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Cristal and Utibe met as students at NYU. Six years and a global pandemic later, this young couple is building their lives together in Brooklyn with creative dreams for the future. Watch as we learn how these two have grown individually while keeping each other in mind.

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Transcript
00:00I don't know, I feel like my affection or obsession or whatever towards you
00:05hasn't really changed since I first met you.
00:12So, how did we meet?
00:15Okay, I want to hear your perspective too.
00:17Your perspective?
00:17But from my end, we met at the Organization of Black Women, which was this club.
00:23Remember when the hoteps came in?
00:25And we were just supposed to have that meeting with the girls
00:27and then these two random guys who I don't even think went to school came in recording.
00:32Yeah.
00:33And then you were like talking back to them and you didn't get intimidated by them.
00:37I was like, hmm, I like this girl.
00:39We went to a party.
00:41I think I sat on your lap because there was no room to sit.
00:45No.
00:45In the club?
00:46No.
00:46There was no room to sit in the party.
00:48I didn't even know you and you were sitting in my lap.
00:51Like we haven't even spoken.
00:52Yeah, because it was just like, this is Alicia's friend and we're all cool.
00:56I'm drunk.
00:57We're chilling.
00:58I don't know.
01:00Yeah.
01:01That's my perspective.
01:02That's not my perspective.
01:04And then afterwards, I just get this text and I'm like, it's like, from you.
01:08And you're like, oh, you too.
01:10Thanks so much for inviting me.
01:11It was so fun.
01:12Like, let me know if you ever want to hang out outside, like go to a museum or like a
01:16gallery
01:16or something and I immediately screenshot it and send it to Alicia.
01:22And I'm like, what is this?
01:23Yeah.
01:24I think it got back to me like in a couple of days and then.
01:26Oh my God.
01:27Was it a couple of days after?
01:28I don't know, but I, you know, how you get like.
01:34We've been together for six years, but like what was the day we were officially going out?
01:38Officially started going out.
01:40I think like August 2nd or 3rd is our official date because I was going to go to Madrid in
01:46a couple
01:46weeks and I didn't want to leave without knowing if you were my girlfriend or not.
01:51Oh.
01:52Do you remember what the conversation was like when we first started dating or like how I asked you?
01:58Yeah.
01:59We were like in my room and you're like, you know, I'm getting ready to go to Madrid soon.
02:05I think we already said I love you at that point.
02:07But I was just like, I don't know, like maybe, I'm not sure.
02:12And you're like, well, I'm going to go to Madrid and I'm going to have fun.
02:17So let me know what you're thinking.
02:19And I was like, okay.
02:20They gave me a lot of shit because I'd be on my phone in class chatting with you or staying
02:25inside on Saturday nights because I was chatting with you.
02:29Like writing little emails to each other.
02:32They're so cute.
02:34Can't read them now.
02:35I know.
02:36Can't.
02:36And then you came over.
02:39I had never experienced it in my life.
02:41Just like dopamine, serotonin, like the best high.
02:44It was crazy.
02:45I'll never forget that.
02:46That was a cute moment.
02:47And then we made out with a taxi.
02:58After graduation was tough.
03:00Was there ever a time where you wanted to break up with me?
03:04Yeah, probably like we had trouble communicating for the first couple of years.
03:10I knew the things that we were dealing with could be remedied or solved if we just took
03:17enough time and attention to it.
03:19I think we relied on each other for a lot of ways.
03:21Like you were my family for a really long time because like my family is not open to, you
03:27know, me being gay.
03:28So I think that had a lot to do with it.
03:31Your family really opened up to me.
03:36So I don't want to get emotional.
03:39Oh, it's okay.
03:41But I think that was something that really, um, yeah, I think that pushed us to like work
03:49on our relationship too.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Yeah.
03:53Were there ever times you wanted to break up with me?
03:55Mm-hmm.
03:58Oh yeah?
04:00Oh, I'm surprised.
04:04Yeah.
04:05I'm just kidding.
04:06No, there were times because things would be hard and we were babies and didn't know how
04:12to communicate and didn't know how to resolve conflict and, you know, didn't know how to
04:17be vulnerable, didn't know how to let walls down and like all this stuff.
04:22That's cute when you're young and cute.
04:24But then when you're in a relationship, you have to be like, you have to work together.
04:28You can't work against someone you're trying to grow with or like be in a relationship with.
04:35How do you want me to grow as an individual?
04:37I think I just want you to maybe live more in the moment because I feel like sometimes
04:46you can get stuck in your head about things or people or decisions.
04:52You work in social media, so naturally you're on your phone, on your laptop a lot.
04:56Yeah, I agree.
04:57I agree.
04:57That's something I've been working on.
04:59I want you to set better boundaries with people.
05:02I think you have a really big heart.
05:05You easily forgive and maybe easily forget.
05:09And I think you need to remember a little bit more.
05:12Mm-hmm.
05:12Yeah.
05:18How do you want to grow together?
05:20Make this money.
05:23A lot of the time we're focusing on like developing how we communicate and talk to each other and work
05:31together.
05:31I feel like right now we're at a good place where we can shift our focus to like just building
05:37our businesses.
05:41Probably looking into buying a house or buying property somewhere.
05:45Gosh.
05:46Like actively considering it.
05:48Yeah, just like we're going to be 30 soon.
05:50Yeah.
05:50In 10 years I want to be out the city, upstate, on a farm.
05:57Where will I be?
05:58Where will you be?
06:00Hopefully there.
06:01We'll see.
06:01This question's about us.
06:03I don't know.
06:04Hopefully with me.
06:06Maybe a kid.
06:0810 years?
06:09Yeah.
06:10Maybe a kid.
06:10Yeah.
06:11Maybe.
06:11Probably a kid.
06:12Yeah.
06:13Kid or two.
06:14Yeah.
06:15That's really crazy to think about.
06:20How's it feel about love of black woman?
06:23It feels like home, you know?
06:25It feels safe.
06:25It feels easy.
06:26That's how we met too.
06:28Like at NYU.
06:29That's so true.
06:29Just being ourselves.
06:30You know, we're black, queer, and women.
06:33So we got like, we got a lot to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
06:38There's a lot of things that you understand about my experience in life without having to say anything.
06:45It feels like I have like, not my best friend.
06:49Like a partner in crime.
06:50Yeah.
06:50Like a partner in crime.
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