Structural Integrity & its sequels are about queer couple Yaan and Kel navigating life and their relationship in the fantasy city of Zelio, an early industrial setting with a sharp class divide. Descriptors include cozy, small-stakes, relationship-focused, angsty, & sweet! The first two are out now, with the release date for the third TBA.
Structural Integrity (#1)
Purchase via: Ko-fi (higher percentage of proceeds goes to me!) | Amazon | Elsewhere
Messenger boy Kel never expected to strike up a romance with a government official. But Yaan lacks the self-important snobbery of the others, seeing Kel as more than just a pretty face. Living with him in the city’s plush government complex is everything Kel could want: no more expenses, kitchen workers and resident animals to befriend, and of course seeing Yaan every day. Even if Yaan does spend most of his time working or worrying about work, and seems to have forgotten that they used to have actual conversations…
When the city decides to tear down the iconic theater building in Kel’s old neighborhood, Yaan’s indifference toward his pleas to help save it forces Kel to confront his growing unhappiness. In the aftermath, both will have to decide whether their relationship is salvageable.
12,500 words. Content warnings: Sexual situations (non-explicit), disordered eating, alcohol consumption, classism, anxiety
Structural Strain (#2)
Purchase via: Ko-fi (higher percentage of proceeds goes to me!) | Amazon | Elsewhere
After realizing how badly he was failing his partner, Yaan promised to do better. Being open and vulnerable with Kel isn’t exactly easy, but it’s worth it for the closeness they now share. Kel, meanwhile, continues to combat his conflict-avoidant nature and be honest about his own wants and needs. The payoff includes not just an increase in affection from Yaan, but also Yaan getting to know his family, and even pledging to help get the old neighborhood theater—the catalyst for their reconciliation—open again.
When Yaan begins noticing other ways the city government he works for has failed its working-class residents, his renewed commitment to Kel leads him to push back against his boss’s policies. Kel, however, is concerned Yaan might be taking on too much. When he’s proven right, their relationship will be tested anew, as Yaan is forced to decide what really matters to him and Kel must choose how far he’s willing to go for Yaan’s sake.
39,000 words. Content warnings: Alcohol consumption/dependence, classism, implicit sex, suicidal ideation, disassociation, anxiety, depression