Wall mount kitchen faucet home depot

Let me just start by saying—holy shit.
I found that after a few too many unpleasant trips that shrooms either just aren't for me, or I needed to take a hiatus from tripping, regroup, research, and try again further down the road. Hadn't decided, just went on living my life as normal, 100% sober. My last dose was in February.
This morning, I dreamed that I was suddenly stricken with moderate/severe HPPD.
The setting of my dream was fairly normal, split between my now-former (as of yesterday) workplace, and home. I began by going about my duties as usual, and found some egregious mistakes had been made by my replacement coworker. I began to point out said mistakes to her, she claimed no accountability, and shortly after, mid-conversation, I began to bug out.
I was home, inside my house. My house looked exactly the same as it does in real life, but for some reason, every time I looked out my bedroom window, my view was completely different. I went to take a picture of the woods outside on my phone because the sun shone through the trees and made a pretty scene. But when I returned to my window, that landscape was totally gone. This happened a few times, which not only confused, but annoyed me.
I went outside, and saw my real-life yard. But the grass was too bright, almost appearing a golden yellow in the afternoon light. It almost seemed, just barely, to shimmer. And wave. I recognized this phenomenon; it was a visual I had seen while high (albeit it was more of a weed than shroom visual in my experience.)
I suddenly seemed to suffer a bout of vertigo; I lost my sense of balance and fell down several times trying to walk over the lawn. I had to crawl back into the house. The whole time I was literally tripping, I was apprehensive of my surroundings; namely, being seen by my dad or neighbors.
I recovered my balance when making back inside, but was accosted by a blight of visuals reminiscent of my shrooms trips: Brightened colors, scrolling patterns on surfaces, flashes of lights/auras on objects, and the sensation of being inside a hermetically sealed bubble I felt trapped in, isolating me from the outside world—I was sober. I hadn't dosed in months. How the hell was this happening?
Once again, I dissociated. I fell out of touch with reality, and time stopped existing. Everything felt stuck, static. Except everything around me was alive and breathing.
I quickly became desperate to ground myself. I tried sleeping it off, but of course I was already asleep and dreaming, so that didn't work. I "woke up" and moved from my bedroom across the house. The grain and knots in the wooden floorboard spiraled and mocked me. I saw a spray of lavender aura wash over a chair (but realized my vision was distorted a light shining behind it). The walls were crawling.
I found my mom, and I was so distressed that I did not give a single shit further about the potential ramifications of telling her what was happening to me. I didn't care if telling her the truth about my trips would forever alter her perception of me as a person. Didn't care if I wouldn't ever be able to redeem myself to her. I knew it was very possible I'd have to seek psychiatric care to cure or cope with this affliction, but I didn't care if that's what it took. I was just desperate to reconnect again.
I got my mom to sit down with me, and I tried to explain my crisis, but I was so keyed up that I rambled and struggled to really describe it. How ever I tried to anchor myself to my mom and find stability in her company, I couldn't. She looked vacant, staring off into space, and I couldn't reign in her full attention. It was like I barely existed to her despite being right in front of her face. I pleaded and cried for her to listen to me. I needed help.
She commented that she was looking at the refrigerator in the kitchen, the next room over. I looked over my shoulder through the doorway. I couldn't comprehend how she was looking at the refrigerator when it was behind the wall next to us, out of our line of sight.
"What refrigerator? Where's the refrigerator?" I squeaked, hoarse. I squinted through the static sizzling in my eyes, and struggled to my feet. I stumbled to the doorway, glanced back at her, sitting absently. I peeked around the corner—there she was, peering into the open refrigerator in the kitchen. Mid-glance to look back into the room, I snapped awake.
Uncontestedly the worst dream I've had in many years. I've never been so relieved to wake up in my god damn life. For all of the bizarre elements that appeared, it felt extremely real to me. I really had a dreamscape confused with waking life for a good while there and I hope I never see shit like that in my sleep again.

I was just reading this article from the New Yorker I really, really related to. Triggered lots of thoughts and questions I just wanted to get wrote down before bed...
“If your little brother flicks your ear, maybe you ignore it,” he said. “If he flicks your ear a hundred times, or punches you, then maybe you give him a little smack to show you’re paying attention.”
Although redditors didn’t yet know it, Huffman could edit any part of the site. He wrote a script that would automatically replace his username with those of The_Donald’s most prominent members, directing the insults back at the insulters in real time: in one comment, “Fuck u/Spez” became “Fuck u/Trumpshaker”; in another, “Fuck u/Spez” became “Fuck u/MAGAdocious.”
The_Donald’s users saw what was happening, and they reacted by spinning a conspiracy theory that, in this case, turned out to be true. ^{(I don't think this is my dad or brother's behavior. Why would they remove me from my own family, if I've done no wrong? The problem is that I've been unwell since losing Liz in very serious ways. I've tried everything to heal and I need Liz to give me the ending my lifetime's most important friendship deserves. Without it, our relationship meant nothing. If it meant nothing than no human relationship can ever mean anything to me. This is my greatest hurt and divides my life's timeline into a before Liz and an after Liz era. It's been obvious me for years that my most loved people have the tools to set me free. I've been begging them to spare me, but they choose not too and only contribute to a pain that was already more than I can handle. They've put more energy into adding to my hurt than helping me heal actually. That's no family at all, and they don't have my back, so why do they even pretend to? What kid of family steals children from each other? My life's biggest miracle and the reason for this divine love. The woman the gods gave me to so she could use her magic to heal all that's broken in me? I don't get to see my kids like I'd like, and I can't wait to be an uncle someday. Even if it's not my miracle, who the hell wouldn't my brother let me know my own niece or nephew? Why wouldn't I be the best man in my brothers wedding? Why is my brother encouraging my suicide suddenly when I've never done him any real wrong?})
“Manipulating the words of your users is fucked,” a commenter wrote.
“Even Facebook and Twitter haven’t stooped this low.”
“Trust nothing.”
The incident became known as Spezgiving, and it’s still invoked, internally and externally, as a paradigmatic example of tech-executive overreach. Social-media platforms must do something to rein in their users, the consensus goes, but not that.
Huffman can no longer edit the site indiscriminately, but his actions laid bare a fact that most social-media companies go to great lengths to conceal—that, no matter how neutral a platform may seem, there’s always a person behind the curtain. “I fucked up,” Huffman wrote in an apology the following week. “More than anything, I want Reddit to heal, and I want our country to heal.” Implicit in his apology was a set of questions, perhaps the central questions facing anyone who worries about the current state of civic discourse.
Is it possible to facilitate a space for open dialogue without also facilitating hoaxes, harassment, and threats of violence? Where is the line between authenticity and toxicity? What if, after technology allows us to reveal our inner voices, what we learn is that many of us are authentically toxic?
^{--we're all just a bunch of half grown, imperfect humans. It's a never ending battle between the good in us and bad that makes us. You need to keep your knife sharp and guard up, but most importantly your bearings straight and vision clear to keep from getting lost. Most often that's when the panic hits and if you let it take hold, then you're good as gone. That's why it's important to surround yourself with those you respect. The kind of people you can sharpen your blade against. The ones that see clear and navigate true, so that they never lose you. News is important to our populations health, and there's a reason gossip is old as time and every old ladies favorite past time. Siliceous stories invoke emotions and are more easily memorable (member?}. Important stories carry weight and are naturally significant. Often real news is downplayed and rumors crafted into clickbait for this reason. You can't have open, true dialog unless both parties are present in good faith. That's why it's more difficult to have an honest conversation online, where the added layer of anonymity detaches a person from himself. The less humanity a human has, but poorer his faith...)
It might be most helpful to compare a social network to a party. The party starts out small, with the hosts and a few of their friends. Then word gets out and strangers show up. People take cues from the environment. Mimosas in a sun-dappled atrium suggest one kind of mood; grain alcohol in a moldy basement suggests another. Sometimes, a pattern emerges on its own.
Huffman and his college roommate, Alexis Ohanian, founded Reddit a few weeks after graduating from the University of Virginia, in 2005. The first people to show up were, like the co-founders, the kind of strong-headed young men who got excited about computer programming, video games, and edgy, self-referential humor. Back then, Ohanian was ungainly and clean-shaven, and he was often photographed in a hoodie and with a goofy smile. At his wedding, last year, wearing a beard and an Armani tuxedo, he was nearly unrecognizable. (The paparazzi weren’t too interested in him, though, given that his bride was Serena Williams.) Huffman, on the other hand, has always looked more or less the same: bright-blue eyes, chipmunk teeth, and a thatch of blond hair. ^{(Serena is the youger Williams sister, right?})
“It’s pretty amazing that a big corporation would have something like this, which reflects badly on it,” he said. Traffic to Jailbait quadrupled overnight. Twelve days later, after someone in the group apparently shared a nude photo of a fourteen-year-old girl, the community was banned. And yet the founder of Jailbait, an infamous troll who went by u/Violentacrez, was allowed to stay on Reddit, as were some four hundred other communities he’d created—Jewmerica, ChokeABitch, and worse. (Yes, it gets worse.)
--^{I really related with steve. He sounds like a guy cut from my very cloth. Alvarez has been here since the start. I've never been able to pin down exactly who that'd correlate to since it's a phonetic outlier. My best guess is it's me, which is unfortunate. I was wrestling with some demons when I lost liz and had been watching some weird porn, not that all porn isn't weird. I've never clicked with someone like I did Liz. I'm open to this being a time travel paradox, because the easiest explanation to explain her is that she is me. She's always felt like my other half that made me whole again. It's the reason I'm still devastated and crying four years later. I haven't seen her in so long that I've forgotten what she look like mostly. The subtle details that took my breathe away every time are gone and it's they've been replaced by generic features that lack the resolution to even capture her level of beauty acutely. I'm not exaggerating a bit when I say she's the most beautiful girl on the planet though. That was my best friend and it even felt like she loved me more than I had ever been loved. I felt so blessed and the universe was screaming it was meant to be. It dropped all we needed right in our lap and we were so close. I still think if I had just got her to say yes to peru, our present lives would be unrecognizable and our lives infinitely enriched. I know mine would at least. Im not sure if liz is alive anymore honestly. Hard as I search I've never nailed down anything that truly brought her back to life. But I had spent six months asking to the olive garden and trying my best to have an honest conversation about how much she meant to me. She would never open up and some demons were born from frustration and feelings of powerlessness from past traumas that manifested in my porn interests and I spent awhile wrestling with. I got new demons now, because I blamed sex for the death of my best friend for a long time. They're much more serious demons I don't think I'll ever get over again. I don't know if I can ever have sex again honestly. It'd take a special girl that trusted fully. It sounds gay, but its my brain and it's fucked up. That's why I've been screaming for help for four years. Why hasn't my best friend lifted a finger for me? I had never been on the same wavelength as anyone so the unexplained discord killed me and I needed to Liz to have that heart to heart with me so we could get back to our divine path and off to peru. When we first formed friends I was able to tell her anything and it felt like she could tell me anything. I never knew how she saw right through me, but I didn't care because I was comforted by it. I thought she'd speak up and let me know if she saw something that concerned her. That's what a friend would do, and looking back that has to be about the time I lost her. I assume she felt bad for spying on me, so she hesitated to say anything, but had real concerns about me watching hardcore teen anal. I can't blame her since it is weird. What sucks is I'd have gladly never watched porn again and given her all the dick she'd ever need if I was ever given the chance. I think liz always knew I'd never intentionally hurt her though, so I don't get what happened there. This was the original rift the started the invisible wall between us. It stemmed from miscommunication and mistakes made on both sides. I needed some commitment to open up to her, but she needed trust and was closing off. We couldn't comfortably talk about what truly concerned us and our cycle of death began, just when the most important romance on earth was supposed to be birthed. (And I now suspect it was in a very literal sense, but because of simple miscommunication a child was stolen from us that sealed out death, and the death of the universes most important romance. A lie that cost me everyone I love and left the world needing only death from me. I hold my father responsible for destroying all the gods had given me. I'm not sure if my brother stole my divine gift or if it was deb. Considering my father and brother tried to kill me in the most cowardly way possible, I'd imagine caleb stole my child. He has made many subtle jokes about it online when he thought I'd never know. Same with all the jokes he's made about raping children. Him and my dad are too big of pussies to admit it though, and I wonder if they really aren't pedophiles considering that cowardice. I desperately need to know and they desperately need me to stay depressed and broken, because they can't bear the thought of the truth seeing light. They're lies cost me everything in life, and they're alright with me paying the price for their fuckups. I'm their son/brother and they should be fighting for me in an effort to help family, but instead they're fighting against me getting healthy and want me dead. Literally} I've written almost every day for the last four years in an attempt to correct a clear mistake, but liz has reaffirmed there was no mistake over a 1000 times now, so I should just accept it at this point. I lost everything now and my only sin has been trying to heal myself and my relationship with everyone I love. It's only made the problem worse and pushed my family away further. I see now Liz omitted some important truths pertaining to my dad from the start, but so has he. I still feel there's truth to the fact that she could be herself and speak freely without worry in our beginning days. It was just that my dad had tainted things before our paths crossed. It was probably his abuse that birthed our divine purpose. Repair all he had broken in both of us. His abuse has grown out of control since then and he lies about the undeniable while he falsely imprisons his own son while intentionally smearing my reputation to anyone that'll listen. He has fully betrayed me and stole everything I cherished in life at this point. When clearly caught and seen in his true colors, yet offered the chance at forgiveness, he refuses to admit any wrong and give his own son a simple sorry for what even an impartial judge called heinous mistake. He's a lost human now and the best thing for him is to be removed from society because he'll only keep killing the people around him without ever admitting any fault. He's not my father anymore and since he's lost all humanity and began fully attacking the innocent, it's safe to say he's not even human anymore either. I don't really know much about their relationship outside of the fact that it existed and was serious all the way back in 2016. Whatever it was lends to the reason everything is broken now and for sure plays into my moms death. I shouldn't speculate beyond that.)
“In the twenty-first century, information is power,” Obama said in a 2011 speech on Middle East policy. “The truth cannot be hidden. . . . Such open discourse is important even if what is said does not square with our worldview.”
Wong left the company in 2014, after two and a half years. His successor was Ellen Pao, a former venture capitalist. She lasted eight months. Early in her tenure, Reddit announced a crackdown on involuntary pornography. If you found a compromising photo of yourself circulating on Reddit without your consent, you could report it and the company would remove it. In retrospect, this seems like a straightforward business decision, but some redditors treated it as the first in an inevitable parade of horrors
She resigned in July, 2015. “The Internet started as a bastion for free expression,” she wrote in the Washington Post. “But that balancing act is getting harder. The trolls are winning.”
despite the mounting aggression in some online forums. “And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people.” (In response to Obama’s remarks, a commenter on The_Donald wrote, “fuck that low energy cuck!”)
Trump, or someone typing on his behalf, participated in Reddit’s signature interview format—an A.M.A., for “ask me anything.” In response to a question about the “protected class of media elites,” Trump wrote, “I have been very concerned about media bias and the total dishonesty of the press. I think new media is a great way to get out the truth.”
they have designed their platforms to be feedback machines, giving us not what we claim to want, nor what might be good for us, but what we actually pay attention to.
There are no good solutions to this problem, and so tech executives tend to discuss it as seldom as possible, and only in the airiest of platitudes. Twitter has rebuffed repeated calls to ban President Trump’s account, despite his many apparent violations of company policy.
--^{why cant I be steve instead of alvaraz. This guy gets me man}
Huffman, after leaving Condé Nast, spent a few months backpacking in Costa Rica, then founded a travel company called Hipmunk. In July, 2015, he returned to Reddit as C.E.O. In a post about his “top priority” in the job, he wrote, “The overwhelming majority of content on reddit comes from wonderful, creative, funny, smart, and silly communities. There is also a dark side, communities whose purpose is reprehensible, and we don’t have any obligation to support them. . . . Neither Alexis nor I created reddit to be a bastion of free speech.” This was shocking, and about half true. When free-speech absolutism was in vogue, Reddit’s co-founders were as susceptible to its appeal as anyone. In 2012, a Forbes reporter asked Ohanian how the Founding Fathers might have reacted to Reddit. “A bastion of free speech on the World Wide Web? I bet they would like it,” Ohanian responded. “I would love to imagine that ‘Common Sense’ would have been a self-post on Reddit, by Thomas Paine, or actually a redditor named T_Paine.”
Still, Ohanian and Huffman never took their own rhetoric too literally. The site’s rules were brief and vague, and their unwritten policy was even simpler. “We always banned people,” Huffman told me. “We just didn’t talk about it very much.
As C.E.O., Huffman continued the trend Pao had started, banning a few viciously racist subreddits such as Coontown. “There was pushback,” Huffman told me. “But I had the moral authority, as the founder, to take it in stride.” If Pao was like a forbearing parent, then Huffman’s style was closer to “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it.”
I'm tired and going to bed. If we saw all this true in 2018, how is it that I got thrown to the wolves by all the people that knew me best? I can say with confidence that I've done no wrong. I've never abused any of you, nor would I ever. I still firmly believe liz was put here for me and I for her. ... So why has she refused to talk about it ever even once? That small rift between us has grown into a mountain now. It's still growing and it's become unstable. In a day or two it'll avalanche and kill every one of us. I kind of hope I am in a coma and our deaths will the be moment I snap out of this nightmare and wake up. Liz will be right there by my bedside and life will be normal again. I'll finally feel like I'm at home again and that I have family. I don't feel like anyone even loves me anymore, which is hard to explain since I've done no wrong. My exwife was the most honest person I met, beside my grandparent. She was a hard worker, and even if a little harsh at times, she always meant well and had a good heart. She's lying to my kids and telling them I went crazy while she steals my true love now. She literally kidnapped my kids a quarter of a year ago for no reason. My brother prays on my death and my dad does the same. My true love voluntarily died for no reason and spent YEARS betraying me in the most serious ways and never once apologized. Refused her best friend a simple goodbye or to acknowledge the most important relationship in my life ever meant anything to her. Not even enough to give a goodbye to. It makes no sense and these are good people. They are saying the worst things under the cloak of pseudo anonymity and nothing but lies in real life. They wont own their own actions or help me heal the situation one bit. The only end they'll accept in an ending where I commit suicide This is my family and I've done no wrong. It wont bother me a bit to leave this nightmare behind. My only hesitation is leaving my kids in the presence of these abusive assholes and likely pedophiles. I've fought for healing for four years and it's only made things worse. Im started for love and broken by 3yrs of the gas light. I'm giving up and I can't help it. I'm too tired and hopeless to rally for love anymore. Give me death please.
​
​
​

Rough Outline
T.J Detweiler, Jose Caroilica, Panchito Pistoles, Vince LaSalle, Gretel Grant-Gomez, Molly McGee, Oliver "Ollie" Chen, Scratch, Andria Davenport and Libby Stine-Torrez are all same floor neighbors at the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel's 25th floor, Andria’s parents handles the hotel’s finances of the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel Libby’s mother reads poetry at the lobby while T.J’s mother is assistant curator of the natural history and Vince’s father handles reception while his mother is a bellhop the show would also follow Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel heiresses Anne, Sprig, Polly and Frobo, candy counter girl Willow Park and her assistant Candace Flynn, hotel manager Peter Prickly. Hotel assistant manager Major Francis Monogram, and the staff includes Murial Finster, Martin Chatterley, Dr. Jan, Dr. Frakes, Terri, Camellia Noceda, and Carl Karl the founders of the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel Hop Pop, Mr. Boonchuy, and Mrs. Boonchuy. Mr. X and Agent Jenner would also be major shareholders in the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel.
Main cast

1. T.J Detweiler
2. Jose Caroilica
3. Panchito Pistoles
4. Vince LaSalle
5. Gretel Grant-Gomez
6. Molly McGee
7. Oliver "Ollie" Chen
8. Scratch
9. Andria Davenport
10. Libby Stine-Torrez
11. Anne Boonchuy
12. Sprig Plantar
13. Polly Plantar
14. Frobo
15. Willow Park
16. Candace Flynn
17. Peter Prickly
18. Major Francis Monogram

Recurring cast

1. Martin Chatterley
2. Murial Finster
3. Dr. Jan
4. Dr. Frakes
5. Terri
6. Camellia Noceda
7. Carl Karl
8. Hop Pop
9. Mr. Boonchuy
10. Mrs. Boonchuy
11. Mr. X
12. Agent Jenner
13. Darius Deamonne
14. Raine Whispers
15. Terra Snapdragon
16. Adrian Graye Vernworth
17. Mason
18. Vitimir
19. Hettie Cutburn
20. Osran
21. Luz Noceda
22. Eda Clawthorne
23. King
24. Hooty
25. Edric Blight
26. Emira Blight
27. Boscha
28. Willow Park
29. Gus Porter
30. Amity Blight
31. Owlbert
32. Lilith Clawthorne
33. Hunter
34. Flapjack
35. Candle Fox
36. Kif Chatterley

Episode count
Episode 1 Hotel Friends: T.J and Vince struggles to find some friends at the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel, however when they cross paths with the likes of Gretel Grant-Gomez Molly McGee, Andria Davenport and Libby Stine-Torrez the six realize they have more in common than they think and T.J shares some of his best moments at school including pulling practical jokes. Meanwhile Anne and Sprig introduce the Coven Heads at the hotel. Hearing the news, T.J and his pals devise a plan to pull a practical joke on them.
Episode 2 Secret’s Out: T.J Detweiler and his friends tries to keep the fact that he and his friends lives at the most luxurious hotel in Los Angeles a secret but that’s out the window when the school bus picks them up at the front of the hotel now that everyone knows where they live, T.J Detweiler is torn between wherever to invite fellow peers or not invite them at all.
Episode 3 Photo Perfect: When T.J Detweiler and Jose Caroilica read up on a news article about a famous gay couple (Gladstone Gander and Roy Fox) getting married at the hotel, the picture of the couple’s first kiss is estimated to be worth $600,000. With a 4K UHD camera T.J and his parrot pal Jose gets the winning picture shot with some assistance from Anne Boonchuy.
Episode 4 Sick on the 25th Floor: T.J Detweiler is stricken with a severe case of chickenpox and has to stay home for three weeks. With Darryel and Scratch of all people watching over his recovery. Meanwhile Anne and her friends partake in the girl’s soccer team and wins the national championship
Episode 5 Baseball Drop: Peter Prickly takes T.J, Jose, Wander and Sylvia to a Dodgers game and when Wander catches the baseball that wins the Dodges the game, Wander becomes the most beloved person in L.A. Meanwhile Candance Flynn and Anne Boonchuy are selected to co-host this year’s Oscars awards but Candance is nervous about this having stage fright so Anne assists Candance get over her stage fright.
Episode 6 Rumor Mill: When Anne starts a rumor about Candance and Jeremy getting back together and they go on break, in response, Candance spreads rumors that Anne and her parents support hardline Republicans who support machine gun legalization (repealing the NFA), enacting a federal 6-week abortion ban, hiring 870,000 ICE agents to deport entire families and massively expanding the fossil fuel industry. Then Anne spreads rumors that Candace and her parents support hardline progressive Democrats who want to make public utilities publicly owned and it’s employees government workers (making them eligible for union benefits), make the rich pay 94% in income taxes, a 65% wealth tax and make campaigning and elections publicly funded. Meanwhile T.J and Libby are selected to represent Third Street School at the Week in Washington program.
Episode 7 Heck’s Kitchen: When Fox News’ Greg Gutfield and Tyrus arrive for a stay at the Boonchuy Plantar Hotel, it’s all hands on deck, things take a turn for the worse when Emeril Lagasse (voiced by himself) is out sick. Vince LaSalle with his cooking and his parent's party affiliation impresses the host so much he offers guest spots to him and his family on his show. However this concerns Anne as Greg Gutfield and Tyrus are both Republicans and that Anne and her parents align themselves with Democrats.
Episode 8 Bowling Team: It’s revealed that Vice LaSalle possesses a gift for bowling and enrolls in the school's bowling team.
Episode 9 Detweler x Davenport: After T.J spends some time with Andra Davenport, he introduces some of his favorite hobbies and she introduces him to her hobbies.
Episode 10 Frightmares at Room 208: Lawson dares T.J to spend a week at Room 208 inhabited by Frghtmears and in order to make it through the week he convinces Ollie to join in.
Episode 11 Christmas at the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel: When a major snowstorm snows in everyone at the Boonchuy-Plantar and with that comes delays in presents, T.J reminds everyone that Chrsistmas is about spending time with your loved ones and is the greatest Christmas gift of all.
Episode 12 Thanksgiving at the Boonchuy-Plantar Hotel: It's Thanksgiving and everyone is looking foward at the
Crossover with the following shows

1. Recess (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Recess)
2. Amphibia (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Amphibia)
3. The Owl House (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Owl_House)
4. Hamster and Gretel (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Hamster_%26_Gretel)
5. Phineas and Ferb (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Phineas_and_Ferb)
6. Milo Murphy’s Law (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Milo_Murphy%27s_Law)
7. The Ghost and Molly McGee (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Ghost_and_Molly_McGee)
8. Kiff (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Kiff)
9. Star Vs The Forces of Evil (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Star_vs._the_Forces_of_Evil)
10. Big City Greens (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Big_City_Greens)
11. The 7D (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_7D)
12. Gravity Falls (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Gravity_Falls)
13. DuckTales (2017) (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/DuckTales_(2017_series)))
14. The 7D (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_7D)
15. Wander Over Yonder (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Wander_Over_Yonder)
16. Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Kick_Buttowski:_Suburban_Daredevil)

Quotes

[After T.J Detweiler had pranked Darius Deamonne with electromagnets Anne Boonchuy slams T.J Detweiler against the wall and pins him and several jelly bean jars are dropped to the floor Willow Park just watches from the counter]
Anne Boonchuy: Are you froging kidding me?! Pulling a prank like that in my lobby? On a Coven Head of all the guests you had to choose?!
T.J Detweiler: Come on Anne? It was a good prank.
Anne Boonchuy: Really especially when it makes me and my parents’ hotel look bad! Man if your parents heard about this they would be just as mad as I am.
Ellie Detweiler (walks in): Not by a long shot, all T.J was doing is being a boy, I mean, ever heard the phrase, “boys will be boys”.
Anne Boonchuy: Really what about “what’s good for businesses”.
Ellie Detweiler: Come on Anne, so T.J made a mistake, I mean a talking to would have suffice but going Tony Soprano on him is a little excessive. just let it slide.
T.J Detweiler: Please. I mean I just made some friends here.
Anne Boonchuy: Alright fine I’ll let it slide.
[T.J Detweiler eyes at the candy]
Anne Boonchuy: Forget the froging jelly beans, go!
[T.J Detweiler walks off and Anne Boonchuy picks up all the jelly bean jars that fell on the floor and hands WIllow Park a cash stack
Anne Boonchuy: Keep the change and you saw and heard nothing.
Willow Park: Lips are sealed.

Pros: Would evoke the nostalgia of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody fans
Cons: Everything in “The Suite Life of T.J.” would be non-canon for the following shows; Amphibia, The Owl House, Hamster and Gretel, Phineas and Ferb, Milo Murphy’s Law The Ghost and Molly McGee, The 7D, Wander Over Yonder, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Kiff, Star Vs The Forces of Evil, Big City Greens, The 7D, Gravity Falls, DuckTales (2017), The 7D, Wander Over Yonder and Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil pretty much like Chibiverse, also there would have to be one art style for all characters.

A diverter is a device or mechanism used to divert, redirect, or switch the flow of a substance, such as fluids or gases, from one direction to another. It is commonly employed in various industries, including plumbing, irrigation, manufacturing, and transportation.
Diverter valves are specifically designed to control the direction of fluid flow in piping systems. They are typically installed in pipelines and can be manually operated or automated, depending on the application. The main purpose of a diverter valve is to allow or prevent the flow of fluid through different outlets or pathways.
Here are some key points to understand about diverters:
Types of Diverter Valves:
Two-Way Diverter: This type of valve allows flow diversion between two different outlets.
Three-Way Diverter: It provides the option to divert flow between three different outlets.
Multi-Way Diverter: These valves have more than three outlets and can direct flow to multiple destinations.
In a bathroom, diverters are commonly used in showers and tubs to control the flow of water between different outlets. Here are a few specific examples:
Shower Diverter Valve: This type of diverter is typically found in showers with both a showerhead and a bathtub faucet. It allows the user to switch between the two outlets, directing the water flow either to the showerhead for a refreshing shower or to the bathtub faucet for filling the tub.
Tub Spout Diverter: In some bathtub setups, a diverter is integrated into the tub spout. When the diverter is engaged, it redirects the water flow from the spout to a showerhead that is either wall-mounted or handheld. This allows the user to easily switch between filling the bathtub and using the shower.
Three-Way Shower Diverter Valve: In more advanced shower systems, a three-way diverter valve is used. This valve enables the user to control water flow between multiple outlets, such as a fixed overhead showerhead, a handheld showerhead, and body jets. By manipulating the diverter handle, the user can select which outlet(s) to activate, creating a personalized shower experience.
It's important to note that the specific type of diverter used in a bathroom may vary depending on the plumbing system and the design of the fixtures. However, the primary purpose remains the same – to control the direction of water flow and provide flexibility in using different water outlets within the bathroom.
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I have had the great pleasure of living in some lovely homes. Gorgeous villas with floor to ceiling glass windows, swimming pools, and more finely cut marble than you can shake a pick at. Sadly, those days are long since gone, and I’ve mostly had the misfortune of being trapped in some less than stellar dwellings.
My last home had cracked windows to let in bitter winter air, but thick brick walls that trapped the heat of the summer. Far too many parts of the house sagged and bulged under the weight of water being where it shouldn’t. Every sink and bathtub was permanently streaked and stained from a generation of human filth and the mildew that grew in the humidity painted awful black splotches along the walls. The ceiling collapsed multiple times in different locations so you could see the rats glowering down at you at night. A broken sewage pipe filled the kitchen with smells of fecal drippage. An electric current ran through the shower knobs. It was a miserable abode that denied me the most basic of comfort and dignity and I hope that none of you ever find yourself living in such a place. House Flipper is a game about bridging the gap between the unlivable hovel I lived in and the houses I used to live in and I love it for that reason.
House Flipper has a very simple pitch. Fix up people’s houses, use the money from those jobs to buy property, then fix it up and sell that house for a profit, and repeat. You’ll clean up trash around properties, buy new furniture, and completely redesign rooms. All of this is done in first person and buy hand. It lands nicely between the the intensive labor of island design in animal crossing, and the frictionless creative fluidity of interior decoration in the Sims. Never so easy as to be click and drag, but never so time consuming that it becomes tedious.
More so than just being fun, I found the process of revitalizing derelict homes to be so nourishing for the soul. For client fix-up jobs, there is something very enriching about healing the spaces that people are going to live in. Old houses where families have loved, and grown, and cried, and said goodbye get a much deserved paying of respects through your work. New houses await your touch as you prepare them to be loved by incoming tenants. I have never been one to get overly invested in house design the games I’ve played, but the sheer creative freedom you have to completely transform the dis-repaired houses you buy got me making virtual living spaces for 2 hours straight some days.
I live in a new house now. The facade is cracked, and deep cracks run along the popcorn ceiling. The doors squeak and squeal at the slightest touch, and fail to fully close even when you turn the handles. There’s not a single quirk of this building that can’t be chalked up to wear, abuse, and neglect on the part of previous tenants. Moving from one crappy house to another really does weigh on my heart sometimes, but House Flipper has at least let me live the fantasy of living in a nice home again.

Part 1 - https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/11ovngn/i_play_a_game_they_call_sleep_points_every_night/
Previous Part - https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/comments/13deva8/i_play_a_game_they_call_sleep_points_every_night/
When I got home from school, even though I knew the clock wasn’t literally going to try to eat me alive like it always seemed to want to on weeknights, I still watched it intensely, dreading every minute that passed. Even though this had all been what I was hoping for over the course of the last week and a half, going through with everything I would need to do to meet up with Anastasia at her house in the middle of the night still seemed way scarier than just dealing with the clock’s nightly threats against my life which, by that point, had become something of a routine for me.
At 11:00 PM, my parents looked like they had gone to sleep. I would wait another hour as Anastasia had advised. I would leave at midnight. And that wouldn’t be a problem since it was a Friday night, and my clock wasn’t going through its usual changes. By that time, the clock hadn’t started glowing or even turning the slightest shade of red.
When midnight did come, the clock was still in the same state as it was at 11. My parents were still asleep. They hadn’t even gotten up for a bathroom break. I turned on the kitchen lights, hoping it wouldn’t wake my parents up. It didn’t. I went to the kitchen table to take the keys to my father's truck. They weren’t there. I had no idea where else to look for them.
I tried looking all around the kitchen and living room. I checked mom and dad's bathroom. Nothing. I didn’t know how I would make my way to Anastasia’s house now. I could just picture her, spending all night at her back door, waiting for me to show up, without me ever coming. Maybe I'd find the keys tomorrow. But that seemed like a fat chance since dad wasn't gonna be driving anywhere tomorrow.
I wouldn't have him to find them for me. It looked like I’d have to wait a whole nother week on any answers now.
I had recently invested in a new watch. I had some allowance money left over from when I was a kid. My school has a little gift shop with small things like school-themed wristwatches, so after my last class of the day, I stopped by and picked up a College High watch so I could check the time without needing to look at the clock in my room or at my phone. I'm bringing this up because at around this point I was watching with increasing anxiety as time was passing by. According to the watch, the time now was 12:30 and I still didn’t have any access to my father’s car.
I was already feeling hopeless enough, just thanks to that fact, but then I remembered that I still didn’t even know how to get to Anastasia’s house.
Since I still didn’t know where the keys were and it didn’t look like I’d find them any time soon, I figured I’d take a break from looking, and go on my phone to look up her address on google maps. I knew I shouldn’t have been using my phone since it was apparently super important not to let it die. I figured it must've been one of those rules like keeping my head under the blanket when the monster showed up, along with the rest of my body. But I would only need my phone for a few minutes. Just enough time to look at google maps and sketch out a rough map of the route from my house to Anastasia’s.
The first thing I noticed when I typed in her address was that, thankfully, her house wasn’t too horrendously far away from mine. It would just be a 4-mile drive. So hopefully this meant that, if push did come to shove, I could still just walk there if I had too. I’d probably be late, but that would be better than not showing up at all. So, I at least had that as a back-up plan if nothing else. But it would still be risky. It would take a lot of time to walk there, and then to walk back. Maybe mom and dad would be up after all was said and done. Maybe they’d hear me coming back inside the house, regardless of how I made it to Anastasia’s. Maybe I’d wake up Anastasia’s parents too.
Since I only had an hour and thirty-five minutes left, I had no time to worry all that much about any of this though. I had to get to work, jotting down the path to Anastasia’s house. I would turn left out of my driveway, stay on that road for about a mile and a half, then turn right and stay on that road for another half-mile, then turn left for another mile, and then left again for a final fourth mile.
Another thing I noticed was that Anastasia lived out in the middle of absolute nowhere. I thought I did too, but Anastasia’s house was on a whole nother level of out there.
Fortunately, that meant I’d be driving pretty much exclusively on backroads, so it would literally be impossible to take a wrong turn after I made my first turn out of the driveway and the next right turn after that after about a mile and a half. It also meant that I would be pretty much guaranteed not to run into any other drivers, especially at that time of night. But I guess her remote address explained why she didn’t have the internet connection she would need to do a video call.
Since it was a quarter to 1 by that point, after I found out how to drive to her house, I put on all the layers I could find, took the flashlight that my mom had given me for the walk I had went on during the week prior, and started trying to walk over there, without my parents’ car, despite her recommendations. Even though it was four miles by car, I wouldn't have to worry about staying on the road if I just walked there. If I walked in a straight line, I could get there in just over 2 and half miles or so. I had decided to leave, not out of the front door, but out of the door in the hallway that led to the garage. That door made less noise than the front door.
Unfortunately, I started to get the sense that I hadn’t thought this plan through when I realized I would still have to open the garage door in order to make my way into the outside world. Which, yeah, made considerably more noise than the front door. But then I realized it didn’t matter, since I was gonna have to open the garage door anyway if I wanted to get the car out of the garage and onto the road. So, I had still made the right decision. Except no I hadn’t, because I had just remembered that I still didn’t have the car keys, and so I was supposed to be ditching the whole car idea anyway and had just randomly forgotten about all of that.
I know that all probably sounded pretty messy and wasn't very easy to follow, but maybe someone else reading with ADHD can relate. But anyway, confusing thought processes aside, I walked out the front door and started making my way to Anastasia’s on foot. It really was freezing though. I really did wonder if I could actually make it all the way to her house.
Before I even made it to the end of the driveway, I began to change my mind and decided driving really would be a more reasonable alternative. Obviously, the backroads wouldn’t even be close to snow plowed. But the snow only looked to be about maybe 6 or 7 inches deep, which was still driveable enough with the snow-proof tires that my dad had on his truck. This level of snow isn't all that uncommon around here, so those tires are pretty much a must-have for anybody living in deathly cold climates like us.
So, I could still drive despite the snow, albeit only very slowly what with how much the snow would slow me down. But I was supposed to be driving slowly anyway because I was only 14 and didn’t have a license. But I still couldn’t drive without those keys. Then I remembered I still had my bike in the garage. It was supposedly “all terrain”, so hopefully that meant it could handle the snow. I went into the garage, got my bike out, and tried riding it. Unfortunately, the tires on that bike weren’t even close to capable of handling the snow. I tried pedaling as hard as I could but hardly got anywhere before falling over. I had a feeling this would probably happen. It seemed like a dumb idea but, since I didn’t want to steal my dad’s truck and I couldn’t even seem to find his keys anyway, I figured it was at least worth a shot.
I was just about to say “fuck it” and try meeting Anastasia again on some other night when, just as I had put my bike down in the garage, I had seen that my dad had left behind his keys in the key slot of his car door. Apparently, the reason that they weren’t where they usually were was because my father had locked the truck and just forgot to take his keys with him. I turned the key sticking out of the driver’s side door and it opened. So I really could get inside of his truck after all.
I put the key into the ignition and then put it in reverse. The truck made quite a bit of noise when its ignition started, so I had just hoped that I hadn’t woken up my parents with that. Luckily, my garage is on the other side of the house from where my parents sleep, so the sound did at least have a long way to travel. Once I started backing the truck out of the garage and into the driveway, I ran into another problem. Since the roads weren’t plowed, they were just as snowy as anywhere else. So even with the rearview mirror, I had no idea where my driveway stopped and the road started. I figured I would just keep backing up until I felt like I’d gone far enough.
Far enough came sooner than expected though. Eventually, the car had very clearly backed into the grass, meaning I had backed up too far. Fortunately, I saw that I hadn’t veered too much out of the straight line I was trying to go in, because driving in reverse meant I could see the truck’s tracks right in front of me with the help of the headlights. The car fell onto the grass from back to front. So that meant that the road was now directly in front of me. Since I needed to take a left from my house if I was facing away from it, and I was now facing the opposite direction given that I was looking right at it, that meant that I now had to make a right turn in order to still be going in the right direction.
I took a moment to make sure my logic was right and, once I felt confident, I turned the truck right and then tried to feel for where the road was based on how well the truck was able to move. Eventually I was able to drive relatively smoothly, so I took that to mean that I was back on the road. I tried to angle myself properly so that I wouldn’t wind up veering off the road again. Now and then I would wind up driving myself off the road. But since I was only going like 5 miles an hour, I was able to catch myself before the car wound up falling into any ditches or something.
Since the road was entirely empty, I eventually made the decision to just drive in the middle of the road. Or at least, wherever I thought the middle of the road was. That way, I’d limit the likelihood of driving myself off the right edge.
After about 20 or 30 minutes of driving painfully slowly, I finally saw the sign for my first turn. Since all the turns I was making were fairly sharp ones, they were basically all 90 degrees, there were road signs that I could use to gauge when I should turn without needing to see the road itself. So I still knew when to do it, even though I couldn’t see the road under all the snow and I couldn't use GPS since my phone had to stay on the charger at all costs.
But the snow still made those sharp turns very difficult to make. So I had to start all my turns pretty far ahead of where they actually would’ve been in the road. Naturally, I wound up driving off the road when making literally all of them. But I was always able to work out where the road was supposed to be soon enough. I guess since people are more likely to veer off the road when making turns as opposed to when they’re driving straight, there didn’t seem to be any ditches around all those sharp turns, thankfully enough.
After I made that first turn, I checked my watch. It was now a quarter after 1. I still had 50 minutes to go. I wasn’t making great time, but I had still made it about a third of the way in only about 25 minutes. If I kept up the pace, I’d be there after just under an hour of driving. Which would put me there a little bit after 2 AM. So, pretty much exactly at 2:05, the time we agreed on.
I kept on driving incredibly slowly for what felt like forever. Finally I had made my last turn, and after a bit, I could see lights from the houses off the side of the road in the distance. I figured that this must be the neighborhood Anastasia lived in. If you could even call it a neighborhood. The houses were so hugely spaced out that it hardly even made sense to say you had neighbors. But then, she really did live out in the middle of nowhere.
Every time I passed by a house, I got out of the car and looked for an address with my flashlight. This slowed me down, but it still ensured that I would be headed for the right house. I kept the slip of paper with her address on it since I knew that, without that sheet, I’d absolutely forget which address was hers. I was actually pretty pleased with myself for having thought ahead like that. I usually didn’t. I guess I still usually don’t, if I’m being honest.
I was worried that this whole procedure of getting out of the car to scope out for an address every time I passed a new house would make me late. But fortunately, Anastasia’s house was the third house I came across on that street. So thankfully, I didn’t wind up having to check that many houses and it only cost me maybe another 5 minutes. When I checked my watch, I found I had actually arrived sooner than I had thought. Even with checking every house I had come across up to that point for the address, it was only 1:50.
I had made it with 15 minutes to spare. That meant I had made that last two thirds of my trip in about the same amount of time that I had spent on my first, meaning I had wound up going twice as fast. I suppose as I had gotten comfortable with driving, I sped up the car a little without even realizing it. Doubling your speed sounds like it should be a huge difference, but when you’re only going from 5 miles per hour to 10, I guess it must be pretty hard to notice.
Since I had so much time left and the weather outside was still hellishly cold, I stayed in the truck with the heater blaring. After a couple of minutes, I noticed an ominous red light glowing out of the side of the house. That seemed off to me since surely that couldn’t have anything to do with Anastasia’s clock. It wasn’t a weeknight and even if it was, it was still well past midnight. I remembered what she had told me about how I was still on Stage One. Maybe the fact that she was on a much later stage had something to do with what I was seeing. The fact that I was still on Stage One did, after all, seem like it had something to do with the fact that I was only threatened by the clock on weeknights.
My curiosity had gotten the better of me, and so I braved the cold and snow to go check out what was happening. There was a window on the side of the house. The curtains were left open so with the red light blaring from it, I could see inside fairly easily. Especially since the house was only one story, so it wasn’t like the window was too high up off the ground for me to see through, either.
My fears had been confirmed. Upon looking into the room, I could see exactly where the red light was emanating from: the clock on the nightstand. The face inside was as clear as ever. Every feature slowly growing, approaching the glass in front of the clock’s face. But it wasn’t looking at me. It was very clearly directing its vile and hateful gaze at the person under the covers.
The person had her head covered underneath the blanket, so I couldn’t directly tell who it was. But I figured it had to be Anastasia. For one, there was no way in hell anybody else in her family was playing Sleep Points too. I mean, what are the odds of that? And for another, the room pretty clearly looked like it belonged to a teenage girl about Anastasia’s age. Everything looked like it was pink and had all kinds of frills to it. I even noticed some boyband poster on the other end of the room. If this wasn’t the most stereotypical teenage girl’s room, I had no fucking clue what was.
Finally, 2 o’clock had come. I could see why she had told me 2:05. I had never seen the monster from the clock break out. I had always had my head under the covers whenever it happened. But since this was Anastasia’s clock and not mine and since the face in the clock was staring her down and not me, and since I had an entire wall separating me from the thing, I guess I somehow managed to muster up the courage to watch the monster in action.
Suddenly, the hands and numbers of the clock’s face began to almost melt into the monster’s face. It had broken out of the sheet of glass holding it back. But that seemed to be the only thing that was broken. The rest of the actual clock remained pretty intact as the unspeakable thing from within started to slither out of the clock and onto the floor. Since the hands and numbers were still on its face, it kinda looked like they had been imprinted on it like some kind of tattoo artwork. It very quickly expanded in size and let out this unholy screech that I could hear very loudly even from behind the window. But Anastasia was still sleeping very peacefully. Totally motionless like nothing at all was going on.
It prowled around her bed, looking for the slightest sign of motion. It looked almost skeptically at her. As if it could tell whether she was really sleeping or not. And God only knows what would’ve happened to her if she wasn’t. Eventually, the monster seemed satisfied with what he saw and shrunk himself down to his original size. He slid back into the clock, and as he did so, there was one last glow of red light. The glass had been restored. It was now 2:01.

I removed a headboard that was attached to a wall, apparently who ever installed it used some type of adhesive.
Any recommendations on how to fix/blend this with the rest of the wall? I have very little drywall experience.
I was thinking about masking around the damaged area, using some Shellac primer since the paper is torn off in some areas, applying a few coats of joint compound (just to the effected areas), sanding, then texture with the texture spray cans from Home Depot.
Do I have the right idea? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for your time in advance.

was scrolling back in this sub and saw my first post about germans was 70 days ago… i just can’t believe it’s been 70 whole days i’ve been at this! i’ve followed the sticky to a T, and trust me i’m not complaining, my sightings have drastically decreased. it’s just that i’m unfortunately living in a quadplex so it’s unlikely i will ever fully be rid of them and i’ve come to accept that. i have urged my upstairs neighbor to treat because our kitchens back up to one another and 90% of my sightings are in the kitchen but weirdly enough, my one downstairs neighbor claims she has never seen them before. my upstairs neighbor knows i have been treating on my own, as well as had pest control out once. she has told me her sightings are the worst they’ve ever been, roaches crawling all over the walls, etc. i see 0-1 per day lately and have nothing in my sticky trap. i still treat with alpine i’d say about every 3 weeks and last treatment i used gentrol concentrate in the mix. pest control is coming to treat both mine and my neighbors apartment next week. i am worried i will see an uptick in sightings after this. is there anything i should do to prepare? i guess in my mind my last ditch effort would be to try to caulk everything up before then. is it worth a shot? i’ve only just now began to feel comfortable in my own home again. i still find myself constantly scanning the room or floors, but i’ve actually felt comfortable to start cooking again which is a huge step for me. i think my nerves are getting the best of me but i really don’t want to start over from square one

Hello,
I am renovating a bedroom and it's quite small, but awkwardly shaped so a little smaller than 10x10. We ripped out the original closet to increase the size of the bathroom next door. As a result, the bedroom now has no storage space. We were thinking of putting a closet in a load bearing wall if possible. Is this a bad idea even if we frame it out well? What does it take to do this? Is it even worth it to add a closet to this small room? If it is not recommended, should I build out a small closet instead and sacrifice room space?
​
Also, I am not an experienced home builder. I built a bathroom and kitchen with the help of family with experience. This would be the first time I am framing a structural wall on my own.

What are some things you change in a house to make it feel more personal? In my scenario this was a cookie cutter house that was new construction. I did a few 'upgrades' like a back splash for the kitchen, but otherwise it's the standard options my builder offered because they didn't really offer anything else. (Thank you to the rep saying I'd be able to customize everything 😑)
I'm trying to make this house have more personality. I still feel like I'm living in a lenn- er, evil builder corporation house rather than mine that they built for me.
What are the first things you guys do when you buy a home to make it feel more like yours? Paint the walls a different color? Change the bathroom sink/counters? Add a fence or something unique out back? I saw a grill built into stone that would look so cool at home depot today which is what got me thinking about this. I feel like there are a million things I'd change about this house and not even sure where to start.

I own a Wolverine for home defense, since thats what the founding houses intended. Four ruffians break into my house. "What the devil?" As I grab my neurohelmet and demolish the east wall trying tryin to stand up. Vaporize the first man with a medium laser, he's dead on the spot. Draw my AC/5 on the second man, miss him entirely due to minimum range and nails the neighbors dog. I have to resort to the SMR-6 mounted at the top of the shoulder loaded with tandem charge missiles, "Tally ho lads" the charges shred two men in the blast, the sound and extra shrapnel set off car alarms. Pick up a tree and charge the last terrified rapscallion. He bleeds out waiting on the police to arrive since tree bludgeoning wounds are impossible to treat. Just as the founding houses intended.

Credit to u/bluefishcake for writing the original SSB story and building the sandbox for us to play in.
And a big thanks to the authors and their stories that inspired to get off my ass and put my fingers to keyboard. RandomTinkerer (City Slickers and Hayseeds), Punnynfunny (Denied Operations), CompassWithHat (Top Lasgun), Rhion-618 (Just One Drop), UncleCieling(Going Native), RobotStatic (Far Away), Kazevenikov (The Cryptid Chronicle), Also to the editor # Fan Beta Readers and KLiCkonthat .
As always comments, complaints, and suggestions are welcome.
This is a fair use notice. Any and all aspects of this may be used on and within this subreddit only, with attribution. All other uses are exclusive to the author.
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Nanorix took the news from the advocates in stride, better than Linda. They had spent the night mutually venting at the injustice of the situation while putting away bottles of gin. Max sounded almost broken by the news while Nora the optimist in the family, firmly held to the belief that things would work out. Rufus was, well, Rufus. Intuitively compassionate, which is why he was laying in the front seat of the truck with his head on Linda's lap as they drove up to Flagstaff.
Linda was trying to sleep off her hangover, her eyes closed but not asleep. Alila had been honest that the only reason Garquile was not tied up in this was that he had her direct protection as a territorial governess. Tommy did not have that level of security and without it, he was in more danger than Robert. From what Alila had said, elements in the Interior wanted Robert dead, other interested parties wanted him alive because of his potential. The situation was so bad the Planetary Governess had stepped in and ordered the house arrest of six high-ranking members of the Interior and let it be known that if anything happened to young Mr. Pierce they would die publicly.
Neither Alila nor the planetary governess knew why the Interior wanted Robert dead, she did. After she heard that the pod found the children and what was being done to them. Her lieutenant had completely lost it, she rounded everyone operating the orphanage and lined them against the wall, and had them shot. The Interior had come in and had done what they always did, cleaned up the mess, and protected those who were important and connected. Before the interior got there one of the girls found a large data server and they made copies. There were four full copies still on Earth and one that she knew was off-world, and she had one of them. It had been too dangerous to keep at home so she had setup a remote server that would once a week send out a heartbeat signal. There were major safety measures in place to prevent access.
She had managed to go to Flagstaff for brunch about once a month to establish a pattern of behavior. Those trips with Robert and sometimes Tommy had always been good, nothing special just good days. She and Linda would have brunch and she would trigger a download to her server buried under the barn. When they had spoken with Alila, Max, and Nora, Max had commented that if anybody could stack the deck and pull inside straight now was the time to do it. She did not tell Linda why they had to come, just that she needed to come up and check on something.
She and Linda had a quiet brunch on the patio of the restaurant to allow Rufus to join them. As they ate she triggered the data transfer. The data transfer would take at least thirty minutes to complete, so they would have a nice long brunch and talk about anything but the boys, she even took a couple of selfies of the two of them to cover what she was doing. Rufus camped out under the table but never relaxed, she was not sure if he sensed her unease or something else was going on that she could not see.
They stayed and chit-chatted until Linda finished her third cup of coffee. She did not want the third cup but they needed the extra time to let the data transfer complete, and by that time Linda's hangover had started to subside. The drive home was uneventful, but traffic was horrible due to the festival of colors going on, it was the 4th of July after all.
/*******************************/
Ishani was tired and hungry but had little interest in eating. She and Ensign Tha'xur had been up half the night working to translate the new equations that Robert had created yesterday, with a new understanding of how the translation needed to work. Thoughts of Robert consumed her mind, and she had to fight the urge to look over and watch him, the singular human male. His name seemed to roll off her tongue, lingering from her dreams the previous night as she drifted off to sleep. Those dreams had been far from innocent, filled with exotic and seductive images of him, even in his baggy exercise clothing.
Returning her attention to her food, Ishani shifted uncomfortably. She would need to change her underclothes if she continued dwelling on him like this. Taking another bite of the fruit, nut, and sauce mixture, she tried to enjoy it, but it did little to distract her from watching him. He moved slowly, almost as if dancing, though she couldn't grasp the purpose behind his movements. Ensign Tha'xur's timely arrival saved her from making an obvious fool of herself by staring at a boy nearly two years her junior. It always felt like she was the only one looking.
Ensign Tha'xur sat down with a tray of food and jokingly said, "Ground control to Crewwoman Vevreix, are you awake?" Ishani returned her gaze to her food and responded, "Yes, ma'am, I am awake, just..." Before she could finish her sentence, Ensign Tha'xur interrupted, "Distracted?"
Signing without looking up and absentmindedly playing with her food, Ishani replied, "Yes, ma'am, horribly. It's just... he's just one boy. I have enough common sense to know that there is no way I should even consider... why couldn't he be old, wrinkled, and fat..."
Ensign Tha'xur completed Ishani's thought, saying, "Instead, he's young, fit, and I would even go as far as to say he's attractive in a very unmasculine way, with that wounded, sad boy aura."
Looking up, Ishani was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean 'you could call him attractive'? Are you blind? I mean, he may be a little short, but other than that, he is..." She trailed off, unable to find the right words.
Smiling and taking a bite of her burrito, Ensign Tha'xur replied, "He is desirable, and deep down, I believe you could take away all his pain and sadness... but please don't go there." Shifting into a serious tone, she continued, "I overheard Cmdr Norroe and Lt Cmdr Ashix talking about him the day we arrived. What caught my attention was Cmdr Norroe mentioning his thousand-yard stare that is measured in miles. There are significant parts of his life that we don't have access to because they've been redacted by the interior."
Ishani looked over at Robert, who appeared to have finished his morning workout and was heading towards the mobile kitchen. She murmured, "No one is ever so lost in the deepest of caves that they cannot be found by the beating of their heart. There is always hope and always a way out."
Ensign Tha'xur wiped her face clean of the red sauce that had dripped from her burrito and commented, "You, Crewwoman, are an optimist."
"With all due respect, ma'am, have you looked?" Ishani responded quizzically.
With a wry smile En. Tha'xur replied smoothly "I am technically a married woman and my husband and kho wives are going to be here in three days. I am hoping that my leave request will be honored, we were supposed to go to Tel Aviv for 14 days." Frowning slightly with the last statement.
Ishani gave an understanding smile "Well, that explains why you are not interested. You know, if you want to get the time off then ask for help. What is the worst he can do to say no?"
En. Tha'xur almost laughed at that, "So what should I do ask him over here for you to ogle him and for me to get a chance to go on leave, I do not think he would like that, being that he is here under guard."
Ishani took another bite of her food, ‘alright girl put up or shut up’ she thought to herself, before standing. "Ma'am if you never ask for help you will never get any." This is not a good idea, turning to find Robert who was looking for an open table to eat at. "Robert, can you join us over here, please?" Blessed Nest mother, that sounded so bad she inwardly cringed.
/************************/
Robert had gotten his food-laden tray and was looking for an empty place to sit. It felt a little weird not having a personal shadow always with him. The petty officers had told him last night that he would be given some space and an opportunity to interact with the people here. "Go out, mingle, talk to people, that's a winning idea," he thought sarcastically. Yup, everything was normal again. Alone in a room full of people and completely clueless about how to do the most basic of things, like talking to anybody.
Now, the people he could talk to were a problem. Being the only male and the only human, he received looks. The looks could be categorized into three groups: lust, curiosity, and pity. Dealing with lust was easy; he just chose not to care, and thankfully, they were discreet about it for now. Pity, on the other hand, infuriated him because most of the time, it was fake. Whenever someone expressed their sympathy for all the things he had been through, he wanted to scream. At best, it was a polite social convention, and at worst, it was a selfish and internalized burden of guilt that had nothing to do with him.
Just as he spotted an empty table at the far end, somebody called out his name. "Can you join us over here, please?" Shit, it was Ishani, the one person in the whole damned place who had a very unsettling effect on him. She was the only one here who scared the shit out of him. Taking a breath to collect himself, he acknowledged her with a nod and proceeded to join her and the Ensign at their table.
He noticed that when he acknowledged her, she just beamed and got all bubbly. That was the best word for it. Her glowing tattoos seemed to brighten for just a moment before she sat down, leaving him to wonder what those tattoos looked like on the rest of her body. He made it to the table and sat down on autopilot while his mind indulged in a little fantastical daydream, leaving him noticeably flushed and uncomfortable in ways that only men could be.
Setting his tray and bottle of maple syrup down on the table and taking a seat, Robert tried to say thank you, but neither Ishani nor the Ensign had their translators running.
En. Tha'xur noticed him stop trying to use hand speak and realized that they had just messed up a little. "I am sorry, that was rude of us," she said as she tried to get her translation app up and running. Meanwhile, Ishani was no help; she was head down in her food, blushing and trying very hard not to be noticed. "There, we're set."
Robert was relieved when En. Tha'xur got her translation app running, so he wouldn't have to stare at Ishani across the round table from him. He returned his attention to En. Tha'xur. "I was trying to say thank you for asking me to join you, and it's okay. You at least figured it out."
Ishani looked up from her half-eaten food when En. Tha'xur's translator started speaking. Fuck, she thought, this is so embarrassing. Inviting a boy to come over and eat with you only to ignore him when he gets here. Idiot. Turning to face him, her brain failed as she smiled stupidly and took another bite. "Hungry?"
En. Tha'xur couldn't help but cringe. The situation unfolding before she seemed straight out of a cliché "coming of age" story, where a girl meets a boy and the universe seems to pause just for them. It reminded her of the sentimental videos her older brother and his friends would tear up over. Poor Ishani, the other girls around her would roast her mercilessly, yet she remained oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. En. Tha'xur couldn't decide if it was cute or tragic. Determined to intervene and save Ishani from herself, she spoke up, "Robert, the reason Crewwoman Vevreix invited you over is that I need your help."
"Hungry?" Robert was caught off guard by Ishani's question. Did she even understand what she was doing? He found her confusing, and he just wanted to finish his meal quickly and GTFO. En. Tha'xur was speaking, but he had missed what she said. He decided to play dumb and replied, "OK."
En. Tha'xur thought to herself, "This is good." She then explained, "Well, my husband and my three kho wives are going to be arriving on Earth in three days. I had scheduled a 14-day leave, but then I received an emergency assignment here, and I don't know if they will honor my leave request."
Robert had managed to pay enough attention to understand that she needed a favor. He had two basic choices: give a hard no and explain that the advocates wouldn't allow him to help until they gave the go-ahead, or try to answer her questions. His best option was to listen and see if he could offer some hints. "I am quite restricted by what my advocates have told me to do, but I will try to point you in the right direction."
Finally, Ishani managed to gather her thoughts and interjected, "See, I told you, all you need to do is ask."
En. Tha'xur rolled her eyes, silently expressing her frustration towards Ishani. She replied, "Thank you, can you help?"
Talking with his mouth full wasn't polite and attempting to gesture while eating proved to be a challenge. Robert sighed as he reluctantly set down his fork, his stomach growling in protest. "Yes, I will genuinely help you. And if you're wondering why," Robert paused, trying to understand his willingness to assist, "it's because you asked. Now, the big question is, do you even know what you want to ask?"
Ishani eagerly jumped in, unknowingly giving En. Tha'xur some time to formulate a proper question to ask. "Okay, if I can ask one too, please?"
Robert held up one finger as he obeyed the demands of his stomach and shoved a load of runny fried eggs and hash browns in his mouth. "Sure, since you saved me from eating alone." Robert swallowed hard after he finished speaking, realizing he had just unintentionally flirted with her. Thinking inwardly, "Shut up, dumb ass. You are going to get yourself in trouble."
Ishani sputtered like Joe Pesci for just a couple of seconds before getting to her real question. "Ok, ok, ok, ok." Pointing to the work area where the Charger was, she asked, "Why is the car so important? Why did you build it?"
Robert shoveled another load of eggs and hash browns into his mouth. "Why would a human boy on Earth, living in North America, want to build a fast car and one that could fly?" Pausing to inhale the bite of his eggs and hash browns, he continued, "Because it was fun, and it would have been cool to have a hotrod and be the only one to fly. Well, that would be a show-off, a little, and to have a shitload of fun flying around in it."
En. Tha'xur cluelessly responded, "What is a 'hotrod,' and why would a flying car be 'cool'? I guess that means good?"
Robert had to roll his head back before responding, to the idea of attempting to explain custom car and motorcycle cultures. "Humans like to personalize cars and other things as expressions of their personalities and rolling pieces of art in some cases. For a human boy to be able to build a car and go fast is a dream. Hotrods are the result of those builds."
Taking another break to move the French toast in front of him and pour on the maple syrup, he continued, "Back to the first part of your question, 'Why is it important?' Other than a personal attachment to the memories connected to it... it is not, in the grand scheme of things, it was a mistake. A very valuable mistake, it disproved one of my approaches to a bigger challenge."
En. Tha'xur and Crewwoman Vevreix just looked at each other and mouthed the same words, "It was a fucking mistake!!"
Robert tried to hide his smug satisfaction. Nobody ever considered just how much of his work was critical and applied to his big challenge. Ishani looked at Robert as he dug into his French toast. "If that was a mistake, what is the prize?" Robert just smiled and shrugged in response to the question. En. Tha'xur sat dejected, "Well, that did answer one of the big questions. The car is a stepping stone to the bigger thing."
Watching the Ensign sit dejected and look a little lost made Robert feel like a little shit. Flipping the bird to the bureaucratic machine that was the Imperium always felt like a "fuck yes," but trolling a person was different. She had asked him for help, and he had used it to be petty and spiteful. "You don't need to ask right now, and if you loan me your data slate, I will give you a couple of hints," he said, reaching out for the device.
En. Tha'xur handed over the data slate wordlessly. Robert opened a new document and wrote:
"If you have 'The Right Stuff,' you can connect the dots."
"Space-Time Gravity is not the same as Gravity Space-Time."
When he finished, he handed the data slate back to the ensign and returned to his food. En. Tha'xur picked up the data slate, read the hints, and found the first line to be of no use other than some devotional wisdom that would be preached in a temple. However, the second line held interesting possibilities. Grabbing the data slate, Ishani quickly scanned the text and handed it back to En. Tha'xur. "Thank you, I think we can work with this," she said. Turning to En. Tha'xur, she added, "Ma'am, I think we need to work in conference room 2 today. It has the other digital whiteboard, and I think we need the space."
En. Tha'xur picked up the data slate and looked right at Robert. "I don't get the first one. The second one could be applied in a dozen or more places."
Finishing his first piece of French toast, Robert tried to remember the order of the equations to point her in the right direction. "Show me my work from last night, and I will show you the one to work against. Don't try to finish it, just try to understand it."
En. Tha'xur handed the translated copy of Robert's work back to him, and he looked at it with a mixture of fascination and difficulty. It was strange to see his work presented so neatly, but it was also challenging to read. He had to mentally retranslate it to the original version he had written. Working through the problem brought his headache back in full force, making the surroundings too bright and diminishing his appetite. Robert tried to hide his discomfort, squinting his eyes and taking deep breaths.
Concerned, Ishani noticed his strained expression and asked, "Are you alright? You don't look well."
With a weak smile, Robert replied, "I shouldn't have done that. I usually take a couple of days off after my little flying trips. It's like working out too hard and feeling extremely sore the next day, then trying to work out again. Not fun."
En. Tha'xur felt uneasy knowing that Robert was enduring pain to help her. She thought of her father and how he would be disappointed in her. "Are you sure you don't need a doctor?" she asked, genuinely concerned.
"I'll be fine, I just need some sleep," Robert reassured them, pushing his plate of food away. "If either of you wants to finish this, go for it. At the very least, don't waste the bacon."
Ishani reached for the plate and admitted, "I've heard about bacon, but I'm a little afraid to try new foods. I don't want to be disappointed."
En. Tha'xur reached for a piece of bacon, saying, "I love bacon. I'll even taste-test it to make sure it's okay." She smiled at Ishani and took a bite.
Robert observed as En. Tha'xur's eyes widened in shock. Oops, he remembered that he had coated the bacon in maple syrup. However, she didn't spit it out, which was a good sign. His mom loved crispy bacon dipped in maple syrup. Sometimes, she would devour an entire package of bacon if there was maple syrup in the house, and then she would try to conceal the fact that a pound of bacon had disappeared. She would even do her dishes, a chore that was usually Robert's.
En. Tha'xur bit into the bacon, expecting a salty taste but experiencing the combination of sweet and salty. The flavor was incredible. She paused to savor the taste before chewing again. "You have to try this!" she exclaimed.
Ishani, with anticipation in her eyes, sniffed the remaining piece of bacon. "Here goes nothing." She cherished this moment, as it was the closest she had come to tasting her nest mother's nectar. Grabbing the plate, she declared, "I'm finishing this!" and devoured the last piece of French toast without bothering with utensils.
Despite his throbbing headache, Robert couldn't help but smile as he rose from the table. "Enjoy. I need some sleep."
/*******************************/
Tommy had to roll his eyes at Valenlina's latest attempt to "improve" his wardrobe with a purple satin shirt with a matching sea green scarf. No matter how many times Valenlina tried to have Tommy dress like a proper male, Tommy always simply said no. Early on in the dating, Valenlina had gotten so frustrated that she also broke up with him, not that she ever told him. Her father and kho mother Tearhart had stepped in and explained that she could not make a human be like a Shil. The Imperium still tried, and the Humans resisted more. There were several semi-celebrities on the data-net that advised Shil’vai women on dating human males and females. The most common rule for dating a human male is not to try and change them to be acceptable in your circle because they will resent you for it. You have attracted a human male for a reason, embrace it.
Their walk through downtown Prescott was a moment the Tommy did not have to think about the meeting tomorrow. Early this morning he and his mother had gotten almost an hour of one on one time with Advocate Roskin and she was able to explain in greater detail what was expected of him tomorrow and how things could go right or wrong. Withholding information was one of the worse things he could do. After the meeting, Valenlina noticed the additional stress in Tommy. It was so bad that physical affection had no effect. There was only one thing other than sex that could distraction, window shopping.
Their window shopping trip started as a serious attempt to make him presentable in Shil’vati society, ow her attempts to help him look more presentable were just something they did to have fun. In many ways, it was closer to foreplay now, as Tommy now attempts to have Valenlina dress like a human girl. Tommy did have one big win, a pair of 4-inch-high heels, he had said they improved the view coming and going. Her big win last year was a shirt and tie set for his tailored charcoal suit, he was finally willing to wear formal attire with a splash color.
Valenlina could see her best effort to pull Tommy out of what his mother called a 'funk' were not working. He was still not willing to talk to her about it, she could understand that he was pissed but his silence bothered her. While he had not pushed her away, he still felt distant. Last year's fireworks had been the warmup act for what had followed. She could never look at Mr. Scott's old Ford pickup without blushing just a little bit.
Tommy smiled with a wicked little smile, "Thinking dirty thoughts again I see." he said holding up a pair of women's cowboy boots in hot pink.
Playfully Valenlina put on her pouty face, "What would you wear with them?"
Taking his turn to think dirty thoughts and hoping to see her turn dark blue Tommy put on his most innocent face, "First this is a girl's color, and they would be for you, but what would I wear if you wanted me to try them on? Nothing?" Emphasizing the last word.
With a facade of indignation, "Why Mr. Sandoval, are you implying that the Governess's daughter would be involved in anything so uncouth as to make a respectable male present himself for inspection with only what the Goddess endowed him with?"
Tommy returned the boots to the display and stepped forward to steal a kiss."My Dear Miss Seskie, you know dammed well that you would take full advantage of that situation."
Returning the kiss, Valenlina smiled. "Yes, Mr. Sandoval I would." She bent down to whisper into his ear. "I think we both need to cool off or we will never make it to the fireworks show."
Tommy took her by the hand." Looks like I'll have to settle for mint chocolate chip ice cream."
Valenlina put on a hurt expression. "You are so cruel."
They left the window shopping and continued walking back to the courthouse square. The roads around the court were closed for three days for Frontier Days and the Festive of Colors. This opened the court square up for a giant art show and sales venue. This was the change for local artisans to show off their wares in the hopes of making one or selling to a noble patron and then getting follow-up commission work. The north side of the courthouse was dedicated to custom motorcycles and the east side was for classic custom cars. The west side, known as "Whiskey Row" is where the food vendors and their destination Jacksons Ice Cream was set up right in front of the Palace Restaurant and Saloon.
Turning the corner to walk up Whiskey Row Tommy could not help but feel he was being watched. Tommy had to keep Valenlina from heading off to go look at this or that. He had to remind her, that ice cream was first or he would have to give her a spanking. Valenlina would always retort with, "Promises, promises".
When they were getting their ice cream Valenlina nudged Tommy and told him to look across the street. Standing in front of a face painting booth was a short portly balding human male with a puggy round face. He wearing a well-made black suit, the only thing missing from the 1930s gangster getup was a fedora hat.
Taking their ice cream and heading off to a wood sculptor's booth Tommy kicked himself mentally for not seeing him earlier, he was the only person wearing a business suit. He should have stood out like a sore thumb, but he just seemed to blend in. The booth was impressive, boasting several pieces commissioned by various members of the nobility. Tommy ate his ice cream and kept an eye on the gangster while Valenlina inspected the various pieces and got sticker shock.
Tommy tried to get Valenlina's attention when the gangster entered the booth and proceeded to the cane rack. By the time Valenlina noticed, the gangster was already paying for the cane he had selected.
When the gangster finished his transaction, he turned to Tommy and Valenlina." Well if it isn't the young man of the hour, Thomas Sandoval. It's a pleasure to meet you. As well as you, Miss Seskie."
Flustered, Tommy stuttered out, "Who the fuck are you? Have you been watching me?"
The man smiled, but it felt unnerving, maybe a little malicious, too., "My name is Mr. Rojo and I watch everybody. It's my calling, but I will admit that you and your brother have piqued my interest. I go through life watching the world go by, I enjoy the shifting mosaic of peoples' lives, and how they interconnect. For example, the car that you and your brother build was a 69 or 70 I could not tell with what is out on the news media.”
Tommy waited to tell this to go pound sand, but he need to talk and tell Mr. Rojo what even he needed, Tommy forgot Valenlina was listening as he spoke.” It is a 69, why is that important?”
The gangster slowly dropped part of his smile as he replied, ”It is not important, it is merely a curiosity just like why not use the Confederate battle flag and why the name Valkirey?”
Eagerly Tommy responded, “The Betsy Ross over the Stars and Bars, because it is more appropriate at this time and the Shil’vati Imperium has no idea what it means, instead of erasing human history maybe the Shil’vati could try learning from it.” almost quoting Sean Connery about goose stopping morons and burning books. “ Now for Valkire over General Lee, that is easy, Valkire’s are sexy and cool. and General Lee would get us in trouble, just like the Stars and Bars.”
The gangster's smile was completely gone, and his expression and tone had changed to serious but neutral almost professorial, “But I have a simple question for you, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you would give me an honest answer, Thomas what is gravity?"
Thomas could not stop himself and replied without hesitation. "Gravity is a higher dimensional construct. When projected from a higher dimension it appears to be a force, but to use it as a dimensional construct the space-time gravity interpretation must be inverted to be the first-dimensional construct so that space-time gravity becomes gravitational space-time with an indeterminate number of dimensional constructs between gravity and space."
The gangster looked surprised, while Valenlina looked utterly confused. "Is that your brother Robert's words or yours?"
Thomas hesitated only slightly before he replied. "Mostly Robert's, I can't dream up the shit he does but once he explains it, I can see it. He uses me as a sounding board." Tommy suddenly realized what he was saying. "Who the fuck are you?"
The gangster took Tommy's hand to shake it. "Mr. Sandoval, I told you I am a watcher and now I get to watch you. Have a glorious life Mr. Sandoval" nodding to Valenlina, "and you too, Miss Seskie."
Tommy watched as the gangster walked out of the booth noting that nobody noticed his passing.
Valenlina had been too engrossed in Mr. Rojo and Tommy's conversation to say or do anything, but now that Mr. Rojo was no longer there she angrily turned to face Tommy."Thomas, you have some explaining to do!"
Tommy would not realize until much later, that the gangster had placed the cane in his has as he left.
/*******************************/
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Janissary: The Joy Ride Ch1 : Sexyspacebabes (reddit.com)
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Chapter 8
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Janissary: The Son Of War : Sexyspacebabes (reddit.com)
Janissary: Vision from Zy'Verila : Sexyspacebabes (reddit.com)

Memory Transcript Subject: Private Will Davies, Royal Armed Forces
Date [Standardised Human Time]: September 28th 2136
I always enjoyed daytime walks. Jukin however, doesn’t seem to share my sentiment. We’d stuck to well walked paths, much to my mounting anxiety, and still he huffed and puffed like he was tackling the Welsh 3000s. I would have assumed he just wasn’t very physically active, if not for the fact he seemed rather muscular, at least by human standards. My current guess is he simply lacks the endurance of a human because he wasn’t human, he wasn’t a persistence hunter.
Regardless, we were no longer following a woodland trail, instead moving through fields of bushes covered in odd-looking green fruit, heading towards what looked to be some kind of burrow home. I could see a front door, but there didn’t seem to be any windows, or a second floor. My spikey friend seemed rather enthusiastic at the sight though.
“Oh! That house is a burrow home! Made in a traditional Gojid style, but definitely modern!”
Intrigued, I ask “How can you tell?”
“Look at the edges, those are far too smooth to have been made with anything but current-day building tech!”
“You seem to know a lot about it!” I say, entertained by his enthusiasm for the subject.
“Yeah, mom had some old books on the subject! I didn’t have much else to read, so I went through them about a hundred times. It turned into a fascination with how people used to live in the past! Though I could never find anything from before the Federation found us, so I don’t know much about how the first Gojid lived…”
“That sucks. Don’t think I can help you too much there lad, though I do have some fiction books on ancient humanity if you’re interested, and if we survive. And obviously if you can get over the whole ‘hunting’ thing”
“Ya know what? I’ll consider it. Thanks Will” He said, ears perking up slightly.
“Hey, I’m always happy to help a friend”
I grab one of the weird green fruits from a bush, pulling it free. “Hey, are these ripe?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah they're ripe” Jukin responds.
I take a bite out of the fruit. It’s rather sweet all things considered, and I enjoy the taste. We finally reach the door of the house, and I swallow the bite of the fruit.
”Is there a doorbell we can ring? I don't wanna wind up opening the door to an angry local or something”
Jukin flicks his ears, and pushes a small button. We waited for about a minute, to no response. I slowly open the door, peeking around. If I was normal, I imagine I’d barely be able to see. The lights are off, the walls damaged, and there is no sign of life. Judging by smell, no one has been here for at least a few days.
“It’s empty. No one’s been here for a while…” I say, giving Jukin my flashlight and creeping in. He turns it on, finding and flicking a light switch. Nothing happens, the lights remain off. I close the door behind us, and look around. There’s what looks like an alien bathroom, an alien bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen. I can also tell that whoever left did so in a hurry. Items were scattered around haphazardly, and there weren't any smaller personal items that I could see.
I lay down on a weirdly shaped couch, getting snug. “Hey, Jukin, I’m gonna take a nap. Get some sleep back from last night. There’s a pistol in my pack, only use it if you need too”
“Alright Will. I’m gonna go see if they left any canned food here…” And as I fall asleep, I hear the clattering of claws on tiles, as the Gojid heads straight to the kitchen.
Date [Standardised Human Time]:
It’s dark. Not as dark as it should be, but dark. I’m slouched against a wall, eyes barely held open by every remaining bit of my will. I’ve been like this for eleven days. At least I think it’s been eleven days. I’m not sure what day it is anymore. My cell is bleak, the walls are a drab grey, and sound-proofed so no noise can get in or out. There are no windows, and the only door is locked tight, the small latch at the bottom only ever opened so the guards can push in the sludge I’ve been subsisting on. That’s how I’ve been keeping track of time. One meal a day, at what I think is the same time. I know what will happen if I fall asleep, so I don’t. I’m not ready to die.
As I idly wonder what I did to deserve this, I hear a scraping sound, and see the most light I’ve seen since I was thrown in here. I see him, the man responsible for all of this, standing in the doorway and smiling ear-to-ear like he’d just seen the world's greatest comedy act.
“Congratulations one-oh-nine” He says to me. “You passed the test”
Date [Standardised Human Time]: September 28th 2136
I’m awakened by the feeling of claws on my shoulder, and a flashlight resting on my chest. Light shines directly into my face, and Jukin stands over me, ears pinned to his head.
“Will? Are you ok? You seemed… Upset” He said.
“Yeah, I-I’m fine. Nightmare is all” He grabs the light and steps back.
“Ok, do you need anything? I can get water if you want”
“No, I’m good. Just gonna get some fresh air…”
I pull myself up, moving towards and opening the door. The sun seems to be going down, and the fruit bushes rustle gently in the wind. I take several deep, calming breaths, and look around.
Through the flora I spot something odd. A faint, grey shape, very slightly out of place. I see it move slightly, and I immediately dive back inside, slamming the door shut and running for my pack. I grab my rifle and pistol, while Jukin walks up to me.
“What’s-” He starts, before I press my sidearm into his paws.
“Jukin, hide in the kitchen!”
“Wait, what? W-why!?”
“They found us! The Arxur found us!”
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Residential Contracting 101
With over 20 years of building experience, I would like to share with you my insights in navigating becoming a successful contractor. With many different avenues of the building world its key to understand what problems will arise on any given day. A man once told a saying that stuck-the 6 p’s in life- Piss Poor Preparation leads to Piss Poor Performance. Preparation builds everything in construction, without preparation the jobsite will not run correctly. The best advice I was ever given was to learn a little about every trade giving you the ability to understand trade lingo and secrets. An example would be painters use the terminology flash; this means when the sub structure bleads through the paint. Subcontractors will give the best pricing if they respect your knowledge of the industry. If the subcontractor feels they will have to hold your hand through the job they will charge an extra fee…i.e. I call it the aggravation fee. In this blog I will explain the key elements in finding success in all aspects of the industry. Contracting is a physically and emotionally demanding job which requires planning and foresight to complete projects on time within budget. Picking your customer is just as important as picking your employees or subcontractors. I have worked for some of the most demanding customers leading me to question at the end if the job was even worth it. Sleepless nights, constant changes, lack of payment, lawsuit threats, adding work that was in the contract are just a few things you could face with a tough customer. With so many moving parts at all times it is critical to be able to adapt to changes within a short time frame. Materials will come in damaged, subcontractors will be late, employees will get sick, but the deadline you set does not change. The stress can be overwhelming at times keeping your mind in a good place is key to navigating all that is thrown at you. Choosing your client picking the right jobs-Keep these questions in mind The first question to be asked is what the time frame is to start the job to see if it fits within the timeframe for your business. If the time frame doesn’t work then move on from the project or let them know when you would be available to start. If the client really wants to use, they will wait until you are available. Taking on too much work will only lead to problems. Construction is a serviced based business, staying on top of the project and client will eliminate an unhappy customer and construction issues that will be over seen. With online presence if details are missed and customer service lacks it will only be a matter of time the phone will not ring. The second question to be asked to the client is do they have a budget in mind for the project. If they answer yes this is good, follow through with what the budget is. If the budget seems low let them know, this will eliminate a tire kicker, educate them on what the price range could be. If the budget seems reasonable then continue the discussion to the next question. If they answer no let them know that you can give them an estimate to see if the project is feasible with their finical capabilities. Taking on a job that is not correctly budgeted will lead to an unsatisfied customer due to non-transparency of the construction cost. The third question to be asked is anyone else bidding on the job, if the answer is yes, understand you might just be number check for the contractor doing the job. Dig a little deeper and find out how many numbers they are getting and why. If your business model is to be competitive be completely transparent with customer, this will gain trust with them. Let them know you get what you pay for and if you they choose the lowest bid it could lead into lack of quality of work.
The fourth question I will ask is there any specific subcontractors they wanted to use. If the answer is yes then I would explain to them you only use the subcontractors you have a working relationship with. Otherwise, this could backfire as the subcontractor might not show, do subpar work, talk behind your back to the homeowner. In my experience I would stay away from using any homeowner to alleviate problems down the road. A quick conversation now can save headaches down the road. The fifth question I will ask are planning on getting the job permitted, this needs to be known it takes more time for the permitting process. Plans will have to drawn submitted and approved to the city before work can commence. The sixth question I will ask if a residential remodel is are you going to be living through the remodel if yes understand this will take more time to navigate the project due to answering questions and cleaning the house on a daily occurrence. I would recommend seeing if the customer would be willing to move into an Airbnb or friends for at least the demo portion of the project. If they do plan on living through the remodel add a couple hours a day to accommodate the extra time that will be required. The seventh question I would ask in a residential remodel is how old the house is to see if there is asbestos that would need to removed by a proper company. A home built before 1979 will most likely have some asbestos in the house, use a licensed company with proper insurance to dispose of the materials. If everything looks good to this point find out a little more about the client personality. If the client seems reasonable, I would bid the job. Unreasonable people can cause you more stress than its worth. These are some red flags I would look out for. Some jobs are not worth the money. Very demanding in the way you are going to perform your job- I.e., tell you how you are going to do your job- You’re the professional not them! Give you a hard time about your price- haggle with price you estimated- The price is the price! If they are a family with little money and you want to help them out is one thing, if they are trying to beat you down is another. Mention they have a lawyer-there is no need for them to bring up that they have a lawyer - Run for the hills as if the job goes south, you will be the one losing out! Tell you what the payment terms are. It’s your business you get paid how it works for your company. If you want to get paid every Friday, put it into your contract-If the clients do not agree move on it will save you frustrations If they talk bad about the last contractor, chances are they will talk bad about you. There is a reason why the contractor does not work for them anymore, unless he did subpar work this a red flag Clients are using an interior decorator that will purchasing all of the materials- The materials could be ordered incorrectly by the interior designer your company will not make the mark-up it deserves. Interior decorators usually add time to the job as well as act like your boss. Charging a little extra for the time and stress that it will entail is only fair. Clients want to purchase the materials- You are using your knowledge to buy the correct materials-The mark up on the materials keeps the doors open working for wages only pays the bills The husband and wife do not get along-You will become the mediator between the couple it will lead to taking sides a losing proposition- A drama free work place is always best! Dangling carrot-if you do this job the next one will be better-Only look at what there offering at the present moment, if its not a good fit do not take the job for a job down the road…Its not worth chasing a job that might not happen! The Art of the Sale First things first selling your company is all about presentation. In meeting your clients for the first time show up with a collared golf shirt tucked in, belt, nice jeans, and newer shoes. Have a truck that a clean, no dents scratches, preferably washed the day you are going into your meeting. Have a leather note pad that is clean no dirt or paint visible. Show up 5 minutes early, if you’re running a little late shoot them a text to let them know. Treat the situation as if were going on a first date, best foot forward. As you introduce yourself give them a warm greeting, letting them know you are very interested in the work. Find out a little about them, hobbies, where they lived, etc etc. You are going to be working with them on a daily basis its nice to know what makes them tick. Having a good working relationship from the start is key forming a solid relationship. As the conversation progresses find out who wears the pants in the family…ie who’s the final decision maker. If its fits the wife, chances it is…..then kindly let the husband know happy wife happy life when their in a stall mate on an issue. As your looking at the project throw in some suggestions of what you think would look good from past experiences, this will get their attention that you have knowledge and want what’s best for them. If you see ways to save them money in their project let them know, money is a large point of the sale keep that in mind. Mention that you’re not the least expensive contractor but you’re not the most expensive either. Your customer satisfaction is your number one goal which leads to more time spent on keeping them happy. One happy customer will lead to another, one unsatisfied customer leads to work in the future. Bring up the fact the finishing the job on time is key goal to your business, many contractors run several jobs at once causing the jobs to be finished way behind schedule. You must stand out as having integrity, good morals, and the ability to problem solve to get the job. The clients will be testing you to see if you’re a good fit as well. Keep in mind as you take your notes that you must not forget anything they mention as it will come back before the job is completed…i.e. we mentioned that to you before we started the job! Take pictures of the proposed area for work, that way you can use it to better right your estimate. Let them know you will give them a detailed outline of when the job will be completed letting them see how long each phase will take and correlate it with your payment schedule. Before you leave their house let them know when the estimate will be sent to them. MAKE SURE YOU HIT THAT DEADLINE! Once you sent the email over with estimate make sure you get confirmation that they received it. Wait at least 2 days before checking with them, hopefully they contact you first! If they want negotiate the price, let them know that it is the best price that you can manage, its not worth losing money before you start. I closed 80% of the work I estimated by being very transparent and friendly. If you come off with an attitude charge double what the going rates are you might only land 1 out of 10 jobs as well as getting the reputation of being expensive. Bidding the job Looking up industry standards on pricing is what I would go buy for pricing. If you google the coat of any installation there will be a cost range for everything. Looking at the cost ranging from high to low I would tend to be in the middle. Some items might be low on the internet if this is the case use your best judgment not to lose money. Closing sales is key to success and keep the doors open for business. Being in the middle on pricing is key as most customers shy away from contractors that are extremely low or high on the price range. I tend not bid out hourly as wages do not pay for retirement. Bidding is better as customers no the exact price of the cost of construction. It also keeps the job moving quicker as time and material contractors take longer to complete projects…Thus costing the client more money and valuable time they could spend in their house. Using a Contract Using a detailed estimate tied to a contract covers your butt in 99% of the time. Having a piece of mind that every aspect of the job is covered in the estimate and contract protects both your company and the client. Key terms to include in your estimate/contract are. Have a schedule on excel showing the start dates and dates of each trade this will show the customer you are organized with time lines. If not written in the detailed in the estimate the item is excluded- This ensures if its not written down its not included. TBD- To be Determined- A phrase on a line item that has yet to had final decision of products or service needed. -The pricing will follow the decisions to be finalized Give out what your written warranty will be for parts and labor this changes state to state. If the homeowner provides the product than no warranty will be given on that particular item. In the contract have a start date and end date with the verbiage subject to change due to weather, product delivery, change orders Have a progress payment schedule to ensure the client understands when funding will be expected-Including if not payment is rendered service to the project will stop. Have written terms of how change orders will be charged-cost plus 20% or a set fee Make sure in your contract that arbitration is required versus going to court- This will save lawyer fees and going to court Many contracts can be found online and each state requires different contracts
Finding leads Finding leads is easy with the right network of people. I personally do not find working for friends or family members a good fit. Relationships get strained when money is involved, causing undue stress for both parties. I have listed a couple of ways to build a network or find work using the internet. Get in contact with realtor’s- Realtors have a big client base of homeowners who need work done Contact local Architects to see if they are working with any general contractors Leave some business cards at your local materials suppliers-Doowindow/lumber-many times clients will ask salesman for a referral. Join a business networking group- BNI is one of many Join a internet website lead generation company- Houzz, Angie’s List, Home Advisor, thumbtack, Yelp run an ad on craigslist Use a marketing company to market your website-This could become costly with little results Create a Facebook business page Create a Yelp business page
Building your subcontractor base Having 2 subcontractors for every trade, gives you the flexibility of completing jobs on time if the one the subcontractors is too busy at the time you need their service. Your subcontractors are the face of your business, choose owner run companies that are professional. Check to make sure there license are up to date..ie workman’s comp, liability insurance, state license. Choosing subcontractors with lettered vans, logoed t-shirts is s key to looking professional in the clients’ eyes. In the past I have gotten a lot of subcontractors for material supply shops, stopping by jobsites, researching the internet using Yelp, Home Advisor, etc etc. Once you get one good subcontractor ask them if they know any other trades they would recommend. One good subcontractor leads to another in most cases. The key to having a good group of subcontractors is to let them know that you are there to get help them get the job done. They do work for you but without them you are nothing…keep that in mind! Make them aware a clean jobsite is required at the end of everyday to ensure the proper safety for all parties including theirs! Over the years I have referred a lot of companies work when there is only 1 trade needed. Referring work to subcontractors is a good way to get top priority when you have work that needs to be completed ASAP. Timing is everything in times of emergency having a good group of subcontractors will make your business run smoothly. Pay your subcontractors immediately after performing work, this will make them feel appreciated! A happy subcontractor is one that will gladly go the extra mile for you knowing that there not just a number to your business! Buying lunch once a week for the jobsite is always a good token of appreciation!
Supervising In supervising any jobsite its key to monitor everything from materials on hand, weather, vehicle parking (if applicable), jobsite safety, and subcontractors’ workmanship. If you hired a professional there should be little supervision in the work being performed, on rare occasions a new hire might need some mentoring to get the results completed correctly. If you see a problem with there work address it with the worker directly, no need to call his boss…. building repour with the worker letting him know you got his back goes miles down the road! Checking in on the job first in the morning to answer any questions or changes that need to be conveyed and once in the afternoon to make sure all work be completed is done per construction industry standards. A job that is run blindly will have many more issues than one that is watched over. I have seen many jobs with no site supervision, leading to subpar quality work as well as safety hazards. Its better to be like an eagle than cluck like a turkey!
Working with the City/Inspectors On permitted jobs the city and site inspector will be a large part of how smoothly the job runs. Each phase of construction has an inspection allowing for the project to continue. Make sure your subcontractors are aware that the project is inspected before starting the job. The best way to stay on his good side is to provide a clean jobsite and having the job built to the highest standards possible. When having the site inspected be courteous to the inspector asking any questions or concerns you have with the work during the job. Being completely transparent will save you aggravation of problems down the road. The more he trust you the better if you seem sneaky or rude he will make your life a living nightmare! Many inspectors will have an attitude towards you….I suggest keeping quiet and doing what ever he wants….he’s the boss no need to get in a pissing match you will not win at. How to deal with irate customer Stay calm during any argument with an irate customer. Never raise your voice or show that you are bothered by their disgruntled behavior. If the customer is trying to get more from you than agreed upon stand your ground. Worst case scenario is you walk from the job, which in the long run be more of a loss for the client. I have only run into a couple of these clients; they are unreasonable and not worth losing sleep over a few dollars. Its best to terminate the relationship as it would be my best guess that a referral from this customer would not be one you wanted anyway. If you feel it was just a miscommunication on your end, take reasonability and remedy the problem. Taking accountability for your mistake will go a far way in their eyes and on future issues that arise. Prepping the homeowner pre-construction Before starting the job, it very important to give the homeowners a warning of what will happen during the construction process.

1. All furniture in the proposed working area must be moved- I would recommend having the clients take care of this to limit the risk of damage to their belongings.
2. There will be dust that will be in the house up to 3 months after construction-I would recommend hiring a construction cleaning company at the end of the job even so after it is cleaned dust will be present months after words.
3. There will be conflicts between you in the homeowner at some course of the job. - You will do your best to eliminate them as quickly as they arise-i.e. material damages, miscommunication, job delays
4. All decisions on materials must be made before the start of the job- this will eliminate job stoppage due to materials not being on site.
5. All materials will be on site before commencement of job-
6. Payment structures must be made per contract otherwise job will stop until payment rendered
7. Cars are to be moved out of the driveway- Ensures ease of loading and unloading of materials/tools
8. Give the specific hours that workers will be present- i.e. 7-3:30
9. Determine what areas are allowed to be used as staging for tools/materials
10. If animals are present in the home that they put outside or in a room during the day
11. All valuables in the house are locked in safe
12. Ask if using client’s household bathroom is okay or to bring in Porter Potty
13. Being transparent as possible is key to keeping a great relationship with your client!

During Construction During construction it is key to take detailed photos to eliminate any damages that were not caused by the construction process. I would also make a video to ensure all areas are included. All subcontractors should also take progress pictures to ensure if problems arise in the future, they will not be responsible for any work that they did not perform. Keep an on-going log of progress to the homeowners and share the pictures for there records. This will keep homeowners excited of the progress being made. When the house is gutted to the studs it is important to have construction photos showing where all utilities are run in the walls or sub floor. If there is a problem in the future there will photos showing all utility locations. Protect all flooring with plywood or floor protective. I also like to protect front door and tarp all areas where subcontractors are to be working. Make sure to cover any chandeliers/furniture/doorways with plastic to eliminate dust. Ask the homeowners if they have any concerns that they could think of. We’re all human and possibly a detail was missed! Post Construction Phase If the project went smoothly appreciation should be shown to the customer. Find out if the husband likes a particular type of liquor. Bring the wife a bouquet of flowers. Send a Christmas card to the family letting how much you appreciated the work. You know you have done a good job if they tell you they will refer you to their friends. The best compliment you could receive is a good referral. In Summary Try to find a knitch in the market, I found kitchens to be a great remodel projects. Bathrooms are tough as they are small, expensive with little profit margin with every trade involved. Windows/doors are also another great knitch as they can be installed quickly. There are so many different remodeling items that can be stream lined to make the selling installing process flawless. Once the core group subcontractors are in place the job almost runs itself. Every day is a learning experience with new materials or methods in construction. Keeping up with codes, materials, fluctuating labor and material cost is a job within itself. Anyone can be a contractor with the right mindset.

Stick with me here, I know this is a tough crowd. I see on the sub all of the time people complaining about things not working and I wonder how much of comes down to setup. I have quite a few devices in my home and I never experience the problems people have here. I have even tried exact phrases people use like "hey google set a 15 minute timer" and it just works. FYI I would normally say "Hey Google set a timer for 15 minutes." I can't seem to recreate the issues I read about on this sub. So I thought I would share my setup and maybe some people here can benefit from it.
works with google devices-When I set up a device I never give it the same name as a room. ex: 2 smart lights in the master bedroom. Left Light, Right Light, assigned to master bedroom. If I say "HG turn off the left light"-no confusion. "HG Turn off the lights" the mini(stereo pair) assigned to the master bedroom turns them off. "HG turn off the master bedroom lights" they go off doesn't matter which device responds.
Lights in the living room do not have living room in the device name. Sofa light, side table light, console table light, dining room light, kitchen light, assigned to living room (open floor plan). They all work without issue. The exception here is Livingroom TV-(Google TV Chrome Cast) no issues here. doesn't matter which device hears me, if I say "HG turn off the living room tv" it works.
Kids rooms are named after the kids. Johnny's room, Johnny's light, Johnny's display. I know this goes against what I am saying here but they work. This is an exception I guess
My basement has many devices, switches original Home speaker and a mini(gen 1).. desk light, wall lights, lantern, bedroom lights, assigned to basement. Exception Basement TV (Sony with android tv) no issues with it. Turn it up down on off. I find "HG rewind the livingroom tv 2 minutes" or pause to be one of the most helpful things I have ever had. Being able to say hey rewind 5 minutes or a specific amount is awesome IMO. (I realize "rewind" is odd for some, but again it works) Usually I leave out the name of the device and the speaker assigned to the room knows what to control.
I am thinking the more unique you make a device name the better it may work. I don't really try to cast specific shows to devices. I find it cumbersome and start it with my phone. I have done the voice training. I still use a chromecast audio that works fine with no issues. I can ask for specific music. "HG I want to listen to whatever on the Basement speaker" and it goes there. However it doesn't work on my Sony receiver with Chromecast built in. I do not use my Pixel's Hey Google Feature. It is no good when you have multiple devices in your house. So my phone assistant has to be launched. Which I don't mind because I loved active edge.
It seems to me that the google devices work best when trying to control them from another google speakehub. As I mentioned above if I ask to listen to something on the garage speaker it goes there. Meaning: if I ask any device to do something on another google device I don't really have issues.
Generally, if I leave my basement and say "HG turn off the basement" every single thing goes off every time. My 8 year old son says "HG turn on the basement" everything turns on, even the TV" He wants the lights on when he goes down there.
I realized at the end here that I do share room names with the google devices. Basement mini, basement speaker(google home), garage speaker, kitchen display and I do not have issues. But lighting devices all have unique names. Some of you may be trying harder tasks with you smart stuff. I keep my expectations low and do simple instructions. nothing out of the ordinary. Hope this may help someone out.... For you pro users go easy on me.