#drag and drop PDF

[elblogdecleo]

PDF Expert for Mac: My Indispensable Tool for Document Management

As someone who handles digital documents daily, I’m always looking for tools that simplify and optimize my workflow. After trying various applications, I found the perfect solution in PDF Expert for Mac. This tool has not only boosted my productivity but also transformed how I manage my PDF files. Let me share my experience and the incredible features of PDF Expert. Easy to Use Right from the…

[bacchuschucklefuck]

LIVING for your ponytail Yugi he’s so cute 😭💖

thank u! i hold dear in my heart the way yuugi is like a little plushie that wants nothing more than to die a noble death

[ragnarockz]

😌 Maya on an Important Business Call (that's been dragging out) to get funding for a movie but also fucking reader at the same time, trying to see if they'll fall apart before the call does 🙂‍↕️

The way I woke up at 1 am due to a thunderstorm shaking my mf house and then falling back asleep at 3 am and then waking back up at 6 am horndogged out of my mind THIS IS FINE, LC. THIS. IS. FINE.

Hello? Yes, this is Maya Mason here to get you W E T 🥵💧📱

"Hold on for a fucking second, let me put you on speaker..."

You hear Maya's nail tap her phone screen and then drop her phone down beside you on the bed. You sneak a glance at the screen and realize it's one of the top execs on the line. His picture is in a little circle with his number on the screen.

Is she fucking insane? You think to yourself as you push your face down into the mattress. You cannot let this guy know you're also technically on the phone call with them.

You know this is something she realized the second she answered her phone while her cock was deep inside of you. You thought she was being rude at first; half of the conversation filling the bedroom as she snapped her hips forward and got you face down into her bed. But then you quickly came to realize that this was something that got her off. She had to try and keep you silent while she fucked you and you, had to keep up your end of the deal as you gave her what she wanted AND had to keep yourself quiet.

It was no easy feat because she knew how loud you got and you knew how much she loved hearing you. Half of the time she goaded you into being louder; trying to see just how loud you could scream and beg for more. This was definitely one of those times and she was maybe even pushing you beyond your limits.

"Oh...mhm....no, yeah, I think you would have to re-schedule because if you don't, you're going to blow this whole fucking promotional event..."

Your brain tried to chug along and listen to her voice; that voice that was mean and rude and judgemental. That voice that made you instantly wet every time you heard it. Maya had caught on to that pretty fast and made sure she herself talked you through almost everything she did with you.

Maya wanted her voice to haunt you in your dreams and wake you up wet.

"Well, then you're fucking stupid if you decide to go with someone else! Who the fuck else is going to give you what you want for that stupid price you're offering? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't even drop that on...fuck, anything!"

You grabbed onto her silk sheets to keep yourself upright; not wanting to slouch too much forward as you had finally got the angle right. She was hitting upwards slightly; the tip of her cock hitting right into the spongy softness that was going to throw you over the edge. You wanted so bad to come for her and show her how good you were being while she was on an important business call.

You could throw a wrench in right now, you thought to yourself as you drag your face to its side. The phone call was still happening.

"...Mommy..."

You whispered just loud enough for her to hear and for her to instantly stop pounding into you. You bit your lip and wait for the punishment to come. Both ends of the phone call go silent.

"...Maya?...Are you still there?"

"Of course I'm still fucking here! Do you want me to send you that PDF or not?"

You let out an exhale in relief. Maybe he didn't hear what you had said or maybe, he was trying not to embarrass himself over hearing something that didn't belong in the conversation.

You wriggled your hips back, asking her with your body to keep going, to keep fucking. You suddenly felt the sharp nails of her left hand dig into your ass cheek as a silent warning to keep your mouth shut.

"Mommy?....Keep..going..."

Another whisper escapes your parted lips and onto the bed sheets once more. You make sure you were louder this time, a little more clearer. You feel her nails sink in deeper and without a doubt break your soft skin.

You moan in response, no longer caring about the man on the other end of the phone. He was the one who called and interrupted the two of you. He's the one who wasn't listening to Maya's suggestion about his shitty movie. She was the one who answered mid-fuck; her cock fully sheathed inside of you as she picked up that fucking phone mid thrust.

You were obviously the innocent party in all of this; as innocent as you could be as you moan and rock your hips back and try to fuck yourself.

Maya had a choice. Hang up and admit defeat or prove you wrong. She exhaled loudly and straightened up her spine. The grip on your body got harder, tighter. She was holding you still and taking back the control she had let slip away as her concentration dispersed to the phone call instead of focusing on you.

And god, did she want nothing more than to fuck you until you couldn't walk properly afterwards; stumbling around her mansion in the Hills.

She smirked and bent over to lay on top of your back; her mouth as close as she could get to your head so you could hear her speak in a deep, hushed tone.

"You want to keep playing these games with Mommy, you better give it your all then, Baby..."

You feel the pressure release on your spine as she pushes herself back up and away from you; straightening up and shifting herself around. You can feel her cock moving inside of you and not in the way that feels good. She's adjusting; she's trying to make you as uncomfortable as she can. Maya wants the asshole on the other end of the phone hooked on for every single second as she fucks you. She wants to see just how long he'll keep the phone call going before he hangs up and blames it on some technical error.

"Mommy wants to hear that sweet voice of yours...those sweet moans as I fuck this gorgeous pussy of yours...this pussy that belongs to me."

No whispers, no hushed tones. She's speaking as clear as she was with the guy on the phone and you let out a strangled moan almost instantaneously. You have no idea if the guy on the phone is still there or if he's hung up. You can't even see her phone anymore.

Not with the way she has you pushing your face so hard and so deep into her bed that all you see are the stars bursting from behind your eyelids as you feel the constant contractions you give her around her cock. You feel as you breach your growing arousal and the sensation of warmth filling you; surrounding her. The way your hot cum drips down your inner thighs.

You hear a faint crackle of something and then a laugh; her laugh. She's laughing as she ruts into you and makes you lose your balance, falling forward. A loud groan escapes your mouth and you hear the dial tone beep out as the call ends.

It's your cue to get louder, wilder. Hands trying to reach back to grab at her; any part of her. You want so badly to touch her but she won't let you.

Maya is in control; always in control.

She always gets the last word.

[mortalityplays]

Don't forget this drops tomorrow (March 29th)!!!

Go Fuck Yourself (18+)

Julia is sick of working late. She's sick of being disrespected, and most of all she's sick of her boss. Lance is a burned out, smooth-talking playboy, but he also happens to be the son of the CEO. 

When Lance pushes her buttons once too often, Julia is tempted to put him in his place – but is it worth throwing away her career for a moment of satisfaction?

5k words,  EPUB and PDF format, with a cover by the inimitable @taylor-titmouse.

-

This is the first in the Fuck Yourself Friday series of shorts. New stand-alone erotic stories are released on the last Friday of every month.

These stories contain explicit sexual content, and are intended for 18+ audiences.

Releasing here at midnight (GMT)!*

* or possibly slightly after midnight it depends what time I get home from the drag show you know how it is

[jawsoffate]

Diabolically Yours | part IV (vessel!demon x reader)

Summary: Emma just wanted a simple magical boost to win a writing contest, not a snarky and handsome demon bound to her soul. But after summoning the wrong hellspawn, she ends up stuck with Vessel: a sarcastic, shirtless chaos entity who won’t stop flirting or stealing her snacks. Now they’re magically tethered, emotionally entangled, and dangerously close to something much scarier than a pact gone wrong... feelings.

TW: Contains supernatural shenanigans, mutual pining, steamy tension, and one annoyingly hot demon. Read with care (and maybe holy water on the finals part).

💖 masterlist

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Part IV: Sugar, Spice, and Demonic Advice

The following days were a hands-on lesson in the dangers of mixing summoning rituals with poor attention to detail and badly translated PDFs.

Emma tried to live her life. Write, send résumés, buy bread. Human things. But nothing was exactly simple when you had a demon bound to you by a mystical tie – especially one only you could see.

Going out in public with Vessel had proven to be a daily exercise in self-control. He was there, all the time, walking beside her with that intense, impossible-to-ignore presence. It was like wearing perfume that was way too expensive: everyone thought it was you, but only you knew it came from somewhere else.

"You seriously have to leave the house in that outfit?" he asked as she adjusted her coat in the mirror.

"It's a normal outfit. Business casual. Job interview."

"Business casual? That thing screams ‘hire me, I’m miserable and willing to accept emotional compensation.’"

"It’s what I’ve got. And you’re not even supposed to care."

"I care about your image. We’re a pair now. If you embarrass yourself, I get dragged down too."

"Only I can see you!" Emma rolled her eyes and walked out the door. Vessel floated half a meter off the ground behind her just to be annoying, though no one else could see or hear him. To the outside world, Emma looked like a woman talking to herself in the middle of the street.

Which, naturally, drew stares.

"You should smile more," he whispered as she waited for the bus.

"Careful. That line has caused serial demon murders in feminist novels."

"I love danger."

On the bus, he sat beside her and started narrating the lives of the passengers in an overly dramatic voice:

"That one probably dropped out of philosophy school to open an iguana pet shop. The lady in blue... definitely a retired spy. And the guy with the earbuds? Addicted to true crime podcasts and secretly bakes cakes."

"Can you shut up?" she hissed as quietly as possible.

"I can. But I won’t."

Emma tried to ignore him. At the final stop, as she walked toward the publishing house where her interview would take place, Vessel bounced alongside her like a chatty, inconvenient shadow.

"You should introduce yourself like this: ‘Hi, I’m Emma, and I have an accidental pact with a demon who gives bad advice and hogs the couch.’ Shows personality."

"I’m going to shove you into my dirty sock drawer."

"Delightful. I’ve always wanted to know what accumulated shame smells like."

At reception, while she waited, he leaned close to her face.

"You’re nervous. Your heart rate’s up. Any specific reason, or should I cause a power outage so you can leave the interview dramatically?"

She pushed him – or tried to, since her hand passed right through his shoulder.

"Okay, okay… I won’t get in the way," he said, lounging against the wall. "But if you stutter, I’m making the phone ring and telling them your cat’s on fire. Now tell me that’s not an amazing excuse."

________________

After the interview – which turned out to be a smaller disaster than she expected, which already counted as a win – Emma suggested a strategic break. Nothing like a dose of caffeine to pretend life was under control. Vessel, of course, followed her to the coffee shop with the enthusiasm of someone heading into medieval torture.

“Human cafés. Where beans are burned and emotions are sweetened,” he commented, glancing around with theatrical disgust.

The place was charming, all dark wood and hanging potted plants. The scent of coffee and fresh-baked cake filled the air. Emma was just beginning to relax – until the barista, tall, curly-haired, with a smile that could warm iced coffee, approached the counter.

“Hey again,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter and smiling straight at her. “Going with the usual? Hibiscus tea with lemon?”

“I am, thanks for remembering,” she replied, with a smile she tried to keep neutral – but it came out a bit sweeter than intended.

“And this time, no sugar. Or... okay, just one,” he winked.

“One it is,” she confirmed, blushing slightly.

Vessel, behind her, made a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a barely restrained growl.

“Fascinating,” he muttered. “The power of the human smile. Amazing how your heart rate spikes just because of that.”

“Shut up,” Emma whispered, still wearing a sheepish grin.

The barista handed her the tea with a folded napkin on the side. In neat handwriting, it read: “For a great follow-up after your interview,” with a little star drawn next to it.

“You said you were nervous yesterday... hope it went well,” he smiled again, and Emma felt her face catch fire.

“Thank you. It was... less catastrophic than it could’ve been.”

As she walked away with her drink, Vessel floated alongside her in silence for a moment, until:

“You know that little crush on the barista is pointless, right?”

“He’s nice,” she replied, blowing on the tea and trying to hide her smile. “And he remembers my order.”

“He also writes notes. How romantic,” Vessel crossed his arms, hovering beside the table where she sat. “What’s next, singing to you?”

“Better than your poetic growls.”

“He used to put two sugar packets in your tea until last week. That’s basically a crime.”

“He smiles at me.”

“I smile at you too.”

“Yeah, but you don’t mean it.”

“Exactly,” Vessel said, resting his chin on his hand like he was bored – but his tone gave him away. “And yet, you blushed.”

Emma tried to hide her burning cheeks by dramatically sipping her tea – only for it to be too hot and burn her tongue. She let out a low groan, embarrassed, and Vessel stifled a laugh.

Before she could retort, the barista returned to the table with a small plate and an overly wide smile.

“On the house,” he said, placing a brownie in front of her. “Thought you deserved something sweet after a tough interview. And, well... sweet goes with sweet, right?”

Emma’s eyes widened for a second, surprised, then she gave a nervous laugh.

“Thanks... That was... really kind.”

“If you want to come back later and tell me how it went, I’ll be here,” he winked.

Vessel watched the exchange with a tight-lipped expression that looked suspiciously like disgust. When the barista walked away, he crossed his arms and muttered:

“‘Sweet goes with sweet’? Seriously? That worked on you?”

“Oh, shut up.” She bit into the brownie, trying to hide her smile. “It was cute.”

“It was mediocre. You deserve better flirting. Something with fire, mystery... a hint of danger.”

“Like what, you?”

He didn’t answer.

She laughed, shaking her head, and leaned her elbows on the table.

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous?”

“I don’t get jealous. Demons don’t have those weak human flaws.”

“Sure.”

He leaned dramatically back in the chair, trying to look completely uninterested – but his eyes didn’t leave the barista, who was now stacking cups with unnecessary enthusiasm.

Emma bit her lip to stop another laugh.

“I think I’ll come here more often.”

“So will I,” Vessel replied calmly, but with a sharp glint in his eye. “Just to make sure no one adds extra sugar to your tea.”

“It’s not like you have a choice, do you? Wherever I go, you go and all that…”

She took another sip of tea, still feeling the warmth in her cheeks. Maybe it was the drink.

Or maybe not.

[wintersangelic]

how to turn your spotify playlists into cds! (tutorial under cut)

hey dolls! shout out to @lolita-cain for recommending i drop this tutorial! here's how to turn your spotify playlist into a cd!

what you'll need

a BLANK cd-r

an external cd drive that can burn cds (if your computer doesn't already come with one!)

windows media player (this tut's going to use windows media player legacy bc i find it more aesthetically pleasing)

Avery CD labels (optional, for decorating)

an inkjet printer (optional, for decorating)

a spotify playlist

let's start!

Part One: Making The Playlist

Find your spotify playlist for inspo. You're gonna need to do this the old fashioned way, and download songs as MP3s onto your computer. I recommend doing this by using a youtube to mp3 converter site! there's a bunch out there, find one that works for you!

When you have your mp3 files downloaded, open up windows media legacy player (as I call it, WMLP). Drag and drop your files (one at a time!) into WMLP! Each file will come up with a blank album cover + "unknown album", "unknown artist," "unknown genre," "unknown year." You can right click to edit all of that information! In order to replace the blank album cover, copy the desired image by right-clicking and hitting "copy image" (ctrl-c doesn't work for this). Right-click on the blank album cover, and hit "replace album art." You may get a notice saying something along the lines of "this art can't be replaced while the song's in use", despite the song not currently playing. You'll be fine, the album art will automatically change as soon as you click out of editing that track's information.

Create a playlist by hitting the "Create playlist" button at the top of the WMLP screen! Come up with a name for your playlist.

Add songs to the playlist by right-clicking their names, hovering over "Add to", and clicking the name of the playlist! If you can't find your playlist name, check the "Additional playlists" tab!

Part Two: Burning the Playlist

After your playlist is ready, hit the "Burn" tab in the upper-right corner of the WMLP screen. Click and drag your playlist into the space below the "Burn" tab, creating your burn list. This is what will play on your CD-R! Note: CD-Rs have limited space. Know how many minutes your CD-R can play before burning!

Plug your CD-R drive in, and load your blank CD-R in the drive. Click the button that says "Start burn" in the top-right corner.

Wait for your CD-R to finish burning! WMLP will tell you when it's finished. You can also set up WMLP so that after a CD-R is finished burning, it automatically ejects from the CD-R drive!

Part Three: Decorating!

You can decorate your CD-R however you want, just make sure to only decorate the top side, and use products meant for decorating CD-Rs! This tutorial is going to use Avery CD labels for decorating!

Avery CD label sheets will tell you to visit the Avery website's templates page, and what digital templates are compatible with the physical sheet.

Play around with the digital template! Get to know its features!

When you're done with your design, hit "preview & print" in the lower-right corner.

Click "get pdf to print."

Click "open pdf."

Before you hit the print button, load the label sheet into the printer face-down. When in doubt, print a test page on regular paper!

If done correctly, your CD design will print on the right side of the label sheet! Peel it off, and place it onto the top of your blank CD-R!

Part Four: You're done, happy listening!! Good luck, I'll do my best to answer any questions!

[antariies]

how to build a chair........... director's cut ∠( ᐛ 」∠)__ this is about to be a very long very self-indulgent post where i just talk about my own writing. i also doodled on all the pages i think it makes the whole thing more fun to go thru. welcome to my ted talk

SIKE before i begin. credit where credit is due, this post was the start of it all. it changed my brain chemistry my jaw was dropped i was in awe i was obsessed and before i even finished it i knew that i would eventually have to make something similar for the commander or else i would be cursed to think about it for the rest of my life. and i Was cursed for like two years every day i would just be like........ is today the day i sit down and draft the commander chair fic of my dreams....... maybe tomorrow......

and then i got accepted as a writer for the gw2 zine ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ the chair idea was actually my backup option in case my first idea didn't pan out, and thank god it didn't, bc this one worked so much better. (still working on my initial idea, just turning it into a full fic! it was wayyy too long to be a zine submission.)

this is the chair i used. i downloaded the assembly instructions and tried out a bunch of different free pdf editors until i found one i liked, which ended up being sedja. if anyone's interested in doing something like this, i recommend printing out the pdf and writing directly on it! it was a lot easier for me to just figure out everything on paper first and then digitalize it after :P here's a picture of my physical copy

okay actually getting into it for real this time !!!!!

1. yeah i could've just erased the ikea logo and left a blank space but then i realized i could turn it into an in-universe joke. and then i ran with it.

2. i ripped this straight from the product description on the website. thanks ikea

3. i'm not sure if anyone went and looked it up, but it's a real item code!

hehe :3c

4. if your commander willingly goes to therapy i'm happy for them but TO ME? you'd have to drag the commander kicking and screaming. it's not that they don't know that something is wrong with them, they know, and they know YOU know. you're just never supposed to talk about it. they don't look at their own psych eval results bc that's none of their business.

5. i normally avoid specifying the commander's race when i write them bc i enjoy the challenge, but for the zine i was assigned to write about a norn commander! as a human main i was uhhhh very ill-equipped. but that just meant i had to study up on my norn lore (•̀ᴗ•́)و i spent hours on the wiki, then went around interviewing norn mains for their opinions, which was great fun :D it all helped me narrow the focus of my piece: joining the war on commander objectification on the side of commander objectification (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡ and no one self-aggrandizes quite like the norn commander!

and to balance that i knew my narrator had to be patronizing as shitttt. they've clearly been following the commander since the beginning and seem to know a lot of intimate details about their life, despite not thinking very highly of them. wonder who that could be :3c

6. i can't stop making references. so the original part number is actually #122620 in the manual but i've changed it here (and on the previous page!) to #082812, as in 08/28/12, the date gw2 was released! no real reason for it, @dalennaugw suggested it for funsies and i liked it. if you're my pal and i show you a wip and you have a cool idea for it, chances are i Will put that shit in. hi dale if you're reading this

7. another thing about me. i loveeee repetition. here the word "over" is repeated four times to match the picture. honestly a lot of the creative process for this piece was just staring at the pages and figuring out how to tie the pictures to the commander in ways that weren't extremely corny or trite. idk why i enjoy writing like this when i could be frolicking in the beautiful prosaic meadows of a word doc instead but. it's like i see a tiny little restrictive box and i'm like OH BOY can't wait to think inside of that thing!!! i like when the format matters just as much as the content and in some cases informs the content. am i making any sense here. well all you need to know is that i'm a virgo and my favorite book is house of leaves

7. aw fuck just realized i wrote 7 twice. whatever i'm not changing it this is 7 part two now. the theme of my piece is glory, what it means to the norn commander, and how far they're willing to go for it.

8. does norn culture place emphasis on seeking individual glory Yes are norn also very community-oriented Also Yes. i think it's common to see norn kids napping together in a big pile, usually after they've worn themselves out playing games outside. it makes sense practically (apes together warm) and socially (pack bonding good) but that's just my hc. growing up i used to share a bed with my cousins all the time so it's normal to me.

a young, naive not-yet-commander, with no real combat experience, has no point of reference to compare a "blaze of glory" to. but the way everyone talks about it, it must be a good thing. a wonderful thing. a reward fit for a life well-fought and a legend hard-earned. so they imagine it must feel like falling asleep surrounded by the people they love, who love them in turn.

9. .........i was playing a lot of ace attorney when i wrote this page. i wish i was joking 👍���

10. ohhh shit the truth come OUT this whole chair thing was all a ploy just so i could write about the departing. again.

will i ever stop thinking about her. reply hazy, try again later.

11. out of all the pages, this one has the most emphasis on text placement, like comparing the enlarged picture of the screw to a sword, the numbers counting the screws, and "up up up" being arranged to mimic a wisp of smoke.

i also wanted to lean into the viking/norse mythology influences with my word choice.

12. more nods to norn culture. i didn't know they referred to the six human gods as "spirits of action" until i was doing the research for this piece :O

and the domain of the lost is called a hall of ghosts....... cause valhalla.....

13.

i'm sorry this so funnyyy. SAYS the guy who literally clawed their way back to life for a rematch.

me when i'm in a sore loser competition and my opponent is the COMMANDER!!!

14. arms as in "limbs" and also arms as in "armaments" :•]

15. haha get it because the picture makes it look like there are two mirrored speech bubbles while the text paints two opposing interpretations of the norn commander. one that's selfless and humble versus one that's selfish and vainglorious.

16. and the best part is IT DOESN'T MATTER which one is true bc at the end of the day no matter what their motivation, balthazar is dead by their hand. ofc i'm of the opinion that the most compelling interpretation of the commander is both, simultaneously. contradictions are good for the soul.

17. i could've name-dropped kas, the only person present that would do something like that, but i felt it was better to leave it ambiguous.

18. low-hanging fruit. the metaphor was so obvious here but i had to do it. for the culture

19. the alternate title for this piece was "THIS COULD BE GLORY". "how to build a chair" was only supposed to be a placeholder title til i figured out a better one, but the innocuousness of it grew on me. also i came up with the other one too late and had already advertised under the chair title lol

20. my first instinct was to end it with something more reassuring, like "what you have built so far is enough" but that would've been an ooc switch-up for a narrator who has been nothing but snide and detached this whole time. gotta stick to my guns

21.

obligatory chair joke as the last line. for realsies though it’s meant to be an earnest appeal to the commander to take a break, to have a seat, but it’s also a challenge. are they willing to lean on their friends? are the bonds they’ve forged strong enough to hold their weight? are they willing to put their faith in someone else’s hands? are they brave enough to try? well. only one way to find out.

also guess what that wasn’t even the real last page of the manual. it's THIS

but no way i was letting this be the image we ended on. IT LOOKS LIKE A DICK AND BALLS!!!

and on that note, THANK YOU if you made it this far!! a very special shout-out to @hawkepockets, my lovely boyfriend and beta reader, without whom this piece would not be nearly as polished. i would bring him pages to look over and he would say Scrap half of those lines you can do better than that. kill your darlings. i would complain and argue for a few minutes then we would revise. rinse and repeat until we had honed this thing to perfection. i can't stress enough the importance of having a second pair of eyes on your work throughout your creative process, even better if it's someone who challenges you. i don't even pay him 🫶🏼

and if there was anything i didn't cover that you still have questions about, please feel free to shoot me an ask! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡ thanks for reading! see u later dudes ;P

[copperbadge]

Howdy! I am considering submitting manuscripts I've written to a publisher or possibly self publishing. The publisher states on their website that authors must maintain an active social media presence. I'm not normally a social media type, Tumblr is my only one. What would you reccommend for such? Is it worth it to pay someone to make a website for me? Thanks and many virtual kisses for Dot and Deebs!

Honestly, I haven't submitted to a publisher since before a lot of modern social media existed. :D

It is my understanding, but this is secondhand information, that publishers want you to have either a twitter or a tiktok, preferably both, where you're frequently active and have a high follower count, because they want you to be able to publicize your book on it. One of many reasons I don't even consider trad publishing anymore is that I don't want to spend a significant chunk of my time filming videos for the sole purpose of hawking my books.

Now, as I said, that's an inference I've drawn; you may want to speak to someone who has been trad published recently to get the inside scoop (readers if you work in publishing or have been published recently, feel free to add commentary; remember to comment or reblogs, as I don't repost asks sent in response to other asks). I do have an author website but I built my own; I don't know what the going rate is for paying someone to build one these days but most website platforms are pretty intuitive to use -- I built mine on Wordpress and I'm building a new one on Wix currently, and at this point both are very drag-and-drop oriented. I do think a website is a good thing for an author to have, but I wouldn't pay someone to build one for you until you've taken a swing at DIY and decided it's not where you want to spend your time and energy.

In terms of self-publishing, the good news is that none of the rules apply; this is also the bad news. :D Because the thing about selfpub is that you either pay or DIY for...everything. It can be very inexpensive; when I publish a book the only direct monetary cost is what I pay for an ISBN and a proof copy of the book, which I will make back in the first 10 sales or so. However, I am "paying" in man hours in terms of typesetting, cover design, uploading the PDFs to lulu.com, proofing the initial copy, correcting the proof and reuploading (which usually involves further typesetting), and of course all the publicity -- website design and redesign, copywriting, tumblr posting. And while my profit per copy sold is well above what most authors with traditional publishers will make, that's because the publisher is doing a lot of the work for you. And, because I don't have an active twitter or tiktok or a publisher, my books are not very widely publicized. Undoubtedly I sell fewer copies than I would if I had a robust twitter following, but catch me touching that rancid wasteland without inch-thick gloves on.

So -- I think it's probably pretty important to understand that I have deliberately rejected trad publishing for good but not lucrative reasons, and I'm considered at best an iconoclast and more commonly a crank for having done so. If you can go the tradpub route, I would, but I also wouldn't put any money you're not prepared to write off as a loss into that pursuit. Definitely I would see if there's anyone in the industry you can reach out to who can answer these questions with a more thorough understanding of what publishers look for in an author and how to go about achieving that than I possess.

In any case, good luck! It's a journey regardless and I hope you enjoy your time on the path wherever you end up. And I'll give the cryptids a special cuddle for ya.

[tacticalhimbo]

Throw it out the airlock, @onedismay ! But wait, not this, this is a gift courtesy of @masseffectholidaycheer 's holiday exchange event!

I want you to know I adored your prompts, but then I dug through your OC tag and immediately fell in love with Rish. She is stunning and beautiful and I wanted to incorporate her into some of your overarching idea of "just surviving and taking comfort in the small things".

So I hope I've done her (and Jill) some justice!

WORDS: 1.1K FANDOM(S): Mass Effect Trilogy WARNINGS: None!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Let me know if you’d like a more permanent copy of this, too! I’m always happy to provide a PDF version of the writings I do!

[NEOCITIES MIRROR]

Trips to Omega went one of two ways: Typical enough, or outright chaotic. Such was the way of life on the station—you either faked it until you made it, or you found yourself drowning. Then again… such was the way of life everywhere in the system, it seemed. No matter what sector you found yourself in, things were just rough; downright deplorable in some areas. Everyone shouldered the weight of the Reaper threat and the broiling interspecies conflict, but some made peace with that fact. The world around them was ending, why spend time wallowing in it all when you can just “keep on keeping”?

Such was the mindset of Rish, who took a deep breath as she’d opened shop. It hadn’t felt like hours passed since the irritant buzzing of her alarm pierced the peacefully silent air, yet here she was, watching the hustle and bustle pass her by as the day kicked off in full swing. It was routine: Open shop, wipe over the stall’s surfaces, start the cooktops and take quick inventory. Spices? Check. Meats? Check—well, she needed more fish after today, but there should be enough to make it through rush hour. Fruits and veg? Check and check. It was good. Life was… liveable. Not bad, not good. It just was; it was good enough for Rish, just like the stock. Just like the customers that came and went as the day dragged on. Some were jovial, some were not. The latter were often the disgruntled Omega rejects; those that couldn’t get past security or found themselves too drunk (and hungry) to continue waiting in the wraparound lines that began to form.

And Rish was more than pleased to redirect them, especially when more and more began to show up as the hours grew later.

“Aw come on,” the man on the other side of the counter drawled, “Just a li’l bite then ‘m on my way.”

A tired sigh, which allowed cigarette smoke to plume in the air between them. “Already told you where you can go to find that bite. It’s not gonna be here.” 

Her calloused hand came to rest on her hip, crimson eyes focused on the wannabe patron. He seemed agitated–just shy of flipping the switch–but that really wasn’t her problem. She had a business to run and the last thing she needed was this sort of attention. Right as he’d went to speak again, another patron raised their head from the table. Rish sighed.

“Look, you’re bothering my customers. Now get out before I give you a reason to.” A not-so thinly veiled threat, accompanied by the subtle shift of her posture. Her head nodded back toward the shotgun mounted on the wall.

It’s not just for display. 

With a slumped posture and bunch of senseless mumbling, the man stumbled his way out and onto the bustling pathway of the market sector. Rish sighed, stepping forward and idly wiping the table beside the roused patron. He was a regular, often dropping by as the evening came and keeping to himself. They’d conversed a few times–it’s hard not to when someone’s in almost every day–but more often than not he ordered his chow and simply took a few moments to rest. Took advantage of how peaceful this little corner of the station was. And she didn’t mind it; he’d never caused any trouble and the company was… nice. She’d carry this to her grave, but he was really her favorite of the recurring bunch.

“You doing alright?” She asked, watching as the krogan tilted his head this way and that to stretch thick neck muscles.

He nodded, glancing around blearily before speaking. His voice was quieter than most like him, but it was not weak. He still spoke with a sense of pride, he just didn’t need everyone in the vicinity to pick up on that carried authority. “How long have I been out?”

“Not long.” A few hours, but she could sense the guilt in his question. At least, she thought so. “Sorry that bastard woke you. You’re… welcome to put your head back down if you need it. Still got a bit ‘til closing.”

A subtle nod. A soft ‘thank you’. The measured lowering of his head as his arms came up to support him; shield his face from the neon lights and bring him that familiar darkness. Muscles twitched upon hearing someone approach the counter, but the weight of exhaustion was too much to stir him again… at least, until whatever patron that’d approached raised holy hell. But they didn’t, instead, the armored woman simply sat and waited whilst Rish sized her up. Then a flash of recognition struck.

“Well, if it isn’t the Commander.” A face she’d seen pass by; one she’d certainly seen plastered across news broadcasts and bounty boards alike. “This a formal visit?”

“No,” Jill shook her head. “Just lookin’ to grab a bite before heading out.” A rolling pause before she prattled out her order, and another before her conscience began to spew. “Not looking forward to heading back to the docking bay so quickly.”

Rish was turned, her back toward the counter as she’d begun prepping. “Why’s that?”

“Need some time to process things.” It was vague, but it was enough; the weight in her tone was undeniable. She’d either seen a ghost, or realized she was one; Rish knew it well.

“Fair enough. Guessin’ you can’t tell me any more about it?” A small smile. “No, not really. You know how the Council likes to keep things.”

“Under wraps and buried beneath the event horizon?” She peered over her shoulder, cigarette hanging loosely on her smirking lips.

Jillian laughed a bit. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Well, sure it’s nothing a full stomach can’t fix. And if it is,” she turned and set the plate down. Simple sandwiches, but loaded with an in-house sauce mix and served with a delicious side of potato bites. “Then at least you’ll have a full stomach. Better than most folk can say.”

“Right… thanks.” Jill’s tone softened, subtle spark rising in her deep eyes as she slid forward the payment. Rish was, frankly, surprised she did; she hid it well enough, though. It was just that, usually, big shot military tended to skip the bill and claim heroism.

But not Shepard, it seemed.

Who was Rish to look a gift horse in the mouth, though? It was a gesture far more deserving of the simple nod she’d given whilst taking the credits, but that was all that was going to be said. For her sake, and for Jillian’s, as she seemed perfectly content with the blanket of silence that fell over them whilst the ambient nightlife crept around them.

And that would be enough to make their days of survival just that much more bearable.

[blissfullyunawares]

5 Days of Helping You Outline Your Next Novel

Day 5: Obsidian for Outlining

Find all 5 installments of the mini series: helping you outline your next novel

*I have added a layer of “static” over my screenshots so they are distinctive enough to stand apart from the surrounding text

did you miss this series? here you can find all posts here: [day 1] [day 2] [day 3] [day 4]

Do you use Obsidian?

What is Obsidian?

A note-taking and knowledge management tool that allows you to create and connect notes seamlessly.

Uses a local-first approach, meaning your data is stored on your computer, not the cloud (unless you choose to sync).

Features bidirectional linking, which helps create a non-linear, networked way of organizing ideas—great for brainstorming and outlining.

Why should you use Obsidian?

Flexible & Customizable – Unlike rigid writing apps, you can design your own workflow.

Distraction-Free Writing – Markdown keeps the focus on text without extra formatting distractions.

Ideal for Outlining & Organization – Connect story ideas, characters, and settings effortlessly.

Obsidian for Writing

Outlining

Creating a One Pager

Create a single markdown note for a high-level novel summary.

Use headings and bullet points for clarity.

Link to related notes (e.g., character pages, theme exploration).

Here’s an example of an outline I’m currently using. This is what my website will have on it (and what goals I hope to achieve w my website)

Using the Native Canvas Tool

Use Obsidian’s native Canvas tool to visually outline your novel. (Best on PC)

Create a board with columns for Acts, Chapters, or Story Beats.

Drag and drop cards as the story evolves.

Writing

Why Write Directly in Obsidian?

Minimalist interface reduces distractions.

Markdown-based formatting keeps the focus on words.

No auto-formatting issues (compared to Word or Google Docs).

Why is Obsidian Great for Writing?

Customizable workspace (plugins for word count, timers, and focus mode).

Easy to link notes (e.g., instantly reference past chapters or research).

Dark mode & themes for an optimal writing environment.

Organization in Obsidian

Outlining, Tags, Links

Each chapter, character, important item, and setting can have its own linked note.

Below, for example, you can see the purple text is a linked page directly in my outline.

Use bidirectional linking to create relationships between (story) elements. Clicking these links will automatically open the next page.

Tags can be used for important characters, items, places, or events that happen in your writing. Especially useful for tracking.

Folders for Efficient Storage

Organize notes into folders for Acts, Characters, Worldbuilding, and Drafts.

Use tags and backlinks for quick navigation.

Creating a separate folder for the actual writing and linking next (chapter) and previous (chapter) at the bottom for smooth navigation.

You can also create and reuse your own internal templates!

Spiderweb Map Feature (Graph View)

Visualize connections between characters, plot points, and themes. Below you’ll see the basic mapping of my website development project.

This view can help you spot disconnected (floating) ideas and create bridges to them.

Exporting

Why Export?

Ready to format in another program (Scrivener, Word, Docs, Vellum, etc).

Need a clean version (removing tags, notes, etc) for beta readers or editors.

Creating a backup copy of your work.

When should you export?

Personally, I like to export every 5 chapters or so and update my live version on Google Docs. This allows my family, friends, and beta readers to access my edited work.

After finishing a draft or major revision.

Before sending to an editor or formatting for publication.

Where should you export?

Personally I copy and paste my content from each chapter into a google doc for editing. You may also want to make note of the following export options:

Markdown to Word (.docx) – For editing or submitting.

Markdown to PDF – For quick sharing

Markdown to Scrivener – For those who format in Scrivener.

To Conclude

Obsidian is an invaluable tool for novelists who want a flexible, organized, and distraction-free writing process.

Try setting up your own Obsidian vault for your next novel! Comment below and let me know if this was helpful for you 🫶🏻

your reblogs help me help more ppl 💕

follow along for writing prompts, vocabulary lists, and helpful content like this! <333

✨ #blissfullyunawaresoriginals ✨

[l1ve-l4ugh-lov3craft]

Send me the script for the thinggggggg

Pleaseeeee

I beggggg

@bibeantransbean can be bartyyyyy

I’ll drag @bralnwashed into being Remus

I can be any brown haired fella orrrr you know whom (ahhhhhh, himmm)

I also got like… 10 other wigs

So like

I got a white one

3 yellow ones (one for link)

One pink one (short)

One long pink (styled for Technoblade. Took ages)

A half black half white

Long teal

Brown

Black

I’m sure I’m missing one

Ah

Orange

JEST GIMME THE SCRIPT PLEASEEEE

REG YOU KNOW I WOULD BUT IT AIN'T DONE DX

i've got just the opening scene when they first meet and that's it :( and that's just rosekiller

i've got a scene with regulus left and a couple more scenes just them and an after-hogwarts scene with rosekiller and all the crew, AND the final scene with evan :((

BUT! i'll drop the pdf file for anyone to read when it's done <33

[agnoll]

@erikaii I don't have any guides, kinda just had to figure things out myself

here's what I did

hack my 3ds and get homebrew launcher and universal updater

use universal updater to download dslibris and ndsforwarder

run ndsforwarder through homebrew and then that will let you run dslibris which is the ereader from the home screen

run dslibris once which will create the folders necessary

now on your 3ds SD card there will be a folder on root called "Book" this is where you'll put your .epub files which is the only type that will work

.epub files can be a bit tricky to get as ebooks come in so many kinds. there is a program called calibre that will let you convert different ebook file types such as pdfs into epubs. if you bought the book on amazon kindle, idk how to help with that. if you get an ebook from a library, you're going to want to get a plug-in for calibre called "no drm". once you have both of those set up, put the library book file into calibre and convert it into an epub. once you have your files, simply drag and drop into the Book folder and open dslibris!

[pookie-mulder]

Converting plain text fics to .epub

Hey guys! As I’ve entered the wonderful world of The X-Files fandom, I’ve encountered many wonderful old-school fics that are hard to read because they’ve been shared in plain text (.txt) format. I’m sure some of you know already how to convert them to easily-readable epubs, but I thought I’d share how I do it just in case anyone has been suffering through terrible formatting.

Basic tutorial under the cut!

The first thing you need to do is download Calibre. It’s a life-changing desktop app that allows you to edit ebooks.

Once you’ve got Calibre all set up, go ahead and download the fic you want to convert. I’ll show you here with the legendary Tempest, found on Gossamer.

Gossamer has a handy download button, but not all of the old-school fanfic sites do. However, you can still download them as txt files using your browser. It’s different for every browser, but generally it’s under “file” and “export as” or “download page” or something.

Anyway, as you can see, once you download it as a .txt file, it messes up the formatting, making it incredibly annoying to read.

To fix this, you’re going to drag and drop the file into Calibre to add it to your library. Select it, then click “Convert books” at the top. There are a lot of settings you can change, but most of the time, you won’t need to mess with any of them. Just choose “epub” as your output format (top right), click OK, and you’re good!

(This process also works for other file formats like pdfs.)

Once it’s done converting, double click on the title to preview the book and make sure it looks good. If it still has issues, you can try converting it again with heuristic processing turned on (it’s located on the left side of the conversion screen). The conversion process isn’t perfect, but it will take care of the most egregious formatting errors.

Next, click on “edit metadata” at the top and locate the original txt file under the list of formats at the top right. Select it, then click the little green recycling icon to delete it. You can also change the title, author, cover, and series info while you’re at it.

Finally, go back to your library, click “save to disk” at the top, and choose “save only epub format to a single folder” to save the epub file to your computer. From there, you can import it into your ebook app of choice. I use iBooks, so all I have to do is open the file on my computer and it automatically adds it to the library on my phone and laptop.

That’s it! Now you have a readable ebook.

Let me know if you want me to add pictures of the process! I can’t guarantee I know the answers to any questions, but I’d be happy to try to help if you need it.

There’s also a Calibre plugin that allows you to combine multiple epubs into a single file. This is super helpful for fics with chapters uploaded separately. If anyone wants to know how to do that, let me know!

[pbcornylius]

After a terrible accident leaves the crew of an isolated research station scattered and confused, a strange presence looms over the cold steel halls inside. Its up to the players to find out what went wrong, and to save who they can.

Shade of the Lighthouse is officially done! A full mission for Lancer, its been played and tested at LL4 but is designed to be fully adjustable to allow easy drag-and-drop into any game.

You can find the full PDF on itch.io here, its PWYW! I'm excited to hear what you all think!

art by the very talented commanderkaya

[unstablerk800]

Your digital planner looks cool. Is it an app or a program? Where do I get one?

|| Hello Nonnie!

I'm glad you asked! 💙 TECHNOLOGYYY 🤤

I happen to have two Samsung gadgets - a phone, Galaxy S10 Lite, and a tablet, Galaxy S6 Tab. I've had them for years, and I'm madly in love with both. 💙

Both come with an S-pen, Samsung's stylus. And both have this amazing program for absolutely free, Samsung Notes. I've tried countless note-taking apps, but this is the best, trust me. It has EVERYTHING you could possibly need, and one of the best things about it is that INSERTED GIFS ACTUALLY MOVE IN READ MODE! 🥹💙 And you can cut the pictures in a way that it snaps to the character's body, so you can make some custom stickers from your own screenshots! All with Samsung apps - the Samsung Notes and Gallery. 💙💙💙

The notebook template I used in my latest screenshot can be found at happydownloads.net. That site has loads of digital planners, from colourful rainbow ones to simpler, elegant ones (I got it for free somewhere a year ago, can't remember where 🤔). The site recommends you to use the Penly app (which isn't free), while the Samsung Notes does all that Penly can (and more) for free, if you get yourself a Samsung phone or tablet. Not to mention that you can pull off literally THOUSANDS of stickers off the Galaxy Store app for free, which you can use in your planner!

If you have both a phone and a tablet, they'll sync! 💙 So if I do anything on my tablet in Samsung Notes, it's going to appear on my phone in the Samsung Notes app as well! I made this on my tablet, but this is how it appears on my phone, and I can edit and rearrange and do whatever the heck I want (tick boxes in for example), and it'll appear with the changes on my tablet:

One of my favourite features is this: I like to put tons of pics in my journal if I'm not using some spaces to make it more colourful and cheer me up on the weekdays when I'm ultra stressed. If you open Samsung Internet and next to it, Samsung Notes, if you Google anything, you can drag and drop the picture in Notes - you don't have to download the pictures at all! I like to pull up my Pinterest board and pull over whatever I've pinned over my journal pages, then edit it (you can edit the picture like adjusting brightness/colors etc) as I want it to look like. 😊

There are also tons of other useful features, such as convert handwriting to text (all text or just the lasso selected words!), write by hand and it'll appear as text, shapes (if you draw a circle, box, heart, star, etc and hold the pen there, it'll shape it for you to look perfect!), insert pdfs, convert your notes to pdf, and much, much more - the possibilities are really endless! 😊💙

I was thinking about trying to make a few videos of how powerful these apps are and how I use them. Maybe I will if anyone is interested! 😊

[cavalierious-whim]

Of Handjobs and Geniuses (ScrewTio)

Dr. Ratio finds himself bored at an event and drags Mr. Screwllum to a dark and quiet corner.

Read here on AO3. You can also, follow me on Twitter and Blue Sky.

At the moment, my written work is my only source of income whilst I'm between jobs. Other ways that you can support can be found below-- even if HALF of my followers on Twitter follow my $1 Tier on Patreon, it'd be life-changing income for me, so if you love my work, please consider it!

You can find my Ko-Fi and Commission Info/Shops here.

You can purchase Digital PDFs of some of my works here on Gumroad.

Pre-Orders for physical books of selected works are still open for preorder in my Big Cartel Shop here.

And you can follow my Patreon here as well!

--

“So tell me—just how functional is fully functional?”

 A fool’s question for most but Veritas isn’t a fool, he’s a genius, so he’s allowed this one consideration. 

“Question—”

Insufferable, Veritas thinks, the way this man talks, both in that dull, dry tone and the way he thinks about it long after Screwllum takes his leave. Too polite, too proper, too—

“—is the level of functionality concerning my genitalia important for this specific moment?”

No. Yes. No. It isn’t Veritas who drags his hand down a chest, tracing the hemmed edge of a flimsy tunic. He may have pulled him into a dark corner but it is Screwllum who has the wandering touches, who is far more interested in the lithe shape of his form. 

“I do think that the question is apt when considering any future plans.”

“Future plans? We have barely executed this one, as poorly formed as it is.”

Poorly formed is a kind descriptor—but Screwllum is like that, isn’t he? Too kind when it comes to humanity, endlessly curious about what it is that makes humans tick. There is no plan, only action and reaction. Veritas found this particular space station event rather boring so the natural order of operations was to find a new puzzle to solve.

“Are you complaining?”

“I can only point out the rather ill-timing of your arousal.”

Veritas feels the smirk melt right off of his face. “I would have expected a man as learned as you to be better at dirty talk, but, then again, perhaps I should remind myself that a computer is only that—a computer. Absolute boner killer.” It nearly pains him to say boner, but there are times when a more crass wording is warranted. 

Screwllum’s expression cannot physically change but somehow, ever-so-slightly, Veritas picks up on the change in his demeanor. “Question: If your arousal is… killed—” Veritas snorts at that. “—then I ask for you to explain this.”

Veritas stops laughing when Screwllum’s hand drops to the front of his trousers. His gloved hand sweeps across the tented front, just the barest tease of a touch. This, Screwllum is better at, this soft-handed touch that makes his cock twitch in his clothing. All those thoughts of terrible dirty talk and ill attempts at flirting melt into the shadows that cloak them, and Veritas finds himself bracing against an old cargo container to keep himself upright.

“You aren’t unhandsome, despite being a mechanical windbag.”

“I would question your taste in potential partners—”

“You wouldn’t if you knew me better. Truly, Mr. Screwllum, you’re the most normal of the lot.”

There is a pause. The soft whirring of Screwllum’s inner workings is easily heard when pressed so close together. “And yet you insult—”

“Your dirty talk, yes. Abysmal. Tell me, Mr. Screwllum, have you ever fucked a man?”

Screwllum tilts his head, the tassel of his monocle swinging gently. “Answer: I am, in fact, fully functional in any capacity you so wish, and it may interest you to know that I am not entirely unpracticed.”

There is something funny about the thought of Screwllum sleeping with other people. Not strange—no, Veritas expects it, almost. One cannot observe humanity without considering every inch and corner of humankind. Figuratively and literally. Still. 

“I feel that I should inform you that it is in ill taste to inflate your—”

“You will find that I haven’t inflated anything yet.”

A joke. Veritas finds his mouth curling, annoyingly endeared—but it lasts only a moment before the annoyance settles in. “Your hand,” Veritas murmurs.

“I shall remove it—”

“I didn’t say that.” Were Screwllum a man he’d have a half-lidded gaze—Veritas knows that. However, there is a question that is needling his scholarly brain. “What do you get out of this?”

Another pause. That soft, whirring sound that Veritas finds strangely soothing. “Question—”

“Must you frame every sentence in such a way?” Veritas has no idea if that is a quirk of Screwllum’s programming or merely a preference. 

Screwllum huffs, a soft hiss of laughter that sounds almost foreign. “Dr. Ratio—” Really, he should call him by his name considering the hand that brushes against his cock, but Veritas doesn’t correct him. “—do you think that I am incapable of experiencing pleasure?”

What a curious thought. “Can you?”

“Rebuttal: What is it that you constitute as pleasure?” Screwllum’s knuckles press harder against Veritas’s clothed erection. “Many would assume that a being such as myself would be unable to experience arousal—as you clearly did. But then I must ask: What is pleasure? Is it not merely the act of feeling enjoyment? Satisfaction? These are things that I am well acquainted with, being a genius of many achievements.”

What a dick, thinks Veritas. But, takes one to know one he supposed, and he’s more than willing to admit that he isn’t the kindest man in this galaxy. 

“And does this bring you pleasure? Touching me?” 

“I always enjoy watching my partners come undone. There is… pleasure in that, and it has fueled my indulgences through the years.”

Veritas gives him a too-sweet grin that is mostly sarcastic. “And is this an indulgence?”

“Yes—and do not give me that look. I am incapable of lying.”

That sounds like a lie but it’s a concern for another time. Veritas finds it difficult to think with Screwllum stroking his cock through the thick fabric of his trousers, that gentle brush of his knuckles having turned into a proper squeeze. 

Veritas leans against the cargo container, legs parting as Screwllum bends closer. It’s weird to have a partner who cannot kiss you, who has no mouth, lips, or eyes to betray emotion, but Screwllum’s hands work perfectly fine, deft as they are when pulling at the opening of Veritas’s trousers. 

“Here?” 

“Are you not the one who pulled me into this corner?” Screwllum seems genuinely unconcerned, and Veritas still does nothing to stop his hand from dipping between fabric and his heated skin. 

Veritas hisses as Screwllum’s wrist brushes the spot just below his navel. “Cold,” he blurts, that metal hand a sudden reminder that Screwllum is not a man—at least not in the traditional sense. 

Thoughts are lost. He’d teased Screwllum about potentially inexperience but Veritas finds himself woefully wrong. Not quite practiced—no; Screwllum’s movements are jerky and odd, but he watches Veritas closely and is a very, very quick learner. The movements of his hand smooth out and he gives Veritas’s cock a stroke from base to tip that leaves him breathless. 

Screwllum’s hand is still cold, even through his glove, but the heat of Veritas’s skin clings to that fine, smooth leather, and the more that Screwllum jerks his cock, the hotter the space in his trousers burns. 

“Question,” says Screwllum then, with the absolute worst timing. “Is this adequate?”

Adequate, he asks. Veritas could punch him but he isn’t in the mood to break his hand, and something tells him that it would only amuse Screwllum further because the question is a damned tease. 

There are two options: he doesn’t answer, proving Screwllum right or he does answer, also proving Screwllum correct. A no-win situation. Screwllum has backed Veritas into a corner with the sort of ease that he hates being impressed by, and normally he’d blame the computer bits and programming, but Screwllum proves himself time and time again that he’s clearly more than a machine. 

Screwllum thumbs over the tip of his cock. “Observation: You’re wet.”

“You’re a fool—”

“And hard,” continues Screwllum, pulling his cock from his trousers properly. It’s dark enough. He’s covered by Screwllum’s form so that those passing by aren’t likely to see. “Good heft. You fit in my palm well enough—”

“Must you narrate?”

“No,” admits Screwllum. Veritas has the distinct thought that he would be smiling had he lips or smirking. “But it annoys you, so I am far more inclined to do so as a result.” He punctuates the thought with another twist of his hand, and Veritas finds himself biting back a moan. 

Ridiculous. Ridiculous. Screwllum leans in too close for something that’s more akin to rivals-with-apparent-benefits. Smells like metal and machine oil, and Veritas finds that he can’t get enough. Another stroke of his cock, this one slow and languid as Screwllum watches the way Veritas reacts as if he’s researching for a paper. Another sweep of his thumb across the tip of Veritas’s cock—and then Veritas is coming, spilling against that damnable leather glove, stunned stupid by his quick and sudden orgasm. 

Screwllum has the decorum to clean him up, politely yanking a handkerchief from his breast pocket to drag it across Veritas’s softening cock. And then he looks, studying his come that rests in his palm. “Observation—”

“I swear to the Aeons, if you comment on my semen—”

Screwllum does not. He offers him a boon by way of laughter instead, a deep sound that sounds far less tinny than the rest of his words. Then he tucks away that handkerchief, and then Veritas’s cock. “This was fun,” he says then, quietly, as he fastens Veritas’s trousers. “About what you said earlier—future plans. I am amenable to another tryst if you so wish, though I would kindly ask that it doesn’t take place in… a corridor. I enjoy sharing dinner first, at least.”

Veritas blinks. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Screwllum steps back and readjusts his glove. “I think not,” he says dryly. “Merely a meal between colleagues, followed by a potential nightcap.” 

“For research purposes, I assume,” finished Veritas, pulling himself upright on wobbling legs. 

“If that is your preferred dynamic.”

Veritas rubs his forehead, too rung out to think about quipping back with a double entendre. Another time. Another—well, that’s the question at hand, isn’t it? “You’re annoying, aren’t you?”

Screwllum tugs his lapels straight and even. “I’ve been called worse, I assure you. Besides, you’ll find that petty insults of such a nature do little to harm me.”

Of course.

“That being said…” Screwllum trails off and clears his throat. “Dinner would be nice. I am surrounded by geniuses, yes, but I rarely share the company of someone so… effortlessly himself.”

Veritas grunts and drags a hand through his hair. “Consider me intrigued enough to oblige. Your phone, please.”

Screwllum seems surprised by how easily he gave in. Veritas ignores it, adding his contact and handing the phone back. “Don’t call. Only text if it’s to set a date. Otherwise, you’ll be left on read, or worse—blocked. My patience is thin and you’re lucky that you’ve held my attention longer than most.”

Screwllum hums and pockets his phone. “Noted.” 

Veritas is about to brush by him when Screwllum reaches out. Metal knuckles brush across his cheekbone, still warmed by the heat of his own skin. 

“Grease,” says Screwllum, dragging his thumb over the spot. “Likely my fault. I apologize.”

Veritas’s heart skips a beat. Oh, no, no, no, this is a mistake—but his bed has been made and it’s time to lie in the sheets. He knocks Screwllum’s hand away and leaves, barely offering him a wave of his hand.

Later, Screwllum sends him a text message thanking him for the company because he is, at his core, an absurd gentleman.

And, against all reason, Veritas chooses to answer.