Deep cleaning in Hyderabad can be a daunting task, but with the right guide it can be a breeze! This ultimate guide will teach you everything you need to know about deep cleaning your home, from top to bottom.

1. What is deep cleaning? Deep cleaning is the process of cleaning a home or office thoroughly and completely. It is a more thorough cleaning than what is generally done during a regular cleaning. Deep cleaning often includes cleaning areas that are not typically cleaned, such as the floors, ceilings, and walls.
2. Why do you need deep cleaning? Deep cleaning is often necessary to remove dirt and stains that are not visible to the naked eye. Over time, these build-ups can cause damage to your carpet and furniture, and can even lead to health problems. That’s why it’s important to have your home’s deep cleaning done regularly.
3. What are the benefits of deep cleaning? Deep cleaning is a process that goes beyond your average cleaning routine. It entails a more in-depth and thorough cleaning of all surfaces and areas of your home. While deep cleaning offers a number of benefits, here are some of the most notable: Deep cleaning can help improve your home’s air quality. All of the surfaces in your home, from the floors to the walls, accumulate dust, dirt, and other allergens over time. These particles can cause respiratory problems and other health issues. Deep cleaning can help remove these particles and improve your home’s air quality.

Deep Cleaning in Hyderabad can also help improve your home’s appearance. Over time, surfaces can become stained and dirty, making your home look less than desirable. Deep cleaning can help remove these stains and dirt, and make your home look fresh and clean. Lastly, deep cleaning can help improve your home’s functionality. Over time, areas in your home can become cluttered and disorganized. This can make it difficult to find things and can also be a safety hazard. Deep cleaning can help clear out these areas and make your home more functional.

1. How can you deep clean your home? Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition for many homeowners. It’s a time to clear out the cobwebs, clean the carpets, and polish the furniture. But what about the things you can’t see — the dust and dirt that have built up over time? How can you deep clean your home and get rid of all the dirt and grime that’s hiding in the cracks and crevices?

There are a number of ways to deep clean your home. You can use a vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool to get into tight spaces, or you can use a wet/dry vacuum to clean up liquid spills. You can also use a steam cleaner to remove dirt and grime from your floors and surfaces. Steam cleaners are a great way to deep clean your home. They use high temperatures and pressurized steam to clean and sanitize surfaces. They can be used to clean floors, walls, ceilings, and even furniture.
If you’re looking for a way to deep clean your home, a steam cleaner is a great option. They’re easy to use, and they can clean and sanitize surfaces quickly and effectively.

1. What are the best deep cleaning tips for Hyderabad?

Hyderabad is a beautiful city, but it can be a little dirty. If you’re looking for ways to deep clean your home, here are some of the best tips!

1. Start with the floors. Sweep and mop them thoroughly, then use a cleaner to get rid of any stubborn dirt or stains.
2. Tackle the windows. Wash them inside and out, then use a squeegee to get rid of any excess water.
3. Clean the furniture. Dust and polish it, then use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of any hidden dirt or dust mites.
4. Wash the curtains. Soak them in a bathtub with some detergent, then rinse them thoroughly.
5. Clean the bathrooms. Scrub the tiles and the fixtures, then use a disinfectant to get rid of any bacteria.
6. Vacuum the carpets. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies, then use a carpet cleaner to remove any built-up dirt or stains.
7. Clean the kitchen. Wipe down the counters and the appliances, then use a de-greaser to get rid of any grease or grime.
8. De-clutter your home. Tidying up your home will make it easier to clean, and it will also make it look a lot nicer.
9. Keep a cleaning schedule. This will help you to stay on top of things, and it will make it a lot easier to stay organized. 10. Use the right tools. Make sure to have all of the necessary cleaning supplies on hand, and use them correctly to get the best results.
   
10. How to find the best deep cleaning service in Hyderabad? When it comes to deep cleaning services, Hyderabad is spoilt for choice. There are so many companies offering their services that it can be difficult to know which one to choose. However, there are a few things you can look for to help you make the best decision. First of all, it is important to consider the reputation of the company. Do some research online to see what others have said about them. Are they reliable and do they deliver on their promises?
    

Secondly, you should look at the range of services they offer. Deep cleaning can be quite a comprehensive job, so it is important to make sure the company you choose can do everything you need them to.
Finally, it is important to consider the price. You don’t want to break the bank, but you also don’t want to choose a company that is offering a substandard service. Compare prices and read reviews to get a sense of what is a fair price for the level of service you are expecting. When you take all these factors into account, you should be able to find the perfect deep cleaning service for your needs.

1. How to get the most out of your deep cleaning service? To get the most out of your Deep Cleaning Service in Hyderabad, make sure you communicate your needs and expectations clearly. Be as specific as possible, and provide a detailed list of the areas you would like cleaned. If you have any special requests or concerns, be sure to mention them as well. By working together, you can ensure that your deep cleaning service meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

With this guide, you can create a clean and fresh home in Hyderabad with ease! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to a sparkling clean home in no time.
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Here’s options for downloading or watching Transformers: Rise of the Beasts streaming the full movie online for free on 123movies & Reddit including where to watch the Paramount's live-action Transformers franchise movies at home. Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 2023 available to stream? Is watching Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on Paramount Plus, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, or Amazon Prime? Yes, we have found an authentic streaming option / service. Watch Transformers 1080p, En-HQ.
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be in theaters beginning June 9. If you're wondering how and where you can watch it yourself, take a look at the information below.
One thing we love about the summer season are the new shows and movies that premiere! Because, not everyone goes out of town. Instead, many of us enjoy a few days or more at home, unwinding and relaxing, while catching up on our favorite shows or enjoying a new movie. Or both! This is the perfect time to catch up on movies or a series you haven’t watched before. To us here at Hidden Remote, binge-watching movies is our idea of fun! So whether you are new to the Transformers movies or are already familiar with the franchise, this is a great movie series to check out ahead of the Rise of the Beasts release.
Still Now Here Option’s to Downloading or watching Transformers: Rise of the Beasts streaming the full movie online for free. Do you like movies? If so, then you’ll love New Romance Movie: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This movie is one of the best in its genre. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be available to watch online on Netflix's very soon! Want to watch 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' on your TV, phone, or tablet? The Autobots and the Maximals are teaming up to face an all-new threat.
Is Transformers Rise of The Beasts streaming? How to watch new movie? The Transformers 7 release date is upon us, with the new movie set to bring metallic mayhem. Here's how to watch Rise of the Beasts on streaming services. With the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts theatrical release date only a few days away, fans wonder when the latest Transformers movie is coming out to streaming services like Netflix, Paramount Plus, and so on. Here’s the need-to-know info on streaming Transformers 7 and how to watch it.
What started out as a popular toy line has quickly become one of the biggest action movie franchises on the planet. With a total of 6 Transformers movies in the franchise and a new film on the way, the series is showing no signs of slowing down. With Transformers: Rise of the Beasts arriving later this week, you may be wondering where you can stream all of the movies online before it arrives. We've compiled a list of where to watch every Transformers movie in the series in June 2023.
There are multiple new movies on the way in the ever-bombastic and explosive world of the Transformers franchise, with the Transformers One release date set for 2024. Before the Transformers movies return to the world of animation, though, we have the Transformers 7 release date to look forward to. Fresh from Bumblebee, which was definitely one of the best movies the franchise has delivered, we’ve got another sci-fi epic. This time, Creed 2 director Steven Caple Jr. is at the helm of the twisted metal and unstoppable carnage. Here’s how to watch Transformers Rise of the Beasts, and whether it’s available on the best streaming services yet.
Beast Wars is finally coming to the big screen, as the live-action Transformers franchise has decided to embrace the storytelling possibilities of a massive, robotic gorilla. We can’t wait to see it.
Here are all the ways to watch Transformers 7 Rise of the Beasts.
When Is the Release Date for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?
Transformers 7 had its premiere at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on May 27, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the US, CA & UK on June 9, 2023, by Paramount Pictures.
When it launches on June 9, 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be exclusive to cinemas. The movie was originally scheduled to premiere on June 24, 2022.
Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in Theaters?
Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023. Those eager to see their favorite action figures come to life for the seventh time in live-action won't have to wait much longer. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be racing onto screens as early as Friday, June 9, 2023. Additionally, Collider is also hosting a free early screening of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on June 7 at 6 pm, in Los Angeles. The event will also include a Q&A session with Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, and you can learn more about the screening here.
Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Release on Streaming?
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be racing onto screens as early as Friday, June 9. While Paramount has announced no streaming plans at this time, big-budget blockbusters like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts typically become available on streaming roughly ninety days after their theatrical run begins. Given that the Transformers franchise rights currently belong to Paramount Pictures, it's more than likely that we'll see the next Transformers film come to Paramount+ once the movie decides to indulge in a streaming release. While not every film from the franchise is currently available on the service, it's hard to imagine that Paramount wouldn't put a big recent release like this onto their own service.
No, Transformers Rise of the Beasts is not yet streaming, so you’ll need to zoom your way to the nearest cinema if you want to see it. We’re sure that you’ll be able to stream Transformers Rise of the Beasts eventually, but Paramount has made it exclusive to cinemas for now. After all, that level of destructive action is best witnessed on a massive screen and through booming speakers.
Where to Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Transformers Rise of the Beasts lands explosively in cinemas on June 9, 2023, and it’s a theatrical exclusive for now. If you want to bear witness to the Beast Wars and the threat posed to Earth by Unicron – a planet-devouring contender to be one of the best movie villains ever – then you’ll need to head to your nearest multiplex. In common with the rest of the best action movies in this franchise, it’s theatrical or bust to begin with.
There are currently no platforms that have the rights to Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Movie Online.MAPPA has decided to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts the movie only in theaters because it has been a huge success.The studio , on the other hand, does not wish to divert revenue Streaming the movie would only slash the profits, not increase them.
As a result, no streaming services are authorized to offer Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Movie for free. The film would, however, very definitely be acquired by services like Funimation , Netflix, and Crunchyroll. As a last consideration, which of these outlets will likely distribute the film worldwide?
How to Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
To find out if Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is playing in a theater near you (and if it's available in IMAX near you), click on one of the following links below to find showtimes and advanced tickets for the upcoming film:
Below, you'll find a number of top-tier streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription alternatives - along with the availability of 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the fundamentals of how you can watch 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' right now, here are some details about the Skydance, Paramount, di Bonaventura Pictures, Bay Films, New Republic Pictures, Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production, Hasbro Studios, Entertainment One, Amblin Entertainment adventure flick.
Where To Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Online:
As of now, the only way to watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is to head out to a movie theater when it premieres on June 2, 2023. You can find a local showing on Fandango.
'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Disney Plus, Apple iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, and YouTube .
When Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Be Available On Netflix?
When Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Be Available On Netflix? Unfortunately the movie Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is not yet available on Netflix. Follow us on Facebook to see when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts becomes available on Netflix!
Transformers Rise of the Beasts is too busy shaking cinema walls to be on Netflix just yet. But we’ll keep an eye on the streamer’s catalog and let you know if the new Transformers outing does show up in the future. The streaming giant has a massive catalog of television shows and movies, but it does not include 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.' We recommend our readers watch other dark fantasy films like 'The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.'
Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts coming to Disney Plus?
Transformers Rise of the Beasts is not on Disney Plus, and we doubt it will end up there any time soon. The new Transformers movie is a Paramount production, so it’s not likely to end up on the streaming arm of a rival studio. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the latest installment in the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts franchise, is coming to Disney+ on July 9th! The simple answer is, probably not, since Paramount Pictures make “Transformers” films, and so this means that the new movie will be streaming exclusively on Paramount+, following a theatrical and digital release.
However, the previous “Transformers” films are spread around a number of different streaming services, depending on what country you are in, due to long-running contracts between the studios and streaming platforms.
Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on Amazon Prime?
We think Transformers Rise of the Beasts will be available on Prime Video before the end of 2023, but it’s not there yet. The other Transformers movies are available to rent or purchase on the Prime Video platform. Amazon Prime's current catalog does not include 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.' However, the film may eventually release on the platform as video-on-demand in the coming months.fantasy movies on Amazon Prime's official website. Viewers who are looking for something similar can watch the original show 'Dororo.'
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Will Stream On Paramount+
Transformers: Rise of the Beast is expected to be available to watch via streaming on Paramount Plus by September 9, 2023. Paramount+ is where Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will stream upon its release. Paramount has been in charge of the Transformers movie franchise since it began in 2007 and thus is responsible for releasing every entry in theaters. While the studio might have previously sent its movies to other streaming services like Netflix, the shift to focus more on the development of its own streaming service Paramount+ has changed this tactic. That is why Paramount has released its other major recent blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Paramount+ after their theatrical runs conclude.
Want to know how to watch the Transformers movies in order before Rise of the Beasts roars into theaters? You've come to the right place. The seventh entry in Paramount Pictures' Transformers film franchise arrives in cinemas worldwide on Friday, June 9, so you don't have much time left to watch its predecessors at home. But, if you're planning to cram them all in before catching Transformers: Rise of the Beasts this weekend, we're here to help you work out how to watch them in chronological and release date order, and we'll also tell you which of the world's best streaming services have them as part of their movie libraries.
So, if you're ready to be reunited with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and company – and get the lowdown on every Transformers film to be released so far – read on.
Here's How and Where You Can Watch All of the Transformers movies
The best place to start is finding out where you can watch all of the Transformers movies in order in the comfort of your own home. If you're subscribed to Paramount Plus, that's your answer – well, for five of the six films, anyway. Paramount's primary streaming platform is home to the Michael Bay-directed trilogy – Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The streamer's film library is also home to the two Mark Wahlberg-starring flicks, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Transformers: The Last Knight.
● Transformers (released on July 3, 2007)
● Revenge of the Fallen (released on June 24, 2009)
● Dark of the Moon (released on June 29, 2011)
● Age of Extinction (released on June 27, 2014)
● The Last Knight (released on June 21, 2017)
● Bumblebee (released on Dec. 21, 2018)
Potential users looking to watch this quintet of movies will want to check out our Paramount Plus price guide to see how much it costs to sign up. Alternatively, you can get the lowdown on whether a Paramount Plus free trial is available, so you can try the service out without paying any money to stream the movies. Unfortunately for Paramount Plus UK and Australian-based users, the sixth entry in the action sci-fi franchise, 2018's Bumblebee, isn't available on British shores as part of the package.
US subscribers can catch Bumblebee on Paramount Plus (and Fubo, for what it's worth), but UK and Australian fans will have to look elsewhere to get the full Transformers movies in order experience. Here's where UK and Australian viewers can watch Bumblebee instead:
● Australia – rent or buy via the Amazon, Apple TV Google Play, Microsoft, or YouTube stores
● UK – rent or buy via the Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Microsoft, Rakuten, Sky, or YouTube stores
Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Be On HBO Max?
No, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will not be on HBO Max since it’s not a Paramount Pictures movie. Last year, the company released its films in theaters and on the streamer on the same day. However, they now allow a 45-day window between the theatrical release and the streaming release.
Disney may have made billions with last year’s mega-blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water, but for now it’s going to share the streaming success. The Steven Caple Jr. directed sequel is coming to streaming on September 11 and though the film was distributed by Disney, Disney+ won’t be the only place to see it. You can see it there as well as Max, aka HBO Max.
Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Available On Hulu?
Viewers are saying that they want to view the new animation movie Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free episodes of this series streaming at this time. It will be exclusive to the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service.
No, 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' is unavailable on Hulu. People who have a subscription to the platform can enjoy 'Afro Samurai Resurrection' or 'Ninja Scroll.'
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Release in the US
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters on June 9, 2023. Tickets to see the film at your local movie theater are available online here. The film is being released in a wide release so you can watch it in person.
How to Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts for Free?release on a platform that offers a free trial. Our readers to always pay for the content they wish to consume online and refrain from using illegal means.
How to Watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Online For Free?
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There are a few ways to watch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable.
When Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Be on DVD and Blu-ray?
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will likely be coming to DVD and Blu-ray around the same time as the streaming release. With theatrical films, on average, coming to streaming sooner than ever (usually ninety days after theatrical release), we'll likely see Transformers: Rise of the Beasts get a DVD, and Blu-ray release no later than Fall 2023. Transformers Rise of the Beasts isn’t on Blu-ray yet but will join the rest of the franchise on disc before the end of 2023. There are plenty of fancy releases and box sets of the other Transformers movies, so we’re sure this one will be available to buy in all of its 4K glory very soon.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast:
Some familiar voices can be heard as the titular robots-in-disguise in the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast, like Transformers legacy actor Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, as well as new cast members like Peter Dinklage and Michelle Yeoh voicing new Transformer characters:
● Anthony Ramos as Noah Diaz
● Dominique Fishback as Elena Wallace
● Luna Lauren Vélez as Mrs Diaz
● Tobe Nwigwe as Reek
● Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
● Pete Davidson as Mirage
● Liza Koshy as Arcee
● Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal
● Michelle Yeoh as Airazor
● David Sobolov as Rhinox
● Tongayi Chirisa as Cheetor
● John DiMaggio as Stratosphere
● Peter Dinklage as Scourge
● David Sobolov as Battletrap
● John DiMaggio as Transit
● Michaela Jaé Rodriguez - Nightbird
What Transformers: Rise of the Beasts About:
Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals to save Earth. For a while, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts looked like it might be another Bumblebee--a Transformers movie that lacks any of the pizzazz of the Michael Bay flicks but which actually tells a decent story about characters you actually care about. For the first 45 minutes to an hour, we get the most compelling and relatable version yet of the story about a regular person accidentally becoming friends with an alien robot who was secretly a car. But then the plot really kicks in, and suddenly we're watching a Michael Bay Transformers movie--but without Bay's skill as an action filmmaker.
It’s a tale as old as time: A human character stumbles upon a group of Transformers that includes Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and Bumblebee (voiceless yet again), and gets roped into their battle with an evil faction, which inevitably involves a race for a piece of Transformers tech that has the power to destroy the world.

<< The flickering red lights felt like they had a soul of their own. The beat dropped and the boom resounded in every clubber’s soul. The concussion blasts reverberated through the ears of the hundreds of people either yelling "what" at one another or pretending to hear what the other person had actually said and laughing drunkenly. There was a mosh pit of desperate souls holding out their cash at the bar hoping only one of the two bartenders would notice, there was the inevitable drunk dude-bro who wanted to start a fight, and there was a fair share of drunk unconsciousness. The “Rotterdam Club” was Stephen’s favorite place of business.
It was wall to wall people dancing erratically and the floor itself had become invisible under a sea of dancing feet. Despite it being hard to navigate through this mass of people, Stephen was like a fish in the water. He squeezed his way through the mass and could notice scattered pairs of interested eyes among the clubbers, some of these guests gave nods or even went out of their way to seek Stephen out. Then, Stephen would listen to their wants, swiftly bury his hand in his bag, and nonchalantly exchange a handshake with the customer where money and pills would be exchanged.
However, this specific night, Stephen wasn’t feeling right. For the last month, Stephen had been experiencing insomnia due to a series of weird nightmares, strange dreams which seemed to grow intense night after night. And in the last few days, a dark girl was frequently appearing in these dreams, a dark girl with dark omens drawn in blood. To work efficiently was becoming harder and harder for Stephen due to this. At the third hour after midnight, Stephen stopped in the middle of the club as all the clubbers formed a cyclone of drunken dancing, he stood still in the middle. As his eyes were scanning the venue for something interesting, his gaze fell on an intriguing dark silhouette facing away from him. A pale woman with a beautifully twisted aura stood still just like him a few feet away. Finally, she turned around and she stared back…as if she knew him, as if he knew her. And Stephen’s mind finally solved the puzzle as this girl’s image erupted in his stream of fractured memories…The girl in his nightmares, in his dreams, the dark omen, the goth girl who dies holding his hand. And for that moment, for both of them…time stopped. >>
Hey, I’m looking for a semi-literate partner to roleplay with. The story will take place in a rather big city which hides a few esoteric secrets. The vibe would be something in the middle between Stephen King-esque grittiness, Lovecraftian existential dread, and the interpersonal horror of the World of Darkness universe in addition to some Silent Hill bizarreries. Therefore, the themes of this story will be tied to esoteric thriller mysteries, interpersonal horror, and unattainable (toxic?) love which is my favorite thing to write/read about. The characters we play would be ordinary people who fall victim to the arbitrary and unknowable dark Supernatural. They have little to no Supernatural abilities or nature. They're humans who are just trying to survive.
If this genre of horror and thriller interests you. If stories of secret witch covens, underground cults, esoteric beings, and half-dead unknowable gods and demons entices you, or if you’re a big Silent Hill fan like me, then this RP might be real fun and a nice writing exercise in the genre for you. So, join me and let’s dive deep into this city’s intricate web of enigmas. A city where a girl recently died in mysterious conditions, where a boy is struggling with hallucinations of another world, where a man with glowing eyes is driving around at night hunting, where a veteran of war is following the possible trail of a murder cult, and where a school teacher is struggling to hide her true nature and true potential, all the while desperately and madly falling in love with each other in a world that cannot allow it.
I play in third person and use ref pics. I would like my partner to be able to create and manage multiple “NPC” characters since I will be doing the same. Also I would like my partner to have autonomy and to create plotlines as they wish. I am not a GM so please don’t expect that of me. I do not have any clear ideas of where the story goes for now, I only have my character kinda figured out but I’m sure that we can come up with something good if we put both our visions together. Please message me only if you have a character in mind with a brief bio and a ref pic.

Had 2 shitty app glitches happen today. Had to come and bitch to someone, anyone—
1st: had an order where the customer had a note detailing that they have had issues in the past with items being missing, and asking me to please make extra sure no items are missing. I very very rarely have any item issues and when I do it’s never for a missing item (when I first started yes but for the past 6-8 months nothing). For that entire time period I’ve had no listed order issues, not even ones that were removed for fraud. I’m very over the top with checking the correct items are with the correct order (initially check when separating in the carriage, then again when checking out, a third time when I re-bags everything to be organized, and one last time when delivering I briefly run through the list just to make absolute sure. This was also a single customer batch. Got all the items, did my usual checks at checkout. I go to do the final check at delivery and one of the items listed (chopped romaine) was not initially on the list. And now it had it as a found item. Obviously I would have had to scan the item in for it to be found so how this possibly happened I have no idea! It was not on the list during checkout either and then magically, of course for this customer, it was there. I contacted support and they made sure the customer was refunded for the item. But really, really??? It had to be this person because they have already had issues. I’m wondering since this seems to be a common issue for her if somehow there is a glitch when it comes to her orders? I literally have no clue. Anyone experienced anything similar?
2nd: took a Walgreens order. Only a handful of items, 1.3mi delivery distance for $33 and change. Alright word. Accept it. Navigate from the app directly and start to drive the 10 minutes to the store. I legit hit the button to accept, put my car in reverse and headed right there. Not one single second did I wait. I get about 5 minutes away and notice an IC notification come up on my phone. The phone was on the dashboard mount because I was driving so obviously I wasn’t staring at the screen. I look at the notification and it’s for a batch offer (not an add on) AND for a split second i see the batch back on the screen before someone takes it. so now I’m all confused. I realize the batch was removed, no rhyme or reason as to why). So I contact support at this point I’m beyond pissed and at the store already. Which was difficult enough, as we all know what it’s like to get someone when you don’t currently have a batch. Once I get someone I type out the whole issue, they respond and then the app comes up with that message about needing to log out. So I click it because you can’t do anything else. Of course that closes out support. So I log back in and start all over. And when im finally able to talk to someone they tell me it was removed due to inactivity! EXCUSE ME WHAT?!? Inactivity? there was 5 minutes in between accepting and it being removed! supposedly its been forwarded to the appropriate team to see what they can do but im so mad. Anyone else have an issue like this happen and be resolved?
of course it had to be during a period where the last few weeks have been slow and i really need the money. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 #getyoshittogetherIC #glitchesgetstitches
Ps thanks for listening. I needed to vent to those who understand

My baby loved to be worn as a newborn. For three months wearing him was basically the only way I could get any chores done and he frequently napped in the carrier too, but since hitting the four month sleep regression (like a brick wall) he's started fighting it HARD. We did manage one carrier nap last week because I absolutely had to do some laundry and pack for a trip and I basically bounced him reluctantly to sleep, with him screaming all the way. Even putting him in it for a walk is met with fighting. Has anyone experienced it? Advice? Did it end?

I’m shaking inside his bed. I shouldn’t have come over. This is all my fault. I have bee n held hostage inside his windowless room for god knows how long. My mama warned me not to see him again. I should have listened to her. I should have stayed home today. But now it is too late to go back. I have been enfettered by the chains of his love for two months now, and I am well past the point of return. Besides, he’s hidden my phone, and I cannot call Mama anyways, even if I wanted to. What would I even say to her? I bury myself deep into the mess of dirty blankets. I pray he never sees me like this- so weak, so vulnerable. He confiscated my clothes. I’m shivering. I don’t know if it’s from the cold or from fear. I can’t hear anything over my tremorous wheezes. Footsteps. I can hear his footsteps approaching. No, no, no, no, no, no; he’s coming. I press my hands over my mouth to hold in my sobs. Oh god he’s really coming. I pretend to be fast asleep. He shuts and locks the door behind him- like he always does. He growls my name, “Malaya.” I stay silent, praying he will walk away this time. Forget about me. Lose interest. Suddenly I feel my arm wrench into the wrong direction. Oh no, he knows I’m awake. I yelp from the pain and try to scramble from his grasp onto my feet, but he’s too quick. He grabs my hair in a tight fist and jerks my head up so I’m facing him without even the slightest hesitation. He’s convinced he owns me and he might be right. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” he spits. We’re about eye level but I maintain focus on his chest in protest where he can’t see the tears streaming from my eyes. I won’t let him win. Not this time. I clench my teeth in retaliation. His fingers dig deeper into my jaw, “I said look at me, you dumb whore.” I wince at his demand, which only tightens his hold on me. I push back on him with all my might. Maybe I can make a run for the door if I’m quick enough. Just three words: “Let me go, let me go, let me go” over and over and over again thrash against the inner lining of my skull. But he remains unyielding. I shouldn’t have done that. Now it’s my fault that I’m in a chokehold. I scratch at his elbow and forearm frantically. I’m running out of air, and my attempts at liberation are getting weaker and weaker as my vision starts to fade. He relinquishes his grip just in time, and I fall right onto the edge of the wooden bed frame in anguish. I lay still while he turns on the television, impetuously trying to catch my breath. He gets off on loud music to the point where it is deafening. He’s going to blast Deftones so no one in his apartment building can hear me, particularly his baby sister who is my age in the room next door. But I’m pretty sure his younger sister can hear me from the next room. I think she’s scared of him, too. I think that’s why I never see her come out, not even to eat. He tosses the remote on the desk and walks towards me dauntingly. His bed is like a cage: pushed against a wall with high bed frames on each end, so that there is only one way to enter and exit. My heels dig into the rotting mattress as I try to push myself as far back into the dark corner as I can, but my back hits the wall within seconds. My breathing picks up again, and I can no longer maintain clear vision. “You know what I want. Let me have it. I’m sick of these games. Stop pretending like you don’t want it,” he leers. “No.” My whisper, barely audible, somehow makes its way out of my windpipe. “What did you just say to me?” Uh oh. It isn’t a good sign when he sounds this calm. I haven’t eaten in days. His hands fit right around my waist as he drags me towards him. I squirm and try to wrangle out of his reach, but his hand meets my cheek before I can get very far. My face stings. The salt from my eyes doesn’t help. “What did I say, huh?” He strikes me. Again. Again. Again. Again. My ability to endure his love plunges further. I’m convinced that the man I knew is dead. Each stroke of his hand reaches a whole new level of pain. I’m trying to get away. I’m trying. He raises his hand one last time. I flinch, preparing myself for the blow that will break me. Then, nothing. He chuckles. He thinks it’s funny. He’s satisfied. He discards me to the side. “One second I’ll be right back.” He gets up and reaches into his main desk drawer. He pulls something out but I can’t make out what it is. Is he finally done with me? He’s walking back towards me. Why is he coming back? Panic floods my senses all over again. No. They’re handcuffs. Before I know it he’s gripping one wrist. He’s already gotten one hand cuffed. He flips me onto my stomach. I’m kicking, screaming, flailing my entire body like a fish out of water. I have never fought so hard. He hits me again, but I still refuse to cooperate. The pain that has been consuming me for the past two hours numbs, succumbing to the rush of pure terror. “Please stop, please, please, you’re hurting me.” I’m pleading like never before. He flips me back onto my back, but I’m still pinned. Is this mercy? “Are you scared?” his eyes look amused and curious. He gets off on my fear, my anxiety, my pain, my despair. “Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!” I can’t even form words, let alone move my mouth beyond a wobbly quiver. My whole body is trembling. I can’t feel my hands. I can’t feel my legs. “Do you want me to take them off of you?” I nod desperately over and over again, fixating on his hands working to take them off. They’re finally off. I break down again. He holds me, “Shhh shhh; it’s okay.” I fall asleep like that. There is nothing left in me to give. At least I won’t be conscious for what happens next.

Summary: A labor dispute coupled with an outbreak of unknown disease pushes all sides to war and a new truth.
I Was a Pilot on Strike. This is Why We Went Back to Work.
I was the second in command activist pilot in the Union based at O'Hare International, the unofficial headquarters of the strike movement. I remember when our strike started to heat up very vividly.
Fred, our Union boss, and Leo, the first in command activist, were sitting in the pilot's lounge, watching the tv coverage flash our picket lines from airports across the country. Something like “what do we want? The Package. When do we want it? Now!”
The Package was the nickname for our list of demands which included more security in the wake of the so-called Body Bombings last year, better pay and benefits, more job security, and perhaps, most controversially, cleaner fuel and fuel efficiency standards for current and future airliners.
The TV chirped up again, “well, folks its the twenty first day of the pilot strike most jets have been grounded now for the last eighteen as the pilots and their associated ground personnel unions have occupied major airports – only major international carriers at the coastal hubs are landing or departing now as we've seen a huge increase in train and car travel as we approach the fourth of july weekend. That's right, and our next top story as we gather for the holiday for first time after the omicron wave, health officials are advising to watch out for symptoms of a new skin...”
Fred hit mute on the remote. Fred was a balding, thick man, with thick arm hair, rolling over his grizzled sun burned flesh like barbed wire.
Leo lit up a cigarette. Leo was short, thin, and young in his looks but old, like faux 50's old in his heart. “There's no smoking in here, Leo,” Fred said sternly.
Leo didn't flinch.
Then Fred broke a smile and chuckled.
“Media bums aren't even interested in what we want anymore.” I said.
“Only these media bums. Follow the money.” Leo mumbled over his cancer stick. “That media group got a lot of money out of the bailout. Probably more than us.”
Fred looked at his watch, “We should probably get going.”
“Make em sweat for once, for Christ sake.” Leo nearly spat out his smoke.
“I'm with Leo on this one, Fred” I said.
So we made the negotiators sweat a little longer.
About an hour later we finally met them at the table. We sat on the left, the various airline owners sat on the right. This was the third time during the last three weeks but now, there was a new guy at the head of the table, a Federal mediator.
The Mediator had black rimmed almost square glasses, thick gray hair, and a blotchy face, “I'm calling this meeting to order. Before I present this offer, I have impress upon both sides how essential it is we start our air travel again soon, both for the holiday but also the good of the country. I am at this time presenting a voluntary compromise – officially, the Federal government supports the pilots' initiative to enhance security in the wake of the last year's incidents and we are prepared to use some of the unspent bailout money to supplement private airliner's initiatives and spending. We are also sympathetic to pilots and ground crews positions on their pay and benefits. The Federal government, however, is not, at this time, interested in imposing nor supporting job security, nor fuel charges nor efficiency standards. I yield to the industry representatives for comment.”
The chief industry rep, Michelson Connery, was a young looking, smooth talking, sleaze bag with jet black hair from New Jersey who had a habit of touching his coke inflamed nose every five minutes or so.
“You know back in Jersey, we're used to being shaken down, as they say. Now we appreciate the nice talk, we appreciate your brass knuckles and tommy guns are firmly tucked away, we appreciate you're giving us a break or too, but a shake down is a shake down none the less. No deal. I yield.”
Fred sat up in his chair, his mouth agape, he cleared his throat while adjusting his microphone, “No deal.” He flopped back into his chair.
“Before we depart,” the Mediator quelled the commotion as both parties began to leave, “As I said the federal government has a strong interest in resuming flights as soon as possible, we are considering using our unique power to impose a settlement on the Union, if necessary.”
Fred lurched forward, “What kind of power? What kind of threat is this?”
“It's no threat.” The Mediator paused, “It's a threat to a threat, if necessary, we will invoke our powers under various emergency statutes to effectively Federalize pilots and ground crews – under those provisions, we would impose work or removal provisions to settle this.”
“That's total bull!” Fred lunged at the Mediator, “You're basically telling us all they have to do is wait it until you force us back to work! And what about the future? These efficiency standards aren't just about hippie dippie environmental stuff, its about fleet upgrades, fleet safety and thus worker and pilot safety!”
“Gentlemen, please, I putting something on the table and it has neither a definite nor indefinite timeline – in the meanwhile, your adversaries are hemorrhaging cash and depreciating their capital and you're folks – especially your ground crew union, are running out savings – I suggest you both, in good faith, consider the current and official Federal position in good time to sort this out sooner than later rather than a threat of a threat become a threat. Good day.”
Within hours, each side called a respective press conference. Industry denounced the compromise set out by the Feds while we denounced their denouncement. Neither side budged and neither side disclosed the Mediator's so called “threat of a threat”. We sat on the picket lines for another week as each side floated various non-serious proposals and misinformation in the media. We found ourselves back in the pilot lounge before our next round of serious negotiations. This time Fred and Leo were both smoking while I had to exhale bad news.
“The ground crew union is gunna crack first, Industry is offering them a side deal and I think they're gunna take it. They go back to work, it's gunna be next to impossible to leverage the whole of the hubs, then the scabs come in, they'll just work around us.” I told Leo and Fred. “Then we maybe we should float lower pay increases for ourselves. Overall, you pay the few pilots a little bit more, you pay the huge ground crew nothing more, that sounds like the win for us and Industry.” Leo pitched back. “Leo, where do we stand on public support?” Fred inquired.
“I don't know.”
“What do you mean you don't know?”
Leo clicked on the TV, “our top story tonight, farm fields across the country are now being seemingly afflicted by some kind of blight resulting in, at in some cases, widespread crop failures as the department of agriculture is mum. Meanwhile, more and more people are reporting severe skin deformations and damage while the CDC has been all but muzzled save for recommending that people stay inside and avoid direct sunlight. At this time there is speculation but no official word the crop blight and the skin disease are connected.” “See, it's all blight this, blight that.”
“So fake,” Fred said, “I've been out in the damn sun all week on the line and I've got nothing. Whatever the damn news wants to keep real progress from being made here. Anyway, I say we stay the course and we firm it up with the ground crews, have some solidarity.”
There was a knock on the door, “heh, maybe this good news.” Fred left his seat to open the door. A neutral representative walked through and announced the Federal Mediator has canceled the session. Leo and I brewed up from our seats to go raise holy hell with Fred at the mediator's delegation when all the television screens in the lounge turned to an Emergency Announcement Service message. Leo fumbled to unmute the television as the seal of the office of the President blasted on all the screens. “My fellow Americans, it is with great dismay that after nearly a month of grounded air travel across these great United States, because of a dispute over many complex issues, I am forced to use the power legislated to the executive branch by various emergency statutes, that I am announcing the immediate federalization of pilots and ground crews. Effective immediately, they will have a forty eight hour cooling off period before I am ordering them, as federal employees, to return to work or be dismissed. Also, their demands for higher pay and better benefits will be met in part by the conditions of Federal employment. I will be going to Congress, in the morning, to seek long term funding for our new national employees to secure their jobs for a long while. Any deviation from this will have significant physical consequences...”
The TV trailed off as representatives from the ground crews burst into the room in a ruckus, “Long term employment my ass! That jackass knows this is a bandaid – there's no way Congress is gunna pay us, in ninety days, we're as good as fired, begging for our old jobs with no retirement and no Unions.” Ground Crew Union Head Reggie Weston flipped off the TV. “I say, we sit on the damn runways after forty eight hours! You're with us, right? Can I get a yes yes?”
“And here we heard you were about to sell us out and now you're all about it huh?” Leo grumbled. “It was nothing like that. I swear. You know how much talk flies.” Reggie looked offended.
“I'm with Reggie, this is unbelievable, just like that our retirement plan, what? Probably gone? We're not employees anymore afterall. Forced to work – basically at gunpoint now. No. No. No.” I said. “Fred?” Leo prodded.
Fred stood there scratching his scalp in dismay and despair then he straightened himself up, took a drag off his smoke, and turned to us, “Tell all folks, we're going to war.”
We were a bit concerned some of the locals might pull off on the eve of the forty eight hour period but when the forty ninth came, they were steadfast and when they fired us, and then the cops came in, we were ready, both in the courts, and on the lines. On day four, ninety six hours after the announcement, the picket lines were more like trenches, and the pilot's lounge a war room. Each airport was a mini Battle of Blair Mountain. I had my arm wrapped up in an ice pack from a rubber bullet ricochet while Leo was still furiously blinking out yesterday's pepper spray. Fred hadn't been back from the riot on the runways.
Rocks, molotov cocktails scorch marks, and burned out tear gas canisters dotted the parking lots and tarmacs. Overturned vending machines, kiosks, and stacked chairs and tables from the food courts barricaded the concourses. A fire started in one of the hangers and it only just now started to burn itself out. They cut the power and we sweltered in that Midwest heat as we quickly discovered how poorly insulating all of the windows actually were. We had a few generators but they were being used to run the CCTV cameras which we connected to some of the TVs in the pilot's lounge so we could see which direction the next charge was coming from and send out warnings.
On the fifth day an injunction had been filed and granted against the entire federalization and the cops withdrew to their side of the no man's land. It wasn't a moment too soon as we the pilots and the ground crews were nearly depleted.
It was early that morning as the leadership started to gather in the pilot's lounge that we got our first of several mortifying discoveries.
Reggie held a flashlight to his bruised face as he announced, “We lost contact with our brothers at LAX and Denver International.”
“How? Why? Did they surrender?”
“I don't know about LAX but I got this out of Denver.” Reggie played a video on his phone. It was poorly lit and unsteady but in the dark of the early morning you could make out the sound and outline of two large transport helicopters. As they hovered for a landing, someone out of the frame shone a large flashlight against the side. The helicopters were civilian in design and bore the shield of a notorious private military contractor – the Blackdogs. Some one else shouts “get ready!” as black tactical troops streamed out of the choppers and the video abruptly ends.
“Oh my god!” I exclaimed, “They're gunna try to Pinkerton us.”
“What about the damn injunction?” Leo stormed.
“It's an injunction on the feds, the cops. These are private operators. I'm assuming that they're bought and paid for by Industry.”
“You think they're gunna kill us?” Leo pondered.
It was then, the for the first time, during all of this, even after taking that rubber bullet, that I felt real fear and real uncertainty about the outcome and justness of all of it. It was the first time I considered blinking. Then it got worse.
There was a commotion at the door as some of the ground crew and pilots pulled in a makeshift stretcher with Fred laying on it.
“Oh my God, what did they do to him?” Leo exclaimed as he came to help pull him into the room. There was too many people around to see Fred clearly, something like a towel was covering most his face and head. Fred could barely speak and was clearly in some kind of distress. My thought was tear gas but none had been fired for hours and usually someone inundated with it start everyone off into similar distress.
The crowd broke as I huddled in, I shown my flashlight around him to see.
“Pull it off, pull it off, they have to see” Fred gasped.
Some of the ground crew members pulled off the towel and I could plainly see Fred's face and head – what was left of it anyway. I staggered back a step.
“It's the Blight, guys, half of the ground crew, they look like this, now!” Fred yelled. “I can't, I can't feel any of it and I can't see!”
His eyes were whited out like he had severe cataracts and his head, most of his face, and arms were encrusted in bulging, asymmetric, blotches, lesions, and black marks of various sizes and textures. It looked like he had been horribly burned.
“Hey, guys!” Reggie barked out over the shock and attempts to help Fred. “Cameras are down!”
“Well when the shit did that happen?” Leo exploded as he buzzed around the jerry rigged monitors hoping to get signal back.
I picked up my radio and asked everyone to report in, the south, east, and west reported but the north was just static.
Leo tried to rally some of the guys helping Frank to head to the north but they and Fred protested saying there weren't enough guys without the Blight to go stop a push if there was one. Everyone was silent just a moment and in that moment we heard the sound of some thirty guns cocking just outside of the pilot's lounge door.
“Fred Little, Leo Jones, and Mark Debs, step out of the lounge slowly and peacefully, we wish to negotiate the end of this.”
“Fred is incapacitated,” I yelled back with a dry mouth, “Reggie Weston of the Ground Crew Union, Leo and I stepping down. Don't shoot.” I said sheepishly.
Leo and Reggie looked to me to push open the door as I did I was immediately blinded by the tactical lights of some twenty or so submachine guns.
The same voice came again, “keep stepping through the lights, that's it, nice and slow, no one is going to hurt you. I just want to talk and show you something.”
Leo and I made it past the lights into a glare lit spot of the terminal where the commander of this platoon of Blackdogs with his two personal retinue stood with their helmets off, “I'm commander Don Doughty. I'm here on behalf of country and I would like to share something with you.”
“Commander, with all due respect, there's an injunction in place.”
“I know, that's why this is a private operation, not a military or police one.”
“Look, we don't have to go with you.”
“Look, you do. Now I'm going to level with both of you. We stormed the other airports today, you probably heard, a lot of my company men are hurt, a few near death, but we know you're not holding out. We know most of you have the Blight now and that's why we're here.”
“Why you're here, huh? No dedicated medical personnel, no biohazard suits? Kind of strange for what you're saying is a mission of medical mercy for a disease of unknown origin?” Leo perked up.
“It's not unknown. In fact, it's one of the most common diseases around. What is still unknown is if I have to drag you to what I want to show you or if you'll come willingly.”
Leo and I looked at each other and then back at Don. He was disarming and rational, something I hardly expected but he also had our number and between the Blight and the willingness of the government to now literally put guns to our heads to go back to work, I had so many questions and he was offering the answers. Leo and I went willing. We stepped out of the terminal and took a motorized cart to the fuel hangers as Don requested.
On the cart, Don started to open up, “Leo, Mark, tell me what you know about chemtrails.”
Leo scoffed while I replied, “chemtrails, yeah, I've some whacko come up to me in a few bars shouting in my ear about how as a pilot I am unwittingly spraying geo-engineering materials to change the Earth or make global warming real or spreading COVID or nerve gas in contrails. The kookiness seems to change by season. Why?”
“Next question. Do either of you know what CFC's are?”
Leo piped up, “Chloroflorocarbons, I think. They used to be used in fridges and spray cans before they were banned in the 80's – virtually globally because they were screwing up the ozone layer.”
We arrived at the hanger where the fuel was stored. Another small group of Blackdog troopers had one of the ground crew members in detention near the partially open sliding door. His badge was gone but I recognized the ground crew member as part of the fuel truck lead team.
“What does this have to do with anything?” I asked. As we all were led into the hanger where the fuel trucks were stored.
Don, out of no where saluted the fuel truck leader. To my astonishment, the fuel truck leader saluted back. They shared a “semper fi – once a marine – always a marine!” and then Don beckoned him, “show them, it's okay, show them what you know, show them what you do.”
The fuel trucker turn a spigot on the back of the fuel truck nearest to him and splashed some jet fuel from the truck on the hanger floor and then shone a UV flashlight on it and the truck without any change. He muttered out, “Ordinary jet fuel.” Then, turning to the truck adjacent to him, he shone the same uv light and there was a square code marking that appeared on the back of the truck. He turned the spigot on that truck, splashed out a bit of the fuel and then shone the light on it. The fuel reflected back a dazzling brilliant display of glow as it flowed across the concrete. “Not so ordinary jet fuel.”
“Now you see gentlemen, for the past fifty years or so, we've known that CFCs were impacting the ozone layer and created a hole, you were told, like everyone else, that the hole was healing and mostly fixed after we banned CFC's and other substances. Well, in truth, that's only partially correct, its healing or mostly fixed because we fixed it, or more accurately, because the great people who work in the sky and ground, by sheer volume of air travel across the world, had been burning this modified fuel, depositing its unique chemical composition into the atmosphere at altitude to keep that ozone hole closed or at least as protective as possible. Without it, well, look at your boss, look at the fields of crops failing across the country, look at the hospitals around the country filling up with ionizing radiation burn and cancer victims. Without you, there's holes in the ozone breaking open all over the North American continent.”
“We really have been spraying chemtrails this whole time.” Reggie murmured.
“Now, let me explain to you how this is going to work – as we speak, other Blackdogs, funded by the Federal government, are infiltrating every airport in the country and showing the rest of your leadership the same thing you just saw. We're also showing this to Industry. We're getting you the Mediator's deal. You'll have your old jobs back, and while a handful of you will go to jail for the rioting, none of you will be convicted of felonies or serve time. That's the deal. All you have to say is yes and tell everyone to go back to work now and then, with you all back in the air and back on the ground, the Blight will end.
In the end we went back to work, we took the deal. If you can call it a deal. It wasn't a deal but essentially a reboot with a cost of living increase. The other option was that some of us would be imprisoned, fined, be out of a job and oh yes, Leo, Reggie, and I shot on spot.
We were sworn to secrecy over the truth about the ozone layer and chemtrails but I'm breaking it. I'm breaking it because you deserve the truth. I know that this will end up in the internet gutter realm of aliens and bigfoot but I don't care. I'm big guy, a big name, and if anything happens to me, like an “accident”, I'm pretty sure that would only lend credence to what I've told you here.
Happy landings.
Theo Plesha

first creepypasta, i am welcoming of feedback
just barely 2,000 words
I'm going to get everything off my chest, I have been seeing them since I quit my job and I do not think I will be able to convince you, so you must listen to me, before they come. I must tell my story, and I won’t be able to tell it twice; What I have seen shakes me to my core. But you must believe me.
I had just got out of university and found my first job on the underground, maintaining the tube tunnels beneath London: kilometres of wide cylindric tunnels that are black as night even during the day. The job seemed great, lots of pay for monitoring cameras and walking about underused passages to every now and then fix a broken pipe. I did both the night and daytime shifts with each having their own rules. You know the usual things, always check the cams always for broken equipment within the tunnels, if so, always check what trains are running in that area and which tunnels they are taking. Safety first. They were the rules management gave me, but upon arriving for my first day shift, I found a very different set placed upon my small desk. The page had almost yellowed with the left-hand side having 3 separate regular holes stapled into it. There were 2 glaring underlined phrases at the top and bottom of the page, Day Rules, and Night Rules. It read:
Rules for the day.
rule 1, always be checking cameras, especially the one pointed at the Y intersection, outside station ***********
Rule 2, if you need to leave the monitoring station, to repair a pipe or anything broken within the system always take a strong torch, they do not like strong lights.
Rule 3, when outside the monitoring room for any reason, do not under any circumstances make loud noises, unless masked by a train or something else, otherwise you will wake them up.
Rule 4, it should not be active during the day, but if you fail to follow rule 3, it will find you, you will see it, stay completely still and resort to your torch if you feel threatened.
Rule 5, if you see any movement from the right tunnel of y intersection mentioned previously, do not exit the monitoring room
Rule 6, never enter that right tunnel
The place where the night rules had been listed was absent, a hole in the page as though somebody had torn straight through it.
This unnerved me to say the least, with the little voice in the back of my head telling me it was fake, still I decided to follow the rules despite my scepticism, it is not as though they directly impacted my work or made me do anything to ludicrous.
So, I did as I was told, I watched cameras, listened to music, scrolled through reddit. That shift was overall quite relaxing. I managed to find the camera the rules were talking about in the top right of the monitor, it showed the two tunnels, with a singular red bulb giving light to the area, I squinted. There seemed to be something in the tunnel, it was short and thin almost unnaturally so, slightly hunched over by the side of the tracks just within the right tunnel. A lever? I ignored it, my mind is playing tricks on me it did seriously look like the lever for the junction with how almost ruler straight the outline stood. I noticed a burst pipe on another of the cameras, it was in one of the small maintenance tunnels, not too far from my room. I got up from the desk, picked up my torch from the hangar, put on my protective gear and headed out into what seemed to be a void. Lengths of endless dimly lit tunnels, I kept looking at my map. The monotonous corridors stretched on, endless lengths of concrete and metal. I heard something, it was quick and quiet, I struggle to remember, it almost sounded abrasive like something blunt scraping against the concrete wall. I reached the burst pipe, bringing out the tools on my belt to start repairing it, there were long thing gashes across the pipe, not large, quite small, but deep enough to break the thin metal casting on the series of pipes. It's odd I haven’t seen anything on cams. The quiet caused me to flinch, slowly broken with the regular hum of the white light above me, looking up from my work every so now and then, I managed to get into a rhythm. I should have brought my headphones.
A sudden pop pulled me out of my stupor, followed by a crash and the sound of breaking glass. I almost hit the roof of the tunnel, as it became cloaked in darkness. A knot began to form in my stomach as I felt tension creep across my face, rule 3, whatever the rule meant by something finding me, whether it was a prank by the night shift guy last night or whether the rules were actually real I did not want to find out. I decided the best form of action would be to quietly sneak back to the monitoring room, it was not that far and the lights at the distant end of the tunnel were still on. I started to move ever so quietly putting one foot Infront of the other, keeping my ears pricked, not easing the sudden paranoia.
I was close, I could see the door to the monitoring room at the other end of the corridor as I rounded the corner, suddenly bathed in light, it became slightly blurred as my eyes struggle to adjust, walking forward, and rubbing my eyes.
I turned around, I don’t know why, maybe it was instinct, or divine intervention, but that does not matter now. What I saw curling from around the corner, was a pair of hands, gently grasping around the hard corner, I almost missed them, they were nearly as pale as the grey wall. The nails gave them away. Black and long, ending in cracked and blunt ends.
I didn’t want to look any further, I dashed to the monitoring room. Slamming the door shut, locking it in an instant. Falling to my knees.
I told myself I had hallucinated, I cried and whispered to myself that I was hallucinating. It is just my surroundings, being cooped up in a room underground, the fuzziness in my eyes that were getting used to the glaring lights of the hallway endlessly watching or being cooped up in a room underground and watching cameras will do that to a person.
Cameras
I scrambled into my chair, whizzing the mouse around, the screen popped up. The camera outside my room showed nothing, nothing outside my door, nothing in the hallway, nothing where the light bulb had popped.
My shift was nearly over. But to leave I would have to walk outside and back through those passages to get back to the train station I had entered through. I waited a while, just sitting there, watching the second-hand rise and fall.
I finally wrestled the courage to peek through the small window, through the grating, I pulled the handle, it made a clicking, then a large groaning noise as I tiptoed out of the door. The tension in the air was palpable, and the eerie silence stung my ears.
I had gotten halfway by the time it started, at first, I could barely hear it, a distant sound that blended in with noises of creaking rails, pipes and the sound of trains going by, it sounded like the wind, I told myself, but as it became louder and louder, I stopped, and listened. It was like someone throwing marbles or dashing the concrete with gravel, it happened in short rapid bursts. I had just rounded a corner. The noise was still far off, 40 metres maybe? Then it stopped, silence once again filled the tunnel.
I started to walk on slowly, keeping my head turned to one side. It all happened at once. Several large pops, the high-pitched breaking of glass. The sound became aggravated, almost clumsy, coming towards me rapidly.
I started to run, rounding corners as fast as I could, I wanted to make sure not to see what was making the noise, who knows what might happen to me if I did.
My panting was gradually drowned out by growing noise of footsteps and talking. Slamming the steel gate shut.
After the first day, I was to say the least, confused, and perplexed. I just sat at home thinking about it, again and again. It terrified me. I wanted to quit then and there, save myself the trouble if I was right. But I had student loans to pay, and the sum was not getting any lower. So as the schedule demanded, the night after, I descended.
I still held on, that I might have imagined it, that maybe, it was all a bad dream. But I could see where the bulbs had popped, a thin stretch of mangled wires and sharp glass.
I stared into the hallway and an abyss stared back, only 5 lights had blown but that corner seemed to lead to nowhere.
As I pushed through the darkness, I noticed the walls, small, thin, slightly curved lines, like the leaves of a palm tree scratched into the concrete, they covered the following walls, like a malign infection growing in the concrete.
I opened the door to my workstation and started to work, I took no chances this time I watched the cameras more, switching between them and anything that I could use to pass the time, the slow blinking red light at the Y intersection. I thought I was going to go insane, as the hours dragged by. I was ripped from my work as a ghastly sound played over the cameras, all of them seemed to play it at once, a guttural scream, as though the last breath of an abandoned and dying child were being released. It howled, it whined on and on. I laid low in my chair, as though it could see me, but after 2 minutes the sound stopped, and it walked out of the tunnel.
My mind was a whirl of thought and maniacal screeching, should I leave the office? If so, where should I go? How fast is it? Do I have enough time to reach the surface?. I felt the seconds fly by. I caught it again, I nodded, so that’s what was making that sound last night, I almost marvelled at it, in the concrete tunnels, a vicious blaze curling through the passages.
I pulled the last remnants of my sanity together and started to run, I knew I would be at a disadvantage in the small tunnels, so I headed towards the tube tunnels close by. I stopped panting, grasping my chest and the air, I froze, not speaking, not panting. A pair of hands curled round the side of the corner behind me with palpable glee, as it took its first step around the corner, I could finally gaze upon the nightmare. It was tall, hunched to stop its head scraping against the roof, yet its long arms reached down and touched the floor, it covered its eyes looking downwards, the individual parts of its spine rose like a concave herald. That smile, thin yet taught. Plastered across a malshapen body and skull.
I dashed towards the nearby maintenance door, that sound following me, the sounds of marbles scattered on a hard floor, as that sound was etched into my brain, I could now pick out each individual nail scraping against the walls.
I do not remember much more after that, the smell of metal and brick dust, the blinking red light in the distance, illuminating the wide opening. I followed the tracks, running until I could not run anymore, I must have slammed it hard enough. A light in the distance, a station, I wretched away the last of my stamina.
I stood, scared, shivering holding my flashlight tight, the light reflecting the golden archway, bathing the platform, the crest, recognisable to all and below it, Per purum sanguinem, the large, bolted door, slightly adjar.

I’m shaking inside his bed. I shouldn’t have come over. This is all my fault. I have bee n held hostage inside his windowless room for god knows how long. My mama warned me not to see him again. I should have listened to her. I should have stayed home today. But now it is too late to go back. I have been enfettered by the chains of his love for two months now, and I am well past the point of return. Besides, he’s hidden my phone, and I cannot call Mama anyways, even if I wanted to. What would I even say to her? I bury myself deep into the mess of dirty blankets. I pray he never sees me like this- so weak, so vulnerable. He confiscated my clothes. I’m shivering. I don’t know if it’s from the cold or from fear. I can’t hear anything over my tremorous wheezes.
Footsteps. I can hear his footsteps approaching. No, no, no, no, no, no; he’s coming. I press my hands over my mouth to hold in my sobs. Oh god he’s really coming. I pretend to be fast asleep. He shuts and locks the door behind him- like he always does. He growls my name, “Malaya.” I stay silent, praying he will walk away this time. Forget about me. Lose interest.
Suddenly I feel my arm wrench into the wrong direction. Oh no, he knows I’m awake. I yelp from the pain and try to scramble from his grasp onto my feet, but he’s too quick. He grabs my hair in a tight fist and jerks my head up so I’m facing him without even the slightest hesitation. He’s convinced he owns me and he might be right. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” he spits. We’re about eye level but I maintain focus on his chest in protest where he can’t see the tears streaming from my eyes. I won’t let him win. Not this time. I clench my teeth in retaliation. His fingers dig deeper into my jaw, “I said look at me, you dumb whore.” I wince at his demand, which only tightens his hold on me.
I push back on him with all my might. Maybe I can make a run for the door if I’m quick enough. Just three words: “Let me go, let me go, let me go” over and over and over again thrash against the inner lining of my skull. But he remains unyielding. I shouldn’t have done that.
Now it’s my fault that I’m in a chokehold. I scratch at his elbow and forearm frantically. I’m running out of air, and my attempts at liberation are getting weaker and weaker as my vision starts to fade.
He relinquishes his grip just in time, and I fall right onto the edge of the wooden bed frame in anguish.
I lay still while he turns on the television, impetuously trying to catch my breath. He gets off on loud music to the point where it is deafening. He’s going to blast Deftones so no one in his apartment building can hear me, particularly his baby sister who is my age in the room next door. But I’m pretty sure his younger sister can hear me from the next room. I think she’s scared of him, too. I think that’s why I never see her come out, not even to eat.
He tosses the remote on the desk and walks towards me dauntingly. His bed is like a cage: pushed against a wall with high bed frames on each end, so that there is only one way to enter and exit. My heels dig into the rotting mattress as I try to push myself as far back into the dark corner as I can, but my back hits the wall within seconds. My breathing picks up again, and I can no longer maintain clear vision. “You know what I want. Let me have it. I’m sick of these games. Stop pretending like you don’t want it,” he leers.
“No.” My whisper, barely audible, somehow makes its way out of my windpipe.
“What did you just say to me?” Uh oh. It isn’t a good sign when he sounds this calm.
I haven’t eaten in days. His hands fit right around my waist as he drags me towards him. I squirm and try to wrangle out of his reach, but his hand meets my cheek before I can get very far. My face stings. The salt from my eyes doesn’t help. “What did I say, huh?”
He strikes me. Again. Again. Again. Again. My ability to endure his love plunges further. I’m convinced that the man I knew is dead. Each stroke of his hand reaches a whole new level of pain. I’m trying to get away. I’m trying. He raises his hand one last time. I flinch, preparing myself for the blow that will break me. Then, nothing. He chuckles. He thinks it’s funny. He’s satisfied.
He discards me to the side. “One second I’ll be right back.” He gets up and reaches into his main desk drawer. He pulls something out but I can’t make out what it is. Is he finally done with me?
He’s walking back towards me. Why is he coming back? Panic floods my senses all over again.
No. They’re handcuffs. Before I know it he’s gripping one wrist. He’s already gotten one hand cuffed. He flips me onto my stomach. I’m kicking, screaming, flailing my entire body like a fish out of water. I have never fought so hard. He hits me again, but I still refuse to cooperate. The pain that has been consuming me for the past two hours numbs, succumbing to the rush of pure terror. “Please stop, please, please, you’re hurting me.” I’m pleading like never before. He flips me back onto my back, but I’m still pinned. Is this mercy?
“Are you scared?” his eyes look amused and curious. He gets off on my fear, my anxiety, my pain, my despair.
“Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!” I can’t even form words, let alone move my mouth beyond a wobbly quiver. My whole body is trembling. I can’t feel my hands. I can’t feel my legs.
“Do you want me to take them off of you?”
I nod desperately over and over again, fixating on his hands working to take them off.
They’re finally off.
I break down again.
He holds me, “Shhh shhh; it’s okay.” I fall asleep like that. There is nothing left in me to give.
At least I won’t be conscious for what happens next.

I recently purchased a home with a pool from an elderly couple who I am sure took zero care of the pool in the last year they lived there. There is also a large oak from the adjacent neighbor that overhangs the pool area and a handful of arbor vitae trees that line the yard fairly close to the pool.
I want to use my pool so badly lol but it is cloudy and just FULL of debris. I have a vinyl-safe pool rake and I am constantly just pulling half full bags of oak leaves and arbor vitae "needles" and I was wondering if there was any more efficient way of doing this short of blowing it up lol? Are there biggemore efficient tools/equipment I can use? I've been using a $100 pond vac but unfortunately the 3" random sticks seem to block it up every 5 minutes.
​
ANY advice is welcome, I feel like I'm chasing my tail here. Note: the filter is working great, I'm keeping all the water-topping debris out 2x a day so it doesn't add to my piles in the pool.

QUESTIONS

Mature retention rate?

94% (small (~3k) sample size)

How many were actually new to you?

4.5k pure new, 500 somewhat known, 1k known and suspended

How many cards a day?

Averaged 40 new cards though would swing between 100+ and 0 regularly

How long did it take?

111 Hours, so about 1hr a day

Didn’t doing too many cards crash retention rate?

I found at about new 200 cards, my retention rate the next day would go down about 5% (young card real retention of high 80s to low 80s). No worse than having a drink the day before.

This is wildly inefficient you should dedicate more time to immersion

Yeah, probably

You don’t really know these words you’ve just anki memorised them

I’ve memorised them well enough to read them

Scientifically the only way to acquire a language is…

I’m not trying to say that spending all your time on anki is optimal or even sensible, I’m saying it’s what I did, and I quite like the results
—
INTRODUCTION
Half a year ago my Japanese had hit a standstill. I was, despite years of on and mostly off study, a low N4, and nothing seemed to be working. I tried doing a core 2k deck to fix my holes, but nothing was sticking, and it felt hopeless. Then a bunch of people online told me I just needed to watch more Japanese stuff, so I tried that, and quickly wanted to off myself. I had a great animecards setup but still I had no retention rate on them whatsoever.
For me, trying to immerse at that level was:
a) Boring beyond all hell. anything I wanted to watch was so beyond my reach I couldn’t understand a thing and everything I could catch a word or two from was dull and still unintelligible.
but more importantly,
b) it shone a light on just how bad my still Japanese was after all this effort, which just made me more depressed and sucked out any love of or hope for the language I had left.
So I decided something needed to change. I decided to give RTK a go, and quickly found it enthralling. I had tried it maybe 8 years ago and got about 600 words in before it all fell apart. Young me felt he knew better than Heisig and decided that going Kanji to Keyword would be fine. It was not. This time I wasn’t going to repeat that mistake. This time would be different.
I was pumping through lots of kanji in very little time. By the new year I had managed 1000/2200. By February 10th, I had finished it. 120 hours of Anki, writing out the kanji every review (Keyword to Kanji is VITAL), and it all just clicked. For the first time since a decade ago, when 16 year old me [legally acquired] genki, I knew what I was actually looking at. And suddenly the language didn’t seem as scary anymore.
It was then time to emerge from the RTK side quest and conquer my true goal of getting a wide enough vocabulary to read those porn comics from my YouTube ads.
—
METHOD
I considered a few options and tested the water with a few sentence decks, but after trying the DJT deck I pretty much instantly deleted the others. It was great for me. It gave a way to move this vague kanji knowledge into concrete kanji understanding. The advantage of the deck is that there’s less of a focus on common use order, and more emphasis on keeping words with the same kanji near each other, which is a godsend when trying to turn keyword association to actual understanding of sounds and meaning.
I went in and I went hard. I did what I call Anki bombing. 4/5 day periods of 100-200 words a day (basically until three of the days stack on top of each other) and then ride out on reviews only for a few days until it’s settled enough for me to load up another bomb. I did this for two reasons: 1) motivation wise, I was hooked on the RTK feeling of big number going down, but I’m not a very driven person, so I have a tendency to not do work I don’t have to. This way, new words were satisfying my craving for defeating chunks of the language, whilst the following days were getting less optional work (new cards) and more required work (reviews). 2) I watched a YouTube video about front loading work. It was after I started this but I’m still going to use it as evidence because it supports my preconceived notions.
This worked wonders, and if I wasn’t quite so lazy and inconsistent (did no Anki on 15% of days, and barely any on many more), I would have had it finished by early May. Alas life happens, but I’m still really proud of what I’ve achieved.
Whilst I’m under no illusion that this was “the most efficient” or effective way to learn Japanese, it’s the one I did, and I’m proud of it. There are people on this sub who’ve gone from 0 to N2 in the seven months since I started RTK. I don’t think I’m special, nor have I ever had a very good memory. I don’t think this is something that other people couldn’t do. But having spent years in cycles of futile efforts producing futile results and eventually giving up, only to be drawn back in. Having spent years watching those around me improve, never able to move an inch. This is something I have spent most of my life believing that I couldn’t do. And it feels very damn good to have done it.
The shocking part is that it really wasn’t that much work. It’s totalled out to 111 hours, about an hour a day, so if I was learning with any real pace or devotion it could easily have been shrunk a lot. Obviously if I had devotion I’d have just sat through reruns of shirokuma cafe until Japanese wormed itself into my brain.
—
Results
So how does having 6k words in your anki actually affect your Japanese? It turns out, despite what you may have heard on the internet, it’s actually quite useful. I downloaded Todai news app before I started and remember going very slowly through the easy section looking up most words. Now I can pretty comfortably go through the difficult section looking up only a word or two. I read a trashy article online about the ※ただしイケメンに限る meme early today and pretty much got all of it. Girls don’t mind it when Chad has a beard apparently. I’ve started reading one piece and it’s been pretty comfortable though still definitely helps to have a dictionary at hand. It’s a world of difference from when I had a 1.5k vocab size. Rewatching anime with JP subs is pretty comfortable, again so long as I can look up a word or two every few sentences. Still not as fun as watching them with eng subs. I played through TOTK in Japanese, though occasionally switch to English now if I just want to relax. I tried the N2 vocab section and got mid 80s though struggled with the last section on vocab context.
What it’s not done: I still am not close to outputting, and my reading speed isn’t very fast. Both of these I think will only really come with proper dedicated immersion. Also, my listening is still pretty dreadful.
—
Future
Where I’ll go from here: I’m not sure. I think I’d like to keep a more anki focused routine because it feels like it works for me. Obviously I need to increase my immersion, but unfortunately being the quasi-zoomer that I am most of my preferred immersion isn’t on a laptop, so high quality card creation may not be easy. I’m considering turning the whole deck into an audio deck, and just relearning how to listen to the words, maybe adding in pitch accent check if I can figure out how. This may run into homophone issues though. I can’t imagine it’d be bad for my listening overall. I could also turn it into an audio sentence deck.
I may alternatively try and find a 10k deck and polish off the remainder before the new year, or maybe I’ll set myself a more stupid goal. I drunk signed up for N2 in March when I thought I’d be done in early May, so I may try and cram N2 grammar and sneak a pass this July.
From what I’ve seen no one really gets there with Japanese without being a little psychotic for some period of time, so I may do a 5 hour a day challenge or something, and combine this level of anki with 3-4 hours of immersion, though I’m still not sure my dopamine overloaded brain can sit still for that long.
—
Caveats
Ok so the caveats: the first big one is that obviously if you read that you know I didn’t start from scratch, so a little less than a thousand words I suspended for being words I knew, and I had some familiarity with probably another 500, but that still works out to 4500 new cards and so works out to about 40 cards per day. Caveat two is that I’m not finished finished, I’ve just got no more new cards. I’ve still got 1500 young cards, but it feels the right time to celebrate anyway. The title should be “Just finished adding new cards from 75% of Core 6K in 115 days”, but it just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. My mature retention is at 94%, though it’s quite a small sample size so I would expect it to drop to around 90%. Finally I do live in japan but it makes very little difference apart from a motivation standpoint. I do very very little talking or reading day to day in Japanese and am frankly a pseudo NEET who makes posts to his internet friends at 5am. Nothing changed in my skills the 6 months I lived here before starting this journey, just an increasing existential dread of putting your eggs into the basket of a country that you can’t improve at the language of.
TL;DR couldn’t sit still reading Yotsuba so I did RTK and have been bombing an average of like 300 words a week ever since. It turns out Anki can make you better at Japanese who knew.
—
P.S.
Part of my motivation for documenting my journey is that I feel there’s quite a strong dogma growing on the sub about the “right” way to do things. There’s a vague collection of sort of bro-sciency ideas that anything past core 2k is worthless, RTK is a waste of your life (RRTK for 1k most common is sometimes acceptable), you should stick to 5 words a day or your life will fall apart, immersion is the ONLY way to make language gains and devoting time to things that aren’t immersion is silly and ineffective. I’m not saying you can’t get fluent learning a thousand words and listening to stripped love live audio on repeat. If that’s your vibe all the power to you. I’m saying there are other ways of skinning this cat, and my preferred method is 100 words at a time. Also I called it bombing so it’s clearly the cool version.
Good luck to you all on your language journey whatever your method

Hi everyone. I (50F) am a mother of 2 (29F and 20M) and have been with my husband (51M) for 33 years. Our marriage was happy up until he returned from deployment 13 years ago. Initially we thought his irritability and intense paranoia was a result of PTSD. The arguments, him cleaning out our shared bank account, and one physical fight between him and my daughter drove us to separation. It was only during that separation, after he tried to sneak a bag full of guns and ammunition into a courtroom while claiming to be a police officer at the behest of someone talking to him telepathically, that he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
The courts had him put on meds and we started living together again. For a while, it was like I had my husband back. With the medication he was almost back to his old self. After a while though, he started to experience side effects that he didn’t like and stopped taking his medication, despite our family encouraging him to talk to his pharmacist to change his medication to something that would be a better fit for him. He started accusing me of cheating, claiming our children weren’t his and demanding paternity tests. He was the only person I’ve ever been with. They’re both his, but he then went on to accuse me of faking the test results confirming that somehow. When his symptoms worsened to the point of him pulling a gun on us we had to call the cops and he was arrested. The court got him back on his meds.
This pattern of taking his meds, getting off them, getting arrested and committed, then being put back on meds again has repeated for the past 13 years. The VA is of no help. The cops and the courts say they can’t force him to do anything outside of the times when he’s committed. They have removed his 2A rights thankfully so firearms are no longer part of the equation anymore.
We separated again 2 years ago when he decided to move out, claiming that we were trapping him in some kind of Truman Show. We stayed in contact, only to make sure he was taking care of himself, but after some time he stopped responding to our calls. It was only when a maintenance man entered his apartment that we found out he tried to commit suicide by slitting his own throat with a knife. Thankfully the knife wasn’t sharp enough for it to be fatal. In the hospital he claimed people were coming to get him.
He tried again last year by refusing to drink water for about four days. We had to have him committed to save his life. His family initially refused to believe he was ill, then blamed me for his illness, and now can’t even last two weeks when he visits them before begging us to take him back. I don’t want to live like this anymore.
The part that makes me feel guilty is that he has anosognosia as one of his symptoms. For those who don’t know, anosognosia is a condition that makes a mentally ill person completely unaware of their illness. He is completely incapable of understanding he has schizophrenia and needs help. For him, life is just a persistent nightmare he can’t wake up from. I have talked to multiple lawyers over the years. Almost all of them have told me not to divorce him or let him start the proceedings because it will look bad. I feel bad because I know it’s not his fault.
I feel like I’m abandoning him, but I know this can’t continue. How do I handle the guilt?

Southwest lost my wife's suitcase last Friday. She lost some quality clothing, but didn't have time to shop for replacements so she went to Target and bought a blazer and some cheap t-shirts, socks and underwear. The bag contained about $800 worth of clothing and incidentals, plus a dental appliance that cost around $500, and she spent around $200 on cheap clothes to get her through her trip. I'm looking for information on what they will actually reimburse from anyone who has lost a bag.
(1) If I ask them to reimburse for the cheap Target clothing, will they consider that a "replacement" and refuse to reimburse for the more expensive clothes that she lost?
(2) Do they depreciate everyday items like clothing? Are they going to lowball this relatively cheap (~1500) reimbursement? Or just pay it out in the interest of customer service?
(3) Does anyone have experience with losing a dental appliance or similar? Did Southwest give you any trouble or lowball their reimbursement?

Deadhouse Gates

This is it! The infamous make-or-break point for so many readers of the series, GotM was fun, but the REAL Book of the Fallen starts here! So they say, and so I'm here to find out and report so to you all! Thus far, I feel the series is already "made" but let's see where it goes. Interestingly, we've only got four books this time, while maintaining the 24-chapter structure, so that'll be interesting. But enough preamble, let the ignorant rambling on context-less supplemental content commence!

Maps

So, we've got double the map content this time around, with three double-page maps depicting a large portion of the Seven Cities Continent, at roughly the same time as GotM's map.
The first is that broad overview. Interestingly, we don't have a map key this time around, so the territories are unmarked. That somewhat tracks, as my understanding of the timeline has 7C mostly or completely conquered by this time, although on the knife's edge of rebellion by the end of GotM. IDK if I love the addition of waves to the bodies of water, although that might have been because of the much more intermixed water-land-water-land nature of the land mass. Disambiguation and all that. It does add quite a bit of visual clutter though.
What jumps out right away is the inclusion of the "Otataral Desert" and the "Otataral Sea." We knew 7C was where the bulk of the Otataral came from, but now we've got a rough region for that.* On another note, Y'ghatan is absent from the map. While that again makes sense, considering it got nuked off the face of the continent, and Laseen's Malazan isn't likely to commemorate either military embarrassments or the past it would be interesting to know where that was once located. Either way, lots of cool sounding and cool-looking places on here. Also, I'll note that this landmass seems to be north of Quon Tali, just to get a sense of geography.
*As an aside, given what we know about Otataral exposure, I'd love to know the effects it has on the miners.
Next up is a pair of double-spread maps on Cotaline's Chain of Dogs march. Similar to Anomander Rake, whatever that sequence entails, even in the spoiler-free, noob intros, and fan recruitment content out there, the Chain of Dogs is one of those things that is inevitably namedropped, so I'm hyped to see that here. It seems to be one long march from some place called Hissar down to a Holy City named Aren. There seem to be no less than eight battles along the way, as well as a series of minor engagements, something called The Dry March, and a whole bunch of surrounding hostiles. So yea, sounds like we're in for a brutal time. Also of note on these two maps are what seem to be a series of... mounds? All named, with what look like caravan trails all named as well interconnecting them. Local settlements, perhaps? Are these tels)? The general aesthetic of the setting just seems suggestive of such, and with Erikson as an archeologist...
Anyway, I'll let those settle in my mind and move on. On the whole, I probably prefer GotM's Genebakis map to the Seven Cities map here, but I love the Chain of Dogs maps and am excited to use those to follow along.

Dramatis Personae

Not spoilers cuz it's listed first! Also, this tells us nothing about how involved anyone is, just that they'll show up. Also, given how conservative GotM's DP was, I't'll be fine. We've got Icarium and Mappo, two of the guys mentioned in the tail end of GotM, so I'm excited to learn more about them as well as a High Preist of Shadow. Possibly Ben's replacement? We've also got a Souletaken and a couple of D'ivers (which GotM's Glossary mentioned as another type of shapeshifter but IDR if they ever came up there) all of these are connected with something called the Path of Hands.
Among the Malazans we have our prologue trio, as well as the quartet who left Darujhistan for Quon Tali, interesting that they're passing through here. I don't notice anyone else from Malazan who I'd recognize, aside from Topper. Tavore, despite her new role, is conspicuously absent. Or I'm just blind and missed her. We got some more interesting group names, like Wiccans (among whom is listed Coltaine, despite their being the Fist of the 7th) The Red Blades, and the Followers of the Apocalypse. It also seems like House Shadow is making another appearance. One last note, Moby is not listed with our Darujhistan crew, but that may just be a technicality.
A pair of someones named Irp and Rudd are listed as "a small servant" and "an equally small servant" so there's either a joke or a major revelation there, probably both.

Prologue

Oh yea, we've stepped up the game in the prose department. Exquisite, and also horrifying. A look into the events in the capital during the months after the events of GotM. Things... don't look great.

Epigraph

As an aside, the format changed for the epigraphs to where the Chapter number and epigraphs are listed immediately before the text. Probably for the best, but that might limit the length of future epigraphs. Not good or bad, just a thing.
Another excerpt from The Bridgeburners by Toc the Younger. I'd forgotten to mention this during my GotM finale, but unless Toc has already written this, there are some shenanigans going on with his "death."
Something looms big on the horizon, that's... really all I can get out of this. The reference to "the horizon's bruised smear" seems to indicate a storm, but as to what's in the storm, or what this has to do with the Bridgeburners outside of the Paran connection, I'm not sure. Perhaps that is it, Ganoes' actions have had massive consequences for many others.

The Prologue Itself

Takes place the same year as GotM, ominously listed as the Year of the Cull. A figure covered in flies stumbles into Judgement's Round in Unta. As is tradition, the Season of Rot's ending is celebrated by the priests of Hood coating themselves in the fermented blood of executed murderers and attracting the many files brought on by death.* I'd initially thought we'd time jumped ahead to when autumn passes into winter, given R'rek's whole motif, but the assertion that this has only happened three times in the last decade, and that's a record, means that this is likely something else. Either supernatural or just a measure of the passage of plagues. Either way, just another crack in the foundation of the Empire.
*For some reason, my brain substituted blood for feces on the initial readthrough so... the Death cult could always be worse, right? Also, blood fits better with the whole Thirsting Hour name, lol.
This is all observed through the eyes of Felesin Paran, sister to Ganoes and author (to be?) of A Call to Shadow. She is in chains, surrounded by death, and lined up for slavery if an execution by mob does not kill her first. She watches with horror as the priest stumbles in her direction, dancing the tens of thousands of eyes to be fixed on her. In truth, they are fixated on the former priest of Fenner to her left. The two trade snark as the priest continues to stumble towards Heboric. It is then that Felesin recognizes the boar tattoos all over the man, marking him as among the priesthood of Fenner. She also notices that both of his hands have been cut off. The ex-priest mocks the figure before the flies themselves respond. There is a secret to be shared by them. To the horror of all present, the flies scatter, and the priest underneath... is nonexistent. Hood is evidently borrowing tactics from popular superhero web serials written in 2011. What the secret revealed actually means, none (myself included) can yet guess.
Reflecting on the Cull, Felisin bemoans her changing station in life and all the implications that such a thing has happened now. For us in the audience, it reveals just how desperate the Empress is growing. Culling the nobility is the Empire's MO to recruit soldiers for their war engine, as well as general appeasement and power brokering. That they need to do so once again in the interior, all across the Empire's heartland, betrays just how much the Empress has lost between Genebakis and Seven Cities.. Someone calls Felesion for help, a Lady of another noble family who recognizes her. She baggs Felesin to reason with her sister, calling her out by name as a Paran, offering riches to spare the woman's life. The Thug to Fellesin's left (or right? she must have turned around at some point) quiets the woman by noting that all who could pay the girl off are in this same line, with their assets seized as well. He mentions his name as Baudin, and declares that no mob of peasants will tear him apart. Heboric speculates that there is something personal in Tavore's inclusion of Felesin in the Cull, and his admission of being a thief, then priest, then historian tips the girl and thug off to his identity. Heboric Light Touch, a historian outlawed and sentenced to this fate due to his scathing representation of the Emperess. Felesin states that they'd "differed in opinions" resulting in the two separate fates, one the Adjunct and Lorn's heir, the other in chains. They see Tavore, leading a gang of some guards and a group known as the Red Blades, officiating the proceedings. I don't have much to say on them aside from shelving away the passing reference of the Red Blades as "bloodless" and their ties to somewhere called the sea walls of Aren. (the Holy City at the end of the CoD, if I remember) It seems Tavore was also responsible for their mother's death, and someone named T'amber has taken up Ganoes old job.
Man, Parans are just built different it seems.
Heboric muses not only on being right about the Empress, but on predicting her next moves. As Machiavelli has taught us, tyrants are predictable. The nobles were caught unawares, dragged through a mockery of justice and civility, all to prepare them as desperately tempting targets for the "unsanctioned" mob outside. Bring them to their lowest, so the city's underbelly may reach to drag them further still. Laseen even took the opportunity to round up malcontents such as Heboric himself. eyeing the Adjunct, he can get no read on the mind within her wiry frame. He marches grimly on, internally invoking his old goddess.
As the hour and violence wear on, Felisin disassociates, beaten and spat upon, clothes wholly torn away despite Heboric and Baudin's protection, she observes the horror at arm's length. Baudin, for his part, is an unholy terror, using nothing but the brute language of deterrence to save himself. He's virtually playing to the crowd in some incomprehensibly barbaric way. Nose smashed, ear torn off, he marches on. Soon, what little farce of protection they had received from the guards is overwhelmed, and the crowd presses in for real. Barring teeth, biting and clawing, Baudin gains enough space and time to bellow into the crowd, offering a deal. A show of blood, for passage. In a horrifyingly graphic display, he breaks Lady Gaeseen's neck and saws off her head with their chains. The crowd shrinks back, the guards shrink back, Felisin and Heboric shrink back, I shrink back, and they move on, no time to deal with the barbarity witnessed. By the end, a third of the prisoners remain, most of the dead torn apart by the crowds. Heboric calls out the thug for his brutality but it is the girl's pleading voice, shivering and exposed, that moves him. He subdues, for now. As they board slave ships bound for Aren, Felesin contemplates how her suffering has just begun.
So that's it. A display of humanity at its worst, whipped up by both civilization and barbarity. Desperate and cruel calculus, or else dumb luck, is what will save people. From the disgusting rituals of Hood to the shocking acts of Baudin, here is a moment of black darkness. Genuinely difficult to read and then recap. But worse has happened, and actively is as I write and you read this. Such is life when stability falters and men turn to gratification. Well, Deadhouse Gates has been broached, so now I guess all that remains is to see where and when we'll turn up in the story proper, and how that will all unfold...

I just moved into a house and there is a previously patched and now collapsed hole in the elevated parking pad that I want to fill in and re-patch. There appears to be a stump and cement/concrete in the hole, but I can't remove anything to further explore until I get my hands on a sledge hammer this weekend. The pad is on a slope and there is a retaining wall just below the bottom of the pic. I assume the hole is quite extensive. Any suggestions? The patch only needs to hold body weight as it won't be parked on.
https://imgur.com/a/hsuxiqa

Hi everyone I need some advice of a situation that happen between my husband (29m) and I (29f).
We have one child together and another one on the way. I have no one to talk to about this since everyone in my life is either friends with my husband or related to him.
Let me give you a little bit of a back story. 6 months ago I found a vape in one our bathrooms and told him I knew. He said he only did a couple times because he was stressed. I told him how it upset me that he lied to me and he always hid it from me. Again A couple months ago I confronted my husband of vaping. Since being pregnant I can smell a lot better and kept noticing this blueberry flavour coming off my husband. He told him I was being ridiculous and my smell must be off.
Ok now here is the story. Last night as I was putting our child to sleep. He told me he was going to go to the back yard. When he left I heard him leave out the front door not our back door. I thought that was strange so I went to go look what he was doing and saw him leaving in our vehicle. Having a really uneasy feeling about all of this I looked at his location since we have our location shared to one another. I noticed he stopped at a convenience store then come home. He came through the back door. I texted him since my mother was here and our child was about to fall asleep. I asked him where he went he told me the backyard. I asked him if we can talk in person which we always do. Told me no that he was busy. I explained I knew he was lying. Then he told me it must of been a glitch he went around the block to clear his mind. Which wasn’t a glitch. It even showed a purchase made at that convenience store. Again he told me I was being ridiculous. I told him we need to talk but he told me since my mom is staying with us we will talk over the weekend. Before he left for work today I looked in his work bag and found 3 vapes. He also stop sharing his location with me.
Im anxious and worried his hiding more from me. I’m a stay at home mom taking care of our child and have another one on one the way. I’m not sure how to handle this situation. We talk about everything and have great communication. I have never hid anything from him. TL;dr

Customer here. Does a customer using Instacart+ effect the amount you make on the order?
I always tip well(I think) but saving on delivery and service fees would be nice, does it effect your bottom lines? Like do you make more on the delivery if I don’t use it?
Last order details:
Item total: $283 Tip: $42.54 Service: $19.85 Delivery: $3.99 Bag: .45 Bev container: $1.20
Would me saving on delivery and service have made the dasher lose money? You all get 100%of the tip right?

For context, we’re both smokers and last night we decided to quit together. We are both financially not great and weed is the biggest reason, hands down. We had what I thought was a really good conversation yesterday and made the decision.
So today, I’m coming home from work a bit early. I text my partner to let her know and she says “I’m at friends house chilling”. I respond with “no smoking please”. She admits to smoking and said “but I didn’t buy it and that’s our issue”. I get that, and also understand it’s bloody hard. I’m obviously very disappointed angry, I explain that.
Part of the conversation we had last night was around how we are going to deal with each others moments of frustration and anger while off it. My partner is very vocal and expresses anger quite, I don’t know, angrily? I on the other hand, like to have my peace and quiet, and will be short with conversation, particularly if it’s with the person who’s caused my mood. She knows this.
Fast forward to just now. I’ve been in the house for 4/5 hours and understandably very quiet. I’m dealing with my stress and annoyance at her doing this when we were meant to be stopping, together. My partner has been through in the bedroom while I’m in living room pretty much the entire time.
She comes through and somewhat starts an argumentative conversation by asking if I’m going to act like this all night. I say we did speak yesterday how we handle situations like this so yes, likely I’ll be quiet. That prompted her to tell me I’m treating her like a child and I’m an asshole for doing so. I tried to get across that I’m disappointed and dealing with it my way. I’m not overly angry she smoked, I get it’s addictive, I’m disappointed it was under 24 hours after our convo, and that not buying it is not a good excuse. She proceeded to tell me to go find friends then (a reference to her smoking with a friend), and that if I’m going to keep acting this way to pack my bags and get out. Specifically said I’d have 2 days.
AITA for dealing with this in this way? It feels like she’s trying to put something on me for not blowing up in anger and dealing with it in my manner.

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In a classified location on a classified planet:

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the senate. I vote in favor of Total War. If there is a possibility of the enslaved to be freed, I can understand if the 'boots on the ground' will do what they can to free them. Yet the atrocities that we have seen deems the Axxaakk non-negotiable, they must be struck down. Forced to bend knee.
"The enemy has disturbed The Beast, and The Beast is furious. By The Hammer and The Sons of Warvan, the innocent shall be avenged. Let slip the Dogs of War I say. Rip. And. Tear. Until it is Done." Senator Linda Chambers was saying on the screen. Private First Class Peter George wasn't paying much attention. His little cousin occupied his thoughts. The loss of Robbie hadn't been easy for anybody in the family, but as far flung as the brothers were, they still had their brothers in the service to lean on. Poor Yoivedrill was alone in his responsibility. Once again he was grateful to be the youngest. He was about to get his last qualification to be ASDSS, or more accurately, was waiting on the paperwork to go through. He already knew he qualified. He knew it so well, he could threaten to make himself a problem if he was sent on mandatory leave instead of deployed. He could grieve on the march.
The newscast nattered on, "If the enemy was motivated by lust for power, or money, or even the whims of an evil king, total war would not be called for. All of those thing are material, and those who seek or follow them can be reasoned with. Even a mad monarch can see reason when it has no armies left with which to fight.
"The enemy being faced, however, is none of those things. The ultimate enemy is a God, and unlike mortal kings, they don't see reason, they don't change their minds, and they don't accept defeat. The only way to truly render the galaxy safe from the threat is by stamping it out utterly. Level 1 repercussions are called for in this situation," Senator Ursois was saying from the lectern. Peter was vaguely glad that most of the speeches were short statements of agreement with one of the first two, but he wasn't sure whether the vote had any bearing on him. Either way, he'd be dropped behind enemy lines with little support.
“While I carry the belief that all life is sacred, there is a line in the sand that may not, no CAN NOT be crossed in order to be thought of as a civilized being. These foul beings have crossed it with a spring in their step.
“This being the case, while I regret my decision for the lives of the innocent that will be lost in this war, I must vote for Total War.
“And May the gods have mercy on my soul for those I have damned.” Senator M. H. Smithson solumnly said, and Peter made to shut it off. He wanted to get into the habit of keeping up with politics, but in this case it hit a little too close to home.
Just then, an old man entered his barracks. The Chimpmando's fur was grey, and if any of it was still black, it couldn't be seen, deep wrinkles in his muzzle and about his eyes gave him a generally displeased look, and he moved with the stiffness of a man not in possession of all of his limbs. More importantly, the man was a colonel. Peter found himself on his feet, and snapping a salute at attention. "As you were, private."
"Aye, sir," Peter said as he sank down onto his berth again.
"That's about three hours behind," The colonel said as he nodded toward the next senator.
Peter shut it off as he said, "Aye, sir. I was catching up after PT."
"Hm… when I was a private, the Senate was the last thing I wanted to watch."
"Sir, I wouldn't know what being a private in pre-history is like."
"Very funny, private. Very funny. You're waiting on the paperwork to go through so you can get your first assignment right?"
"Aye, sir."
"To that end, your scores… well to be frank, only marksmen in the Lost Boys score as high as you."
"You do not have the Lost Boys ribbon, sir, you are not here to recruit me."
"No, no I am not. Not to the Lost Boys. The Chief Citizen is going to announce total war authorization in about ten minutes."
"Sir, with all due respect, can you please get to the point? I will answer what you want, but I don't know what you're asking."
"Ah, to be young again. Look, you qualify for Advance Deep Recon. Total war is going to be authorized, meaning that you will have to account for any and all targets you designate and eliminate while behind enemy lines. You will have carte blanche to eliminate military, industrial, and political targets under this authorization. Can you handle it?"
"That's a heavy fucking question, sir."
"ADR is an all-volunteer MOS."
"So is every MOS," Peter snapped back.
"Fair. However in this case, the Navy requires that you consent to the nature of the mission ahead of time, not merely consent to service. You'll be behind enemy lines for an extended period with limited support from other scouts, so the nature of the volunteering is a little different."
"I'm in, sir. If this is what the Navy thinks I can do to bring victory and justice fastest, I'll trust them."
"Write your father. He'll be annoyed with us for poaching you."
"Aye, sir."

In the Officers' mess aboard the Robin Williams:

Major General Eric George was furious. His attempt to select the top scoring ASDSS trainee had been denied. Apparently, PFC George was already assigned to the ADS battalion. Well, not so much furious and supremely irritated with his rival officers. To his mind, there was nobody in the Republic who had the balls to order his sons correctly, except of course for himself, and therefore they should all be under his commission. It might have been irrational, but that's how he felt about it.
"A son in someone else's commission," Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Nelson Jock was saying to him over his beer, 'I wonder what that's like."
"Shut up. Rodger is under your commission."
"And in our joint formation."
"Shut up, asshole."
The aging Doggo laughed at his friend and then said, "Total war."
"Doesn't change our mission parameters much. Once we push the enemy out of Star Counsel space we'll get started on the Clans."
"I hear First Fleet is getting ready to move on Clans space."
"And Second Army will follow behind them."
"Long, hard work, digging them out," General George murmured into his beer.
"The Army is good at digging," Admiral Jock replied.
"My desk is covered with volunteers for the Second Star Rapid Response Force."
"Same for the Lost Boys."
"I've never had so many high scoring greens beg to get plopped onto the ships with the highest casualty rates in the Navy."
"They remember the We Sing," The general said.
"He'll be okay. He's his father's son."
"I remember how much of a moron I was at that age, Nelson."
"I remember a promising young private who faithfully carried out his duties and looked out for his team, Eric."
Major General Eric George downed the dregs of his beer and said, "You didn't see the stupid shit privates do planetside."
His friend laughed and likewise drained his beer, "True, true. Another beer while we wait for the speech?"
"Another beer. I'm drowning my urge to go throttle a certain colonel."

At a press conference on Terra:

Cameras flashed, media employees jostled for position as the Bigkitty woman took the podium. She looked weary, but resolute as she took a deep breath and said, "Today, the Fifth of February in the Year Post Colonization the One Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixtieth, The Republic of Terra and Her Aligned Planets does by supermajority in the Senate and Interplanetary Congress, and so signed by me, authorize the Navy and Army to engage in total war protocols. It is with a heavy heart that I lay this burden upon those who now wear the uniforms we once did.
"We remember the fate of the We Sing, we remember the courage of her crew and the Honor Guard. However, we remember also the power we wield, and the responsibility such power requires. The legislature did not pass this resolution in the throes of passion. The thirst to avenge our fallen does not drive us to this decision. Rather, it is the recognition that justice demands that we do not shirk the fight. Justice demands that we do all that is necessary to end the dark reign of the priest emperor of this Axxaakk Dominion. Justice demands that we look open eyed into the face of evil and unflinchingly pull the trigger.
"There will be slaves who die as a consequence of this authorization. There will be suffering of those disallowed to take up arms. The innocent will perish along with the guilty. We know this. We accept this upon our own shoulders. Just so, those servicemen now must once more accept the burden of service to the Republic, for now she asks them to risk not only their lives, but their very souls. The good, the courageous, the selfless among us march now into the dark grey of confronting a foe who puts a wall of innocent lives between himself and justice, and the Republic now asks of her sons and daughters to make a hole through that wall and see justice done anyway. Whatever the cost to those sons and daughters.
"May the bloody hands of our children be washed clean by the tears of the grateful, but let none forget that it was we, here on Terra, who dared ask of them such a thing.
"We remember the Among the Star Tides We Sing, Thank you."
The Chief Citizen did not take questions. Even if she did, the media present couldn’t think of any to ask.

Aboard the Speaking Softly:

"Ambassador, is the threat truly so dire that the Republic should make such a drastic declaration?"
Ambassador Traevee gently inclined her head to her guest and said, "Indeed, it is."
"I am pleased to have fortified the border, then," Third Prince Svesciz said solemnly, "and supremely irritated at the incompetence of my ambassador to you."
"I still don't think he bothered to read the packet Traevee gave him," said Ambassador Sophia Laurent.
The prince groaned and put his head in his hands as Ambassador Traevee said, "I have seen the reports on your fleet capabilites. I fear they are insufficient."
He moaned in reply, "Thanks to that tailless moron, we've wasted almost a month. A month we could have been using to get new ships built. To get our current fleet retrofitted. To recruit new Jacauvian Guard."
"I know," Ambassador Laurent said tighly, "he has delayed my mission to warn the lot of you. You don't have the assets to actually run hyperspace interdiction along your entire border, so those behind you will still be at risk. I suggest you focus on planetary fortification, the enemy wants the planets intact. You might at least slow them down enough for your neighbors to shore up their defenses."
"The Kingdom of Jecauvia will hold the line, ambassadors, have no fear. If we fall, we will make the invaders pay dearly for it. We have learned our lessons well at the Republic's knee. Great Egg, that moron has truly damaged the kingdom more than he could ever know."
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Was just thinking about this and wanted to share how the gaming ecosystem has evolved and how crazy it is to be able to just sell off virtual assets to fund my hobby. I haven't done it in a while, but I think I'm 100% done participating in any system that doesn't provide some method to retain or gain some value while holding onto the in-game asset. Kind of wild to think about honestly.
Does anyone else do the same? I honestly can't remember the last time I purchased a game off Steam or Battle.net with cash.