corey and michael need to get away, and the midwest is slowly fading in the rear view mirror. corey thinks they’re on their honeymoon; michael has never seen as much open space as he does on the open road. it’s the journey that matters, because their road trip has no definite ending.

NO TENDERNESS (2023)

[characters] starring:

corey -> obsessive and delusional, corey is living the american dream. his new life is on the run with his… with michael, staying in cheap motels and robbing liquor stores. but he’s young and in love, so what else could he want?

michael -> after a lifetime behind bars, michael’s finally free. with his boytoy in tow, he’s leaving the midwest behind. he can’t shake the impulses, but corey’s boyish excitement is rubbing off on him in the form of fast food, roadside attractions and open roads.

[tag list] with:

aes: no tenderness -> bonnie and clyde have nothing on corey and michael, and their relationship is definitely x-rated.

aes: midwest in the rear view -> there’s a big wide world out there, and the landscape is ever changing.

aes: like a man starved -> food and restaurants, because there is a bottomless pit that needs to be filled.

aes: roads are winding -> roads and cars; an indefinite road trip means a hell of a lot of cars swapped and highways travelled.

aes: love to get lost in -> gas stations and convenience stores were given by god to weary travellers.

aes: shade of the sheets -> motels, because sometimes all you need is a place to rest your weary head (a vibrating bed is just a bonus).

aes: dirty domestic bliss -> mementos of corey and michael’s life together, it’s not much but it’s home.

aes: momma’s boy -> corey is a momma’s boy, and reminders of that are never too far away.

aes: daddy’s boy -> corey’s dad may of left him, but that doesn’t stop corey seeing him in every man he meets.

aes: centrefold -> because corey is too handsome for his own good and this very much an x-rated romance.

aes: can’t clean the blood -> blood, guts, gore. the bloodlust is never quite quelled.

aes: taken by the american dream -> malls, drive-ins, casinos and all things americana. this is the america corey was made for.

aes: trouble in paradise -> how long can the honeymoon phase last? sometimes reality hits.

corey about michael -> what’s it like to love and fear in equal measure? the desperate pleas of a desperate man.

michael about corey -> his morbid curiosity is strong but not endless, and one day he’s going to get bored of this pet boy that he’s been keeping around.