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shadowkoo · 2 months ago

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Kingdom Cum

→ Summary: On the eve of your wedding, you're ready to let loose and make it a night to remember. In the heart of a vibrant city, surrounded by your closest friends, you're determined to savor one last taste of freedom. But when a series of unexpected encounters transforms the celebration into something far wilder than you ever imagined, you find yourself torn between temptation and the life you're about to commit to. At Kingdom Cum, the night is bound to be steamy; leaving your desires to run high, while dangerously blurring the lines between loyalty and lust.

↠ mingi x f.reader x hongjoong | 3.3k words | 18+ ↠ genre: y2k cyberpunk aesthetic nightclub, exotic dancer/stripper au, the filthiest smut i’ve written in a looooong ass time

→ Warnings: infidelity (Y/N is at her bachelorette party) double penetration and double teaming (you’re welcome in advance), fingering, oral sex (female receiving), partial voyeurism and exhibitionism, breast play, light bondage (bride sash used as a restraint), spanking, begging, semi public sex, unprotected sex, rough sex, doggy deluxe, edging, deep dicking, belly bulge, clit pinching, ass enthusiast!hongjoong, teasing expert!mingi, well behaved!reader, multiple orgasms, sloppy oral sex, cock swallowing, cock choking, throat fucking, size kink, heavy praising, slight degradation, creampies, cum play, cum stuffing, overstimulation, the slightest power play, mingi’s got a magic cross dick piercing (bc why not hehe i’m feeling evil) there’s probably more I’m missing

→ Networks: @ksmutsociety @k-vanity

→ Author Note: a big thank you to beezy @hobeemin for beta editing, to cherry @shuadotcom, summer @beomcoups, booki @kwanisms, and maren @wooahaeproductions for hyping me up and letting me scream about this!

And also to sevn @aaagustd & nabi @jenoslutie for being my sprinting partners for several days i would have never finished this without the motivation fr, ILYSM <3

It’s almost midnight, and the real fun is about to begin. It’s your bachelorette weekend, and you’re surrounded by your closest friends, ready to celebrate in style.

The city lights glimmer outside, but all laughter and music are inside. Drinks flow as you and your crew revel in the weekend's freedom. You’ve been looking forward to this escape for months and with your girls by your side, the energy is electric.

The night is young, the city is yours, and the party is only getting started.

“Just wait, I’ve heard they strip everything,” Yeri says, emphasizing her last word.

“They better be hot,” Sunny jokes, lifting her cup to sip her drink. You’re all sitting at a table in Kingdom Cum, a popular cyberpunk nightclub that’s known for having the two best after-dark dancers in the city - SpankMaster and SlickNasty.

“Hi ladies,” a male says from behind your group, “We can’t show you everything, but you won’t be disappointed.”

Turning to look, you see that it’s a gorgeous man with a blue streak running through his tousled hair. He runs his ring-covered fingers through his colorful strands, furthering the messy-styled look.

“I heard earlier that a bachelorette party would be joining us tonight. After spotting you sexy ladies, I knew you had to be the group.”

His eyes land on you, “You must be the bride.”

It’s obvious, you can’t pretend otherwise - even if you want to. You’re wearing a slutty white bra top (per Yeri’s demand), and white cheetah print pants with a ridiculous silk sash that says ‘Future Mrs.’ across the middle.

“Mingi, better known as SlickNasty, at your service,” He says, extending a hand toward you. His fingers brush yours before gently lifting your hand to his lips. Mingi’s eyes never leave yours, holding your gaze as he places a soft, lingering kiss on the back of your hand.

It feels way more intimate than it’s probably meant to be.

As he finishes, he lowers your hand slowly, releasing it with a sly smile that hints at something more.

Or maybe that’s exactly how he meant it…

“And here comes the other half of tonight’s show,” Mingi says directing your attention to the next stunning man walking over to your table.

“Hello ladies, I’m Hongjoong, your SpankMaster. My pleasure to meet you,” he says, his voice deep yet smooth, brimming with confidence that radiates from his effortless demeanor. “We’re here to steal the lovely bride-to-be for the first performance.” He winks at Sunny, whose cheeks instantly heat up.

“Oh, yeah, absolutely! Take her away!” She blurts, practically pushing you out of your seat and into their arms. You rise to your feet and follow them as they lead you backstage.

“Alright, hot stuff,” Hongjoong says once you’re hidden behind the curtain. “Excuse my manners, I forgot to ask for your name.”

“I’m Y/N.”

“Here,” Mingi directs you to sit down on the chair conveniently placed at the center of the stage. He stands to your left, hovering over you as Hongjoong leans in on the right side.

“Just gotta confirm before the show starts, do we have your consent to touch you on stage?” Mingi questions an inch away from your heated face.

“Yes,” You nod, giving them permission.

“That’s a good girl,” Mingi whispers in your ear. Before you have time to react, the curtains sweep open, and bright lights flood the stage, momentarily blinding you. Over the rush of excitement, you can hear your friends cheering wildly from their table.

The two explode onto the stage with electrifying energy, their movements sharp, fluid, and in perfect sync with the pounding beats. A few backup dancers join behind where you are seated. They’re all dressed in neon, complementing the trendy punk looks of Mingi and Hongjoong.

The stage vibrates with power as they hit every beat with precision, seamlessly blending their different styles together.

“How’s everyone doing tonight,” SpankMaster (Hongjoong) grins, swaying his hips to the beat as he struts down the catwalk of the stage. He poses at the end, teasing all the women in the room as he slowly lifts a corner of his tank top.

He drops the fabric and wags a finger, “Not quite yet, I wanna hear you scream for it.” The crowd erupts, giving him exactly what he demands and he chuckles.

“That’s good, very good actually,” he praises. “SlickNasty, you think you can help me out?”

Mingi saunters over until he’s behind Hongjoong, resting his hands on his friend’s shoulders before running them down his chest. He bunches the thin fabric between his fingers and tears Hongjoong’s shirt right down the middle, leaving the shreds to fall onto the stage.

They turn around, gyrating their hips to the beat and in sync with one another, before walking back over to where you are seated.

“Ready to have some fun?” Mingi’s breath tickles your neck as he straddles your lap. He hovers above you before crossing his arms and slowly lifting his shirt off next, tossing it somewhere offstage where two women fight over it.

As Mingi dances, his gaze remains fixed on yours, an unspoken connection pulsing between you both with every move. The music echoes around you, but it's the intensity of his eyes that holds your attention, drawing you in deeper.

Even as his body twists and sways in rhythm, he never breaks eye contact, as if the entire room has faded away and it's just the two of you in this moment. Each glance feels deliberate, filled with a mix of arrogance and something darker that keeps you locked in, unable to look away.

The rest of the song is a blur of skin and muscles. Every roll of Mingi’s hips has your insides burning more and more. The air is thick and heavy, like the calm before a storm. And boy, do you want it him to rain down on you.

His movements overflow with unspoken words, and tension hums beneath the surface. It’s electric and suffocating, as if any moment could tip the scales and send everything spiraling out of control. That thought pools heat between your thighs.

Hongjoong saunters back over toward you, pausing to tap Mingi on the shoulder. It’s their signal to one another, and they switch positions effortlessly.

Mingi returns to the front of the stage, dancing energetically while engaging with the crowd, drawing them in with his cocky presence.

Hongjoong has a sideways grin on his face as he pulls you to your feet. “Show me your moves, hot stuff," he teases with a grin, twirling you around with effortless grace. As the spin ends, he slides down your side, fluidly and playfully, syncing perfectly with the rhythm of the music.

Swaying your hips against his, you raise an arm to your hair to release the claw clip currently holding it up. Tossing your head back, you let the curls bounce around you as move to the beat. Your friends’ screams fade into the background as you lose yourself in the moment.

Mingi watches you, his eyes all dark and broody. He’s entranced, stuck under your spell as you grind against his best friend. His eyes lock with Hongjoong’s and they share a silent exchange, and with a quick nod, agree on the matter.

Your moment is suddenly interrupted when the crowd erupts into chaos, the lights dimming, and then it dawns on you. Their set is over. This is over. Damn.

The backup performers step out from the shadows and down into the crowd, pulling fellow show-goers to the open dance floor. The DJ picks up the tempo as more and more people leave their seats to join in on the fun, including your friends who are dancing with a few hotties themselves.

The curtains shut dramatically again, closing you off from the outside world.

“Follow me,” A stagehand says, grabbing your attention and directing you backstage with SpankMaster and SlickNasty.

“Um…What now?” you ask nervously as the two look at each other knowingly. “I should-uh. I should head back, right?” You awkwardly point to the front of the venue.

“Well, now you have a decision to make,” Hongjoong smirks. “You can go back to your friends…”

“Or you can stay here with us,” Mingi finishes, cracking open the door to his dressing room, inviting you to join them.

Your gaze travels back and forth between the two. Half of you knows better than to pretend like you don’t know what will happen if you go in there. But the other half of you is dying to find out if you’re right. It is your last night of freedom, how can you turn down this chance?

“Do you trust us?” Mingi asks, pulling you from your battling thoughts.

“Yes.”

Your stomach twists in anticipation as they shut the door behind you, and with a decisive click, you’re locked inside.

Mingi is the first to touch you, his large hands wrapping around your bare waist, pulling your backside up against his front. Those same hands slide up to your breasts, kneading them lightly at first. You moan, reaching backward to clutch his strong thighs, your nails digging into them as his grip tightens.

“You’re gonna be a fun one, aren’t you,” Mingi chuckles in your ear, nipping at it gently before pulling away from you. He joins Hongjoong who’s sitting on the black couch, waiting.

“Last chance to leave, sweetheart,” Hongjoong warns, tapping the space between him and Mingi. Your legs move before your mind and heart even catch up to what you truly want, what you crave.

You should be running back to your friends, and yet, you sit.

“Good girl,” Hongjoong murmurs before crashing his lips against yours. His tongue tickles the corner of your lips, demanding to be let inside.

Simultaneously, Mingi works to undo your pants. You lift your hips, giving him space to drag the fabric down your hips, leaving them in a pile on the floor.

“Damn, baby,” he groans, looking at your damp panties. “Look how worked up you already are. Spread your legs for us. Let us see how wet you are.”

You comply and are kindly rewarded when Mingi’s fingers pull your panties to the side. Sucking in a sharp breath, your head falls back as he spreads your dewy folds open with his digits.

“Is the fact that I’m fingering you while my best friend watches getting you all worked up?” he questions devilishly, already knowing the answer. Your face twists in pleasure with every curl of his fingers.

Mingi’s other hand wraps around your hair, pulling your mouth to his. He sucks in your bottom lip, surprising you when he bites down.

Hongjoong sucks on your exposed neck, then hovers above the spot he created, pleased with the purplish spot already growing. One of his hands dips down between your legs, meeting Mingi’s as he adds another two fingers inside you.

“This pretty little cunt’s gotta get stretched out if she’s gonna take both of us. Do you want that?” Hongjoong asks, his voice all husky.

“Yes,” you breathe shakily, “I want that so bad.”

Their fingers quicken, pumping in perfect sync, each thrust inward hits that sweet spot that has you dancing dangerously close to the edge.

“Please, please!” you cry out, begging for release.

“That’s it, gorgeous. Let us hear those pretty moans,” Hongjoong praises.

Your body inevitably tenses as shockwaves rush through your body, pleasure pulsating head to toe as your insides contract around their slowing fingers.

Mingi tilts his head and grins. “Are you ready?” he asks as you’re catching your breath.

Before the words ‘for what’ even have time to register in your brain, he moves from his spot next to you and kneels between your legs. Swiftly placing his hands behind your knees, he yanks you forward. “I know what to do to make this kitty purrrrrr,” he rolls his tongue, “Are you ready to find out why they call me SlickNasty?”

“God, yes,” you plead as he rips your useless panties off, throwing the remaining fabric elsewhere.

Mingi delves into your soaked center, and he moans deliciously, loving your sweet taste. The one thing he loves most in the world is pleasing a woman with his tongue; the satisfaction he gets is unmatchable.

His tongue licks up your slit, circling the sensitive nub several times, making your legs shake and his length stiffen.

“Such a good slut. Look at you, trying to fuck my tongue,” Mingi rasps as you push back against his mouth.

You’re a moaning mess, frozen in pleasure, and Hongjoong takes the opportunity to untie the back of your top. He tosses it aside with the rest of the clothing that is quickly disappearing.

He sucks one of your velvety peaks into his mouth, teasing it with his teeth before sucking to alleviate the pain.

Hongjoong massages your other breast with his hand while his mouth continues its beautiful assault on your hardening point. He releases his lips only briefly, blowing air over your wet mound, before swapping to the other side.

“Fuck, I need more,” you beg, arching your back off the couch.

As if they know that you’re on the precipice of coming again, the two men work harder; Mingi’s tongue lapping your folds as his nose rubs against your sensitive clit, Hongjoong’s teeth tugging on your nipple.

A moan tears through you, your body convulsing as your second orgasm courses through your veins.

Without giving you time to come down from your high, Mingi flips your body over in one quick movement, leaving you on your hands and knees. He stands at the end of the couch, shoving his leather pants down and freeing his cock.

Your mouth waters as you take in the size of him. Something reflects in the light, and your eyes quickly land on his tip. It’s pierced, with two bars crossing over each other, creating the perfect ‘X’ marks the spot.

“Open wide for me, pretty girl,” he says, quickly shoving his length into your stunned mouth. He’s hot and heavy, just his tip alone fills your mouth. You stretch your jaw, opening as wide as you can to take in more of him.

Something feral inside Mingi switches when he notices his cock creating a bulge in your throat. He growls, grabbing a fistful of your hair to hold your head steady while he watches it move as he does.

Hongjoong undresses behind you, quickly finding his place at your backside. He takes a moment to enjoy your ass from this angle, gazing unapologetically before raising a hand to slap the perfectly untouched skin.

Your flesh jiggles from the impact, and he rubs the area to relieve the stinging. He admires the redness growing across your cheeks as he spanks you again and again.

You moan, vibrating around Mingi’s cock.

“I think she likes that, what do you think Hongjoong?” Mingi says through gritted teeth.

“I know something she’ll like even more,” Hongjoong answers before slamming his thick length into your heat.

“Oh yeah,” he practically purrs, loving the way you take all of him. With every hard thrust from Hongjoong, you choke around Mingi’s cock.

Mingi wipes the drool dripping down from your chin before gripping your jaw, “You’re just a toy that’s meant to be stuffed from both ends, isn’t that right?”

You nod as much as you are able with his length still shoved deep down your throat.

“Such a good toy,” Hongjoong compliments, awarding your ass with another hard smack. Your nails dig into the arm of the couch to keep from falling over.

Holy fuck.

Mingi’s cock twitches, but he holds back. He’s got other plans on where his cum will be spilling tonight. He makes eye contact with Hongjoong, and they share the same thought as he slips out of your wrecked mouth.

You mewl at the loss of contact when Hongjoong also pulls out. But before you have time to ask questions, Mingi lifts you and carries you over to his vanity, gently setting you down against the cool marble countertop.

Hongjoong’s eyes land on something white and silky on the floor; he smirks at his finding.

Perfect, he thinks, grabbing it from the ground and twisting it in his hands as he saunters over toward you. Your mind registers that it’s your ‘bride’ sash.

“Hold your wrists out.” You do as you're told, and he ties it around them. He lifts your joined hands over your head, pinning them in place. “Will you keep them there?” he asks.

“Yes,” you whisper, keeping them lifted when he removes his hands.

Your eyes wash across both men’s bodies, their cocks resting up against their abs. It’s the best sight in the world.

They look to you for approval as they line their cocks lined up with your center. You nod repeatedly, silently begging them to fuck you already.

Slowly, they both push into your needy cunt. You feel the cool metal of Mingi’s piercing glide against your inner walls as they sink into you.

Mingi tosses his head back once he’s pushed to the hilt; the position shows off his tense neck veins.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong hisses as his body goes rigid. Taking in a couple of deep breaths, he regains his composure and turns his head toward Mingi, giving a slight nod to say it’s go-time.

You scream out when they pull back, slamming back into you before you even have time to register. Pain mixed with pleasure at the stretch you out.

“You can take it, I know you can,” Hongjoong says, his hand gripping your waist.

“So fucking tight,” Mingi groans.

Your eyes land on your lower stomach, where you can see their cocks practically rearranging your insides. Moaning as you watch the bulge move in and up and down motion, your arms momentarily fall while distracted.

Hongjoong growls, grabbing your bound wrists and slamming them back up against the wall. His thrusts get slightly sporadic, getting closer to his own release.

Your body glistens with sweat, and Mingi is entranced by your perfect tits with perky nipples bouncing in circles as they hammer into you.

You hook your legs around both men, crying out when Hongjoong pinches your clit.

“Come. Now.”

Mingi’s demand has your mouth watering from the sheer dominance laced in his voice. Your eyes flutter as your face twists, accepting your fate as you succumb to orgasm number three.

Hongjoong grunts as your walls tighten around both cocks. His eyes roll back as he releases his creamy load into you. He shudders, pulling out of you and watching some of his cum drips onto the floor below.

Mingi growls after Hongjoong steps back, lifting one of your legs as he pounds into you one, two, three more times until his cum shoots through your soft folds.

You’re perfectly content and ruined, unable to move.

“Didn’t I say that would be fun?” Mingi says after noticing your blissfully fucked face. He leaves a quick kiss on your cheek before stepping back to clean himself.

When he returns, you’re about to reach for one of the tissues he has in hand when you’re quickly stopped by Hongjoong.

“Ah, ah, ah.” He shakes a finger, before putting two between your legs, stuffing their creamy mixture back up into your heat.

“That’s for later, when you’re missing us,” he winks, handing you your pants to slip on while Mingi reaches for your top.

“So, you better get back to your friends,” Mingi says, stepping back after he helps you into your shirt. “We don’t want them to think you got lost for good.”

Hongjoong taps you on the ass lightly as you’re led to the door, “Goodbye, hot stuff.” He smirks. “Good luck with the wedding.”

…Oh yeah…

→ Taglist: @gyupremacy @yoonguurt - not on the list yet? sign up here!

#ksmutsociety #kvanity #ateez smut #hongjoong smut #mingi smut #hongjoong x reader #mingi x reader #mingi oneshot #hongjoong oneshot #hongjoong fanfic #mingi fanfic #ateez fanfic #ateez oneshot #shadowkoo #600

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ccoconutmall · 5 months ago

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✐ᝰIF ONLY SHE KNEW

⪼ home

yuta sighed as he cleaned off the counters with the wet rag, toge was busy taking an order, his voice cutting through the soft music playing inside the cafe. they’ve had this job for almost 2 years, and it still feels like the same routine. clean, talk to rude customers here and there, clean some more, then go home. yuta looked around so he could find something to operate his time, seeing as he had already refilled the cups, pastries, and napkins. he even cleaned the tables. it felt like he cleaned this place 6 times to get ready for the rush that was bound to come soon.

but the sound of the bell ringing to indicate a new person walking through made him look up. a large gasp escaping his mouth as he ducked down to hide behind the counter. what were you doing there? out of all the people he had to see today, when he was covered in sweat, dirty from all the cleaning he did today and he even had stains all over him. you hadn’t even noticed him upon walking in, you were busy with your friends. once toge finished giving a customer their order, he looked down to see yuta covering his head with his arms, trying to hide. “what the hell are you doing? get up you dingus.” he groaned when he saw yuta shake his head nervously, but when he looked up, he could see the reason why he was hiding. “seriously..? yuta. just take the order.” yuta shook his head again as toge groaned, not so much that he had to take your order, but the reason he had to take it was because yuta was acting like a scaredy cat. again.

he gently moved him out of the way with his foot, not noticing yuta slowly walk away without trying to give himself away. “hello, welcome to the coffee bean, may i take your order?” there was a friendly smile plastered on his face, so you wouldn’t think he was as annoyed as he once previously was. putting on his best customer service voice. you hummed and looked up at the large tv menu mounted onto the wall before you started.

“can i get a vanilla bean latte with cold foam and a strawberry shortcake?” he nodded as he put in your order, looking towards your friends so they could put in their order. once he was done typing everything into the ipad, he looked back up at you “$12.50.” you nodded and handed him your credit card out of your wallet. he swiped your card and printed out a paper receipt with your order number on it, and with a smile, you were gone and went to find a seat with your friends. “see yuta, that wasn’t so.. bad?”

he looked down at his feet, but yuta was nowhere to be found “oh you gotta be fucking with me.” mumbling to himself, he pulled out his phone while nobody was in line.

toge grumbled as he put his phone into his back pocket. yuta scanning the area before he fully came out and walked behind the counter. “go get the order ready.” toge demanded him pointing to the machine. yuta looked at him like a kicked puppy, but he silently did what he was told, and that was making your order.

“ynnn…” nobara dragged out her words with a huge grin across her face. “is that the cute boy you wanted to see?” she giggled as the two guys looked at you as well, stopping what they were doing before. “oh my god… nobara, i didn’t come here because of a cute guy… i just wanted to hang out since we’ve been so busy with exams recently.” she sucked her teeth quietly and put her hand on her cheek looking over to the counter. she gasped loudly “what about him?!” her whisper yell made you jump a little and look over, there was a new person there. he was tall and skillfully fixing up your dessert, making sure he used the juiciest strawberries. you watched as he cut them up, his hands were delicately fixing up your stuff. yuji laughed at your reaction “oh, it has to be. look at how she’s watching him!” nobara quickly slapping her hand over yuji’s loud mouth. “shut up! we can’t let them know!”

you rolled your eyes at them, but yuji was right, you were watching him use his hands a little intensely, like you could burn holes straight through his palms. would they believe you if you said it was just because you were watching him make your order? probably not. “guys. please, we’re not having another aaron situation!” you yelled in a hushed tone. all three of them deadpanned “bitch, aaron didn’t even know you, that’s different.” megumi groused, your mouth went slack, but he was also right.

“how do you know he knows me?” you raised your eyebrow at him, megumi crossed his arms over his chest before he answered you again. “because yuta, was in our high school, and if he’s here, he probably goes to the same university.” you quickly turned your head to get a peak at his name tag, but before you could say anything, your order number was called out.

“329?” yuta called out, his voice was sort of shaky, but he looked around. “bitch, go!” nobara pushed you out and you went up to the counter. “im 329.” you smiled at him, and he swore his heart started beating out of his chest, he could feel his ears get hot trying to swallow down whatever he was feeling in his stomach before handing you your stuff. “thanks yuta!” you gushed, your fingers gently rubbing against his as you took your order and went back to your table.

he looked at his hands, dark red blush creeping onto his face as he suppressed the urge to go into the back alleyway where the employees normally take their lunch breaks and scream to the top of his lungs. he was over the moon to say the very least. it might’ve been a small gesture, but after knowing of you for 4 years and being shy to actually initiate anything, he thinks he did a damn good job at hiding how he really felt at that moment. a large, goofy grin was spread across his face. he could feel the ghosting touch of your soft, warm hands against his still. he quickly looked over at you as you talked to your friends and looked back at his hand.

“why are you staring at your hand, you freak of nature?” toge quipped, but yuta didn’t even care. he just sighed dreamily and looked at him “she touched me..” toge’s eyes widened, he couldn’t believe that yuta actually was able to talk to you. even if it was just to call out your order. “and! she called me by my name!” toge could practically see hearts floating around yuta, it was like he was in a cartoony haze, and toge just nodded his head. “now, before she leaves, you should ask for her number.

yuta nodded, honestly not hearing a word that left toge’s head, but he tried going along with it. toge watched as you went to the counter again, your friends leaving to wait for you in front of the store. “go! now!” toge pushed yuta to the counter again, which snapped him out of his thoughts.

“hey, uh.. i wanted to give you a tip, the strawberry shortcake was really good.” yuta looked at you as you handed him a $5. he tried swallowing some spit, but his throat was dry. “it’s no problem.. uh,” he couldn’t stop stuttering but he continued on. “they’re my specialty, everyone always asks for them.” you laughed, then smiled at him “i see why!” he took the money from you, but before you could walk away he stopped you. “hey, i know you might not remember me.. but do you think i could.. maybe get your number?”

your eyes widened as you looked at him, he was visibly blushing, you don’t even know how long he’s been waiting to ask you, and even though he was fully prepared for you to reject him, you smiled at him, and he swore he could die, right then and there.

“sure!”

taglist;

@sunflowertingzzzz, @k0z3me, @mollzaj, @mixzimi, @chiefinvestigatoremma, @evieskibidi, @7nknown

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copperbadge · 1 year ago

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Every time, you guys. Every time I look into alternatives to Lulu.com for self-publishing I come up with “Wow Lulu really is the best of a bad set of options, huh?”

Recently, Draft2Digital bought Smashwords in order to bring a print book company under their aegis; they’d formerly only done ebooks. I thought I might investigate them as an alternative to Lulu, which I’ve used for about twelve years now. For ebooks I would venture D2D is probably top of the line. For print books they are....not.

I’m writing this out half so other folks can see it but half so that in the future I can look this up and remind myself of why I’m still with Lulu.

TLDR: Not only does Draft2Digital want 60% of my print book royalties where Lulu takes 0%, and $30 for a proof that costs me $11 at Lulu, but I also appear to have solved the problem of why Lulu was making me price my books so goddamn artificially high. Which is like. Honestly the best anti-anxiety drug I’ve experienced this week.

Basically there are a number of elements that go into self-publishing with a print-on-demand service. For some publishers, there’s a “setup fee” which doesn’t really set anything up, it’s just there to be a fee, everything is done by computer on the back end. Traditionally, Lulu has not charged a setup fee. Smashwords used to charge $50, but Draft2Digital currently waives it. I was heartened by that because the setup fee was keeping me from migrating, since I can afford $50 but I balk at knowing I’m paying them $50 for nothing.

Next is the cost of printing -- what it costs the company in paper, ink, machinery, labor, etc, to just make a book with no profit. Lulu’s price calculus isn’t super clear and I’ve never bothered looking at what the breakdown is, because they’re pretty up-front -- they tell you in the process of setting the book up how much it’ll cost. In this case, a 140-page 6x9 trade paperback, no frills, which is how all my books are printed, is $5. Draft2Digital doesn’t tell you the flat price anywhere but they do offer the breakdown information; it costs $1.22 flat plus $0.0133 per page. So, for a 140 page book, the at-cost is $3.08. So far so good.

Now, if you’re going to sell through Lulu, the “at cost” is the minimum price. You won’t make any money but you CAN charge just $5 for a $5 book. Any pricing above that is your cut. So -- let’s price this 140 page trade paperback at $13-$15. That’s a bit high to be honest but let’s just see. At Lulu, your take is roughly $6-$8 based on those prices, because you’re just dropping out the cost of printing from the retail price.

At Draft2Digital, the same 140-page trade paperback, which remember is quoted as costing roughly $1.20 less to print than Lulu charges, gets you $2.75-$3.50 in royalties per book.

....wait, what?

So now we need to sidetrack a little but I promise it’s for a reason. One of the motivations for looking into a change to Draft2Digital is that I didn’t like that Lulu was setting higher “minimum prices” than I was accustomed to -- they would tell me the book only cost $5 to print but require me to sell it for $12 or similar, and I couldn’t work out why. I’m an idiot but the penny did finally drop: it’s because when you distribute them outside of Lulu (say, on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or similar) your royalties drop like a stone. $7 in royalties purchased through Lulu comes out to like twenty-five cents purchased through Amazon. So Lulu forces you to price the book at a point where you even GET royalties and don’t end up weirdly owing Amazon money. The “global distribution” is what’s driving that minimum up.

So in price-quoting a competitor I actually solved the problem with Lulu.

Which is good, because the fun doesn’t stop there. If you want a proof copy of a book from Lulu, it’s the at-cost of the book, plus tax, plus postage. Buying a proof copy of this book from Lulu would cost me $11. Lulu makes you order a new proof copy every time you make a change, which is shady, but usually I only need to make 1-2 changes across the life of a book, so at most the cost will probably be $35 and for that I’ll get three copies of the book. Draft2Digital doesn’t give you an option. If you want a proof pre-publication, it’s $30 flat. If you want to publish and then buy a copy you can, but you can only make one change to the book every 90 days once it’s published. If you want to make more than one change, it’s $25 every time you upload a new version of the manuscript within that 90 day period.

So Draft2Digital’s books cost less to print but they take a massive cut of your royalties out of the retail cost of the book. If the book costs $3 to print, and I price it at $15, that’s $12 in profit on the book. Of that $12, however, I only receive $4. Draft2Digital literally wants 2/3 of my royalties per book. They want $20 more than Lulu to send me a proof copy. If I need to correct the proof, the correction is free, but I’m assuming the second proof will also cost me $30. Any changes after that, within 90 days, will cost $25 plus $30 for a new proof.

Which means my upfront costs at Lulu are about $35 per published book; to do the same thing at Draft2Digital is between $60 and $105 depending on whether I need to make changes after the second proof copy. And even after that, my royalties at Lulu are just about twice what they would be at Draft2Digital per purchase.

So, well, Lulu it is. And the problem I was having with Lulu is solved if I decide to just retail through Lulu rather than selling globally. Which...selling globally has done two things that I’m aware of:

1. Fucked up my author page so badly on Amazon that one of my books is still attributed to Kathleen Starbuck, and one of her books is for sale on my author page.

2. Raised the minimum price I’m allowed to set my books at by like, 40%.

So I think probably what’s going to happen is going forward my books will be for sale only on Lulu. I can still assign them ISBNs and they still will ship worldwide, and the prices will fall significantly. My deepest apologies to those of you who have paid an artificially inflated price for the last few books; I’m going to fix that going forward, I’m going to go in and try to fix it retroactively in the books that are already on Lulu, and if it’s any consolation at least the cash came to me, and TWO THIRDS OF IT didn’t go to Lulu.

It’s gonna take me a little time, untangling Lulu’s relationship to other retailers is tricky, but eventually the Shivadh Omnibus and Twelve Points should come down significantly in price, and there ought to be a dollar or two drop for the older books as well.

This is why it always pays to do the math, even if like me you are dreadful at it.

#selfpub #self publishing #publishing #draft2digital #lulu #archive

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television-overload · 2 months ago

Text

What Really Happened

(an NCIS fanfic)

September 2024. Tali has some questions about her parents' trip to Paris nearly fifteen years prior, and she's determined to get the details.

Written for the September 2024 Tiva Fic Challenge! This month's prompt was "Jet Lag: What Really Happened?"

Read on AO3

For as long as Tali could remember, her father had told her a story.

Twenty-four hours in Paris. A whirlwind trip, romantic and magical. The thing is, every time he told the story, it was different. Details changed, dialogue was exaggerated to unbelievable proportions… What it lacked in detail, it made up for in sentimentality.

“And then I told her she was the most beautiful thing in the city, even prettier than the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles.”

“Did you kiss?” Tali would ask, eyes twinkling.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Now will you go to bed?”

Tali could see, now, he just told her whatever would get her to sleep the quickest. While she hadn’t understood back then, it couldn’t have been easy to be so suddenly thrust into fatherhood with no warning. But it never mattered to her. He was her Abba, and he was the best dad she could have asked for.

“No, tell me more!” she’d demand. “What did Ima look like?”

He would adjust the frame on her bed stand, gazing wistfully at the picture within.

“She looked like an angel, just like you.”

Only a few things stayed the same with every retelling, as far as she could figure: Her mother and father together in Paris, a quaint cafe not far from the tourist sites, and a Vespa scooter that they rode around the city together.

That all may have suited her just fine as a bedtime story when she was little, but Tali was almost eleven years old, now. She could tell she wasn't being told the full truth, and she had a feeling some of the details he would recite were entirely fabricated. She'd done the math, compared the story with what she knew of their lives before she was born—what others who knew them then had told her. Oh yeah, she had sources.

It just didn’t match up.

Time to test out those detective skills to get to the bottom of it. Surely those were genetic?

There was a box in her parents’ closet. It had been there as long as they’d lived here, shipped over from the U.S. when they first moved. Mostly, she figured it held boring stuff like paperwork and whatever else had been in her father’s desk at NCIS before he quit. But maybe there was more. Maybe it contained all the answers to every question she’d ever wondered about her parents.

Or maybe not.

Kneeling on the floor of the closet, she surveyed the contents of the plain cardboard box. It was a mess of papers. Considering the journey it had taken across an ocean and later from their old apartment to their new one, she wasn’t surprised. There were a few other items mixed in, a colorful stapler with a cartoon mouse on it, a few dusty looking service awards…

And an envelope. Now that looked promising.

Reaching in, she pulled it out, growing more and more certain that what she held was a stack of photographs. Photographs of what, she could only guess. Had she found clues that might explain what her parents had been doing in Paris years before they would ever move here? If not, what other pictures might her father have kept in his desk at work?

She held her breath as she opened it, carefully plucking at the corner of one of the colorful prints as she pulled it from the stack.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Tali jumped, only narrowly avoiding throwing the pictures across the room in reflex.

“Ima!” she squeaked, wondering if it was too late to hide them behind her back. The box wasn’t off-limits, per se, but it did have a sort of mystical quality that made digging around in it feel like a breach of some code. It was from a time long past—a time her parents didn’t talk about much, at least when she was around.

But there her mother stood in the doorway to her room, arms crossed over her chest as she fixed a suspicious glare in her direction.

“I was just—”

Her words trailed off as her mother’s expression quickly shifted from suspicion to curiosity. “What do you have there?” she asked, her folded arms falling to her sides as she made her way across the room, glancing down at the box splayed open in the closet.

Tali held out the envelope. Well, this had been a mission failure, she thought—at least the stealthy, ninja-like aspect of it. It remained to be seen if she had in fact found what she was looking for.

“Just some pictures, I think,” she mumbled, handing them over reluctantly.

Her ima slipped them out of the envelope and flipped through them, the corners of her mouth quirking up in a wistful smile.

“Honey, I’m home!” a voice singsonged from the entry hall, echoey and distant.

Her dad.

He’d started saying that when he got home from work as a joke, but now he did it unironically. It got old pretty quick, but she did find it endearing, in a way.

“Hey, where is everybody?” he asked, his voice getting louder and clearer with proximity. Before long, he was peeking his head around the doorway. “Uh oh, am I in trouble?” he asked, taking note of the box at their feet. “I swear I threw out those old magazines before we moved.”

Tali briefly wondered what magazines he could possibly be talking about, and why he would have a physical copy of a magazine in the first place, but she was much more interested in the photos her mom was holding.

“Look what our daughter found,” her ima said, waving the glossy prints in her father’s direction.

“Not the… in California…”

Her ima laughed. “No. Not those ones.”

Her father looked somewhat relieved. “Ah, then it must be the ones from my brief stint as a travel photographer,” he mused aloud, setting his briefcase aside and approaching their huddle by the closet. He took one look at the photos in her hand and grinned. “I still think that’s my favorite picture, by the way,” he said, nodding down at the one she held separate from the others, then dipping down to press a quick kiss to her lips.

“I didn’t actually get to see them,” Tali pouted, crossing her arms with a huff. “Ima took them away before I could see what they were.”

Her mother shared a look with her father, communicating in that infuriatingly wordless way they always did. What were they smirking at?

“Why don’t we go sit down on the couch in the living room and we can look through them together, my love,” Ima said at last, flicking off the light in the closet.

Tali supposed that was agreeable. Whatever she had found, she could at least now be certain they were photos from her parents’ past. She followed them out to the sofa, taking a seat between them on the cushions.

“You know what these are?” her mother asked, finally granting her a peek at what she had unearthed from the box.

It took all her self control not to whoop in excitement when she spotted familiar streets and buildings in just the first few photos.

Jackpot.

“Dad told me,” she said, smiling as she came across one of Ima looking through postcards at a shop. That must be her father’s favorite. “You guys came to Paris.”

Her mother nodded. “We were sent here for work, that’s right.”

Wait, go back a second.

“For work?” Tali asked, her forehead crinkling in confusion. “Dad never told me that.”

“He—” Ima’s head slowly turned in her father’s direction, fixing him with a meaningful glare. “What did he tell you?” she asked, her tone light and inquisitive, but Tali could sense the undercurrent of tension her comment had sparked. Dad was in troubleee.

She glanced at him quickly before answering. “Well… It all sounded very… romantic,” she spoke. To her left, her father looked like he was trying to disappear into the cushions, an awkward grin pulling at his lips.

Oh, Abba, surely you knew this would one day come back to bite you?

“Tony!” Ima shouted predictably, smacking him in the arm. “Why did you lie to Tali?”

“I didn’t lie to her,” he asserted, chuckling nervously.

“You told me that you kissed her on the Eiffel Tower!” Tali said, adding fuel to the flame. Ima's jaw dropped, and she shot him a look. It was funny to watch her dad squirm. Only Ima could make him do that.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I may have embellished a little,” he acknowledged.

Her mother grabbed the nearest throw pillow off the couch and used it to wallop him in the face, all the while concealing a smile. A woosh of air from the attack blew Tali’s hair back, and she giggled uncontrollably, falling back into the cushions.

“Tony, you have never kissed me on the Eiffel Tower,” she countered irritably.

“I haven’t? Well, we should go fix that,” he said, pretending to get to his feet to leave.

Tali rolled her eyes. “Daaaad.”

He sat back down. “Alright, another time,” he acquiesced. “To be fair, what happened in Paris has always been a bit of a secret between your mom and I. I distinctly remember you lying to Nora on that plane, sweetcheeks.”

“And you lied to McGee,” her mom fired back without missing a beat.

“I knew it,” Tali whispered. Okay, so she knew a little more than she was letting on. Uncle Tim will be delighted that she got a confession out of them.

“I’ll admit it,” Dad started, getting serious once more. “The bedtime story version wasn’t quite the truth.”

Well yeah, that was obvious.

“The truth is, we were on assignment for NCIS,” he continued. “Not very romantic, huh? I guess the way I told it is how I wish it had happened. How it should have happened, if I hadn’t been such a coward.”

This brought a fond, slightly sad smile to her mother’s face, and Tali could feel an arm drape over the back of the couch behind her.

“I wouldn’t say it was entirely unromantic,” Ima said, her fingers playing with the short hair at the back of her dad’s head. “She is old enough to hear this story, yes?” she said, her eyes imploring him to agree with her.

“Most of it,” he answered, breathing out a laugh. “I think she can live without the knitting needle incident until she’s a little older.”

“Agreed.”

Tali crossed her legs on the couch, looking back and forth between her parents. She waited with bated breath for the story to begin, but they sure were taking their sweet time.

Sometimes this happened. They'd just go silent and stare at each other with dopey smiles on their faces until someone or something snapped them out of it. It was annoying.

“Hello?” she said, hopefully reminding them of her presence. “You were saying?”

Her dad was the first to break eye contact, reaching out for the stack of photos and flipping through them.

“Right,” he started. “Do you want to start, or should I, sweetcheeks?”

“You go,” Ima said with a nod. “I want to see if you are capable of remembering this correctly.”

Dad opened his mouth as if to argue, but Tali, with the gift of foresight, distracted him with a question before he could start.

“So, what was the assignment?” she asked, blinking up at him imploringly.

“Protection detail,” he answered, shifting his attention back to her. “A witness who needed safe passage back to the U.S. for a trial. Nora was her name.”

“So you just went there to pick her up and that was it?” Tali asked, desperately hoping that wasn't the case. How boring would that be? No, she knew they had fond memories of the trip. There had to be more than that.

“Pretty much,” her dad answered. “But we flew in the day before, so we got to explore a little bit.”

“Tell me!”

Her mother chuckled, shaking her head at Tali's eagerness.

“Your father wouldn't stop making movie references the entire time we were in the city,” she said. “I think as soon as we stepped foot in the airport, he thought we were on some kind of grand adventure. I had to remind him we were there on business, and that we needed to check into the hotel before doing anything else.”

“You should have seen McGee's face when the Director picked us to go,” her dad said with a laugh. “Oh, it was priceless.”

“What happened next?” Tali implored.

Her father crossed his arms and kicked his feet up on the coffee table in front of the couch. “Well, your mom convinced me that we needed to go drop our stuff off at the hotel first, so we caught a taxi. Secretly, I think she just wanted to freshen up, fix her hair and makeup and all that after being stuck on a plane for so long. She had a crush on me back then, you know.”

His eyes met her ima’s here, one eyebrow twitching upward teasingly.

“Oh, shut up,” Ima said, rolling her eyes.

“It's true!”

“Not a crush, that was earlier. This was something different.”

“Looove?” he singsonged, his grin infectious.

“Nooo,” Ima sang right back, matching his tone. “I do not know. Maybe. I do not think even I knew what it was at the time.”

“Well I was pretty in love with you,” he responded, practically radiating heart eyes in her direction. “Obviously.”

“You were not so obvious. I thought you were just being a goofball,” Ima spoke.

Any easy mistake, Tali thought.

“I was trying to flirt with you, but clearly I didn't succeed,” he corrected. “You know, Tali, your mom refused to go sightseeing with me.”

Tali turned to her mother, surprised. “What? Why?”

“We had a mission, I was trying to keep things professional,” she said in her defense. “It was in the best interest of our witness that we get a good night's rest and stay on task.”

Yeah, but that sounded boring.

Her father, evidently, agreed. “You're no fun,” he said with an exaggerated pout.

“I went to dinner with you, didn't I?” Ima asked.

He begrudgingly nodded. “She did go to dinner with me, I'll give her that.”

“And was the dinner not romantic?”

“Hard to find somewhere to eat that doesn't fit that description in this city,” he countered.

Ziva waved her hand in the air with finality. “There you go.”

Tali couldn’t help but feel that they’d gotten a little off track, but it was still fun to hear about their time together before she was born. She tried to picture them, younger than she’d ever seen them and probably a little wilder, too. She wanted to know more.

“So you went to dinner,” Tali summarized, nudging them to tell the rest of the story. “You didn't go anywhere else?”

Ima jumped in next. “Well, your father… He had rented a scooter—you know about the scooter,” she said, referring to the one in the picture Tali still kept on her nightstand. Tali nodded emphatically. This was one element of the story that had remained consistent throughout every retelling. Her mother continued, “He got us so lost on the way back to the hotel after dinner, that eventually I had to tell him to stop so I could ask someone for directions.”

At this, her father looked highly pleased with himself, his small smile concealing an even wider grin.

“Can I let you in on a little secret, sweetcheeks?” he said.

“Hm?”

“I wasn't lost. I knew exactly where we were the whole time.”

Ima’s jaw dropped open, and Tali thought her dad was lucky that Ima was all out of pillows on her side of the couch that could be used as ammunition.

“Tony! We drove around for at least an hour!” she chastised.

“Exactly! How else was I going to take you to look at the pretty lights around the city, or to all the big tourist sites?”

“I cannot believe you.”

“Come on, you loved it,” he said knowingly, tilting his head at her. “You got to put your arms around me for a whole hour.”

Ima raised an eyebrow and Tali could tell she was determinedly resisting the urge to laugh. “Are you sure that was not your motivation for it, then?”

“Oh, it absolutely was,” he answered easily. “If that was the only time I'd get to feel your arms around me, I was gonna make the most of it.”

Blegh, Tali thought. That was one thing that made her different from most kids in her class. Her parents really really loved each other. And they weren’t afraid to show it.

“I did enjoy it,” Ima admitted. “I liked that cologne you used to wear.”

“Well, that's good,” he said, smiling, “I practically drenched myself in it whenever I knew I'd be working in close quarters with you. I think maybe I hoped it would be like some kind of magic potion that would make you fall madly in love with me.”

“I guess it worked,” her mother teased with a shrug, which her father got a kick out of.

“I guess it did,” he said. “Though I hope you love me for more than just the way I smell. That cologne went out of production years ago.”

Ima’s eyes shone, equal parts charmed and amused. “I do. You know I do.”

His lips pulled back in a smile and he leaned forward, meeting Ima’s lips with his own right in front of Tali. She was practically squished between them, forced to endure their display of affection at close range.

“Would you two like to sit next to each other?” she asked, unimpressed. “I feel like I'm not even here.”

Her parents withdrew, her father suppressing a laugh. “Sorry, where were we?”

“Dinner,” she reminded him.

“Right,” he started. “Well, before dinner, we walked around for a bit, looked at all the little shops. That's when I took this picture of your Ima,” he said, holding out the one of her at the postcard stand. “Pretty good, huh?”

“I still think it would look better in black and white,” Ima spoke, looking at it with a critical eye.

“Maybe we could get a copy made, hang it on the wall,” her father offered, which elicited a chuckle.

“Now, I would not go that far.”

“Did you buy anything?” Tali asked, wondering what someone who didn’t live in the city might want to take home with them as a memento.

“Just some souvenirs,” Dad answered. “And a postcard for McGee. ‘Wish you were here!’”

Ima smiled. “Then we sat and ate dinner.”

“You looked so beautiful that day,” her father mused, gazing fondly at the photograph in hand. “I really do wish I had kissed you. I drove you right by the Eiffel Tower.”

“Which was nowhere near our hotel,” she reminded him.

“Pretty sure we've established that I was being sneaky.”

“What happened when you got back to the hotel?” Tali asked.

Ima looked suspiciously at her. “You are being very nosy today, motek. Why the sudden questions?”

Tali shrugged, keeping her face neutral. “I've just always wondered, that's all.”

Ima narrowed her eyes, not fully accepting that as an answer, but eventually, she continued. “Well, we actually had a nice hotel to stay at, for once. Usually when we traveled, at least in the States, NCIS would book us rooms at the cheapest motels they could find.”

“But not this time?”

She shook her head. “Not this time. They wanted us somewhere close to the embassy, where we would be picking up our witness.”

“Wow.” Their jobs sounded so cool, sometimes. Of course, she knew there was a lot of un-cool stuff they hadn’t told her, but what she did know sounded fun. She still sometimes had a hard time believing her boring old parents were once gun-toting federal agents, chasing down bad guys and saving the day. It seemed even more improbable that her Grampa Gibbs had done the same.

“You're skipping over a very important part of the story, Zee-vah,” her father said smugly, bringing her attention back to the tale. “Tell her what the front desk lady said when we tried to check in!”

Ima rolled her eyes and huffed. “Tony, I can tell you want to say this part, so why don't you just do it?”

He grinned excitedly. “Fine. I will. So we walked in this huge, beautiful lobby, right? And I went up to the desk and said, ‘Excuse me, ma’am. There should be two rooms under the name DiNozzo for us, please.’”

“Two rooms?” Tali asked.

“We were just friends back then, you see,” her abba explained. “Actually, we had been going through a bit of a rough patch. Friends might have been pushing it.”

Ima was quick to correct that. “You were my friend, Tony,” she said, looking at him kind of sadly.

He gave a nod. “Friends, then. But not together. And since we were there for work, it was agency policy for two agents of opposite gender to stay in separate rooms.”

That made sense, Tali supposed.

“But then…” Ima started.

“Hey, you said I could tell this part,” her father whined.

“Alright, then get to the point,” she waved him on.

“But then,” he repeated, “the woman at the desk said there was some misunderstanding with our reservation, and they only had one room for us.”

Misunderstanding? Or mischief on Uncle Tim's part as some form of payback for not getting to go to Paris, Tali wondered. She made a mental note to ask him the next time she talked to him.

“Would you have gotten in trouble?” she asked instead.

“We probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist from H.R., and a slap on the head from Gibbs. But no one ever found out,” her father answered.

From what Tali had heard from Uncle Tim, he knew something about what happened. But the specifics were out of his reach too. That’s where Tali came in.

“God, I was so in love with you,” her abba said, gazing lovingly at her ima. “It was pathetic. I don't know how you could have missed it. That mixup with the rooms was like my wildest dream coming true.”

“Tony…”

“I'm sorry if I drove you crazy that night,” he continued, ignoring her attempt to stop him. “I think I was a little drunk on the wine we'd had at dinner still.”

“You were not drunk. I know, because I let you drive us home. You were just… Tony.”

“Mm. Just me, huh?” he asked, smirking at her with a pleased look on his face.

“I found it endearing. Even if I wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation.”

“She offered to take the couch,” he informed Tali. “I told her that she was being ridiculous, that the ginormous bed was big enough for the two of us to share, but she tried to insist. Eventually, I threatened to take the couch myself, and she came to her senses.”

“If I had given up the couch to you, you would have complained about your back the whole flight home the next day,” Ima pointed out.

“Would not!”

Tali had to agree with her mother, here. “Dad, that does sound like you,” she said.

“Now you're ganging up on me! That's not fair!”

“Your father was the perfect gentleman that night, Tali,” Ima continued. “Believe me, I was surprised too. Not even one joke about our situation.”

Her dad seemed shocked at this information as well. “Really? I didn't make any jokes at all?” he asked.

Ima shook her head. “None that I can remember.”

“Huh,” he said. “I was probably too nervous myself to say anything.”

“Why were you nervous?” Tali asked.

“Because,” he started, draping his arm over the back of the couch and over Ima’s shoulder, “sharing a bed with someone—especially someone you're secretly pining for—is a very intimate thing. You kind of lose your sense of personal space. Whatever mask you put on during the day comes off, whether you want it to or not.”

“You guys wore masks during the day?” Tali questioned. She pictured superhero masks, or maybe the kind you wear when you’re sick.

“Not that kind of mask,” he corrected. “I mean the emotional kind, when you don't want other people to see how you're really feeling, so you pretend to feel something else. I used to do that a lot when I was younger, and not quite as wise as I am today.”

“As did I,” Ima agreed.

Tali’s face screwed up in confusion. Everything seemed so simple. Why did they make it seem so complicated?

“Why didn't you just tell each other the truth?” she asked.

This time, her mother answered. “We did, more than we told others at least. But that was a very difficult time for your father and I. We were just learning how to trust each other again.”

“Didn't you always trust each other? You were partners!”

Dad’s knee bumped companionably against her own. “You have to understand, Tali, our jobs were very difficult. I don't think you’re ready for the full story quite yet, but your mom had just been through something horrible and scary, and part of it was my fault.”

Ima’s face fell, and she shook her head. “Tony. It was not your fault,” she said.

“At least some of the blame was mine,” he insisted.

“No. Tony, do not think that way.”

He gave her a small, placating smile. “Alright, we'll agree to disagree,” he said. “But the point is, Tali, it was a very strange time for the two of us. Being completely honest with each other wasn't something we were particularly good at.”

“But we got through it,” she said, reaching for his hand.

He smiled, eyes watering as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “Yes. Yes we did. We just danced around a lot of things we probably should have discussed much sooner.”

“Like the fact that you loved each other?” Tali offered.

Her dad gave a dry chuckle. “Oh yeah. That was the biggest one of all.”

“We were not ready for that conversation yet, motek,” Ima said, running a hand through Tali’s hair.

“But that didn't stop you from getting all cozy with me that night, did it, sweetheart?”

He waggled his eyebrows at her, teasing her playfully.

“I think that is probably enough for one day,” Ima said, trying her hardest not to smile at his antics. Her cheeks blossomed pink.

“No, let's keep going!” he said, spurring her on. “Look at you blushing, I can't believe you still get embarrassed talking about this!”

“I am not embarrassed, Tony,” she countered.

“You aren't? Could have fooled me. When I brought it up in the morning at that cafe, I thought you were going to strangle me for mentioning it in broad daylight.”

Tali giggled at this back-and-forth that they were so good at. It wasn’t often that her dad managed to get under Ima’s skin in this way, it was usually the other way around.

“I thought there was a mutual agreement never to speak of that night again,” Ima responded, her voice low.

“Well, I never agreed to any such thing.”

Things just got curiouser and curiouser, Tali thought, intrigued. “What? What happened?” she asked eagerly.

“Well, we started out the night happily keeping to our own sides of the bed,” her abba explained. “A nice, sensible space between us.”

“I was asleep, Tony, I cannot be held accountable for–”

“But then your ima, here, decided that I made a much better pillow than the one she was using, so I got a face full of Ziva hair.”

Tali laughed, her mother’s indignant attempts to correct him striking her as utterly hilarious.

“If you were awake, you could have very easily pushed me off you,” Ima argued.

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because, Tony, we were supposed to be keeping a respectable distance!”

“Counterpoint: Your hair smelled really good and, oh yeah, I was super in love with you.”

Ima huffed, having no comeback for such a line. “So you have mentioned.”

“Anyway, it was the best night's sleep I'd ever had,” her father finished. “Ziva?”

“What?”

“Would you agree?” he asked.

Ima blew out a breath, thinking it over. “Well, at the time, I often dealt with nightmares.”

“And?”

“And… You just want me to admit that I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't go back to my side of the bed, don't you?” Ima stared accusingly at Dad.

“Maybe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, yes, I did. I was comfortable, and the dreams weren't as bad as usual for some reason.”

“Hmm, I wonder what that reason was,” Dad said sarcastically, tapping a finger thoughtfully on his chin. But then he looked at Ima again and smiled, his expression melting into one of adoration. “I wish you would have told me all this back then,” he said. “Could have saved both of us a lot of trouble.”

“No point in dwelling on it now,” Ima surmised, and he gently rubbed her shoulder before pulling back.

“When I woke up in the morning, she was still in my arms, conked out and snoring like a freight train,” he continued his tale.

“What a lovely sight that must have been,” Ima said sarcastically.

“It was!” he said. “I could have laid like that forever. I guess, now I get to.”

More mushy stuff. Great. “Okay, I get it. You love each other. Now is that it?” Tali asked.

Dad shrugged. “Pretty much. The next morning your mom got all awkward and tried to pretend we hadn't just spent the night cuddling in the most romantic city in the world,” he narrated.

“Meanwhile, your father woke up in an unnervingly pleasant mood and hurried off to go sightseeing, while I headed to a cafe for a late breakfast.”

Tali turned to her father. “What did you go see, dad?”

“Well, the embassy isn't too far from here, actually,” he spoke, glancing toward the window in their living room. “I drove around for a bit, past the Louvre, saw everything in that area. Took lots of pictures.”

“And then we met up at the cafe for a little while before it was time to pick up our witness,” Ima finished.

“That's when we got that picture taken. The one in your room.”

Her dad told her, sometimes, about the moment he realized she knew who he was. How that picture had been her connection to him before they met, and how it later connected her to her mother while she was away.

Their family’s story was a strange one. For a long time, she hadn't known the particulars, of course. But she was the only kid at school whose mom was off who-knows-where hiding from who-knows-who and doing who-knows-what. Not that she was allowed to talk about any of that. She only picked up bits and pieces when her dad would talk to Pop Pop after she'd gone to bed, and her memories of those conversations were pretty fuzzy.

She also never fully grasped the significance of the lack of pictures from when she was a baby, or the fact that she had been born in Israel, while her father lived in the U.S.

But now, she had begun to piece some things together, and it made her a little sad. She wondered if she would ever fully understand what had happened. Why, until she was six, they had never been a family together, all in one place.

The fact that her parents had been so close, and yet so far from their happily ending back then… Almost fifteen years ago, now…

“Is that why you wanted us to live in Paris?” she asked her father.

“I guess so,” he said, reaching for Ima's hand. “Part of me, I think, hoped we'd find her here right away. Like maybe that picture frame in your bag had been a message telling me where to meet her. But also, yes. We had nothing but good memories here. Seemed a good place for a fresh start.”

“The same cannot be said for the airplane we took back to America with our witness,” Ima joked, lightening the mood.

“Oh, no. Definitely not,” Dad agreed. “If I wanted to experience mortal peril on an airplane, I would just watch Liam Neeson in ‘Non-Stop.’ But then, that movie hadn't come out yet. Come to think of it, I feel like we should have been contacted for our expertise by the studio that made that movie. Do you think they could have given us writing credits?”

Tali sensed that the rest of the story would have to wait for another day. Most of their case stories were like that. Just a couple more years, then maybe she’d be old enough.

“Thanks for telling me,” she said, interrupting her father’s rambling about movies.

“Of course, neshama sheli,” Ima said, placing her hand on her knee.

“Anytime, kiddo. This was fun.”

“And?” Ima prompted.

“And,” he continued, “I’m sorry for making up stories when you were little. I should have told you the truth.”

Tali looked at him, smiling when his eyes met hers. She leaned into his side, and he lifted his arm, welcoming her in for an embrace.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I liked your stories. They were like fairy tales.”

He sighed. “If only it had really been like a fairy tale.”

“It is, though!” Tali said seriously, leaning back to face him. “You got your happily ever after, right?”

Dad’s eyes lifted to meet Ima’s, and they shared a smile, another one of their silent conversations.

“You are right, Tali,” Ima said, eyes shining with some deep emotion. “Maybe we had a fairy tale ending after all.”

-.-.-

Tali waited until her parents had gone to bed before sneaking out of her own room and into the kitchen. She found the phone out on the countertop where her father had left it, and quickly navigated to the right name in his contact list.

She pressed the call button and the phone rang. While she waited, she tried to mentally count backwards and estimate the time it was in D.C., but that was entirely too much math for this time of night.

Eventually, the line connected with a click.

“McGee,” the voice on the other end spoke.

“Uncle Tim!” Tali said in a whisper.

“Hey, Trouble!” he greeted jovially. “Whatcha got for me?”

Tali’s chest bubbled with giddiness, and she bit her lip to keep from shouting the answer.

“Uncle Tim, they told me everything!”

-.-.-

Tags <3 @tiva-fic-challenges @benedettabeby @butwhenthesuncameup @earanemith @hopeless-nostalgiac @indestinatus @loudlooks @mrsmungus @nicolem194 @putthekettleon @slippery-soapbox @tivafanfic @tivajunkie @tonysziva @whoa-myninja

#tivachallenges #ncis #tiva #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #my fanfiction #ncis: tony & ziva #jet lag

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realdirtfacts · 1 year ago

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Selling your merch and shipping from home with Fourthwall

I've been selling @shiftythrifting Junk Boxes - our curated secondhand mystery boxes - since 2017 using different platforms with different levels of success. I moved to Fourthwall in 2022 and my teeny tiny business has only grown since then! FW is free to use and you get ALL the money from your home sales save for the credit card processing fees. I don't miss the fee structure from our previous hosts, so I thought I'd write up a little guide on how easy it is to get started.

Things you need to start shipping from home:

A scale, and it doesn't need to be an expensive or large one! Even a kitchen scale works for small stuff.

Packaging and packing materials for the product(s) you're selling.

Access to a post office and/or a printer.

Funds set aside for postage. You'll get this money back with your Fourthwall payout when the month rolls over.

(Optional but handy) A ShipStation account.

Make yourself a store if you haven't already. You can sell print on demand, digital stuff, and your own inventory in one place but today we're talking about selling from home, so add a product and pick the middle option.

You can customize everything about your product on this page, from adding size and color variations, the materials used to make it, size charts, inventory, and more. Get an accurate weight of what you're selling in its packaging and add that here. Hit save and you have your first listing. Gonna be selling a variety of products? You can duplicate the listing with the meatball menu! Change the name, photos, and anything else that needs changing and have your second listing up in a couple minutes.

Didi protip: I like to put people's reviews right in the listing. Lots of photos help sell your product, but there's nothing like a positive review from fans!

Fourthwall's Collections feature lets me put my Junk Boxes in their own little section where I can set them to hidden or mark them sold out if I get sick or am on vacation. This lets me easily turn the self-fulfilled part of my store off while folks can still purchase print on demand and digital stuff and sign up for memberships.

Didi protip: If you are in the US, the US postal service will pick up your outgoing packages free of charge on any regular mail day. Just set up a pickup on USPS.com!

When you've made your first sale, you can either make the label yourself or connect directly to ShipStation through Fourthwall's app integration. That's brand new and I love it so far. My labels pop up in ShipStation about 24 hours after a purchase, giving people a little window of time to adjust their order or make changes before I ship it.

At that point, all that's left is handing it off to the postal carrier of your choice! Boom, you're done!

A final note from me, I moved ShopShifty to Fourthwall so I could have one address for ALL my merch instead of splitting it between Patreon, a print-on-demand store, and the Junk Box store. It's proven to be the best choice I've made in years and has saved me a ton of money in marketplace fees, Paypal's cut, and web hosting charges. This has genuinely been the easiest way to sell my merch!

#fourthwall #I wouldn't praise anything like this that I didn't absolutely love #and I love fw #I'm proud our lil shifty made partner #now I help other people set their stores up

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tossawary · 8 months ago

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I think SVSSS as a 2D cartoon would be the best moving medium for it imo.

I mean, personally, yeah, that's how I'd enjoy seeing it as well! My ideal slightly pretentiously artsy SVSSS screen adaptation would probably look only a little more detailed than linograph prints (2D or shaded 3D?) (someone hit me up in like two weeks to draw an example of what I mean, if I don't remember on my own, I don't have access to art stuff right now), very stylized and vibrantly colorful, because that's one of the art styles that I particularly enjoy.

I'm not a personally a fan of the 3D SVSSS show because I find the characters a little too doll-like and same-facey for my tastes? It's fine! It works! It's serviceable! It's just all, backgrounds included, a little... safe? I tend to like over-the-top bright colors and intricate details and impractically weird shapes and yet also coherent world production design in my fantasy, which is a lot to demand of any production, perhaps especially with animation productions, which are always squeezed for time and money.

(EDIT: I know the SVSSS show was under heavy constraints and the results are impressive considering their resources; it doesn't change the fact that I just don't like the art style and nevertheless find the results underwhelming. I don't like a lot of "realistic" modeling / rendering styles, not just "anime" ones, even if they are extremely technically impressive. Believe me when I say that I know the vast majority of the entertainment industry is overworked and underpaid and creatively restrained.)

Slightly tangential general note: I don't think 2D is inherently superior to 3D (EDIT: NOT trying to imply asker is saying this, just having some general thoughts), especially because, with the realities of production, each have their advantages. 2D has a lot of stylistic advantages still, but 3D shaders are catching up and doing some incredible things these days! More advanced puppet controls and particle effects and such are doing some beautiful things for 2D shows as well these days. A lot of stuff has been subtly mixed media as soon as 3D became possible. It is potentially possible (note: not saying any studio would actually greenlight this) to do an equally slightly weird and artistically stunning 3D SVSSS show, given the freedom to work. (Good boarding and writing is also sooooo important in both mediums, obviously, it's not just about the art design. You can get away with incredibly limited animation with good boarding, writing, and art design.)

Another slightly tangential ramble: both 2D and 3D have the potential for stiff animation and poor character acting, which also comes down to production limits and animator skills? (I often think of character animators as a type of actor!) There are a lot of 2D shows that I don't really like because I find the animation incredibly stiff, both puppet and handdrawn (there's great 2D puppet stuff out there these days), which pretty much always comes down to production limits (deadlines and budget and software, saving up their animation for the coolest scenes). One of my favorite things about Studio Ghibli films (which as features get a lot more space to focus on art compared to the demands and restraint of television) has always been the squash and stretch in otherwise relatively realistic action, making things like hugs look SO nice for example. But 3D stuff is getting better at that these days! The ways characters slumped into each other in "Nimona" for example was great. And it's just fascinating to look at the elasticity / stylized sculpt of expressions in "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" compared to the technical limits of the models / rigs in "Shrek" or "Shrek 2".

Adding these side notes because I want to be clear about my respect for both 2D and 3D artistically! A lot of video games are doing cool stuff in 3D that looks very close to 2D with stylized shaders, which you can sometimes spot by the large or small rotations in character action / acting, which is difficult (and therefore often expensive) to do in 2D with all of those extra drawings / angle poses. Also, I think the current push towards funky shaders in 3D is so cool and it's hard not to gush about them!!!

#foreverliminal #tossawary svsss #ask tossawary #long post #tossawary watching

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cepheusgalaxy · 15 days ago

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The WRU customer’s guide

Chapter 2 - Product receival

(Distributed by WRU ©)

Your Boxie arrived! And now what?

Congratulations on getting your new Pet! The WRU staff thanks you for your preference.

We assure your new Pet is suited to attend all your necessities and wishes thanks to its top-tier training with WRU’s most brilliant teams of professional handlers. If your experience is enjoyable, please consider leaving a feedback on our site! Your opinion matters a lot to us.

Your pet's serial number and designation can be verified at its register that was printed and shipped alongside the product, and also sent to your online mail. If there is a mistake and you can't find it, please refer to custome service on the nearest WRU store or our site, wru.com.

What's included in your product

Inside the box that you received is one (1) WRU Box Boy, which is wearing a basic WRU shipping uniform and collar. Alongside it is your Pet's Owner’s File that includes its designation, medical record and further information.

If there is any damage or parts of your delivery missing, please don’t hesitate to call the WRU team (DDD xxxx-xxxx) that will promptly resolve your issue.

Unboxing your Boxie

Unboxing your new Pet should be very easy. However, if this is your first time unboxing a Box Boy you might ask your deliverer to assist you.

[ID: A loosely drawn pet box with the WRU logo on the side as well as two handles instead of one. Below the box is written "Box lol". /end ID.]

Please check if your package is an WRU Pet Box.

The Box was sealed during the shipping process to avoid opening up and damaging your Pet on the way. To unlock it, remove the bolt of the door and pull the six locks arranged as 2 on the top, 2 at the bottom and more 2 on the left side. This should be enough to unlock your box.

Your new Pet is awaiting inside! It might be curled up awake or sleeping, in which case you can press the button under the red compartiment on the right side of the Box, which will send a quick shock to awake it.

Depending on the delivery, your boxie might have stayed in there from two to nine hours. Give it some time to come out of the package, and it should kneel in front of it. If you think your Pet is taking too long to come out or is not taking the supposed position, it might be hurt or confused, in which case, you can demand a self diagnostic by asking it if there is any damage. If that is the case, do not worry; You can acess the Pet First-Aid guide on our site or refer to the nearest WRU store, that will promptly take care of it for you.

Tip: You can keep the Box until you have arranged a proper enclosure for your Pet.

Settling your new Pet

After taking your Box Boy out of the package, look for a green sheet that contains its information and history. That is your Pet Owner’s guide. Be sure to verify it is indeed your Pet and that it has not been any mistake in the shipping process.

Your Pet is now ready to serve you, but it needs you to state the boundaries and rules of your house, so it may act accordingly. You can let them in some room as you put the shipping package away.

Once you’re done, show your house to the Pet and tell it what its duties are gonna be. You might name it or assign a room and belongings to it, if you so wish, but be assured it doesn’t need any accomodations besides the basics to be in its best behavior.

If you have any doubts about accomodating your new Pet or how to handle it, please check our site for more information.

Thank you for trusting WRU with your comfort! :)

Did you know?

WRU © not only cares a lot about our customers, but also we care about the environment!

In order to fight climate change, we in WRU adopted the Tip for a Tree project, in which every dollar you donate goes to WRU’s partners who are working for a greener future!

Acess more information at wru/tipforatree.com.

[ID: The WRU logo, a grey W with a V crossed over it. /end ID.]

lmao what do you guys think

credits of the logo to @endless-whump

#this was fun #part 1 would be “ordering your pet” btw #if there is a 3 its probably abt maintenance #whumpblr #bbu whump #described #wru #box boy whump #box boy universe #bbu universe #bbu #whump #whump community #pet whump #whumpes r us #in-universe media #tw institutionalized slavery #tw dehumanization

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fulfillplex · 2 years ago

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Holy Grail of Print on Demand Nutraceuticals Loyalty Program

If you’re a print on demand nutraceuticals, online retailer, you’re missing out on a lot without a loyalty program. Loyalty programs provide a unique opportunity for eCommerce stores to form deeper, closer relationships with their customers in today’s day and age. Most nutraceutical companies prioritize brand loyalty. As in all industries, it is much more expensive to acquire a new dietary supplement consumer than it is to retain one, so brands should invest in customer retention programs in addition to acquisition. Consumers today expect more than a promise in a capsule and appealing packaging.

WHAT IS A LOYALTY PROGRAM FOR AN ECOMMERCE NUTRACEUTICAL STORE?

A customer loyalty program for an eCommerce nutraceutical store is a tool for keeping customers engaged and loyal to your store. As a result, loyal customers will return to your site more frequently and in larger quantities.

Many loyalty programs reward you with points for every dollar you spend. Customers can use their points to save money on their next purchase or redeem them for a reward once they have accumulated a sufficient number of points. Loyalty programs in physical stores are typically delivered in the form of a card that is scanned at the checkout. In the case of eCommerce stores, the merchant will usually ask you to sign in, which will allow your loyalty information to populate and update based on any new purchases.

WHY YOU NEED A LOYALTY PROGRAM FOR YOUR PRINT ON DEMAND NUTRACEUTICALS ONLINE STORE?

The nutraceutical industry lends itself extremely well to incentive programs. High purchase frequency, customer lifetime value, and order values mean you can maximize your ROI while fending off and outperforming your competitors. Companies often focus on acquiring new customers because they believe that is what drives business.

However, studies shows that “loyal customers can account for up to 84 percent of total store visits” and that “loyal customers can drive up to 80 percent of a business’s revenue.” They are far more likely to make repeat purchases and spread the word about a company, and they cost far less to acquire and market. While acquiring new customers is important, investing in your existing customer base and turning them into advocates is equally important.

There are five primary advantages to developing a loyalty program for your print on demand nutraceuticals eCommerce store:

1. It enhances brand awareness.

Loyalty programs are simple ways to raise customer awareness of your brand and store. Customers become increasingly attached and, well, loyal to loyalty programs over time. It assists eCommerce stores in maintaining and building long-term customer relationships. You can target people who shop to save money and show them how much you appreciate their support. Customers may be more favorable toward your brand if they believe it provides them with great value. Making these positive connections in people’s minds can make them feel good about shopping with you.

2. It boosts profits.

Of course, one of the primary reasons for developing a loyalty program is to ensure a consistent flow of revenue into your company. By consistently providing rewards, coupons, and special deals to loyal customers, they may feel more inclined to shop with your brand. Even if people save money on your print on demand products and services, your discounts may persuade them to buy more than they would otherwise. Simply attracting customers to your store or website can increase your chances of making a sale.

3. It allows you to keep track of your customers’ purchasing habits.

Creating a loyalty program allows you to keep track of your customers’ purchases and spending habits more easily. This information can assist you in developing better marketing strategies and promotions. The data you collect can also assist you in learning more about your target audience. For example, asking customers for their addresses and birthdays can assist you in determining which locations and ages to target. It allows you to manage your inventory better, offer relevant sales/specials, and expand your CRM database.

4. It creates brand advocates.

People who return to your store and engage with it more frequently become brand advocates among their network of family and friends. This word-of-mouth marketing is priceless, as it is trusted even more than a doctor’s advice in some cases. But don’t forget that once these brand ambassadors have spoken out about their love for your store, they must feel appreciated. You can accomplish this by making special offers just for them. Current customers receive a discount for each person they refer, and new customers also receive a discount.

5. Encourage more shopping

Brands frequently use different tiers for their rewards members, encouraging customers to spend more money. The idea is that if you shop more often, you can save more money. Customers, for example, can unlock additional rewards and perks when they reach a certain dollar amount. You can provide free shipping and returns, gift cards, and additional freebies.

ARE YOU READY TO LAUNCH — OR IMPROVE— YOUR PRINT ON DEMAND NUTRACEUTICALS ONLINE STORE’S LOYALTY PROGRAM?

Customer loyalty programs make sense at every stage of a brand’s development, regardless of the size of your company. We can also assist you if you want to offer specific print on demand supplements as part of your loyalty program or create a white label for print on demand products. Fulfillplex is a top eCommerce fulfillment company specializing in providing the best print on demand services. Contact us right away to learn more about how we can assist your online business.

#print on demand nutraceuticals #print on demand #print on demand products #top eCommerce fulfillment company #eCommerce fulfillment #print on demand supplements #best print on demand services #fulfillplex

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fishmech · 3 months ago

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sure feels like a lot of people miss that your average blockbuster didn't actually have a huge selection, because a lot of the actual videos/dvds/blu-rays on the shelves were duplicates, in order to account for multiple people wanting to rent the same popular movies.

like yea you would have 7,000 to 10,000 to even 20,000 distinct titles available to a particular location to stock... but that was like "what's in the regional distribution network" not "what's actually on the shelves at any one particular store, especially in the more common small-format stores". it would be more common that there were like, 2000 titles in a location and a few hundred had 2-5 copies, and then a few dozen had a few dozen copies because they were the most in demand.

blockbuster and the other big chains were also fairly aggressive about cycling out the duplicate copies and then any copies at all over time, typically via selling the used media. just because they had a certain movie at your local store a year prior wouldn't mean they still had it! independent video stores were less likely to completely ditch old titles but especially on tape they did need to dump things once they got too worn out and physically deteriorated.

honestly the best time for blockbuster selection? the like 10 years they operated their own netflix service. as in the original netflix service, you place a request from the catalog and a dvd/blu-ray gets mailed to you. you see to operate this service they didn't just use their central distribution facilities but also would send you a disc from any store in the country that might have it, and there'd be lots of shit that was only actually present at 2 or 3 physical stores.

i used that service to rip thousands of discs lmao. lots of out of print stuff that actually buying it could be hundreds of dollars but was basically free in the blockbuster subscription.

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mayaflowerxs · 2 years ago

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EYE FOR AN EYE

Synopsis: As the new transfer in college you managed to befriend the popular sweet innocent girl everyone deems her to be. But as you uncover her true colors, you decide to put her in her place by going after someone whom she truly cares for, her father.

Warning: SMUT / Angst /. Swear word usage, cheating, Dad!Yuta x Daughters’BFF!Reader. Manipulation, blackmailing, revenge, reader is in college, engagement, mentions of drugging and backstabbing + more.

A/N: I’m back yall! So sorry for the long wait but hope you enjoy, those who have sent requests they will be posted shortly promise!🤍

Pairing: Yuta x fem reader

MARK

NCT AFFAIR SERIES

8:04 A.M

College students scurried off frantically to get to their designated classes. The campus is loud as they conversed with their friends. Some laughing and others tiredly yawning. A few silent with their earbuds plugged in and others running off inside the building. Just arrived, Yuri gets out of her pink corvette. The boys, her friends that were waiting for her are quickly at her side helping her with her heavy books. Asking if she woke up okay, wondering if she ate. What class did she need to get to. All as they bombarded her with questions, her girls came over and waved them off. Demanding to give her space and stop crowding her. All with a smile on her face.

Greeting her group of friends, she makes her way onto campus gracefully. A certain aura vibrates around her, it’s what many get attracted to. Her silky hair flowing freely down her back, her bangs barely covering her eyes as she shows her pearly white teeth each time she smiled. Manicured hands always greeting anyone and everyone even if they were strangers to her. Speaking with a soft tone, never daring to raise her voice as she stands straight. Posture never slouching and always wearing nice, clean attire. A skirt just the right size with a tight shirt that’s covered with a matching blazer to her skirt. Heels the newest edition and jewelry that costs most of the students monthly rent. Nakamoto Yuri was the it girl at the college she attended. Even those in near schools know about her, how could they not? Her family is wealthy, admired and respected. They do so much for the community and their success overseas is what makes the country proud to present such a family in their island. It wouldn’t be a surprise if all of Japan knew who she was. Her father is printed on every magazine cover, news outline. Yearly, a family photo is captured and there presents Yuri with a gracious smile. Glowing in her beauty and wealth.

Truly, she was the purity this world needed more of. If what she gave, really was purity.

Heels can be heard clicking on the ground, steady steps that get closer to her. The friend group was still rowdy. Consisting of seven if you include her. Three of them are her boy best friends. Aro, shaggy light brown hair. The tallest of the three but also the scrawniest. Known for his bubbly persona and optimism he’s spoken as the man of hope. Always ready to be your right ear to lend if needed, and has no problem giving you as much needed help. He shows his love through acts of service and although he tends to be anxious at times, he tries his best to get out of his shell if it means it’ll help others do so to. Riku, bright white hair, strands of his hair covers his eyes which results him in blowing it away from poking his eyes. Slight freckles near his nose and the second tallest. He has a bit of muscles, he tends to hit the gym but mostly it’s to work on his arms. It’s not a lot, but enough to still woo the ladies. He’s the chick magnet out of the three. His smile captivates any woman but unfortunately to him, never did it captivate Yuri. For the most part he was the class clown in all of his years in school and college is no different.

He can joke for days but can’t speak his emotions to save his life. A few small tattoos can be seen starting from his neck down to his chest. Lastly, Sota. The youngest and shortest of the three. Only slightly taller than Yuri and has jet black hair. A few slight curls but for the most part, wavy. A mole sitting on his right cheekbone. A slit on one of his eyebrows and a single earring dangling. Tattooed on his left arm but it’s still to be completed in a full sleeve. Despite being the shortest he’s the strongest. He has more muscles than Riku. He’s, the gym rat but he’s the sweetest, most caring person. Even though as the youngest he’s teased the most, he still makes any decision like a ‘gentleman’. The three of them are the rambunctious trio any one has ever known. And even though they manage to lose themselves in their own little world, they were the ones who noticed the new presence nearing. Their smiles faltered as well as their laughs, the girls grow confused and follow their sight.

Standing behind them, a new face presents themselves to the group. They couldn’t deny it, her natural beauty was jaw dropping. You were a natural beauty. You wore nothing but lipstick and eyeliner because your bare face looked as if it already had makeup applied on. Your hair as healthy as it can ever be, skin glowing and smooth. Your hands tender like it never had to lift a single thing. You weren’t wearing anything fancy, no Balenciaga, no Chanel nor Saint Laurent. And yet with the mostly black and white outfit you had on managed to reveal your most favorable aspects. The boys gulped at the sight of you, they wondered who you were. How is it that they never heard of you, were you new? A transfer?

“Hello, the name’s y/n.” You smile politely. Before any of the girls can say anything, the boys are quick to introduce themselves. “Hello! I’m Sota-“ “I’m Riku-“.“Aro!” Giggling, you tilt your head at them and give ‘em a once over. They weren’t bad to look at, but their high energy already seemed like it’d be draining. At least for you. Being pushed to the side, a girl with shorter black hair extends her hand out. She’s the smallest out of the group. “I’m sorry about them, I’m Ai.” She smiles warmly at you. Accepting her hand you shake it. “Are you a transfer?” Nodding, you hum and show them the portfolio the school had given you the day prior. “Do you need help finding your class?” Riku asks you. “I Can show you if you want.” Sota adds. “Boys.” The girl to Ai’s left hisses at them. “Please ignore them, I’m Emi.” She goes to shake your hand. “No worries, I get that a lot.” You chuckle. You notice a look on Emi’s face but it doesn’t falter the smile on her face.

Emi would be considered the ‘bigger’ of the group. According to Japanese standards she wasn’t thin even though she weighs 140 lbs for someone in her twenties. Her hair was spread in two buns. Curtain bangs and makeup nicely done that did a nice job showing her cute nose. She wore baggier clothes, self conscious with her appearance, she prefers to wear oversized shirts than crop tops. Baggy pants than tight jeans or short skirts. Sneakers than heels. But her style still holds some sort of familiarity. And when you see her stand next to Yuri, the last girl yet to greet you. It clicked. The colors, the jewelry, the manicured hands and makeup. The clothes even look alike it’s just one is tighter, shorter and the other is bigger, baggier. Then you notice Ai, and see she too wears a familiar style to Yuri’s. It was obvious they looked up to her. Her influence was apparent in them.

“Hi hun! I’m Yuri. You might already have heard of me.” She giggles, a large smile on her face as she goes for a hug. Different than what her friends did. “Yeah, you’re famous.” Waving her hand at you she chuckles. “Not really. I mean I appear in a magazine every now and then and in an interview-“ “So how old are you y/n?” Riku asks you. Yuri is shocked for a moment but is quick to cover it. She watched Riku stick to your side as he awaits for you answer. A grin on his face as he listens to you intently. Just as he normally would with her. Riku’s never been this intent in knowing about a girl ever since he’s met Yuri. If anything, all his focus was mainly on Yuri when it came to any girl. And yet, you haven’t been here for a good five minutes and you captured his undivided attention. And not just that, Sota and Aro’s. They too shifted closer to you, paying close attention as they too had questions of their own to ask you.

Yuri isn’t going to lie, you’re beautiful. Gorgeous really. Your eyes bright like stars, as soft as those of a doe and smile that can brighten any gloomy day. Your giggle can be confused with those of symphonies and it’s what has her intrigued as to who you are. Wedging herself between you and the Riku who already had his arm around you. She walks you inside, “Come on, I’ll walk you inside. And you can tell me all about yourself.”

Ai, you come to find out is a bundle of joy. Apparently her and Sato are the youngest and have eyes for each other but haven’t done anything to make it official. She has a love for makeup, clothes and is actually studying to becoming a designer. Her father helped her get an internship at Calvin Klein where she’ll be a co-designer for those modeling in vogue magazine. She’s also the emotional one, like a golden retriever she holds a lot of love and gets attached easily. A bit oblivious and ditzy but she has good intentions. Emi is more level headed and a bit hard going. Like the mother of the group, she’s the common sense not many of them have. She speaks her mind and is very protective of her friends. Loyal to an extent and has had the biggest crush on Riku but it was only mutual given Riku has always had the hots for Yuri despite her never returning the feelings.

Yuri. She’s what they say the voice of reason. Apparently she helps band the group back together if there’s ever an imbalance. Soft spoken and patient she is able to see both side of the same picture. Aro and her have more chemistry. Unlike Riku, Yuri likes Aro. But much like Ai and Sato, haven’t done anything. There’s no real reason as to why, maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to make things difficult between the rest. Afraid to commit, or to cause conflict. Whatever it is, she keeps him at arms length.

They were quick to accept you into their clique. And it only took a matter of time before word got out about you and by the end of the day, you were practically a famous celebrity. Many glanced and whispered. Awes and oohs as they admired your beauty from a distance. Crushes already made on you, and then the chattering happened. “She’s as beautiful as Yuri, maybe even more.” One whispers. “It seems like Yuri has competition.” Another says. “She’s going to be the new popular girl trust.” And it kept going. You pretended to not hear. You feign ignorance just like the presence of Aro coming up behind you. “Y/n wait up!” Turning your head to see him send you a smile he chuckles awkwardly. “You going home?” “Actually I was thinking of getting a coffee. Wanna come?”

“Yeah!” Embarrassed by the quick response, he blushed and looked away. Giggling, you pat his bicep. Typical go to move and it works every time as just expected, he leans closer. “So where did you move from?” “Kyoto.” “Oh really? My parents live there.” “That’s cool, I’ve lived there my whole life but I decided I needed to start fresh and moved here.” “Well you did good choosing Tokyo. Very lively here, and lots more opportunities.” Nodding, the two of you are just about to enter the parking lot when you hear Yuri call out. “Where are you two headed?” Walking closer with the rest, she stares at the proximity between the two of you. Practically touching shoulders. “To go get coffee wanna come?” You tell her with a smile. “I do!” Ai says and Sato waste no time joining her to walk over to the two of you. “I can go for a latte.” Emi speaks. “I really want to try some of the refreshers.” Riku adds. Soon after, the eight of you were heading to the nearest cafe. Aro would admit, he was a bit bummed that it wouldn’t be the two of you. But when Yuri comes up beside him and looks up at him with a smile. He feels slightly guilty to think about not wanting her to join you two.

There wasn’t much dirt about Yuri. Since the first grade she has won countless awards for good sportsmanship, skills and behavior. She has won medals for all sorts of clubs she’s joined and was practically the smartest person. An ace overall. But it’s that, that causes suspicion. No one is ever that perfect. Surely there has to be a flaw she has, and much like everyone you were ready to accept that she was in fact perfect until you saw the clip. An unedited clip of the family preparing for an important dinner with the president. As Yuri’s mother spoke of what was being prepared, in the background was a maid. Hands together and head staring at the ground. Apologizing profoundly as Yuri scowled at her, cursing at her for spilling all over her now stained dress. The clip was cut out almost immediately after it was posted. Completely wiped off the internet and no matter how hard you try to find it, it’s completely gone. But you saw it. Maybe one of the few who saw it. And you would make sure to reveal Nakamoto Yuri’s true colors.

The famous ball the Nakamoto family would be hosting was just around the corner. It’s all anyone was talking about. Their large mansion will be absolutely packed in a short few weeks, the richest most respected people will be attending. Friends, family, acquaintances and more. And now officially part of their clique, they dragged you to go dress shopping. “How about this one?” You hear Emi ask to no one in particular. Lifting the dress up to the mirror in front of you, you watch as Yuri looks over the dress with a slight distasteful look. A tiny smile as she tells her it makes her look huge. “Maybe wear something less short and puffy.” She pats her shoulder before walking off to change into her selection of dresses. You notice the slight frown on Emi’s face, looking over and seeing an emerald green dress that goes down to the floor, an off the shoulders and slight sparkles towards the bottom of the dress. An underskirt with it. “Here wear this.” Motioning for her to enter the stall, Yuri and Ai come out wearing the dress of their preference. “You look pretty in them.” You compliment them. Grinning they twirl and ogle at each other’s dress. When the door opens, the three of you turn and find Emi nervously fidgeting with her fingers. “You look so gorgeous!” Ai squeals. Yuri who hadn’t said anything just watches Emi chuckle and look at herself in the mirror. “The dress does look nice.” Turning to face you, she smiles appreciatively. “Thank you y/n.” Yuri looks at your hands connected and forces a smile. “Emi you look lovely. You should buy it, maybe after this we can even do your hair. Maybe cut the bangs and some of the dead ends.”

“No need to cut the bangs.” You interject. Turning to face you, Yuri stares as you brushed Emi’s bangs to the side. “Maybe part them a bit but they definitely define your face shape well. Maybe even the ends and if you want do some touch ups on the balayage.” Emi nods excitedly in which you respond with a grin. “What about you y/n?” Ai asks. “Have you picked out a dress yet?” “Mmm.” Looking through the rack of dresses, you look at the many different colors and styles. But none gain your attention. “I suggest this one!” Yuri says and hands you a bright orange one. “Ew! Yuri orange is never a good color.” Ai wrinkles her nose. “But y/n you’re beautiful I wouldn’t be surprised if you could pull of that color.” Shrugging, you walk over to the orange dresses. “I’ll try this one.” While you go in to change, the boys had just gotten back from buying their tuxedos. Their loudness can be heard as they converse with the girls. Yuri quick to stand next to Aro where they begin their own little conversation. “How dress shopping go?” Aro asks her. “Good, I found my dress.” She shows him her blue gown. “I’m sure it’ll look great on-“

“Woah! Y/n you look fantastic!” Riku exclaims. Heads turning to see you walking out of the fitting room, the orange dress flowed freely down your waist. It wasn’t a bright orange, the kind that’ll give you a migraine. It was a sunset looking orange but the white layer underneath gave it a certain pop. Like Emi’s there were a few sparkles at the bottom and there were cleavage around the chest area. Only the top of your shoulders would be covered with a puffy silk material around it, the top looked one of a corset. The silk of the dress flowed beautifully that with every step you took looked graceful. “Wow.” Aro breathes out before taking a step forward. “You look…wow.” Giggling, you send him a shy smile that he returns. “Okay love birds, we better get going!” Ai squeals, none noticing the frown on Yuri’s face. Well none except you. Going back in to change, Aro waits for you and joins you to the counter. “I got this.” He pays for your dress, a shock to everyone especially Yuri. “You shouldn’t have.” He shrugs and hangs you the bag. “Wanted to.”

By the time the ball came, it was flooded with people. Many you didn’t know, but your beauty was ethereal everyone’s eyes was on you the second you entered. Ai squealing and shaking your arm, excited for you. Happy you’re getting all the compliments and jaw drops. Every year Yuri is the talk of the night. Paparazzi and news reporters all come together to see what Yuri would be wearing for the ball. Every year there would be debates on what she’ll wear and how she’ll outdo the previous year. Something Yuri always looks forward to. But this year, no one barely batted an eye at her. All of it was on you. Since you stepped foot out of the limousine, the cameras were pointed at you. Everyone dying to know your name, to figure out your name. Even the host of the night, and of the entire ball. Nakamoto Yuta.

The longer you stuck around, Yuri has started to feel neglected. You were the talk of the week, your face on every news outlet. And at school, people crowded you and not Yuri. People would bump into her and give her a quick apology before their attention went back to you. She felt like the black sheep, a shadow and for once, the side character. The smile she practically always had plastered on her face has started to decay little by little as you were the center of attention. Professors adored you, the Dean favored you and any person who came across you couldn’t help but want to befriend you. Truly, she had no idea how everything began to slip through her fingers so quickly. Yuri no longer sat in the middle when the group would go out to eat. No, you were. Everyone’s attention was no longer on Yuri, but on you. Every decision they’d confirm it with you, any opinion they made, they sought out your approval. And the bitterness little by little was beginning to bubble up inside the Nakamoto girl.

“Y/nie Can you please help me pick out an outfit. Sota has finally asked me out!” Ai claps her hands excitedly. Currently in the cafeteria where the boys were off getting snacks the girls sat at their designated table. With Emi and Yuri both at your side, they watch as the smallest one comes skipping. “Oh I can help you Ai.” Yuri speaks up, a soft tone in her voice as she turns to you. “I’m sure y/nie is very busy.” “Nope! Not at all!” You grin. Squealing, Ai comes up from behind you and gives you a big hug. “Thank you! Ugh we’re going to have so much fun on our dates.” “Our?” Yuri asks. Nodding, Ai pats your shoulders. “Yep! Our little y/n here was asked out on a date. By none other than…” giggling, she turns to look over at the three boys who were making their way over.

Emi gasps and widens her eyes. “No way!” The boys raise a brow and silent ask what was going on. “Aro did you ask y/n out on a date?!” The boys erupt in cheers as they look over to him and see he’s begun to blush. The group teases the two of you, Emi stands and grabs Aro’s hand to sit him next to you. “Y/n and Aro sitting in a tree, k-i -s-s-i-n-g!” As they celebrated the growing connection between the two of you, Yuri scowled. Glaring at you, she felt anger. She practically cursed you out in her head and wished to simply push you off a cliff for taking Aro away from him. It wasn’t until she notices a passerby had taken a notice of her scowl that she quickly changes it and beams. “Well I’m happy for you two.” She gains everyone’s attention, setting a hand on top of yours as she holds eye contact with you. “Thank you Yuri.” You give back the same plastic smile.

As you suspected, Yuri had slowly began to lose her patience. Her backhanded compliments continued and became more common. From your education, to your looks and your personality. The constant wedging between you and Aro to put as much distance. And the faking in order to gain the all the lost attention back on her. “Ow!” She falls clutching her ankle. “Yuri you okay??” They ask her but she only cries, wailing she can’t walk. “Please Aro help me up.” And he does. You stand back, arms crossed and a smirk on your face as you notice how she continues to cry out in ‘pain’. “How did you hurt yourself?” “I slipped on y/n’s purse.” She pouts. “Oh no, y/n why would you leave your purse on the ground?” Emi asked you. Shrugging, you change your facial expression to one of guilt. Playing with your hair you look down at the ground. “Yuri had taken up all the table with her makeup, i just didn’t want to bother her making space for my purse. I’m sorry.” “Well she does make a good point Yuri.” Riku says. “Yeah next time make sure there’s a spot for her stuff so you won’t fall again.” Sota adds. Watching as they lead her into the living room, you notice her jaw clenched and hardened eyes as she continues to fake her limp.

Things changed drastically the day Yuri insisted to throw a sleep over at her house. It was meant to be a small get together, a few drinks and play some truth or dare. Aro had excused himself to go get some water and you noticed only a few seconds later Yuri stood up to use to bathroom. It’s been exactly a month since you befriended them and a week of becoming official with Aro. Taking a sip of your beer, you stand up and excuse yourself. Taking slow, steady steps. You hide behind the corner that leads into the kitchen, and lord and behold. Was none other than Aro and Yuri. His eyes were widen as he’s pressed up against the counter, Yuri pressing her lips up against his and a few seconds later he reciprocates. Taking your phone out, you record the entire thing. Their kiss turns heated, Aro turns them around and sets you on the counter. When you felt like you had enough video footage. You take a step back and walk away not before causing noise that gets them to stop and freeze. “Do you think anyone saw us?” Aro says worriedly. “No, but don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.”

Entering back into her bedroom where the rest awaited. You watch as she tries to fix herself, wiping her lips that were stained red. Patting down her hair and laboring her breathing. Her eyes meet yours momentarily, she pauses before looking down nervously. Taking a seat next to Ai who rushes her to choose truth or dare. After a while the group got tired and decided to settle down and watch a movie. Aro came to cuddle you in which you let him but when it was half way through the film and everyone fell asleep you slipped out of his embrace and walked out. The house was empty, the employees had already left and from what you were told Yuri’s parents were out of town for a business trip. Luckily as the only child she was able to have the entire mansion to herself. Fixing yourself a cold glass of water, you turn around abruptly when you hear a sudden noise. Standing there, in a black suit, hair slicked back and a suit case was none other than Nakamoto Yuta. The very man you’ve heard of for years and now here he is before you, in the flesh. A fixed smirk on your face as you set the glass down. “Well look what we have here, Nakamoto Yuta.” Raising a brow, he sets the suitcase down and takes a step closer. “Do I know you?” “No, but I know you remember me.” You were right, he did. The day at the ball where he stood at the top of the stairs speaking with his business partners he noticed the sunset orange dress. Your beauty immediately captivated him but unfortunately he wasn’t given much time to get to know you. He tried searching for you, to figure out who you were but it seemed like you didn’t exist on the internet. Untraceable, only images the reporters took of you the night of the ball.

Stepping closer to him, you extend your arm out. “The names y/n y/l/n. The beaut you couldn’t keep your eyes off of.” Feeling the ends of his lip curl, he nods and accepts your hand. But he doesn’t shake it, instead he brings it up to his lips where he presses a soft gentle kiss while remaining eye contact with you. “Well greetings y/n, may I ask what brings you here?” Shrugging your shoulders, you come face to face. Wrapping your arms around his neck which causes him to lean down to accommodate you. “You.” Leaning in, you press a chaste kiss to his lips and he doesn’t hesitate in returning the energy. Getting a hold of your waist he pulls you in. Pressing you to feel his growing bulge. “Already hard?” Growling, he tugs at your hair and pulls you down on your knees. “You got an attitude alright, but it’s okay I’ll fuck it out of you.” Unbuckling his pants you pull em down and free his constricted cock. Pressing a soft kiss to his angry red tip. His veins prominent, you let your tongue hang and lick a long stripe up from his base. You hear him let out a loud hiss, his slicked back hair has begun to unstick. Small strands of his hair falling on his forehead as he looks down at you. His hand making a shift ponytail with your hair as he gets you to take more of him.

“No teasing and suck, pretty girl.” Feeling yourself get aroused by the nickname, you obey and deep throat him. Pulling him out and spitting on him, you jerk off before taking him back in your mouth. The kitchen wall bounces off the loud gags and gurgles you make with every inch you take him in. Heavy breathing and low deep grunts Yuta let’s out. After a stressful business meeting and a blow out with his wife he decided to head home days early and now here he is, standing in his kitchen getting sucked by the chick he hasn’t been able to get out of his head since the ball. He doesn’t regret the decision. “Swallow every drop princess.” He grunts as he begins to thrust powerfully in your mouth. Your nails digging into his thighs as you feel him explode hot cum in the back of your throat. Staring up at him with innocent looking eyes, gulping every drop and pulling away with a pop. You show him your tongue to prove to him you listened to him. A chesire grin on his face as he helps you stand. “Turn around.” Leaning over the counter, he lifts your leg to rest on the stool. Dropping your pijama bottoms on the floor, you gasp when his tip prods at your tight hole, shutting your eyes and leaning your forehead on the cold marble surface. His ring covered fingers coming to grip your arms and place them behind your back. Using it as leverage to fuck you harder.

His thrusts were fast but steady, he was using you to burn off steam you can tell. His face concentrated and with every smack he left on your cheek it got louder and became more painful. You chuckle as he wraps his hand around your throat and gets you to stand. Your back pressed against his chest, “Careful daddy, get too reckless and you might just wake up Yuri.” Something in him was set off at the mention of his daughter. Pulling out and turning you to face him, he lifts you up. Quick to wrap your legs around him, he wastes no time in pounding into you again. “Don’t mention her again.” “But why? She is a good friend of mine. Wonder what she’ll think if she saw you fucking her friend.” Gripping your throat he presses you up against the wall and uses his other hand to rub harsh circles on your clit. Jaw slacking, you start to mewl by the over sensitivity. “Fucking brat.” He hisses, his relent never seizing. Your gummy walls grip him so tight he finds it hard to keep thrusting. Trying to muffle the grunts that are begging to come out. But he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t want to give you the satisfaction that you’re making him feel immense pleasure. That he hasn’t had a good fuck in a while and you’re making him go insane.

But you can see through him. Cupping his face, he glares at you. Too intimidate, he should be putting you in your place. To shut you up but instead he’s becoming obsessed with you. “Admit you need me. Say it and I’m yours.” Shaking his head he grips your hands and keeps them over your head. Looking down and seeing the connection between your soaked pussy and his slick covered dick. Spitting at your entrance he watches how well you take it all in. “Don’t fucking, ngh! - need you!” Shutting his eyes, his thrusting stutters as he shivers at the pleasure. He’s close, he can feel it but he refuses to climax. “Look at you baby, you’re becoming putty for me.” “Shut up!” Moaning out loud, he covers your mouth and continues to hit your g-spot. He doesn’t stop until your walls are constricting around him. Until he feels you come all over his cock, then does he set you down on your feet and walk off.

Catching your breath, you huff and roll your eyes. Pulling up your bottoms, you take a sip of your water and wonder back to the bedroom. Aro shifts in his spot but once he feels your presence he comes closer to cuddle you. He presses a soft kiss to your shoulder before muttering a tired goodnight. Ignorant to the fact that you had Yuta’s juices running down your legs.

Yuri was becoming more and more careless. She thinks she finally began to regain her power. The attention would finally be hers again. Days went on and she and Aro have secretly been seeing each other. But you know. You see everything and as you continue to get popular, you are being told more about things no matter how much google searching would be able to give you. “Me and Aro need to go study for our upcoming finals, bye guys!” Yuri excuses them. “Bye baby!” You smile at him, leaning in to press his lips on yours, you see Yuri looking upset from the corner of your eyes. Just as Aro goes to pull away you notice the red hickey on his neck. “Burn yourself babe?” You ask as you press on the dark mark. Gaining the attention of others. Yuri’s eye’s widen momentarily, an awkward chuckle falls from the boy’s mouth before covering it with his hand. “Yeah, my coworker got me during one of my shifts.” Nodding, you wave them goodbye. And once they were gone, you excused yourself. “But you’re so fun please don’t leave!” They try to convince you to stay but you give them a sad smile and wave them goodbye.

“You got the files?” You ask the Dean once you enter the office. They nod and hand you a beige looking file with a name on top. Yuri Nakamoto. “Acceptance, SATs, and any other record we have of her is on there.” “I don’t see any acceptance letter.” “She never got one.” Raising a brow, you look up at them. “Why?” Shrugging their shoulders, you nod and thank them. Walking out of campus you get in your car. Shoving the file into your glove compartment, the door to the passenger seat opens and in enters the very man who fucked you in his kitchen nights ago. “Well, well well.” You say with a smug look. He doesn’t say a thing only leans in and kisses you hungrily. Moaning, you allow him to shove his tongue down your throat. And when he pulls you away roughly you bite your lip. “Knew you needed me.” “Drive.” “Where to daddy?” Glaring, he goes to buckle himself. “Your place.”

The keys to your apartment is tossed to the ground the second the door gets opened. Slamming the door shut as Yuta picks you up and slams you up against it. Removing you of your jacket, crop top and bra. He’s impatient and doesn’t waste time sucking your perky tits. You run your hands through his soft hair, you can’t help but feel content. Your heart beats rapidly and your heat throbs, yearns for him. “Missed me?” You hum. You didn’t expect him to answer but when his dazed looking eyes move to look up at you, capturing your chin to pull you in for a soft kiss you knew the answer to your question.

For the rest of the day, it was spent indulging in the man’s needs. You let him fuck you up against the door, you let him press you against the cold glass window. A perfect view of you and him, any one even paparazzi would be able to see but Yuta didn’t care. He spread you across the kitchen table as he ate you out. Didn’t stop until you squirted for him, until your cried for him. Until you begged him to stop. In the shower, he bent you over where he used the shower head to overstimulate you, and on the bed where he took you doggy style until he made you come into subspace. Even when you woke up, you woke up to him settled between your legs and mouth already attached to your breasts. The man was a beast and no amount of experience would help you prepare yourself. When he wore himself out, you straddled him. Running a hand through his sweaty hair, completely fucked out and passed out on your bed. You took this as an opportunity to take pictures of him, the scratch marks apparent on his chest. Love marks displayed on both his and your skin. Like a piece of art work created by Davinci himself, you toss the phone aside and lean down to pepper his face with soft gentle kisses. “Mine.” You mumble, admiring the beautiful man sleeping below you. His soft cock still snuggled deep inside you. “All mine.” You lay one last kiss on his lips.

Yuta has fallen under your spell almost immediately. His mind filled with the thought of you. He can’t concentrate any more, his business partners have to call out his name multiple times during meetings. Interviewers can barely get a decent response from him and his work ethic has been slacking off. His wife and daughter don’t make it any better given how much they nag him. They are never content with what they have, they want more. Need more, and it seems like they are one for the other. Yuri’s mother defends her wrongful actions, Yuri sees no problem with the ignorant thinking her mother has. The Nakamoto women have grown to be selfish, greedy, classist monsters. And slowly by the years, they began to suck the life out of Yuta. But you were different. You gave him oxygen, the life he thought has lost all these years. He feels like a man who had just been reborn and he finds it hard to ever come to let you go. And even though it’s wrong, to cheat on his wife. To put his family on the line, he can’t stop himself. Doesn’t he have the right to be selfish at least once as well?

So what if he masturbates to the thought of you in the shower? Or sends you nude pictures of himself to you? Or has sex with you in secrecy? To open his heart to you, to wish to live a different life where it’s just the two of you. Is it really so bad to say he’s fallen in love with you?

“Divorce her.” You tell him one afternoon. In his office, door locked and a strict order to not bother him at all. His shirt undone along with his tie on the floor. His black work pants slightly lowered enough to reveal his long veiny dick. With you on his lap wearing the shortest, skimpiest checkered skirt and a top that only covers your breasts. A finger curled to take a hold of your Diamond necklace, specifically the one he gifted to you. Leaning in to press a kiss on your boobs, he hums and squeezes your ass. “Is that what you want?” Cupping his face you make look you in the eyes. “With all my heart. I want to love you like you deserve, give you the life you lost. It’s not too late to give yourself a fresh start.” “What about Yuri-“. “She’ll have to deal with it.” You tell him sternly. He’s confused by the tone, it’s almost like you’re sure of something he’s not in the know but he doesn’t push it. “Your wife,” kissing his cheek. “Doesn’t know what love is.” You kiss his jaw, “doesn’t know how to love you,” he closes his eyes and relishes in the gentle kisses you leave on his face. “Doesn’t know how to cherish you.” Lastly, kissing his lips he gets a hold of the back of your head and pulls you closer making sure you can’t pull away faster than he wants to.

Groaning when you clench around his girth, he moves you to grind on him. His heavy breathing coming back when he lets you pull away. Biting your bottom lip softly as he looks up at you. “Your family has taken advantage of you left and right, but me…” grabbing his hand and lowering it to your cunt you hear him groan. The lust coming back in his eyes. “I know how to satisfy you. How to make you happy, make you feel loved…marry me and I’ll give you the world.” Whining when he begins to rub fast circles on your clit you look into his eyes. He smiles and kisses your temple. “And I’ll give you the stars pretty girl.”

The news of the filing of divorce between the Nakamoto’s hit ever news channel possible. It’s all anyone can talk about. It was sudden, unexpected and no one can understand how that happened. It seemed like the couple were happy. If anything they were admired for being such a happy loving family. And it didn’t take long for the rumors to start that maybe there was a mistress. That one of them wasn’t faithful, or maybe abusive. The people of Japan were demanding for answers and before she can prepare herself, Yuri was being bombarded with them every time she took a step out of the comfort of her home. At school she can barely walk by without being crowded. Ironic how much she’s grown to hate the crowding given it’s all she’s ever wanted. “Yuri did your mother cheat?” One yells. “Is your father abusive?” Another says. “Guys give her space!” Emi and Ai shouts as the boys try to put distance. Yuri only covers her ears as she rushes by with tears in her eyes. She felt humiliated, never did she think everyone’s eyes would be on her with looks of judgment and pity. Since when did everyone care what goes on in her family’s lives? What is it to them?

And as she enters the bathroom about ready to break down, she’s met with a few girls already there, reapplying their makeup. Snickering and smirking once they get a look of her. “How pathetic.” They scoff before shoving their shoulders against hers. Falling on the ground, she breaks down into loud sobs. She cursed her parents for separating. How could they do this to her? To embarrass her to this extent, how selfish could they get? Did they not care how much this would affect her? The door to the bathroom opens abruptly and in enters Aro. Concerned looks as he asks if she was okay. “Oh Aro!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she seeks his comfort. So much they don’t notice a lurker just right outside the bathroom listening to them. What was suppose to be a reassuring hug turns into sex, a camera was snuck in and capturing the entire thing. “Oh you poor thing.” You tsk once you end the recording and walk off.

Yuri refused to speak to her father. After her mother told her that he was the one who demanded the divorce, she had a growing hatred for him. It wasn’t fair, her mother had no where to go. All the money she made she blew it up on luxuries and what’s left isn’t enough to satisfy her. She wanted a large mansion not an apartment. She wanted a driver not a personal car where she’d drive herself. But her budget didn’t cut it. All business she had was cut given she made contracts with them through her ex husband. More people began to believe the rumors that she cheated. No one wanted her face to be connected with their company in worry it’ll tarnish their reputation. She had approximately a week to move out before she was forced out. Luckily Yuta never wrote a prenup, seemed like the only good decision he made all those years ago.

Stressed with everything going on, he needed you more than anything. For a few classes you were absent because you refused to leave his side. And despite Aro and the others asking about your whereabouts you only gave them short responses and nothing more. “You did good baby.” You comfort your fiancé. The large Diamond engagement ring fits perfectly on you. The twinkle shines brightly, Yuta sends you a fond smile and takes a hold of your hand. Pressing a kiss to the ring, he pulls you for a hug. “I love you.” He murmurs in your chest. “And I love you.” And you do, which is why you went through great lengths to make sure everything came out in your favor. Laying him down on your bed, you undress him. Unbuckling his pants as you take his dick in your mouth. Your soft hand coming to fist what you can’t get in your mouth, the bright Diamond glimmering in the sunlight that enters your room. Yuta’s head is thrown back as he focuses on the pure bliss he’s receiving, letting his grunts fall out freely with each lick and suck you give him. Climbing on top of him and taking all of his inches, rolling your eyes back when he manages to hit deep inside you. Bouncing on his cock until you’re going stupid on him, his hand coming to brush your hair out of your face. Cooing at you as you try your hardest to not enter cloud nine but he’s addicting. You want more of him, you can never have enough of him. Which is why you beg him to take you, fuck you like he hates you and he does. He fills you with his white warm semen over and over again until your bloated with his babies. Falling asleep only to wake up and do it all over again.

The day Yuta brought you to his mansion, the housekeepers bringing in your luggages. Yuri couldn’t believe her eyes. “How could you?!” She shrieks, disgusted in seeing you hold hands with her father. “How could you do this to me? To Aro?” Snickering, you shake your head and pull Yuta’s head to kiss him. You felt proud to see her face turn red as she practically shakes in anger. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she glares daggers into your head. “I want to talk to Yuri alone, please babe?” Nodding, he presses one last kiss to your temple before signaling the housekeepers to follow him upstairs. Going to comfort his daughter, he’s disappointed to see her distance herself from him and give him a look of disgust. Once he was out of hearing range, you couldn’t help but laugh. “You bitch!” She seethes at you. “Never did I think you’d stoop so low. Guess you were the mistress my father has been seeing, should’ve known you were here with no good intentions.”

“Me? With no good intentions.” Chuckling, you take cautious steps around you. Your heels are heard hitting the tiled floor with each step taken. “Yuri, you know better than to be hypocritical.” You grin. Furrowing her brow, she continued to glare at you. “What are you talking about?” Chuckling, you clap your hands and shake your head. “Seriously, did you think I wasn’t made aware of whats been going on between you and Aro?” Her face drops to one of horror. “The sleep over, making out in the kitchen where anyone can see?” Shrugging you pick at your nails. “Eh but its okay, your father and I fucked about an hour after you fell asleep on the same exact spot you backstabbed me.” About to defend her honor, you cut her off.

“I wonder what Emi will think when she finds out the reason she’s feeling insecure is because you have been convincing guys to not approach her. Saying she’s, ‘emotionally unstable’ or how about she’s currently fighting off an, ‘STD’ Mhm?” “Lies!” “Really? So if I were to ask half the boys at school they would all say I made it up? How stupid of them to think you were doing it for Emi’s benefit. That you were ‘looking out for her’.” Laughing you shake your head and walk closer to her. “What about Ai?” “I did nothing.”

Tsking, you sigh. “Another lie.” Taking out your phone, you find the photo in your gallery and show it to her. It’s satisfying to see the color drain from her face. “Just the day after Sota asked her out did you just have to swoop in and steal her thunder. Seriously though? Did you really have to kiss him? Fifteen minutes after making it official?” Clear as day did the photo show Yuri and Sota kissing. The rest of the group just the room next to them. “How did you…” “Remember Yuri, I see everything. You’re not the sweet innocent girl you make yourself out to be. No, you’re arrogant, egotistical and greedy. Can never be happy for others, everything has to be about you. You need to have the most awards, medals, achievements, to be in the best clubs and go into a college with an acceptance rate of 3%.”

Frozen in her spot, she swallows when she sees you take out a file from behind your back. “Funny how there’s no record of being accepted to…anything really. And yet, what I did find were receipts. With large quantities of money. So tell me Yuri, how much did mommy have to pay in order to get you in without Yuta finding out? $1,000? $10,000?” Pushing you away she denies it all. “I got in all by myself!” “Really?!” You mock shock. “Because Ritsu told me, you sucked him off in order to enter the debate team and was paid to keep quiet?” Drawing her hand back, a loud smack is heard resonating throughout the large house. “Y/n!” You hear Yuta call out for you, climbing down the stairs he sees the red mark beginning to form on your face. “What the hell is wrong with you Yuri?!” Tears had formed in her eye sockets, some running down her face as she feels exposed. “I hate you!” She screams at you, “YURI!” His voice booms off the walls.

“You don’t know the kind of woman she is daddy! She’s only using you!” “That’s not true!” You say as you cradle your face. Standing next to him, you hold his arm and cuddle into his side. “I love you Yuta.” You soften your eyes at him, “But she won’t let us be happy.” You get your eyes to water. “She won’t accept that I love you and you love me!” “Don’t listen to her! -“ “That’s enough Yuri! I’ve had it with you! I wasted all these years trying to give you the life you deserve and you threw that all away with your greed. It’s my time to be happy and if you don’t like it, you can always move out and go live with your mother.” Shutting up, she glares at the scene in front of her. Her father inspecting your face gently as he presses a soft kiss to your face. “Ill get you some ice.” Once he left, you turned to look at her with the same satisfied smirk.

“You can try your best to separate us. But just remember, I can easily make your life a living hell. You wouldn’t want the world to find out just how evil you are right? Drugging Riku’s drink to have sex with you, manipulating Aro into thinking he’s only ever good enough being with you. Blackmailing the hundreds of people to keep shut, doing your dirty work and deleting any video footage that captures the real you. In a second, I can end you. So do us a favor, and stay the hell out of my business with your father.” Taking one step closer to her, her tears much more noticeable you lean down to stoop to her level.

“Because I’m going to love your father whether you like it or not, and he’s going to love me just as much.” Hearing him call out to you, you give her a wink and walk off into the direction of the kitchen.

And as you walk in and find the man you love holding an ice pack, you let him gently press it on your face. Sensing her eyes watching the two of you, you move his hand out the way and pull him down by his shirt. Pulling him into a heated make out right in front of his daughter without him knowing. And as much as Yuri hates her life at the moment, she will soon come to despise it even more when you decide to expose her crimes nonetheless.

#nct x reader #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct smut #nct reactions #nct 127 #nct yuta #yuta nakamoto smut #yuta imagines #yuta x reader #yuta smut #nct johnny #mark nct #nct haechan #nct taeyong #nct 127 imagines #nct 127 x reader #nct 127 smut

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palettepainter · 7 months ago

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My big announcement is....I'M WORKING ON MAKING A WEBSITE!!

I am a mix of excitement and nerves as I type this, but yes, I am working on creating my own official website for merch!

This is one of the biggest projects I've ever set my mind on, and is one I have been hoping to do for the last year now! Over the new few months and over the course of the summer I will be researching into print on demand services for my merch and what it is I want to create, but in order for me to make merch everyone will like, I need to have your feedback! If you're interested at all in owning a piece of merch by yours truly, please read through the post to see how you can help!

Comment on this post or message me your ideas, all feedback is great as it helps me create the best possible merch pieces for you guys!

#Palette talks #Merch #Merchandise #Website

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lavenderarts · 4 months ago

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Revamp: Monthly Subs and Reward Art!

Hi everyone! After a long hiatus on this due to inconsistent health, I'm back and feeling better than ever, and I'd like to re-institute my monthly subscription service for art rewards. These will be active on my Ko-fi starting on August 1st! Read on to hear about the changes from my old system and details of what you'll get for subscribing, but if you don't care about any of that and just want to see the rewards page, here it is:

Please share this and consider tossing a couple bucks a month my way to help me support myself and my dog! Details below the cut!

So last time I was offering art rewards, it gradually became unsustainable for a number of reasons, chief among them the fact that I was basically offering severely discounted full commissions of all styles, and it was exhausting to fulfill in addition to regular commission work. I just couldn't keep up and got overwhelmed. So to help prevent that this time around, here are the changes I'm implementing:

I'll have a single reward type: single character busts! These are easy to crank out in an hour or less, so I can keep up with demand better. I'll reserve the right to decide between lined/lineless flats and papercrafts as I see fit to keep them interesting and fun for me, but if it's your birthday month or your yearly sub anniversary, you can choose the style and get a little something extra! For examples of what a bust looks like, please check out my recent ArtFight submissions :)

I'm going to do my level best to institute a hard 3-week turnaround rate for all regular commissions, and save the final week of each month for giving these rewards full priority along with onboarding new batches of clients for the following month's commissions.

I'm moving my subscription service over to Ko-fi, where anyone can give between $2-9 a month as a very generous tip and get access to my Discord server, or give $10+ for monthly bust rewards, early access to adoptables, and more! You can choose to give more than $10, but no other rewards exist for higher tier subs, it's up to whatever you feel is appropriate! Ko-fi has both Stripe and PayPal integration, which should be easier on the subscriber end, and it allows me to use PostyBirb to post across multiple sites at once, which makes it much easier to post early-access WIPs and finished work than it was on my old subscription service. It also automatically handles Discord onboarding and role assignment, yay!

I'm on the hunt for a simple Discord bot that can post a single repeating message on the first of every month with a link to a Google form for everyone to submit their requests, so that I don't have to ask for them manually. (If anyone knows of such a bot or is capable of making one, please get in touch!)

Previously I offered a whole suite of other rewards in addition to the monthly art -- things like subscriber-only request streams, early claims on adoptables, and even physical merch, which were not sustainable for me. Going forward, early adoptable claims for a discount will still be available as a reward, and I may occasionally do request streams, but on a less formally-scheduled basis and only as I have the free time to do so. I am not able to offer physical prints/stickers at this time; I might revisit the option in the future, but I need to know more before I try it again! I'll also be continuing to offer a subscriber discount on all commissions that will stack with other sales and discounts, along with the ability to skip the waitlist and jump directly into the work queue.

So to recap, if you subscribe to me, here's everything you get:

For $2-$9 USD: Discord server access with a special role, and my thanks for your generous support!

For $10+ USD: Discord server access with a special role, 24 hour early adoptable access with the ability to claim for a discounted price, a bust of a single character each month, first looks at finished artwork and WIPs/timelapses, commission discounts, and potentially more down the line.

My Discord is open to anyone, and all members can freely chat, post art, attend/host art streams, and answer polls regarding prompts for adoptable designs and more. You just get some nice bonuses for subscribing! While these subscription tiers are available, one-time tips and donations of any amount are still an option for commission clients or anyone else who just wants to show some love.

I hope this all makes sense and sounds enticing; I really love seeing people's OCs and getting to bring them to life and put my own little touch on them, and I'm very excited to start giving something back to all of you out there whose support means so very much to me, and without whom I could never do what I do. Thank you so much for checking out the Ko-fi! As a reminder, reward eligibility begins on August 1st! The tiers are active on Ko-fi now, but if you subscribe before August you won't be rewarded for the month of July, so keep that in mind.

#commissions #commission me #art commissions #commissions open #open commissions #ko fi rewards #ko fi support #artist on kofi

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physalian · 3 months ago

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IngramSpark: Good or Nah?

I decided to work with them last minute to set my book up for success, and, in case they screwed me over, I could hate them in a properly informed manner.

So!

IngramSpark (IGS) vs. Amazon (KDP) so far: A detailed comparison.

Spoiler Alert: FUCK INGRAMSPARK

Alrighty these are two proof copies (author copies) of the exact same book made with the exact same PDFs. IGS is on the left in all pics.

Stuff to note:

The IGS copy is slightly greener, the purple is less vibrant. KDP made the exact colors I painted this with in photoshop.

The KDP book is slightly thicker and while the spine print is slightly off center, the front cover is perfectly centered. Compare both of the lower moons on the right side and it's very obvious that IGS cut theirs incorrectly. It's cut incorrectly because their paper is thinner, thus needing a slightly narrower print PDF (which isn't something they would tell you).

KDP is slightly thicker because they used thicker paper. Theirs is less polished creme, you can feel more of a grain of the pages, but because they're thicker, they're less transparent. I can read straight through to not only the back of the title page, but straight onto the next piece of paper for the IGS copy, and theirs cost more to print.

KDP shipped in lighter packaging, which meant my copy got a little banged up as opposed to the cardboard coffin the IGS book was in. Pick your poison.

KDP

PROS

A breeze to work with in most areas. I did not need to use customer service, so I can’t comment on that, but I’ve heard it’s superior to IGS in every way. They do have a community chat that I have used when confused (more below) and pages upon pages of how-to resources.

Simple user interface, very easy to click through all the set-up menus and not once did it freeze or crash on me (more below).

Did not use their formatter or cover generator, I used Adobe and did my own so I can’t comment on their quality.

Their “print previewer” was fantastic. I could click through the whole book and they explained very thoroughly where some issues were and what I should look out for and they let me use my own files without issue instead of having to build them in the platform.

Their royalty rate is the best you can get in this industry, because they’re not selling to anyone but themselves so there’s no middle man taking a cut of the profit.

Print quality of the book itself is fantastic. Only thing I miss is the ability to emboss, but no print-on-demand company does that as far as I’m aware. The colors were an exact match to my design in Adobe, I have no complaints.

Instant reports and near-live report refreshes for ebooks. Print copies don’t register on reports until the book ships, but Amazon prints and ships within ~2 days.

Because it’s Amazon, even though proof copies aren’t applicable with Prime, my copy still got here in 5 days including print time. My print copy totaled the print cost plus $3 in standard shipping that I could have rushed.

It did get a little banged up on the bottom but I think that was during shipping not at the printing press.

If you’re really strapped for cash, they do offer free ISBNs *but these are KDP only ISBNs, you don’t own them, and they are non transferable between vendors and POD companies. Bite the bullet and just save up for your own ISBNs and buy them in bulk if you can and you plan on publishing at least 2 books in your lifetime (like a paperback and hardcover of the same book, even).

After I submitted my ebook for preorder, I kept finding little details to fix and lines I wasn’t happy with that got nixed at the 11th hour. Updating this was seamless and free and the updated versions were processed within 6 hours or so. Amazon did not lock in the files to the date the preorders were set like IngramSpark would have.

CONS

They still don’t have paperback preorder, but they do have a feature where you can submit for a future release, which is just giving your files over to go live on a set date. Thing is: When you get to the end of the setup, there’s a button that says something like “submit for publication” which does not actually mean “move your publication date to right now” like I thought. So I missed my paperback date by 2 days.

Their proof copy has that annoying grey “Not for Resale” stripe across the cover so it looks wonky in marketing images.

They have a “cover art size calculator” feature, which did not line up with the actual file size I needed come submission time, off by a few millimeters. Which meant resizing in Photoshop and it was incredibly annoying and tedious.

Upon finally hitting the “publish” button Amazon flagged my book and told me to fix the highlighted errors. Well there were no highlighted errors, and said error(s) could be anywhere across four pages of details. I had to consult the community notes to figure out what they were talking about (it was an ISBN issue) which was quite annoying.

IGS

PROS

Well-known as the best print-on-demand (POD) company with the widest reach, including Amazon, for expanded distribution. (NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE)

Also well-known as the highest quality self-publish paperback, that still doesn’t do embossing. (NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE)

They do paperback preorders (which I did not participate in).

Integrates flawlessly with libraries and retailers that Amazon won’t do (which is about its only claim to superiority). My book was searchable on Barnes & Noble within 48 hours.

IGS, like KDP, has free ISBNs (US only), with the exact same non-transferable issue. However, because they integrate across all sellers, Amazon included, if you only intend to work with them, you’ve reached every market anyway.

CONS

Their royalty rate sucks ass. I had to price my book $1 higher through IGS because I was literally at a deficit with all the printing costs and vendor discounts (so if you want my book for slightly cheaper, buy it through Amazon). Through IGS, I think I’m making about $1 in royalties, when all is said and done. And I’ve heard, shockingly, that that’s pretty good.

I didn’t try to use their customer service because I know it’s notoriously terrible. But it would have been helpful when their website crashed.

Their website crashed on me three times when trying to upload my files. Before it crashed, their “submit files” button simply did not work, so I had to go the roundabout way through their formatter and cover wizard (which I didn’t like) which then told me my 300DPI cover art was too small. The exact same file I submitted and had in my hands at perfect resolution to Amazon. It took almost 2 hours of running around in circles on their site to essentially start from scratch to get this up and running—and I did all of this with polished files from the get go because I knew revisions would be tedious. Can’t imagine the hassle if you aren’t ready to go immediately (this is why I didn't do a preorder with them).

I have heard that if you make changes to your files, they don’t go into effect until the next month, meaning if you have typos, and anyone buys your book before the next calendar month despite you fixing them in the system, that person is still buying the old version. I have also heard that generating reports is not seamless. After 60 days, revisions also cost you $25 a pop (KDP is free).

If you submit pre-made PDFs for your manuscript and cover (as in, you don’t format or generate them within their system) they do not have an instant previewer. Mine took 48 hours to deliver a link, when that shit should be automated and instantaneous and should allow me to use my own files.

IGS does not have Amazon’s monopoly on shipping, so to get my book here at all quickly, it cost me almost $20, rush fees applied for only 1 day faster than Amazon did. “Quickly,” being I ordered the proof on the 24th, and it won’t get here until the 28th. Meaning, that if you’re not paying rush fees, you’d have to wait longer.

They can be quite confusing with revisions during the preorder process. Per their website, they can begin printing your book “generally” 30 days before go-live. Which means someone who preordered your book on the 3rd gets the version of the book that was available on the 3rd, even if you update it on the 5th, because they print those immediately, even if the book’s official release date of the 30th hasn’t passed. You’d pretty much have to be completely done with revisions before setting up for preorder with them to be absolutely sure, which means wasted time. I don’t know why they don’t just queue up the books to be printed on a hard deadline a few days before release.

So. While I hate that Amazon has a monopoly, about the only thing IGS has going for it is their expanded distribution when everything about their business, from their platform to their user experience to the actual quality of books is at best dead even with KDP, but in my experience with my best foot forward, IGS annoyingly inferior.

I don’t think they’ll remain the “best POD company” for very much longer. I did not do hardcover for ENNS as of this post so I can’t comment on either service’s print quality, only what I’ve seen in other reviews. Some people like the jacket-less print-on-the-cardboard look (Amazon), some people (me) like the jacket, if only so I can use it as a bookmark.

*I wrote the above paragraphs before getting my proof copy from IGS and fucking hell they're not even competent at printing

It is also a massive waste of paper and shipping resources to have to print multiple versions of proof copies fixing errors outside of my control. My proof copy from KDP is perfect. IGS? Nope! But they wouldn't let me properly preview it so I had no idea this would happen.

Even as a consumer who might hate the idea of giving Amazon more money, there’s an argument to consider: I totally understand the desire to keep brick and mortar stores afloat and I don’t want Amazon’s monopoly on the market to grow even larger. However, Amazon makes sure that you’re making more than pocket change on your book, unless you jack up the prices for readers on the back end so the whole thing costs more all the way down the pipeline. I refused to do this.

That deficit that forced me to price ENNS even $1 higher than Amazon really bothers me with IngramSpark. That deficit exists because of a higher print cost and a 55% discount given to vendors so they can still make their cut of profit from stocking your book. IngramSpark had me sit through a whole video saying “if you don’t do this no one will stock your book” while saying you could go as low as 54% but that might scare off vendors.

In essence, at this time, KDP makes sure that you, the creator, make money. IGS makes sure that they and the businesses selling your book for you make money. I didn’t do any of this for profit, but it does hurt seeing all your hard work, possibly years of effort, have a royalty of $0.87.

So, yeah, is IngramSpark worth it?

I don’t yet know what their reach will amount to. It’s a dream of mine to see my book on a bookstore shelf, but signing up with IGS does not guarantee you sales, it just guarantees you the best chance possible at reaching potential buyers. But at the moment, all it looks like to me is fees, a bad UI, cheap printing, arrogance from perceived superiority in the market, and a business built boldly in favor of its own profits.

Amazon’s a shady-ass corporation, but I’m going to have to say they’re the better bet. At the very least, for your first book when you don’t have an audience and if making a profit is important to you.

—

I did not try to use any other POD like Draft 2 Digital or Barnes & Noble Press, as I already have KDP and IGS is the best platform to integrate with KDP.

See here for the cost breakdown of my debut novel from draft to publication.

#writing #writing a book #writeblr #writing resources #writing tools #kdp #ingramspark #self publishing #publishing #buyer beware

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duckprintspress · 7 months ago

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hey, i'd like to just throw this out to you, since you're a press so i have a feeling you might know. if i was seeking to publish a book but i didn't want it to ever be sold through amazon, what would my options be?

Hiya!

I'm assuming you mean you're interested in self-publishing? If yes, then yeah, I can give you at least some information about your options. :D

If you don't want to use Amazon, you definitely still have some options for self-publishing a book. I can sympathize with this sentiment; we hate Amazon and I've done what I can to keep our works off there (and, ultimately, failed, but still kept it to a minimum).

There's two overarching questions you'll need to consider when deciding how to proceed:

What formats are you selling? Are you doing e-book only or e-book + print or print book only? What about audiobooks? Which will influence your choices.

Are you mostly interested in direct sales (as in, you personally sell the book to the customer) or sales-through-an-intermediary (as in, a bookstore sells your book to a customer) or distribution (as in, you list the book with someone who acts as an intermediary between you and other vendors)?

As briefly as I can, first, here's what Duck Prints Press uses:

Ingram - e-book (and, once we have one - we're working on our first! - audiobook) distribution. Ingram is the biggest book distributor in the US and has a virtual monopoly on distribution. Even places that aren't technically Ingram, such as draft2digital, usually use Ingram. Because they're a near-monopoly, Ingram has a lot of ability to, well, screw people, and one way they've tried to screw people is they keep making it harder to get into their better services, pushing people to their much-less-supported service IngramSpark. I managed to get the Press grand-fathered in to Coresource, which is their e-book and audiobook distribution system, even tho we don't meet the current minimums for number of titles for that product. I CAN'T get into Lightning Source, which is their better-supported print book distribution service, because we don't have enough titles (we'd need 30, we currently have 10ish). If I wanted to use IngramSpark, I'd have to ditch Coresource, and I don't want to do that because Coresource works great and has good customer support, and so I had to settle on a compromise I don't love until we meet the minimums for Lightning Source - I use Coresource through Ingram for e-book distribution (and don't distribute to Amazon), which is...

draft2digital - print book distribution. This was my work around for not losing Coresource in the name of getting Ingram print on demand (pod), and it came with a price: d2d doesn't let me opt out of Amazon, much to my irritation. So the three titles we currently have pod on ARE on Amazon.

our webstore - e-book and print books, directly sold to the public. Our website lets people download e-books; I package print book orders made through the webstore myself and mail them myself.

in-person sales - I started vending at events last year; this year I'll be doing about a dozen.

All of which goes to show, even trying to publish while avoiding the most evil places is really hard and a source of frustration. If anyone knows a good option for ethical publishing distribution, I'm honestly all ears. Competing with Ingram is extremely David vs. Goliath (see also the recent death of Small Press Distribution).

So: remembering that Amazon is easily the worst but that there's still basically no ethical consumption or production under capitalism...

Ingram

Of the places I'm familiar with, the best-known option with the widest reach for self-publishing distribution is IngramSpark. As mentioned, I don't use Spark, but Coresource lets me completely customize which of Ingram's partners (vendors, wholesalers, libraries, etc.) I actually distribute with, and I've assumed that other Ingram products are the same. I believe IngramSpark is currently free per title; they get paid by charging fees per sale and because they get better listing deals with partners than an individual would get (like, Ingram might get charged x per title they list with, idk, Barnes and Noble, whereas you as an individual would get charged y, where y is larger than x, and Ingram pockets the difference).

I know a lot of people who use IngramSpark and my impression is that when it works, it works really well, but when it doesn't, getting help/customer service can be a nightmare. Virtually everyone I know who has used them has stories about late titles, support taking a week+ to reply, that kind of thing. I believe they have an option to pay for better/more rapid responses from customer support, which I feel kinda tells you everything you need to know about IngramSpark.

Draft2Digital

Another option is draft2digital. They use the Ingram distribution network, but again they can do so cheaper than an individual can because of their bulk sales through Ingram. They also offer e-book, audiobook, and print distribution. I use draft2digital for print and I've been quite satisfied with their customer support, but their print distribution doesn't allow opt-out of Amazon. HOWEVER, I believe their e-book distribution does. At minimum, there's a checklist on d2d about "steps you have to take to distribute e-books through d2d" and I'm assuming if you just. didn't do that checklist. then you obviously wouldn't get your books distributed through them. The other big thing I don't like about d2d (which may also be true of IngramSpark, idk) is that they charge after the first revision. Which is to say: you put together your book, you upload your book, you get it all set... and you notice a mistake. Okay, fine. You fix the mistake and re-upload. Re-uploading uses a "change token." You only get one free change token per title per six months. So, you notice another mistake you feel you have to fix a few days after that first? That'll cost $25. I've personally just kinda... tried to find all my mistakes right off and fix them, and anything I spot after that, I keep a log and will update all of them at the six month point. (I understand why they do this, btw - they have actual humans doing set-up on their end, so if you revise eight times in a week, that's a lot for an actual human, and charging for the tokens forces people to be careful, helps ensure people submit books that are actually ready in good faith, and helps keep costs low. That doesn't mean it's not annoying, though.)

Bookvault

Bookvault is a UK-based print-on-demand option (so NO e-book distribution, just print) that has recently started offerings in the US too. They currently have a relatively limited distribution network, but they're growing, and especially for UK-based people they're a strong alternative. I've heard a lot of positive reports about their printing in a FB group I'm in (Kickstarter for Authors - do recommend, lots of great info there), but I'll own my personal experiences weren't great and I've decided not to keep using them for now. However, if what you primarily want is print books as print-on-demand, and some limited distribution choices, they're a good choice, and they can help with option five below.

Do It Yourself Lite

A fourth option that's a LOT of work is...you add it everywhere yourself. Most places will let you. For example, here's how to sell on Barnes and Noble.com. When I self-pubbed a book a few years back, before I ran the Press, I submitted my work by hand to several different options (B&N, Kobo, Amazon because I still used them then, Smashwords, to name a few). However, doing this isn't the same as distribution - it only will sell through that specific vendor - and as far as I know there are no options for doing print-on-demand those ways (I THINK, tho I'm not sure, that Amazon is the only place you can set up both e-book and pod through a single vendor - it's not something I've researched tho, cause with the Press, doing single-title-at-a-time entry across so many different vendors is simply not realistic).

Side note on this: I don't believe there's a way to list self-pub books on Bookshop.org, but don't quote me on that.

This method also doesn't work well if you want to get your title in with libraries. I researched this a bit well over a year ago now, so I don't recall all the details, but before we signed up for Ingram I DID try to see if there was a way for us to publish and get in libraries especially without involving them, but there...wasn't really. Places like Overdrive that handle e-book-to-library distribution don't really have a way for individuals to submit; I have this vague memory I found a way to do it that involved paying per title but tbh I can't even find that now (though while I was looking I did find this decent-looking article about how to get your self-published book out in the world, echoing a lot of what I say here).

Do It Yourself Difficult Mode

Your fifth major option, and what we originally did as a press, is: do it all yourself. You can get your own storefront (ours is through Woocommerce + Wordpress). You can do your own crowdfunding. You can run your own newsletter (I use Mailerlite), do your own advertising, etc. You can do your own printing (we currently use Booklogix and I'm quite happy with them, their customer service is A+++). You can vend at events, you can market to local bookstores, sell through bookstores that do consignment, etc. You can learn to format your own e-books (I use a combination of Affinity software and Calibre, with an assist from Daisy to improve the accessibility of our e-books). You can get access to stock images and vector art to make things look nice (I use vecteezy). There's a LOT you can do entirely on your own. And that's what I did for myself before I ran the Press, and what I did for the Press for the first couple years we operated.

The reason I changed how the Press handles things? I hate to say this but the sad truth of publishing is that not using Amazon is utterly crippling to a publisher. As of 2 years ago, Amazon represented 67% of all book sales in the United States. Not selling through Amazon means accepting you'll simply be completely unable to reach more than half of the people reading works in English all around the world (works not in English may be different, I don't know that market since I publish in English). And for myself, alone - for my works? I could make that choice. But the Press currently works with well over 100 authors, and I ultimately felt I couldn't make the same choice to them. I tried so so hard not to compromise this, but refusing all distribution, when we were also avoiding Amazon, meant completely hamstringing the ability of authors we work with to market and sell their books. It meant, to work with us, people would have to sacrifice so much of their ability to earn money from their words, and it just didn't feel right to continue in that avenue as we grew. So, I was forced to compromise: first to use Ingram, which I did on the condition that I'd be able to reject Amazon specifically, and then by having to use draft2digital, including their goddamn Amazon print-on-demand, at least until I qualify for a better option, which as soon as I can do? You bet your butt I'll be switching and opting out of Amazon again.

The current climate makes these choices really hard, and I didn't make them lightly, nor did I make them alone - there's about 20 people on the DPP staff, and they all contributed opinions and voted on the final decisions I implemented for the Press in these regards.

(and sorry, I know "what DPP does and why" is a bit to the left of your actual question, but I felt like it'd be weird to make a list of recommendations without including the decisions I've personally made and why - like, why would I recommend you something I don't do myself with the books I publish? So sorry for the info dump.)

The TL:DR of all this is, as far as I know, and as I've been forced to accept as part of the realities of running a small press in the modern world of publishing, is that avoiding one Big Evil (Amazon) with any hope of achieving even a modicum of success basically requires partnering with at least one other Big Evil (Ingram especially). It's a very hard game to win.

HOWEVER, you are doing this FOR YOURSELF, NOT for all the people involved in a business larger than just you. If you're willing to put in the extra work to figure out a lot on your own and manage your own marketing, you can theoretically build enough of an audience to go it alone without Amazon OR Ingram OR places like Kobo/B&N/etc. You'll have to outlay more out of pocket - things like webhosting cost money - and you'll have to be a lot more careful - if you're running your own website instead of using someone elses, you gotta go above and beyond making you're in compliance with privacy rules and such - but it can be done.

And if you don't want to go that route, and your only real "to avoid" is Amazon specifically... use IngramSpark.

Sorry I'm long-winded. I hope this helps! Good luck with your publishing goals!

(and if others reading this have some other advice and resources, things I may not know about, please do weigh in! I bet the asker would like to know, and I'm always eager to learn about new options too.)

#duck prints press #about us #self publishing #faq #yeah ya'll know you can send us asks like this right #and i'll spend way too long answering them and talk your ear off #sorry (not sorry?)

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