#buyer beware!

[catalinaflores]

ok in honor of wrapped sucking here are my two favorite stupid spotify analysis programs

if youre a vibes girlie the pudding’s how bad is your streaming music? (works for spotify or apple) went around a while ago. it will make you feel judged but also seen

and if you’re a stats girlie chosic’s playlist analyzer will give your playlist an overall rating along with a ton of not pictured data you could only dream of (the average key, bpm, subgenres, mood breakdown, etc)

[lambsouvlaki]

For the Hell of It - Putting on a Show(*)

Characters: Jason Todd x fem!oc

Rating and warnings: NSFW, smut, pre-discussed kink, light bdsm, voyeurism & exhibitionism (discussed, nothing is done in public).

Word count: 1,929

Summary: Jason tries being a little meaner in the bedroom, to delightful results for everyone.

Masterlist

----

In the middle of the night, the bedroom door opened and the Red Hood walked in. 

Andy looked up from the book she had been reading. It was a little after three in the morning with the muted sigh of wind rushing past the lofty heights of his apartment. The bedside lamp cast the large industrial-styled room in golden light and murky shadows. 

Jason shut the door behind him. 

She opened her mouth to ask how patrol went, then found the words dying in her throat. He was standing at the door, mask inscrutable, observing her in silence. 

Belatedly it struck her that she had never seen him wear his armour into the bedroom before. She slid her reading onto the bedside table and cocked her head at him. 

“Did you wait up for me?” His voice rumbled through the modulator. 

“Blame the jet lag.” She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Figured I’d try again once you got back.”

He slowly crossed the space between them.  

She pulled her knees up under the blankets. She didn’t know what to make of the way he studied her, but her body already knew how it felt about having his sole focus. The armour only made it worse. She wondered if he knew. 

“You remember that talk we had?”

“Which one?” she looked up, only to recall exactly the conversation he was referring to, in the face of blinding white lenses. “Oh.”

Her cheeks warmed. She was very aware of the looming figure standing over her, and anticipation unfurled within her.

“Yes, I remember.”

He pulled his gloves off, loosening finger by finger. He reached down a warm, bare hand and gently traced her cheek. His thumb grazed her lip. He pushed down lightly. She opened her mouth. He slid it in and she curled her lips around it. 

He drew his damp thumb back and traced it down her jaw to tilt her chin up. 

“The safe word?”  

As though it hadn’t been branded onto her mind the moment she agreed to this. 

She repeated the word. It came out breathless. 

He turned away. 

“Take off your clothes.” 

Her cotton shirt then her silky bra and matching panties landed on the floor. Her nipples pebbled in the sudden cold. She sat bolt upright, awaiting further instructions. Her heart in its cage beat like the wings of a hummingbird. 

Jason reached up to take his helmet off and placed it on the desk. 

“Lie down,” he said and he removed his weapons. “Spread your legs, and get yourself warmed up for me.”

A blush rose in her cheeks. He sat in the armchair, facing her. He leaned back, with his legs casually spread wide, and lit up a smoke. He watched her expectantly. 

She did as she was told. 

She had never put on any kind of performance before, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her now. Most nights Jason relished this part himself. He was an artist with his fingers and she was his sculpture, beauty and pleasure drawn from stoic marble. Tonight he was the audience, and she was artist and art together.  

The idea turned from daunting into arousing without her noticing. Her timidity fell away and her pleasure rose. 

In the half light the glint of the cigarette reflected in his eyes. 

“Do you touch yourself when I’m out?” 

She shook her head, mussing her hair against the sheets.” 

“No?” he drawled, incredulous.

“No.” It didn’t occur to her to be dishonest. Her role in the scene was not a fabricated one. 

“Why not?”

“I… prefer the ache of waiting for you.”

He swore quietly.

“There’s a toy in the bedside table. Get to it.”

She reached out blindly and swiftly found it. Jason enjoyed using it on her, but she had never used it on her own. It let him draw out and build up her pleasure to his own exacting standards without getting distracted by his own ends. He was a wretched tease. She both adored and hated the thing. 

He took a long drag of smoke as she adjusted. Her head tipped back against the pillows. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she didn’t want to lose sight of him and kept reopening them. He watched with burning intensity. 

Her excitement built and built, far past any notions of simply warming up. He had told her to get ready for him, but he made no move beyond stubbing the cigarette out and attempting to brand her with the heat of his eyes alone. 

“Can I… can I climax?” she asked.

“No.” 

She withheld her whine.

Normally Jason’s body language was so open and reassuring around her. This was nothing of the sort. The Red Hood, hard and uncompromising, watched her fuck herself on a dildo, and she was more hopelessly turned on than she had ever been under her own touch.  

 Slowing down was unthinkable as stopping. She had unthinkingly built her pace up, and now she had no off-ramp.

She wasn’t going to ask again. 

She wasn’t. 

With one hand cast over her face and the other between her legs, she writhed. 

Jason let out a harsh breath and stood. Every heavy step towards her felt like salvation and doom both. 

He put a hand on her shaking knee. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. Despite the calluses and the hardness of his demeanour, his thumb rubbed her skin in a familiar reassurance. 

It did not help her predicament. Her breath hitched.

He pushed her hand aside and withdrew the toy. He replaced it with two of his fingers. 

She moaned. His touch set her alight and her breath grew thin. His touch was as scorching as his gaze which pinned her down like a lance through the chest. 

“I’m-I’m going to cum if you keep doing that,” she said. 

So he stopped. 

She wanted to cry. She covered her face with her hands and took desperate heaving breaths.

The sound of unbuckling belts cut through her panting. 

“Look at me.” 

Her eyes snapped open. 

Jason lifted her by her hips and impaled her in one blow. 

She sang out in relief. 

He set a swift pace, slowing only a moment to let her rearrange pillows to support her back, shooting her straight back to the loft heights she had teetered along for so long. He drove her higher still. His thumb rubbed circles over her clit only twice, and her climax slammed into her. 

Her whole body shook. He did not slow his pace, relentlessly working her through it. 

She breathed hard as she came down, arching her back for him. The relief was short lived but it brought her a moment of clarity. 

Jason’s focus was fixed to her entrance, watching himself sink in and out, in and out. So locked up inside his own head tonight. 

“Okay?” she asked quietly, breaking character. 

His eyes flickered up to hers, and he gave a short nod. His hand on her hip gave a quick squeeze. 

Then the hard tilt returned to his jaw and they were back in it. 

“Spent the night at a strip club,” he said harshly. 

Her eyebrows rose. It was unusual only in that he was telling her about it: his protection extended to sex workers all over the city. She trusted him, it was a non-issue.  

“Working out a territory dispute. Negotiations. Should have been done hours ago. But no, they had to keep stopping to watch the girls.” His lip curled and he changed his angle to something deeper. “Made them make out and touch each other. As though we’re there for a good time, as though I have any interest in getting hard with that pack of slavering animals.” 

He brushed his sweat slicked hair from his face and swore. She was so helplessly turned on by him even when he was hacked off, she couldn’t come up with any response. 

“Waste of my fucking time,” he growled, thrusting with emphasis. “When I have you alone in my bed. Waiting for me. Clenching on nothing. Dripping wet, just for me. Aren’t you, sweets?”

“Yes.”

He pulled out. 

She made a needy noise of objection. 

“On your knees or in your mouth?” 

She rolled over without hesitation. 

He chuckled. He ran his hands up her body, possessive and appreciative. He gently pushed her down onto all fours and pushed back in. His pace was more sedate now and his grip softer, having worked out some of his frustrations. 

Well, that just wouldn’t do. 

“Did you get hard at the club?” she asked. 

His pace stuttered. “What?”

She reached back to touch his thigh, a silent reassurance she was still in character. 

“Did it turn you on, surrounded by beautiful women making out with each other?”

The snap of his hips picked up. “Yes,” he conceded, arousal and shame and frustration in his voice. 

She looked back over her shoulder. Her hair was tousled, her skin flushed, and her lips swollen from where she bit them. 

“Were you thinking of me?”

“I–” The look he gave her was a little stunned, a little star struck. 

“There, in that red lingerie you bought me, draped over you?” If he wasn’t thinking it before, he was now. 

A whispered “yes,” passed his lips. The burning intensity rose in his eyes once more. 

“...touching myself?” 

He made a hungry noise in his throat. 

“Up on the stage, in front of everyone,” she said, as she looked forward again, flicking her hair aside and arching her back. “Putting on a show?”

He growled, then she was pinned to the bed. 

“I’d have to kill them all for looking at you,” he said into her ear, bending over her. “And I would–mm–before I’d take you right there.” 

He stood tall again, still holding her bent in half with a hand on the back of her neck. His other hand was on the meat of her ass, to drag her back to meet him. He put one leg up on the bed next to her for more power. A thick muscled thigh rippled against her side. Raging waves of need pulled her back down into the depths. 

“Trying to upset me, sweetheart?” he asked, back to ruthless and in full control. She was in paradise. “You know only I get to see you like this. That’s why you’re mine.”

She whimpered, so close to the edge. 

“Only I can hold you down and fuck you like you deserve. Only I get to watch you writhe… hear you beg.” 

“Hnng, please.” 

“Please what?” 

“Please! Jason, I–I– fuck, Jay, I don’t– I need..”

“That’s my girl,” he said, dark and appreciative. “You know you’re mine before anything else.” 

She sobbed a cry.

“You can cum,” he drawled, sneaking a hand around her hip to reach her clit.

Her climax rocked through her violently. Her vision blanked and her body seized up in great wracking jolts. Her mouth hung open, breathing hard against the blanket. 

She vaguely heard his voice encouraging her through it, before he followed after her into bliss. 

He curled over her back and held her fast against his hips. He growled her name in her ear. 

The last of her strength fled her limbs. It felt like her bones had simply melted.  

He collapsed on the bed behind her. With shaking, tired arms he gathered her to himself and nuzzled into her neck. He made a soft inquisitive noise. She sighed in contentment in reply. They tangled their legs together, and basked in the afterglow. 

Next>>

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

IF Meghan Markle's doing it, YOU do the opposite!

Amazon Reviews Markle's Liquid Mushrooms🤢:

[freedomrobot]

Buyer Beware!!!

Wake Up America!!!

[physalian]

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.

[livesincerely]

It starts as a pretty typical shift, which, honestly, should’ve been his first warning.

They’re responding to a fire at an upscale health and fertility clinic. The sprinkler system’s already taken care of any flames but that hadn’t stopped the people inside from trampling over each other in their hurry to evacuate; he doesn’t envy Chim, Hen, or Eddie at all, watching the three of them struggle to wrangle a crowd of hysterical pregnant people and their partners into some semblance of order.

Which leaves Buck to do a final sweep of the building for any stragglers.

He’s checking the storage area tucked in the back when he opens a door and is hit with a face full of some kind of… mist?

It's sticky and cloying—almost like a perfume, maybe, but with a bitter edge—and his eyes start tearing up immediately, sinuses stinging. He wipes his face with the sleeve of his uniform, and that seems to help some, but he’s definitely gonna need a shower and a change of clothes when they get back to the station.

“Buckley to Cap,” he calls over the radio. “We’re all clear inside.”

“Copy that,” Bobby responds. “Meet back outside, we’ll regroup.”

He’s outside chatting with Munroe from Squad 4 when things suddenly shift.

Buck staggers on the spot, hot and hazy with it, something sharp tingling behind his teeth. His vision is swirling, his mouth painfully dry.

He blinks once, then twice, then swallows hard.

“—okay? Your whole face has gone red, man.”

“I’m—“ Buck tries. When the fuck did it so hot? “It’s—“

“Do you need to sit down?” Munroe asks, reaching out to steady him. “I can help you over to the curb—“

Buck bats the hand away, bristling at the contact. “No, no, I’m good, I just got dizzy for a second—“

A growl cuts through the air behind him, fierce and furious. Monroe startles, his eyes wide, but it’s like Buck’s entire spine softens, tension seeping away as if it was never there.

He’s certain before he even turns. “Eddie.”

“What’s wrong?” Eddie demands, and his hands land on Buck’s shoulders, then shift up to cup his jaw, his eyes darting over every inch of his face. Buck relaxes into his hold, something about Eddie’s touch soothing a part of him that he didn’t know needed soothing. “Why do you— What happened?”

“What happened with what?” Buck mumbles, ducking down until he can rest his forehead against Eddie’s shoulder.

This quickly proves to be the best idea ever because Jesus Christ, since when did Eddie smell so fucking good? His scent washes over him—rich, decadent even, like the darkest of dark chocolate with just a hint of something spicy underneath—and it’s mouthwatering, it’s addicting, and Buck leans closer, desperate for more.

“You smell really good,” Buck informs him—just in case Eddie didn’t know, because he’s helpful like that. He rubs his cheek against Eddie’s neck, then nuzzles against his jaw, the rough edge of his stubble prickling deliciously against his skin. “Like, so fucking good.”

Eddie makes a noise that’s halfway between a laugh and a groan and his arms curl around his waist, strong and steady.

“I smell good?” he asks, incredulous. “I smell— Buck, I can smell you clear from the other side of the building.”

“No, you can’t,” Buck disagrees. “‘M on suppressants. My scent’s all…” He drags the tip of his nose along Eddie’s hairline, then presses his mouth to his temple, breathing him in. “Subtle. Muted. Though, there was a study back in 2017 that found that excessive suppressant use can sometimes lead to this weird condition that makes everything smell and taste like coconut, but to be honest, their sample size left a lot to be desired—“

“No, Buck,” Eddie interrupts, in a voice like sandpaper. “I can definitely smell you.”

“Oh.” Buck considers this for a moment. “What do I smell like?”

Eddie makes another one of those noises—low and throaty and a little pained—and his hands splay wide over his lower back.

“Chim!” he calls over his shoulder. “Chim, I need you over here!”

“Eddie,” Buck whines. “You didn’t answer me.” A horrible thought occurs to him, and his voice wobbles when he asks, “Do I smell bad?”

“Trágame, tierra,” Eddie mutters under his breath. Louder, he says, “No, querido, you don’t smell bad. You smell…”

Eddie pauses a second too long. Buck pulls back to look at him, a little afraid of what he’ll find, but Eddie’s eyes are dark and hooded, those brown eyes smoldering like embers. His nostril flare as he takes in another deep inhale, and his gaze turns heated, turns hungry.

Buck’s breath hitches in his throat.

“Good,” Eddie finishes hoarsely. “Really good.”

[missanthropicprinciple]

Skullpanda: Real v Fake | Buyer Beware

Recently got a fake Skullpanda in the mail. I should have been suspicious because it was cheap, significantly cheaper from the real thing. Here are some comparisons between a real and fake secret edition Popmart.

Boxes:

The fake box lacks quite a few things. The texture is similar but you can see minuscule bubbling beneath the surface as it was coated with cheap matte. The color is a bit darker too. Some entire sides are in a different sized font and the barcodes and other numbers are off. Most significantly though, real boxes like this one have QR codes on reflective stickers, raised details, and reflective indented logos.

Real:

One of the first things that made me suspicious about the fake one was the internal packaging. It was crinkly and looked almost used. The real internal packaging was fully labeled:

As for the figurine itself the fake was missing a lot. Mainly, the logo on the bottom of the stand and the feet. The real one has both.

The real figurine is heavier and has a magnetic feature as many of them do.

The paint job of the fake one is poor and matte, almost sandy in texture. The real one's paint has a better fade and features metallic paint. Also, the real one (R) has a transparent shoulder piece.

The fake one's helmet (L) is just the slightest bit misty.

Lastly, the glittery plastic on the real one is superior in quality.

All that being said, I will keep the fake and possibly customize it.

[admiralgiggles]

The fuck?

*I got a refund. 😑

[faewaren]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Richard Gansey III/Ronan Lynch Characters: Ronan Lynch, Richard Gansey III, OC Only Present To Get Snapped At Additional Tags: Other relationships implied & other characters mentioned but not present., Oral Sex, Face-Fucking, BDSM, Dom/sub, Established Relationship, Semi-Public Sex, Implied Background Polyamory (Ot6), Possessive Sex, Post-Canon Summary:

For a second, Ronan thinks he’s about to watch a patented Gansey bomb defusal. He’s apologized for Ronan enough times; he could probably do it in his sleep by now.

Gansey draws himself up. His face is hard.

Ronan’s mouth floods even before his brain has time to translate.

——

Gansey gives a verbal lashing at one of his mother’s events, with Ronan in attendance.

This sort of thing made Ronan ache in high school, all rootless want with no outlet for it, often no idea what he was aching for in the first place.

They’re not in high school anymore.

Ronan knows what it makes him want to do, now.

[catboytenya]

Let's talk about Josh's Frogs: This is how they shipped my (DOA BTW) springtails to me.

compared to how they MARKET their shipping.

Sure, yeah. I bought some substrate along with the springtails. BUT ANYONE. WITH HALF A FUCKING BRAIN!! WOULD NOT SEND THEM TOGETHER.

The images lead you to believe that they'll be smart, y'know, use their brains, and send the bugs in their own box where they can't be jostled around.

No styrofoam, no heat pack, and able to jostle around in there with A HUGE BAG OF DIRT. yeah. no wonder they were fucking doa. I've contacted support with images and talking about how they sent them vs how they marketed their shipping, demanding either a refund, or FUCKING ALIVE SPRINGTAILS.

Like fuck, dude, my poor little guys. Even if I wasn't upset about the money I wasted on these springtails, I'm upset that my little guys were put through that shit. It's so upsetting seeing a LAYER of dead springtails at the surface of the dirt.

The substrate seems to be good, Butterbean seems to like it. I just wish they didn't kill my bugs over it.

EDIT: DID I MENTION THIS IS THE SECOND DOA SPRINGTAILS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THEM? DO. NOT. BUY. FROM. JOSH'S. FROGS.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

Casual reminder to never shop at Winn Dixie, because the freezers just don't stay cold.

This is not a single location thing, this is a "corporate doesn't exist anymore and local franchise owners don't give a shit" thing. Every Winn Dixie I've been to in the last 10 years has been like this.

[raceweek]

no but please tell us more about the graves, or just graves in general in property law, it sounds fascinating

the truth of the matter is that in the uk there’s absolutely fuck all legislation about it!! there’s like five pieces of really old statute collectively called the burial acts which almost solely deals with the plague so you basically have to go….sooooooo its not a plague pit so far as we are aware……….let me know if you have any questions :) x

[het-brunette]

PSA that the sewing patterns sold at the Jane Austen Centre shop are made by Sense and Sensibility clothing, which is owned by someone who is antifeminist and far right. (source)

[ahedderick]

Hopi Blue

I planted a type of corn called Hopi Blue this spring. I had trouble with germination, and only ended up with a small patch, but I've been looking forward to seeing what it does. The seller, Territorial seeds, advertises that it can be eaten young as sweet corn, or allowed to mature and dry to use as grinding corn (for flour) or a beautiful decoration.

Yesterday evening it seemed like a few ears were finally ready. And:

Hmm. That is not very. Blue. I looked at the website, and hidden at the bottom of the reviews section I found this:

Ok. Fair enough. But if that's the case, the description should very much SAY that when it tells you that you can harvest it before maturity and eat it as sweet corn. Just - TELL us CLEARLY what we're buying - why is that so hard. I will let the remaining ears stay on the stalk until full maturity and report back to you then.

[anon7362847598]

"Struggling to pay rent" while you buy arbies and beg for money for cable, now your ass is headed to another state while rent was due and suddenly its an emergency to pay it??? Why the fuck are you even signed up to cable when you can't pay rent????? Where did you get the money for arbies after you begged everyone for 3000 dollars a few days ago??? Congrats to everyone who probably just payed these scam artists to take a vacation. Don't waste your money on these two, I tried to be supportive but this is just disgusting. Using anon because I don't give a fuck. Reported to paypal for good measure!!!

[willow-wanderings]

HEADS UP ADOBE USERS!

Adobe updated their TOS & accepting it/continuing to use their software gives them an unlimited license to steal your work, feed it to AI, and/or sell it to third parties without notice or compensation to you.

I can't wait for all the professionals & studios who use adobe to class action this shit away (it's gonna be a hilarious ride) but in the meantime, protect yourself & your work, DON'T USE ADOBE PRODUCTS, THEY WILL STEAL YOUR WORK!

HERE'S A LIST OF ALTERNATIVES