#BUY THEIR BOOKS FROM USED BOOKSTORES (they don't get money from that)

[nat-20s]

Everytime I see one of my peers spend like $200 a week on books at like Amazon or Barnes and Noble I want to look at them with the saddest wettest eyes imaginable and beg them to use their public library.

[pensat-i-fet]

I see there is a new SJM book out this week so time for some "friendly reminders".

[thebibliosphere]

Hey just to let you know in case you hadn't heard, Ru Paul opened a drop shipping book store and is pretending its a queer bookstore, and then added the entire Ingram collection to the site and wildly marked the prices up more than anywhere else. Both versions of Hunger Pangs are listed and are being sold for $33.32 ($16.66 for "members"). Idk if that is something you have any control over or care about but just in case I figured I should let you know!

Ooft, that's a hefty markup.

Regrettably, I can't control which retailers use Ingram, nor can I control the prices they choose to sell at.

Ru Paul's company, Allstora, can mark it ten times higher than the recommended retail price and claim it as pure profit if they want, and there's nothing I can do about it. (I am side-eyeing the membership price because that is significantly lower than the rrp through Ingram, so I'll need to see how they're compensating for that.)

This is a good time to remind buyers that authors don't get paid more if they buy above the recommended retail price. Our contracts with printers like Ingram are negotiated based on the recommended retail price we select, not the final sale price chosen by retailers.

So, y'know, buy wherever works best for you.

Personally, I won't be buying anything from Allstora when there are queer indie bookstores out there who aren't price gouging their customers.

Incidentally, if you're in the US, if you go to Bookshop.org, you can select which bookstore you want to place your orders from by visiting, bookshop.org/pages/bookstores

When you scroll through the different options, you'll see whether the bookstore is queer-owned, female-owned, black-owned, Indigenous-owned, etc.

It's a neat little way of ordering books online while still being able to support brick-and-mortar stores, even if you don't have one near you. I like to switch mine up every few months just so I'm spreading my money around.

[elodieunderglass]

Honestly thought I'd never hear the word "usborne" again. My mom used to live and breathe that company, and while I certainly don't regret a fair chunk, I do find it amusing as I look back now. I legitimately thought it had fallen off faster than Juice+.

In reference to a post where i mention my kid has the usborne “see inside germs” book.

So if people don’t know, usborne is a weird publishing company that has done indispensable books for British children for generations; they’re in every library, school and nursery, and have shelves devoted to them in every bookstore. They are how many people learned to read, and are the originators of many hyper focuses. They’re famed for doing educational lift the flap books for all ages, like “see inside your body”, as well as as the ubiquitous touch-and-feel series, “that’s not my….” In which a mouse comments improbably on various creatures not being their creature. “That’s not my dragon,” the mouse says, inviting you to stroke a dragon with a patch of fur on it, “its tummy is too soft. That’s not my dragon,” on the next page, where the dragon’s ears are lined with textured paper, “its ears are too bumpy.” This seems like such an inefficient way to find one’s missing dragon, a fact that simmers underneath you through endless repetition. Why does the mouse own so many things (pirates, ducks, polar bears) and why is it interrogating other people’s pirates etc by feeling their legs.

At any rate, turn a parents’ house upside down and these books fall out.

Which is why it’s completely hilarious that they are also an MLM.

Well. Kind of. In the old school sense. It’s less about signing up a pyramid scheme and more about getting a random citizen to buy a crate of perfectly popular books and try to sell them on from their home. It’s very traditional for Mums On Maternity Leave to do this. Pre-social media and online ordering, they’d hook up other mums at toddler group. Today, they post awkwardly on social media. The idea is that buying from another parent is cheaper than the bookstore, and they get to keep the markup. They get intense about things, and I believe they attend conferences. Nobody makes a huge amount of money and it’s unclear how undercutting local bookstores is helpful; it’s also basically the same RRP as Amazon I think.

And the books are perfectly respectable and sell perfectly well in bookstores.

So. Like. This marketing scheme is completely weird. Why?? Why does it still exist? People buy the books normally! You don’t need to promote them aggressively! You don’t need elaborate independent local middlemen schemes! You can just buy them! I have never understood this. I just file it under one of those weird mat leave hustles.

But don’t worry OP. They’re still going. They’ll never stop. The thing is that your mom got bored and online sales probably ate whatever residual profit margins were left and it’s probably very liberating for everyone to grow out of the “that’s not my cow” stage, but Usborne books are going strong.

[neil-gaiman]

Hey is there any chance that good omens will be streamed somewhere other than Amazon prime? I'd really like to watch the show (and read the book but that's just an I need to go to a bookstore thing than anything else) but I'd really prefer not to give money to the bezos boi.

Sorry if you get asked this a lot or smth

Season 1 was also streamed on the BBC as it was a co-production. Season 2 may be streamed on the BBC, I don't know. It was made for Amazon by BBC Studios. We will see.

Otherwise, your best bet may be to wait and buy a DVD.

I get the idea of not wanting to give Amazon money. But you are using Amazon services all the time. (They make vast amounts of money from Amazon Cloud Storage, and as far as I know, that's where Tumblr keeps its data.) Why not find someone who has Amazon Prime and watch Good Omens legitimately on their account? It increases the chances of more things like Good Omens being made in the future.

[moonydustx]

response to this request @i0fty I loved your request (I have a thing for writing hurt/comfort and angst). I really hope you like it. I wrote it as f!reader, but I can adjust it if I want

warnings: F!Reader is attacked, mention of celestial dragons, Law and she have feelings for each other and it's obvious, Law saves F!Reader

one piece masterlist

----

As soon as you set foot on that island, you knew there was something strange, something that sent a chill down your spine. It would be a short break to stock up on some emergency supplies and head towards the next island, which was larger and would have more interesting information for your crew.

Even so, some crewmates and your captain, Law, disembarked next to you.

"So, do you need a lot of things?" Law tried to make conversation, seeing you take a small map out of your pocket and point to something he could barely understand.

"I needed some lemongrass herbs. I saw they sell them here, but they are expensive, however, given the climate of this island I think I can find some in this green area." You explained, seeing him nod and hand you a few more berris.

"Don't go far, it might not be safe. If you can find something to buy, buy it" he insisted, seeing you look around, apparently suspicious. "What it was?"

"Do you feel something strange in the air?" you asked and saw him repeat your gesture of checking the surrounding environment.

"Some residents seem a little scared." Shachi who had also disembarked scored.

"It could be our imagination, as well as some confusion that happened. Which would be a great attraction for the marine." Law explained as you walked behind him. "Be careful and don't get into any kind of trouble."

"Yes captain." even in uncoordinated unison, you responded together.

"And you, what are you going to explore?" you asked Law as the others scattered. "Not that there's much to do."

"Do you remember that old book about spirit hunters that you mentioned? I saw that there might be a copy around here."

"Bullshit! Are you going to buy it?" Law laughed lightly, almost imperceptibly when he saw your excitement.

"Just don't tell Bepo, he'll say I have favoritism in the crew." the captain pointed out. "If you finish early, meet me at the bookstore. It should be easy to find, I don't think there are many around here."

The promise of meeting him later made you excited. Your relationship with the captain was something different from your relationship with others - you shared games, reading and conversations until late at night. Sometimes, it was as if the two of you were in a little world of your own.

You even tried to use the money provided by Law but, in addition to being insufficient, the little shop had strange looks from all sides. The feeling on that island was of being spied on with every step taken, with every interaction.

Moving away from the small shopping center and without even entering the small forest that almost annexes the city, you found some bushes that you needed. It was simple to harvest them and tie them in a way to transport them without losing any leaves.

Before you could stand up and continue your journey to the bookstore, you felt something against your neck, but you were able to dodge it and roll to the other side. Finally standing up, she could see two men staring at you.

"I'm sorry, lady, but we have orders to take you." one of them warned and you bent down to reach the knife you had used to harvest, unfortunately not fast enough to feel something burn in your hand.

"What the fuck… You know what? I'm going to kill you" you left things aside and went out to fight them.

Even using everything you knew about fighting, trying to use all the blows that came to your mind, you still ended up getting hit more times, some of the blows you barely understood where they were coming from.

"What do you want with me?!" you shouted once again, being ignored.

The metallic taste on your lips indicated that the attack you suffered had been much stronger than you expected. Both the desire to fight and the fear itself caused your adrenaline to skyrocket, leaving you alert to any movement from the two men.

"You should save your efforts." one of them emphasized, the handcuffs on his hands made an annoying noise as they clashed together. "They will need you at full strength."

"And it's not like you're going to win alone." the other completed, stretching out the whip and hitting your arm squarely.

The sensation was something like an unexpected burn, but it wouldn't stop you from fighting, from returning to where you really belonged. Standing up, you advanced towards the shorter man, landing a few punches, enough for him to stagger a little and give you space to escape.

At least that's what you thought until you felt someone pull you back and the click of the handcuffs awakened your despair. No, you couldn't let yourself get carried away like that. How would your friends be? Would they ever see you serving as a doormat for one of those damned celestials?

"This is an aggressive one, just like they asked for." the man pressed his body to yours, in order to speak in your ear. "The guys up there, the big celestial dragons will like a piece like you. They'll hunt you, they'll hurt you and I'll get rich."

No matter how much you struggled, his grip grew even stronger against your body, while the other man got closer to try to cover your face. Perhaps desperation had prevented you from noticing some things around you, awareness hit you completely when the aggressive grip around your body became a gentle, almost protective touch. His voice hit you before your own perception.

"It's ok, I'm here now." Law let his hands run down your arms and he advanced towards the other man.

In another situation, Law would have fun tearing those bodies into pieces and watching them try to reorganize themselves. But this time it was different.

They had messed with one of his crew members, an intelligent aspiring doctor, who would know how to use any and all plants to her advantage, who was great at playing chess and had read a good part of Sora's stories - even if the last ones were by his invitation. She was the girl who laughed at anything while dying of shyness when someone pointed out an adjective to her. She was the girl he dreamed of getting some attention, but her scared eyes indicated that those bastards had hurt her and he couldn't let that go.

The first man - who Law hadn't changed places to reach you - soon fell to the ground, clearly unconscious.

"Where's the other one?" your voice was exasperated, as your eyes tried to hunt the other guy through some trees.

"Shachi and Penguin already took care of him." Law pointed out while looking for keys to the handcuff.

"W-we need ... W-we need to check!" the way your voice sounded urgent alerted Law, forcing him to get closer to you. "He can get help, they have whips and…"

"Hey!" He tried to call you, not having much success. When his hands found your face, Law saw you flinch. "Look at me, Shachi and Penguin already took care of this… Look at me!" he pulled your face back, seeing you want to dodge.

"But… T-they had whips... and handcuffs and they were going to t-take me to the c-celestial dragons." the words stumbled as they left your lips.

"They won't, I would never let them." Law insisted, seeing you nod, even though he knew the words wouldn't truly reach you.

"Let's go back to Polar Tang, what do you think?" he suggested and saw you nod practically in slow motion and remain silent.

As quickly as Law had transported you back to the submarine, the thoughts were faster than you could express.

It was difficult to process some things, you still had a hard time accepting that there were people who felt so superior to others that they chose random people to be hunted. You had heard of it, but you always thought of it as something far away from you, that it was just a scary story that would stay far away.

But there you were, feeling your wounds being cleaned by careful hands, extremely contrary to what you had felt just now.

"Please…" Law's voice came out almost like a sigh. "I need you to say something."

"What do you need?" Your eyes watched as Law left the tweezers with the cotton on the small tray next to him.

"You're too immersed in your own mind and I can tell you that's not a good thing." he explained and saw you rambling again, it was clear that something was wrong. "Please don't think just talk to me."

"I thought everything was lost, you know?" you began, feeling your eyes sting with tears. "I've never felt so scared."

"I told you, I would never let that happen." Law didn't hesitate as he ran his hand over your face, brushing away some tears that insisted on coming out. "And I promise this won't happen again."

"You're the captain, you have more things to worry about." a weak, almost inaudible laugh came out of you. "Do I really matter that much?"

"Much more than you think." he pointed out and saw you smile shyly. "I was in the bookstore and I started hearing some comments about missing people. They all had some kind of similarity to you… I know they are in different ways, but I felt scared like I haven't felt in a long time."

"What does that mean?"

"That I'm going to finish stitching up those wounds, I'm going to make you something to eat and after that, you won't be out of my sight anymore." he explained.

Even though you felt a slight discomfort in the wounds on your arm, you allowed your face to lean against his chest, your arms to wrap around him in a simple hug. His face lowered itself to the top of your head and a "I promise to always be here" was whispered in your embrace.

[alonetimelover]

pairing: Harry Styles x book writer!reader

fc: Saoirse Ronan

summary: YN just released her debut book, and it became the hot topic online. It might have something to do with certain someone being spotted buying it.

a/n: comments to all those posts are long, because i wanted to somehow incorporate the plot of the book that book writer!reader wrote!

masterlist taglist

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yourinstagram

liked by fallinloveinbooks, user49 and 89 202 others

yourinstagram Those are the notebooks in which I wrote my little baby. I can't believe I am typing this, but 'Silver Lining' is out !!! You can buy it at all independent London bookstores. I can't wait for your reviews. I'll read them all.

view all 8 201 comments

yourbestfriend MY BEST FRIEND IS AN AUTHOR !!! JANE AUSTEN WHO ???

⤷ yourinstagram do not disrespect the legend here

fallinloveinbooks OMG i've been following you since that one post about understanding fantasy world and being allowed to incorporate real world in it! i can't wait to read it, im going to the store right now!

⤷ yourinstagram YOU. ARE. THE. SWEETEST. and i remember you from that post and all that came after. I LOVE YOU and will wait for your words!

user92 what is the genre of the book?

⤷ yourinstagram it's fantasy! but there are a few subgenres. i'd say romance and mystery play a huge role in this book, too!

user109 will it be available online? im from us and would love to read your book!

⤷ yourinstagram unfortunately, not in a foreseeable future

⤷ user109 oh no, why??

⤷ yourinstagram being completely transparent, i released this book using my own money- no publishing house involved - because no one was really interested in it. what is in the stores is the printing i was able to afford. hopefully, they will sell and i'll be able to print more editions.

⤷ user102 im crossing my fingers for you

hArrysbtch i was looking for some new fantasy books, you are sent from heaven

⤷ yourinstagram hope you like it, angel

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harryupdates

liked by hArrysbtch, yourbestfriend and 80 393 others

harryupdates HARRY outside of the independent bookstore in London today! EDIT: because all of you are asking, he apparently bought 'Silver Lining' by YN YSN !

view all 2 202 comments

hArrysbtch I've just finished that book and OMG OMG OMG, i don't know what to tell you, but he's getting into something so beautiful so structured so sad, i can't say enough.

⤷ harrysmoustache so it's worth it?

⤷ hArrysbtch YES. YES. YES. absolutely. from the first page to the last, it just consumes you. yn did such a good job, and it's her first book ever!

⤷ harrysmoustache oh, i can't find it online

⤷ hArrysbtch it's only at independent bookstores in London. no publishing house was involved, she printed all the copies available with her own money. i can buy it for you and send it?

⤷ harrysmoustache i DMed you!

stylesbabie harry in his book girl era

harrysmylife he is back and he is reading, he's just like me

user102 there's no way he has that book and i don't

fallinloveinbooks I've read it, and I loved it. I hated it because of how much it made me cry. Harry, you're in for a ride a wild one with all the *wink*wink* scenes and the most heartbreaking chapters of literature I've ever come upon

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yourinstagram

liked by harrystyles, yourbestfriend and 173 302 others

yourinstagram I cannot express how thankful I am for you and your love for my book. Unfortunately, for now, there are no copies available. But im trying to make it work. But maybe it wasn't meant to be...

view all 10 202 comments

yourbestfriend that's a bestseller book if you ask me

⤷ yourinstagram you are the love of my life

hArrysbtch not you using the last line of the book, like it didn't tear my heart open

hArrysbtch thank god it's already on my bookshelf, happy that it broke my heart and made me horny

⤷ yourinstagram Those were the emotions I wanted people to feel!

harrysmoustache my copy is flying to me, and I can't wait to read it

⤷ yourinstagram ill be waiting for your review!

user102 read, loved, cried and read again

⤷ yourinstagram two times??? i could smother you in kisses

⤷ user102 i wouldn’t mind that

user292 can't explain how unique and original it is

⤷ yourinstagram ❤️

user939 not harry lurking in the likes

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harryupdates

liked by hArrysbtch, harrysmoustache and 128 402 others

harryupdates HARRY and writer YN YSN out and about in London today!

view all 6 080 comments

hArrysbtch Alexa play that should be me by Justin Bieber

hArrysbtch she's mine harry, fuck off

hArrysbtch what is it that whenever I find someone to obsess over they become somehow connected to harry

hArrysbtch but, i smell couple material !!!

harrysmoustache he's gonna be the inspiration spark

⤷ hArrysbtch don't even start! i read silver lining with Harry in mind as one of the main characters

⤷ harrysmoustache as Emrys, right?

⤷ hArrysbtch yes! my protective and sexy bookboyfriend

⤷ user102 I see, we support complicated men here, i love it

stylesbabie they look so good together

⤷ user02 their backs are towards the camera...

⤷ stylesbabie shhh

harrysmylife I love her style !!!!

user402 she's getting so much attention from it. how did she manage this pr?

⤷ hArrysbtch pr???

⤷ user402 don't tell me it doesn't look like one?

⤷ hArrysbtch yeah, I forgot. every woman harry is seen with is just pr or the one to hate. of course. tpwk does not include woman harry is involved with?

⤷ harrysmoustache burnt!!!

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bloomsbury

liked by yourinstagram, yourbestfriend, harrystyles and 40 492 others

bloomsbury Our newest pea in the Bloomsbury pod is the sweetest, London based, young author who has just published her debut novel. We are here to help and tell you that 'Silver Lining' is coming to all bookstores in the world and to online shopping as well on the 15th of November. To feel whole again.

view all 2 202 comments

yourinstagram I LOVE MY NEW POD

yourbestfriend DONT FORGET ABOUT ME WHEN YOU BECOME FAMOUS

⤷ yourinstagram NEVER

harrystyles Congratulations, YN ❤️

⤷ yourinstagram well, thank you, harry

hArrysbtch my favourite author is getting famous!!!

fallinloveinbooks I CANT BELIEVE IT !!! congrats, yn!!

⤷ yourinstagram thank you, sweets!

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fallinloveinbooks

liked by hArrysbtch, harrysmoustache and 6 492 others

fallinloveinbooks I'm attending YN's 'meet the writer' thingy in London and I cannot express how much appreciation I have for her. She thought every little detail in 'Silver Lining' through to make the book perfect. An icon!

view all 211 comments

hArrysbtch I am here too! And I love her so much!

harrysmoustache you need to either film some moments or just post-stream it for us!

stylesbabie she looks so beautiful

user102 I am here as well! we need to meet up!

⤷ hArrysbtch im in the second row!

⤷ user102 are you the one with a pixie cut?

⤷ hArrysbtch Yes, that's me!

⤷ fallinloveinbooks I think im sitting next to you, hArrysbtch

user42 come on guys, let us now what are the questions and answers!

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dailymail

liked by hArrysbtch, user102 and 103 393 others

dailymail NEW COUPLE ALERT? Harry Styles and newly established writer YN YSN were seen leaving the same restaurant (Styles a few moments after YSN). YN independently published her debut novel just two months ago and then signed a contract with Bloomsbury publishing house after Harry had been seen buying her book. For more photos and information, visit the link in our bio!

view all 19 302 comments

user102 not you making harry the only reason she got the contract

hArrysbtch she got a contract because of the interest her book sparked online, not harry

harrysmoustache i'll just leave it here but literally Neil Gaiman praised this book online

user402 oh yes, when the privilege is striking

user99 you just cannot stop taking photos of people in their free time, invading their privacy, can you?

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yourinstagram

liked by harrystyles, yourbestfriend and 201 392 others

yourinstagram Somethin' is cookin'. And that's the audiobook of "Silver Lining" voiced by me! It will be available on 23rd of December as podcast episodes on Spotify for more of you to enjoy! Merry early Christmas!

PS: there may or may not be someone else to accord their voice to Emrys

view all 19 292 comments

yourbestfriend i could be Rhiannon

⤷ yourinstagram you were laughing your ass off after two lines

⤷ yourbestfriend not my fault that Rhiannon is the comedy queen

harrystyles 📖🎤

hArrysbtch NO WAY! i adore your voice and now i'm gonna picture you as Rhiannon - this book just became even better (it already was perfect, i don't how you're doing it"

⤷ yourinstagram hopefully, i won't end up as her

fallinloveinbooks my dream came true. i usually have such a hard time reading that audiobooks are the only option. now i'm going to listen to my favourite chapter over and over again

⤷ yourinstagram which ones are your favourite?

⤷ fallinloveinbooks definitely 6, 15, 24, 33 and 42

⤷ hArrysbtch all the chapters that depicts love - i see you

⤷ fallinloveinbooks yes! the thing is that number 6 refers to love and all those chapter number's are either 6 or add up to 6

hArrysbtch wait wait wait, i've just realised. what if harry is voicing Emrys????

⤷ harrysmoustache don't give me hope

⤷ fallinloveinbooks that would be perfect

⤷ user102 i'm not ready to listen to chapter 24 and 33 with him voicing it

⤷ hArrysbtch i will die, literally. those scenes are intense!

user102 she just wants people to be able to read the book and not care about paying bundle and having shitty quality. i love her.

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harrysupdates

liked by hArrysbtch, fallinloveinbooks and 109 393 others

harryupdates HARRY and YN at the market in Clonakilty, Ireland!

view all 6 001 comments

hArrysbtch someone tell me is that her home town?

⤷ fallinloveinbooks yes, it is! her parents still live there!

⤷ hArrysbtch meeting parents? oh god, they are serious serious

fallinloveinbooks they live that small town romance book lives

⤷ user102 so true! i need her to write something like this!

⤷ hArrysbtch i would eat it up

stylesbabie Niall is proud right now

harrysmylife i can't express how much i love domestic harry

user20 she started the thunder online after *possibly* announcing that harry will voice Emrys and decided to step away from socials. i love her. i love her. i love her.

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irishharry

liked by harryupdates, hArrysbtch and 23 403 others

irishharry How thin are the chances to meet Harry in a small Irish town? Very thin. But not thin enough to be impossible. I MET HARRY FREAKING STYLES AND THE LEGEND HERSELF YN YSN !!!

view all 2 022 comments

hArrysbtch they look so cosy... i want what they have

⤷ fallinloveinbooks a man?

⤷ hArrrysbtch yuck, i only like fictional men + harry

harrysmoustache this ken's job is walk

harryupdates this is very aestheticly pleasing photo

stylesbabie small town!harry is my favourite

user102 hopefully the inspiration is overflowing because i'm reading silver lining for the third time

⤷ hArrysbtch are you okay???

⤷ user102 nope. i just love torturing myself

fallinloveinbooks the matching coats...

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yourinstagram

liked by harrystyles, yourbestfriend and 401 100 others

yourinstagram my love in your heart...

view all 14 292 comments

yourbestfriend answer my calls, yn !!!

⤷ yourinstagram i won't tell you

harrystyles ...my heart in your palm

hArrysbtch I LOVE THE SOFT LAUNCH

hArrysbtch PARENTS

harrysmoustache i love how we all know that this is harry but at the same time it doesn't have to be

⤷ hArrysbtch it better be! this post just cured all my mental problems

fallinloveinbooks the caption... is it the title?

⤷ user102 look at harry's comment, it might be a main thing in her next novel/short story collection

⤷ hArrysbtch the inspiration sparked and inspiration was harry. that's it. when it's published i can die happily

⤷ user102 decide, that or harry voicing Emrys

⤷ hArrybtch im chronically online, don't require any consistency from me

harryupdates vacation in a small irish town birthed some masterpiece, i just know it

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a/n: i have part 2 made in my mind already. do we want more of them?

[dumplingsfordays]

30 strales

blade x florist!gn!reader

genre - fluff

summary - after you fall down into some metal buckets in your flower shop, a certain raven-haired customer happens to be walking by and helps you clean up.

cw!: swearing, blade kinda wants to murder you but ends up changing his mind because he likes uuu <3

note - i hc that blade smells like citrus. no, you're not getting an explanation, sorry lol.

and as always, thank you for reading!

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

When you got your job as a florist at Petals and Pollen, you didn't expect this many people to talk to you - you were just there to make bouquets, but most of the time when someone came up to you to ask for a recommendation or advice on what flowers to give someone, your conversations would end in 'hey, are you free this week? I know a great coffee shop that you'd like' or 'there's this cute bookstore a few blocks away, wanna go there together sometime?' or just straight-up 'do you want to go on a date?'. Of course, you weren't angry or anything, but a part of you felt annoyed. Did these people come up to you only because they thought that you look nice, or did they actually want to get a bouquet and they picked up on your personality midway?

Either way, you always declined. You weren't really interested right now, and besides, you had stuff to do. Planning dates wasn't exactly part of your job description anyway.

But one cold autumn afternoon during a thunderstorm, a rather peculiar man entered the shop - his expression wasn't one of boredom or neutrality like most other patrons, it was one of rigid, almost angry determination. He stomped up to the counter with quick steps, long navy hair flowing behind him as he stopped suddenly in front of the counter.

"How do I say 'fuck you' in flower?" he growls. "Use any flowers you need. I have the money."

You blink a couple of times in surprise at the taller man, processing his request. You knew flower language, it's just that you were wondering who it could possibly be for - a nasty coworker? A disrespectful teacher or boss?

Deciding not to dwell on it, you nod and get to arranging the bouquet. From some nearby stands, you pick out some geraniums, foxglove, meadowsweet, and orange lilies, cradling the flowers in the inside nook of your elbow. You place them in a clear glass vase and tie them together with a sunset-red silk ribbon. You feel the man's eyes linger on your fingers as they knot the ribbon in a bow, and finally, you finish the bouquet and hand it to the man.

"120 strales, please," you say, pressing a few buttons on the cash register. The man quirks an eyebrow.

"No dahlias?"

"Dahlias? Why would you need dahlias?"

"Ka- I mean, I read that they meant disappointment."

You sigh. "Well, that book must've been wrong. Dahlias are a symbol of commitment, not disappointment. I think the author must've meant to write "yellow carnations", but I don't know how you would mix it up that bad. Should I add them?"

"No, that's fine." The man slides you the payment and, grabbing the bouquet, storms out the glass door to the shop.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"Fuck!" he mutters under his breath as he speedwalks angrily through the crowded streets of Xianzhou, his delicate bouquet gently cradled in his arms. What the hell was Kafka thinking? He was going to bring this to the General as quote unquote "thanks", and she tricked him? Oh, he was going to kill her when he came back.

But this florist was rather... different than others he'd been to in search of a "fuck you" bouquet. They had a special sort of air about them, an air that he couldn't quite pinpoint but knew that it was addicting. Well, maybe not addicting - he just wanted to see them again, that's all.

Wait, see them again? No, he didn't do that sort of thing, he never wanted to up and start conversation with some random stranger that he saw once while buying flowers. He didn't spontaneously show up at their doorstep and ask what their name was - he only did that to his victims, and in this case, this person wasn't a victim. He barely even knew who they were (with the exception of the obvious title of "florist".)

What if they would become his victim, then? He would have a chance to talk to them without feeling guilty of doing so, and maybe murder them at the end. That's what happens to everyone anyways, how was one less person in the world going to impact him?

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The next day, a few hours after opening time, you see him again. He's calmer than yesterday, opening the door to your shop with a small squeak and taking his time to look around at the flowers you have on display. He pauses next to a small tin pail of yellow pansies.

"Those are pansies," you note. He turns his head sharply to meet your gaze with those blood-red eyes and turns back to the flowers.

"They're pretty," he says under his breath, lifting one out of the pail and examining its petals. "What do they mean?"

You can't read his expression at all - it's just neutral, with a small hint of fascination that immediately vanishes when he puts it back.

"They mean 'I'm thinking of you'," you reply as you pull some leaves off the stem of a tulip and throw them into a paper bag. He blinks in response and continues examining the various flowers, finally coming over to your counter a couple minutes later.

"I'd like some daffodils, please." He slides over 230 strales.

"The largest bouquet costs 200, you can keep the extra 30."

He stares at the currency in silence as you pick out the freshest daffodils and bind them together with a pale yellow ribbon, adding some white lace frills into the midst. You hand him the bouquet and he looks up at the nametag pinned to your left.

"y/n," you say. "Nice to meet you too, um..."

"Blade."

"Blade, okay."

You give a small, awkward smile. He takes the rather large bouquet from your hands and leaves the extra 30 strales, which you grab and run after him with as he leaves the shop.

"Blade! Blade!" you yell as you run after him. "You forgot your-"

He's gone, blended in with the crowd, probably, but you daren't go look - you have a business to run, and you already see some potential customers approaching the establishment. You decide to wait for him - if he comes back tomorrow, you'll give him the strales back.

As you're making a rose bouquet for a middle-aged man in a grey suit and tie, Blade pops into your mind again. His eyes were... eerily captivating, like bloodied dark iron magnets that pulled your gaze toward him. Combined with the fact that he was hard to read, and that you've never seen him before in your life, made him the most mysterious person that you'd ever interacted with. But a part of you wanted to see him again, to talk to him, to find out who he really was and what he was doing in your shop in the first place. Guess you'd have to see tomorrow.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Tomorrow was a mess.

You estimated that about 200 customers came in, most leaving with flowers in hand, and to your disappointment, none of them were the dark-haired, red-eyed, "fuck you"-bouquet-ordering man who somehow forgot that he'd left 30 strales lying on your counter before yesterday. By the time you had shut your doors, the floor was completely littered with little pieces of leaves and small, multicolored petals. Guess you had to stay after to clean up.

You pulled out your best weapon, a wide mop, from the cleaning closet in the corner and got to work. Pulling it along the tiled floor, you decided that it was rather boring to mop in silence, and pulled out another one of your favorite items - a pair of headphones, which you promptly connected to your phone and resumed mopping, now with a spring in your step. This spring turned into occasional hopping, which then turned into full-on dancing as you got caught up in the music.

Blade was watching all this unfold outside your shop, standing in the darkness and staring dumbfoundedly through the glass window. He was planning on murdering you tonight - it was horrifying that you were dancing so carefreely, without even noticing his piercing gaze on your moving form.

Abandoning the mop, you grabbed onto a column and twirled around it several times in musical glee before tragedy struck and you fell into a shelf of those goddamn tin buckets. Luckily they didn't have flowers in them, but they still hurt like a bitch - you tried pulling yourself up, only to fall down again and wince in pain as the metal edges of the buckets dug into your skin. Your legs are probably going to be covered in bruises the next morning.

You hear the door open with its signature squeak and a sinking feeling of embarrassment flooded your system.

"Need help?" the navy-haired man standing in the doorway askes, stone-faced. He stared at your trapped form blankly as you gaped at him.

"It's nine, no- ten in the evening," you stammer out, "how are you here?"

"Passing by." He feels a strange pang of guilt when lying to you. "You didn't answer my question."

You swallow and look around helplessly before replying reluctantly. "Yes, please."

Blade walks into the shop and grabs you by your hands, hoisting you up with ease onto your legs for a second before catching you when your knees buckle almost instantaneously. He sighs, lifts you up, and carries you to the nearest chair, setting you down like a fragile vase.

Blade's touch was comforting, and he smells like citrus, which is a very unexpected scent for him to have in your opinion. You thought that he might've smelled like- wait, why were you even thinking about this? The way in which his lowkey kinda attractive strong arms carried you was completely irrelevant to the current situation - why was your brain hung up on this while the poor guy has to clean up after you?

Speaking of cleaning up, he was almost done. He was now putting the mop back in the closet, and after he shut the door, you took this moment of silence to ask a question.

"Can you carry me upstairs, please? Just to my bed."

He freezes. You desperately hope that it's not a bad thing - your legs are starting to actually hurt and you don't think that you can carry yourself up a flight of stairs.

Luckily for you, he walks over and scoops you into his arms once more, carrying you with relative ease to the wooden stairs, which creak a little under your combined weight. You loop your hands around his neck as you climb up, holding on for dear life. When he reaches the second floor you thank him quietly, and he returns the gesture with a nod, turning on the lights by raising his knee up to flick the switch. The hallway fills with a golden light, and when you point to the door to your room, he heads there.

You hope that your room doesn't seem too messy - there's plants everywhere (which probably isn't that much of a surprise given that you're a florist) and the occasional book is lying on every wide surface like your desk and the bookshelf. Blade strides over to the bed in one corner, moving a leather-bound book aside titled "A Complete Collection of Native Bee Species" when he lifts the blanket. He sets you down onto the mattress with that same gentleness and you lean into the pillow, eyes already drooping shut at its softness. You turn your back towards him, and he takes this as a signal to remove your apron, which he hangs on a nearby chair. You, in your near-sleepiness, hear him sigh as he turns off the lights and closes the door, leaving you to drift away in peace. The scent of citrus lingers in your mind.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The next day, as you're setting up shop, you find a note on the counter, written in black pen and a quick hand.

Locked front + back doors. Exited through window, keep the 30 strales.

[holylulusworld]

Secret Spot

Summary: The secret spot.

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x Librarian!Reader

Warnings: just fluff, mentions of his business, established relationship 

A/N: I love soft mafia Bucky. So, you will all suffer with me...

Part 3

Soft Spot masterlist

“Doll, where are we going?” Bucky sighs as you harshly tug at his wrist. 

“You must see this, Bucky. It’s perfect…”

You want him to follow toward a shop, hidden at the end of an alley. He frowns as the store looks a little…shabby. The windows have cracks, the door has seen better days, and in front of it stands a box filled with old books… 

“Ah, I get it. You found another bookstore.”

“No!” You drop your hand from his wrist to cup his face with both hands. “Bucky, that’s not just an ordinary bookstore. It’s the one I visited when I was a little girl.”

At that, Bucky smiles. He softly says your name, as you keep on babbling about how much you love the store. “They give away books for free too, look.” You point at the box which has seen better days.

“What did you say last time?” He dips his head to glance at the books. “You cannot buy another book.”

“But…uh…that’s a bookstore, and it’s impolite to not buy a book if you enter it,” you conclude, and batt your eyelashes. “Let's go inside. I’ll show you my secret spot.”

“Secret spot?” Bucky furrows his brows. You are adorable to him when you talk about books and your passion for reading. “Let’s go then. I don’t want to miss the chance to see your secret spot.”

You give him a wink. “To more books,” you smirk. “I knew you’ll love it.”

Bucky follows you inside the bookstore. It looks a little better inside, but not much. The shelves look like they are going to fall apart at any time and we don't want to talk about the wallpapers, carpet, and reading corner. “Y/N, be careful. These shelves…”

“Are my dreamland!” you clap your hands. “Look over there.” Pointing at a spot at the far right you grin. “That’s it. My secret spot.” You whisper. “I used to hide there from the world when I was a kid. And sometimes before I met you. I sat on the ground and read books.”

Bucky’s heart wants to burst as you tell him you didn’t need this place since you met him. “It’s a nice bookstore.”

“It’s a wreck of a store,” the owner clicks his tongue. “But it’s all I have.” The elderly owner says. He has seen better days too. His shirt looks worn-out, and his tired eyes tell Bucky he didn’t seel much lately.

“Doll, how about you look at the books,” Bucky whispers, hoping you won’t get lost between the shelves. “I’ll be right there.”

“More books…more books.” You chant like the bookworm you are. “See you later, Bucky Bear.”

And off you go. Bucky watches you, chuckling as you look over your shoulder to blow him a kiss.

“She’s a nice young woman,” the owner says. “My only constant customer. If not for her, I’d close the store.”

“Hmm…” Bucky looks around the store again. “How much longer can you keep the store open?”

“Not much longer, son,” the man shrugs. “It’s…everyone buys books online or at that fancy new store in town. I can’t keep up, young man.”

Looking at you, happily roaming the shelves Bucky sighs. “What if you get a little help? My girl loves this store, so…what do you need?”

The owner gasps. “I…I won’t lend money from you Sir. I can’t pay it back.”

“That’s not what I had in mind,” Bucky shushes the man. “I’ll help you keep the bookstore open, and make sure people will buy their books here, and you will not give up business as long as you want to run the store. If you ever want to close it, I’ll buy it.”

“Young man,” the owner nods knowingly, “you must love that girl with all your heart if you offer to safe my business.”

“I’d do anything for her.”

“I had someone like her once upon a time too,” the owner says. “If it makes your girl happy, I’ll keep the store open.”

“Deal,” Bucky offers his hands. “I’ll send my lawyer this week. You can tell Andy how much money you’ll need to keep the business running and to do some…renovations…” Bucky hands the owner his car. “If you need help, give me a call.”

“Thank you, Sir…”

“BUCKY! Come here! I’ll share my secret spot with you,” you call for your boyfriend, waving your hands. “Hurry!”

“I’m gonna marry that woman,” Bucky grins. He already got the ring. He just needs to prepare the perfect proposal…

Tags in reblog.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Off the Page 1

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: skinny!Steve

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Maria brings you your travel cup as you acknowledge her with a quiet thanks under your breath. You try not to turn your attention from the person on the other side of the table. You keep your rehearsed smile in place, nodding as you open the cover of their book and write their name inside before leaving a message and your signature below. They ramble on but you don't mind so much, their passion is entirely flattering.

You still can't believe this is your life. You're a writer. Not that freelancer knocking out commissions for pennies, by an author. It's your second novel and by your publisher's declaration, a hit. You suppose you wouldn't be on a book tour if it wasn't.

You pause to have a sip of coffee. You've been here all morning. That there were people lined up before opening assured you of the long day but it just doesn't seem to stop. At the end, you're set to do a reading and giveaway a collector's edition of the book. Your longing for your hotel room only grows deeper as your hand cramps and your eyes sting.

The next reader steps up, his book well-worn and clutched in his slender hands. He's thin and short, with a swoop of blonde hair over his forehead.

"H-hi," he sputters as he goes to set his book on the table but it hits the edge and falls to the floor, "oh, s-sorry, I'm sorry."

He's almost frantic as he bends to retrieve it and places it in front of you. You smile at him as one of the store's branded bags dangles from his elbow. He has to buy a book to get a signature. You pull his well-read copy towards you, the cover wrinkled and the spine cracked.

"You know, I could sign both..." you offer, "since you spent the extra money."

"Oh, oh, n-no, that's... that's okay. Um, thanks. Just that one." He smooths his hair with a shaky hand, "sorry, I've been awake since two in the morning. Too much caffeine."

"Tell me about it," you kid as you hold his book open, "I can tell you really liked the book."

"Ye-yeah, yeah, so much," he seems ready to burst as his blue eyes light up, "you know, I really love Emeris. He... I don't want to be lame but... he's like me. You know?"

"Oh, yeah," you agree kindly, "he's one of my favourites."

"Most writers -- I read a lot -- they always have the typical hero. Big and brawny, but you mad Emeris strong in other ways."

"I tried," you reply. "Anything in particular you want me to put here?"

"I... I can't think of anything," his eyes go wide, "I've been looking forward to this forever and I didn't think."

"That's okay," you assure him and uncap your pen, 'Keep on the path, my brave Emeris,' you weave onto the page. You sign your name and slide the novel across to him.

He takes it and opens it, reading as his nervousness breaks into a smile. He peeks up at you, closing the book to bring against his chest.

"Thank you!" He beams.

"No problem, you sticking around for the Q&A?"

"Oh yeah, my friend wants to go get a snack but we'll be back," he proclaims. "Thanks so so much."

"Yeah, no worries," you subtly look to the line.

"Oh, uh, I won't keep you any longer," he waves his hand apologetically, "can't wait for your reading."

"See ya," you return and turn to the next person, a girl in deep red plaid, a brand new copy plopped down before you.

You just have another hour until you get to sit in front of all these stranges and try not to get tongue-tied. It should be easy by now but those butterflies in your stomach still flutter. More coffee, next book.

📖

The Q&A goes about as well as any other. It was good fun but entirely exhausting. You're ready to just go as the winter sky darkens fast outside the bookstore windows. Maria stops you to talk about your train ride tomorrow and the next venue. You beg her to let you go back to the hotel.

"I told you it was going to be a lot," she chuckles.

"You did. And just like you said, I'm tired, so please, I have a tub with jets waiting for me."

"Just make sure you don't stay up all night writing your next bestseller," she winks.

"You're telling me to get sleep?"

"I'm a great sleeper, I just happen to sleep best while commuting," she shrugs, "fine, go. I'm just going to talk to the owner quick."

"Alright," you utter through a yawn and cover your mouth, "I'll see you tomorrow."

You leave the bookstore and the chill air blows into your open coat. You shiver and clutch the strap of your bag. The bright sign of a Korean shop catches your eye. You're so tired of the bland hotel room service, you can spare ten minutes and a couple bucks.

You cross the street and enter the shop. The lights are low and the din is soft. You approach the counter, perusing the menu laminated on top and order some hoison noodles.

You hear muffled chatter from the corner and sway, trying to ignore it. After paying, you move over to wait for your take-out. As you do, you sense someone watching you. You peer over and see an eerily familiar set of blue eyes. It takes you a moment to recall the skinny man from the signing.

He's with another sat across from him. A bigger man with dark hair and wide shoulders. He shakes his head and catches the blond's hand before he can wave at you. He hisses something at him and you quickly look away.

You're still getting used to that. It doesn't happen too often but it's still awkward. You face the counter and take out your phone, a way to make yourself look busy.

You try not to hear but it's so quiet in the place, "Steve, quit, she doesn't wanna talk to you."

"I know. I just wanted to say hi," the hiss blows back.

Your order number is called and you grab it with a thanks, eager to flee before the situation can devolve. As you go to the door, you hear a groan under the jingle of the bell above you.

"Great, Buck, you always got be a buzz kill..."

You don't look back as you walk away from the shop, searching out a taxi as the smell of the noodles torture your empty stomach. You might just fall asleep before you can enjoy your prize.

[night-daily]

It's a date | Spencer Reid x fem!reader.

summary: The bookstore have a limited edition of your favorite book and you are on your way to buy it but you aren't the only one who wants it.

warnings: none.

a/n: i loved it writing this one!! :]

You were ready to take your break from work when a notification pop up on your phone, it was a new post from the bookstore you go to almost every day.

“NO WAY!” You yelled excitedly and jumped out of your seat.

“ARE YOU OKAY?” Your friend and coworker, Karina, asked you worried.

“Sorry, I just got excited because the part two of my favorite book has finally arrived at the bookstore and it's a limited version so I have to go right now before there's no more” You explained, grabbing your jacket from your desk and begin walking fast out of the office.

“Good luck!”

Indeed you needed the good luck, the taxi driver was driving so fucking slow and after 15 minutes you arrived at the bookstore, from outside you could clearly see how crowded was, you wondered if it was because of the book or just a bunch of people who wanted read their books in there, after all, it was a very cozy place.

You entered the bookstore, greeting some people you met there. You walked to the cashier lady ready to ask for the book, when a guy with curly hair and a cardigan -which was pretty but you have never seen around - was talking to her.

“Excuse me, where can I find the limited version second part of-”

“Fantasy section.” The cashier cut him off without even looking at him. He just nodded mumbling a thank you.

You were ready to complain to her for being rude but you saw how the boy just nodded his head almost as if he was used to it to people interrupting him.

He started walking to the fantasy section and even if you didn't want to ignore what just happened, you notice from your position that there was only one book left so you walked faster catching him up, now walking by his side, he turned his head to look at you and you met his gaze, you offered him a little smile which took him by surprise, you were beautiful and you smiled at him, why?

He blushed furiously and he avoided your eyes.

“Wow, there's only one book left, and would be sold out.”

Spencer hard swallowed. Your eyes met again but this time it felt different, like a challenge. The two of you ran to the bookshelf, pushing the people aside not so gently. Some people complain, others just watched the two of you with fun.

You both reached the bookshelf at the same time, but there was a problem, you can't reach the book, the shelf was too high. But for Spencer? It was perfect. He grabbed the book and you whined.

“You two, you can't run in here and make noise!” Spencer gets distracted by the cashier lady and you took this opportunity to grab the book out of his hands. You didn't care, you were shameless, you ran back to the register but Spencer wasn't to give up so easily either, he was chasing you across the bookstore, you didn't notice when but the two of you were smiling.

“How much?” You were catching your breath.

“22 dollars.” She said looking behind you, Spencer was there watching the conversation.

“Fuck.” You muttered. You forgot your wallet at your desk. “Look, you know me, right? I come here almost every day so I can pay you later for the book I just-”

“Sorry, but I can't do that, if you don't have the money just leave the book to someone who can pay it.” That was all she said and you clenched your jaw.

“I would pay for her book.” Spencer said, you turned your head to look at him, waiting to see a cocky smile or a triumphal look, but he was wearing a gentle smile, now you were feeling embarrassed for your recent behaviour that you didn't dare to say something to him.

He paid for the book and walked to the exit door without expecting anything in exchange from you.

“Wait!” He froze in his place. “We can share the custody of the book!” You exclaimed nervously, some people turn to look at you and you walked closer to him.

“And as far as I know, you can visit- read the book while I'm here too, so what do you say?” Spencer was nervous, do you want to read the book with him, it was just because you were grateful? Anyways he hums in agreement.

You lead him to an empty table in the corner of the bookstore, that place was quiet and peaceful. He sits close next to you, not touching you, but you could felt the warmth of his body making you feel comfortable with his presence.

“I have to warn you, If a character suffers I suffer too, so I apologize beforehand” You opened the book carefully.

“It's okay, I do that too and actually it's called theory of mind which consists-” He stopped talking.

“Why did you stop?” You raised a brow.

“I want to hear it” I want to hear you, that's what you wanted to say.

He didn't know if you meant it but he keep talking.

“The theory of mind has shown that people who read literary stories that explore the inner lives of characters, show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.” And you really paid attention to him, always looking at his eyes. It made him feel special.

“I truly learn something new every day, thanks...” You make a little pause, waiting for him to say his name. “Oh, my name is Spencer.” He holds his hand out to you. “Spencer” You say his name and you took it his hand and shook it. Spencer felt his heart melting by you saying his name.

“Shall we start reading?” He asked, trying to not blush.

“We shall!” You said cheerily.

You opened the book and you both started reading, Spencer wouldn't tell you but he can read at 20,000 words per minute so while he waited for you to end reading, he would look at you memorizing your expressions, he may be reading the book but he also wanted to read you to get to know you.

You both keep reading for 30 minutes and sharing your opinions about the characters and the novel, it was magical how the world seemed to stop when you were with him that even made you forget about your job. How crazy was that? You didn't even know him.

Your phone buzzed with a new message from Karina ''you get the book? I'm trying to cover you but the boss will be here any minute, please hurry!'' what would you do without her?

“Oh, I have to go back to my job right now,” You were disappointed, you really wanted to spend more time with Spencer. “but we can keep reading together, tomorrow at the same time and place, what do you say?”

“Yes!” He responded quickly and you laughed, he was cute “I mean, I would like to see you here to keep reading.” He cleared his throat.

“Then it's a date.” Your cheeks hurt for smiling.

And Spencer felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

[soaps-mohawk]

(same person who sent in the ask about the pool lol hi) But I just went to like a mini-carnival thing that they set up in my area and it got me thinking:

The team taking their 'mega to a carnival because they've never been (due to time in the institute or just because their family didn't do stuff like that when they were younger idk), but just imagining them and the betas being insistent on going on all the rides but John and Simon refusing to go on the ones they think would give them whiplash (besides, who else is going to hold all the stuffed animals and souvenirs Johnny and Kyle were winning for the omega?)

Or them just doing something simple like going to a mall. Spending all their money on anything the omega wants (because tf else are they gonna do with it?) and going into all the stores they want to, carrying all the bags they accumulate, especially when they find a bookstore and spend an ungodly amount of time in there.

Basically just thinking about fun little happy adventures because the pack deserves to be happy and have fun together without worries🥹

I think that would be so cute, but also so overwhelming lol. The reader will want to do everything all at once and the guys will have to restrain her a bit lol. Well, John and Simon will have to put tight leashes on the three of them because Johnny and Kyle are going to be right along with the reader and it'll be like having three grown kids around.

They'll want to try all the food, and Johnny and Kyle so use their skills to win all the games and get the reader every plushy which inevitably ends up in John and Simon's arms. They'll want to go on rides too, and Simon definitely doesn't go on them, not because he gets sick or anything, but because he doesn't want to 😉

It'll be a quiet drive home though, because the three kids in the back will be fast asleep from exhaustion, buried in a pile of plushies.

Definitely don't let the reader into a book store 😂 good thing she's got four big, strong men to carry things because she'll buy half the store if they let her.

[thebibliosphere]

quick question because i am a long time follower and know that you have a lot of shit happening at all times and want to support you: where's the best place/the place that will get you the most money for getting a physical copy of a silly vampire/werewolf book? It sound amazing for reading because rn all i have motivation for is fanfic and silly fantasy and not reading any of my textbooks.

Unlike digital copies, where you can buy directly from my storefront, there's little to no difference in my royalties when it comes to paperbacks. I get paid the same amount regardless of where you buy from, which the last time I checked was, eh, about $2.80

If a store is selling for above the recommended retail price, I still get paid the same flat rate percentage, the profit on the price raising goes to the store.

So, wherever works best for you!

If you're in the US, I will recommend bookshop.org, not just because they are fighting the good fight against the Zon and give a chunk of their profits to independent bookstores, but because their affiliate program pays authors the best rates whenever you buy a book using their links.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites, Flirting with Fangs Edition. (high heat version)

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites, Fluff and Fangs Edition (medium heat version)

(What's the difference between the two? Glad you asked)

Also, if you use my links to buy anything from BookShop.org, even if you don't buy a copy of Hunger Pangs, BookShop.org still sends me a small commission out of their profit (it's like a dollar per book, roughly). So, if you're so inclined to give me free money, you can click on my affiliate links and throw a little change my way.

I am trying to get my books into BookShop.org UK and their other sites, but it's a slow process.

If you're not in the US, it doesn't really affect me. Again, buy wherever works best for you! It's all roughly the same.

[random-lil-illing]

i love making headcanons and, inspired by @blakenation1 making dps headcanons, i wanted to try it out too :) 

so, dead poets society going to a mall!!

- mr keating goes with the dead poets to the mall to act as adult supervision since Welton requires the students to have a chaffeur. he just enables their chaotic behaviour though and literally does not act like adult supervision at all - he tells the dead poets that if any other teacher (especially mr nolan) asked, he was watching them like a hawk the entire time (he wasn't, he was watching them like a mole)

- they manage to run into ginny and chris in the mall and the two just sort of. join their group for funsies

- the group is sort of split into three categories: the ones having fun, the ones who are just here for shopping, the ones who want to go home

  - people who are actually having fun: neil, charlie, mr keating, chris, meeks, and todd

     - they actually love the mall because of all the places they get to go and the aesthetic in general (like neil, chris, charlie, and a little bit of mr keating) OR they found a store they really like and are just browsing what they have (todd in a bookstore, meeks with casettes/records/posters, and mr keating at a thrift shop). the latter need to be physically dragged away from the stores they chose to be in

  - the ones who just wanna get their shopping done: cameron, pitts, ginny, knox

     - they don't hate the mall, but they're not giddy or excited about it like the people having fun are. they're still somewhat enjoying themselves because of the people around them or because they found a nice store. either way, they're mostly focused on actually shopping for what they NEED

  - the ones who wanna go home: todd, cameron, a little bit of meeks

     - they get overstimulated outside of their chosen stores very easily :( the food court is loud and bright (they're just like me fr)

- they mostly split up to go to whatever store they want to, but they plan when they're going to meet up at the food court so they can all go together. cameron, ginny, mr keating, and knox all just regularly check their watches to make sure they're not late to the food court meetings while everyone else has to set alarms to remember (especially meeks and todd, since they're so immersed in their respective stores)

- charlie's running around with neil from store to store, browsing each store and buying a couple things from each. they visit the shops everyone else is in to hang out with them a little and talk about what they're buying. sometimes they go to drag the other poets somewhere else because they're spending too much time in one place. neil spends a lot of time with todd in the bookstore, and in turn charlie talks about different records with meeks

- chris will occasionally join along with charlie and neil to talk with the others, but mainly sticks with ginny and knox, who are happy to follow her around as she browses each store. she usually ends up in stored that ginny and knox needed to go to anyway. they buy each other jewellery and other gifts, and point at couple things or plushies and go 'us'

- cameron came into the mall with the intention of sticking strictly to business and simply getting what he needed, but he gave up pretty quickly when he saw just how unserious everyone was being about the whole thing. don't get them wrong, they still got what they needed, but they let themself be taken places too. they even buy the others a couple of things too

-charlie is spoiling EVERYONE, especially neil and the girls. oh, this costs a little too much for their liking? don't worry about it baby, charlie will pay. they can't justify buying something for that price? charlie can! they're eyeing this thing but know that their parents will be mad if they buy it with their money? buy it with charlie's money! charlie is loaded, and what better way to spend his money than on his partners friends? he himself is mainly buying magazines or books, and clothes too. random trinkets too (he buys a mini sax figurine)

- pitts is mainly trying to buy stuff for the radio, along with other projects he wants to start. whenever any of the other poets come around to the store he's in, he'd ask them to visit meeks next and remind her to drink water or to straighten their posture or to take a break in general (modern au! pitts would just call/text meeks to tell her to do so) since it reminds him to do it himself too. he also buys a couple posters and merch in general of his favourite pieces of media to put in his room back at home, or subtly place around his dorm at Welton

- neil is trying not to spend too much of his allowance, and he's succeeding because charlie's buying everything for him, despite his protests. he can't even buy just what he thinks is necessary either, because charlie eill catch him staring longingly at something he wants and buys it. he buys things like flowers, props and very extravagant accessories for future plays and such. and jewellery, so much jewellery. he's also buying things that remind him of everyone else in the friend group, and he and charlie jokingly buy everyone nail polish (which they all end up loving and, by the end of the weekend, they all have matching nails)

- mr keating is buying the wackiest things from the thrift shop - weird and honestly haunted looking decorations? he's taking them. dad-joke shirts? into the cart they go. random trinkets he knows the dead poets will love? buying. he also buys some subtle pride merch, just to let his students know he's a safe space for them. though, he has a feeling they already know, based off of the way they freely talk about stuff like that in front of him

- todd, chris and neil LOVE the perfume (and scented candle) aisle, and they pass by it multiple times while in the make-up store - it's why todd and neil follow her and meeks into there. though, meeks, while occasionally dipping into the make-up store, avoids the perfume aisle like the plague. her senses are extremely sensitive, especially her sense of smell, and the strong perfumes make her sneeze and breathe weird. she quietly encourages the poets in the perfume aisle from the other side of the store

- chris and ginny dip in and out of women's clothing stores and occasionally drag meeks in with them. meeks feels a little shy there but chris and ginny hype her up so much it's hard to feel nervous. they all help each other pick out clothed that suit them and help them feel comfy in clothes they like but are nervous about

- ginny definitely frequents the thrift store too, she just loves the vibes of the clothes there, and she's in and out of the arts and crafts store too. they spend an absurd amount of money in the crafts store (same), and they definitely have stuff they don't need in their bags, but she's happy and besides, charlie covered half the cost, and chris covered the other half. she also buys any necessities she needs, but mainly trinkets from the crafts store

-chris definitely spends some time in the more 'girly' stores (make-up, women's clothes, jewellery, etc.) but she also buys a fair amount of merch for her favourite shows and games (unrelated but i think modern! chris and ginny would play call of duty together - if they can't beat a campaign mission or online round, they ask chet to help). also she buys 'weird' trinkets that remind her of her friends/partners

- also, charlie, knox, todd, cameron, and meeks, the instrument kids, definitely visit the music store a couple of times. charlie brings up the idea of sneaking a piano into Welton and while it's entertained for a minute ot two, meeks eventually rules it out as impossible

- the food court is extremely overstimulating for cameron, todd, and meeks. throughout an all-day trip to the mall, they have three scheduled meal times in the food court (brunch, lunch, befor-dinner-meal). each time they go there they get more and more worn out and by the end of it they're all one inconvenience away to breaking down. cameron and todd at this point desperately want to go home, while meeks, despite knowing that if she doesn't go home now, she'll be throwing up soon but also she wants to stay at the casette store a little longer. still, it's a breath of relief for them all when mr keating finally announces it's time to go back to the campus

- mr keating drops chris and ginny back off at home since they walked to the mall and, with arms full of stuff, they would have a hard time walking back home or taking the bus. it's... definitely a tight fit in the car, and someone has to sit on someone else's lap or on the floor, but they manage. everyone pretends not to notice that both of them get dropped off at ginny's house, even though chris doesn't live there

- by the time they get back to the dorms, everyone has arms full of bags, and all the other teachers give disapproving looks to mr keating, like 'you were supposed to control them >:(' and mr keating, arms also full of bags, most of which aren't even his, just shrugs with a smile. they had fun, that's what was important!

i'm so sorry these are all so long, i love elaborating in my headcanons. and i apologise if some of my headcanons (cough cough transfem meeks) are a little too in your face during this

[livingfictional]

Hiya!!!

I just stumbled upon your blog, and you're match ups, I really like your content! :D I saw that your requests are open, and I thought I might as well request one! ^^

I would like to request a match up for COD and The Arcana. I am 19, female, and use she/they pronouns. I am also Pansexual (I don't have any gender preferences, we just gotta vibe and all is well✨️).

I really love listening to music and singing, I'm also an avid reader and have recently started down my path with practising witchcraft. I am not sure if this qualifies as a hobby, but I also enjoy taking my motorcycle out for a ride across the country whenever I have time (and money for gas 🥲). I do not do well in crowds or around loud and mentally draining people. Neither do I enjoy cooking because it, for some odd reason, drains me incredibly, baking on the other hand I enjoy thoroughly!

I speak English, German and Italian. My father is from Scotland🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and my mother from Austria🇦🇹, I have an equally good connection with both sides of my relatives even though I am more in tune with my Austria side due to the fact that I grew up there.

I'm an INFP, I wouldn't call myself shy or skittish but I do struggle to build up relationships because of trust issues and fear of betrayal. I prefer a small circle of people around me, mostly calm and like minded people that know how to get me out of my shell. I'm also a big fan of animals and especially fond of dogs and cats (even though I'm allergic lol).

I hope that was enough info for a match-up! Have a wonderful day/night, Lily!✨️💜

Sorry you had to wait so long, thank you for your patience 🩵

I match you up with... Asra!

I genuinely think Asra would be the best choice for you.

Lazy mornings in the back of the shop. A mess of limbs tangled into the blankets as you slowly flip through the pages of your book.

Asra just lays there, watching your focused expression with a content smile. He could stare at you for hours. The shop won't run itself, though. Unfortunately.

He'll happily support your witchcraft journey, helping whenever possible. He grabs any and every book he thinks you might like.

Asra is one of the least draining people to be around, his company is always pleasurable. The atmosphere never feels heavy, and he can make the converation flow for hours on end. It always feels so natural and nice to be around him.

Might as well mention Faust, who fell in love with you just as Asra did. You can often find her perched up on your shoulders as you go about your day.

I match you up with... Soap!

Not an avid reader, doesn't always know what books to buy you. Just ask! He would buy the whole bookstore for you.

Johnny wants to spoil you, okay? He can be gone for long periods of time, and your books are the only thing keeping you company on cold winter evenings. So in his mind they are perfect gifts for you, might as well, with some help, get you one of those gift baskets with a fuzzy pair of socks, a blanket, some candy and books.

Before he has to leave, he will also take your bike and fill it up for you. Can't afford gas? Well, he can. Go for your ride sweetie :3

Slow evenings with him after he comes back from being deployed are the best. You guys are full after getting takeout from your favorite place, you've got a fire going in the fireplace and a random movie is playing on TV.

To be fair, you are not paying attention to it at all. You're brushing your fingers through his dark hair as he goes on about anything and everything.

Just as with Asra, conversations with Johnny are so natural to you, nothing ever feels forced. You guys can talk for hours and not get bored.

He can be more on the hyper side, but next to you, he can truly unwind. He will lie on top of you, placing his head over your heart.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIbta if I don't read an author's books for their opinion on book piracy?

Context: I live in a country where literary has plummeted, reading is a hobby for the privileged, bookstores are closing or dilapidated, libraries are worse off.

Bookstores here are not good at keeping up with new releases. Their bestsellers are local publishes, and things like Percy Jackson or the Hardy boys. Requesting them to bring books almost never works.

With libraries, schools and colleges have their private ones only open to students and staff but they're... Restrictive about what someone can check out. Librarians here totally pro-censorship. Public libraries are less than 10 in my metro city, they keep old books, academic texts, and in some cases specialize in one area. That includes one of the biggest libraries in the country. And it's like 6 hours to commute so that's not a sustainable option for me. Of course library apps straight up don't exist here.

We have a couple book box subscription services. One sends those bestsellers that everyone's read as kids. The other one is expensive and more of a privileged influencer orientated thing than for readers.

What I said so far might sound too bad to be true but it is the reality. Physical books have been getting expensive worldwide. On top of that if I can't be caught reading things our government doesn't like. I read a lot of classics, for which I use a legal free site. But for something like a queer fantasy book written by a foreigner my only options are buying on kindle or well.. downloading them. Kindle doesn't always have the books I want, but the download sites tend to bring in requested books.

So of course there's ethical dilemma. With my salary I can save up and buy 6-7 books a year, I only buy the ones I've read and thoroughly enjoyed, enough to want them on my shelf or because I want to support the author, even with the risk of kindle copies being taken away at an exec's whim in the future.

I found out a couple authors I really wanted to read from are anti-piracy, one of them put a message like "Whoever pirates this book I put a curse on you" in their ya fantasy book. And I don't read a lot of ya but that book sounded interesting, until I saw that. These author's tone while talking about readers in my kind of position put me off and I decided not to read their works.

My logic is that I'd rather download and see if I love a book before buying, if I love it I wouldn't want to support people like them and feel bad reading it too, if I buy first and hate it then it's a waste of my money while the authors get a few cents off that purchase.

So naturally I've been told to suck it up, read less, stop reading if I can't afford, stick to free classics and fanfics, make more money, bring revolution in my country etc.

I do feel bad about the authors, even though most of what I read are from dead people there's a good amount of living people too and not all of them are getting their coins whether I want to give it to them or not. And the reason for this ask: Someone said I'm overreacting to those authors, I should just read those books like a normal person and move on instead of viewing them as books not to be touched.

So?

What are these acronyms?