#they want to acknowledge both of us /but/ if it’s cheaper and easier that way i’d prefer it

[acrosstimeandspace]

trying to figure out something to do for my birthday while i’m at home because while it’s not for another few weeks i also won’t be able to come home until like. july if i’m able to get time off but also i’m trying to make it cheap and also disability friendly for my mom but so many things are in the fucking hotels. i’m going to tear them down with my hands they need to stop having things in them

[goldenpinof]

Hi, anon from the long post here. Ngl I wrote that when I was kind of in a bad mood and just thought it would be ignored, I do stand by a lot of the points though.

When I mentioned hostility I meant more in how recent things have panned out. I didn't mean that they both went into the agreement with reservations but rather as things have gone downhill their relationship has become less amicable - hence the 'nobody takes me seriously' insta post. However I see why putting that at the start of the post would have been confusing.

I will admit that when I looked up doomed touring (the company) it was before they had released any documentation so I did just assume it was a 50/50 split. That being said, with a small company like that they aren't going to vote on every decision so even if Dan has the majority of voting rights it doesn't mean that the management won't go behind his back - especially when they have the added influence of being his management team. I really do suspect that the main communication between the promoters and Dan is his management which is why it took so long for him to find out about Iceland. That would also make it easier for them to finalize decisions without him (again hence the bitter insta story).

As for the obligations bit, if he did agree to a marketing strategy and then dismissed it then that would be him not meeting his obligations? I'm assuming he did everything listed in his contract but there probably would have been assumptions that he would put more effort into getting out content as was hinted at in WIQY which took a long time to materialise. And when he did make content he decided to put it on his second channel despite not having used it for so long. I'm not saying it was a really bad thing that Dan didn't promote as much as he should have been doing, I just hope that he acknowledges that it played a role in lower ticket sales and might explain why his management might be less eager to share things with him.

“then he didn't upload them [dd] nearly as often as he was promising despite it being the best way to drive sales”

(using your captions for clarity)

Yeah I agree with you I looked back and I'd just completely missed the last lot of uploads. I just remembered the massive gaps between the first couple that came out and I was going off if that, and the promised ones that just never got posted like louises. They would have worked better if they'd been more regular and less cut up, especially as most of them were kind of just nothing rants and needed the guest sections to balance them. I think it was the second insta livestream that he did that he said his management was making him do DD? It was one of them at least, he's been very clear that it wasn't what he wanted for his channel.

“It could be that they have just cut him out of these decisions since he's obviously going to push for things that aren't going to make money.”

Like I mentioned above just because he has voting rights doesn't mean that they're always going to listen to him, especially because they have added authority to make decisions as his management. By 'cut him out' I basically just meant that it seemed like they were finalizing things without telling him.

Also even if it is Dan's money, they are probably contracted to get a certain portion of the profits so they will want to protect that. As his management they can make excuses as to why the shows need to be cancelled and it does seem like Dan has given them too much freedom. It really feels like he should be the ones on contact with the promoters.

As for the not cancelled shows it's likely that they maybe they wanted to cancel them but couldn't due to the venues contract but I do agree that Dan probably pushed for them to go ahead. They might not be as fussed about them as it's going to be a lot cheaper to get the equipment between those shows than it is to Iceland for example.

Also I think you've misinterpreted what a tour promoter actually does? They will provide advertisment but their main job is to book the venue, make sure people can buy tickets, and arrange for the transportation of people and equipment between venues. They do 'promote' the tour as well but usually the management will have to push for it since advertisment will eat into their profits more than the extra ticket sales will bring in.

The original art was most likely commissioned by Dan and then given to the promoter to use. I would assume it came from the same people who did his merch. If he already had the templates and his management were hanging back to see which tour dates they were actually going to include it would make sense that he would just get impatient and use his own. Maybe he thought it would make his management more likely to let the Iceland show go ahead?

“he really isn't used to working in an environment where he has somebody to answer to”

Yeah I agree with you that YouTube were unprofessional. I do wish that he would see the positives though. Not a massive fan about how he twisted GANP and hometown show down to be things YouTube made him do. They were big opportunities and honestly probably not ones he deserved given he'd been off YouTube for so long. I really would like to hear the full story since I'm sure there was a lot that got left out.

I didn't mean that all of the Asia shows lost money, just that the trouble they had in the Philippines meant that they didn't end up making a profit for that leg. I thought they had some issues in Singapore as well? Maybe that was me misremembering stuff though.

“Dan clearly has issues with control, it feels really strange to me that he went all in with II and then when it came to his personal 'dream' project he pawned off half of the costs and responsibility on someone else”

Didn't they say they self funded II? They had the prize sponsorship sure but I don't think they paid for most of it. Idk it's lot to keep track of. I know he's got investors for this one which he was always going to need but I don't know why he didn't just put himself in charge of the company and contract the management on rather than going in with them. It would have made it much easier for him.

I don't want people to think I'm talking about this because I don't like Dan or whatever. I'm kind of indifferent to him this is all speculation of course, but the assumption of lots of phannies have that he did everything right and is being screwed over constantly isn't going to help. How can you learn from your mistakes if they're always somebody else's fault. If he's going to try for another tour he needs to accept that there are things he needs to do better.

Sorry for dumping this all here, the hardcore discourse blogs are all painfully dead. You can ignore it if you want.

i can't ignore it, what the hell reifdhjnewidskx

WARNING: 90% of it is alleged. in reality we know only crumbs of information. also there are things that i forgot about and couldn’t find.

i may jump from point to point and sometimes contradict my own words. it doesn’t mean that i don’t understand what i’m saying. it just means there are more than 1 or 2 possible things going on, but i’m incapable to structure my answer. since i don’t know if Dales Evans and Above the Fray are somehow connected other than having the same address, it’s hard to evaluate their roles. as was pointed out to me, Dales Evans work for dnp, helping them with taxes, accounts and etc. they prepare documents for dnp's companies. i can be 100% wrong about some things i said (i am. but it's too late to delete this.)

(putting it under read more because it’s too much)

again, if i don’t comment i probably semi-agree. for some reason i made the text in bold either when it’s your quotes or to highlight what the paragraph is about.

got it about hostility. i agree, that now Dan and his management are not on the best terms, that being said... i agree that the main communication between promoters and Dan goes through his managers (as it should) but that would mean that it's not the promoters who are screwing him over but his own “partners”. "That would also make it easier for them to finalize decisions without him (again hence the bitter insta story)" they literally can't do that 😂 sorry, it's so funny to me, because if they are actually doing what you just said, it's so messed up that he can try to sue them. "75% or more" - he has the majority, they all can fuck off. (LLP doesn’t have share capital so does % of voting rights and surplus assets show how much he invested in it? maybe). side note: i think they opened a new company aka Doomed Touring LLP to pay less taxes. it’s a common thing in a lot of countries. so who knows what kind of business relationships they have or if they even have any specifically within LLP. it can be just a company that is indicated in the documents. or it can be that Dan partnered with Dales Evans to fund the tour and Above the Fray has nothing to do with it (funds-wise). that would mean that Dales Evans can pressure him since they want not only their money back but also get some profit. but they can’t just dictate things or ignore Dan. also if the main communication between Dan and Dales Evans goes through Fleur Smith (aka Dan’s manager) and they can’t come to agreements in Dan’s favour but still exclude him from conversations - that’s messed up. i wonder if Iceland cancellation is any sign of this. the way it was communicated is very worrying. (i wonder if Dales Evans has anything to do with marketing, it’s a big company, so are they providing their marketing department to Dan? when Dan said there were 10 people whose job was to prepare, approve and proofread that promo image, did he mean his promoter’s team or someone else’s? because then, when it came to Warsaw/Helsinki/Amsterdam promo with a different design he explicitly said “who needs a promoter”.)

about obligations. in the 1st ask you said "Dan didn't fulfil his obligations to promote the show at the beginning" that's why i questioned the existence of the actual marketing strategy that he potentially would have to follow. we don't know if it was proposed and agreed to (other than dd. but having dd isn’t a strategy. it can be just one piece of a giant plan that should consist ticket prices, digital marketing, indoor/outdoor banners (that were spotted only in England?), interviews, etc. he had interviews but he promoted only like 2 of them? why?), thus we can't say that he didn't fulfil his obligations. but okay, option No 2: he did do everything that was listed in the initial plan for promo. it didn't work as they hoped it would. they wanted him to do more. okay? but that would require an additional plan with possible outcomes listed. and Dan had a right to say no if he didn't like the plan or its outcome, or didn't believe the team (or just didn't like their copywriting!). it doesn't mean that they should have just stopped trying. negotiations are the key. they could propose things, argue them, try to convince him, and ask for help ffs. Dan is a stubborn person, i don't deny it, but there are ways to make him do things.

dystopia daily: i found this masterpiece in the 1st IG liveshow, “i decided to come back to youtube somewhat because i have a contractual obligation to promote my tour..” did you mean that one? contractual obligations with fucking who? (and now we’re guessing)

“Also I think you've misinterpreted what a tour promoter actually does? They will provide advertisement but their main job is to book the venue, make sure people can buy tickets, and arrange for the transportation of people and equipment between venues....” - i know. but Dan mentions only his promoter when it comes to promo materials and communication with potential audience of the show (announcements, emails, etc.). i have to admit that i wasn’t giving Dan’s managers and partner company that big of a role in all this mess until your original ask. but i still think that they are here like a middleman between Dan and promoters, and also like a pocket with money (allegedly). i’m not saying that his promoter is paying for the materials from its pocket (re: “advertisement will eat into their profits more than the extra ticket sales will bring in”). they have a project, and a part of its budget must have been paid beforehand by the client aka Dan and co. but it’s true that they can’t jump higher than it was established. if promo expenses have 10k to spend then they have only 10k. you can’t really add much to it unless you rearrange the whole budget and cut something else in promo’s favour (or expand the budget, those things also happen). although, marketing team must be theirs and they must control the website. and that’s why Dan can’t fucking do anything with it (Copenhagen and Dublin are sold out but they are not listed as such in his promo banners. the website hasn’t been updated since they added Warsaw until yesterday?!?! do you see this shit, i’m shocked). if it was irl merch (= irl digital), come on now, it would be literally one phone call away. otherwise what the fuck is Dan’s management doing? website updates take 5 minutes.

you know, both GANP and hometown showdown were shit though. every time Dan tries to act and do something he clearly doesn’t like, it turns out to be the most disingenuous thing. i’m glad we know that he didn’t want to do it. i didn’t like the concepts anyway. it’s strange to throw Dan into something like that (and Phil as well). it’s so performative. and it felt like manipulation. YouTube wanted something from Dan and since Dan also wanted something from YouTube they had to come to agreement. Dan did what they asked for and YouTube didn’t. bitter.

ii Asia: them losing money in Manila doesn’t mean they didn’t make profit in Asia. we don’t know how much they lost and how much they got from other shows. in Singapore they got invited to formula 1, but i didn’t find anything about the losses (if anyone remembers something, please, throw it at me).

“I know he's got investors for this one which he was always going to need” - hold up, wait a minute :)) you know or you assume? because, for example, i don’t know that for a fact but it would be a logical assumption to make. so do you know something?

i don’t remember any mentions about ii being self-funded. but i do remember Rize banner missing at some m&gs. idk if that was accidental or because there was a contract only for specific places (thus not all shows were paid for by Rize money). Rize was made by YouNow, so they had enough money to fund the tour imo. were there “virtual goods” in Rize as well? now i wonder if we were sponsoring ii all that time by buying stickers or whatever 😂 (the answer is yes anyway).

if Dan goes for another tour i hope he gets a different promoter and sorts shit out with his management. and before the tour fixes irl merch. i know that this promoter is one of the biggest blah blah, but it’s not the only one. if Dan learns something, i hope it’s that he needs smaller venues and fewer shows (like someone said before). fewer shows can be done by smaller promoter. and i hope he thinks his marketing strategy through and through and creates plan B just in case. if he wants to go to Iceland but there are not enough Icelanders in his audience he can try to convince continental Europe to fly over. we’re willing to, he just needs to say a word instead of repeating the same joke 20 times.

[sayani78544544]

Farmers’ Protests: Understanding the Swaminathan Committee's recommendations for farmers

The country faces an upside-down situation with the recent farmer's protests. This has been going on for days regarding different issues. One of the needs that has been constant since 2010 is the execution of the Swaminathan Committee's report. 

 From Punjab to Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra to Madhya Pradesh, farmers have been asking for these recommendations to be put into action. 

Krishi Gtyan

In the capital city, there is a heavy presence of protesting farmers calling for guarantees on Minimum Support Price (MSP), the enactment of the Swaminathan Committee report, changes to the Electricity Amendment Bill, and debt relief. 

Krishi Vyapari

The BJP-led central government explains they need to take their time to consult everyone before making a law to ensure MSP for crops. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, from the Congress party, reassures farmers that if his party wins, they'll ensure every farmer gets legal protection for MSP, following the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. In 2019, after withdrawing the controversial farm laws, the Narendra Modi government acknowledged 200 out of 201 proposals from the Swaminathan Commission, including the MSP demand. 

What is the Swaminathan Commission all about?

The late Mr MS Swaminathan, a well-known agricultural expert and recipient of the Bharat Ratna award, chaired the National Commission on Farmers. This commission issued a total of five reports between December 2004 and 2006. 

 The then government in 2007 sanctioned the National Policy of Farmers, based on the draft. 

The plan involved improving things like land and other resources and providing farmers with good seeds timely. It also included giving them enough money from banks and confirming farmers come under the national safety plan. The commission ensured fair pricing of crops, among other things. 

More insights of the commission's report:

Farmers protesting wanted a promise that crop prices would be fair, following the Swaminathan Commission's idea of the 'C2+50% formula.' This means the government should set prices at least 50% higher than what it costs farmers to grow crops. It includes things like the cost of land and capital ensuring that farmers get enough money. They also wanted the three farm laws cancelled: about trading crops, agreements on prices, and about controlling essential goods.

The panel found that problems like lack of land reforms, water issues, and farmers feeling exhausted by outdated technology were causing them to take their lives. Miserable weather conditions also made things worse. The panel wanted farming to be under both state and central government control to help. They also said corporates shouldn't take over farmland for things other than farming. They suggested rules for selling farmland too.

The commission said farmers should have fair and steady access to water for their fields. They also suggested investing more money seeing that there's enough water for farming, but this plan isn't used anymore.

To increase the productivity of Indian agriculture a group suggested putting more money into things like farm buildings and roads. They also said farmers should take better care of the land by not disturbing it too much. The practice helps the soil stay healthy.

They also talked about giving farmers easier ways to borrow money. They said the government should help make loans cheaper. They thought about Kisan Credit Cards for lady farmers so they could get loans too.

The group suggested making a special fund to help make insurance better for people living in the countryside. This fund would help pay for things to make insurance easier for them.

[negasonicimagines]

Tell Me I'm Not Funny

Request: darkandmysteriousbutheartofgold!ellie and wholesomeanddoesn'tunderstandwhyelliedoesn'tlikeher!reader where they're both part of the friend group but ellie just thinks reader is straight and messing with her pls

Notes: I don’t usually write MCU!Peter, so if he comes up in any future fics (like as the reader’s stepdad 👀 I’ve loved spideypool longer than I’ve loved Negasonic) you can safely assume it’s Andrew Garfield. But, for this time, this is MCU!Peter. Everyone in the friend group is 18-20, just to be clear.

This really isn't my best work, but it's a fun little slice of life piece. A lot of my ideas are pretty cinematic, I can picture them in my head but sometimes those pictures don't really translate into words. I may revisit this one day.

Warnings: D-slur (reclaimed by Ellie in one line), allusions to prior assault (an unwanted kiss that could've been more had another character not stepped in), and that's about it. Oh, and a little swearing, but this is an imagine for a character from Deadpool. If you can't handle swearing, you're on the wrong blog.

Synopsis: You’re into Ellie, but she’s with your good friend Peter. She treats you like you don’t even exist, and in the few instances she does acknowledge you, it’s usually just to make some sarcastic remark. You’re head-over-heels, though, and decide to deal with your unrequited love by writing her a song she’ll never hear.

“Fuck, that movie was terrible,” Michelle groans. “I’m just glad it was a matinee show and we didn’t have to pay as much to see it.”

“The special effects were good, but can’t Disney just leave stuff alone?” Peter agrees.

“Next thing you know they’ll be making a live action Toy Story, as if the original wasn’t traumatizing enough. I don’t want to imagine Watermelon as a sentient being. She’s seen some shit,” you snicker.

“Who’s Watermelon?” Ellie asks with a dark chuckle, and you clam up. How had you forgotten she was here?

“Oh, uh, nobody.”

“Don’t tell me you still sleep with a stuffed animal,” she snarks. “You really do need to grow up.”

“Don’t be mean, Ellie,” Peter protests.

“Watermelon is cute, everybody likes cute things!” Yukio adds.

“I think a live-action Toy Story could be cool,” Ned says. “It’d look really good if they did stop-motion animation.”

“Oh, you’re right!” you chirp. “It’d be quite the undertaking, but it would look badass.”

“I think you’re using that term a little loosely,” Ellie grumbles, and you have to stop yourself from frowning, instead you laugh it off. Why does she always pick on you? Sure, she’s got a witty remark for everybody, but she’s way harder on you. It hurts, she really is so gorgeous and funny and mysterious and everything you want in a woman, but she acts like she can’t stand you.

Ellie and Peter head off together, Peter still hasn’t gotten around to getting his license and Ellie seems happy to give him a ride. You really don’t stand a chance.

You and the others pile up in MJ’s SUV for some late-night band practice.

“I don’t know if I can do it,” you admit to Yukio in the furthest row back.

“You can,” she insists. “You’re a way better singer than Lola, anyways.”

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to give her the wrong impression, I-”

“For the millionth time, Y/N, you didn’t. If she hadn’t left the band, we would’ve kicked her out. Not just for cheating on me, but for hurting you.”

“I guess,” you sigh. “Why can’t you sing instead?”

“Because I’m flat.”

“Yukio, breast size doesn’t have anything to do with singing ability, you’ve just gotta practice,” you joke.

“Shut up!” she giggles, punching you in the arm. “Plus, when you sing, the songs are being sung as they were written. We’re getting the real feelings.”

“Speaking of… I have something new I’m thinking about sharing tonight. Do you mind if I text you the demo?”

“Ooh, a first look! Hell yes!”

You text her the audio file and she puts in a wireless earbud, nodding along. Her smile gets wider and wider as she listens, and when she’s done, her assessment shocks you.

“Oh my gosh. You’re into Ellie.”

“What?!” you squeak. “No way!”

“You are! But, uh-”

“Don’t even say it. I know I don’t have a chance in hell. She only tolerates me for the sake of you and Peter.” Despite the gloominess of your tone, Yukio gets a mischievous glint in her eye, it confuses you. But, that’s just Yukio. Her thoughts are all over the place; she and Ellie balance each other out that way. They dated a couple of years ago, but it didn’t work out. They decided they were better off as friends.

“Screw that other song, we’re using this as the lead single. Everybody’s gonna love it, do you have the sheet music?”

“Yeah, uh, it’s in my bag.”

“Awesome.” Yukio’s grinning like she’s won something. Is the song that good? “We’ll have to practice this one a lot, we definitely need to have it ready by the concert this Friday.”

Right. Liz’s 19th birthday party. Apparently Peter had convinced her to let the band play, it’d be cheaper than hiring a more established artist.

“Our first paying gig? I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” you remind her. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“We’re mostly gonna be playing covers of Liz’s favorite songs, and she only has so many. We’ve gotta beef up the setlist with originals, and this is perfect! Has that pop-y fun vibe, it’ll fit right in.”

“Yeah, but if it’s that obvious how I feel about her after one listen-”

“Only because I already had a hunch after Daft Pretty Boys,” Yukio clarifies cheerily, and you sigh.

“Fair enough.”

The gang makes it to Michelle’s house, travelling down to the side door and going into the basement from there. MJ’s parents have encouraged her creativity from day one, and were ecstatic when the band was formed. You speculate that they’re mostly happy that she’s made friends. Writing and photography can be lonely hobbies.

“Y/N has something new for us!” Yukio chirps.

“That fast?” Ned’s surprised as you hand him the sheet music. He skims it. “Holy shit, this is a wicked solo! Thanks, Y/N!”

“Well, I’m hoping highlighting everybody else’s talent will disguise my lack thereof,” you chuckle.

“Don’t be stupid, we’ve all heard you sing backup,” MJ says. “You’re Ryan Ross, she’s Brendon Urie. I’m just glad we booted her out before she decided she was gonna be the only pangolin in The Pangolins.”

Everyone laughs at that.

“Let’s try it,” Michelle continues, and everybody agrees. After a sound check and a few runs of the song, it’s still clumsy, especially on your part. You’re not really used to playing and singing at the same time, outside of backup vocals, which require far less focus.

“I suck,” you mumble, but it happens to be into the microphone.

“You don’t!” Ned insists.

“With that attitude, we’re not going anywhere,” Yukio says. You hate it when she gets to the tough love stage of her support. You wish she’d stay in the shallow reassurances stage, it’s easier to brush off. “You wouldn’t be the lead singer if we all thought you sucked. We would’ve just put an ad in the paper. You’re awesome, get over it!”

You sigh.

“Fine. Thank you.”

“Say it,” she insists.

“I’m awesome,” you huff, it’s hard not to smile when Yukio tries to look serious.

“Damn straight,” Yukio says. “Or, I guess not, considering that was about Ellie.”

“Yukio!” you squeal.

“That’s about Ellie?!” Ned exclaims.

“Obviously,” MJ scoffs, fiddling with her tuners.

“Is it that obvious?!” You can’t help but feel embarrassed. Ellie probably knows exactly how you feel, maybe that’s why she dislikes you so much. Her boyfriend’s stupid friend has a crush.

“Wait, but at the beginning…” Ned trails off, before laughing. “Oh my gosh, I get it.”

“Get what? Oh… Y/N, have I ever told you how much I love you?” MJ asks.

“I- I love you, too?” You’re puzzled by their words, but you’ve got enough on your plate.

“Let’s go ahead and practice some of Liz’s favorites while we’re here,” Yukio suggests. “It’s a pretty big set list.”

You practice until dinner, getting a pizza and deciding to make a night of it since it was a little late for Michelle to be dropping you all off at your assorted residences.

You all sleep on a pallet in the basement, and despite your worries, you manage to get some rest.

Over the next few days, The Pangolins practice at every free moment, until it’s finally time for the party.

“So, just pictures of everything?” Oh, shit. She’s not supposed to be here. How are you supposed to sing that song with her here?

“Yeah! I know with how many people are coming, I’m probably not going to get as much time as I want with everyone, so pictures will be a good way to remember the night.”

“Why not just invite less people?” Ellie wonders.

“I want all my friends to be here,” Liz explains. “How’s the sound check going, Y/N?”

“It’s going great,” you say into the microphone, demonstrating the quality and volume with a smile. “Thanks for letting us play here tonight.”

“Well, Peter said you guys are great. Are you really gonna debut your best song so far tonight?”

“Oh, um,” you stutter, stepping away from the microphone. “Maybe not.”

“What? Oh, come on, please, it’ll make the night even more special! You’re playing covers of all my old favorites, sing me my new favorite!” Liz presses, but she’s not being demanding or bratty, she seems genuinely excited.

“If the birthday girl says so, who am I to say no?” you concede. Hopefully Ellie will be too distracted taking pictures. “You have way too much faith in me.”

“If you don’t quit with the self-deprecation, I’m gonna duct tape your mouth shut,” MJ interjects.

“But, Daddy, how will I say my safe word?” you tease, giggling at your own joke with the rest of the group. Yukio’s laugh seems the loudest. Ellie glares.

“We should practice a song!” Ned suggests.

“Ooh, a private show!” Liz seems excited.

“Any requests?” you ask her. Ellie’s resting scowl intensifies. If she’s more pissed off the more you open your mouth, you’re not sure how she’s gonna survive a night of you singing without going nuclear.

“Oh, oh, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne, please?”

“You’ve got it,” you agree.

The song goes smoothly.

“What happened to the old singer?” Ellie asks, clearly unimpressed.

“You didn’t tell her?” you ask Yukio, grateful for the excuse to turn away from the sharp-tongued girl you adore.

“Didn’t want her to get the wrong impression,” Yukio explains. “She already makes enough rude comments towards you.” Yukio leans over her drum kit to give Ellie a pointed look.

“Oh, wait, shit, I didn’t mean it like that. You, uh, sound good, Y/N.”

You can’t help but whip your head back to look at her with a flabbergasted expression.

“What?! It’s true,” Ellie defends herself.

“Uh, yeah, but you just said something nice. About me. Liz, do you mind checking her for a fever?”

Liz obliges for the sake of going along with the joke before quickly withdrawing her hand.

“Jeez! I know you were kidding, but she’s burning up,” Liz declares.

“My internal temperature is higher due to my mutation,” Ellie quickly explains, looking a bit bashful. “Besides, I say nice shit about Y/N all the time.”

“No, you don’t,” the whole band says in unison, including you.

“Well, clearly I shouldn’t if everyone’s gonna make a big fucking deal about it,” she retorts, rolling her eyes. “I’m gonna go get some pictures of the decorations before there’s a bunch of fucking people here to block them.”

She stomps off in her heavy boots, and The Pangolins get back to work, putting on the final touches and making sure all the blocking looks right.

Soon enough, guests start flooding in, and Liz zips around to greet them, eventually meeting up with Peter and keeping him with her. He and Liz eventually pull Ellie away from her picture-taking, confident she’s done enough and needs to just relax and enjoy the party.

So much for distracting herself with work, she thinks.

They sit on the couch and eat, the dining room was monopolized by The Pangolins due to its elevation and space.

Ellie’s mesmerized by the way your fingers move until she hears Peter talking to Liz. They really are a cute couple.

“You really do need to hang out with us. Yukio told me Y/N thinks Ellie and I are a thing,” he says.

“Gross, you’re like my annoying little brother,” Ellie remarks.

“And you’re like my bitchy older sister,” Peter retorts with a shit-eating grin.

“Both of you, quiet! They’re about to play the new song. You’re in for a real treat, Ellie.”

“What does it have to do with me?”

Liz gives Peter a confused and slightly irritated look.

“I haven’t said anything to her, I didn’t know how,” Peter squeaks, blushing a little at the look in his girlfriend’s eyes.

“Explain, quickly,” Ellie demands.

But, then you start to sing again.

“Y/N-” Peter starts.

“Shut up.”

“But you asked-”

“I said, shut up,” Ellie insists.

“You know me as your boyfriend's goofy friend. I seem to have this effect on women, and your friends aren't as goofy as I am. I try my best to keep you entertained, always laughing at the jokes you are saying. I nod my head when you make a point, oh oh…

“Kiss me, kiss me with your eyes closed! Whisper that your heart shows all I want is you, yeah, you… Hold me, hold me I'm your bunny! Tell me I'm not funny, tell me I’m legit! ‘Cause I feel weak, in your hands and your feet… A precious end, I’ll never feel your touch…”

Ellie continues to listen to the song, all expression drained from her face. All the yearning in the words and your voice, all you want is…

Ellie looks at Peter, who’s looking at her with a triumphant smile.

“I told you.”

Ellie feels like she’s about to faint. She notices you’re talking to Liz— when did she leave? —your hand over your mic. Despite the knowledge that Liz is taken, Ellie gets jealous. You look so happy to be talking to Liz, to just about any girl you talk to.

She wishes you’d smile at her that way.

You nod at whatever Liz said, and the band starts packing away their instruments. Liz sets up her phone on some Bluetooth speakers, and songs that sounded so much better when you were singing them start to play.

No! Ellie internally protests. Sing for me again, please, sing that stupid song about how you think I don’t like you.

Yukio’s dragging you somewhere. Gosh, Ellie wishes it was her holding your hand.

Suddenly, though, you and Yukio are approaching her. She knows what she has to do.

“So, what’d you think of our- Eek! Finally!”

Ellie parts from the kiss to tell her to fuck off and not ruin the moment before kissing you again.

“Holy fucking shit,” you breathe. “Uh, I thought you were-“

“Dating Peter?! Seriously?! Do I need to write ‘dyke’ on my fucking forehead? I practically already have with the way I dress and act and-”

“I, uh, I try not to make assumptions,” you mumble, fingers touching your lips.

“I’m, uh, sorry for not asking.”

“No, it’s- It was good. I’ve wanted you to do that for a while. It’s just that that was the first time somebody’s kissed me, since, uh…” Your eyes dart to Yukio, who’s ruffling Ned’s hair and laughing.

“Yukio?!” Orange flickers in Ellie’s eyes for a moment, but she keeps it under control.

“No, no, of course not, uh… The old singer, Lola. She and Yukio were dating, but apparently I was the one she really had her sights on, and… She was entitled. Thought that because she wanted me, I must want her. That wasn’t really the case, I was already pining over you. Didn’t stop her from forcing a few kisses on me and trying to go further. If Yukio hadn't shown up early with cupcakes, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“I am such an asshole,” Ellie says softly. “Can I kiss you again? The right way.”

“I’d say what you did before was pretty right, but sure,” you consent.

Her kiss before had been rough, needy, and impatient. Just the way you like it. This, though, this is gentle, soft, and exploratory. You tangle your hands in her hair and kiss her harder. She moans into the kiss before pulling away, bewildered.

“That was…” Ellie trails off, trying to find a positive adjective that won’t sound to frilly or lovesick.

“A mistake, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, fuck, no. I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” she corrects you. “Just- Didn’t really know how. Even when you were kinda flirting with me at first, I just thought you were messing with me, so I- I am so stupid.”

“So am I,” you scoff. “I thought you were dating Peter.”

“I was spending a lot of time with him, but… I was just using him as an excuse to avoid you so I wouldn’t embarrass myself anymore. And I was asking him for advice. I figured if he could land somebody as far out of his league as Liz, maybe I stood the slightest bit of a chance with you. But I kept fucking it up. I’d just get so nervous, all of my compliments would turn into insults, all of my teasing turned into straight-up cruelty. I don’t know how you actually like me.”

“I’m a little bit of a masochist, I’ll admit,” you tell her. “I’m really glad you don’t hate me.”

“I’m really glad you don’t hate me,” Ellie replies, but she can’t help but think that what she‘s really saying is ‘I love you, too.’

She takes your hand, and you two rejoin your friends, swept up in a group hug. They wanted this to happen almost as much as you two did.

[navegandoaciegas]

no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: catholic priest!Bucky, virgin!Bucky, desecrating thoughts and actions, explicit language, smut, consensual sexual acts, mentions of loss of virginity, slight innocence and religious kinks (nothing disturbing), oral sex, fingering, masturbation, sex in a public (and sacred) place.

Summary: As punishment for your sinful behavior, your parents send you to your aunt’s house in the middle of nowhere, in hope you’ll redeem yourself. The punishment quickly backfires when you take an interest in the local (and handsome) priest, and you manage to corrupt his pure soul.

A/N: I was in a priest!Bucky mood this morning and I wrote this for @saiyanprincessswanie​ writing challenge. I chose prompt 17 and the ‘opposites attract’ trope. I hope you like this!

Filth and happy ending ‘cause I’m a sap. Take me to church by Hozier inspired this.

This is not a dark story and both reader and Bucky are consenting adults. Fyi, catholic priests can’t marry, and they change their name when they are ordained. We’ll pretend James is the name he took as priest.

You look over your shoulder to check if anyone’s around and knock on the backdoor of the church, waiting for your lover to usher you inside. The sinful secrecy of it all, the rush of excitement, your love for all that’s forbidden: you’ve never felt more alive.

Being forced to spend the summer in the middle of nowhere is not the way you expected your senior year of college to end, but not all evil comes to harm, and in this quiet little town, you’ve become quite interested in the local priest. In your defence, boredom is the root of all evil, and in your case, evil happens to make you horny and prone to making bad decisions, and Father James is young and handsome, so it was only a matter of time before he gave in the temptation of the flesh and you found yourself fucked against the altar. 

Ordained or not, he’s only a man after all.

-

The confessional is dark and suffocating; behind the wooden screen, the priest is all ears.

Muscle memory kicks in when you do the sign of the cross and begin to speak. 

“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.” you recite the formula that’s been ingrained in your mind since you were old enough to need it, “My last confession was seven years ago.”

You mentally curse your parents for still having the authority to send you to Bumfuck Nowhere, Alabama, and your aunt for forcing you to attend church and confess your sins. 

It will be good for your soul, they said, New York is corrupting you.

You suppose it’s only fair that your good catholic parents would react so drastically; they wanted to surprise you in your new apartment and drove all the way from Rhode Island to New York, only to find your piano tutor buried balls deep inside of you. Lord knows what they’d do if they knew you’ve lost your purity long before that, with one of the good catholic girls in your private boarding school. Extramarital sex, with a woman at that! They’d probably have a meltdown, drag your to a cloistered convent and lock you there for life.   

You don’t wait for the priest to acknowledge you and start talking.

“You know Father, I found a handy dandy little list of all the sins you’re supposed to confess to and I checked them. I’ll read it to you. Let’s see.” you clear your throat, “So, I use artificial birth control, I broke a couple of promises, including the one to wait for marriage, I can be kind of blasphemous sometimes, but you see, I spent six months abroad in Italy last year and the kids there taught me all sorts of ways to disrespect the Lord, they have so many, and once those things get stuck in your brain... what can you do, they just stick in there, you don’t even want to say them but they become part of your vocabulary.” you continue uninterrupted, “Anyways, my parents caught me in the act with a man, so I guess we have ‘dishonoring family’ too. Underage drinking as a kid, a lot of that. Drugs sometimes, nothing major, ya know, I don’t do coke or nothing. Gossiping, impure thoughts, God-”

He interrupts you clearing his throat.

“Sorry. See? I don’t even do it on purpose. As I was saying, I love those. Lying... not a whole lot to be honest; to my parents, mostly. Haven’t prayed in a good 10 years. Masturbation, did I mention that? Watched porn a couple of times, ‘m not a big fan if I’m being honest, but to each their own. Oh, and premarital sex, a ton of that. Had an orgy once, not too fond of those either. Too many limbs.”

There’s a lot to unpack here, so you give him a moment to ponder his thoughts. He stays silent for a while, and when he speaks his voice is not at all what you expected it to be. He’s soft spoken yet commanding, and sounds surprisingly young.

“Anything else you can remember?”

“Well of course, the cherry on top, my own first class ticket to hell.” you say, not as cheerful as before, repeating the exact words you’ve been taught for years, “God gave me free will and I used it to commit homosexual acts, Father. Multiple times.” 

You let the words hang in the stuffy air of the confessional; you don’t know what to expect from the priest, to be honest. Last time you admitted to thinking of a girl to a religious figure, Sister Theresa told you you’d never have to act on your impulses, or you’d burn in hell for it. You were 12. 

“You think that’s worse than the rest?”

“Not me, no, I don’t.”

He hums thoughtfully. “What makes you do the things you do?” he asks, and you don’t feel any of the judgment you were expecting, only genuine curiosity.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me to repent for my sins?” you reply, equally as curious.

“Is absolution what you’re seeking?”

You snort, shaking your head. “I’m not looking for forgiveness, Father, and I’m way past asking for permission.”

“Then why are you here?”

“My aunt forced me.”

It’s his turn to snort this time. “You don’t seem the type to follow orders blindly.”

You admit the guy’s got a point. “I guess… I don’t know. I felt the need to. It feels nice, talking to someone. I feel lonely a lot, and it’s easier to talk to strangers. And this is cheaper than therapy, so that’s a bonus. Really, I just need to vent.”

“Do you regret any of your choices?” he says, after a while.

“Not the ones I confessed to.” you admit, trying to discern the priest’s figure behind the screen. 

“What is it, then?”

“You know, you’re kinda chill for a priest from Alabama, I gotta give it to you.” you respond, dodging his question.

“Thanks, it’s probably because I’m from Brooklyn.”

“What the hell-” 

“Language.” 

“Sorry. Why would someone move from Brooklyn to this place?”

“Vocation.”

“I see.” 

It’s silent again, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

“You should come to the parish sometimes. We have meetings, we sing, we eat together, the children play football and the young adults talk about what it means to be a Catholic in the modern world. It may ease your mind about a lot of worries and misconceptions you might have.”

You contemplate on his words: it wouldn’t hurt, would it? It’s not like you’ve got a whole lot going on here; and you might as well find yourself a devoted man or woman to pass time. 

“I might.”, you finally respond, not willing to give him the satisfaction, and stand from the chair. “I’ll see you around, Father.”

“May God give you peace, miss.”

“Amen.”

-

“What took you so long?” James asks, grunting when you pull on his hair.

“My aunt asked me to make lunch for her husband, as if he couldn’t do it his damn self.” you respond, and suck on his bottom lip, “Missed me?”

“Always.”

You coo, “My eager boy.”

He’s sitting on his office chair and you’re straddling his lap, grinding your hips on him and feeling his arousal grow. You’re burning up, panties damp and a familiar coil in your core. You don’t know what excites you the most: being responsible for the corruption of such pure soul, the forbidden aspect of fucking a Catholic priest, or the possibility of someone walking in on you. Your walls flutter when you imagine the scandal that this affair would create.

You pull him closer, tugging on his white collar, and he breaks the kiss. His eyes are black and glossed over, lips swollen, cheeks red, but there’s something like worry in eyes.

“Do you love me?” he asks quietly, in the soft voice you adore.

“Of course I do, you know that.”

You fall on your knees and fumble with the zipper of his black pants.

“Would you love me if I didn’t have this collar?” he stops your hands with his, “Would you still love me if I wasn’t this?”, he gestures to his sacred attire.

You pause your actions and search his eyes. Where is this coming from?

“Yes, I’d love you anyways, I’ll always love you.”

A small, shy smile breaks on his face. He lifts you up and makes you sit on his desk.

“I- I w-want to try something,” he begins with a stutter, “I remember hearing some kids back when I was in school talk about it.”

You cock your head to the side, observing carefully as he sits back down on the chair and parts your legs. He lowers his head and begins peppering the inner skin of your thighs with open mouthed kisses. Oh-.

“James, you don’t have to do this.” you try to tell him, but he’s already moving your panties to the side.

He stares entranced between your legs; he’s never been this bold, never watched you there. “You’re so pretty, I want to kiss you here.” 

You feel a finger tease your entrance and dip in. Every nerve ending in your body is on fire, and when he licks a strip of your dripping cunt, you feel like you could burst. He delves in your glistening folds, tongue swirling around as if he was kissing your mouth, and your hips jerk forward when he crooks a couple of fingers inside you, hitting that sweet spot that makes the coil in your belly grow tighter. 

You throw your head back and your eyes fall on the cross behind you. You are very much past forgiveness at this point, you muse, and that makes this all the more exciting.

You’re writhing under his touch, completely at his mercy. You grab the back of his neck and bring his face upward so that his mouth comes in contact with your clit.

“Suck there.” you demand in a raspy voice, rocking your hips and fucking yourself on his fingers. “Good boy.” you praise when he closes his mouth around your bud and begins sucking and lapping on it. “Yes, oh my God, fuck, faster.”

James obeys and jerks the fingers inside of you, the vibration and his tongue enough to make the knot in your core unravel and pleasure release in jolts, shooting from your center to the rest of your body; you slap a hand on your mouth to suppress wanton moans as your hips twitch involuntarily and your toes curl. He rides you though your orgasm until you’re too sensitive to handle his face on you.

When you look down, you find him, face wet in your arousal, eyes half lidded.

“Did I do well?” he asks full of hope, still clinging to your legs and nuzzling your thigh.

“You did amazing, sweet boy.”

-

“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.”

Hearing your sultry voice, he chokes on air behind the screen and clears his throat, trying to keep the same composure he always seems to loose when you’re around. 

“I got friendly with a man, you see, a man of church.” you begin in a teasing tone, “He kissed me, and I didn’t pull back. I let him roam his hands all over my body, Father, and then I corrupted him.”, You lick a couple of fingers and dip them in your mouth, then you release them with a popping sound and slowly slip them in your panties. You push a finger in your already wet core, smearing arousal around and teasing your clit, slow at first. “You should have seen how innocent he looked, Father. He said he’s never been touched like that. A virgin. I’ve never been with a virgin before.” you continue, almost moaning the last part as you slide three fingers in and out of you and tease your bud with your thumb, “He didn’t even know I could please him with my mouth, so I took him in and I sucked him off.” You’re panting, hand furiously circling your clit. You hear Bucky’s ragged breath behind the screen. “He moaned so loud, F-F-Father, he c-came so quick. And I swallowed it all, because you can’t let a single drop of seed g-go to w-waste, can you?” you whimper, feeling an orgasm build up.

You’re fueled by his suppressed grunts and the lewd sounds of him touching himself.

“I don’t come for absolution Father, because I’d do it all again.” you breathe at last, letting pleasure run through your every nerve, setting you ablaze. 

Behind the screen, Father James paints his hand and black shirt in white spurts, shame and pleasure fighting eachother in his mind.

-

You haven’t moved yet, legs parted, trying to catch your breath, and James is still clinging onto you.

You don’t know how it happened. 

It started with boredom, with a wish to fuck the pretty priest, but you’ve caught feelings now, and in three weeks you’ll have to get back to New York, where a job and a new apartment await you.

At least your aunt and your parents are happy about your redemption: you’ve been going to church everyday. They don’t need to know you’ve spent most time on your knees or on your back.  

But you don’t want to think about it now; you can’t let sadness take over and ruin these moments when James is only yours. Your love is on borrowed time, and you intend to make the most out of it.

“Do you want to fuck me, my love? You want me to come all over your pretty cock, yes? You want to fill me up with your cum?” you whisper in his ear, amused at the way he blushes.

“Please.” he whines, palming his cock through his briefs.

“Please what, sweet boy?”

“Please let me-” he interrupts himself.

“Let me what?”

He mumbles something incomprehensible.

“Can’t hear you.” you tease him, grabbing his chin and tilting his face up.

“Let me make love to you.”

You let out a chuckle and shake your head fondly. This man has had you bent over his desk, in the confessional, behind the altar, on the benches where the devoted Catholics of this town attend mass, and yet he can’t bring himself to talk crudely.

You pull on his hair so he stands, and you kiss him ravenously, letting your hands roam over his lean body, the taste of his lips permanently etched in the back of your mind. You don’t want to forget a thing, so you commit to mind each of his little noises, the way his tongue swirls around yours, the soft caresses of his hands.

Clothes discarded in a blur, the room is filled with your moan and his grunts. He pounds into you like a desperate man, clinging onto you with a bruising touch, holding you impossibly close as if you were about to slip through his fingers. And in a way, you are.

When James makes love to you the world disappears and there’s no judgement, no church. He’s not a priest, you’re not a sinner; he’s not pure, you’re not sick.

It’s just you and him, united in one body. Just a man and a woman being one in the flesh.

His thrusts become sloppier, his breathing labored. He brings a hand on your clit and presses on it. He comes inside of you, painting your walls, and the feeling of his swollen cock inside you and his cum filling you up are enough to trigger your release too, your walls clenching on him and milking every last drop.

You’re exhausted, panting in each other’s embrace. 

There’s no sin when you’re like this; you’re no longer the devil to his holy water. 

There’s only love.

-

James’ desk in his office is dark and wide, with mahogany panels on all three sides except the one he sits at. So when Ms. Lee, the adorable elderly lady that organizes the monthly fundraising events for charity, knocks on the door as you’re bouncing on James’ cock, all you have to do is crouch down and disappear under the table.

“Good evening, Father James.” She greets him cheerfully.

You hear the tapping of her heels until she plops down on the guests chair. 

“Good evening, Ms. Lee.” he responds in a strained voice, adjusting himself on the chair.

Ms. Lee speaks a lot. She’s talking James’ ear off, blabbering about the next charity event, and you think what better occasion than this one to be an indecent slut.

You slowly massage his thighs, bringing your hands from his knees to his groin, teasing him when you get close to his crotch and retracting. 

You watch as his cock swells in front of you, and you bite back a giggle. You hear him suck in a breath when you start pumping his length with both your hands.

“Are you alright, James? You’re looking a little worse for wear.” Ms. Lee asks him worriedly when she sees her priest red and sweaty.

James clears his throat and when he’s about to open his mouth, you lick a strip from base to his leaking tip, and the noise that escapes him is between a moan and a grunt.

“Y-yes, Ms. Lee, I’m fine. Just some food poisoning I think.” he manages to answer, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.  

“Poor thing.” she coos, and you take his cock in your mouth, swirling your tongue around, sucking on the frail skin of under the tip, “Anyways-” she begins again.

James tries to keep his composure, but you sense his distress, and you imagine it must be written all over his face. One hand massages his balls, the other aids your movements as you bob your head up and down, careful not to make a noise. His legs twitch under the table when you push his cock all the way down to your throat, and he makes a strangled noise.

“Sweetie, are you sure you’re fine? You really don’t look like it.” Ms. Lee interjects again, interrupting her story.

“I’m fine ma’am, don’t worry about me.”, he says through gritted teeth, jaw clenched shut so hard he might break his teeth.

You give it all you’ve got until your jaw is aching and your knees are killing you. Your effort pays off when, with one last motion on your hands, James grunts and cums in your throat, hips jerking forward and legs shaking.

He comes so hard that you choke on his release.

“Did you hear it too?” she asks in alert.

“He-hear wh-what?” he stutters, pretending to cough to hide your noises.

“A choking sound?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about that, just my cough.” he answers, red faced and spent.

“I guess…” she doesn’t sound convinced but lets it go anyways. She could never imagine her sweet priest is getting blown by a city whore under his desk, “I’ll get going then, but please get some rest Father, your holy duties can wait.”

They can indeed, you think, as James yanks you from underneath the table and bends you over the desk, fucking you until you’re crying.

-

“What makes you do the things you do?” he’s playing with your hair as he asks the question that’s been plaguing him for months, since that first time in the confessional.

You’re in a motel somewhere, two hours away from your town, laying on a bed like two lovers. In this room, you’re not a dirty little secret.

What excited you before, suffocates you now.

You thought you may only like the forbidden, but you find yourself at peace in his arms, that peace you’ve yearned for for 22 years, that peace you could never find, because people like you are born sick, that’s what you’ve been told your whole life.

“If I tell you, will you absolve me?” you ask, basking in his affection. 

James is so sweet, so caring. You wish this moment could last forever.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, my love. I’ve sinned too much myself.”

“My bad.” you giggle.

Silence falls on you, and you hum in though, pondering your next words very carefully.

“I don’t do them for any reasons, other than they feel good. It feels good to drink, to smoke, to fuck you, to suck your cock.”, you say, and he blushes in embarrassment, “Or maybe I never got over my teenage phase and I just like doing all the things my parents always told me not to do, who knows. Trauma? Maybe. Spite? Quite possibly. I don’t even know at this point.”

He nods slowly. 

He wishes you could see yourself through his eyes, see how perfect you are. In his heart, there’s only love for you, in his mind, no more conflict.

“I do them for you.” he answers, and you smile at him, “And for myself, I guess. I thought I had found my way, but maybe I was wrong.”

You turn to look at him, and bop his nose.

“I’ll always love you, no matter what choice you make. I’ll wait for you if you ask me to.”

But his choice has been made already. 

He doesn’t deserve his collar, but hopefully he deserves you.

-

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Please, reblog if you liked it and leave a comment. Feedback is always appreciated. 🤍

Priest bucky masterlist

[minstrophywife]

Peacock

⇢Pairing: Office Worker!Jimin x Office Worker!Reader ⇢Genre: Office!AU, PWP   ↳[smuuuuut]  ⇢Word Count: 5,403 ⇢Warnings: Praise kink (but of course), slight exhibitionism, dirty talk, rough sex, fingering, spanking, pussy slapping, hair pulling, subspace, begging, aftercare

⇢Masterlist  ↳DOPE Masterlist

⇢Summary: Jimin attracts all the attention in the office, but you just don’t care. So he’s going to make sure you notice him. Because what Park Jimin wants, Park Jimin gets.

A/N: Ahh~ So it’s the beginning of my new little collection, to keep my writing energy GOING! Let me know what you think. And I hope you get excited about the other ones coming up! 💕

PEACOCK.

Okay so you were desperate. And the thing is, living in Seoul was expensive, and not getting any cheaper. And maybe, just maybe, you needed another job while you were fresh out of college and needed to pay your exceedingly high rent and utility bill. Cool.

“…. Fuck.” You were starting to get a headache, staring at pages and pages of job listings. 

“This was the fifth ‘fuck’ in the span of 10 minutes.” Jungkook says, not looking away from his laptop screen. 

You shoot him a glare, hoping he feels the daggers you are throwing his way.  You open your both to snap back, but Jungkook stops you. Eyes still not leaving the screen, he raises a hand from the keyboard in an accusatory point. 

“Don’t get let me tell you how many within this hour.” 

“Well I don’t give a single fuck, so how about that.” You flip him the bird for good measure.

“Either way, rent is up in a couple of weeks, and you still need to pay me back for last month.” 

He’s relentless. 

But it’s true… you promised him that you would get your shit together, and Jungkook was more than understanding last month when he covered your end of the bills last month. You need to stop mooching of your roommate and friend.

“…I’m sorry Kook. I’m trying my best.” You bite your lip, and hang your head down in shame.

You feel a soft thwump! Against your head, and you blink back in shock. 

“… You shit!” You screech, scrambling from your seat at the table, grabbing the pillow that Jungkook had thrown.

Still no luck. It had been two days of searching, and honestly at this point, you were going to just apply at one of the many retail jobs. There was no way you were going to make Jungkook pay again for you. Despite his teasing and his snarky attitude, you knew he would in a heartbeat. 

You slump in couch, willing your headache to go away while you close your eyes. 

BANG

“Shit!” Your hand flies to your heart. 

In stomps Jungkook, or, what you assume to be Jungkook, because his face is hidden by a large shopping bag that fills his arms.

“Oi- Jobless- stop moping. I brought chicken and beer.”

Your headache just got fifty times worse. Jungkook the little shit. He dodges the slipper you throw in his direction. How he dodged it when he couldn’t even see from behind the massive bag of food, you’ll never know. He sucks like that.

“I’m here too!” A voice you haven’t heard before.

A skinny and tall figure peeks behind waving happily.

“Hello….?” You peer at him in curiosity. 

“Taehyung. Kim Taehyung.” He fills in the blank, and grins, large and boxy and you can’t help but return the sentiment. 

“This is a celebration.” Jungkook says, already unloading the many boxes of fried chicken in front of you on coffee table.

“For what?” You say already reaching for a beer greedily. 

“I have a job opportunity for you!” Taehyung says, excitedly bouncing in his step. 

“Well, technically, Chim does, but he couldn’t make it tonight because he was working late in the office…” Taehyung is beginning to rant, and you already feel lost.

Jungkook is already has a drumstick half way eaten. 

“What he means to say,” his mouth is full, not even bothering to look up from his food,“is that a mutual friend of ours mentioned that the company he works for is hiring currently. Applications are due in by next week.”

You turn and hug Taehyung excitedly. 

“I love you already.” You say, and Taehyung just laughs, hugging back, not at all bothered by the fact that Jungkook’s strange roommate that he just met is hugging him.

“Tell that to Jimin.” Jungkook mentions, finally swallowing his mouthful. 

Right. You’ll have to mention a thank you to this Jimin.

And then you got the job. You’re surprised- this job is actually within your field as well- it looks like you’ll be a senior editor, for a bunch of different magazines under this one company. So your communications and journalism degree wasn’t complete trash.

It took about three interviews to get the job, but the process was quick. Seems like they were desperate to fill in the position, and you, well, you were desperate for rent money. 

The job seemed fast-paced, but exciting, and to be honest you couldn’t stop fidgeting. Jungkook almost punted you out of the apartment with how full of energy you were this morning.

And now you sit in the lobby, waiting for the Lead Editor to come and give you a brief rundown of this job. Min Yoongi is his name, you need to get off to a good start, leave a good impression. 

“… And this is the media and communications department. They are on the same floor as us. You’ll get used to how chatty they are. If it gets annoying, you can always yell at them to shut up. That’s what I always do.”  

You eye the group of chatting coworkers, all seeming to be flocking to one area.

“This way to the editing department.” Min Yoongi, Head Editor and your boss, talks slow, but he feeds information to you quickly. You follow behind wordlessly.

“This is my office. You can ask questions at any time, but honestly it’s easier to use the office messenger. We all get really busy in the editing department. There isn’t that many of us.” 

At his office door, he points in the direction of what you assume to be your office. When you open the door, it’s small, but quaint, and you can’t help but feel giddy at the prospect of having your own space. 

It’s been a week now at your job, and while its stressful and demanding and fast-paced, you wouldn’t have anything less. Plus, you got to see what your first pay check would look like at the end of the month, and man, you could afford to pay for two months of rent while covering Jungkook too. Which you probably should do, since he did cover your ass while you were jobless.

Thinking of Jungkook, your mind wanders. That’s right- you’ll have to thank Taehyung’s friend, the mysterious Park Jimin you have yet to thank. You vaguely remember Taehyung mentioning that he worked in the media and communications department. 

Convenient. 

Needing a break anyways, you walk out of your office and into the common area between the departments. You can already hear giggles and voices. If there is one thing that stuck with your from your orientation, it was definitely the noise level of media and communications. You reel back, but you approach the first woman you see- Choi Minah was it? You don’t remember, but you tap her shoulder anyways.

“Excuse me, where can I find-“

“Jiminnie! You’ve done it again! You’re so smart with twitter!” 

Ah.

“Oh, you’re too kind Yoojung, It was the combination of all our efforts!”

His voice sounds sunny and happy, and you find yourself smile a bit to yourself.

 You walk closer to the excited chattering of ‘Jiminnie you’re the best’ and ‘Jiminnie you should partner with me for the next project’, and you feel like you can’t even see him really, not with the amount of people surrounding him, men and women.

You feel your eyebrow tick in annoyance.

Well, now was a good time as ever to get this over with, so you can thank the man and get over it. You clear your throat.

“Excuse me, Park Jimin?” 

Many pairs of eyes swivel in your direction at the interruption, and then his eyes are on you. Oh… Taehyung didn’t mention how beautiful he was.

Stylishly and impeccably dressed, with full cheeks and full lips contrasted nicely with the angle of his jawline. His eyes snapped to yours immediately before turning into crescents as he smiled widely back at you.

“I’m Y/N, roommate of Jeon Jungkook. Kim Taehyung told me you landed me this gig, so I thank you immensely.” You bow politely, and the eyes on you shoot many unaired questions.

Jimin bounces forward in recognition of familiar names, slightly pushing people out of your way so he can stand in front of you. He grabs your hands in his own. “Ah! Tae mentioned to me that you were accepted! I’m so glad you’re here!” 

You blink back, a bit shocked with how close he’s already regarding you. 

He’s not phased at all by your lack of response, instead he considers it an opening to continue to talk to you.

“I’m so sorry that I haven’t had a chance to come by yet, but I assure you we should remedy this situation! Any friend of Kookie and Tae are friends of mine.” 

“T-thanks again.” You feel his hands squeeze a bit tighter.

“I should go back to my office, I was just needing a quick break before I continue editing.” You bow again, and make a quick escape from questioning eyes boring into your head, hands tugging just a bit from Park Jimin’s own, as if he wasn’t expecting to leave so soon.

You don’t leave your office until an hour after you are supposed to leave for the day. 

You had important editing to be done.

From that moment forward, Park Jimin acknowledges your presence whenever you make the long walk from the elevators to your office. It’s not everyday, but he always manages to spot you if he’s in the same common area or break room kitchenette, even amongst his usual crowd of adoring coworkers.

It’s always a bright and shiny, “Hi Y/N! Good morning!” Or “Hello! Did you sleep well over the weekend? You really need to hang out with Kookie, Tae and I next time!” And even, “Wow Y/N, is that blouse new? You look absolutely lovely!”

Each comment he tosses your way, your ears burn, you can feel the almost jealous stares on you. You usual mumble a polite ‘hello’, or a bow, or a small wave. You don’t stick around to chat. 

It makes you not want to interact with Park Jimin too much. Too much of a hassle.

It’s been an annoying day at work, and you angrily punch in the code for your apartment. You want to just take a quick shower and go to bed- but of course when you arrive home, Jungkook and Taehyung are loudly shouting at the TV screen, sounds of shooting guns and whatnot blaring from the PlayStation. 

Of fucking course. No way you could have peace and quiet. Taehyung waves at your entrance and actually hops up from his game to come and wrestle you in a hug. You huff. Maybe Taehyung’s hugs are magic. 

You try to make a quick escape, but Taehyung bribes you with fried chicken and beer, your staple in life really, and you’re sold. So when you re-emerge from your bathroom, donned in your baggiest is sweatpants and largest hoodie, you can’t help but ask Taehyung. 

“Park Jimin is your best friend, right Tae?” You lazily watching Jungkook and Taehyung as they continue to battle in their game. Jungkook grunts, and Taehyung mutters a curse when his character dies. He pouts for a minute while Jungkook continues on. 

“Why do you ask?” Taehyung questions, turning away from the TV now to face you. 

“I’m just...curious if he’s always managed to be...” Taehyung is his best friend. No need to rude- and plus- Park Jimin has been nothing but kind to you. It’s the fucking consistent gaggle of oohs and aahs and ‘you’re so cute Jiminnie’ or ‘wow Jiminnie you’re the best’ that grates your damn nerves. 

“...the center of attention.” 

Taehyung barks out a laugh. “Chim Chim loves to be the center of attention.”

You scrunch your nose. “Yeah, I noticed that.”

That just makes Taehyung laugh more.

You are coming up from a late lunch, back from your favorite ramen place. It’s nice taking late lunches because the elevators are not crammed with people, and because no one tries to invite you out to eat with them. It’s not like you don’t do it, but really, you only feel comfortable eating with the other editors in your department. 

When the elevator doors open at your floor, you can already hear them.

“Ouch!”

That’s clearly Park Jimin’s voice. You hunker down, hoping to slip by and get to your office as swiftly as possible.

And then there is a flurry of ‘Jiminnie! Are you okay?’ and ‘Oh no! You hurt yourself!’ and ‘Here! I have the first aid kit!’ 

Well, with all the commotion, you can slip right by.

But he’s standing in the middle of a group of ladies, as they fawn over him.

And of course he’s glowing- when all the ladies come by and help put a bandaid on his fucking paper cut. It’s a god damn paper cut. 

Does there really need to be four people all helping with one paper cut? One is cleaning the cut with disinfectant, one is holding his hand, one is holding the bandaid, and one is just fucking hovering, just cooing over Park Jimin that it’s ‘going to be okay’ and ‘does the disinfectant sting’? 

You roll your eyes, passing by the hubbub to get to the peace and quiet of your department and your office. 

“Y/N! Good afternoon! Did you have a good lunch?” 

You just raise a hand in acknowledgment, not stopping to turn around.

As per usual the media department was loud. Loud and obnoxious and grinding your nerves. You had a deadline due. Your head throbs in annoyance, but you have to get your printouts of your edits to have Yoongi look at, it’s due in fifteen minutes. And of course the printers are right in the common area between the editing department and the media and comms department. It makes sense but it’s still agitating. Especially right now.

Because once again, Park Jimin is seated at a table nearby the printers, and of course he at least has two people there.

You really don’t have time to pay him any attention though, because you really need to get those printouts on Yoongi’s desk, otherwise he’s not going to be pleased. You wait impatiently as the printer wakes up from a deep slumber. 

“Y/N! How are you today?” 

You wave him off, unamused and not wanting to deal with sunshine Park Jimin at the moment. 

“Just printing for Yoongi.”

Wow this printer is fucking slow. There’s finally page one.

“Do you have a deadline soon?”

You hear a whiny ‘Jiminnie~~’ from someone else.

Page 3.

“It’s due at 5.”

Page 6. Can this thing fucking hurry up already?

“Oh! It’s almost time! You should hurry, I’ve heard Yoongi can be quite a stickler for deadlines.”

Page 10. Fucking finally. Another annoyed whine from Park Jimin’s companions.

You grab the papers hastily, and without another glance you race towards Yoongi’s office, not ashamed to run.

The shared break room between the department is loud and crowded, which, you aren’t sure why everyone is in such a good mood at 5:00pm on a Friday night, when everyone has damn deadlines to complete before they can leave for the weekend. You just want to get today done and over with, so that finally, the glorious weekend can come and you can sleep for a good 24 hours. 

You nudge your way towards the coffee machine, ready to nurse yet another mug of coffee of the most awful tasting, but necessary, black liquid energy. 

It’s hard to get to where you want to however, with Park Jimin and his usual gaggle of ladies cooing all over him. 

You feel snappish- you just want to get your damn coffee but they are in the way. You clear your throat slightly as Heeyeon, hair curled just right and makeup done impeccably, prattles on, curled up next to Park Jimin’s side, hovering over the counter. 

“I’m almost done making your coffee Jiminnie- just the way you like it. Two sugar cubes and a packet of creamer.” 

Park Jimin shifts, eyes curling into crescents. “Why thank you Heeyeon, I can always count on you for coffee.” He has the gall to turn to another girl, hovering behind you, and wink. 

You roll your eyes. You really aren’t in the mood to witness yet another session of women flocking around Park Jimin. It’s fucking annoying at- you bring your wrist up in annoyance, more for show than anything- now 5:10pm. You try and restrain yourself from tapping your foot in impatience. 

Heeyeon finally fucking hands Park Jimin is damn coffee- but instead of moving she just continues to hover- eyes doe-eyed and eyelashes fluttering as she waits expectantly. 

“It’s exactly how I like it Heeyeon- thank you!” Jimin is all smiles, and Heeyeon coos at him. “Anything for you Jiminnie, you are the cutest!" If Jimin could smile any more, he would. 

And then finally, fucking finally- Park Jimin is tugging Heeyeon forward to give her a hug. Or whatever. Either way the coffee dispenser is now free. 

So you shove your way to the counter, hastily fill your mug with a bit of cream and sugar yourself, and turn around to get out of the damn break room as fast as you can. 

It’s like a dramatic, slow-motion, drawn out scene from a movie. Your ankle catches on - something- you aren’t sure, but you curse your  clumsiness, because of course you would make yourself look like a fool in front of a large group of employees. And then, of course-

You bump into something very solid. 

You barely register the liquid that splashes forward, down the front of the solid form in front of you, and then backwards onto yourself. 

And then- it registers. 

“Fuck!” 

The coffee was not the most fresh and cooled down by creamer, but it’s still hot as fuck and the now the contents of your almost empty mug are now down your white shirt. This shirt was fucking new too, Taehyung gifted you a leftover silken shirt that he thought would ‘look really good’ on you. In reality you liked it because it was soft and flowy. 

And -

There’s a cacophony of noises, your cursing, the high pitched screeching of some of the women, and a hiss. 

You feel a powerful hand grab your arm. 

Oh right. You just spilled all over someone. 

“Fuck, I am so sorry, it must be hot, your shirt must be expensive, I’m so-“ 

That’s when you finally look at who you ran into. 

It’s Park Jimin. 

A brief smile flashes in front of you- but it’s one you’ve never seen on his face before- it looks triumphant, crooked into a satisfied smirk.

But it’s gone before you have a chance to register what you saw, your apology stuck in your throat. 

You hear Heeyeon from behind you- “Jiminnie! Are you okay?! Oh my god I can’t believe she just poured hot coffee all over you!” 

You can practically hear the saccharine sweetness drip off Park Jimin’s tongue. 

“We have to clean this mess, if we have any chance of salvaging our shirts.” 

Who’s he talking to? 

You let yourself be dragged out of the small kitchenette, Park Jimin pulling on your hand. 

But really it’s the least of your concerns, where he’s taking you exactly, because you are in the middle of hiding your bra, peeking through your white top with your free hand. Because of course you can see through it. Because this is a damn movie. 

He pulls you forward, and you’re in the one of the three bathrooms on this floor. He pulls away, stepping away from you. You hear the door shut, and you pull the top off of you, feeling just a little bit sticky. You shove it in the sink and turn on the water, hoping to try and salvage the fabric from your blunder. 

What you don’t realize of course, is the door locking, and someone sliding up behind you, caging you against the sink. 

Too late now. 

You try and spin, shocked that, not only did you just strip off your top unabashedly in front of Park Jimin, but also you are very aware of your current predicament- you can feel his damn breath tickle your ear. 

He turns off the tap, and you finally speak up, mostly to rid the sound of his soft breathing. 

“The other bathrooms are free Park.”

You reach for the handle for the tap again, which Park Jimin so rudely turned off. 

It’s not the answer he was looking for, because he pushes against you further, and grabs the hand that is resting on the tap. You can feel his front nestle into the swell of your ass. 

“You don’t pay me any attention.”

He’s ignoring you, but you fight back a shiver at the lower tone of his voice. It’s sultry and dark, in a lower octave. He sounds offended. 

“You’ve been rude...” you feel his free hand behind to trace your hip bone, and travel to your spine, his fingers dancing across your skin leaving a trail of goosebumps behind until he stops at the hook of your bra. 

“...when all I’ve been is kind and attentive.”

Your bra slides forward on your arms. 

You try to ignore the fact that your nipples are hard and wanting attention, from the cooling coffee that was spilt on them, from Park Jimin’s heady gaze that pierces you via the mirror, from his hand that is splayed across your back. 

You open your mouth the protest his boldness, eyebrows raised in question, lips twisted in a grimace. 

“I get what I want.”

Your eyes widen, your protests caught in your throat. You pretend that you don’t lean back further into him. 

His hand leaves from its grip on your own, the blunt of his nails drag across your arm, where he grabs your breast. 

You could elbow him in the ribs. You could twist away from his cage.

 But his eyes don’t leave yours, and you feel like you’re trapped- Park Jimin has you in his snare, and he isn’t letting go. 

And then it happens in one swift motion- his hands are bunching up your skirt roughly to your hips, as he bends you over the porcelain sink, ass on display for easy viewing. 

Your arms splay outwards to grip the sides of the porcelain so you can balance yourself. The sink is cold against your stomach, the pressure there slightly uncomfortable- 

A hand, adorned with decorative and stylish metal rings swings downwards, a resounding slap echoing in the bathroom. 

That fucking hurt- you already feel the bloom of heat spread outwards from you right ass-cheek. You cry out in shock and pain. 

“What the fuck! Park Jimin!” 

You feel a grip even tighter on your waist. And it’s like you are almost anticipating the next hit, because your knuckles are turning white with how hard you are grabbing the porcelain of the sink. 

“So mouthy.”

He says, and another resounding crack on the other cheek. 

You release a cry of pain, tears beginning to form at the edges of your eyes. 

“I want you to be loud.”

Another resounding smack, but this time it’s against the soft flesh of your inner thigh- and his hand is angled in such a way where the tips of his fingers brush against your pussy. There is a rush of fluid that you feel, and you can feel the fabric of your panties becoming drenched in your slick. 

A garbled moan. 

“I want the office to finally hear the cries of Y/N begging for my cock.” You can hear the smirk in his voice. Gone is the the sweet lilt that is so characteristic of Park Jimin. 

He hits the other thigh this time, but his fingers drag more deliberately over your throbbing cunt. 

Another cry- you feel tears escape from your eyes that are crewed shut in pleasure and pain, falling down your cheeks- he hits you again, softer this time, but it’s a direct hit against your cunt. He doesn’t draw his hand back, just edges his hand forward to flick at your clit through your underwear. 

He grips the top of your panties, roughly pulling them down. They get caught at the spread of your thighs. You feel your mess spread as your soiled panties pinch your thighs. 

But the relief of your exposed cunt is not enough. 

It’s not enough, not nearly enough- the pleasure and pain has you on edge- the heat that sears from your thighs and your ass makes you block out all other sensations as you are reminded why they are there, and who put them there and now you are crying more, broken sobs, because he isn’t moving. 

His hands knead the furred skin of your ass, and you moan loudly at how sensitive your abused skin is. 

He tsks in disappointment. 

“That’s not what I said. Use your words.” He slaps the inside of your thigh again as a reminder for your misbehaving. 

You are stubborn though, no matter how heavy the air is with your lust. You know you are on the precipice, but you are feeling bratty- so you stare brazenly at him through the mirror, your eyes shine defiant through your tears. You see Jimin’s eyes narrow. 

That’s just not going to do. 

At that he shoves two fingers inside your swollen cunt, harsh and deep. Your eyes widen and a cry escapes your lips. 

His fingers continue to pump harshly, grabbing your hair in his hand to forcefully expose your neck, pulling your head to the side. Your scalp begins to sting, but he takes a mouthful of your skin between his teeth, sucking harshly before his tongue travels up your neck to stop at your ear. 

“Say it.”

Your eyes screw shut, and his mouth bites your earlobe.  

“P-Park..” you can barely whisper, you are overwhelmed with too many senses. His hand grips tighter in your hair, his fingers stop pumping. 

“Jimin.” He demands, waiting for your response. 

“Jimin.” You parrot, the name spilling from your lips in a garbled plea. 

It seems satisfactory for now, because Jimin grunts in approval and bites at your shoulder. When he decides to start pumping his fingers in you again, you’ve barely noticed he’s added a third. 

But really, it’s not enough. 

A frustrated whine leaves your throat, and Jimin decides he’s being too soft on you, because really-

“Jimin....!” You whimper, your voice needy, but you are too riled up at this point to care. 

“Louder. I can’t hear you over your noisy pussy.”

The wet squelching noises sound much louder in the echo of the bathroom, and it doesn’t help that your moans get louder after Jimin has pointed it out to you. 

 “Please!” You raise your voice a few octaves higher, voice cracking into an (otherwise) annoying squeak. 

“Please what?” He says, and his hand fully removes from your messy pussy. You clench around nothing, your moan full of despair because that’s not what you wanted, you want-

And you fall from the precipice. 

Your mouth opens and now you can’t stop. 

“Please fuck me. Please put your cock inside. I need Jimin’s cock.” 

Jimin is satisfied, because you hear the sound of a belt being undone, and a zipper sliding open. 

“I want Jimin’s cock. Please Jimin please fuck me...”

You hear the sound of a packet being ripped open, and a hiss as you assume Jimin’s putting on a condom. 

But he’s not fast enough. 

“Hurry, please fuck me, I promise I’ll be loud- I promise to shout your name loudly...”

You’re babbling now, begging. You just want his cock, and his merciless teasing has tears whetting your lashes. You don’t feel anything, except the desire to have him fuck you raw. 

“Impatient for someone who was so haughty...” he says, but then he’s slamming into you. 

A satisfied moan falls from your lips. You arch your back, sticking your ass upwards for more contact. 

“Jimin! Your cock! Harder!” You don’t even understand what you are saying at this point. Anything to get him to finally let the heat that has been burning in your lower stomach to release. 

“Pretty Y/N, begging for my cock.” His voice still sounds smug, though it’s growled out and deep, he’s trying to hold back his own moans from escaping. 

He pulls you up further by the hips, leaning you further over the sink for more balance, your toes barely brushing the floor now. Your hand flies upwards onto the mirror for more stability as Jimin continues to pound mercilessly into you. 

This new position is too much, it feels too good- and when he snakes a hand forward to pinch at your neglected clit you can feel yourself at the edge. 

“Jimin! Cock...feels too good....” you moan brokenly. 

“Do you wanna cum?” He has the gall to ask, voice muffled because he’s marking deep bruises up your spine, on your shoulder, your neck. 

“Please...let me come...” you don’t say it loudly, you whisper it, your throat is scratchy and dry from moaning and yelling. You think you may have made him mad. A tear falls down your cheek at the possibility of making him mad and not letting you cum.

Even if you were good and did as he asked. 

That seems to be it for Jimin though, because he lands a particularly harsh bite at the back of your neck, and he roughly pushes down on your clit. He lets out a broken and low moan, and he’s coming, reaching his orgasm before you. 

Feeling him break before you is thrilling in on itself, and your own orgasm hits you- you feel yourself clenching wildly at Jimin’s cock as he continues to ride throughout your orgasm. 

Instead of a loud cry from finally eclipsing on your high, soft hiccuping sobs leave your lips. 

Your legs are shaking, and when Jimin pulls away and slips out (you don’t want to dwell too long at the fact that you already feel so empty) his arm moves upwards to encircle your waist securely. You’re glad for the help, because your legs cannot support themselves. 

You feel his other hand reach upwards to massage your scalp, and your eyes close. They flutter back open when you realize he’s pressing soft kisses into your hair. He supports you as you both stumble so he can reach for toilet paper, and he haphazardly tosses the condom in the trash. He leans you on the wall, bending down to softly wipe at your mess, pressing soft kisses on your legs. 

“Pretty Y/N... you did so well.”

He drags himself upward, kissing languidly and your belly, your ribs, your breast, your collarbone, your chin... until he meets your lips and when the soft pillows of his lips press onto yours, sweet and gentle, you almost forget about demanding Jimin. 

Until you hear a knock on the door. 

“This is the janitor, cleaning up for the evening. Is someone still in here?”

Like a douse of cold water, your eyes open in shock, you break your lips away push against Jimin’s chest. 

Jimin’s sly grin betrays his sweet voice. 

“Just a minute sir- give me five minutes and we’ll leave you to it.” 

A cough outside the door. A different voice speaks up, clearly unamused. 

“Hurry the fuck up Park Jimin. You too Y/N.”

Embarrassment crashes heavy over you. 

“Don’t worry Hyung, we’re coming.”

Jimin winks at you, tossing you your discarded shirt and rumpled skirt- but tucks your panties in his pocket before you get a chance to protest. 

You pull on your clothes as swiftly as possible, busying yourself from feeling a full assault of shame. While all Jimin has to do is tuck himself into his briefs, tug up his pants and redo is belt, he gets a chance to chuckle at you in amusement.

 The coffee stain on the white rumpled shirt makes you release a disgusted scoff. 

“You better buy me a new fucking shirt.” 

Jimin’s laughs happily before reaching forwards to unlock the door. 

© minstrophywife.

[hellzyeahwebwielingessays]

The Not-So-Amazing Mary Jane Part 29: AMJ #4.1

Previous Part

Next Part

Master Post

I don’t have any preamble. Let’s just get on with this.

Thankfully the recap page isn’t as bad as in prior issues.

First of all, we get yet more information not introduced in the earlier issues. Admittedly this is a minor point, but Ken Gullapalli’s last name is first revealed here. Additionally, we get the title of the movie repeated her, even though it has yet to be mentioned in-story.

More significantly, the recap ascribes additional motivations to the Savage Six. It claims that they took umbrage with Mysterio’s life being dramatized at all, whereas prior issues never implied that. Isn’t it great that part of the motivation for the villains is being explained in the recap page.

Another minor point worth noting is that the recap mixes up the sequence of events. It claims Sonny Diperna joined the movie and then the Savage Six attacked. It was actually the other way around. Also, the recap claims the movie lost all but one investor. Depending upon how you wish to interpret that line, it might also be called inaccurate. The investor they found in issue #2 was never one of the original investors. The movie lost all  of it’s investors but then found a new one.

Neither of these are that big of a deal. But those are pretty basic thing for a recap  to screw up. It’s another example to the shoddy production of this comic (outside the art).

The story proper picks up immediately where the last issue left off. Charlie (the actor playing Spider-Man) quits, claiming the production is cursed. He points out everything has gone wrong, even before the crew were attacked by actual super villains.

MJ counters that things have been looking up since they found a new secure location. Charlie though points out this ‘secure location’ is an abandoned zoo too horrible for anyone to even want to attack them. Charlie accuses MJ of being delusional for believing in the movie.

You know I never had anything to say about Charlie up until now, but in this moment he is the single most relatable character in the whole story.

What’s ambiguous is Williams’ own perception of the character. He’s clearly been framed in an unsympathetic light (and will be again in consequent pages) so the audience isn’t supposed to like him. And yet he is keeping it real, he is pointing out every danger and problem with the production and why it isn’t safe.

I don’t know if he’s intended to be an audience avatar, and author avatar or both. But he’s certainly my  avatar right now.

Charlie’s rant continues by claiming people are going to laugh at Sonny Diperna and MJ for participating in this disaster of a movie. ‘McKnight’ then gets up in Charlie’s personal space and grabs him by the shirt. He yells that speaking to MJ the way he did would have gotten him fired anyway. With Mallorie’s prompting, ‘McKnight’ tells Charlie that he’ll be returning the advance he was given for the scene he’s left unfinished.

Charlie though has other ideas.

Charlie wasn’t exactly being rude. The worst thing he said was that MJ was being delusional. Putting aside how she genuinely has been, in context it’s a perfectly valid thing to say. MJ has been pushing and backing an extremely troubled production that has genuinely intimidated Charlie and jeopardised his wellbeing. Last issue alone confirmed several cast and crewmembers had quite the production after the Six’s attack.

Even if it wasn’t fair to call MJ delusional (which it absolutely is), in context Charlie’s outburst is totally sympathetic, it’s something the cast and crew should be able to excuse given the situation. Not to mention, he’s outright warning  MJ. He’s informing her she is endangering her career and public image by participating in the film. I’m not saying this is outright concern, but on balance his dialogue to MJ is not exactly rude. He’s justifiably upset and is pointing out the dangers to MJ.

Beck in this scene is problematic. I’m not going to say he assaulted  Charlie, but he was way out of line for grabbing him the way he did. That should b the umpteenth warning sign to MJ (who noticeably does nothing) that Beck is bad news and dangerous.

I also detest the framing of Beck in this page. He’s framed as someone defending MJ’s honour, or at the very least a loyal friend. It’s yet more of this messed up sympathetic/friendship portrayal of Beck and his relationship with Mary Jane.

Finally, notice how no one is considering how Charlie’s departure seriously jeopardises the crew. He is now someone constantly off set who knows exactly where the crew are. Do they consider changing location? No. Do they consider that the Six will target Charlie for information no. It’s stupid enough that they aren’t involving the authorities at all. But if you accept that then it’s really stupid for them to not consider Charlie a liability.

On the next page Charlie tries to blackmail ‘McKnight’. He threatens to call his guild rep and report unsafe working conditions; citing the Six’s attack. That is unless he’s allowed to keep his advance. ‘McKnight’ literally tosses cash at Charlie and tells him to leave.

I have nothing really to say about this page. It’s just kind of screwed up that Williams has chosen to make the one character  who’s talking some sense unsympathetic.

On the next page MJ proposes that she will play (a fully masked) Spider-Man in the final scene. She suggests Beck use his skills to ‘heavily edit’ the footage to make her look convincing.

Okay, so this is a double-edged sword.

On the plus side we’re finally dealing more with MJ actually acting  in a mini-series set up to be about that very premise. Having her pretend to be her lover is also a brilliant set up for character exploration. Have MJ, in an abstract way, see Peter in a new light by pretending to be him. But the potential for interesting commentary goes deeper, because she’s acting out Mysterio’s vision for Spider-Man. It’s an opportunity for Williams to explore MJ and Mysterio’s contrasting views of Spidey. That in turn could say a lot about MJ and Beck, as well as Peter himself.

But on the other hand…isn’t this pretty dumb?

Peter and Mary Jane have completely different body builds. According to official stats, Peter is 2 inches taller than her and weights nearly 50 pounds more than her. Then of course you have the fact that Spider-MAN has a MALE body shape and Mary Jane has a FEMALE body shape. And what about the dialogue? How is MJ supposed to convincingly pull off Charlie’s voice?

Oh, sure Beck’s skills are more than capable of faking the difference. But what is the point?

Why use Mary Jane when you could just use any of the actual men on set?

Master Matrix is in that very scene. His body build might not be identical to Spider-Man’s, but it looks similar enough. Or at the very least it looks far more similar than MJ’s body build does.

In fairness, I don’t know much about Master Matrix, so maybe he’s not capable of the physical movements necessary for the job; he is a robot after all. But there are definitely, other  male crewmembers on set. The Kangaroo for example is an actual super villain, he’s literally battled Spider-Man and he also has a far similar body build to Spidey than MJ does.

One might argue that it’s not all about the body type though, they need someone who can act the part, deliver the dialogue. Except if that’s the case, why get MJ? She’s a talented actress but she’ll be wearing a mask, her facial acting will be moot. This means it will just boil down to her ability to voice act, but she is neither  trained VA nor would she believably sound like Charlie/Spider-Man. Realistically ‘McKnight’ would have to use technical wizardry to distort MJ’s voice into sounding like Charlie’s. That’s more than likely within his abilities (especially with master Matrix and HERBIE’s help). But you know what would be much easier? Having someone else dub over the footage!

That’d be a lot cheaper, easier and more dramatically effective than altering the vocal performance of the actor in the suit. In fact, given how the mask is realistically going to muffle the voice of the wearer, ADR would likely be employed anyway. If memory serves I think they have done that in every real life Spider-Man film since 2002. Hell, Darth Vader  was brought to life with a suit and a voice performance.

The point is Beck wouldn’t need  someone in the suit who can deliver dialogue great, so why not get someone with a closer body build?

Shit, if he’s employed so much of his illusionary skills anyway, why not just fake Spider-Man himself? Jesus, Christ he could just make a Spider-Man robot if he wanted or dress up one of the X-Men robots from issue #1.

Or he  could play Spider-Man himself. He literally did that in his first ever appearance!

No matter how you slice it, this is yet another interesting idea Williams fails to sufficiently justify.

Moving on, remember how the worst thing Charlie did was call MJ delusional? Remember how Beck took this as an immense insult? Yeah, well he immediately does the same thing on the next page.

Beck explains he’s very uncomfortable with MJ playing that role. MJ retorts that it’s just one scene and since audiences would be none the wiser it wouldn’t affect her character’s arc. She starts to suggest Beck use his illusions to affect the change but Beck interjects that that’d be cheating and would ruin the authenticity of his work. MJ counters that she’s the most ‘authentic connection to Spidey’ Beck will find.

Beck accepts MJ’s offer. He reminisces that MJ was supposed to play his love interest, a version of someone he wanted to exalt. He then acknowledges MJ has become the saving grace of the movie, making her the second  woman who had the ‘misfortune’ of believing in him. He further elaborates that they’ve strayed so far from his original vision for the film, he sometimes questions if it’s even the same movie.  MJ reassures him that he’s just pivoted.

While this conversation is happening, Mallorie is dealing with another issue. Sonny Diperna has been running late because the paparazzi were tipped off about his inclusion. As a result he can’t get close to the set’s location without revealing it’s location. Mallorie turns to Screwball who launches several remote controlled drones.

A few things to unpack from these pages.

The first is that MJ has it in mind for Beck to use his illusions to finish the scene; something Beck ultimately agrees to. If they were just going to use illusions anyway why do they need MJ specifically to finish the scene? Again they could just get any of the male actors, extras or staff members to fill in.

Shit, they could get Screwball  to do it. These pages depict her acrobatic prowess; and weren’t the first to do so. Additionally she’s actually faced off against Spider-Man herself. Between the two of them Screwball is far more qualified than MJ in recreating Spider-Man’s movements and physical prowess. Her on set job also isn’t something necessary to film a scene. If she were in charge of lighting or the cameraperson then that’d be one thing. But she could almost do her job between takes or hand over her responsibilities to someone else temporarily.

MJ’s justification that she is the most authentic connection to Spider-Man is a moot point. Yeah, she has more of a connection to Spider-Man than anyone on set…and? Charlie had 0 connection to the real Spider-Man, and yet he was cast in the role and ideally would be finishing the movie. What on Earth does MJ’s personal connection to Spider-Man have to do with anything?

It can’t be some nonsense about her being able to act well in the scene. Again, realistically she’d be dubbed over and/or her voice would be distorted affecting any vocal performance she’d give. Not to mention her job wouldn’t be to draw upon her personal knowledge of Peter. It’d be to do what Beck would want of her, to bring his  vision of Spider-Man to life. At the same time her job would be to synch up as best as she could with Charlie’s performance in all the other scenes. She isn’t creating her take on Spider-Man from the ground up, therefore her ‘authentic connection’ is meaningless.

Also isn’t MJ smart to be hinting to the incredibly clever trickster that she’s got a personal connection to Spider-Man. It’s not like he could research her, learn she’s has (and has had in the past) long-term relationships with Peter Parker.

You know, that guy who famously took Spider-Man’s pictures for the longest time and created Spider-Man’s tech and had Spider-Man as his bodyguard when he ran Parker Industries. If you accept the (BS) post-OMD explanation that everything happened the same way but Pete and MJ just weren’t married then that means Beck could learnt his stuff with Google. This is evidenced by Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #1, wherein literal school children were able to look up Peter and learn about his relationship with Mary Jane.

Mary Jane realistically should already be wary of Beck handpicking her for the movie anyway. She should already suspect that that had something to do with her connection to Spidey. Not only did Williams ignore that, but now she’s just having MJ outright wink to Beck that she has a connection to Spider-Man. That’s not endangering herself, her family, her friends or Spidey’s identity now is it?

Let’s talk about Mysterio. So his dream was to make this biopic about himself. He’s got only a little time to make it before he is literally dragged back to Hell. He envisions it as his magnum opus. A chance to be forgiven by the masses and to make amends to his old flame Betsy. And he’s you know…super egotistical and selfish. His history reveals that to us. His original origin entails him wanting to steal Spider-Man’s limelight by framing him. A revised origin entails him feeling pushed aside in spite of his talent.

So is he really  going to compromise this much? Is he really going to so drastically revise the role of the one woman he arguably ever loved to this extent?

The answer is Hell no.

Remember when Beck assaulted someone in the first issue because they insulted his ego?

Remember when he delivered a grand speech about the meaning of art in issue #2?

Is he really  going to allow something so important to him be distorted this much? Is he really going to just meekly accept questioning if it’s even his vision anymore?

Again, Hell no, that’s not in character.

And MJ’s rationale is totally nonsensical from Beck’s POV. The whole point of MJ’s character was wrapped up in Beck’s affections for the real life woman she was playing. But now her role is totally unrecognizable from how he began. That’s not a pivot, it’s a wholesale change. Or at least, that’s how Beck would view it.

In the best-case scenario, we could interpret his attitude as evidence of insincerity. As in, he wasn’t actually all that hung up on ‘exalting’ Betsy. At which point MJ should be on her toes and concerned about how genuine he’s been about anything else. Then again she should’ve been at least wary long before now.

As for the other story thread in these pages, we’ll get to that in a little while.

On the next age, Diperna is confused as to who Screwball is. The paparazzi are following his car in several cars. That’s when Screwball’s drones show up and dazzle them with some flashing lights of their own.

Sonny’s confusion over Screwball is itself confusing because he was literally in the same scene as her in the last issue.

Additionally, it’s incredibly  dangerous to blind any drivers with flashing lights under any circumstances. Shit, when I was learning to drive it was drilled into me how dangerous it would be to be dazzled by another car and how to avoid accidentally dazzling them myself. Here Screwball is deliberately  dazzling three cars. Some of them have open tops and people practically hanging out of them unbuckled.

And on top of that they are clearly moving at speed, around a bend on some kind of upward slope. Accidentally dazzling them with regular car headlights would be a recipe for disaster. Here though, Screwball is using at least six drones to deliberately dazzle them. You can tell from the art and sound effects that one of the cars had to make an abrupt stop. We don’t know if the riders incurred any injuries from that alone but it would’ve been all too easy. Frankly it was really lucky no one was seriously hurt.

I guess you could justify this in a case of self-defence, but the paparazzi were not endangering Sonny’s life. Not unless you argue their cameras were themselves dazzling his driver. But it’s not clear that that was happening and even if it was, that’s not a justification for what Screwball did. Not to mention he could have ended any jeopardy the paparazzi posed by simply stopping the car, getting out and answering their questions. Sure he’d be late, but it’s a lot safer than the alternative. Besides he was already late and it’s publicity for the film.

I’m not suggesting this was out of character for Screwball. But I am saying MJ has just seen a criminal do something extremely  dangerous for no justifiable reason. Bu rights her judgement should no longer be reserved about Screwball as it was last issue. Not that it ever should have been. She should be telling Beck to get rid of her or at least try to keep her under control somehow.

Somehow I doubt that will happen.

By the way, the paparazzi are yelling at Diperna during the car chase…why? Neither he nor they could possibly hear one another in that situation.

I am going to leave it there for now as the next few pages are so bad I’ve decided to dedicate a whole post just to them before continuing onto the rest of the issue.

Previous Part

Next Part

Master Post

[feargender]

talk to me into the night again

written for @jupeterweek‘s day one prompt: reunion

read here on ao3

The ship that Juno will be living in for the foreseeable future is not especially spacious. A galley and living area sit above the cargo bay, and lining a hallway are several small bedrooms, equipped with a bed, a closet, and a small half-bathroom stall crammed into the corner. The showers are communal, but the water pressure is decent, Buddy assured them as she gestured around at the amenities. One of the storage rooms had been converted into a medbay. Above all of this is the bridge, with an array of buttons and knobs and toggles that Juno is acutely wary of. He keeps his hands deep in his pockets for this portion of the tour. Below everything is an engine room, that they are not allowed into but shown the door all the same. 

The ship is not spacious, and two people on it are avoiding him. Rita had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since he didn’t tell her what exactly Agent Rex Glass was doing sitting in the cargo bay of a spaceship full of criminals, and why exactly she was the only one who seemed surprised by this. Which, well. Juno was surprised, but not for the same reasons Rita was. But it wasn’t really the place or time to tell her, “Actually, Rita, Rex Glass is only one in a long list of aliases this man has used in his extensive career as an intergalactic master thief. I have known this since almost the beginning, but didn’t tell you. Also, he may be directly related to the first time I lost my eye. Further, I am in love with him but have almost certainly damaged any chances of a relationship we may have beyond repair.” 

He settled with a very tactful, “Not right now, Rita, please.” She took this with some indignation, which is fair, but does mean that his only ally on this ship is now unavailable. After his initial greeting, Nureyev dematerialized, somehow managing to be wherever Juno wasn’t for the entirety of the first day until that evening. This may have been made slightly easier by the fact that after the tour, Juno retired to his room to slurp anxiously from his precious reserve of moonshine and fight down a panic attack for several hours. 

That first dinner was tense, even though Rita talked through the entire meal. She made it abundantly clear that she was not talking to Juno. Nureyev- Adrian King, Juno reminds himself firmly- was also quiet, but maybe that’s just a part of his persona. Juno can’t tell, and also can’t read much from Buddy, Vespa, or Jet. 

However, when Juno volunteers to do the dishes after their meal, Nureyev makes himself comfortable with what appears to be a novel on the tablet at the table in front of him, and seems content to not move. And also to not acknowledge Juno’s presence at all as he familiarizes himself with the kitchen. 

Even sharing his space silently, with both of them occupied, is torturous. Juno washes, dries, and puts away the dishes and makes a point to learn the placement of everything in the cabinets and cupboards, but the entire time he is also acutely aware of Nureyev’s close proximity. 

He hasn’t changed his cologne, and it threatens to suffocate Juno. 

Once he finishes, Juno stays in the kitchen, staring out the thick porthole window at the black expanse of space. He sees stars, and a few planets in the distance. Nureyev shifts in his seat, getting comfortable. Juno wonders, briefly, if it would be less painful to cast himself out of the ship and into that black nothing, but then shoves that line of thinking away entirely. 

In the months since… everything, Juno has firmly clung to his resolve to improve. Sometimes improvement only looks like refusing to wryly consider his own demise as preferable to emotional discomfort, but it's an improvement nonetheless. 

Juno tears his gaze away from the porthole and turns to leave, heart pounding against his ribs furiously. He stops in the doorway, but doesn’t turn. “Maybe we could talk, if you ever have a minute,” he says, his voice sounding awkward and stiff to his own ears. Then, he takes very measured steps back to his own bedroom. And if it’s a conscious effort on his part to not run, then no one has to know it but him. 

He pauses outside of Rita’s door and hears one of her streams running, but doesn’t go in. He doesn’t know what to say to her, anyway. Instead, he sets about putting his own bedroom to rights, dressing his bed with his own comfortable blanket he brought from Mars instead of the thin, scratchy one that came with the room. Inevitably, his clothes will end up tossed in all corners of the room, but to start with, he organizes them in the small closet and dresser provided. 

After a moment of thought, he uses some tape and sticks up a single photograph to the wall above his bed. One of the last pictures taken of him and Benzaiten, after Juno’s induction into the HCPD. They’re both smiling, Juno looking stuffy in his blue dress uniform, Benten looking breezy in a pale yellow shirt. Sarah had been the one to take the photo, and Juno remembers that she was smiling too. It looks a little silly, small and wrinkled on the wall, but this is the best way Juno can think of to share some of his escape with his brother. 

Juno is sitting on the edge of his bed, contemplating where he might best find some sticky putty for the few paintings he was able to bring with him, when there’s a gentle knock on the door. 

“Come in,” he calls, voice a little rough. 

The door opens wide enough for Nureyev to peer in, and then he steps through fully, looking as stiff and uncomfortable as Juno has ever seen him. Even staring down possible death, he had such a cool energy about him, unruffled and unconcerned. Now, standing in Juno’s doorway, his face is pinched and his hands are fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. At Juno’s glance, they still immediately, going to rest firmly at his sides. 

After a moment of silence, Juno scoots over on his bed and pats the space next to him invitingly. There’s no other seating in the room, but Nureyev doesn’t seem particularly disturbed by the suggestion, settling quietly next to Juno. Juno doesn’t think that either of them are ready for him to begin speaking, yet, but is also at a loss of what to do, and so instead just sits.

Nureyev eventually begins to rummage through the small collection of paintings Juno brought with him, lifting them out of Juno’s bag and examining them with quick, keen eyes. If things were different, Juno might have laughed. Nureyev is a thief, before everything, always hunting out potential valuables. In a time of intense discomfort, his answer is to snoop. 

After a thorough search through the small collection, Nureyev meets Juno’s eye for the first time. “These are atrocious, Juno,” he says, one side of his mouth pulling up in what may either be a smile or a sneer. 

Juno shrugs. “I like bad art. I like wondering if it’s good to someone, or if it’s bad on purpose. Also, bad art is usually cheaper than good art.” 

The other side of Nureyev’s mouth pulls up, and it’s definitely a smile. It vanishes quickly, however, as Nureyev grows restless again. He looks for something else to grab his attention, and his eyes land on the picture of Juno and Benzaiten. He blinks. “Your brother,” he murmurs. “You were twins. I didn’t know that.” 

Juno squints at him. “I thought you looked into me,” he says doubtfully. 

“Not that deeply,” Nureyev replies. 

Juno huffs out a breath to fight down a wave of unwelcome emotion. Thinking about Benten is still hard in many ways, and he doesn’t need any added difficult emotions roiling inside of his chest. “I would really rather not talk about Benzaiten right now, if that’s alright,” he says meekly. 

Nureyev looks at Juno again, eyes stuck on his face, while Juno stares instead at one of his ugly paintings. It depicts a woman, but it’s like a child did it, and not in a way that adds character or charm. The warbled shapes and blobs of color make her look slightly nightmarish, or in one of the middle stages of decomposition. 

“What do you want to talk about then, Juno?” Nureyev asks softly. 

Juno replies to the painting, though he can feel Nureyev watching him still. “I don’t really know. Or, I do know. I just don’t know where to start. Can you… give me a minute?” He steals a glance out of the corner of his eye, and catches Nureyev’s careful nod. “I feel like I need to explain, but I also feel like whatever I have to say doesn’t really matter. Like, I want to apologize, but being sorry doesn’t change that I hurt you, on purpose, and that it wasn’t fair. And I want to tell you everything that lead me to make the decision that I did, and everything apart from that. And that I have spent a lot of time thinking it over, and thinking about if there was any way I could have run away with you instead of from you. But I guess even if I told you all of that, it might be meaningless? 

“I don’t know if knowing would be better for you or worse, or if you could forgive me or not. And forgiveness isn’t really the point anymore. So, saying all of that, what I really want to tell you is that I remember that thing you said to me, back with Engstrom and the train. You said that it isn’t kind to tell someone that their gift means nothing to you. You were right. You gave me a lot, a whole lot of yourself, and I treated it like it didn’t mean anything. But I, uh, I know it did. And I’m sorry that I betrayed your trust. And also, I never really told you, but I trusted you, too. And I still do. That’s… that’s it, I guess.” Juno clears his throat and ignores the insistent ache behind his eye, tears threatening to spill over. 

Nureyev is quiet for a long moment, still watching him. Juno continues to look at the morphed, terrible woman in the painting. He can almost count the brush strokes that gave form to her swollen, puckered mouth. 

When Nureyev speaks, Juno almost jumps. “I was angry for a long time, because being angry was much easier than being hurt. And you did hurt me, Juno, very deeply. I have also thought about it a lot over these past years, however. After the anger and the hurt faded, I was able to see it more clearly, and I realize that the mistakes weren’t all yours. We were both in an extremely vulnerable place, that night. Neither of us were capable of reasoning or clear thinking, not really. When I asked you to come away with me, I know now that it must have sounded like an ultimatum, and that both telling me no and actually following through with it would have felt equally impossible. 

“I wish we could have talked about it, but I don’t know what would have come of that. I couldn’t stay, you couldn’t go. Truly, we barely knew each other. I’m not saying what you did was right, but what I did wasn’t right either. I forgave you a while ago, Juno. But I am also not entirely sure how to move forward from there. I want… to be honest, I want a lot of things, but most of them are entirely unreasonable to ask for right from the beginning; I am clear headed enough to know that now.” 

Juno nods, finally looking up at Nureyev. He’s grown out his hair since last they saw each other, it’s just long enough for the small knot he has it in at the back of his head, though a few black strands slip free and tickle his cheeks. “Would it be too much to ask for us to start over? As, I don’t know, friends? Or something?” Juno asks sheepishly. 

“I think that’s very reasonable,” Nureyev smiles then, and Juno would almost call the expression shy. “As your friend, can I hold your hand?” 

Juno’s face breaks into a small grin before he can stop it, a slightly hysterical laugh bubbling up from his chest. He twines his fingers with Nureyev’s own, daring to lean his head against his shoulder. Nureyev allows it and they sit like that for a bit. 

“Not to ruin the moment, but I have heard some very alarming things from Siquliak and the news. What the hell happened on Mars?” Nureyev asks after a moment. 

Juno laughs again. “That’s a long story.” 

Nureyev chuckles back warmly. “We have time.” 

[schroedingersk8]

14. Three Most Common Mistakes Kinky People Make When Dating.

Writing as Mistress K8 Morgan, k8morgan.com

I got inspired to write this post when I was answering earlier questions. In my tenure as a full-time Kinkstar (note the play on the word kinkster) – and yes, I use this definition today because regardless of who we are, dominant or submissive, fetishists, sadists, masochists, lifestyle or professional, we all tend to walk into these mistakes head first – I have done so myself when I was younger, and I have seen and heard too many stories of couples and individuals blaming all and everything around them for their own inability to sort even themselves out, let alone a relationship! Blame game is easier, and might be tempting, but up until you snap out of it, you will be making same bitter mistakes over and over and over again…

1.  The first, most fundamental, and probably most common dating mistake for any type of kinkster is to reject the fact that they have a kink. To refuse it. To deny it. To sweep it under the carpet. To bury it deep inside their unconsciousness, and spend 24/7 guarding it, in case it comes out. 

“Nope. Nope, Not me! I do not like it! I may look at kinky porn all day, but I do not like it! Nope! People who do it are disgusting, sick and disgusting!” 

Or a milder version: “I like it, it is fun. But I have outgrown it now. I am now fully vanilla, and I do not need to revisit kink for the rest of my life. I will just be a happy innocent vanilla individual from now on, happy with the bland happiness of the masses, not missing the spices at all. Here, take my whip, and give me a cooking apron…” 

Or an even subtler version yet:  “I really want to be treated like a sub, but I am too embarrassed to tell my GF about it… What will she think? This is embarrassing… After all, she is my life partner, I have so much to lose if I tell her…” Latter is solely a male thing, never heard of a woman having a problem in telling her guy that she is kinky! 

And the sad truth is that, whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, but YOU ARE KINKY, and you may deny it until you are blue in the face, but it will not go anywhere. And the more you deny it, the more it will be coming out sideways, in forms of irritability, stress, anxiety, avoidance behaviour, even erectile dysfunction. Go ahead and try to explain to your partner of two years why you are sporting a “floppy disk” every time you try to shag her, yet get rock hard every time you see a woman dangle her shoe somewhere in a restaurant. I dare you!

2.  But even those who see, recognise, and acknowledge, at least to themselves, the fact that they are kinky, still often commit the second most common mistake of dating – refusing to act upon it. For whatever moral reasons one might imagine. 

Usually, if they are dating, it is because they have decided that their GF will dump them at an instant if they tell her. And if they are single, it is because “they cannot find a kinky GF”. Truth is, NEITHER are a good or valid reason, and they are either cowards or lazy, or both. Yes, it takes a fair amount of bravery to come out and start acting upon your kinks – but that is where we, the Professionals, come in. And, contrary to general belief, MOST people survive a session. Absolute vast majority! 😊 

And this particularly goes out to my millennial friends: denying your fantasies a reality check leads to a very distorted perception of yourself, your kink needs, and of the idea what your future relationships need to be… 

This is why I keep telling them that most submissive guys I’ve met, and that is probably more than they’ve met, do not NEED a Dominatrix as a girlfriend. You may THINK you do, for years, and then go, have one session of two hours with a good Professional Domina, and suddenly realise how great, fulfilling yet exhausting it is and that the effect will last you another month! So you can go forth and date whomever you see fit, as long as they are understanding of your needs and kinks. Because believe you me, it is much cheaper to see Dominatrices for sessions than it is to date us!

3.  And the third, and final mistake that I will describe in this post is imagining things that are not there, be it about yourself or others: 

“My girlfriend asked me to take the rubbish out! Ohh ohhhh… She must be dominant, and so kinky! Thank god I found someone like that, whom I could serve with my all soul!” -- Sweetie, just because someone asked you to do something does not mean they are kinky, or dominant, or even know your middle name. By your logic your good old boss must be an outright perv as I bet he/she tells you what to do all the time!

“Oh my god, the feet of this girl are so perfect, such toes, I am so hard… Gosh, I must be such a submissive man, I need a Dominatrix as a GF ASAP… oh wait, that other girl has really nice tits… Hmmmm!!! False alarm!” -- One does not necessarily exclude another, but it would behoof you to be at least somewhat sure. Otherwise you’d appear as a complete lunatic to anyone who’d speak to you!

“My GF has never asked me to choke her – she is probably as vanilla as they get!” -- Have you ever asked your GF to do you with a strap-on? No!?? You must be as vanilla as they get...

“Mistress, I am a lowly, undeserving slave, I have this deep devotion to the Superior Sex and believe in Female supremacy, and I need a Mistress like You to serve her 24/7 and to give up my daily life to serve just Her and Her alone!” -- No, sweetie, what you ARE is a middle manager, what you HAVE is a mortgage, a car loan, a wife, two kids and a dog, and what you NEED is a pat on the back with a shovel, and if that fails, a quick lunch-time lobotomy. If you leave your daily life, who’s going to take the rubbish out upon request from your “dominant” wife???

Stop trying to label everything and everyone, stop trying to make decisions for other people, stop chasing ultra-realistic pink unicorns -- and just…talk to your partner or a professional! My name, Schroedinger’s K8, is just about that – until you open that conversation, you partner can both be kinky and not kinky at the same time. And so can you!  Being kinky is just ONE side of you, I hope, and there definitely should be more to you and your personality than kink. Accept it, the same way as you have accepted your kinks. It will lead to a much more wholesome you, and a much more wholesome relationship you have, with yourself and with your partner, too!

And that is it for today, boys and girls. I know this may seem like an easy thing to write, being a Professional Dominatrix, but I have learnt through these mistakes the hard way myself… They say experience is a harsh teacher – but boy do you learn!!!

No one, under the penalty of the EU copyright laws, is allowed to use or reproduce my blog or individual posts, or even passages, in any way, shape or form, be it for Netflix series, Amazon books, or anything of the kind, regardless of the credit given.

[hightress]

As If He Had A Choice (Bakugou x Midoriya)

This is my gift for the sweet @brown-rice on tumblr fo the @bkdksecretsanta event. Hope you'll like it, sweetheart, it was a pleasure writing it for you!

A03 link

Relationship: Bakugou Katsuki / Midoriya Izuku

Tags: Fluff and Humor, Christmas Fluff, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki, Pro Hero Midoriya Izuku, Established Relationship

Word Count: 2.2k

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair how that freckled idiot could just grin at him in that annoying way of his - all wide, pearly white teeth and freaking dimples showing - and ask for something, no matter what, expecting Bakugou to say yes to any stupid idea of his. And then get exactly what he wanted. Like what the fuck?!

Bakugou was strong enough to say 'no'. Shout it even. Repeat it again and again and again until it got engraved over his moronic forehead. He was good at this, did it every day, with anyone.

Anyone that wasn't Deku, of course.

"We're not decorating the entire house," were his words every single time Deku asked. "I don't give a rat's ass if it's Christmas or not, I don't need or want to waste time putting up things all over the goddamn flat only to waste even more time taking them down." All rough words, all clear. Should've sent the message across but, judging what followed next, wasn't the case.

"But, Kacchan, it'll just be a tree. Please..."

Big eyes, green and shiny and pleading, hoping and waiting for Bakugou to give in.

"Don't give me that shit, Deku. Why the hell would we even need a tree?" They were both in the hallway, fully dressed in their hero costumes, ready to go. Someone was in danger a few streets away from them and here they were, proper, licensed heroes, talking about freaking decorations.

"It's traditional. Besides, everyone will have one." A short pause before he moved his eyes to the floor and his smile turned into that curve of insecurity and awkwardness that Bakugou could not stand. "And...I thought  it would be nice to have one as well"

He hated that look. Despised seeing Deku make himself smaller instead of looking right up into Bakugou's eyes, shouting and demanding loud and clear what he felt like he deserved. He wasn't a kid anymore. He wasn't Bakugou's inferior like, maybe once, they felt he was. He was a hero in his own right and he was strong. Incredibly so. If he could stand up against an army of villains, he sure as hell could stand up for himself in front of Bakugou for some stupid tree.

Not that Bakugou would make things easier for him. "I don't care what the others are doing. This is my flat."

It wasn't a fight, just a mere discussion. It was constructive - for both of them, it always was. They stopped fighting for real, leaving all that toxicity in the past.

"This is also my flat and I want a Christmas tree, Kacchan," replied Izuku, his eyes staring at Bakugou steadily, holding his gaze with confidence. "So I'll be getting one."

That's what Bakugou liked to see. Sometimes it took some time for Izuku to speak up properly, even with him, especially to him, but he was getting better. That 'I'll be getting one' was a statement. It didn't leave any space for rejection or doubts. It wasn't as if Bakugou could just say 'No, you're not' or 'I won't let you'.  It was Izuku's decision. Bakugou had no power over him or over what he wanted. And, to be honest, he quite enjoyed having Izuku in charge from now and then, even if for something as trivial as decorating the flat.

He didn't say anything in return to Izuku's words, but a tiny, tiny smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

That small gesture was what did it. Made that contagious grin resurface, just as blinding as always. And, just like that, the word 'no' disappeared from Bakugou's vocabulary completely. There was going to be a tree, end of story.

Damned be that smile. Damned be the way it made Bakugou feel. And damned be the fact that he didn't regret it one bit.

Thankfully, they had to go, leaving behind this whole discussion for a bit. Bakugou might've agreed to the idea but he sure didn't want to say it out loud. Some things were meant to be kept inside. Besides, Deku was smart enough to understand him properly.

Most of the time.

Stubborn was a good word to describe Izuku - stubbornly ambitious to be exact. That's what brought him to UA and what made him surpass every single obstacle life has thrown his way. Bakugou remembered himself laughing and mocking that ambition constantly, not being able to understand him or accept those qualities. He couldn't get how someone could be just as ambitious as him, maybe even more so, while still staring at him and everyone else from thousands of steps below with an almost frightening determination.

The same stubbornness was what made him bring up the Christmas tree problem again later that day, as soon as they saw the two villains they had to take care of locked up appropriately.

He was taking off the gloves of his hero costume, still covered in mud and slightly burned at the edge of his index finger when he asked: "Do you want to buy it on our way back or during the weekend? They might be cheaper now."

Bakugou stopped what he was doing and looked at Izuku, a blank expression on his face. "It's not even December." Then, he moved his head to the side, not meeting Izuku's eyes, and muttered: "Besides, we're not buying one."

Disappointment hit Izuku instantly. He opened his mouth to protest, but he only managed to let out a cried out "Kacchan, we've already-" before he got interrupted by Bakugou.

"We'll be building the shit."

If Izuku seemed confused before, his confusion only intensified after this. It was clear in his posture.

And, this once, Bakugou didn't waste any more time waiting to explain himself.

"We can't just use a tree some barbarian cut from the forests, Deku. Fucking hell, I like the smell, but I refuse to destroy the future of our goddamn planet for some shitty tradition. And the plastic ones are just as bad for the environment."

For the millionth time that year, Izuku rolled his eyes fondly at Bakugou's antics, a small, soft smile, curving the edge of his lips. Because of some documentary they have watched a couple weeks after they moved in together, years after they left UA behind and started their careers, Bakugou became obsessed with the idea of preserving the nature, recycling and, as he, himself, would've said it, 'all the other crap.' It shouldn't have surprised him, especially considering how he always went way out of his way when something interested him. And since he had started focusing more of on helping people rather than his own pride and desire for a position that mattered less than saving lives, Bakugou did the same thing. He didn't limit himself to wanting to protect citizens. He also used his energy to save the very earth they walked on and everything in between.

Because, as he liked to say, 'what was the point of rescuing them now if they were only going to suffer and live in ruin in the years to come?'

A valid question and one that many heroes never came across even after decades of calling themselves pros.

"How?" asked Izuku, smiling at him, all traces of confusion and doubt gone. Because despite how practical Bakugou's idea seemed, they were both disasters when it came to building things from scratch.

They rarely had the patience to stay put for more than a couple of minutes and they both knew it.

"Hell if I know," admitted Bakugou. But, somehow, this time there was a light in his eyes that told Izuku he was more than a little excited to try. After all, there were few things in existence that Bakugou loved more than a good challenge.

Gathering all the materials for it took less than they expected. In just two days they had an entire bag full of paper, ready to be painted, cut and reassembled. They had only needed to send a message to one of their old UA chats, asking for any kind of unwanted paper they might have around the house and in less than an hour, they had both Kirishima and Kaminari donating every single one of their notebooks and test papers. Which was a lot.

"Why are you donating them all, dipshits?" Bakugou had asked them when they met personally to give them to him.

"We just wanted to help, dude," answered Kaminari with a shit-eating grin and with the most innocent look in his eyes. But all three of them knew better than to believe that lie.

"Just take them, Bakugou. And send us all a picture when the tree is up," said Kirishima instead, beating Bakugou's back twice before saying goodbye, hurrying to get to his own hero agency.

Painting every single page in green took the longest. It was horrible and unexpectedly expensive. Bakugou almost gave up twice, growling at the paint, before remembering that he couldn't ever give up on anything. Just looking at him exhausted Izuku sometimes.

How Bakugou could manage so much energy was one of his life's biggest wonders.

They stopped from time to time for a snack or to stare at the old tests in their hands, remembering fondly (or pridefully, in Bakugou's case) the old days in which passing a harsh test with flying colors had been one of the most stressful things they had to deal with. Of course, Kaminari's answers on certain tests made them both laugh whenever he tried to answer a question by inventing equations or formulas.

"Oh, Pikachu, this symbol doesn't even fucking exist," smiled Bakugou, his eyes moving over the page. There was such an unguarded expression on his face, just looking back at messed up things their friends (God, how long it had taken for Bakugou to acknowledge that fact) used to do back in the day. Having him on the ground, in his socks and the embarrassing t-shirt and pants that were too worn up to wear outside but Bakugou refused to give up on, holding those papers, some filled with greens, some barely touched by paint, and with that smile all over his features, made Izuku happy. Truly, stupidly happy.

So happy that he wanted to jump on him in a less than elegant way and kiss him profoundly until Bakugou had no other choice but to step back, his cheeks tainted with that soft pink that Izuku adored.

He wanted to do it, so he did. And the result was just as wonderful as he had expected.

It has taken them a week to complete the tree. They had used some YouTube tutorials in order to learn how to create origami for the decorations and that brought them close to tears after the 43rd crane they had folded, their hands tired and full of cuts, but the end result had been worth it.

It was standing confidently in the middle of the room, neon colored bits of paper in the shape of animals clearly seen between the two shades of green they have chosen for the tree. Of course, it wasn't perfect - the position not straight enough, the paint job messy in certain places, the paper folded asymmetrically in some cases - but it was theirs. And it wasn't like they were perfect either.

They shouted at each other often, said things they regretted due to pride and fear. But when they stopped to think, hours after, the end result was the same. They'd come together right there, in the living room, either shouting apologies at each other - often full of curses in Bakugou's case - or showing their remorse through touch alone. And every single time, they'd end up cuddled on the couch, too close for comfort on that tiny piece of furniture, a superhero movie displayed in the background that they rarely paid attention to. Instead, they listened to each other, their own heartbeat, their rhythmic breathing.

They grounded each other. And the tree showed their story well enough.

As they stepped back to look at the construction, pride rang loudly in their hearts.

"Can't wait to put your gift under this fucking mess," said Bakugou, turning towards Izuku, one of his rough hands searching for his.

(The greens of his fingers blended with Izuku's own orange ones, creating a mix of brown that should've been muddy and disgusting but, instead, looked warm and complex.)

Izuku held his hand tighter. "I'm sure mine will be better this year."

God, how they loved to compete over the smallest things. Affection often ended up being the one they played around with the most.

"You're fucking with me. There's no chance you'll win this time." So quietly whispered. So aggressive in wording but so completely different in message.

Izuku smiled, letting his head rest on Bakugou's shoulder. "We'll see."

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair how Izuku only needed to look at him once and ask for what he wanted, leaving Bakugou no possibility to deny him anything. It wasn't fair how he could use this weakness anytime, anywhere, and Bakugou would still say yes on every occasion.

The small twist he came up with didn't change reality at all.

The worst part? That Izuku could one day ask for the very last bit of Bakugou's heart that he hadn't owned yet and Bakugou... Bakugou would have no choice but to give it to him - without regrets, without any hesitation.

And he'd still find more to offer.

[mysticsparklewings]

Terrarium Nova

Would you guys believe this started out as me trying to practice trees & use up some leftover paints sitting in/on my palettes from other projects?   The tree practicing is for a different project I'll be doing later, and I'll share the specifics of then   But yeah, I have a good amount of leftover watercolor dried onto a couple of cheap palettes, as well as some acrylics paints in a palette meant to keep them fresh (but unless you monitor it and spritz them with water every couple of days, they will still eventually dry up) and I really hate to waste any of it if I can help it, especially when it's my slightly nicer stuff. (Some of it was, some of it wasn't) So I figured I'd try to kill two birds with one stone, and the end result ended up looking pretty cool, although I do still have some more paint that didn't get used here, so this may not be the last random-ish painting you see from me. Oh, and I was also recycling a little bit since I used the back of a giant piece of watercolor paper I had previously used as a protective mat for my desk. I started with the tree shapes, mostly inspired by Bonsai trunks, and that actually did use up pretty much all of the dark brownish paint I was using, so I was off to a strong start. Then I went in with some metallic watercolor that was leftover from my Butterfly Babe piece, which dried with more of the black and silver I had mixed into it on top for reason unbeknownst to me, so the first little hill/mound I made naturally came out darker and more silvery than the additional hills I added later than came out decidedly more gold. I think after that I added in the orange sun/planet (in my head it's the sun but a lot of the details here are very ambiguous in what they could potentially be) and an accompanying orange horizon line. Originally, I thought I was going to be making a very sunset-ish background with possibly a very red sky and mixing the yellows in more, but that obviously didn't end up happening. I was kinda just going with what I felt like and where the paint wanted to take me. So I ended up going in with the yellows (and later red and magenta) leftover from my $50 vs $4 Watercolors piece (these ones being the $50 ones, the $4 ones were put on a separate palette while I was using them so I wouldn't get the two mixed up) and ended up making many yellow hills to fill out the background some more, though admittedly the ones on the left kinda got away from me a little. And I'll pause here to say that I was using water brushes throughout this entire piece as opposed to actual paintbrushes, and every time I use those (at least when I'm getting proper water flow) I find that I tend to have a somewhat easier time getting certain watercolor effects, mostly when it comes to blending out hard edges. It's funny to me, as a lot of artists would say water brushes have a higher learning curve than regular brushes, and I'm sure some have a harder time with them. I think the main reason I have an easier time might be because back at the beginning of the year when I started re-discovering watercolor, the first set of paints that got (the Viviva watercolor sheets, for anyone who's curious) came with a water brush, and at the time I had never used one and was really excited to try it, as well as I just didn't have a ton of brushes at my disposal. Likewise, I spent a lot of my time learning watercolors on a water brush, whereas, naturally, most artists learn primarily on regular brushes. To be fair, I would like to one day invest in a slightly nicer set than the cheaper set of different size water brushes that I currently have, as these don't always flow correctly and at least one has a very slow leak where the top screws on, which hasn't caused any painting problems but is just kind of annoying because it very slowly gets my hand wet while I'm using it. Anyway. I then decided I hadn't used enough of that metallic paint and went in and added some dots of various sizes in the sky, since I didn't really feel like trying to make proper stars of any kind, but I wanted more up there and that seemed like a good place for more metallic paint. After that, the plan was to start on my red sky, but I started putting the red down and realized I hadn't cleaned my brush very good, so I got this interesting shimmery darker red color, and since I had already messed up, I liked the color enough I decided to make a moon out of it, which is why that red pot is hanging out over on the left side there. Why this "moon" and the "sun" are out at the same time, I couldn't tell you. Sometimes things just happen in art. That led me to the decision that instead of covering the whole sky in a color, I would just add some clouds, and I decided to got with the expensive magenta on my palette. Things were going fine until I grabbed more paint than water (as I was hoping for kind of pale/blended out soft clouds) and I ended up with some pretty nasty unblended lines one of the clouds and it was notably darker at the top than the others. And so I introduced the technique of "this one cloud got messed up so the rest of you have to suffer!"  And I also kind of had to be okay with none of the blending and layering on them turning out super smooth or nice for consistency's sake. And you know, it's not fine art or anything, but it doesn't look as terrible as I thought it was going to. (Though that could really be said for this entire piece. ) I also ended up adding in the purple-y mountains in the foreground after feeling bad that I'd neglected some of the paints I'd originally been intended to use the most, and I think in the end it adds a nice contrast and kind of ties the magenta clouds into the piece as a whole more. I knew I still wanted to do leaves on my trees, which were still just bare trunks and branches by this point, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for them yet, so I did this kind of dome thing for the sky, after acknowledge I did not want to have to try and get a smooth, consistent blue wash around everything else I'd already painted in. (Yes, I once again forgot the principal rule of painting--put the background in first) While that dried, I took a break to ponder my next move. I hadn't used any of the acrylic paints that I had leftover (more than I originally would've had too, as I ended up making a sign for my mom that I haven't decided yet if I want to post or not) and one of the colors was green, which is a very basic choice for leaves, but I already had so many other strange colors going on that the basic blue sky and some simple green leaves didn't seem like asking too much. So then I just had to decide what the leaves were going to look like. In the end, I went with using the back end of a paintbrush to dot on some of the green and some of this pale, yellowy color, and a little of a mixture I made using those two colors together (originally for the sign, not this), and I tried to place the dots in mostly realistic places for leaves. And admittedly I could've done a lot more leaves and really filled out the trees, but I felt like it looked better with more of the trunk and branches showing. I also went with the dot thing partially to carry over the dots in the sky. I'm not really sure what kind of theme that is, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. And then last but not least, I signed it with a purple gelly roll, trying to balance in both color and placement just a wee bit. Funnily enough, the most tedious part of this process was actually what came after it was finished. Because I was working on a giant piece of watercolor paper that was previously a mat for my desk, and I wasn't really sure how this was going to turn out, naturally I wasn't really thinking about what size I was painting at while I was working. And wouldn't you know it, my poor painting here ended up being too long to fit in my scanner all at once.  So I had to cut it out of the giant piece of paper and then scan it twice; once to get one end, and then a second time to get the other end. Then, of course, the two pieces had to be stitched together in Photoshop, which wasn't too bad. I then spent more minutes than I care to admit trying to figure out how/to what extent the best way was to single out the little oval-ish shape of the painting, as I thought that would be much nicer than leaving the ugly bits an pieces of white scanner background. I tried to keep the actual edges smooth, though I nixed the idea of having it be a perfect oval shape right from the get-go, mostly because of how much of the edges would get cut off in one area or another. So the shape itself is very imperfect. Still, I think in the end everything turned out pretty nice. And admittedly after how the later part of last week went for me, it felt really nice to just kind of go in and not really worry about the details or if everything was turning out exactly right or whatever. Sometimes you need to do something that's just loose and has very few rules to it like this. Personally, I think I really needed this at this time in particular, and for as unplanned and simple as it is, I'm really happy with how it turned out. The title is a little random; the shape and what I did with the sky kinda reminded me of a terrarium, and much like a nova is the birth of a star, this was a pretty spontaneous birth of a...planet, I guess.  I almost called it "Terra Nova" (roughly "earth star birth") but upon Googling that because it sounded familiar, I decided I did not want to name it after a movie that came out in 2011 that I know nothing about and have no affiliation with. Anyway, things might be a little slower on the art front this week, as I have a bit of a tall order to-do list, but for the foreseeable future things are going to be somewhat interesting here; I finally ordered a gouache set I've had my eye on, and it should be here by the end of the week, as well as the tree thing I mentioned at the top of the description, and another project I've done some preliminary work for...Jeez, I have an awful lot to try to squeeze in before Inktober starts, don't I?   Perhaps I'd best go and get started on all that. ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[judythemoonicorn]

I’m 33 years old. That’s over three decades of being alive on this planet. More than that, I grew up throughout a major technological revolution - which in turn resulted in major world-wide cultural evolution. The internet changed a lot. A lot a lot. More than people even ten years younger than me may realize.

But that’s not me bragging, that’s me marveling at the amount of change I’ve experienced both personally and socially. 30 years ago my neighborhood was primarily white with a peppering of latinos (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, etc.) I lived (and continue to live) on the edge of the border between the North and South sides of my area (Northside is/was primarily slavic/baltic; Polish in the majority, Russians, and a peppering of others and Southside is/was primarily black and latino).

I didn’t see an Asian person in person until I was past 10 years old. Or at least I don’t remember seeing one before then. The only reason I remember that specific meeting is because I was running a lemonaide stand with a friend and a group of chinese (?) people randomly passed by, asked what we were doing, then laughed at us and walked off.

Anyway.

If you were to come to my neighborhood today things are vastly different. I now see asian people on a daily basis. There are germans, french, italians, indians, koreans, japanese, chinese, taiwanese, and god knows I don’t know all the possible places people have come from. My neighborhood is so diverse and busy now I don’t think my younger self would know where she was.

I emphasize this because, again, back then I wasn’t exposed to a great amount of non-whites. I could probably have counted on my hands how many POC classmates I had throughout gradeschool in my tiny, tiny school (my graduating class was 5 students including me). When I moved areas and went to High School, that school was primarily white (Italian) as well.

It wasn’t until my life went to shit and I moved back to my hometown with my mom and I switched schools (for the 4th time) I ended up in a primarily black/latino high school just a few blocks away from where I lived. Which, I should point out, a black child services woman didn’t want to send me to to begin with and acted like I’d be missing out or something if I went there or that I somehow “deserved better” than that place.

It was the first and only high school I went to where no one bullied me. People were kind and deeply interested in me and my drawings that I’d work on all day. I didn’t make any deep friendships; I found people treated me more like a curiosity all things considered, but people were amicable with me. Even if they weren’t always with each other (a LOT of fights broke out in that school, and it was the first one I’d been to that had students pass through a metal detector every morning).

Then it happened. The day came when a bunch of people were looking through my sketchbook and marveling at my work, and the girl holding the book turned to me and said something along the lines of “you don’t draw black characters?”.

I can’t say exactly what I felt at that time. Kind of shocked, kind of embarrassed. The thought had honestly never once occurred to me. Was I even allowed to do that? I’m ‘white’ after all. There’s a lot I’m not allowed to do, or I’ve always been told I’m not allowed to do, when it comes to POC. My father was/is pretty damn prejudice against just about everybody. I never saw the need to be, but my exposure was also very small to black families and their home and social cultures and the like. How could I, a Polish/Lithuanian girl who at that point in my life had practically no friends or real social relationships and a still blossoming access to the internet, be allowed to draw a black character?

Did I even have the right marker colors? (I only seriously took up digital art after I turned 18, before then I colored with alcohol-based markers like Copic and Prismacolor.)

It felt like a door opening. I was given permission to draw a black character. Someone had asked me why I wasn’t already doing it, and now I felt I had to. I remember very specifically buying a magazine where it had a photoshoot of some kind in it of Beyonce - who I felt and still feel is extremely beautiful. Plus she was the current hotness at the time so she seemed a natural fit for reference. I was studying for the GED at that point in my life, in a small ramshackle classroom where I was one of two total white kids surrounded by mostly latino guys and gals. People constantly asked me why I was there. I used “big words” (I still can’t believe someone said that to me...) and I was “really talented”. Life doesn’t really care what color your skin is.

Anyway, so I picked a picture I liked and went to it. I was nervous. Drawing the actual figure of the character wasn’t the hard part. Coloring her skin was. I didn’t have many brown colored markers, and markers were expensive for a young woman with no income. I’m talking sometimes $5 a marker. Prismacolor was cheaper and easier to get, but the color quality varied. I had tons of light-skinned colors. Only one brown I felt suitable for a black person.

Long story short on that one I created a character I really quite liked, and I was met with approval from my peers as well. It felt good. But I still felt I was missing the grand picture.

What did it mean to be ‘black’? In a physical sense, I mean. If I was meaning to portray the physical then surely it was more than just a skin color. Even I knew back then that I couldn’t just slap a darker skin color on a random face and call it a day. Half the time that’d just be a really tan ‘white’ person. I was so worried about not having the right marker color back then perhaps in part because it would be the only thing that distinguished the character I was creating as black. I was only drawing generic anime faces back then. What made the character read as ‘black’? There had to be more to it.

I think after that I started to take it as an observational fascination. There was a teacher at the GED program who was a tall, lean black man who played in a jazz band as a saxophonist, and I would stare at him the whole lesson (probably a little too much). He was perfect in my eyes for what I was looking for and what I hadn’t been exposed to growing up. The shape of his nose, his cheeks, his eyes, the gloss of his dark skin under lights; the way the palms of his hands were lighter than the rest of his skin struck me as romantic. I wanted to hold them and stare at them and study the lines I could so clearly see compared to my own pale hands. I never had a crush or anything like that despite the way I tell it, it just felt like an epiphany. Here I had someone to actively study. A model. Someone who was a mentor to me and I didn’t have to go through the social hoops of being a family friend or something.

Color was important. Absolutely important. But so was structure, attitude, body language, the shape of the face and the joints of the hands. The whole body had quirks to it that rang him as human just like me, but different unlike me. It’s hard for me to fully put it into words when I’m trying to describe it from a purely artistic sense. In the normal freaking world people are just people. But like I said before; when you want to recreate or portray the physical in a drawing/painting/whatever, there’s a whole other layer to it all. It’s like the real world is a photograph - very exact and to its own point. An illustration needs to capture the soul of a moment and all the elements that come with it.

There is a way to draw a woman that portrays her as a woman. To give hints to her personality and all else that she is. It’s like that. I needed to know what made a POC what they were beyond picking the right shade of red-brown.

And I say all this, I emphasize all this, because oh my god I see so many posts on Tumblr calling out ‘white people’ on their lack of ability to properly color black or brown characters. Or they call out whitewashing, or they call out characters being ‘too ashy’, and the accusations fly because holy shit a white person who’s been white all their life doesn’t know how to draw black people. Can you even believe?

I’ve literally seen images that feature extremely, purposefully washed-out color schemes getting railed against because one of the characters is dark skinned but the wash-out makes them look ‘white’. I remember that time Beyonce did a photo shoot and the lighting and makeup made her look very light-skinned and people called her out for whitewashing herself.

Maybe I don’t understand. I fully admit that. I’m only a simple, not-that-professional artist trying to understand the world. But I do want to believe there’s a lot more to being who you are than how you were born, who you love, or what color your skin is. When I see someone like Beyonce I see Beyonce. I don’t see a black woman. I see a woman who happens to be black. But maybe this, too, is ‘privilege’... And maybe there are things I can accept for the sake of artistic expression without the weight of racism or bigotry weighing on my mind and soul. I have to acknowledge that, too.

I sure mentioned Beyonce a lot. Jeez. Her and Rihanna are like the two most beautiful women in the world in my opinion though. And I often have Naomi Campbell on my mind too because she was a muse for Naoko Takeuchi when doing an illustration of Setsuna/Sailor Pluto. So.

ANYYYYbutt... As a closing thought, I have to wonder how different my thinking would be if I were a young artist today with all this access to resources and tutorials and every color under the sun with digital art. And a lot of people talking down to me about how awful I am as a white person for not knowing how to shade darker skin. There’s a lot of posts like that. Hm. Tumblr is a weird place.

[patriotsnet]

Why Do Republicans Really Want To Repeal Obamacare

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-do-republicans-really-want-to-repeal-obamacare/

Why Do Republicans Really Want To Repeal Obamacare

Passage Of House Bill Revives Effort To Supplant Obamacare

Why Don’t Republicans Want to Repeal Obamacare Anymore?! | Rand Paul

Just six weeks after House Republicans pulled a bill to substantially overhaul the the nation’s health care system, they successfully — if narrowly — passed a revised version of the measure.

On May 4, 2017, the House passed a the bill by a 217-213 margin.

Republican leaders adjusted the bill following negotiations with both the conservative and moderate wings of the party.  

The revised bill would do several things.

It would end subsidies provided to people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplaces, replacing them instead with tax credits. It would repeal several taxes imposed under the ACA that primarily hit high-income taxpayers. It would allow states to obtain waivers to some requirements of the Affordable Care Act, including the “essential health benefits” provision that requires maternity care or mental health services. And it would curb further expansion of Medicaid that had been allowed under the Affordable Care Act, as well as eventually capping Medicaid expenditures in ways that would effectively end its status as an entitlement.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the original version of the bill would have increased the number of uninsured people by 24 million by 2026. The changes made before passage might change that number, but the specific impact awaits a new score by CBO, which is expected in the coming days.

Why Is The Affordable Care Act So Despised By So Many Conservatives

WhatsApp

IT HAS been called the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed, as destructive to personal and individual liberties as the Fugitive Slave Act and a killer of women, children and old people. According to Republican lawmakers, the sources of each of these quotes, the Affordable Care Act , or Obamacare, is a terrible thing. Since it was passed by a Democratic Congress in 2009, it has been the bête noire of the Republicans. The party has pushed more than 60 unsuccessful Congressional votes to defeat it, while the Supreme Court has been forced to debate it four times in the acts short history. Obamacare was also at the heart of the two-week government shutdown in 2013. Why does the ACA attract such opprobrium from the right?

Why Do Conservatives Oppose The Law

Republicans say it imposes too many costs and regulations on business, with many describing it as a “job killer”. However, since the implementation of Obamacare jobs in the healthcare sector, at least, rose by 9% and a found that around 2.6 million jobs could be lost by 2019 if it is repealed.

Conservatives have also baulked at Obamacare’s rule requiring most companies to cover birth control for free.

The Trump administration tried to put in place new guidelines for organisations to opt out on moral grounds last year, but two federal judges blocked the move.

During the Obama presidency, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives took dozens of symbolic votes to repeal the law and provoked a partial government shutdown over the issue.

After repeated legal challenges, in 2012 the US Supreme Court declared Obamacare constitutional.

Despite having a majority on Capitol Hill under President Trump, a Republican repeal bid failed in dramatic fashion in 2018.

Democratic leaders have acknowledged Obamacare is not perfect, and have challenged Republicans to work with them to fix its flaws.

Trumps Executive Action Could Erode Marketplace Built Under Obamacare

Attempts to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act have failed in the past several months, leading President Donald Trump to issue an executive order expanding access to cheaper, less comprehensive health care plans.

The order, signed on Oct. 12, instructs federal agencies to remove certain limitations on “association health plans” and expand the availability of short-term health plans, both of which can skirt certain minimum coverage requirements included in the Affordable Care Act and state laws.

These changes will not immediately take effect; federal agencies will have to figure out how to act on Trump’s directions.

The executive action orders agencies to explore ways in which the government can expand access to short-term health plans, which are available to individuals on a three-month basis and meant for people who are in-between health care coverage plans. Under the instructions, association health plans would be allowed to sell plans across state lines; those plans allow small businesses to band together to create cheaper health care plans that offer fewer benefits.

The order was intended to create more options for individuals seeking health insurance and help stimulate competition among insurers. Some health policy advocates worry that it could disrupt the insurance marketplace in a way that would drive up health care costs for elderly individuals and people with medical conditions.

It will be months before changes are seen in the marketplace.

This Is Why Republicans Couldnt Make A Better Replacement

Republicans have made a lot of political hay out of pointing out that the plans available under the Affordable Care Act are, in many ways, disappointing. Unsubsidized premiums are higher than people would like. Deductibles and copayments are higher than people would like. The networks of available doctors are narrower than people would like.

These problems are all very real, and they all could be fixed.

They are not, however, problems that the American Health Care Act actually fixes. While Republicans have made several changes to the AHCA to cobble together a majority of House votes, the core of the bill remains the same: it offers stingier insurance to a narrower group of people.

This is because the AHCA does what Republicans want: it rolls back the ACA taxes. But under those circumstances, its simply not possible for the GOP to offer people the superior insurance coverage that it is promising.

The bill the House is voting on Thursday doesnt get rid of the ACAs tax credits to make it easier to buy health coverage, but it bases them on age, with younger people getting bigger credits, rather than income which means poorer Americans. especially elderly ones, will have a bigger tax burden and more difficulty affording the insurance they need.

Do Republicans Really Want To Repeal Obamacare Maybe Not

Tweet This

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 07: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan shares a laugh with… Republican members of Congress after signing legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and to cut off federal funding of Planned Parenthood during an enrollment ceremony in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol January 7, 2016 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama has promised to veto the bill.

Here is something that may surprise you. Did you know that in the 6 ½ years since the passage of Obamacare, Republicans have not held a single hearing on the problems the law has created for ordinary people? No hearing in the House of Representatives. None in the Senate. None anywhere else. Zip. Zero. Nada.

There certainly has been no shortage of problems. It seems like every other week the New York Times brings us a new investigative report complete with gory details and eyewitness reports of victim after victim of President Obamas signature legislative accomplishment. But if you look over the subject matter for the committee hearings in Congress for the past several years, you would never know an Obamacare problem even exists.

Why is that? There have been no shortage of votes to repeal Obamacare. At last count the House has voted to repeal some or all of the hated legislation 60 times!

So lets return to the titular question.

Would House Republicans really vote to take health insurance away from 20 million people?

Eliminating Health Care Penalties

The Affordable care Act, required most Americans to be enrolled in Health Insurance since it was made affordable, otherwise a penalty would be induced. Effective 2017, congress attempted to eliminate financial penalties that were related to complying with the mandated law that every individual needs to be enrolled in Health insurance, this law however did not become effective until 2019. This policy is still valid, the penalty for having no health insurance was reduced to 0$. Individual mandates effects the decisions made by individuals regarding healthcare in that some people will not enroll since health insurance plans are no longer mandatory.

On March of 2020, the nation has undergone a global pandemic, however, several Republican-led states and the Justice Department are making the case for invalidating the ACA. This will cause at least 60 million people to not be able to afford being hospitalized, or treated which increased the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide.

This Is Why Republicans Cant Make A Better Replacement

Republicans have made a lot of political hay out of pointing out that the plans available under the Affordable Care Act are, in many ways,disappointing. Unsubsidized premiums are higher than people would like.Deductibles and copayments are higher than people would like. The networks of available doctors are narrower than people would like.

These problems are all very real, and they all could be fixed.

They are not, however, problems that any of the GOP replacement plans fix. Instead, while Republican alternatives vary in many important ways, they all fundamentally offer stingier insurance to a narrower group of people.

This is because the Republican plans all envision rolling back these ACA taxes. But under those circumstances, it’s simply not possible for the GOP to offer people the superior insurance coverage that it is promising.

Phil Klein, a top conservative health policy journalist, has urged Republicans to solve their overpromising problem by “stating a simple truth, which goes something like this: ‘We don’t believe that it is the job of the federal government to guarantee that everybody has health insurance.'”

Gop Wants To Repeal Obamacare Without A Backup Plan But Some Republicans Say That’s A Bad Idea

The Real Reason Republicans Want to Pull the Plug on Obamacare | Robert Reich

U.S.CoronavirusHealth CareObamacareCongress

A Republican-led lawsuit is leaving the fate of the Affordable Care Act hanging in the balance of the courts amid a pandemic that’s ravaged the globe and exacerbated the need for health care.

Yet GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill concede they do not have safety net legislation ready to catch the millions of Americans who would find themselves suddenly without health insurance during a potential second coronavirus wave.

Some Republicans, however, believe that needs to change.

“We need to have a plan in place to make sure that people don’t lose coverage,” said Senator Mitt Romney .

Pre-existing conditions are the “most important thing” to cover, said Senator Martha McSally. But, the Arizona Republican added, “there are many other contingencies that we need to be looking into,” referring to a wide array of issues that could arise without the law.

Republicans have tried unsuccessfully over the years to repeal and replace Obamacare with health provisions of their own. But more than three years into President Donald Trump’s first term, they acknowledge there is neither a discussion nor a plan available to simply replace the expansive health care law that is Obamacare, should it be struck down.

Senator Rick Scott , a former hospital CEO, said he’s “come up with lots of proposals. But there’s no proposal here,” he added.

Does President Trump Really Want To Repeal The Aca

Feb 25, 2020

When he introduced the 2020federal budget President Trump re-emphasized his intention to repeal theAffordable Care Act, known more popularly to most of us as Obamacare.

Perhaps that is the issue! Trumpand Obamacare!

The Affordable Care Act is irrevocably associated with the Democratic Party and ex-President Obama in particular.  Most citizens benefit from it one way or another.

Since the swing to theDemocratic Party at the Mid-Term elections in 2018 President Trump has beenremarkably quiet on his plans for replacing Obamacare if he is granted a secondterm by the American public.  Indeed, hehas made it clear that there will be no new legislation until at least 2021.

In the meantime, he will bewatching the polls and judging the voters intentions as the Democratcandidates put their healthcare policies on display.

Nobody claims the AffordableCare Act is perfect.  All agree it can beimproved.  At the 2018 mid-term electionsmore than half the voters claimed that healthcare was the major factor in theirvoting decision.  That is why it stays atthe top of the political agenda. After all, our spending on healthcare accountsfor nearly 20% of the way in which we spend the countrys income .

This may be true but there arelimits to savings from increased efficiency and inflation is inevitable.  The outcome is, necessarily, reduction inbenefits or in enrollment.

There are signs that Trump mightbe prepared to keep the subsidies and allow income-related tax relief.

Gridlock In House Stalls Trump’s Pledge To Repeal Obamacare

As a candidate for president, Donald Trump said that “real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare.”

On March 24, the nation learned that it’s not happening immediately. And the road forward isn’t clear either.

Capping a frenzied week of negotiations between three House Republican factions — the party leadership, the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, and members of the more moderate, pragmatic wing of the party — House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced that he would not bring the American Health Care Act to the floor for a vote, as he had planned.

That March 24 announcement came one day after the floor vote had been pushed back to allow for last-minute changes and arm-twisting, and half a day after Trump had issued an ultimatum to House Republicans — pass the bill or he’ll move on.

In the run-up to Ryan’s announcement, vote counting by media outlets had concluded that the House GOP would lose too many votes to pass the bill if it tried.

“We came really close today, but we came up short,” Ryan said at a press conference. “I will not sugarcoat this. This was a disappointing day for us.”

For members on the party’s right flank, the American Health Care Act left in place too much of the infrastructure of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and the target of intense Republican opposition for seven years.

The Real Reason Republicans Couldnt Kill Obamacare

Democrats did the work, Republicans didntand that says a lot about the two parties.

Adapted from The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage, St. Martins Press 2021.

The Affordable Care Act, the health-care law also known as Obamacare, turns 11 years old this week. Somehow, the program has not merely survived the GOPs decade-long assault. Its actually getting stronger, thanks to some major upgrades tucked in the COVID-19 relief package that President Joe Biden signed into law earlier this month.

The new provisions should enable millions of Americans to get insurance or save money on coverage they already purchase, bolstering the health-care law in precisely the way its architects had always hoped to do. And although the measures are temporary, Biden and his Democratic Party allies have pledged to pass more legislation making the changes permanent.

The expansion measures are a remarkable achievement, all the more so because Obamacares very survival seemed so improbable just a few years ago, when Donald Trump won the presidency. Wiping the law off the books had become the Republicans defining cause, and Trump had pledged to make repeal his first priority. As the reality of his victory set in, almost everybody outside the Obama White House thought the effort would succeed, and almost everybody inside did too.

That was no small thing, as Republicans were about to discover.

Baby Boomers And The Aging Population

Robert Reich failed to mention the aging population. 76M boomers were born after WW-II, between 1946 and 1964, and America wasnt prepared for that growth. Neither were other nations. There werent enough hospitals, pediatricians, schoolteachers, textbooks, playgrounds, or even bedrooms in our homes. Now, as 11,000 more baby boomers turn age 65 every day, retire, and go on Social Security and Medicare, the ability to pay for public assistance becomes more difficult. By 2029, more than 20% of the US population will be over 65 . That 1-in-5 number is up from 1-in-7 today; and by 2035, 1-in-3 US households will be headed by someone 65 or over.

Thats because people are living longer . But were also less active and have higher rates of chronic disease and disability. Almost 39% of boomers are obese, compared to about 29% in the previous generation, and 40% of them are low-income , meaning theyll need more public assistance.

The age 85+ population needing the most medical care will grow the fastest over the next few decades, equaling 4% of population by 2050, or 10 times its 1950 share  1.9M Americans are already 90+, an in 2010, people 90+ had a median income of just $14,760, about half of it from Social Security. This is a worldwide phenomenon thanks largely to longer average longevity. The United Nations says that by 2050, the older generation will be larger than the under-15 population.

Why Republicans Wouldn’t Actually Repeal Obamacare

It would be a political disaster, but it hasn’t yet stopped them from trying.

Last week, in a bold example of their governing prowess, congressional Republicans took their 62nd vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and this time they actually passed it through both houses and sent it to President Obama to be vetoed. Naturally, they were exultant at their triumph. Speaker Paul Ryan admitted that there is as yet no replacement for the ACA, but they’ll be getting around to putting one together before you know it. The fact that they’ve been promising that replacement for more than five years now might make you a bit skeptical.

What we know for sure is this: If a Republican wins the White House this November, he’ll make repeal of the ACA one of his first priorities, whether there’s a replacement ready or not. To listen to them talk, the only division between the candidates is whether they’ll do it on their first day in the Oval Office, in their first hour, or in the limo on the way back from the inauguration.

But I’ve got news for you: They aren’t going to do it, at least not in the way they’re promising. Because it would be an absolute catastrophe.

Now imagine that ten million people, the number signed up for private coverage through the exchanges, all had their coverage simultaneously thrown into doubt. Think that might cause some bad press for the party and the president who did it?

Everything You Need To Know About Why Conservatives Want To Repeal The Presidents Health Care Law

Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters

Though the Affordable Care Act passed into law in 2010, conservatives continue to fight it at every opportunity: in the courts, in state legislatures, and in Congress. Its a safe bet that as the race for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination kicks off, a cavalcade of Republican hopefuls will torment innocent Iowans with tales of how theyve fought Obamacare in the past and why theyre the ones who can finally drive a stake through its heart. But if you dont read the conservative press, you might have no idea why those of us on the right side of the political spectrum are so worked up about Obamacare. To promote cross-ideological understanding, Ive prepared this little FAQ.

Why do conservatives oppose Obamacare?Not all conservatives are alike, and there are at least some, like Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute, who believe Obamacare should be reformed and not repealed. But as a general rule, conservatives oppose the law and would like to see it repealed for several reasons.

First, some conservatives oppose it for the same reason that liberals favor it: Through the Medicaid expansion and the exchanges, it subsidizes insurance coverage for people of modest means by raising taxes on people of less-modest means and by curbing the growth in Medicare spending. Conservatives tend not to be enthusiastic about redistribution, and theyre particularly skeptical about redistribution that isnt transparent.

Why Republicans Cant And Wont Repeal Obamacare

Editor’s Note:

This article was originally posted on Real Clear Health on January 16, 2017.

Now that the Republicans control both the presidency and both houses of Congress, they must put up or shut up on their promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. Here is a flat-footed prediction: the effort will fail for three reasons. First, the Affordable Care Act has largely succeeded not failed, as president-elect Trump and other Republicans falsely allege. Second, it is impossible for the stated goals of repeal to be achieved. Finally, the political fallout from the consequences of partial or total repeal would be devastating. When it comes to casting votes, enough Republicans will conclude that repeal is a bad idea and will join Democrats to sustain the basic structure of the health reform law.

Second, the stated objectives of repealing Obamacare are mutually inconsistent. Three provisions comprise the core of Obamacare. First, rules barring insurance companies from refusing to sell insurance to people because of preexisting conditions or varying premiums based on those conditions. Second, a requirement that everyone carry health insurance who can afford it. And third, subsidies for those with moderate incomes to help make such insurance affordable. The law contains many other provisions as well, but these three are core.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Strike Down Affordable Care Act

The REAL Reason Republicans Can’t Stop Trying to Repeal Obamacare

If successful, the move would permanently end the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.

WASHINGTON The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.

In an 82-page brief submitted an hour before a midnight deadline, the administration joined Republican officials in Texas and 17 other states in arguing that in 2017, Congress, then controlled by Republicans, had rendered the law unconstitutional when it zeroed out the tax penalty for not buying insurance the so-called individual mandate.

The administrations argument, coming in the thick of an election season as well as a pandemic that has devastated the economy and left millions of unemployed Americans without health coverage is sure to reignite Washingtons bitter political debate over health care.

In his brief, Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco argued that the health laws two remaining central provisions are now invalid because Congress intended that all three work together.

The court has not said when it will hear oral arguments, but they are most likely to take place in the fall, just as Americans are preparing to go to the polls in November.

Is The Supreme Court Likely To Save Obamacare

The Supreme Court is likely to leave in place the bulk of Obamacare, including key protections for pre-existing health conditions.

Conservative justices John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh appeared in two hours of arguments to be unwilling to strike down the entire law a long-held Republican goal.

The courts three liberal justices are almost certain to vote to uphold the law in its entirety and presumably would form a majority by joining a decision that cut away only the mandate, which now has no financial penalty attached to it.

Leading a group of Democratic-controlled states, California and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives are urging the court to leave the law in place.

A decision is expected by late spring.

Repealing Obamacare Is A Huge Tax Cut For The Rich

This did not play a major overt public role in the 2009-’10 debate about the law, but the Affordable Care Act’s financing rests on a remarkably progressive base. That means that, as the Tax Policy Center has shown, repealing it would shower moneyon a remarkably small number of remarkably wealthy Americans.

The two big relevant taxes, according to the TPC’s Howard Gleckman, are “a 0.9 percent payroll surtax on earnings and a 3.8 percent taxon net investment income for individuals with incomes exceeding $200,000.” That payroll tax hike hits a reasonably broad swath of affluent individuals, but in a relatively minor way. The 3.8 percent tax on net investment income , by contrast, is a pretty hefty tax, but one that falls overwhelmingly on the small number of people who have hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in investment income.

For the bottom 60 percent of the population that is, households earning less than about $67,000 a year repeal of the ACA would end up meaning an increase in taxes due to the loss of ACA tax credits.

But people in the top 1 percent of the income distribution those with incomes of over about $430,000 would see their taxes fall by an average of $25,000 a year.

[statetalks]

Why Do Republicans Really Want To Repeal Obamacare

Passage Of House Bill Revives Effort To Supplant Obamacare

Why Don’t Republicans Want to Repeal Obamacare Anymore?! | Rand Paul

Just six weeks after House Republicans pulled a bill to substantially overhaul the the nation’s health care system, they successfully — if narrowly — passed a revised version of the measure.

On May 4, 2017, the House passed a the bill by a 217-213 margin.

Republican leaders adjusted the bill following negotiations with both the conservative and moderate wings of the party.  

The revised bill would do several things.

It would end subsidies provided to people who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplaces, replacing them instead with tax credits. It would repeal several taxes imposed under the ACA that primarily hit high-income taxpayers. It would allow states to obtain waivers to some requirements of the Affordable Care Act, including the “essential health benefits” provision that requires maternity care or mental health services. And it would curb further expansion of Medicaid that had been allowed under the Affordable Care Act, as well as eventually capping Medicaid expenditures in ways that would effectively end its status as an entitlement.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the original version of the bill would have increased the number of uninsured people by 24 million by 2026. The changes made before passage might change that number, but the specific impact awaits a new score by CBO, which is expected in the coming days.

Why Is The Affordable Care Act So Despised By So Many Conservatives

WhatsApp

IT HAS been called the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed, as destructive to personal and individual liberties as the Fugitive Slave Act and a killer of women, children and old people. According to Republican lawmakers, the sources of each of these quotes, the Affordable Care Act , or Obamacare, is a terrible thing. Since it was passed by a Democratic Congress in 2009, it has been the bête noire of the Republicans. The party has pushed more than 60 unsuccessful Congressional votes to defeat it, while the Supreme Court has been forced to debate it four times in the acts short history. Obamacare was also at the heart of the two-week government shutdown in 2013. Why does the ACA attract such opprobrium from the right?

Why Do Conservatives Oppose The Law

Republicans say it imposes too many costs and regulations on business, with many describing it as a “job killer”. However, since the implementation of Obamacare jobs in the healthcare sector, at least, rose by 9% and a found that around 2.6 million jobs could be lost by 2019 if it is repealed.

Conservatives have also baulked at Obamacare’s rule requiring most companies to cover birth control for free.

The Trump administration tried to put in place new guidelines for organisations to opt out on moral grounds last year, but two federal judges blocked the move.

During the Obama presidency, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives took dozens of symbolic votes to repeal the law and provoked a partial government shutdown over the issue.

After repeated legal challenges, in 2012 the US Supreme Court declared Obamacare constitutional.

Despite having a majority on Capitol Hill under President Trump, a Republican repeal bid failed in dramatic fashion in 2018.

Democratic leaders have acknowledged Obamacare is not perfect, and have challenged Republicans to work with them to fix its flaws.

Trumps Executive Action Could Erode Marketplace Built Under Obamacare

Attempts to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act have failed in the past several months, leading President Donald Trump to issue an executive order expanding access to cheaper, less comprehensive health care plans.

The order, signed on Oct. 12, instructs federal agencies to remove certain limitations on “association health plans” and expand the availability of short-term health plans, both of which can skirt certain minimum coverage requirements included in the Affordable Care Act and state laws.

These changes will not immediately take effect; federal agencies will have to figure out how to act on Trump’s directions.

The executive action orders agencies to explore ways in which the government can expand access to short-term health plans, which are available to individuals on a three-month basis and meant for people who are in-between health care coverage plans. Under the instructions, association health plans would be allowed to sell plans across state lines; those plans allow small businesses to band together to create cheaper health care plans that offer fewer benefits.

The order was intended to create more options for individuals seeking health insurance and help stimulate competition among insurers. Some health policy advocates worry that it could disrupt the insurance marketplace in a way that would drive up health care costs for elderly individuals and people with medical conditions.

It will be months before changes are seen in the marketplace.

This Is Why Republicans Couldnt Make A Better Replacement

Republicans have made a lot of political hay out of pointing out that the plans available under the Affordable Care Act are, in many ways, disappointing. Unsubsidized premiums are higher than people would like. Deductibles and copayments are higher than people would like. The networks of available doctors are narrower than people would like.

These problems are all very real, and they all could be fixed.

They are not, however, problems that the American Health Care Act actually fixes. While Republicans have made several changes to the AHCA to cobble together a majority of House votes, the core of the bill remains the same: it offers stingier insurance to a narrower group of people.

This is because the AHCA does what Republicans want: it rolls back the ACA taxes. But under those circumstances, its simply not possible for the GOP to offer people the superior insurance coverage that it is promising.

The bill the House is voting on Thursday doesnt get rid of the ACAs tax credits to make it easier to buy health coverage, but it bases them on age, with younger people getting bigger credits, rather than income which means poorer Americans. especially elderly ones, will have a bigger tax burden and more difficulty affording the insurance they need.

Do Republicans Really Want To Repeal Obamacare Maybe Not

Tweet This

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 07: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan shares a laugh with… Republican members of Congress after signing legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and to cut off federal funding of Planned Parenthood during an enrollment ceremony in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol January 7, 2016 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama has promised to veto the bill.

Here is something that may surprise you. Did you know that in the 6 ½ years since the passage of Obamacare, Republicans have not held a single hearing on the problems the law has created for ordinary people? No hearing in the House of Representatives. None in the Senate. None anywhere else. Zip. Zero. Nada.

There certainly has been no shortage of problems. It seems like every other week the New York Times brings us a new investigative report complete with gory details and eyewitness reports of victim after victim of President Obamas signature legislative accomplishment. But if you look over the subject matter for the committee hearings in Congress for the past several years, you would never know an Obamacare problem even exists.

Why is that? There have been no shortage of votes to repeal Obamacare. At last count the House has voted to repeal some or all of the hated legislation 60 times!

So lets return to the titular question.

Would House Republicans really vote to take health insurance away from 20 million people?

Eliminating Health Care Penalties

The Affordable care Act, required most Americans to be enrolled in Health Insurance since it was made affordable, otherwise a penalty would be induced. Effective 2017, congress attempted to eliminate financial penalties that were related to complying with the mandated law that every individual needs to be enrolled in Health insurance, this law however did not become effective until 2019. This policy is still valid, the penalty for having no health insurance was reduced to 0$. Individual mandates effects the decisions made by individuals regarding healthcare in that some people will not enroll since health insurance plans are no longer mandatory.

On March of 2020, the nation has undergone a global pandemic, however, several Republican-led states and the Justice Department are making the case for invalidating the ACA. This will cause at least 60 million people to not be able to afford being hospitalized, or treated which increased the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide.

This Is Why Republicans Cant Make A Better Replacement

Republicans have made a lot of political hay out of pointing out that the plans available under the Affordable Care Act are, in many ways,disappointing. Unsubsidized premiums are higher than people would like.Deductibles and copayments are higher than people would like. The networks of available doctors are narrower than people would like.

These problems are all very real, and they all could be fixed.

They are not, however, problems that any of the GOP replacement plans fix. Instead, while Republican alternatives vary in many important ways, they all fundamentally offer stingier insurance to a narrower group of people.

This is because the Republican plans all envision rolling back these ACA taxes. But under those circumstances, it’s simply not possible for the GOP to offer people the superior insurance coverage that it is promising.

Phil Klein, a top conservative health policy journalist, has urged Republicans to solve their overpromising problem by “stating a simple truth, which goes something like this: ‘We don’t believe that it is the job of the federal government to guarantee that everybody has health insurance.'”

Gop Wants To Repeal Obamacare Without A Backup Plan But Some Republicans Say That’s A Bad Idea

The Real Reason Republicans Want to Pull the Plug on Obamacare | Robert Reich

U.S.CoronavirusHealth CareObamacareCongress

A Republican-led lawsuit is leaving the fate of the Affordable Care Act hanging in the balance of the courts amid a pandemic that’s ravaged the globe and exacerbated the need for health care.

Yet GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill concede they do not have safety net legislation ready to catch the millions of Americans who would find themselves suddenly without health insurance during a potential second coronavirus wave.

Some Republicans, however, believe that needs to change.

“We need to have a plan in place to make sure that people don’t lose coverage,” said Senator Mitt Romney .

Pre-existing conditions are the “most important thing” to cover, said Senator Martha McSally. But, the Arizona Republican added, “there are many other contingencies that we need to be looking into,” referring to a wide array of issues that could arise without the law.

Republicans have tried unsuccessfully over the years to repeal and replace Obamacare with health provisions of their own. But more than three years into President Donald Trump’s first term, they acknowledge there is neither a discussion nor a plan available to simply replace the expansive health care law that is Obamacare, should it be struck down.

Senator Rick Scott , a former hospital CEO, said he’s “come up with lots of proposals. But there’s no proposal here,” he added.

Does President Trump Really Want To Repeal The Aca

Feb 25, 2020

When he introduced the 2020federal budget President Trump re-emphasized his intention to repeal theAffordable Care Act, known more popularly to most of us as Obamacare.

Perhaps that is the issue! Trumpand Obamacare!

The Affordable Care Act is irrevocably associated with the Democratic Party and ex-President Obama in particular.  Most citizens benefit from it one way or another.

Since the swing to theDemocratic Party at the Mid-Term elections in 2018 President Trump has beenremarkably quiet on his plans for replacing Obamacare if he is granted a secondterm by the American public.  Indeed, hehas made it clear that there will be no new legislation until at least 2021.

In the meantime, he will bewatching the polls and judging the voters intentions as the Democratcandidates put their healthcare policies on display.

Nobody claims the AffordableCare Act is perfect.  All agree it can beimproved.  At the 2018 mid-term electionsmore than half the voters claimed that healthcare was the major factor in theirvoting decision.  That is why it stays atthe top of the political agenda. After all, our spending on healthcare accountsfor nearly 20% of the way in which we spend the countrys income .

This may be true but there arelimits to savings from increased efficiency and inflation is inevitable.  The outcome is, necessarily, reduction inbenefits or in enrollment.

There are signs that Trump mightbe prepared to keep the subsidies and allow income-related tax relief.

Gridlock In House Stalls Trump’s Pledge To Repeal Obamacare

As a candidate for president, Donald Trump said that “real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare.”

On March 24, the nation learned that it’s not happening immediately. And the road forward isn’t clear either.

Capping a frenzied week of negotiations between three House Republican factions — the party leadership, the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, and members of the more moderate, pragmatic wing of the party — House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced that he would not bring the American Health Care Act to the floor for a vote, as he had planned.

That March 24 announcement came one day after the floor vote had been pushed back to allow for last-minute changes and arm-twisting, and half a day after Trump had issued an ultimatum to House Republicans — pass the bill or he’ll move on.

In the run-up to Ryan’s announcement, vote counting by media outlets had concluded that the House GOP would lose too many votes to pass the bill if it tried.

“We came really close today, but we came up short,” Ryan said at a press conference. “I will not sugarcoat this. This was a disappointing day for us.”

For members on the party’s right flank, the American Health Care Act left in place too much of the infrastructure of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and the target of intense Republican opposition for seven years.

The Real Reason Republicans Couldnt Kill Obamacare

Democrats did the work, Republicans didntand that says a lot about the two parties.

Adapted from The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage, St. Martins Press 2021.

The Affordable Care Act, the health-care law also known as Obamacare, turns 11 years old this week. Somehow, the program has not merely survived the GOPs decade-long assault. Its actually getting stronger, thanks to some major upgrades tucked in the COVID-19 relief package that President Joe Biden signed into law earlier this month.

The new provisions should enable millions of Americans to get insurance or save money on coverage they already purchase, bolstering the health-care law in precisely the way its architects had always hoped to do. And although the measures are temporary, Biden and his Democratic Party allies have pledged to pass more legislation making the changes permanent.

The expansion measures are a remarkable achievement, all the more so because Obamacares very survival seemed so improbable just a few years ago, when Donald Trump won the presidency. Wiping the law off the books had become the Republicans defining cause, and Trump had pledged to make repeal his first priority. As the reality of his victory set in, almost everybody outside the Obama White House thought the effort would succeed, and almost everybody inside did too.

That was no small thing, as Republicans were about to discover.

Baby Boomers And The Aging Population

Robert Reich failed to mention the aging population. 76M boomers were born after WW-II, between 1946 and 1964, and America wasnt prepared for that growth. Neither were other nations. There werent enough hospitals, pediatricians, schoolteachers, textbooks, playgrounds, or even bedrooms in our homes. Now, as 11,000 more baby boomers turn age 65 every day, retire, and go on Social Security and Medicare, the ability to pay for public assistance becomes more difficult. By 2029, more than 20% of the US population will be over 65 . That 1-in-5 number is up from 1-in-7 today; and by 2035, 1-in-3 US households will be headed by someone 65 or over.

Thats because people are living longer . But were also less active and have higher rates of chronic disease and disability. Almost 39% of boomers are obese, compared to about 29% in the previous generation, and 40% of them are low-income , meaning theyll need more public assistance.

The age 85+ population needing the most medical care will grow the fastest over the next few decades, equaling 4% of population by 2050, or 10 times its 1950 share  1.9M Americans are already 90+, an in 2010, people 90+ had a median income of just $14,760, about half of it from Social Security. This is a worldwide phenomenon thanks largely to longer average longevity. The United Nations says that by 2050, the older generation will be larger than the under-15 population.

Why Republicans Wouldn’t Actually Repeal Obamacare

It would be a political disaster, but it hasn’t yet stopped them from trying.

Last week, in a bold example of their governing prowess, congressional Republicans took their 62nd vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and this time they actually passed it through both houses and sent it to President Obama to be vetoed. Naturally, they were exultant at their triumph. Speaker Paul Ryan admitted that there is as yet no replacement for the ACA, but they’ll be getting around to putting one together before you know it. The fact that they’ve been promising that replacement for more than five years now might make you a bit skeptical.

What we know for sure is this: If a Republican wins the White House this November, he’ll make repeal of the ACA one of his first priorities, whether there’s a replacement ready or not. To listen to them talk, the only division between the candidates is whether they’ll do it on their first day in the Oval Office, in their first hour, or in the limo on the way back from the inauguration.

But I’ve got news for you: They aren’t going to do it, at least not in the way they’re promising. Because it would be an absolute catastrophe.

Now imagine that ten million people, the number signed up for private coverage through the exchanges, all had their coverage simultaneously thrown into doubt. Think that might cause some bad press for the party and the president who did it?

Everything You Need To Know About Why Conservatives Want To Repeal The Presidents Health Care Law

Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters

Though the Affordable Care Act passed into law in 2010, conservatives continue to fight it at every opportunity: in the courts, in state legislatures, and in Congress. Its a safe bet that as the race for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination kicks off, a cavalcade of Republican hopefuls will torment innocent Iowans with tales of how theyve fought Obamacare in the past and why theyre the ones who can finally drive a stake through its heart. But if you dont read the conservative press, you might have no idea why those of us on the right side of the political spectrum are so worked up about Obamacare. To promote cross-ideological understanding, Ive prepared this little FAQ.

Why do conservatives oppose Obamacare?Not all conservatives are alike, and there are at least some, like Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute, who believe Obamacare should be reformed and not repealed. But as a general rule, conservatives oppose the law and would like to see it repealed for several reasons.

First, some conservatives oppose it for the same reason that liberals favor it: Through the Medicaid expansion and the exchanges, it subsidizes insurance coverage for people of modest means by raising taxes on people of less-modest means and by curbing the growth in Medicare spending. Conservatives tend not to be enthusiastic about redistribution, and theyre particularly skeptical about redistribution that isnt transparent.

Why Republicans Cant And Wont Repeal Obamacare

Editor’s Note:

This article was originally posted on Real Clear Health on January 16, 2017.

Now that the Republicans control both the presidency and both houses of Congress, they must put up or shut up on their promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. Here is a flat-footed prediction: the effort will fail for three reasons. First, the Affordable Care Act has largely succeeded not failed, as president-elect Trump and other Republicans falsely allege. Second, it is impossible for the stated goals of repeal to be achieved. Finally, the political fallout from the consequences of partial or total repeal would be devastating. When it comes to casting votes, enough Republicans will conclude that repeal is a bad idea and will join Democrats to sustain the basic structure of the health reform law.

Second, the stated objectives of repealing Obamacare are mutually inconsistent. Three provisions comprise the core of Obamacare. First, rules barring insurance companies from refusing to sell insurance to people because of preexisting conditions or varying premiums based on those conditions. Second, a requirement that everyone carry health insurance who can afford it. And third, subsidies for those with moderate incomes to help make such insurance affordable. The law contains many other provisions as well, but these three are core.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Strike Down Affordable Care Act

The REAL Reason Republicans Can’t Stop Trying to Repeal Obamacare

If successful, the move would permanently end the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.

WASHINGTON The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.

In an 82-page brief submitted an hour before a midnight deadline, the administration joined Republican officials in Texas and 17 other states in arguing that in 2017, Congress, then controlled by Republicans, had rendered the law unconstitutional when it zeroed out the tax penalty for not buying insurance the so-called individual mandate.

The administrations argument, coming in the thick of an election season as well as a pandemic that has devastated the economy and left millions of unemployed Americans without health coverage is sure to reignite Washingtons bitter political debate over health care.

In his brief, Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco argued that the health laws two remaining central provisions are now invalid because Congress intended that all three work together.

The court has not said when it will hear oral arguments, but they are most likely to take place in the fall, just as Americans are preparing to go to the polls in November.

Is The Supreme Court Likely To Save Obamacare

The Supreme Court is likely to leave in place the bulk of Obamacare, including key protections for pre-existing health conditions.

Conservative justices John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh appeared in two hours of arguments to be unwilling to strike down the entire law a long-held Republican goal.

The courts three liberal justices are almost certain to vote to uphold the law in its entirety and presumably would form a majority by joining a decision that cut away only the mandate, which now has no financial penalty attached to it.

Leading a group of Democratic-controlled states, California and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives are urging the court to leave the law in place.

A decision is expected by late spring.

Repealing Obamacare Is A Huge Tax Cut For The Rich

This did not play a major overt public role in the 2009-’10 debate about the law, but the Affordable Care Act’s financing rests on a remarkably progressive base. That means that, as the Tax Policy Center has shown, repealing it would shower moneyon a remarkably small number of remarkably wealthy Americans.

The two big relevant taxes, according to the TPC’s Howard Gleckman, are “a 0.9 percent payroll surtax on earnings and a 3.8 percent taxon net investment income for individuals with incomes exceeding $200,000.” That payroll tax hike hits a reasonably broad swath of affluent individuals, but in a relatively minor way. The 3.8 percent tax on net investment income , by contrast, is a pretty hefty tax, but one that falls overwhelmingly on the small number of people who have hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in investment income.

For the bottom 60 percent of the population that is, households earning less than about $67,000 a year repeal of the ACA would end up meaning an increase in taxes due to the loss of ACA tax credits.

But people in the top 1 percent of the income distribution those with incomes of over about $430,000 would see their taxes fall by an average of $25,000 a year.

source https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-do-republicans-really-want-to-repeal-obamacare/

[appcalgary321]

International Cupid Sites

International Cupid Dating

Caribbean Cupid Dating Site

Free International Dating Sites Cupid

International Cupid Safe

International Cupid Sites Near Me

International Cupid Site Review. InternationalCupid is one of the leading and most popular dating sites across the world today! One can find profiles of singles from over 30 countries. Thus, InternationalCupid.com is meant for people from all nationalities! When you’ve got a trustworthy interracial dating website, fun and thrills are never far away. Interracial dating has become a popular choice for many singles seeking romance online at Cupid.com to bring a bit of discovery and excitement into their life. We understand that singles are eager to date the easy way, so we’ve created a service. International dating sites men, completely free international dating sites, international dating sites reviews, international online dating, international cupid dating, international dating sites for seniors, best free international dating sites, free international dating sites Hanoi and diverse as important signs as clearly states use previous history and weigh them. Top 7 International Dating Sites You Should Consider Choosing an international dating service to join can be challenging when you want it to have the best features, prices, and variety of women. To make things easier for you, we prepared a list of 7 top rated international dating sites that give you the highest chance of meeting your perfect woman.

International Cupid is a popular place for those who are into international relationship and have prospects for marriages with foreigners. Nevertheless , the person numbers for Cupid. com are still pretty top quality as there are on a regular basis various individuals throughout the web as successful by the selection of people within the chatroom during peak hours. Much like various other matchmaking websites, Cupid is stuffed with customers in search of a severe marriage or marital life. This doesn’t international cupid login mean that you could’t look for gratifying or camaraderie on this web page – truly you might discover a lot of prospects searching for something not crucial” given that written on their profiles. Associates of all period teams find it quite easy to make use of and surf by utilizing the profiles on the webpage. All the options obtainable in InternationalCupid are accurately positioned within the tabs contained in the high menu itself.

Worldwide Cupid is a popular place in case you’re in to international going out with and have potential clients for relationships with foreigners. Kenneth Askewgee, the marketing director for AFA says, « Due to the present we’re doubling every of our excursions to Medellin with reference to next yr. Narcos has introduced a complete lot of concentrate on the extraordinary international love cupid magnificence of Colombian ladies. Though the show is usually very violent, the women of Republic of colombia come across as very household targeted and loyal. These kinds of values seem tougher and tougher to search out on this world. I would have to acknowledge, due to the curiosity in Narcos, we even added an excursion to the place Pablo’s self-built jail was located, within the hills overlooking Medellin.

Worldwide Cupid (previously commonly known as ) is a comparative newcomer in the overseas star of the marriage scene, having solely been established in 2003, however it has previously amassed a outstanding 70, 500 profiles (although this contains men and feminine subscribers – the total number of feminine associates just isn’t disclosed).

We vow to help preserve your particulars protected and can never ever publish or share any such thing on worldwide Facebook web page. Why Select InternationalCupid? Premium supplier – Exclusive Abroad Dating have international cupid dating been solely available in, InternationalCupid is part associated with the properly-established Cupid Media overseas that operates over 30 reputable area of interest your web web sites.

Are these claims true? Is that this web site well well value taking a look at or maybe is it simply like any other web courting platform that frauds the amount of international cupid dating login cash away from you? We took a more in-depth glance at InternationalCupid for you personally! Maintain studying under to be taught extra.

International Cupid Dating

It is not a budget web site as we can see from the associated fee. Nonetheless, it’s still cheaper than nearly every other dating platforms, mostly because you can international cupid dating and marriage find no credits and costs which might be hidden. A person can pay for account and gets utilization of all features, in specific, in the direction of the messaging that is unlimited.

Colombian Cupid International

With online courting turning into a brand new venue for romance and with lots of people as competitors, your profile is your only ticket to getting what you’re looking for. And creating an important dating profile is not as easy because it sounds.

OkCupid comprises its good proportion of each, nevertheless regretfully, it is practically unattainable to ensure that a website is totally free of imperfections. OkCupid truly does try to cures faux user profiles by having customers be a part of a terrific Instagram account, which is means tougher to faux than an internet romantic relationship profile. That they deserve countless applause just for that, however I realize many individuals on relationship apps love better than the aesthetics and also the branding. Great factor OkCupid is a lot greater than that, taking match ups elements into consideration that different sites have not even thought of.

Caribbean Cupid Dating Site

All profiles have the “About Me” part, which incorporates the following data: identify, appearance, way of life, training, background, and quite a lot of different private details. You need to fulfill the “About the individual I am seeking” section, which reveals all your expectations about your potential love associate. You need to know that every profile has an indicator, which displays both a inexperienced or crimson dot. If you happen to see a green dot, a person matches your criteria, and in the event you see a red cross, it’s best to proceed your search.

International Cupid Messages

InternationalCupid is an actual courting website that offers all the required and supplementary options that a dating website should have. It helps you find the perfect match for you from all around the world. You can set up search filters to search international cupid safe out the match in accordance with your desire. In addition, you get a piece the place you may write intimately in regards to the sort of partner you might be on the lookout for.

is one in every of these websites with nearly lots of of successful love tales centered around it. What sets this website other than the remaining and why do hundreds of people choose to search for their soulmate on it? On this overview of International Cupid, I’ll goal to answer each of those questions, as well as pricing, and other companies provided.

Free International Dating Sites Cupid

How one can delete Worldwide Cupid profile? Customers can simply delete all their account by being able to entry the settings and clicking on ‘Delete Account’ change. 98% of all real ladies profiles at all relationship businesses are poor. Once internationalcupid com sign in we consider marriage-minded on-line courting, we think of eharmony The relationship website was inbuilt 2000 strictly for singles looking for a severe long run relationship, so you will not have to weed by way of profiles of incompatible people.

Now that you have your checklist, create a free primary profile on International Cupid Use your requirements to seek for girls on the location. Make it possible for their is an effective variety of lively ladies on the positioning who live in or close to the town you plan on touring to.

Subsequent up is normally your account – which is simply as necessary otherwise you images. Notably if you’re residing in a place like the US and searching for a Colombian girl who is fascinated international cupid registration by relocating. This area of interest courting web website is an example of 30+ within the Cupid Multimedia portfolio : a company which has an extended-standing rep for working legit web dating sites everywhere in the world. InternationalCupid conforms to privateness policies seen by the nations it operates in.

Overall Rating:Chance of Getting a DateEase of Use / NavigationProtect PrivacyFeaturesActive MembersValue for Money

Interested in dating foreign singles? Go online and find your perfect match! If you are looking for options, International Cupid is one that you should consider. We ranked it as number two and for this reason, expect that it is going to be an excellent choice. International dating will surely be easier. Keep on reading and know more about this website and why we have ranked it as one of the best international dating sites.

Features

As part of our list for the best international dating sites, expect that there will be tons of excellent features. You will be able to create a list of your favorites amongst the members. There is also an option to add video in your profile. There is also a chat room, making it easy to message members you find interesting. More so, there are resources that will provide you with insights on how to increase the likelihood of success when it comes to dating foreign singles.

Pros and Cons

Pros

There is a free standard membership, although take note of the fact that you will have limited access to the features of the website

The company provides dependable customer support to provide assistance that you need

It is available in multiple languages, making it easier to break barriers

Different search features, which will allow you to search members based on appearance, lifestyle, and cultural background, among others

User-friendly website design

Cons

The translation is a bit sketchy. It automatically translates text and can sometimes be confusing

It is more of a self-service site for foreign singles. This means that they do not do much to find someone who will be your perfect match.

Privacy

At International Cupid, they have stringent policies that will help to keep your privacy.

Users cannot remain anonymous because of the nature of the service. Full and real name should be provided upon registration

Third-parties can be allowed, but information shared to them will remain completely anonymous

Personal information will be collected only based on what is reasonably necessary and will be used responsibly. They will not be sold to any other company.

Ease of Use

International Cupid Safe

One reason why International Cupid is considered as one of the best international dating sites is the fact that it has a user-friendly interface. They have a 3-step process, making it almost effortless to find the perfect match. They also have several search features, which will make it a breeze to narrow down the results. You will easily find foreign singles who match your qualifications.

Costs:

International Cupid Sites Near Me

Sign up for free

Free limited membership

Gold membership costs:

1 month costs $29.98

3 months costs $59.99 ($20.00 USD per month)

12 months costs $119.98 ($10.00 USD per month)

Platinum membership costs:

1 month costs $34.99

3 months costs $69.98 ($23.33 USD per month)

12 months costs $149.99 ($12.50 USD per month)

Editor’s Verdict

In sum, from the things that have been mentioned above, there is no doubt that International Cupid is worthy of being listed as amongst the best international dating sites. From its user-friendly interface to a diverse community of members, you will surely not have regrets in choosing it above all others.

[architectnews]

Samarkand International Airport Uzbekistan

New Samarkand International Airport Uzbekistan Building, Architecture Design Project, Architect

Samarkand International Airport Building

14 July 2021

Samarkand International Airport News

Location: Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Central Asia

Design: KIKLOP Architects with Enter Engineering

e-architect Questions for Enter Engineering:

What is the project and what does it entail?

Samarkand International Airport is Uzbekistan’s second busiest airport. However, existing airport facilities – which were first built in 1967 – did not meet modern international standards and could not cater for anticipated, increased visitor levels.

The need for a modern, high-tech, international quality airport to act as a gateway to historic Samarkand was therefore urgent, and a material motivating factor.

Redevelopment of the Samarkand International Airport is now 80% complete and entails reconstruction of the international terminal, and construction of another terminal. The project also includes construction of 24 parking spaces to accommodate all types of aircraft, and a 700-space passenger car park.

When complete, the airport’s capacity will increase from 350 to 1,000 passengers per hour, increasing potential passenger traffic from 460,000 to 2 million per year, and increase scheduled flights from 40 to 120 per week into Uzbekistan.

When will the project be complete?

The project is anticipated to be completed in September 2021.

Who is involved in the project? What are their roles?

Enter Engineering, one of Central Asia’s largest engineering and construction companies – an EPCM contractor providing design, supply, construction and commissioning works, plus project management

Kiklop, a Turkish design and architecture firm – design

PSK Brig OOO, a Russian civil construction company – electrical works

What is unique/interesting about Kiklop’s design and how has it impacted the construction phase?

The terminal has been designed to resemble an open book, referencing the New Guragan Astronomical Tables, a manuscript published by the famed astronomer Mirzo Ulugbek in 1444. When published, it was considered as one of the most important and cutting-edge documents on astronomy in the world containing the coordinates of 1,018 stars. Translated into Latin, this work was used in observatories throughout Europe.

To acknowledge this, the external roof of the terminal will display a sky map with some constellations recognizable from the air, especially when landing at night.

What have been the main issues/challenges that you have overcome during the project?

The main challenge during the project was that the majority of the work undertaken by Enter Engineering was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maintaining the safety and well-being of our employees and workers and preventing the spread of infection has been our primary concern.

We have implemented several effective measures to ensure all our employees are aware of the dangers of the virus and the necessary methods of self-protection and caring for others. This included the use of personal protective equipment, temperature measurement of employees, proper hygiene and disinfection measures, a quarantine system for monitoring suspected contaminated personnel and their attendance by qualified medical personnel.

Thankfully, we have managed to keep up with the overall work schedule.

Questions for Kiklop

Who designed the airport?  

KIKLOP Design & Engineering (KIKLOP) is the main designer for the Samarkand International Airport project from inception to the construction drawings associated with Aviation Planning, Architecture, Interior and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing).

Who is your team leader?

Ms. Meltem Oz is the Project Principal as a founding partner of the practise.

Meltem specialises in managing Design Teams on complex and multi-disciplinary projects with a special focus on Europe, MENA and the CIS. Meltem is based in KIKLOP’s Istanbul office and is responsible for leading a team of Design Managers both nationally and internationally. The focus of Meltem’s international role includes the management and delivery of Design Teams across MENA and the CIS either directly to the Architect or through a Project Management delivery. She has a proven records of an over 5 million sqm project portfolio including with the recent Istanbul Grand Airport, Riyadh King Khalid Airport Expansion & Renovation

Can you tell us a little bit about the design?  

When we asked for a new airport design concept, the excitement was there. It is not just a new airport, it is the airport of Samarkand, the Pearl of the East. Samarkand is the home of hugely important historic figures as well the elaborately built, skilfully ornate madrasas, shrines and mosques which represent the height of beauty and design of their time.

We harvested and synthesized the intellectual prosperity of the different cultures connected by the Silk Road without directly copying the strong historic elements. We felt a frequent use of iwans, qubbas, portals, arches, pillars on the new structures might make them seem ordinary. Instead, we have reinterpreted the traditional architectural elements in an intelligent way.

The primary goal of the airport is to be space for welcomes and farewells – a gateway to a city not only important to Uzbekistan, but also the Silk Road.

In the 21st century we believe it is time to say ‘new things’, so our design is bright, new, contemporary with elegant installations with limited ornamental patterns – a combination of traditional and modern textures. This all gives a positive impression to travellers as they arrive or leave from Samarkand.

We wanted to make the new airport a modern, practical amenity. It has an uncomplicated circulation – making life easy for passengers and airport management. It is not oversized and is rational in scale and use of resources.

What were your design principles?

We had four design principles:

Make It Simple

Make it Flexible

Make it Convenient, Comfortable, Attractive

Be Generous with Floor Area

Make It Simple

The best architecture around the world, both old and new, is based on simple concepts (from the pyramids in Egypt, the Pantheon in Rome and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, to state-of-the-art airports in Hong Kong and Oslo). A simple Terminal is easier for passenger movements, more convenient for the users, and cheaper and more efficient to build and operate. In complex buildings, like airport terminals, it is a major challenge to achieve and maintain simplicity during the design, construction and operational phases.

Make it Flexible

An airport is subject to constant change. There is general requirement for expansion and reconfiguration in response to changing and often unforeseen demands. Design must be easy to change and expand the building, with minimal disruption to operations.

Make it Convenient, Comfortable, Attractive

The Terminal must have spacious rooms with high ceilings and a simple layout with wayfinding easy. There must be plenty of light, good views, in and out of the building. The facilities must be good with fine, well maintained materials and good details.

A wide range of nicely designed and well-stocked shops, cafes, restaurants and bars must be provided, together with attractive lounges and other services facilities. The processing of immigration, customs and security must be effective and courteous.

Be Generous with Floor Area

In Uzbekistan, construction costs are relatively reasonable. It is therefore advisable to be generous with floor area with a view to providing long-term future flexibility.

What was the inspiration for the design?  

Among the many historic buildings of Samarkand, there is one building which remains timeless and, mostly, unique namely the famed Observatory of Mizra Ulughbeg. This was one of the grandest observatories in the Islamic world during its time and the largest in Central Asia. We believe it is a key part of our universal history and civilisation and as such should be celebrated once again. If there was going to be a reference to the history of Samarkand, it had to be linked to MirzaUlughbeg and his observatory which was truly ahead of its time.

In addition, the natural world in and around Samarkand, especially the çinar trees with the great significance of our common culture, was another source of inspiration. We believe the green landscape should start right by the airport and even penetrate into and between the buildings of the airport.

What makes the design innovative or unique?  

From a bird’s eye view, the airport terminal building looks like an open book associated with the works of the famous statesman and scientist Mirzo Ulugbek, who made great efforts to develop science and art in Samarkand.

Of additional note, the simplicity of the design – despite being a complex project – a short passenger flow path and highly efficient baggage handling systems.

What has been your experience working in Uzbekistan and with Enter Engineering?

KIKLOP has 6 projects in Uzbekistan that are either complete or underway, including the Timurbek Military Campus, GEO University, Vostochny Airport ATC Tower and various other commercial developments.

Enter Engineering has been a great partner to work with on this high-profile project putting our design into practice in an efficiently and timely manner.

Are you working on any other international projects?

KIKLOP is an international practice with operations and offices spread across a number of different countries including Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Albania and the UK.

Some of our ongoing projects where we are the lead designer include Nasiriyah Airport in Iraq, the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel in Georgia and London Park Modern, a housing development in the UK.

Over the years we have received a number of awards and recognition for our work including receiving ENR Merit Award for the Azerbaijan Ministry of Tax Tower and being recognised at the Berlin World Architecture Project for our work on Istanbul Grand Airport.

New for Uzbekistan images / information from Enter Engineering

Location: Uzbekistan, Asia

Uzbekistan Buildings

Contemporary Central Asian Architecture

Uzbekistan Architecture Designs

Twin capital for Uzbekistan Design: Benoy images : Benoy New Twin Capital for Uzbekistan

Architecture in Central Asia

Contemporary Central Asian Architecture

Turkmenistan Architecture Designs – chronological list

Iranian Architecture

Azerbaijan Buildings

Iraqi Architecture

Indian Buildings

Pakistan Architecture

Comments / images for the Samarkand International Airport Uzbekistan Architecture page welcome

Website: Uzbekistan

The post Samarkand International Airport Uzbekistan appeared first on e-architect.