. The show, however, was a whole other story. Everyone enjoyed the opener Twin Tribes and the headlining Boy Harsher hands-down to great fanfare. I couldn’t have waited in line to get some merch- as, once again, someone had to ride home for tomorrow’s payday.

I reversed the path from The Music Hall- by taking the L and ½/3 line back to Penn Station. It just so happened that I missed my train home by three minutes and it cost me an hour more before the next one came in. As I mentioned before, no transfers. Just a direct line from Penn Station back to Babylon where the double-decker cars awaited us. A nice surprise for me sitting in the seats above to contemplate my next major win: Sacred Bones’ 15th anniversary show. It could only get better.

Fifteen years ago from this month, a new concept was born. I purchased a 30GB iPod Classic through a ‘friend’ of mine at WUSB. Since then, I loaded all of my music into it and took it through many train rides. The iPod Classic has retired in favor of my iPhone SE. What once became a distraction has now been an auditioning process for future Omega WUSB shows and seasonal personal playlists. Nothing is off limits. Noise, backpacker, jazz, fusion, shoegaze, noise rock, post-punk, electronics, hardcore - everything. Everything I discover gets played in hopes of either being featured or forever a part of me. With a near endless plethora of outlets, mutuals, and other ways of obtaining music, there’s almost never a moment of silence outside of work or sleep.

Congotronics International: “Where’s The One”

MoE: “Beautiful Stranger”

Silent Servant: “Slasher”

Doc Hammer: “Commanche Crew Cut”

Visit0r: “God Of All Flesh”

People’s Choice, The: “Here We Go Again”

Ride: “1,000 Miles”

Thurston Moore: “The Station”

Sunrot: 21%

Joucous: “Rivers Pt. 1”

Exek: “ID’ed”

Legss: “Hyde Park Coroner”

Alice Glass: “Suffer And Swallow”

Totally Unicorn: “Daddy’s Stabby Surprise”

Aeges: “Who Are You”

Benny The Butcher & J. Cole: “Johnny P.’s Caddy”

Maneskin: “Moriro Da Re”

Broken Vow: “Expiation”

Exek: “(I’m After) Your Best Interest”

Smash Your Enemies: “Faithless”

Death Strider: “Cardinal Sin”

Letting Up Despite Great Faults: “Gemini”

Dead Leaf Echo: “Milk.Blue.Kisses (Foil In Motion)”

Offset: Spectacles, The: “Stomp”

Caparezza: “Eyes Wide Shut”

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twopoppies · 1 year

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I’ve seen you getting a few asks about Elounor and if it’s over, I know you don’t really care so idk if you wanna post this but if you do and any of your followers are curious here’s a quick rundown

-Not been seen together since Glastonbury in June (?) and even then what we did see was nothing major. Louis seen more hanging with his band members and even old band member Niall. There was a video of Eleanor looking like she turns to say something to Louis who is already laughing at something else and doesn’t even look or seem to acknowledge her. Eleanor posted pics from the festival non involving Louis womp.

-Eleanor blocked Louis on Instagram in July which caused fans outside the venue to even cheer. Didn’t appear to be a glitch but E unblocked and both followed each other back in the end. Any likes of Louis’ on E’s posts now gone. Testing the waters? Just trying to stir up drama? Who knows.

-E continuously going on sponsored holidays with friends even when Louis had breaks from tour. Never saw Louis’ show again after London in April. Didn’t even go to his special one in Doncaster. Not shy about posting she was flying to Santorini with a friend literally the day Louis was due to finish his tour in Australia. Just constantly going away and never with or to Louis.

-Not being present at family events such as the past 2 Christmases or meeting Lotties baby. In fact think she even went away instead. Not seen with Louis’ family either in a long time.

-does post from his public house apparently although that’s probably due to her keeping her PR wardrobe there for her Instagram posts. Occasionally posts the dogs but not as much and not always both of them together.

-apparently seen wearing a white (Champion?) fleece in an Instagram story that a fan allegedly gave Louis at a signing. Impossibly to know if it’s the same one but who knows. This is from what I can gather one of the only thing giving their stans a bit of hope.

-No acknowledgment of his album or general success this year. Also evidently away at events retreats and holidays with friends when he broke his arm and had surgery.

-Louis didn’t respond when an answer revealed a highly searched thing on Google was if he was single. Hasn’t even mentioned E in months.

-No mention or pics of Louis in Eleanor’s 2022 wrap ups and favorite moments on Instagram.

So there’s what I can gather. No BUA but very minimal on their part and their relationship is practically non existent at this point.

Thanks for all the details, love. I don’t have the energy to double check, so anyone who’s reading this will have to do their own. IMO it’s really unlikely they’re going to continue pushing that relationship. I don’t think we’re going get an official break up announcement until/unless he starts a new “relationship”. And even then, it probably won’t be more than a mention.

#elounope

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louisupdates · 1 year

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Supporting Louis Tomlinson isn’t “lame” – he’s helping new bands to reach the next level

The former One Directioner is using his platform to uplift rising artists – so it's time to put an end to the musical snobbery surrounding him

By Rhian Daly | 31st October 2022

Right now, the internet is saturated with new music. Touring is becoming increasingly harder thanks to surging living costs and complicated new Brexit rules. Everyone, apart from the biggest artists (and even they’re not safe), could do with a helping hand right now. So why, then, are some acts trying to put down both bands accepting a leg up, and those artists using their platform to pay it forward to those for whom these opportunities could make all the difference to?

Last week (October 22), The Skinner Brothers’ Zac Skinner caused a stir online when he tweeted: “I see all these bands going on tour with Louis Tomlinson from onedirection… fucking laughable. I wouldn’t ever do that on account of it being incredibly LAME.” It reeked of old-school snobbery, implying that because Tomlinson was once a member of the biggest British pop group in recent history, being associated with him was something to be ashamed of.

In a follow-up tweet a couple of days later, Skinner doubled down on his position, comparing him hypothetically supporting the former 1D member to “The Clash supporting Madonna”. His one-minute rant about the “sterilisation” of guitar music felt dangerously close to throwing out the term “real music”.

Regardless of what you think about Tomlinson’s music – past or present – his consistent support of the UK’s underground scene is nothing but admirable. Although, as he told NME earlier this summer, keeping up with all the new music around these days is tough, he’s always armed with recommendations to share with his followers online when they ask for tips. He’s regularly given new and smaller bands support slots on his tours and at his Away From Home festival. He’s even helped out other acts financially when they’ve needed it the most, like when Manchester band Maruja had their gear stolen from their van. Last October, after they reached £2,000 on a crowdfunder to replace the instruments, Tomlinson quietly dropped £4,000 their way, helping them reach their target.

“We were absolutely blown away,” singer and guitarist Harry Wilkinson tells NME of the surprise contribution. “Honestly, we’d probably still be trying to get our gear right now. We’ve made a lot of progress [as a band] this year and, without Louis’ help, we definitely wouldn’t be able to be in the position we’re in right now.” The items Maruja had stolen were things they’d been collecting “all our lives”, including “really rare pedals” they’d likely have struggled to get back at all.

That open-minded reaction to bands is something that feels common within Tomlinson’s fanbase. When each band took to the stage at this year’s Away From Home festival in Málaga, the crowd cheered on every band as enthusiastically as each other – from newcomers like Scottish band Voodoos, who won a competition to kick off the day’s events – to indie legends The Vaccines. It was incredibly heartwarming to see, particularly given this was a crowd of predominantly female fans – a force that has shaped pop culture for decades.

Most mentions of fandoms and stan culture these days are barbed and negative, pointing to ever-growing toxicity online. While that is accurate of some people, Tomlinson’s fans have largely reacted to The Skinner Brothers’ comments in a way that make the London act’s point even more redundant. On Twitter, fans have been collating a playlist of unsigned and upcoming bands – some with ties to Tomlinson, others without – and, in turn, giving those artists more much-needed exposure. “He’s got everyone talking and smaller bands have benefitted from it greatly,” Cooper concedes of Skinner’s original tweet, smiling at the irony.

Community spirit – from Tomlinson’s fans, from artists with a platform they can use – is becoming more and more important as the cost of living in the UK explodes. Financially, rising bands are feeling the strain more than ever, limiting their ability to play as extensively as they once might have been able to. “It’s expensive – you spend so much money on fuel and staying in hotels and everything,” explains Wilkinson.

“You’re trying to grow an audience [through touring] so you can start making money,” Maruja saxophonist and singer Joe Carroll adds. “But you’re having to say no to shows because it’s not gonna be worth the journey – you’re not gonna sell many tickets, it’s not in a city you’ve been able to perform in before, and it’s gonna cost loads to even be able to get there. Having support slots with bigger artists is a great way of growing those things.”

For The Outcharms, not only has opening for Tomlinson given them a rise in interest in the band, including an uptick in monthly listeners online, it’s also helped them see their musical endeavours in a different light. “The mentality of the band has changed – it just gave us a little bit more belief and [and made us open to] taking more risks,” Cooper says. Earlier this month, the group played their biggest headline show to date in the main room at legendary Sheffield venue The Leadmill. “Eventually we would have got to that point, but I don’t think we would have made that leap [before].”

Tomlinson’s dedication to lifting up new bands comes from a place of pure passion. Speaking to NME at Away From Home in August, he cited one of his reasons for starting the festival as wanting to “showcase upcoming bands”. “I’ve always been really interested in the development stage of bands’ careers,” he said. “I think they’re some of the most exciting times. So any way where I can help anything like that, that’s always been really important to me.”

Those who’ve received Tomlinson’s support so far are in agreement that his approach to music should be the norm. “If you’re an artist, you want to see art evolve,” reasons Wilkinson. “I think it’s definitely important once you get to a certain level or a certain amount of status to push for more opportunities [for smaller artists]. The more of that, the better.” Instead of belittling artists for their backgrounds or not sticking to the boundaries we used to put around different genres, we should be celebrating those who are willing to help uplift the whole scene, not just themselves – lord knows we need more of that right now.

#louis tomlinson #nme magazine #31 october 2022

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allelitewrestlings · 2 years

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#wrestlingedit #aewedit #hook #aew hook #hook aew #hookhausen #danhausen #aew #double or nothing #event: double or nothing 2022 #ours: gifs #tag team: hookhausen #maker: s #*

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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California to smash prison e-profiteers

On Weds (May 10), I’m in Vancouver for a keynote at the Open Source Summit and a book event for Red Team Blues at Heritage Hall and Thu (May 11), I’m in Calgary for Wordfest.

It’s a double-whammy that defines 21st century American life: a corporation gets caught doing something terrible, exploitative or even murderous, and a government agency steps in — only to discover that there’s nothing it can do, because Reagan/Trump/Clinton/Bush I/Bush II deregulated that industry and stripped the agency of enforcement powers.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/08/captive-audience/#good-at-their-jobs

Man, that feels awful. The idea that extremists gutted our democratically accountable institutions so that there’s nothing they can do, no matter how egregious a corporation’s conduct is so demoralizing. Makes me feel like giving up.

But the law is a complex and mysterious thing. Regulators aren’t actually helpless. There are authorities, powers and systems that the corporate wreckers passed over, failed to notice, or failed to neuter. Take Section 5 of the FTC Act, which gives the Commission broad powers to prevent “unfair and deceptive” practices. Since the 1970s, the FTC just acted like this didn’t exist, even though it was right there all along, between Section 4 and Section 6.

Then, under the directorship of FTC chair Lina Khan, Section 5 was rediscovered and mobilized, first to end the practice of noncompete “agreements” for workers nationwide:

https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/antitrust-enforcers-to-ban-indentured

A new breed of supremely competent, progressive regulators are dusting off those old lawbooks and figuring out what powers they have, and they’re using those powers to Get Stuff Done. It’s like that old joke:

Office manager: $75 to kick the photocopier?

Repair person: No, it’s $5 to kick the photocopier, $70 to know where to kick it.

There’s a whole generation of expert photocopier-kickers in public life, and they’ve got their boots on:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

This is the upside of technocracy — where you have people who are appointed to do good things, and who want to do good things, and who figure out how to do good things. There are dormant powers everywhere in law. Remember when Southwest Air stranded a million passengers over Christmas week and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded by talking sternly about doing better, but without opening any enforcement actions against SWA?

At the time, Buttigieg’s defenders said that was all he could do: “Pete isn’t the boss of Southwest’s IT department, you know!” He’s not — but he is in possession of identical powers to the FTC to regulate “unfair and deceptive” practices, thanks to USC40 Section 41712(a), which copy-pastes the language from Article 5 of the FTC Act into the DOT’s legislative basis:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

The failures of SWA were a long time coming, and were driven by the company’s shifting of costs from shareholders to employees and fliers. SWA schedules many flights for which they have no aircraft or crew, and when the time to fly those jets comes, the company simply cancels the emptiest flights. This is great for SWA’s shareholders, who don’t have to pay for fuel and crew for half-empty planes — but it’s terrible for crew and fliers.

What’s more, selling tickets for planes that don’t exist is plainly unfair and deceptive. A good photocopier-kicker in charge of the DOT would have arrived with a “first 100 days” plan that included opening hearings into this practice, as a prelude to directly regulating this conduct out of existence, averting the worst aviation scheduling crisis in US history. That’s what Buttigieg’s critics wanted from him: a competent assessment of his powers, followed by the vigorous use of those powers to protect the American people.

One domain that’s been in sore need of a photocopier-kicker for years is prison tech. America (“the land of the free”) incarcerates more people than any nation in the history of the world — more than the USSR, more than China, more than Apartheid-era South Africa.

For corporate prison profiteers, those prisoners are a literal captive audience, easy pickings for gouging on telephone calls, books, music, and food. For years, companies like Securus have been behind an incredibly imaginative array of sadistic tactics that strip prisoners of the contact, education and nutrition that governments normally provide to incarcerated people, and then sells those prisoners and their families poor substitutes for those necessities at markups that cost many multiples of the equivalent services in the free world.

Think of prisons that reduce the amount of food served to sub-starvation levels, then sell food at high markups in the prison commissary. For prisoners whose families can afford commissary fees, this is merely extortion. But for prisoners who don’t have anyone to top up their commissary accounts, it’s literal starvation.

This is the shape of every prison profiteer’s grift: take something vital away and then sell it back at a massive markup, dooming the prisoners who can’t afford it. The most obvious way to gouge prisoners is by charging huge markups for phone calls. Prisoners who can afford to pay many dollars per minute can stay in touch with their families, while the rest rot in isolation.

In 2015, the FCC tried to halt this practice, passing an order capping the price of calls, but in 2017, the DC District Court struck down the order, ruling that the FCC couldn’t regulate in-state call tariffs, which are the majority of prison calls:

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/0/C62A026B396DD4C78525813E004F3BC5/%24file/15-1461-1679364.pdf

This was a bonanza for prison profiteers. Companies like Jpay (now a division of Securus) cranked up the price of prisoners’ calls. At the same time, dark-money lobbying campaigns urged prisons to get rid of their in-person visitation programs in the name of “safety”:

https://www.mic.com/articles/142779/the-end-of-prison-visitation

Not just visitation: prisons shuttered their libraries and banned shipments of letters, cards and books — again, in the same of “safety.” Jpay an its competitors stepped in with “free tablets” — cheap, badly made Chinese tablets. Instead of checking out books from the prison library or having them mailed to you by a friend or family member, prisoners had to buy DRM-locked ebooks at many multiples of the outside world price (these same prices were slapped on public domain books ganked from Project Gutenberg):

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2018/07/24/no-cost-contract/

Instead of getting letters and cards from your family members and friends, you had to pay to look at scans of them, buying “virtual stamps” that had to accompany every page (they even charged by the “page” for text messages):

https://www.wired.com/story/jpay-securus-prison-email-charging-millions/

Enshittification is my name for service-decay, where companies that have some kind of lock-in make things worse and worse for their customers, secure in the knowledge that they’ll keep paying because the lock-in keeps them from leaving. When your customers are literally locked in (that is, behind bars), the enshittification comes fast and furious.

Securus/Jpay and its competitors found all kinds of ways to make their services worse, like harvesting recordings of their calls to produce biometric voice-prints that could be used to track prisoners after they were released:

https://theintercept.com/2019/01/30/prison-voice-prints-databases-securus/

Of course, once the prison phone-carriers started harvesting prisoners’ phone calls, it was inevitable that they would leak those calls, including intimate calls with family members and privileged calls with lawyers:

https://www.aaronswartzday.org/securedrop-prisoner-data/

Prison-tech companies know they can extract huge fortunes from their captive audience, so they are shameless about offering bribes (ahem, “profit-sharing”) to prison authorities and sheriffs’ offices to switch vendors. When that happens, prisoners inevitably suffer, as happened in 2018, when Florida state prisons changed tech providers and wiped out $11.8m worth of prisoners purchased media — every song prisoners had paid for:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/08/captive-audience-how-floridas-prisons-and-drm-made-113m-worth-prisoners-music

As bad as these deals are for prisoners, they’re great for jailers, who are personally and institutionally enriched by prison-tech giants. This is textbook corruption, in which small groups of individuals are enriched while vast, diffuse costs are extracted from large groups of people. Naturally, the deals themselves are swathed in secrecy, and public records requests for their details are met with blank, illegal refusals:

https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2018/may/25/laramie-county-prison-phones/

The “shitty technology adoption curve” predicts that technological harms that are first visited upon prisoners and other low-privilege people will gradually work its way up the privilege gradient:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

Securus powered up the Shitty Tech Adoption Curve. They don’t just spy on and exploit prisoners — they leveraged that surveillance empire into a line of product lines that touch us all. Securus transformed their prisoner telephone tracking business into an off-the-books, warrantless tracking tool that cops everywhere use to illegally track people:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/technology/cellphone-tracking-law-enforcement.html

In other words, our jails and prisons are incubators that breed digital pathogens that infect all of us eventually. It’s past time we got in the exterminators and flushed out those nests.

That’s where California’s new photocopier-kickers come in. Like many states, California has a Public Utility Commission (PUC), which regulates private companies that provide utilities, like telecoms. That means that the state of California can reach into every jail and prison in the state and grab the prison profiteers by the throats and toss ’em out the window.

Writing in The American Prospect, Kalena Thomhave does an excellent job on the technical ins-and-outs of calling on PUCs to regulate prison-tech, both in California and in other states where PUCs haven’t yet been neutered or eliminated by deregulation-crazed Republicans:

https://prospect.org/justice/2023-05-08-california-prison-phone-calls-free/

Thomhave describes how California’s county sheriffs have waxed fat on kickbacks from the prison-tech sector: “for example, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office receives 25 percent of GTL/ViaPath’s gross revenue on video calls made from tablets.” Small wonder that sheriffs offices lobby against free calls from jail, claiming that prisoners’ phone tariffs are needed to fund their operations.

It’s true that the majority of this kickback money (51%) goes into “inmate welfare funds,” but these funds don’t have to go to inmates — they can and are diverted to “maintenance, salaries, travel, and equipment like security cameras.”

But limiting contact between prisoners and their families in order to pay for operating expenses is a foolish bargain. Isolation from friends and family is closely linked to recidivism. If we want prisoners to live productive lives after their serve their time, we should maximize their contact with the outside, not link it to their families’ ability to spend 50 times more per minute than anyone making a normal call.

The covid lockdowns were a boon to prison-tech profiteers, whose video-calling products were used to replace in-person visits. But when pandemic restrictions lifted, the in-person visits didn’t come back. Instead, jails continued to ban in-person visits and replace them with expensive video calls.

Even with new power, the FCC can’t directly regulate this activity, especially not in county jails. But PUCs can. Not every state has a PUC: ALEC, the right-wing legislation factory, has pushed laws that gut or eliminate PUCs across the country:

https://alec.org/model-policy/telecommunications-deregulation-policy-statement/

But California has a PUC, and it is gathering information now in advance of an order that could rein in these extractive businesses and halt the shitty tech adoption curve in its tracks:

https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M478/K075/478075894.PDF

That’s some top-notch photocopier-kicking, right there.

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

[Image ID: A prison cell. Behind the bars is the bear from the California state flag. There is an old-fashioned telephone headset near his ear, such that he appears to be making a call.]

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dramioneasks · 2 years

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HP FESTS: Dramione Double the Trouble (Part 2)

Dramione Double the Trouble 2022:

i fear/no fate by EnchantedPixie495, ifyouwereamelody - M, WIP - It’s disorientating, the way the dream rushes over her. One minute, Hermione’s lying in the dim of Ginny’s room at the Burrow, and the next, she’s blinking in the face of bright lights, music, laughter…Strange.It doesn’t even feel like a dream, really. She doesn’t feel like she’s sleeping at all; it’s more like standing in a memory, as if she’s closed her eyes and tipped head first into a Pensieve. - - -For Double the Trouble (Dramione) 2022 Prompt set: "Betrothed Draco - Soulmates - Yule Ball"

Wish You Were Mine by ayaka_arts, LeilahMoon - T, one-shot - Draco is jealous and wishes he’d paid attention in French lessons.

Protect Her by keerthi_draws (KeerthiWrites), maraudersaffair - E, one-shot - Aurors Hermione and Draco go undercover as a couple. The problem: Draco is entirely too overprotective.Another problem? They have to share a bed and Draco wakes up aroused.

Blood Binding Promise by meare, Solstice_on_ice - M, one-shot - no summary

Sex & Healing Potions by sodamnrad - E, one-shot - Draco knew her body.Every scar and ailment since he’d started healing her.When she was angry—at Ron for being an arse about how she handled an arrest, at Harry for getting all the best cases, at Robard’s blatant sexism towards witches on the team—Draco would circle his fingers into that sore point on her neck and her words would melt away and her eyes would drop to half-mast and he’d take her to bed until nothing mattered but the present moment.

A Hint of Cherries by Bookloverdream (Blessedindeed), Lady_Andalion - T, one-shot - Draco Malfoy is living a nightmare. Only one thing can distract him: keeping score of his verbal sparring matches with Granger.(That, and the scent of her stupid, delicious hair. Did he say delicious? He did not.)But Draco is playing a dangerous game; one that could have serious consequences. A sixth-year tale of enemies-turned-frenemies.I think we all know where this is going. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Hospital Pas de Deux by echoesofmyfootsteps, RaymondShaw - T, one-shot - Hermione's Tuesday night shift in the hospital wing should have been an uneventful affair. Instead she finds herself tasked with curing all manner of complicated charms for her fellow 8th year students, one of whom has a very unique curse: Draco Malfoy, who leaps and twirls with unexpected alacrity, performing part of an iconic ballet dance. The problem? He can only be cured if someone dances it with him. And the only person who can do it is Hermione herself. Part of DoubleTrouble Fest. Prompt: 8th year - hospital wing - Draco's unexpected ballet skills

The Lion, The Snake and The Science Museum by janelealart, pandora_rose_xo - G, one-shot - On a rare day off together, Hermione finally convinces Draco to let her show him Muggle London and all the wonders it holds - well some of them. They can't do everything in a day.

A Song of Ice and Fire and Awkward Ex Boyfriends by blue_string_pudding, EnchantedPixie495 - M, 8 chapters - When a dragon thought to be extinct for a century is spotted in Iceland, Hermione somehow ends up playing chaperone to the trip to see if the rumours are true.And who doesn't want to trek across a snowy wasteland, towards what may - or may not be - a huge, firebreathing beast, with the world's most exciteable red head and your ex-boyfriend?

If it's all in my head tell me now (tell me I've got it wrong somehow) by emsallthat_art (emsallthat), gemgirl28 - T, 5 chapters - This would be the third annual Malfoy Spring Benefit Gala, an event that took place in the Manor’s gardens and raised money for a different charity each year. The first year it was a fund that would subsidize the cost of potions for those with incurable ailments, such as Lycanthropy. Last year it was to benefit St. Mungo’s, specifically the Janus Thickey Ward. This year it was school supplies for underprivileged children.And it was all utter horse shite.The gala "just so happened" to be the same night as a benefit and awards gala at Oxford.The first year it was a coincidence. The second year it was odd, but Draco dismissed it. This year he couldn’t ignore the truth.His parents were intentionally planning an event the same night as the Muggle event Hermione invited him to. or Draco doesn't realize he's being forced to choose between his parents and Hermione until it's too late.

the dragon prince by emsallthat_art (emsallthat), where_ivy_grows - not rated, one-shot - Draco could think of a thousand ways a man of his age might choose to spend his Saturday night. Twenty six, single, good-looking, and heir to a not-insubstantial fortune—any other man in his position might have preferred to go out, socialise, maybe find somebody to take home for the night.And yet, here he was. Twenty-six, single, good-looking, rich, and… currently babysitting a precocious six-year-old with a knack for worming her way into his cold, cold heart.

Tear The Moon by Maria81, Pia_Bartolini - E, WIP - This wasn’t what he wanted, when the ritual fires were lit and incantations uttered. It was supposed to draw in a Muggle, some passerby unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity when sacrifices were demanded. Not a witch.And absolutely, definitely, one hundred percent not this specific witch.This was a cock-up of absolutely catastrophic proportions.* * * *Canon divergent sixth year fuck-or-die.Yeah. I went there.

Autumn Falls by Efinna, NordicNightshade - T, one-shot - “Hermione looked through the diamonds of lead that latticed the windows of the college library. The falling leaves reminded her that another year had somehow passed and the forlorn feeling haunting her since leaving Hogwarts was still lingering.“

How to Catch a Lucky Star by ambereyedsnek, RaymondShaw, thisisanomdeplume - E, 2 chapters - Before the war, Hermione had nightmares about space. It was cold, black, and lonely. Space is also dangerous, and full of things one might run into. When she'd wake, she'd thank her lucky stars.

Egyptian Dust and Wanderlust by Ash_ling_ook, Maria81 - E, 11 chapters - Why on Earth did I write a sexy adventure/horror story starring Draco and Hermione with a heavy-ish side of (platonic) Ron? Lord help me, I don't know…but it's 'The Mummy' AU that I didn't think anyone cared for but I needed to write. As it begins, Hermione is in a career she always dreamed of as an archivist who travels to foriegn countries. So why is she feeling so stuck? Draco is wasting his time in a prison cell in Azkaban after a less than desirable business venture he pursued out of boredom and maybe a bit of rebellion. Is he truly feeling apathetic about life post-war or has he just not been challenged by the right person? Ron makes an outlandish discovery bolstered by the enticement of riches. His need for help on his quest brings him to Hermione. The curious circumstances of his discovery lead them to Draco. What they uncover in the hidden sands of Egypt sets forth an unexpected mission to save the planet. A Dramione romance set in the world of 1999's epic blockbuster story, The Mummy. (Some original characters from The Mummy have been used).

A Study in Red by emilyinwonderland, emsallthat_art (emsallthat) - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy is a life-time member of the Death Eaters, a mafia organization that has ruled London for generations. When a rival gang threatens Draco's business, he fights to protect his honor and save Hermione Granger, who's been caught in the cross-fire.

Mirror, Mirror by Lostinthenightrain, meare - M, one-shot - Curse Breaker Hermione Granger disappears from the Malfoy Manor. The only suspect - Draco Malfoy.

Lavender and Sunshine; Love of Mine. by Teamtuttle, Tiny_Q - M, one-shot - After a passionate night together and a week of chasing, Draco finally crosses paths with Hermione.

I Want Her by janelealart, leydileyla - M, one-shot - The second I’d apparated in their front yard, she was the first thing that I saw. Not Potter and his wife smiling foolishly at me, not the grand villa that he spent his summers at, not the beautiful orchard that surrounded us. The first thing my brain registered was her in that damn white sundress, sitting on the balcony above the entrance of the building. Her head, adorned with those dreadful curls, buried in a book as it always was. She hadn’t even bothered to glance my way to acknowledge my presence. As though I was nothing. Insignificant. And it was enough to drive me up a fucking wall.

Honor Among Thieves by Bookloverdream (Blessedindeed), incognitotoro - E, one-shot - A Dramione Cat-Burglar AU for Dramione Double the Trouble Fest.The eerie moonlight illuminated his pale skin and a flash of white-blond hair that had escaped his hood as he gazed down at his prize, her prize. The eye of Dionysus, sparkling in his outstretched palm.The very sight of him irked her. The sheer arrogance of it. No disillusionment charms, no disguises, not even bothering to stick to the shadows, the cocky little-“Your disillusionment charms could use some work.” He called, his voice soft and smooth, but still cutting through the quiet night air like a knife through butter.

Balefire Bright by DarkoftheMoon, WinteryMix - M, one-shot - In a nearby town the muggles lit bonfires and danced in colorful costumes to celebrate May Day while Hermione Granger settled in a small clearing for Beltane. It was an ancient festival, one that was celebrated around the world in many ways and under many names. But here, in her circle of ancient rowan trees, she would not create a May pole. Nor would she wear a white dress and flower crown. Beltane, she learned, was a time for power.

The Scent of Forever by Ceilidhchaos, KoraKwidditch - E, one-shot - Auror Draco Malfoy saved his partner Hermione Granger from a werewolf on their last assignment, but at his own expense. He's been in a coma for nearly two weeks and the prognosis is beginning to look grim. However, Hermione has refused to be removed from the bedside of the partner that she feels much more than camaraderie for, hoping that when he finally wakes up she can find out if he feels the same.

His Golden Girl by ambereyedsnek, Stein048 - M, one-shot - Draco returns to Hogwarts to complete his 8th year, only to find that he shares almost his entire schedule with Hermione Granger. Oddly enough, she doesn't seem to hate him as he thought she would. This is one of my first attempts at fluff with no stuff. Just a feel-good piece. beta reader- thisisanomdeplume

What the Portraits Saw by RegretfulPrince, Schmem_14 - M, one-shot - Portraits are meant to be seen and not heard, or so you've been led to believe. Verity the Virgin is merely the portrait of a simple girl painted into an unimaginative pastoral scene. Her world is upended when she catches a mysterious thief trying to make off with some Malfoy family valuables.A slightly unhinged tale of seeing and being seen, and perhaps the death of Verity's innocence as well. What would her mother say?

Just Five Years by RaymondShaw, Stein048 - M, one-shot - Draco finds himself bound to Hermione Granger by a Marriage Law.Artwork provided by the talented RaymondShaw. (A thank you to my beta-reader Slytherclaw_xo )

The Unexpected turns in Draco Malfoy's Life by Iamnotanidiot - T, one-shot - There were many things that happened in last four years in Draco Malfoy's life that were completely unexpected.His mother, Narcissa Malfoy, going behind Voldemort's back to join the Order? Yes, unexpected. His father voluntarily joining him and his mother to the Order, and that too without throwing any tantrums? Completely unexpected. Dating and falling in love with his infuriatingly stubborn, hot-headed, know-it-all, childhood nemesis? You've got to be kidding him if you thought that he had it planned, leave alone expected. Even after all of these unexpected turns in his life, Draco certainly did not except to become a father at twenty. Not in the middle of a full-fledged war.

This fest is ongoing.

#dramione double the trouble #fests/exchanges/challenges #dramione

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lolexjpg · 2 months

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dts s5 e6-8

e6: -having flashbacks of having to defend oscar to my mom for this why does the show try to lean into otmar's perspective so heavily GROSS -nah im full tinhatting i do not remember this whole bit where everyone hypes up oscar in interview before he has his lil chat with mark netflix u slimey lil bitches -oh if i was here when this news broke summer break 2022. i would've been inconsolable. i'm sure it was nuts, ballistic. maybe it was good i wasnt there. idk if i could've handled it akldkfjadslkfjasdkfj -lando saying "i already am (leading the team)" was not that rude it was just the TRUTH sorry -daniel speaking italian is so important actually -"ive been in this sport for 25 years i know what im doing" king that only makes the fumble THAT much more embarrassing COME ON -otmar talking abt how well oscar took all the shit we offered aren't we owed a contract? reminds me of timeshare schemes like actually just u paid for xyz if you dont have a contract in place he doesnt owe u anything maybe do contracts better next time :) -unfortunately zak brown is right!! its a pr disaster is the 5 million worth it!!! and they didnt even get the 5 mil!!! how do lose ur job speedrun masterclass here!! -i do wonder how much netflix inflated daniel's chances for the alpine seat, bc from what i've heard it wasnt really in the conversation. idk i wasnt there but it would make sense for netflix to lean heavily into this narrative -did not realize liam was sitting Right There when pierre was askin abt the gossip aldfjaslkfjaksjdf -the way how in season 1 its like NO DANIEL DON"T LEAVE RED BULL i feel the same way abt pierre going to alpine. like ofc it made perfect sense at the time and you cant fault him for it but like no babygirl its bouta implode PLEASE -rip all the tiktok edits that were muted in the umg purge that paired "good luck to oscar" with "if a man talks shit then i owe him nothing." thank u taylor couldn't have said it better myself -"do you regret anything that's happened?" "um. no :)" U TELL EM BABY

e7: -i'm sorry but geri seemingly getting boiling water from a tap to make tea is so fucking insane rich person cursed -was originally gonna include this funny shot of christian standing looking out a balcony like sharpay evans in high school musical in my s5 gifset but due to recent events i will not :) -i just think. that including this whole bit abt how much checo loves his family in the same episode as the monaco gp where he allegedly cheated on his wife was a CHOICE. interesting. -lewis's monaco 2022 outfit is one of his best outfits ever. its so iconic 2 me -HI ALEX -so many cinematic parallels to discuss. s1 max putting it in the wall in practice and ruining his race to prove he was faster than daniel. known parallels to brocedes ALLEGEDLY trying to sabotage eachother by crashing in that corner in monaco. hmm hmm hmm. much to think -im sorry the sainz collision is just so goofy. i remember watching the replay of this quali and being bamboozled. befuddled. deeply amused. what a stupid fucking sport -'for fucks sa-........okay this is typical monaco isnt it" MAX GETS IT -i honestly dont mind wet monaco races just bc by nature of the track its on average slower therefore less dangerous. i'll take a wet monaco over a wet spa any damn day -ferrari's double pit fuck up is PEAK embarassing ferrari strats. like to do a bad strat is one thing but to just mess up the strat ur trying to do. peak biblically cursed charles leclerc moment

e8: -god i wish i got more into yukierre. i see the appeal. unfortunately they just dont give me brain worms -many thoughts. um i think focusing on yuki's temper is just. unfair. like sure he should work on it but thats an issue with many young drivers its not a unique failure on his part -i have given thoughts on japan '22 before i'm not rly gonna rehash but i really wish the didn't gloss over it on dts. i think it was an important moment in the sport to have a big conversation abt rain safety. -oh this nyck supercut is gonna be painful knowing where it goes :/ -god remember when ppl thought nyck was gonna lead the team? leave yuki in the dust? even /i/ had him above yuki in my preseason predictions isnt that insane? -"im happy, i'll take that, that you'll miss me at least 2 or 3 minutes" god forgot the most romcom ass shit since sebchals we'll start by holding hands -nando n lance having this crazy crash and now a year later they're fucking on the reg. happy 4 them

#i'm ahead of schedule now on purpose so i dont have to worry abt it when pst starts!#i will likely finish 2moro WOO #she speaks #dtsrewatch

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polkiuu · 6 months

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2023 Dive Into Aquaplus

After having been into Utawarerumono for well over a decade, and having one foot into Tears to Tiara for the longest of time as well, I decided to finally take the plunge this year to try a variety of Aquaplus' very colorful catalogue.

I got into Utawarerumono a long, long time ago, back when the 2006 anime adaption of it was still airing. At the time, my like of it was mostly superficial. I was still a kid, and I just liked the aesthetics of it. I only started watching it because the name was long and nonsense to me who didn't know a lick of JP at the time. But it stuck with me as it was one of the first few anime I had started watching as it was airing in Japan and subbed. It also introduced me to Suara, who my love for has been anything but superficial.

If it weren't for the 2015 anime adaption of Utawarerumono Itsuwari no Kamen, it may have just stayed as a memory of aesthetics. A few episodes into its airing, I had a strong urge to buy the game, and so I asked for it for Christmas. I was never the same since.

While waiting for the release of Utawarerumono Futari no Hakuoro later in 2016, I got my hands on Tears to Tiara 2 to try and fill the void. I had previously seen the Tears to Tiara anime back in 2009 while it was airing, as I had immediately recognized the art as being similar to Utawarerumono. Looking it up I learned it was from the same company, and Amazuyu had also worked on some of the designs for it as well.

Unfortunately, the game was incredibly difficult for someone like me who is terrible at strategy games, and the writing didn't manage to hook me early on, so I ended up putting the game on hold indefinitely about 10 hours in. At some point in 2017 I picked up the remake of the first game, Tears to Tiara Kakan no Daichi, and really loved it. It still wouldn't be until this year though that I fully threw myself into the Tears to Tiara franchise.

Fast forward to 2023, through various Utaware phases and burnouts, and the release of Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten along with the 3rd anniversary event in the Utawarerumono Lost Frag mobile game re-igniting my mood for the series at the tail end of 2022, I finally decide that this year is the time to make due on my desire to play more Aquaplus titles.

Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord

Seven years after my first attempt, I finally went back to this in January and finally completed it. My issues from my first attempt never really went away, however the writing managed to hook me around chapter 5, and I had a lot more enjoyment with the OST and various small things now that I had actually experienced the first game, and not just the anime. The uses of Until and Tears to Tiara 凱歌 will live in my head rent free until the end of time.

Tarte became not only my favorite TtT character, but maybe even my #1 Aquaplus favorite. ああっ女神さまっ…

This game got me to start paying attention to Honjou Tatami.

The nostalgia for the first TtT game wrecked me hard and I ended up replaying it right after.

Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi

我が友よ

My Tears to Tiara mood was unstoppable, and so I finally bought its fandisc.

Tears to Tiara Gaiden - Avalon no Nazo

Nothing could have prepared me for the Lidia content in this game or the dragon stage straight from the ninth level of hell.

I still haven't recovered from the ending and the double whammy of realizing what the start of the OP is. The bastards really did it twice.

After this I went on a spree and bought all the LEs and the novels and manga... it is criminal how little supplementary material the games have, and how 2 has none. I have nothing to go on now but copium and offering my life to Marui Takeshi.

Tears to Tiara Gaiden 2 and Tears to Tiara 3 when.

Next, I played my first dating sim in 8~9 years, and a more obscure one at that.

Routes

You don't know what you're getting into until you've already beaten this game.

One of the more unique things I've experienced, to the point I don't know how to talk about it without spoiling it, and it is definitely a game best played blind. Quite possibly the most unique script-writing I've seen. The way the two scenario writers duties were split is one of the best uses of multiple writers that I've seen in a game.

The voice acting in this game is a masterpiece.

One thing I really love about both Routes and Tears to Tiara is the kind outlook on life they have.

I started this just before the Dungeon Travelers 2 series re-release and still have not touched those.

Next, I somehow ended up on one of their most famous.

White Album 2 ~Introductory Chapter~

Short, but emotionally loaded. After All ~Tsudzuru Omoi~ changed me as a person.

I started this one just a few days before the first White Album game's re-release because of course I did.

White Album 2 ~Closing Chapter~

One very charged, and very long work. I had to sit on it for quite a while after. I also binged all its supplemental material.

I haven't had a love/hate relationship with something this strong since, well, Inuyasha. You have issues, Maruto.

Kazusa Normal was a great route.

WHITE ALBUMの季節はまだまだこれからだよ。

White Album ~Tsuzurareru Fuyu no Omoide~

A little underwhelming, honestly. The way the gameplay and routes are structured makes the writing very fragmented. Had some nice moments, but overall I enjoyed the writing of Sayoko's route most, as it feels most coherent, likely due to it being added into the 2010 remake.

Despite the fragmented writing, I did like many of the heroines quite a bit.

White Album has been stuck in my head for months, and now the season for it is upon us...

And what would be most fitting to follow it up with another winter-related game, if not...

Tenshi no Inai 12-gatsu

It might be time to lay off the depresso games for a bit, as I had a hard time getting into this one. In a weird way it reminded me a lot of how screwed up my own mentality was when I was younger, and it's not something I cared to remember. I suppose it gets points for realistically depicting the unstable nature of the adolescent mind.

It had some interesting underlying themes, and I don't dislike the message of it, but I was unable to feel any investment in the heroines. I may have liked it more if the characters were a little more fleshed out.

I've only just beaten it, so I need to sit on my thoughts for it a little longer.

And then a special mention to none other than:

Utawarerumono Lost Frag

I finally picked this back up in November 2022, during it's 3rd anniversary event when they added Raikou. It's not every day you get an entire event dedicated to your only OTP in the series.

I got especially into it after my TtT marathon, and I've read most events, various character stories and a little of the main story. I always wanted to give it another chance, and I'm glad to have finally found something to pull me back into it. I really enjoy what it offers, from the expansions of various Utaware lore, to doing things only a social game really can. The event writing is out of this world.

It gave me 2 of the top 3 things I wanted to see for 7 years from the series now and I can only pray it delivers on the last someday.

Final thoughts

I've had a lot of Aquaplus vocal tracks in my library for many years, and its fun to go through their backlog and realize what songs are from what, and which ones I had that I didn't even realize were from Aquaplus games. And since I've followed Suara since 2006, making the connection between her discography and where her non-utaware songs are from has been a blast so far.

I look forward to diving further in in 2024. I want to give their other famous series like Dungeon Travelers and ToHeart a shot. Comic Party is still waiting on my shelf, as well.

Going through different time periods with their artists is a really fun adventure from an artist's perspective. It's fun to see where they've improved, what habits they've kept, the areas where they adjust things to be more modern, and how their painting evolves. For a long time I only knew Amazuyu by name, but now it's fun to glance at an artwork and be like "Oh, so and so drew this around xxxx year."

I want to see another game with Tatami as the main artist...

I also recently realized the only things I've finished since March have been various Aquaplus fanarts (I have drawn other things, just not finished...) Something unlocked in my brain and I'm enjoying drawing again to an extent, and for that I'm glad.

#aquaplus #utawarerumono #tears to tiara #white album 2 #white album #routes #tenshi no inai 12gatsu #tears to tiara 2 #polka talks

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the-force-awakens · 2 years

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hold on just a little tighter

gender neutral reader, no pronouns used but coded language included (clit), 18+ only because smut ahead, marking, fingering, references to oral sex. written for day 3 of @the-purity-pen's 2022 kinktober event, based on the prompt: glove kink.

The Resistance had grown since Crait: more people were filling its ranks now that stories of their successes, of Luke Skywalker standing up to face the might of the First Order were sparking through the oppressive darkness that had been cast upon the galaxy.

Given his rank back on Crait (and more firmly again while aboard the Falcon thereafter), Poe took his responsibility to the Resistance more seriously than ever: when he was on Ajan Kloss, his work was split evenly between himself and Leia, and he was running as many supply missions as he could — all while overseeing the training of new pilots.

Needless to say, when you managed to be paired up together for a supply run by Leia, it's something of a relief.

You haven't seen much of each other in weeks, teetering close into months, due to your differing schedules and duties within the Resistance: and frankly while you were working, you didn't want to see Poe because that meant that he'd landed himself in the medbay. You'd much prefer to hear him over comms, though it was rare for you to be the one to oversee his even more rare patrols.

And when the supply mission goes off nearly without a hitch, food rations tucked safely into the hull of the Falcon, the smoky remains of a First Order outpost behind you as you burn lines until there is nothing by hyperspace beyond the viewport?

That is exhilarating.

The thrill of that victory is still zipping through your veins like a particularly potent alcoholic as you peer through the crates of rations you'd obtained, making sure everything is in the right order and double checking for your anxiety's sake that it's all safe to eat.

You're still skimming through your datapad, gnawing on your bottom lip as you read, when Poe saunters into the haul, adjusting his gloves. “Shouldn't be too much longer ‘til we're back home, I did a few jumps to throw them off our scent to be safe. What's the prognosis on the food? We didn't get any paeyu fruit by mistake did we?”

You try not to laugh at the genuine worry in his voice, but it's difficult and you know your amusement must show in your eyes because Poe's expression softens with affection as he steps closer.

You tap one of the crates with the tip of your boot, pretending to be utterly focused on it instead of him, the soft material of his white shirt that he always leaves opened dangerously low and reveals just how broad he really is, the thick material of his brown trousers that's tight around his hips and thighs and takes up too much of your attention if you let your thoughts wander.

But even when you answer, you can't deny sneaking a peek at him through your peripheral, a different kind of hunger settling low in your belly because he has no business looking that good and you've not been alone with him, with no chance of interruption, for too fucking long. “No paeyu fruit. I did see some meilooruns though.”

“Mm,” Poe hums, stepping close enough that you can feel how warm he is, and gently pries the datapad from your grasp to sit it down on one of the crates.

You tip your chin up at him, lips curling up as one of his hands find a home at your waist as he turns back to face you.

“You know what I realized sitting up there in the cockpit?” Poe asks, eyes heavy-lidded as he looks down at you with an unrestrained sort of heat that you've longed for. “We have at least an hour to ourselves, no interruptions.”

You smile up at him, that same sort of heat rushing through your body, and reply, "And yet you're still talking. C'mon, flyboy, you could be doing something so much better with that mouth right about now.”

You see the flicker of humor in his eyes as he guides you back against the wall, hand never leaving your waist. When your back hits the wall, he murmurs, “I was actually just thinking of using my fingers this time.”

You want more than his fingers, to be honest, but the thought of him being inside of you in any way after so long nearly makes you dizzy with want.

"You can still kiss me,” you remind him because that's what you'd been really angling for, double-meaning aside.

“Yeah. Yeah I can do that,” Poe agrees, voice both soft and rough and his kiss is exactly the same when his lips find yours. One hand cups your cheek as he licks eagerly into your mouth as you clutch to the front of his shirt, wanting him closer than close already, missing him even while you have him.

And you can tell he feels the same way, because there's no air of patience to him now. He clumsily tries to work your belt without breaking the kiss, but eventually has to when he lets out a low growl that has no business making your world turn upside down.

He eventually gets it loosened and then slides it off you, tossing it aside and quickly unfastens your trousers while he dips down, kissing and nipping at the column of your throat. But his hand doesn't budge from where he has it pressed against your belly, not until he asks if this is what you want and you nod rapidly, not caring how desperate you sound as you gasp a confirmation.

His brushes aside your collar to work a bruise against your collarbone as he slides one gloved finger between your folds and you almost moan just at that.

Poe grins delightedly when he finds you're already slick. He spreads it around, moving up to rub against your clit and maker the texture of his gloves feel amazing.

You have to grasp onto his shoulders as he sinks one finger inside of you, head falling back because it's been too long. His fingers are longer and thicker than your own when they're bare, but with the gloves on, it's something else all together.

Poe presses your foreheads together as he starts a lazy rhythm of pumping his finger in and out of you, running circles against your clit at the same time. The juxtaposition has you reeling, your hips rolling forward automatically to seek out more.

“I've missed this,” Poe admits, scattering kisses against your cheeks as he picks up his pace and slides another finger inside of you.

You feel the muscles in your stomach tighten promisingly, and your voice is rough when you reply, “Miss you too. All the time.”

Something shifts in his expression, an emotion so profound that it almost feels out of place in this moment, but his fingers don't falter. Instead, he crooks them and grinds them further, going deeper than you could ever reach and fuck, fuck -

He surges forward and presses his tongue into your mouth as you come, effectively smothering your ragged cry as the aftershocks shake through your body.

The kiss tapers off so you can't catch your breath as he removes his hand from your trousers. You lick your lips, that all-too familiar hunger not quite satisfied yet. “You said we had an hour right?”

"Give or take,” Poe confirms. You can already see the weight of the responsibilities waiting for him begin to stack up on his shoulders again, so you lean up and kiss that spot on his jaw that makes him sigh.

“I think that's enough time for you to take me to the captain's quarters, don't you?”

When you pull away, you're pleased to find that you seem to have successfully distracted him from darker thoughts, because his eyes twinkle with mischief. “Oh, I don't think so. I know so, sweetheart.”

#poe dameron x reader #tppkinktober2022 #myfic

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shining-red-diamond · 2 years

Text

VOGUE Like the Lee’s (Part 1)

Part 2

Words: 3.3k

Pairing: Jeno X Carrie (OC)

Rating: PG-15

Genre: fluff, some angst, suggestive

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy, weight loss, body changes, suggestive material, mentions of sex but no smut, people being mean, loss of confidence, some language, partial nudity

A/N: Italics mean they’re speaking Korean

Banner by: @highly-functioning-mitochondria

September 12, 2022

To be the first K-Pop idol to open New York’s Fashion Week was a huge honor for Jeno, especially since it was VOGUE’s 130th anniversary. All of those years of acting in CFs since he was little had now paid off, or at least that’s how Carrie put it. While he had spent the last six years performing as a member of NCT and NCT DREAM, he had a few group modeling gigs with the members for various brands and magazines, but nothing like this. He was excited to walk the runway in one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world, but more so since his beloved wife would be coming along as support.

The first night would be outdoors with a bunch of other celebrities in attendance, and the stylists didn’t hesitate to make Jeno look finer than a piece of museum art. He was given black slacks, a matching blazer, a 14-inch silver chain necklace, and what appeared to be platform boots created by Peter Do, the designer he would be modeling for in the fashion show the following day. He wouldn’t be wearing a shirt, but it would be for a sexier appeal according to the stylists.

“No shirt, Mr. Lee?” Carrie teased as she pokes her head out of the bathroom, flirtatiously biting her lip. “Just a blazer? Stylish, babe, but also tempting.”

She giggles a bit, making Jeno smile as he comes over after taking a few pictures for Instagram, her stylist stepping out of the bathroom to let him in. He loved zipping up Carrie’s dresses for her. It was one of his ways of showing intimate love. She was his most sacred treasure, and he’d die before any other man touched her. Five years since they met, one year since they were married, and four months since Carrie gave birth to their daughter Brigitte; Jeno was still madly in love with her.

His lips kissed her temple, careful not to mess up the work the makeup artist had spent about an hour painting on her face. It was a natural look with the eye makeup making her blue eyes pop and her lips a deep red color. Her fiery red hair was pulled back into low bun with diamond pins decorating it.

“Beautiful,” Jeno whispers after hooking the silver chain necklace on her that matched his. “I think everyone is going to be looking at you more than they will me.”

Carrie felt herself blushing at his compliment. Ever since having the baby, she had lost the extra weight and gone back to her figure, but the pregnancy did change her body such as she had a nice butt and was now wearing C-cups. Had she been taller than her husband, she could model.

The stylists even noticed and made sure she would put her in something that was comfortable but still sexy and glamorous to match Jeno. A black velvet mini-dress hugged her body in all of the right places, a large slit showed off her left leg, and the top of the neckline was off the shoulder, subtle glitter flakes decorating the fabric. Carrie was thankful the dress came with faux sleeves that doubled as fingerless gloves because New York was starting to get cold out. She was also equipped with black skin-tight shorts to prevent any accidents. Her heels weren’t terribly high, so she would be comfortable walking with Jeno and taking pictures at the event.

“Nervous?” Jeno asks, his large hands gently caressing her bare shoulders.

“A little,” Carrie sighs. “I’ve never been to anything like this. Just award shows.”

Despite being an extrovert, having a child also made her a little more nervous about certain things, and she was never an anxious person. It was also her first public appearance in four months, so she wanted to make a good impression. She wasn’t a celebrity by any means but being with Jeno for the last five years meant that his fans knew who she was. Most of the time, they had been very kind to her, but still, she was nervous about all of it.

“Just breathe,” Jeno encourages. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

“I know, but I feel the only thing that could calm my nerves is to hold the baby for a minute.” She turns on her phone’s lock screen, revealing a picture of their baby girl dressed in cute fall clothing and sitting by their dog Clover, Brigitte’s little smile identical to her father’s.

“We can call my mom later and check up on her,” he promised as he smiled at his little princess in the photo.

“FaceTime,” Carrie insists as she grabbed her purse. “Also, those shoes can’t be comfortable.”

He shakes his head and scoffs a bit, glancing down at the platform boots he was given to wear. “They’re not.”

One of the stylists pops her head in and announces, “Fashion show people are here.”

The couple exits the bathroom and stands where they’re told to talk to the people who just entered. A woman in her late thirties with long, blonde hair greets them kindly.

“Nice to meet you,” he tells the woman.

“Nice to meet you,” she says with a smile, the interpreter repeating the same phrase.

“I’m Jeno from NCT,” Jeno introduces himself before presenting Carrie. “This is my wife Carrie.”

“Nice to meet you, Carrie,” the woman shakes her hand and smiles.

“Pleased to meet you, too,” she replies, trying not to come off as nervous despite holding on tight to her black Chanel purse.

“You both look amazing. So, for most of it, we’re gonna be taking lots of pictures, and if there’s anyone you wanna meet just tell him.” The woman motions to the interpreter, and he repeats everything to Jeno in his native tongue. She then turns to Carrie. “And if there’s anything you need, just tell us.”

“I’m not going to be in the way, am I?” Carrie asks, her nerves threatening to boil over. Her husband takes note and holds her hand.

“No, of course not,” Blondie, as Carrie nicknamed her, shakes her head in reassurance. “Celebs bring dates to these all the time, and couple pictures are always super cute.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Carrie relaxed a little, but now it was the public who would be seeing her, including Jeno’s fans.

“Alright, you feel good?” Blondie asks the couple.

“Yeah,” they respond.

“You feel good?” she asks the interpreter.

“No, I don’t feel good,” he jokes, making them all laugh.

After she left, it was almost time to head to the show. Stepping into the hallway, Jeno took some more pictures for social media, but he also decided to take a few with his wife. Some were of them linking arms and walking, some were of them posing as models, and some were just of them smiling and goofing with each other.

“I think I left the room key,” Jeno sighs as he takes a few more pictures before they leave.

“I have it, babe,” Carrie reassures as she pats her purse.

…

Scrolling through the pictures as a distraction from her nerves, Jeno talks to the camera for NCT content while in the car headed to the event. She felt the anxiousness rising but seeing her husband’s smiling face kept her relaxed.

“It’s like looking at our wedding pictures,” Jeno comments as he puts an arm around her.

Carrie just smiles as they continue looking through them together. Her family knew she was in New York, and she promised to send pictures. Selecting a few the couple loved the most, she sent them to her mother.

“She’ll see them when she wakes up,” she remembered the time difference from New York to Dublin.

As the car approaches the event, the makeup team quickly gets to work on touching up Jeno’s makeup and even doing the same for Carrie. Peeping out of the window, she could see hundreds of people lined up waiting for Jeno to make his entrance. Her heart was beating out of her chest now, but she needed to remember to breathe. If I just stay near my husband, she thought, I’ll be okay.

The car pulls into the designated spot, and Jeno takes Carrie’s hand into his and kisses it.

“Ready?” he asks as he looks into her eyes.

“Now or never,” she answers.

The door opens, and fans immediately begin screaming in excitement for Jeno while multiple cameras began flashing in every which way. What Carrie wasn’t expecting was fans screaming in excitement for her after Jeno helped her out of the vehicle. It was as if she had returned a war hero, and her confidence began to rise again. Smiling, she linked her arm with her husband’s, and they begin their walk.

If she was ever thankful to have gone to the gym with Jeno, now was the time. Walking the red carpet seemed so easy, but having to move quickly just to get to the runway in heels made Carrie glad she stayed in shape. Her heels were starting to hurt, but she sucked it up for the time being.

The security worked to keep the couple safe and their path clear, which put Carrie’s nerves even more at ease.

At some points, Jeno would take a little time to sign autographs, but he would later apologize for not getting to everyone. His wife would stand patiently and just smile for any fashion photographer there who wanted her picture. She’d be a liar if she said she didn’t like the little bit of attention.

“They love you,” Jeno says with a chuckle as they continue to walk again, his arm around her waist in a protective manner.

“It is a bit of a confidence boost, boyo,” she admits with a giggle.

He approaches one more fan, who squealed upon having a poster signed.

“Carrie, I love your dress,” one girl called out to her.

“Thank you,” she called back before noticing her outfit. “I like your shirt.”

Noticing a few fans filming the interaction of everyone else, she couldn’t help but spot a couple of girls no older than their teens seemingly snickering and looking at her. It was deja vu from primary school, and flashbacks from two girls who were mean to her came back. Even with all of the makeup on her face and the beautiful dress she wore, she felt herself grow meek as a mouse.

“That’s his wife!” Someone scolded the girls, pulling Carrie out of her thoughts. “Go be jealous somewhere else, bitch!”

As Jeno finished the interaction with the fans, Carrie felt her heart sink and her smile disappear as they walked away. While she was thankful for the person who defended her, the fact that two people were hating on her stung. She knew this would happen. Someone was going to have an issue with her for whatever reason, and it somehow stuck with her more than fashion executives wanting her and her husband’s pictures together. Carrie kept her head up as they reached their seats, and meeting some celebrities like Dove Cameron and Sabrina Carpenter distracted her for a bit. However, the venom of a hateful person was still lingering in her mind.

“Are you alright?” Jeno asks, concerned as to why she was suddenly so quiet after the interaction.

“Just overwhelmed, I guess,” she lied, fighting to keep her tears.

Her husband’s last need was to get angry in the middle of something he had to be professional at. However, Jeno knew when Carrie was lying just by the look on the beautiful face he loved so much.

He wraps an arm around her and whispers in her ear, “We’ll talk when we get back to the room.”

She just nods and tries to enjoy the show, but she couldn’t pay attention. She just wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear into her husband’s embrace.

…

Her feet hurt as they made their way back to their hotel room, and she couldn’t wear the heels any longer. The moment they were on the elevator, Carrie immediately pulled her shoes off. She wanted to massage her feet, but she was in a very short dress and didn’t want to expose herself in a semi-public setting.

“I should have brought my flats with me,” she sighs with a whine.

Seeing her in pain, Jeno decides to quickly slip off his blazer and wrap it around her waist, leaving him shirtless with only the chain necklace adorning his neck.

“Babe?” Carrie says, but her husband scoops her up bridal style before she could speak again. Seeing her husband’s bare torso always made her flustered, and she could never get enough of how soft his skin was.

Jeno knew he’d have the stylists in a fit, but he was first and foremost a husband. When Carrie needed him, he always answered. He didn’t care he was shirtless for the time being, he just wanted his wife to be comfortable and cared for.

The closer they got to their room, Carrie fished around in her purse before pulling out the room key and pushing the door open. As soon as she and Jeno are by the bed, he gently lays her down on the mattress and presses a long and loving kiss to her lips.

“That always makes my day better,” she hums with a smile.

She then looks over at the clock. 11:27 PM. Reaching for her phone, Carrie asks, “Can we call your Mum now?”

As much as he wanted to see his precious baby’s face, he wanted to address the situation at the show first. He had overheard a fan scolding someone, and he guessed someone else had hurt Carrie just from seeing her smile disappear right after.

He sits in front of her on the bed and meets her eyes. “We will, but did something happen tonight?”

Carrie didn’t want to talk about it, but keeping her feelings inside would only hurt more.

“I felt so beautiful tonight,” she sighs, her head dropping to where she stared at her phone in her hands, her polished manicure framing the device. “I hadn’t felt that way since our wedding and honeymoon.” Her reddening eyes meet his again. “But what’s the craic in such a big event when you can’t help feeling that someone points out your insecurities.”

Jeno’s theory has true. Someone was rude to her, and he felt guilty for not being more attentive.

“The woman who yelled at someone earlier,” he figures as he hands her a tissue.

“She was defending me from two girls in the crowd,” Carrie corrects with a sniff and takes the tissue. “I don’t know what those girls said, but I don’t want to know.”

Wiping her eyes, she sits up and pulls her knees into her chest. Jeno just pulls her into his lap and gently rocks her. Pulling out his own phone, he opens Spotify and presses play on the playlist he had made for Carrie, the first song being Westlife’s rendition of “Uptown Girl.” He keeps the volume at a level where the other hotel guests aren’t disturbed.

He didn’t always have to say anything. Sometimes, just touching her in some way calmed her and let her know that he would always be her rock.

She presses another kiss to his lips and then scoots off of him and back onto the bed. “And now, we FaceTime your Mum.”

Jeno quickly throws a shirt on before Carrie makes the call to his mother. For the next half hour, the couple speaks to Mrs. Lee as she feeds the four-month-old infant her bottle while a Korean children’s show played in the background. Carrie’s heart yearned to hold her daughter again, Jeno wanting nothing more than to snuggle his precious child the moment they arrived home. Idol life was hectic enough, but Brigitte making her entrance into the world brought a new sense of joy to the young couples’ lives.

After blowing kisses to the smiling infant, Carrie ends the call and sets her phone on the nightstand to charge.

“I’m getting out of this thing,” she announces as she stood up from the bed and reached for the zipper in the back. Her husband beat her to it and slowly unzips the dress, peeling it off of her slim body afterward.

Clad in just her undergarments once removing the skin-tight shorts, Carrie hangs up her dress before heading to the bathroom to let her hair down, remove her makeup and do her skincare. When she’s halfway done, Jeno enters the bathroom and is out of his getup and just in some comfortable boxers while he washes his face. His wife finishes before he does, and she makes her way back out but not before giving him a cozy back hug and kissing the center of his spine.

“Come cuddle when you’re done,” she requests as she starts to remove her bra. Tossing the undergarment into her suitcase, all that remained on her body was her underwear and her wedding ring that sparkled in the dim hotel lighting. She wasn’t in the mood for love-making, but just cuddling with Jeno skin-to-skin was something she loved ever since they were married. The sheets always felt so cool against her skin, and Jeno always provided the warmth she craved, creating the best happy medium for sleeping.

Grabbing her phone again, she sees a text she received from her mom saying how handsome and beautiful they both looked at the event. Carrie thanked her just as Jeno stepped out of the bathroom.

Laying down next to her, he crawls under the covers and cuddles up to Carrie as soon as she sets her phone back down. Facing him in his embrace, she looked deep into those puppy-like eyes.

“I love you so much, Mr. Lee,” she whispers and kisses his lips.

“I love you, too, Mrs. Lee,” he replies with a loving smile.

Lips attaching to each other again, Jeno trails his kisses from her lips down to her neck and breathed in her scent.

“Jeno, I’m tired,” she pushes him off a little. “Plus, you have an early morning.”

“What’s wrong?” he asks, concerned.

Carrie shakes her head reassuringly. “Just not in the mood tonight.”

Caressing her cheek, he brushes her hair behind her ear. Just from her body language, he could tell she was still hurt. It killed him inside knowing she was struggling with being confident in herself.

“It was only two people, anyhow,” she huffs and buries her face in his bare chest.

Lifting her chin to look up at him, he declares, “I don’t care what anyone else that attended had to say. You were the sexiest and most beautiful woman out there tonight. Even if we weren’t married or together, my thoughts wouldn’t change. So, your body’s changed a bit, but that’s okay. It’s because we made the cutest little girl together, which makes me love you even more. If someone has a problem with it, that’s their loss. They don’t know the sweet, gorgeous, and loving woman that you are.”

A smile returns to Carrie’s face as a tear falls down her cheek. “I don’t deserve you,” she sobs a little, wiping her eyes with the bed sheet.

“That’s what I’m supposed to say,” Jeno whines before tickling her, making her burst into the giggles he loved to hear. “There’s that smile.”

“No, you were tickling me,” she denies as she caught her breath.

“But you smiled.”

“Okay, you win. It did make me feel a little bit better.”

After setting his alarm for the next morning and turning out the light, Jeno pulls her in closer and kisses her lips lovingly. When it breaks, his forehead presses against hers as they bask in the blissful dark of the night.

“I love you, my wife,” he whispers as he caressed her in his arms.

“I love you, too, my husband,” she whispered back before falling asleep in his embrace.

#kflixnet #kvanity #kradio #nctcreations #kdiarynet #nct #nct dream #nct jeno #lee jeno #jeno x oc #nct fluff #nct angst #nct jeno fluff #nct jeno angst #nct fanfic

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