#Clock Maintenance Tips

[jenniferkatz]

Antique American Clocks: Embracing Elegance and Timeless Craftsmanship

Antique American clocks are more than just timekeepers; they are cherished artifacts that capture the ingenuity and artistry of a bygone era. With their intricate designs, historical significance, and enduring craftsmanship, these clocks hold a special place in the hearts of collectors and enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or a first-time buyer, exploring an antique American clock offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of history.

The Legacy of Antique American Clocks

American clockmakers changed timekeeping in the 18th and 19th centuries, combining function with beauty. Here's why they are still iconic:

Artistry: Antique American clocks show painstaking detail through hand-carved cases and complex movements.

Historical Significance: Many of these clocks were important to early American homes, businesses, and public venues.

Innovative Technology: Eli Terry and Seth Thomas, two early American clockmakers, furthered the art of mass making, thus making the clocks more affordable and easier to obtain.

Aesthetic diversity: These designs ranged from tall-case grandfather clocks to fine mantel clocks and catered to an array of tastes and styles.

Durability: Antique clocks were built from sturdy materials and were meant to last throughout time: both literally and figuratively. 

Popular Types of american antique clocks

1. Grandfather Clocks

These longcase clocks stand tall and majestic, often containing intricate woodwork and moon-phase dials that would make such a clock the centerpiece of any home.

2. Mantel Clocks

Small yet elaborate, mantel clocks often adorned fireplaces and shelves, serving both beauty and use.

3. Wall Clocks

From schoolhouse clocks to regulator styles, wall clocks were the practical yet elegant way to tell time both at home and in public spaces.

4. Shelf Clocks

Light yet attractive, shelf clocks enjoyed enormous popularity in the 19th century.

5. Banjo Clocks

Banjo clocks represent a uniquely American style, distinguished by their thin silhouettes and patriotic themes that represent the spirit of the country. 

Why American antique clocks are valuable to collectors

1. Historical Significance

Each clock tells of America’s industrial and cultural evolution. These are cherished relics among historians and collectors alike.

2. Artistic Appeal

Having come to be characterized by intricate engravings, painted dials, and ornate cases, these clocks are justly as much works of art as they are functional devices.

3. Rarity

Many antique American clocks are rather rare finds, especially in limited editions or those from early manufacturing periods.

4. Investment Potential

These clocks are vintage collectibles that gain immensely in value.

5. Sentimental Value

Owning an antique clock arouses nostalgia and gives tangible connection to the past. 

Tips for Buying American Clocks at Auction

Do Your Research: To determine the clock's worth and validity, find out about its manufacturer, model, and time period.

Examine Condition: Look for any indications of restoration, working movements, and original components.

Recognize Provenance: A clock's worth and attraction are increased by a documented history.

Decide on a budget: Be mindful of your budget and steer clear of competitive bidding.

Consult an Expert: Seek advice from specialists in horology or auctions.

Caring for Your Antique Clock

Regular Maintenance: Have the clock serviced by a professional to ensure accurate timekeeping.

Proper Placement: Keep the clock in a stable, climate-controlled environment to prevent damage.

Gentle Cleaning: Use soft cloths and mild solutions to clean the case and dial.

Winding Routine: Follow proper winding procedures for mechanical models to avoid overwinding.

Conclusion

Antique American clocks embody a rich legacy of craftsmanship, innovation, and artistry. Whether adorning your mantel or becoming the highlight of your collection, these timepieces offer timeless beauty and historical significance. To explore a curated selection of antique clocks, consider participating in an Online Auction, where you can discover extraordinary pieces that resonate with your passion for history and horology.

FAQ

Q: What makes antique American clocks unique?

A: Their blend of craftsmanship, historical significance, and innovative design sets them apart.

Q: How can I verify the authenticity of an antique clock?

A: Look for maker’s marks, serial numbers, and original components.

Q: Are antique American clocks valuable investments?

A: Yes, many clocks appreciate over time, especially rare or well-preserved models.

Q: How often should an antique clock be serviced?

A: Regular servicing every 3-5 years ensures longevity and accurate timekeeping.

Q: Can antique clocks still be used daily?

A: Absolutely! Many antique clocks remain functional with proper care and maintenance.

[gloomwitchwrites]

Thinking about…Biker!141 AU

Biker!Gaz who turned a hobby into a career on social media. Sometimes he’s dishing out advice and general maintenance tips, while the rest of his videos are straight up thirst traps. He might not say it directly, but he adores the attention. All the thirsty comments are the perfect ego boost. But there’s a pattern, a username that keeps cropping up over and over again. It’s not just anyone. It’s his best friend’s ex, a woman he’s been lusting after for years. She’s liking his posts, and leaving filthy comments. This might be his chance.

Biker!Price doesn’t hate much, but he hates it when people owe him money. And your brother is at the top of his list. With a stacked gambling debt, your brother hands you over to Price with the hope that this might erase or lower the debt. Well, tough shit for your brother. Price is keeping you and not erasing one cent of the debt just to shove it in your brother’s face. Yes, you’re his now, and that isn’t going to change, but you’re a sweet thing…and Price intends to make you his.

Biker!Ghost is the odd one out in his small town. Rumor is that he’s a violent man with a long criminal history that ranges from petty theft to murder. No one will actually verify if it’s true, but they all repeat it like it’s the truth. As the newest addition, everyone you come across tells you to stay away from him even though he’s the only car mechanic in town. But when your cheap ass car breaks down, and not a single godly citizen stops to help, it’s Ghost that rolls to a stop. It’s he that offers you a ride home and promises to have it towed to his shop free of charge.

Biker!Soap is about to be handed the keys to a criminal empire. His father’s clock is ticking, but a war between rivals looms on the horizon. With the possibility of a bloody fight ahead, Soap’s father makes a deal with another rival gang. This one has a marriageable daughter around the same age, and Soap is the eligible bachelor. While he’s single, he’s hardly celibate. He rides fast, fucks hard, and hasn’t thought about having a wife at all. But when you arrive, he meets a fiery thing that would rather scratch his face off than sleep with him. Good luck with that, babe. Soap is about to win you over.

[kitchenisking]

Day 2

Leave Before You Love Me by Sam_Haine - (Rating: Mature, Words: 1,935, sterek)

Derek gets a dose of reality the morning after he and Stiles do the devil's tango and tries to leave before he wakes up.

Mistaken Connections by abrasive91 - (Rating: Mature, Words: 7,062, sterek)

Everybody in Beacon Hills knows the tragedy of Derek Hale and his dead soulmate, Paige Krasikeva. 

Which is why Stiles is extremely confused by the letter from the Department of Soul Connections and Maintenance telling him that Derek is his soulmate.

The Jeep by CelestialVoid  - (Rating: G, Words: 1,140, sterek)

Eli’s sixteen and Stiles wants to give him the Jeep, Derek might need some persuading.

It's Been A Long Time by voidnogitsune - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 3,524, sterek)

It’s just after his eighteenth birthday when Stiles comes to him, hot and hard and practically begging. His hands are white-knuckled, gripping the steering wheel too tight and Derek doesn’t have to be a werewolf to know what this is about.

Stiles stumbles out of the jeep, wiping his palms on his jeans and catching Derek’s eye in the moonlight. He flails backwards, like he hadn’t known Derek would be there the entire drive up, and Derek just smirks back at him, watches the way his pale skin catches in the light, watches the way he bites his lips until they are dark-pink.

“D-Derek. Fancy seeing you out here tonight.”

Your Burning Sun by elisera - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 2,904, sterek)

“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Stiles says, wrapping his arms around Derek’s shoulders and tipping his hips up and forward until they meet Derek’s. A pleased sound escapes Derek; they’re both already half-hard, the scent of Stiles’ arousal filling the night air, thankfully drowning out the smell of the dumpster next to them.

it was always you (can't believe I could not see it all this time) by EvanesDust, S3anchaidh - (Rating: T, Words: 2,569, sterek)

ob·liv·i·ous /əˈblivēəs/ adjective

lacking active conscious knowledge or awareness.

…or the one where the pack helps Derek realize that he’s in love with Stiles.

Derek Didn't Know What To Do But Maybe Stiles Did by tiedtogetherwithadagger - (Rating: T, Words: 13,027, sterek)

He let his head fall onto Stiles’ shoulder with a sigh of relief. He wasn't losing his pack, at least not tonight. Erica would be okay.

“Thank you,” Derek exhaled into Stiles’ hoodie.

“Always,” Stiles said.

A Little Sugar by exclamation - (Rating: Mature, Words: 4,987, sterek)

The first time they had sex, it was after Derek paid Stiles' rent. The second time was after Derek bought Stiles' groceries. It wasn't hard to work out the pattern. Derek hates himself for taking advantage of Stiles and tries to convince him that any form of payment is unnecessary, but he can't seem to break the cycle.

Settle Down by wearing_tearing, whatthehale - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 153,180, sterek)

Stiles is a struggling author barely making ends meet.

Derek is a successful architect whose biological clock is ticking.

Enter a surrogacy agency, two packs, and a particularly sticky and toe curling heat week and you get a match made in heaven.

Not just a house, but a home by alikatastic - (Rating: Not Rated, Words: 2,178, sterek)

The alpha pack was gone, Erica and Boyd were safe, and Isaac was no longer enthralled with Scott. They had needed a place to stay, especially with Peter and Cora sticking around. So, they rebuilt the Hale house, and it was beautiful. Stiles needed it to feel like home, so Stiles made it his goal to make sure the house felt like a place that could be home, so the pack would stay. 

[rockingrobin69]

Food for thought

“I’m so glad you came,” Potter said with that look on his face. Draco felt himself clam, go small-small-small until his nose barely cleared the line of his shoulders.

“It’s,” he tried through a too-dry mouth, “no problem, really. Happy I could help.”

“I don’t know why it keeps doing that,” scratching the back of his neck with those big Potter-hands. The grandfather clock had been in the Black house for centuries. Now it was showing the right time again, and also, conveniently, no longer throwing darts at bystanders. “I swear it was working this morning.”

“Truly, a mystery.” Draco levelled a scathing glance at Pansy, who was sitting at the counter with a far-too-neutral expression. “Pans, if you wouldn’t mind, a word?”

He dragged her out to the corridor, only barely not by the ear. She had the audacity to smile. “Everything all right, dear?”

“None of that,” in a heated whisper. “That’s the third, Pans. How many times would you break Potter’s things just to have him call me?”

“If you’d bothered calling him yourself, I wouldn’t have to.”

“Pansy Parkinson!”

“Draco Malfoy.” Examining her fingernails with an exaggerated yawn. “Are you suggesting I’m messing with my own colleague? I would never.”

He rolled his eyes so hard his head hurt. “You’re not fooling anyone. Did you forget I actually know you? Potter does too. Soon enough he’ll figure out—”

“That he simply must take you on a date? I’d hoped so, yes.” With a cheeky wink: “Got to go, my show’s about to start. We’ll catch up later, yes? Still on for drinks on Friday?” and she left, the corridor and a flushed, slightly hyperventilating Draco, alone in Potter’s place.

“Erm, Draco?” from the kitchen. “I think I might’ve made too much pasta. Stay for dinner?”

Oh, he’s going to kill that woman.

After dinner, that is.

*

“You’re a life-saver,” Potter murmured, pretty mouth hanging open. On the sofa, Seamus was smiling so smugly, Draco could punch him.

Didn’t. Stood there, made himself small and wished to be not-here, not-now. “It really was no problem. The windows should shut properly now. Have you tried,” but it was useless, he knew why the windows were jammed, and it wasn’t poor maintenance.

His ‘friends’ were just out to get him.

Suppose they thought it was funny? Suppose… Draco didn’t know. Tried to curtail his mortification at being summoned here, again, in another attempt to humiliate him.

That’s what they were doing, right? That’s what this was all about. They knew how he felt about Potter, nothing was more obvious. It was there in pub nights and on their stupid hikes and that time they all went to the beach, it was in Draco’s eyes, in his hands always reaching out, never touching.

“Thanks,” Potter said, for the third time. “You’re so… It’s really fucking kind of you to. Take care of me.”

Startled, “I don’t—it’s just your windows, Potter. There’s no reason to get all sentimental.”

A loud noise: Seamus, snorting. “You boys are such a mess.” Shaking his head. “Anyway, this was fun. See you two Saturday!” and he disappeared, cartoon-quickly.

(Draco’s been watching cartoons recently. Mostly with Potter, late at night after their friends would leave; sometimes by himself, wearing the jumper he’d stolen and feeling rather pathetic).

“Are you by any chance hungry?” Potter asked from a surprisingly-short distance. He was right there, close enough to touch. Tittering on his tip-toes, like he had any reason to be nervous. “It’s only, I’ve ordered far too much food, and Seamus just. Erm. Left.”

Draco folded inwards, made himself as small as possible, so it won’t start leaking out, all this… foolishness. It was stupid. It would break his heart.

He stayed anyway.

*

“Thank you so much,” Potter rubbed his eyes, this half-grin on his awful, handsome face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with this house. I think it hates me.”

“I think someone does,” with a murderous look to Ginevra, who not only smirked, but also made a point of coming to see for herself. The cooker had stopped frying everything to a crisp, and should be safe to use again. Big whoop.

“That’s some quick spellwork,” she hit his shoulder far too hard. “Didn’t know you were so good with these.”

“Really,” incredulous. “You didn’t know.”

“And how lucky, that Malfoy could come over so quickly?” she looked between Potter and him. “Maybe you should move in. Easier for the next time something bends out of shape.”

Draco didn’t splutter, because he was an adult, but he must have looked rather pinched. “There won’t be a next time.”

“I’m so sorry,” Potter sounded miserable, standing there in his too-tight Quidditch top and those joggers that always rode too low, “god, Draco, I’m sorry I—”

“No!” he cleared his throat, had no hope of clearing his face of that awful, telling blush. “No, it’s absolutely fine. I don’t mind! I meant, I hope your things stop breaking all the time for no reason.”

“Oh. Don’t worry about it. I, erm, accidentally made too much curry, so—Gin, you were saying you can’t stay?”

Draco’s belly made a terrible gurgle. Oh, he’s going to kill all of them. Closing his eyes, he missed some of the encounter, and probably an evil grin from Ginevra.

“Draco?” Potter came closer, and he smelled like lemongrass and thyme, and like Potter, and like summer, “Would, erm, would you like to stay for dinner?”

Why were the gods testing him this way? He tried to go small-small-small till he wasn’t noticeable anymore, but Potter was too close and Draco’s heart was crushed open. The weight of his want, which had to be so clear on his face, this absolute agony. And nothing he could say but, “Yes, yes,” and hide behind his fingers, and endure it.

The worst part was, Potter was a great cook.

No: the worst was at the end of the night, when he kissed his cheek so, so gently.

Draco went home, and buried himself in his duvet, and swore to never play the fool in these games anymore.

*

“This is so embarrassing,” Potter announced into his hands, “I don’t know what happened, it just. Won’t quit it.”

His shower curtains were singing. Non-stop.

“I,” Draco swallowed, and his ribs nearly cracked with it, “didn’t k-know you were such a… big Celestina fan.”

Couldn’t hold it in: laughing so hard he was crying, and Potter was laughing too, shoulders heaving, so bright and so wonderful Draco’s teeth ached. They both ended up on the floor, winded and flushed. Draco loved him so much it was frightening.

“I,” he almost said it out loud, covered his mouth with a hand.

“What?” Potter, laughing. He took Draco’s hand with both of his, tried to pull it away, “What, what were you going to say?”

“Nothing!” in a tiny squeak. “Potter!” when he basically climbed in his lap, still laughing, laughing.

“You have to tell me. I made your favourite biscuits, so you have to.”

“You—did?” confused and bright-red in the face, “Why? Was someone supposed to come tonight?”

Potter’s eyes were so big. “No?”

“So why did you…” Potter always had too much food not due to a lack of planning, but his heart, that huge thing. “You cook when someone comes over.”

“Yes,” Potter agreed. He was so close and so warm. Baffling.

“So who did you bake the biscuits for?” who was responsible for this evening’s prank, he meant, for this torment. Whom should he thank or perhaps curse. Potter blinked his pretty eyelashes, then one big hand came to cup Draco’s face.

“You,” he said. This tiny, shy voice. “I made them for you. I was hoping you’d come. Might have… erm… cursed the curtains a bit.”

Draco would have gasped, but Potter’s hand on his cheek. “What?”

“Well… you never come when I invite you, only when something’s broken, and I, I, wanted to see you.”

No, that didn’t clarify anything. “Why?” Draco asked, and his voice was small too.

Potter huffed something warm on his face. “Because I like you, silly. You must have noticed? Everyone else did. They’ve been driving me bonkers and… they were right. I should have just been honest with you.”

His heart was racing, raucous in his chest. “You know they’ve been playing us. The clock, the windows, the cooker, everything that went wrong, it was them.”

“Not this time,” Potter said. His mouth was so close, so red and so stupidly gorgeous. Coming even closer. “Draco, can I…”

Instead of making himself smaller, Draco went big. Chest expanding, arms sending out and reaching, touching. He kissed Potter before the stupid git could even move, and then they were snogging, wet and sloppy on the bathroom floor.

It was stupid. It was perfect. Behind them, the curtain were still humming: a cauldron full of hot, hot love…

Had to stay for biscuits, right?

For my lovely @orange-peony who gave me a brilliant prompt from this list. Hey, you could do it too!

[echo-goes-mmm]

Hoarding Behavior #5

Masterpost

Previous

Next

Warnings: dehumanization

Noct sat behind him, brushing his hair and purring. It was nice. He liked the gentle attention, and his hands were warm and careful.

“Pretty thing,” he murmured, “I should let your hair grow. I could braid it into patterns and weave gold into it.”

River wasn’t sure if he was actually speaking to him, but the compliment made his chest flutter. No one had ever talked about him like that before.

A claw-tipped finger traced over the skin of his shoulder. Master had dressed him in a silken off-the-shoulder shirt, in a beautiful ruby color. 

“Your freckles are like bronze,” he sighed. He tilted River’s head with a gentle hand. He studied River, staring into his eyes. A pleased smile graced Master’s face. 

“Precious emeralds set in bronze,” he said, “my little gem. So perfect.”

“Thank you, Master.” Noct’s tail swished with happiness. He hummed as he finished brushing his hair.

River knew he was just another object to Noct. And he was okay with it. After all, outside he was just another slave. There wasn’t much of a difference.

After, he watched Master polish the various silver items he had hoarded. Finally, a task he could do.

“Can I help?” Noct looked up from the vase. 

“You might get polish on your hands.”

“I can clean them later. Please, Master?” he pleaded. He was just so bored.

“I suppose you may.” 

River grabbed a silver cup and began to work it over. They sat together for a while, and River eyed how thorough and careful Master was. He was completely focused on the piece in his hands, almost lovingly polishing the vase. 

“Why are you so intrigued by polishing?” asked Master after a few minutes of silence.

“I-” would Noct punish him for complaining? “I need something to do. It’s hard to pass the time.”

“I see.” 

“I used to cook and clean the whole day away for my other masters,” explained River, “and here, you don’t need me to.”

Master hummed in acknowledgement. “I have many books you may enjoy. I will allow that.”

“I can’t read.”

“A pity.”

Master sighed. “I clean my own things. I cannot allow you to handle them without me.” Noct finished the vase, standing to put it in its proper place. 

“I’m really sorry about the statue,” said River, “I won’t break anything again. I’m more used to the chain, now.” Noct sat down again and picked up a candlestick. 

“It is not about the statue. I have already punished you, there is no use lingering on it. It is simple a fact of my nature. I maintain my own hoard, and that is all. Others may not.”

River thought it over. “But I’m doing it right now?”

“I am trying not to think about it,” Master said, tightly. River was pushing his luck. 

River set the polished cup aside, moving on to a platter. Master plucked the cup from the nest, eyeing it. It must be satisfactory, because he stood to put it away.

He thought about the bath. Noct still didn’t let him get clean on his own, insisting on washing his hair and body for him. Was that “maintenance” to Master?

“Am I part of your hoard?”

“Of course, my treasure. Have I not made it clear?” Noct shook his head, amused.

“Then… why do I count as ‘other’? Can’t I help?” Master huffed.

“It is hard to explain. I… suppose you may touch and move pieces of my hoard. Organize, perhaps.”

“Like the jewelry you keep meaning to display?” He thought of the rings that got caught in Master’s claws.

“Yes. Like that. A fine idea. Will that keep you busy for now?”

“I guess,” he shrugged. 

“Hm. What would help you?” asked Master, “You are mine, so I must know.”

“A clock,” he said immediately. “I never know what time it is in here.”

“Very well.”

“And… some puzzles?” Noct made a sound of curiosity.

“Um, like jigsaw puzzles. They come in a box with hundreds or thousands of pieces and you have to fit them together into a picture.”

“Interesting. Yes, I will get you puzzles. I may take up a collection. I enjoy art, but the curved walls make it difficult to hang paintings. These... puzzle pictures may be a satisfying compromise.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Noct reached out and patted his head affectionately. “You are so pretty and good for me, how could I say no?” 

___________________

The clock was just as gorgeous as the rest of Master’s furniture. A beautiful grandfather clock, it rang the hour and half hour with pretty bells and chimes. 

Master had acquired ring holders, earring displays, and glass cases. The cases were for his most opulent pieces, like his diamond encrusted necklaces and assortment of actual crowns and tiaras.

River decided he wouldn’t ask where those came from.

Master asked that he sort them by gem and then by metal, and River was glad to do it. It was satisfying in its own way, and the hum of appreciation and murmurs of ‘good boy’ made him blush.

He never got thanked for his work before. Master ruffled his hair when he passed by, and scooped up the finished cases to put them on dedicated shelves.

The gems glittered from across the room, bathing the entire section in tiny rainbows when the lantern light was right. It was so pretty.

And Master had been taking such good care of him. The same kind of loving affection he extended to all of his hoard.

Outside, he was just another slave. In here, he was Master’s precious gem. His treasure. River was his, and that meant something. 

taglist: @paintedpigeon1

[horny4hetfield]

Everybody Loves a Parade - Part 8

Warnings: All Fluff

Monday

I am all tangled up in the blanket and my robe.  It’s dark out the window.  My back is achy, but my nipples hurt more.  I can hear something.  Then I realize that it’s James.  He’s in his studio.  Happily making music.  Or at least I hope he’s happy.  I grab his pillow and drift back to sleep.

His hand pressing between my shoulder blades wakes me.  “Morning.”

“How long have you been up?”

“I woke up about 5:15 with a riff going through my head.  I had to capture it.”  His voice is a happy rumble.  He kisses my shoulder, “Thanks to you, I was able to do that.”

“mmm.  I’m glad” I murmur.

He pats my ass, “C’mon.  Up.  Breakfast will be here shortly.”

“Whaaa?”  I’m confused.

“I called Carl who told me to call Rudy who put me in touch with someone who knows a guy at the Tavern.”  He smirks, “Breakfast will be here shortly.”  He flips the blanket off me, “C’mon sleeping beauty.  Up.”  I grunt.  He grabs a nipple. 

“I’m moving!” I squeak.

Grinning wickedly, “A little sore, are they?”  I just give him a look.  “I’ll take that as a yes!”  He kisses my forehead. 

Searching in my closet, I pull out another Hawaiian print dress and pull it over my head.  The soft cotton fabric is tender on my sore nipples.  James grabs me from behind, cupping my boobs, “That bad?”

“I’m considering bandaids.”

“Ahh.”  He kisses my neck.  “Sorry.”

I smirk back at him, “No you’re not.”

He smiles, “You’re right, I’m not” as he not too gently grabs my nipples.  My knees threaten to buckle.  His arms tighten around me keeping me from hitting the floor as he chuckles.

The doorbell rings.  James makes certain that I’m able to stand before going to answer it.  I cup my own boobs as I leave the bedroom, “Saved by the bell indeed.”

Carl is rolling a taller cart with several bags from Tavern on the Green on top. 

James is grinning like a cheshire cat again helping move the bags to the dining table.  “Carl, I can’t thank you enough for helping to put this together for me!”

Carl grins back, “It was all Rudy’s doing, James!”

“Oh sure!  You can call him James but can’t call me Kira!” I snark with a grin on my face.

Holding up a finger as he pushes the cart toward the door, “Ahh, James is not an owner in the building!”  The front door closes.

I see James stuff something into his pocket.  I pat him on the bicep, “He wouldn’t have taken it.”

“What?”

“The tip.”  I smile at him, “It can get added to the holiday packet I drop on his stand at Christmas.”

“Ahhh.  I wondered if you – ahem – took care of him.”

“And Monty and Sebastian.”

“Whose Sebastian?”

“The maintenance guy.”  I look at the table, “James.  What did you order?”  My eyebrows are in my hairline.

“I finally did what I’ve always wanted to do!”  The cheshire cat goes psycho grin.  I just raise my eyebrows.  “I ordered the whole breakfast menu!”

“What?!?”  I start looking into the containers.

“I couldn’t make up my mind!”

I turn to him, “The Tavern doesn’t do breakfast on weekdays!”

He smiles, “Turns out one of the cooks is a fan.”

“Chef.”

“Huh?”

“Not cook at the Tavern.  Chef.”  James just nods.  “Maybe we should send the chef a snap?” as I pull my eyebrows out of my hairline.

We arrange the food so that all the items can be seen.  James sits at the table holding up a fork and knife with psycho grin spread across his face.  I can barely hold his phone still for the laughter.  I send myself a text with the snap and hand James his phone back.  He sends it to the chef.

“I give it ten minutes and it will be online” James says.

“Five.”

We both dig in.  It was all amazing!  “Man!  I thought I’d overdone on Thanksgiving!” I lean back patting my belly.

James’ phone buzzes.  He checks.  And starts laughing.  He hands it to me.  It’s a screen grab from Facebook of the photo we’d taken from the Tavern’s page.  The caption:  James Hetfield goes crazy for Tavern on the Green’s breakfast!  Laughing, I hand his phone back.  I hear my phone buzz.  Looking at the clock, “I’m late.”

“For what?”

“Work.”  I stand up, “I need to at least put on a bra.”

“Why?”

“Zoom meeting.”

“Ahh.”  James stands and starts cleaning up the table.

I grab his hands, “I’ll get this.  These meetings are never long.” 

He bends over and plants a kiss on me which I gladly return.  “Then, I’m going to my studio!” he grins.

I walk with him to the studio door, “I hope it’s a good commute” I grin.

“Ahh man, traffic can suck!”  He kisses me again. "Traffic jam" he chuckles.  My phone buzzes again.  We both laugh.  He goes into the studio, I go put on a bra.

Back at my desk, I log into the meeting: “Hi Boss!”

“Morning Kira!  Damn that Gala dress, girl!!

“James had it made for me.”  I can feel my cheeks flame in blush.  “Who’s mad at me.”

“Besides the creepy mail room guy?  No one.  Now, the good news.  Margo is now on maternity leave.”

“She ok?”

“Yes.  Just the little dude wanted out early!  So, you get the novel.”

“How far along was Margo?”

The rest of the meeting went quickly.  After ending the meeting, I pull up the files for the book that Margo was working on.  It was almost done.  Remembering that I’d told James I would clear up breakfast, I quickly take care of it – nibbling on the bacon while clearing up.  I sigh as I get ready to close the fridge.  I don’t think it’s ever been this full.  Returning to my desk with a can of Severed Lime, I decide to go back to the beginning of the book Margo was working on.  Pulling my legs into my desk chair I get started.  My background music is provided by James.

I love working with Margo.  She’s the one that taught me, so taking over her project is a breeze.  I’m almost caught up when I feel James’ hands on my shoulders.

“How’s it going?”  His lips press against my neck.

Stretching some, “Well, curve ball.  One of the other editors’ is suddenly on maternity leave.”

“She ok?” James asks sincerely.

“Yes, just early delivery.  Mom and baby are fine.”

“Good.”  James’ fingers gently rub my shoulders.  “You hungry?”  I just rotate my chair and look at him.  “I’ll take that as a no” he grins.

“I should go have something sent to Margo.”  I uncurl my legs and stretch again.

James runs his hands down my arms, “What’s your deadline now?”

Closing out the files, “I have two weeks.”  I send a text to my boss that I’ll be offline – baby shopping - for the balance of the day.  I get a thumbs up response.

“That be enough time?”

Standing up, “Yes.  Margo was almost done.”

He cups my head and kisses me, “Good.”  He strokes my hair.  “I think that you need to go shopping.”  He grins.

“Would you like to go with me?” I wrap my arms around his waist.

He smiles gently at me, “Sure.”

“Did you finish your song?” I look up into the glorious blue eyes.

His grin gets bigger, “Yes.  I was even able to chat with Lars on it.”  He pulls me from my office.  “He’s jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, that you gave me a room with a view for a studio.”  I give him a look.  “Jess made him set up his drums in their basement” he laughs.

I smile up at him, “I liked hearing you play while I edited.”  I stand on tip toe to kiss him.  His hands hold me close.

“I think it’s going to turn out great.  Lars is already putting drums to it.”  I sink back to my flat feet.  “What?”

“That blows my mind!” I smile.

“What?  That I can start something here, Lars can add to it from Denmark, Rob will be working on it in SoCal and Kirk will lay his solo from Hawaii?”

“Think about what you just said” I say as I take his hand and led him to the bedroom.

He stops shortly after entering the room, “Damn.”

I just nod at him and chuck a shirt at him.

Twenty minutes later we are exiting the cab in front of Bloomingdale’s.  The store is completely done up for Christmas and is amazing.  We take our time getting to the infant’s section.  Going to the counter, I am given Margo’s registry list.  James follows me as I look over items.  Since he’s had kids, he is able to give me some feedback on what is on Margo’s wish list.  I pick out the stroller that will grow with the kid.  James picks out the highchair that can also be adjusted as the kid grows up.  He also suggests a toy that all of his kids adored.  That will be sent from both of us.  The salesperson assures us that if we sign gift cards, they will make sure that those are attached to the wrapped gifts before delivery.

James just smiles and puts a scary guy on his.  “You know she’s going to die when she reads the gift cards!” I smile up at James.  I thank the salesperson and we leave the infants department. 

“Do you want to look around?”

James wraps an arm around me, “What do you want to look at?”  I just point at the Christmas area.  He hugs me a little tighter smiling, “Ok!”

I have more fun just watching him check out all the decorations.  Slowly, I led him to a tree in the corner.  “Hey.”

He grins, “Hi.”

“Where do you want to spend Christmas?”

He gives me a look.  “Where do you want to spend Christmas?”

I work my hands inside his open coat and rest them on his chest.  “Colorado” I say looking at his chest.

He lifts my chin, looks me in the eye, “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He wraps one arm around my waist, the other around my shoulders and tenderly pulls me to him and just looks at me.  All I can do is smile at his blue eyes.  “You are positive, aren’t you?”  I just nod.  “Ok.  Colorado Christmas it will be.”  He cups my head and slowly kisses me.  I snake my arms tighter around him under his coat and kiss right back.

Someone clears their throat.  James looks up, pulling me a little closer.  I twist my head and there stands a security guard, whose eyes are now really big.  “Can we help you?” James asks with a huge smile.

“Just makin’ sure that things are fine back here.”  I can see the guy’s really nervous.  “Can’t let the Page 6 girl get into trouble on my watch.”

I blush and shove my face back into James’ coat.  I can feel him chuckle, “Yeah.  We good.”

“Sorry to interrupt.”

“No worries.  Thanks for looking out for the women, buddy.”

“Hey, it’s my job!”

From inside James’ coat I say “Merry Christmas!”

“And Merry Christmas to you ma’am!”

I feel James shake the guards hand “Merry Christmas!”  That hand rests on the back of my head.  I look up.  James is almost giggling at me.  “You OK?”

“I’m never gonna live that down!”

He actually laughs, “And I’m not gonna let ya!”  He kisses my forehead and walks me out of the corner.  “Do you need anything from this store?”

“I can’t think of anything.”  I look up at him, “You ready to go home?”

“Home here home, or home Colorado home or home California home?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye.

“Here home!” as I smack his chest softly.

“I can go home here now.”  He smirks at me.

“aagghh!”

He pulls me into him, kissing my hair, chuckling. 

As we sit in the cab on the ride back the apartment, “When do you want to go home Colorado home?” he asks.

I look at him.  He’s smiling like a damned cheshire cat again.  I huff out a laugh, “Two weeks.  I can get a lot done on Margo’s stuff and most of the top of the pile on mine done.”

“That sounds like a plan.  I get two weeks to break in my studio here home – uhm – home here studio – er – studio home here.”

I shut him up by planting a kiss on him.

[smolghostbot]

Random Robot Snippet

Is it obvious I've been in a robot mood for the last few days? Here's a random word-vom I wrote about a tiny discarded robot being repaired.

Word count: 900ish

CW: POV description of a robot in disrepair, some robot-themed body horror (maintenance while awake) but portrayed softly.

-------------

2%

You stumble through the street, wishing it wasn’t night. All of the businesses are closed, and your solar panels aren’t picking anything up from the street lamps…

1%

You curse your size, the smallest model of family companion, only six inches tall. Six inches that move at a negligible speed as you try desperately to find anywhere to charge… but you know deep down that this is the end for you…

0%

You desperately stumble in view of the sky, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you’ll recharge when the sun co

-

-

5%

System Status: Critical

You wake up. You weren’t expecting that. As you take in the fact that you’re alive, you notice an odd sensation by your arm. Ah. It’s missing. The wires that previously sent power to your fingers have been spliced into a power plug, which must be where you are getting charged from. You notice additional problems as your warning system slowly warms up. Namely, that your chassis is open, exposed to the elements. It just now occurs to you that you have no idea where you are. The room is dark, and you appear to be on a wooden surface, sat in a slumped-over position. Several tools are nearby, as well as spare wires. You begin to panic, your cooling fans turning on automatically to control the heat coming from your processor.

You hear a voice, talking. The words are hard to hear over the roaring of the fans, but you can make out some of them. “Project”, “Replacement”, “Help it”. The voice seems to be speaking to no one, you can’t hear the reply, but they sound adamant. Finally, you hear them move away from the door, as the room returns to silence, and you fade into sleep mode to charge faster.

-

50%

System Status: Stabilized

Your internal clock is broken, you lost internet access long before you were discarded. You have no idea how long you’ve been here. How long since you were in the street. Hours? Days? Longer? The solar panels making up your “hair” have finally activated, but at an extremely low generation rate. That must be what woke you up.

You’re now laying flat on the surface from before. Your pressure sensors feel something. You boot up your optical nodes, and see… gloved human hands, almost as big as you are, poking at your now-exposed chest cavity with rubber-tipped tools. It feels… odd, the sensation of having your insides meddled with while still awake. You take in the form of the human, their tied-back hair, their oil-stained coveralls, clearly from working on something bigger, and presumably more important than you.

Their face, covered by a welding mask, turns up to look at you, clearly noticing the blue lights from your optical nodes, and they speak in a muffled voice. “Oh, hello! You’re awake! Can you… can you speak?”

“Yes. Where am I?”

“Oh good! Sorry, I know this must be scary, this is my robot workshop. I guess you could think of it as… a bot hospital. I found you sitting in a dumpster, but I know your model had AI, I couldn’t just let you be discarded!”

Discarded, you think, taking extra time to process the word. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Where is my arm?” You ask, as your optical nodes glance over at the missing appendage, and the mess of wires in its place. “What are you doing?”

“Oh! Your arm is safe, I was doing repairs on it, and I figured ‘Hey, the chassis needs power anyways, may as well give it a jump’. I’ll put it back when you’re fully charged. As for this,” they say, pointing to your open torso, “Just a bit of an upgrade for you. On the house,” they say with a wink.

Your fans calm down as your processor slows to normal levels. This human means well? You don’t understand why they would care for an outdated, defective unit like you, but that hardly matters if they’ll help repair you. You stay awake as they continue to poke and prod, occasionally causing a power flicker but always apologizing. The way they treat you… it’s almost as if you were a human yourself. Now that they know you’re awake, they speak slowly and softly, narrating what they are doing and why. “I’m removing this, but I’m replacing it with this better one, okay?”

“Okay”, you reply, not that you have much of a choice. If they wanted, they could be, no, should be scrapping you for parts… but they don’t. Finally, it burns at you enough to ask.

“Why are you helping me?”

They go quiet at this. You worry that you said something wrong, something to upset them. Instead, they lift their mask and look at you, a gentle gleam in their hazel eyes, as they respond. “I’m helping you because you were hurt. Nobody should be thrown away like that.”

You think to argue, to tell them that you were defective, replaced by a newer, more capable model, but you hold your metaphorical tongue, afraid of upsetting this human who currently has access to your most vital parts. “You don’t believe me”, they say. You don’t. After a moment, they speak again. “That’s okay. Whether you believe me or not, I’m going to help you, okay? So just be patient and trust me.”

And, with no other option, trust them you shall.

[hananoami]

The subway series offline activities are about to start🚇Hunters, please sit tight and hold on tight!

🚇 Dimension-breaking escalator companion screen launch Take the elevator up slowly with him, look at each other side by side, and feel the sweetness of being so close.

📍On July 11, People’s Square Station, station concourse level escalator (between the two toll areas in the station concourse of Line 1, located in the transfer area between Line 1 and Line 2/Line 8)

🚇Love and deep space super happy women special train

Four major themes, diverse styles, go on an exciting and interesting journey with him!

📍From July 12th to 26th, Shanghai Metro Line 2·Love and Deep Space Themed Special Train *On July 12th, the [Exterior] of the subway will be decorated, and on July 13th the [Interior] of the subway will be decorated (Note: The four major themes are the interiors of the carriages). If you want to get a complete themed train experience, it is recommended that hunters 7 Go and ride after March 13th. *The train will run around the clock during the published operating hours, waiting for hunters at different stations on Line 2. The train cycle (referring to one-way from the origin station to the terminal station) has about 12 trains per day.

[Special Note]: The subway operating hours are under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Shuntong Metro Group. They are subject to uncontrollable fluctuations due to many factors. It is impossible to completely avoid the possibility of temporary suspension of theme trains due to daily train maintenance and other reasons. Hunters, please understand.

🚇Xindong Photo Offline Check-in Exhibition Take offline photos together and take photos with him in a tacit understanding. Shanghai People’s Square Subway Station will open a special check-in exhibition to leave heart-warming memories with him in the midsummer~

📍From July 11th to 24th, the entrance gate of People’s Square Station Hall of Line 1 (near Gate 17) lobby area

🚇Bailian ZX large screen launch If you are excited to travel, make an appointment with him. Shanghai Bailian ZX Fun Center will launch Love and Deep Space on the big screen. Welcome to check in!

📍On July 12th and 14th, outdoor large screens at Shanghai Bailian ZX Creative Field; 📍Indoor multiple LED screens from July 12th to 14th In addition, Bailian ZX mini program "Meta ZX" will also open a lottery from 14:00 on July 10 to 18:00 on July 26, giving away 5 copies of "520 yuan in cash" ~

💡Special Tips: Because the subway is an important means of public transportation, if it causes people to gather for a long time, the relevant departments may order rectification or cancellation. Therefore, hunters are also requested to abide by the relevant order and avoid staying for long periods of time and occupying traffic roads. Thank you for your cooperation.

[domjaehyun]

Okay but like consider spoilt little rich girl who knows nothing about real life and capable poor boy that can like fix a leak in your bathroom and start a leak in your panties….👀

oh purr that’s so fun like if he was one of your building’s maintenance workers and he comes up to fix various apartment problems and you start specifically putting in work requests when you know he’s on the clock so he’ll come fix it and he starts coming by when he’s Not On The Clock and one day he’s fixing your sink and you’re like “hey do you guys accept tips btw” and he’s like “no we’re not allowed but there is something you can give me :)” and you’re like “what is it?” and he’s like “a kiss your number” :3 teehee (the :3 teehee is from me jewel not poor boy jaehyun) and then you two start texting and one day you call him for help and when he’s done helping you you’re like “can i tip you in secret?” and he’s like “i don’t want your money” and you’re like “why not money is great 🤨” and he’s like “no there’s something else i’d much rather have from you :)” and you’re like “out with it already” and depending on how fast you want him to move he either asks for a kiss which leads to sex OR a date which leads to a kiss which, you guessed it, leads to sex :3

also he may be good at fixing things but he’s clumsy and a little awkward in my head in this AU . he’s like . a total cutie pie

[artsycervidae]

Moksha: Chapter 10, Intermission

Nobutoshi has an unsettling dream. Tetsuya names his price.

Word Count: 6.3k

Chapter list and trigger warnings are listed here.

The only quadrant left for Nobutoshi to patrol was due south. Of course, it was impossible to clear out every single demon in such a large area-- he only needed to target the stronger ones that proved more of a potential issue. But ever a perfectionist, he had hitchhiked and doubled back the long way. Whether it be by horse, wagon, or trolly, Nobutoshi took advantage of passivity by resting. He practiced Junko's meditative teachings in the meantime: she would catch naps completely sitting up, eyes open, for no longer than thirty minutes at a time, and her ability to set her own internal clock had been enviable. To the common public, Nobutoshi was a handsomely rugged man swathed in a deep cerulean garb, immune to conversation, staring intensely at the passing landscape. This extreme form of maintenance saved him time and effort better expended elsewhere.

Unfortunately, he never had mastered lucid dreaming. Even Hinata had improved to the point they could hear and feel their surroundings while asleep, though there was a lag before they woke on command. They were laywaid by their own mind, but not when it came to controlling its practical functions. This personal failure of Nobutoshi's made the last couple days insufferable, riddled with wasted time, minutes spent sitting in place as his thoughts waterfalled over him in his most vulnerable state.

-----

The Demon Corps resting grounds were massive: the Ubuyashiki lands held what scraps and memoriam remained of valiant souls at peace. Rows engraved with the family names of fallen Slayers had grown significantly over the years. Like many others, Junko found herself an orphan-- after she passed Final Selections, she returned to a world where she was totally alone, forbidden from her communal home and barred from mourning the loss with her three-year-old brother.

The only family she could visit now stood before them as polished stone, 'Hashimoto' carved into history. "I wish you two had been here when they were buried," Junko told Nobutoshi for the thousandth time. "I really wish you met them before they died... They would have liked you."

"There's always your brother," Nobutoshi suggested hopefully, before realizing he already knew where this line of dialog went.

"I hope not. It'll be impossible to answer for all our absences. Children rarely forgive abandonment and they never forget. Not to mention," her chin lifted, steadfast against her misery, "a sword in his hands means I've failed at making a safe world for him... No. I can't face him until this is all over."

Premonition weighed heavy on his chest. She always wanted Tetsuya to live in a future where children could play outside without fearing the dark. Even if the boy himself wasn't a marechi, it wasn't enough for her that he had been spirited away with the other Garden survivors, sequestered under the care of endangered shinobi clans. He needed to be secure and carefree; her goal was for his life to be free of demonic influence. That thought led elsewhere-- somewhere Nobutoshi wasn't ready to face yet.

"You're doing amazing work so far," he instead praised. "You're already a Hashira. You've met with Master before anyone else I know."

"It's not good enough," she smiled wanly. "We're still losing the war."

"I think someone like you can tip the scales in our favor," Nobutoshi told her. "You guide others into battle and safety, your fighting is efficient and unparalleled, anytime you arrive it's as if you know exactly what we need to do to win."

"You're probably the only person who appreciates that," she chuckled. "Grown men don't like being bossed around by a little girl." And she looked past him when she said, "Isn't that right? Remember, Hinata, when that old guy nearly fought me?"

"Grown men can have a say when they're able to distinguish a dirty mouth from authentic offense," Hinata defended, suddenly making their presence known. "Your bark is worse than your bite, anyway. I would rather have you drag me through the dirt than get chewed out in front of everybody like that... you can be pretty cruel." Although this made the girl snicker, Nobutoshi discredited their opinion wholesale, agreeing only with Hinata's sentiment. If others could see what they saw, fellow fighters would know that swears and an attitude mattered very little in the grand scheme of her impact.

Hinata stepped past them both-- suddenly, the graveyard was different from before. They had transported to the corner where the Rengoku Pillars and their kin rested; Hinata crouched and spoke softly to both Kenzou and Kosuke. "I'm sorry I could never repay you," they apologized. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough yet." Junko kept an appropriate distance and let Hinata have their say: Nobutoshi scanned over the rows before it dawned on him: this was a fantasy. Even outside the dream, humanity was losing this secret war.

"Uh oh," Junko sighed as Hinata rose to their feet. "Here comes Kai."

Indeed, Kosuke's eldest surviving son was incoming, his scalding eyes blazing through Hinata as his brother-tsuguko Shiori tagged along, trying to dissuade him of any violence. The eldest's fist had flexed and closed-- Nobutoshi didn't want to see this again: the way Hinata would roll over, would let Kai verbally assault them for daring to consider paying their respects-- or 'disrespects,' according to the beholder. The newly-appointed Flame Hashira drew a deep breath, Shiori relaxed. But then Kai moved past his sibling, deadset on reaching the interloper who had taken his family from him: Hinata, of course, stepped forward to meet him halfway.

"Hinata, don't--" Nobutoshi pleaded. 'He's going to really hurt you this time. It's going to break your heart.'

"It's the least I can do," Hinata said, not heeding the mental warning. "Taking the blame might not save anyone now, but... he feels better, afterward." It would take a couple spats-- a bloody nose, a broken finger-- before Hinata learned to stay out of sight and mind. To abandon the grave markers forever, for the sake of peace. No physical retribution would salve Kai's heart, Shiori's interventions would never smother the fires of passionate hate, and it was a debt that no amount of Hinata's blood would repay.

Before Nobutoshi could close his eyes to block out the incoming scene, Junko reached forward and grabbed Hinata's hand, dragging them away at a full sprint. This surprised Nobutoshi-- he followed, wondering for a moment how running away from such problems could ever help. Hinata would never change, would always be like this. They could never face humanity except for punishment; they would rather bury their tears in Junko's shoulder, as if she were at all responsible for them.

Demon Corps headquarters folded and unfolded, and Nobutoshi found himself facing one of the oldest wisteria trees, dead center in the courtyard. He was indoors, but the friends he had been chasing were all the way under the blossoms, as if they had always been there. The two were exchanging combat techniques, and the dissonance struck Nobutoshi as humorous: it would be like them to start a scuffle in the same space where their superior officers held meetings, to get amped up on each other's excitement.

As usual, Hinata was soundly outperformed by Junko. She effortlessly flipped them over her shoulder, watching their own erratic movements bring them down before holding her wooden sword to their throat. "See, if you were a demon, it would be all over now," she said, chipper. "Well. Besides the sunlight and the wisteria, which would have gotten you first." And she laughed, a musical and boastful noise that Nobutoshi couldn't help smiling for.

"Again," the loser pleaded. "Tell me. What did I do wrong?"

"You keep underestimating the naturally ambulatory motions of Foliage Breathing," she told them. "You can go left, right, up, down. Stop reacting and start predicting. Get into my head, dumbass."

"It's hard," they said, curling up on the ground, picking up fistfuls of wisteria petals to drop over their lap. "If I get in your head, then you'll get into mine."

"That's the point," Junko scolded. She knelt down, scooped up stray flowers, and rained them on Hinata's head. "You need to open your awareness, which means being receptive to others." Hinata hummed, allowing their superior to lecture on. Nobutoshi wanted to get closer, but the afternoon was so warm, the scene so placid, that he leisurely observed from his vantage point as he adored his friends. Indeed, these two had become Nobutoshi's dearest companions. Even Hinata, as off-putting and histrionic they may be, had grown on him with their eccentric interests and constant desire to please. They were each Slayers worth knowing.

Junko still held the superior control over her body's nervous system: of her nearly-psychic connection for up to five days after physical contact with any human. Additionally her range of sensing air currents had expanded to fifty meters; the Kakushi benefitted from her presence in search-and-rescue, often preferring her command despite the usual tension between pillars and their subjects.

Hinata was trying to learn to emulate that: emphasis on trying. They could trail any demon or Slayer to impossible lengths with their needle-sharp attention to them: which landed them, more often than not, in the particular role of capturing demons alive for training purposes. These demons were analyzed by others like Hinata, whose years of knowledge and experience lended familiarity to the sorts of demons that initiates could and couldn't beat. This intense curiosity in demonhood had developed its own niche, and encouraging them to learn her craft hands-on had never presented an issue. Junko's biggest obstacle with this pupil was their inability to cast their mind about, relying too much on object permanence for a single target as their crutch: "You're stalking like a jungle cat, but you haven't honed in on your reflexes. Really, it's the most inefficient thing you could do with such a specific ability. You'll never become a Hashira like that."

"I can't become a Hashira, period," they pouted.

"Well, what are you even fighting for then?"

"To hunt demons."

"Besides that."

"To learn about--"

"Besides demons."

They paused before shrugging, their imagination limited to the confines of Demon Corps obligations... much less outside of Junko or Nobutoshi. "The best I can do is hope my death benefits someone else." They shook the wisteria out of their hair and added, with a note of humor, "Yeah. I won't mind dying if someone gets something out of it. Just have me walk in front of you when things look scary."

"At least you're optimistic about it," Junko said-- which had to be sarcastic, but her aura was missing-- and Nobutoshi remembered, again, this was a dream. Junko wasn't really here, and Hinata would never be the same. After watching her student meditate in petals for another second or two, she scooted on her knees in front of them. Their eyes rose, reflecting a muted green hue. The two had an entire conversation without speaking. It was a bond Nobutoshi sensed, yet was not privy to. Something he knew existed but could not understand, and what was the point of seeing everything if what he saw made him so bitter? They had their own language: twin tactile sensors existing on their own private wavelength, discussing complicated subjects with a twitch of an eyebrow, a grunt in her throat, a slow tapping of their finger.

Then Junko rolled her head back. She looked directly at Nobutoshi. A chill prickled the back of his neck, and he whispered, "Junko? Is that... you?"

"You know what that's like. Right?" She asked-- it was her voice, her unmoving lips. "When the facts get hard to believe. That despite all the evidence, you can never quite match it up with the life that exists in your head."

'This is just a dream,' Nobutoshi reminded himself. And he asked again. "Junko, tell me it's you."

"I know the feeling well," someone solemnly calm said from behind Nobutoshi.

It took Nobu a moment to recognize the sound of his father's voice. It had been so long since he heard it even in his sleep. Junko had been looking at Jin, not Nobutoshi; sometimes he conjured her so vividly in his mind, he swore she was a spirit come to deliver some otherworldly message that only he could interpret. Alas, this was always his own overactive imagination...

"It's hard to believe that my wife passed away, though it's been years," the former Mist Hashira went on, an uncharacteristic display of open honesty. Nobutoshi's father never spoke more than five words to even his own son, unless the situation demanded it. And he never brought up the permanent mourning shrine that remained of Ishikawa Chihiro, the woman who had been caught by a demon only weeks before her son's Final Selection.

This did not mean his father wasn't kind. He was terse, yes, but a good man. Such a good man that when Jin had met Junko and Hinata, he refrained from saying anything remotely uncharitable about them. He simply saw them for what they were: Nobutoshi's comrades, his son's dear friends, fellow Slayers. They met at the Corps-aligned refuge that had once housed the expansive Ishikawa family; the family's numbers were far fewer, allowing the location to better serve general Demon Corps activity.

Recollection of the Ishikawa graves made it hard to breathe. Nobutoshi didn't want to go back to the cemetary. He willed with all his might that they stay away-- praying that for once, he could persuade his dreams to go his way.

Junko stood before helping Hinata up. The wisteria tree had multiplied and regressed, turning into the safety perimeter that existed outside the Ishikawa compound. This was a welcome sight: when the three Slayers had the fortune of working together, they would often spend their recovery periods at Nobutoshi's childhood home. "Finish your training," Jin commanded. He took only a few steps before stopping and looking back. Nobutoshi tried to put his father into terms that he could see: dark hair, sharp features, fox-like eyes, and thin lips. But these couldn't really ever define Ishikawa Jin, Nobutoshi's father, hero, and critic. He only remembered the man as the pinnacle of power. "Dinner in an hour."

Never more than five words, unless absolutely necessary.

The crows dotting along the rooftops honked and ruffled in greeting to each other. Hinata and Junko faced each other again, the former chancing a glance to Nobutoshi-- the latter struck, kicking her sparring partner's legs out from under them, sword to the throat, and the declaration made, "I win again."

"That's cheating! I wasn't ready!" But Hinata laughed, throwing up their arms and falling back into the grass dramatically.

"Which do you pick?"

"What?"

When Nobutoshi turned to his father, the scene had changed again-- it was spring, crisp and cold in the morning. He could see clouds of exhalation, but the two fighters, his only friends in the world, were frozen mid-lift; Junko smiled down at Hinata as though they shared some joke in this freezeframe. Jin looked irritated, and Nobutoshi flushed at the shame of forcing his father to repeat himself:

"To the coast. Which do you pick?" No wonder the sunbeams were so saturated, the harsh light so blinding and the colors so washed out. This was the day... "Hashira make hard decisions," his father said. "Pick one."

It felt like such an easy choice then. The Corps weren't even sure if the suspicious activity in such a rural ocean town was truly demonic in nature. It sounded like runaways. Like people fleeing a dying way of living so out in the sticks. Suggesting to send Junko, a Hashira, would have been overkill. Hinata, though, knew how to find the nocturnal monsters, to discern their behaviors and abilities. "Yasumoto Hinata," Nobutoshi said. "Send them to investigate the barge. And the other lower ranked Slayers, just in case."

That was the reasoning he told his father... and the truth. It was the truth. It just happened to work in Nobutoshi's favor that by sending Hinata away...

Nobutoshi glanced to the courtyard again and jumped-- Junko was standing right in front of him. No, he was in the courtyard now, his feet finally moving in slow, sluggish gestures to carry him where he wanted to be. Everyone else had vanished. He reached out for her hand. Her other one came up to cup his cheek and jaw, her smooth and round fingernails curled into his skin comfortably.

He wanted Hinata to go away, as dear as they were: he had wanted her to himself again. When he dipped his forehead into her shoulder she snorted and giggled-- giggled, God -- and nuzzled into his head in return. Was it so bad to want something for himself? To make a decision that felt sound and safe? Hinata could always keep her as a mentor and rival and soulmate, but Nobutoshi would make due with the bare minimum of her affections... he wanted to braid their lives together, but he could never ask her to pick between her values and him. He wasn't so cruel as his father. Maybe one day in the future, when demons had been cleaned off the face of the world, they could be married. But not until he helped her to usher in that new age.

A massive shadow disturbed the crows along the rooftop, a few fleeing to new perches; the caressing Slayers paused and looked skyward. Junko's raven, nearly twice the size of an albatross in dream logic, stopped its descent with a powerful beat of its wings before settling on the ground. It opened its mouth:

-----

Nobutoshi opened his eyes to an average-sized crow settling onto his knee, momentarily preening the feathers under its aqua bandana. The open-roof carriage hadn't yet reached its destination, and he had already received Tetsuya's confirmation. What could this message be? His messenger looked up to him and said, "For Ishikawa Nobutoshi, from Yoshiwara base. A communications blackout has been enforced for the next 72 hours. Personnel has been dismissed. I also have a personal message!"

His bird cracked its head both ways before making a series of hiccups and clicks with its throat and chest-- the rhythm, duration, and pause of each mimicking an encrypted code. One that Nobutoshi recognized immediately. It thrust him back to that day, staring out at the sea barge. Where he lost everyone he had to possibly lose.

The message translated to: Kizuki activity confirmed. Siege is underway. Hope you're almost done. Bring friends.

"Yasumoto! Damn it!" Nobutoshi stood and ran, abandoning the horse-drawn vehicle with a jostle from his harried leap. He had half a mind to abandon the deal altogether: to raise the alarm and summon another Hashira, 'bringing friends' so to speak... but then they would have questions. Why was he humoring the scheme, why had he sent his tsuguko with Yasumoto, why on Earth had he lifted Yasumoto's restrictions to begin with? No-- he had to get to Yoshiwara and settle this himself. He had slain Lower Ranks singlehandedly before, and this wouldn't be any different. Hinata had already begun moving their pieces: they were likely striving to break new ground several times before anyone could show up and stop them, forcing the rest of the Corps to follow through by holding their own life-- and the life of Tetsuya-- hostage. Nobutoshi's only mistake had been trusting Hinata, hoping their plan was a bluff or cry for attention; he didn't expect Hinata to put Junko's brother in such a dire situation.

When Hinata had first recommended the seige to Nobutoshi, the plan sounded so simple it was stupid: starve the demon by isolating it, determine the target's potential and ranking as Kizuki, then maintain a stalemate until reinforcements, refreshed and rested, came in for the killing blow. So much had happened so fast before Nobutoshi's walking headache made their proposal. The sudden disappearance of the Water Hashira, leading to another unexpected promotion within the ranks, Tetsuya's recent graduation, the complications in his training that arose... Hinata cornered him, armed this time with maps and reports of disappearances, the perimeter of a larger space carved out around Yoshiwara and a couple other areas.

"We'll create a power vacuum," Hinata had said, all shark-toothed smiles and broken-glass eyes. They argued that the Corps had been busy reacting to death counts-- graceless, as always-- then intoned there was a smart way to feed bodies to the ever-hungry war. (This was also a trick. If Nobutoshi struck Hinata for their blatant disregard, they would have touched for the first time in five years, though neither would be happy.) "If there is a Kizuki there, then we've already cleared the whole area out. We kill the Kizuki, we see what Kibutsuji does. We see what his minions do. If there's none there, then you get to lord it over me for all eternity."

Nobutoshi-- torn between his obligations to Ubuyashiki Rin, his failures to rear Tetsuya properly, exasperated by Hinata's preparedness-- gave in. He didn't truly think there was any suggestion of a Kizuki's presence, nor any demon's in such close proximity to a Corps base. Whatever Hinata wanted to do was null, and something as harmless as an extraction could be a good starting point for Tetsuya, if he too could parse the language of the wind and sense other living creatures. He had gambled on Hinata being either wrong or sensible; the odds should have been in his favor. Yoshiwara was much too populated... but then again, it took a cold-blooded, diabolical genius to seed oneself among their enemies. To take advantage of a false security and parasite off the belly of society.

The Demon Corps wasn't ready for an intensive operation like this.

No... Tetsuya wasn't ready. It was entirely too soon for him to be accompany someone like Hinata, no matter how proud Nobu was of the boy. Hinata wanted the mission to be a success. Nobutoshi could see that now in hindsight, and Tetsuya was so trusting with a heart of love and a mind of respect; he had yet to see fairy tales as anything but truth, and looked to his guardians like they held the world, skies, and stars. Such as the same caretaker who landed him in the line of danger.

The vague recollection of a memory tugged at the back of his mind, somehow connected to the dream he had, but he ignored it promptly. He no longer had the luxury to review the past; he had to keep his eyes forward for any and all potential danger. He would slay all the demon he could on his way, but his priority shifted: to return to his tsuguko's side and protect him from the real danger, the person Nobutoshi knew better than to trust. He had to contain this situation before anyone else caught wind of it.

-----

"What have you done?!" Tetsuya cried by way of hello. He swept his arm to the patch of destroyed land that ranged at least fifteen meters, the damage merely thinning further out. The mess was partially tidied up, courtesy of the kinoe's meddling; Hinata had already begun to break down the more thoroughly-destroyed trees and put them into man-made piles. The aforementioned Slayer was taking a break, their kimono robe parted at the front to expose more of the shirt underneath-- and the belted pouches attached to their torso.

They had been staring ahead, gazing over their construction site before stirring. Rather than face their scolding, they raised a hand. Their fingers twitched, stretched, and curled-- Tetsuya didn't know what that was about. He stamped across the clearing to his too-calm companion. "Look at this place! And right off the path, where anyone can notice. This isn't covert! Have you lost your mind, Yasumoto?!"

The yelling brought no satisfaction or reaction. Tetsuya almost wished his company would try and fight back in this instance. In fact, there was a pause as Yasumoto straightened their spine, looking upon all their current project. "Hey Tetsu," they replied, nonplussed. "This works alright, I suppose. The weather has been beautiful. Maybe we'll see campers." As though they hadn't just committed the greatest faux pas known to the Demon Corps by making a public display. "Hey, did Nobu ever teach you those hand signs? Nonverbal commands can come in handy if we ever need to be quiet somewhere--"

"No! This is terrible!" Tetsuya interrupted, refusing to be distracted. "Has anyone happened by yet?"

"One or two. But they didn't see me." Yasumoto curled forward, wrenching a basic hand-sized hatchet from the log next to them.

"Where did you get that?"

Hinata glanced down to the item before setting it aside. "... Borrowed it."

Unbelievable. Tetsuya slapped his hands over his face and groaned into them, praying to a distant Nobutoshi that he rendezvous with them soon. "I can't believe this."

"It's fine," Yasumoto said simply. Tetsuya removed his hands from his eyes so he could narrow them at the other Slayer. Only then did he get a good look at them: their face, their languid body language, the rip in the front of their clothes and how the fabric there seemed... crunchier.

"Are you okay?"

"Look," Hinata coaxed. "I brought you food." Not addressing the question at all. Instead, they presented him with a little purchased bento box, not some scavenged or hunted thing that Hinata had brought down like a disobedient cat. When Tetsuya's eyes flicked back up, Hinata had returned to their stolen hatchet and the project, shrugging the kimono off so that it hung off of them by their belted waist. One-handed, they resumed chopping wood into smaller pieces with surprising efficiency and speed.

Tetsuya sat down on the felled tree next to where the other Demon Slayer had been. "Maybe you should eat something too." Or sleep. He wondered how much trouble that demon had been as he slowly split his chopsticks and began to eat. There was no ignoring the state his supervisor was in. With their salt-and-pepper hair framing their jawline, the dark lines around their eyes (and the suitcases beneath those) were all the more pronounced. Their back muscles flexed and rippled, but in some strange springing way that made Tetsuya worry he would hear something crack or tear. As the Slayer worked, sighing and stretching, Tetsuya tried to recall if Hinata had always looked this tired. And then, as though Hinata had read his mind, they tilted their head his way and smiled. It returned them to some of their former rumpled loveliness, but Tetsuya couldn't be convinced.

They casually sauntered closer again. "You escorted the target out of town, right?" Once again, evading the question. If anything, Hinata looked past Tetsuya, passing the hatchet carefully to their prosthetic, and their able hand stretched to take the saddle bag from the boy's shoulders so he could eat unencumbered.

"Yes," said Tetsuya uneasily.

"Good. The next step in the plan is underway now."

"Plan? What plan?"

"Siege operation," they stated.

"A siege?" Tetsuya tried to comprehend, gripping his utensil a little too tightly. "Why?"

Hinata was slow to respond, jostling the bag to rifle around the supplies. "Good!" False enthusiasm? "You've brought it all. We can set up the fires outside of the city limits, though it's only a precaution. Driving demons further into society is a possibility, but with you here, that possibility is reduced."

"Hold on," and Hinata did, pausing in their preparations. "What happened to that demon? Back then."

Hinata leaned back-- Tetsuya felt a wash of cold water down his back as they eyed him. Not with disdain toward a mere child here to slow things down, but with acute wariness when faced with a possible danger. A weak point. After looking down on him, Hinata's eyes slid away.

"I have confirmed the presence of one of the Twelve Kizuki," they stated as though scripted. "In compiling my report on his abilities, I failed to terminate him before sunrise. As such, he ran into the red light district--" The lunch fell from Tetsuya's hands as he stood abruptly. "Oh damn. Your food--"

"We need to stop him," Tetsuya declared, already reaching for his sword.

"I can no longer track him," Yasumoto said, patience infinite in this exhausted mindset, apparently. "As things stand, we have your Hashira's permission to proceed, Tetsu. We reinforce a barricade and reduce the afflicted area, locating and killing Gyutaro if the opportunity arises. Most of all, we have to weaken him."

Gyutaro. Even the name was viscerally greedy, taunting and luring, and Tetsuya's weak knees couldn't bear his disgust with Yasumoto. He fell back into his seat, not quite struck into compliance. More like numbness. Whether they named the demon or asked it for its input, it didn't matter to Tetsuya. Either one felt inconceivable.

Yasumoto finally chanced sitting with Tetsuya, setting the bag down by their feet to rifle through its contents. "These wisteria blossoms and oils will help make a smoke blockade. There's a regular supply in town too, for courtesans' perfumes and such. I made sure getting more in large quantities wouldn't draw too much attention."

"You..." Tetsuya's mind floundered in panic. He failed to formulate his incriminaton properly, "You let it go! You didn't even catch it for the sun to burn it up! That monster could be anywhere, eating anyone." To have allowed a demon to flee to safety was beyond low. It was practically fraternizing. An act of mercy like that could cost lives and Yasumoto's stupid obsession had caused a landslide of terror.

Yasumoto tidied Tetsuya's fallen lunch, too restless to sit still under judgement. "It may make no difference, but I doubt I could have killed him. He was more likely to murder me instead. He's nowhere near the threshold of his power either; his fighting abilities are beyond any demon I've encountered yet. His Blood Demon Art is incredible. I don't think he was expecting us or else he wouldn't have engaged combat so near sunrise... and he clearly hides out somewhere around here."

"So you let him run?" They had yet to fight any of his accusations-- all they could offer was excuses.

"He was too fast for me to catch," they said, as if explaining a simple concept to a dumb kid, "and I needed to collect information on him so that we could prepare accordingly. I needed to live another day to tell you. His close-range is impeccable and he made a perfect home for himself, with magnificent camoflague and readily available humans. We can't reject the possibility of a den--" a den?! Of demons?! "-- or of communication to their leader. Twelve Kizuki operate as their own isolated pockets of chaos and death, but there is always the possibility." A beat. "To put it simply: things are going to get dicey."

Tetsuya, mute, watched as Hinata talked helplessly on about demons, the dark cloud surrounding them seeming to clear a little. "We know Gyutaro is local and we know his food source. I know his face and his voice. I know how it feels when he moves," which Tetsuya could have gone without knowing, "and the siege is set up to give us field advantages: it weakens the target before reinforcements arrive and serves as a small countermeasure if we should fail."

"All of this is so complex."

"Welcome to the front lines," Yasumoto said. "Hashira only arrive when the threat has been proven to be too much, after we've lost scores of Slayers."

"What I mean is," Tetsuya criticized, "this puts civilians at risk, doesn't it?"

"They're always at risk. This improves the chances of a successful kill, and if we can accomplish murdering Gyutaro before Nobu arrives, all the better for everyone else."

Tetsuya wondered, not for the first time, why exactly Nobutoshi sent him along with Yasumoto. Was this what his Hashira wanted him to learn? The struggles of those who scout the area? The ground-laying of a future battlefield? Was he supposed to question the leadership and guidance of his superior, by all rights a pariah and menace, to this degree?

"We'll also be in a communications blackout," Yasumoto announced. "At this point, our cover is as compromised as Gyutaro's. We cannot assume we're safe during the day either. From now on, the scheme calls for commitment to the siege. We close the noose around the demon's throat and murder him if we can."

Murder. Tetsuya couldn't keep ignoring it. He wished they would stop. "Alright," he groaned, relenting. "Alright. I'll send a letter to Nobutoshi and--"

"The blackout is already in effect. I sent all the crows away, and the Demon Corps base is on lockdown. We'll only find the head doctor and administrator there."

"Why?!" Tetsuya hollered. Acting first and answering questions later only made things more difficult, and it was something adults especially found most convenient when they didn't feel the need to explain themselves. Tetsuya hadn't had any expectations but felt betrayed anyway. "You can't do that!"

Yasumoto blinked slowly. "I can. And I did. I was in town and we aren't going to be utilizing the Ubuyashiki facilities anyway. The wisteria emblem is innocuous enough, but the Kizuki are notoriously clever. If he gets even a whiff of the Ubuyashiki's involvement, Gyutaro will be all over us, Tetsu."

"Stop calling me that." Tetsuya seethed. His righteousness must've wounded them, because they faltered.

"Sure... but that doesn't change the fact that we are in his territory. So long as he doesn't suspect the reverse, we have our connection to reinforcements."

Tetsuya heard out Yasumoto's plan: the older Demon Slayer certainly had a way of scheming. Of imagining what they would do if their heart were a little more rotten, their intentions a little more misaligned. It was hard to tell how much of this planning was a healthy wariness of death and how much was a twisted projection. There was so much to do. And it was so unorthodox: "This isn't right," was all Tetsuya could say in response. "You should have killed him. You should have tried to kill him or died trying, whether there was a demon nest or not. You don't know how many people he will hurt."

Yasumoto looked at Tetsuya with curiosity. "I can't do that." The silver ring around that empty pit of a pupil made the boy look away, disappointed that Yasumoto's cravings came before their integrity.

Tetsuya couldn't do anything about it now. He was here, and here he would be until the Demon Corps sent reinforcements, or until his Hashira returned to him. He simply sat and stared at his lap until Yasumoto crouched in front of him, a second lunch in their hands. An offering. Supplication.

"Hey," they murmured. "That's how I plan to kill the demon. Now it's your turn."

"My turn?" What did it matter? He was used to being spoken over. Though a tsuguko, he was still only a child. That's all anyone would see him as.

"I kill demons. That's what I do best." Hinata rested their hand on the boy's head, hesitantly, then comfortably when he did not flinch away. An unspoken apology, followed by a request for forgiveness: "You tell me: what do we do to save people?"

Tetsuya didn't want to look at the kinoe, but did want to be taken seriously, so he made his price firm: "We stay in the district. We patrol, and we do it covertly. We don't threaten or hurt anyone else. And if we see anything, we intervene."

"Whoof," Hinata exhaled. But then they mussed his hair, raking their nails a little too hard into his scalp. "You drive a hard bargain. Okay. We need to narrow down parts of Yoshiwara anyway, to carve up hunting grounds--," their hand lifted again when Tetsuya's expression stoned over, and they decided not to babble.

"You promise," Tetsuya was suddenly hopeful, "Promise you'll protect whatever person needs protecting."

Tetsuya couldn't explain the sensation that followed. Nor could he parse the blankness that flickered across Hinata's features, as if something had just gone click! in their head. It was only when they said "I promise" that Nobutoshi's warning came flooding back into Tetsuya's mind-- had he messed up? What had just been agreed upon?

Adding onto that... what was this heaviness? It was full-bodied: his skull felt leaden, his stomach felt knotted, and his heart felt repulsive. 'Not mine,' he realized-- there was a strange distinction, the fabric of which felt different than 'Tetsuya.' This was a relief: he couldn't imagine being this haggard himself. But then, what was it? Was he sick, fatigued, both? Had Hinata somehow robbed Tetsuya of his hopefulness? He squirmed in his seat, slouched, and sighed.

"Here," they said distractedly, pushing the food into Tetsuya's hands before gathering up their inventory with ease. "You can have mine. Then get some sleep. You need more rest than I do: and this time, use Total Concentration Breathing. No gasps or interruptions. Your practical lessons could use more honing, but don't tell Nobu I said that."

"What about you," Tetsuya asked. "Don't you need to eat?"

"I had a dumpling earlier," as if that could replace an entire two meals.

And despite his wariness, general distrust, and lack of understanding, Tetsuya's stomach ached at the thought of theirs being empty. "We can share this," he insisted, "You need to be in shape too."

Hinata stood and smiled-- and this one reached their eyes. It changed them, still jagged at the edges and down to their core, but rather than having a knife aimed at him, Tetsuya felt armed and ready; he was relieved that Hinata was on his side, after all.

"I ought not fill up yet. There's more to do, and hard work builds an even greater appetite. Don't worry, Tetsuya. I won't let you down."

[garagedoor-247]

Essential Guide to 24/7 Garage Door Repair Services in Orange County**

**Introduction:**

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on 24/7 garage door repair services in Orange County. In this blog, we will delve into the significance of having access to round-the-clock garage door repair services, common issues that may arise, tips for choosing the right repair company, and what to expect during a service call. Whether you're facing a garage door emergency late at night or on a holiday, a reliable 24/7 repair service can make all the difference. Let's explore how you can keep your garage door in top-notch condition year-round.

---

**Importance of 24/7 Garage Door Repair Services:**

1. **Immediate Security Concerns:**

A malfunctioning garage door compromises the security of your home, making it vulnerable to intruders. With 24/7 repair services, you can address security issues promptly, ensuring the safety of your property and loved ones.

2. **Safety Hazards:**

Garage doors operate under high tension, and issues like broken springs or cables can pose significant safety risks. Access to round-the-clock repair services allows you to address safety hazards without delay, minimizing the risk of accidents and injuries.

3. **Convenience and Accessibility:**

A functional garage door is essential for your daily routine, providing convenient access to your home and vehicle. With 24/7 repair services, you can restore accessibility to your garage quickly, minimizing disruptions to your daily life.

4. **Weather Protection:**

A malfunctioning garage door can leave your home vulnerable to the elements, leading to potential damage to your property. With prompt repair services, you can ensure that your garage door provides adequate protection against adverse weather conditions.

---

**Common Garage Door Problems:**

1. **Broken Springs:**

Springs are crucial for lifting the garage door, and when they break, the door becomes inoperable. This is one of the most common and urgent issues requiring immediate attention.

2. **Malfunctioning Opener:**

Problems with the opener can result from electrical issues, remote control malfunctions, or motor failures. These issues often require expert diagnosis and repair.

3. **Off-Track Doors:**

If the door comes off its tracks, it can become stuck and may not operate correctly. This can be due to misalignment, broken cables, or obstructions in the tracks.

4. **Snapped Cables:**

Cables play a crucial role in the smooth operation of the garage door. When they snap, the door can become unsafe to operate.

5. **Worn-Out Rollers:**

Rollers facilitate the smooth movement of the garage door along its tracks. Worn-out rollers can cause the door to operate noisily and inefficiently.

---

**Choosing the Right 24/7 Garage Door Repair Company in Orange County:**

1. **Experience and Reputation:**

Look for a company with a proven track record and positive customer reviews. Experienced technicians are more likely to diagnose and fix issues efficiently.

2. **Certifications and Insurance:**

Ensure the company is licensed and insured. This protects you from liability in case of accidents during the repair process.

3. **Comprehensive Services:**

Choose a company that offers a wide range of services, including emergency repairs, routine maintenance, and installation of new doors and components.

4. **Transparent Pricing:**

Opt for a company that provides clear and upfront pricing. Avoid those that have hidden fees or vague estimates.

5. **Customer Service:**

Good customer service is a hallmark of a reliable repair company. They should be easy to contact, responsive, and ready to address your concerns promptly.

---

**What to Expect During a Service Call:**

1. **Initial Assessment:**

The technician will conduct a thorough inspection to diagnose the problem, checking the door’s balance, springs, cables, rollers, and opener system.

2. **Detailed Estimate:**

After diagnosing the issue, the technician will provide a detailed estimate for the repair, including parts and labor costs.

3. **Prompt Repairs:**

Reputable companies carry a wide range of parts in their service vehicles, allowing them to perform repairs on the spot.

4. **Safety Checks:**

After the repair, the technician will conduct safety checks to ensure everything is functioning correctly and safely.

5. **Maintenance Advice:**

The technician may offer tips and advice on how to maintain your garage door and prevent future issues.

---

**Conclusion:**

In Orange County, having access to reliable and efficient garage door repair services 24/7 is crucial for maintaining the security, safety, and functionality of your home. Don’t wait until a minor issue becomes a major problem. Invest in the security, safety, and convenience of your home by choosing a reputable 24/7 garage door repair service today.

**Call to Action:**

Experiencing garage door problems? Contact our expert team for fast, reliable, and professional 24/7 garage door repair services in Orange County. We

[gafastdrains]

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Why Choose GAFastDrains.com for Emergency Plumbing?

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Use drain strainers to prevent clogs

Schedule routine water heater maintenance

Know where your main water shut-off valve is located

Contact GAFastDrains.com for Immediate Assistance

Plumbing emergencies can be overwhelming, but with GAFastDrains.com, you have a reliable partner ready to assist anytime, day or night. Our experienced professionals deliver fast, efficient, and affordable emergency plumbing services in Canton, ensuring your home or business is back to normal in no time.

[jenniferkatz]

Unlocking the Value of Waterbury Clock Models in Today’s Market

For collectors and horology enthusiasts, Waterbury clock models hold a unique place in history, known for their intricate craftsmanship and timeless appeal. These clocks, produced by the renowned Waterbury Clock Company, have become highly sought-after among antique collectors. If you're interested in exploring a curated selection of these historical timepieces, check out this fine art collection.

A Brief History of Classic Waterbury Clock Designs

Founded in the 19th century, the Waterbury Clock Company became a dominant force in the clockmaking industry. Their high-quality brass movements and diverse styles—from ornate mantel clocks to elegant wall clocks made them a household name. Over time, these timepieces evolved, adapting to new technologies while retaining their distinct charm.

Many collectors appreciate Waterbury clock models not only for their aesthetic value but also for their historical significance. These clocks reflect the craftsmanship and industrial ingenuity of their era, making them prized possessions for horology enthusiasts.

Why Historic Waterbury Clocks Are a Valuable Investment

Owning a Waterbury clock model is more than just an appreciation for vintage timepieces—it can also be a rewarding investment. The value of these clocks is influenced by several factors:

Rarity and Age: Older models with limited production runs tend to be more valuable.

Condition and Originality: Clocks with original parts and minimal restoration hold a higher value.

Market Demand: Collectors and historians continue to drive interest in Waterbury clocks, influencing market prices.

For those looking to buy or sell rare and valuable timepieces, an auction website is a great place to explore a diverse selection of Waterbury clock models from various periods.

How to Purchase and Care for a Waterbury Clock Model

If you're considering adding a Waterbury clock model to your collection, here are some essential tips:

Verify Authenticity: Look for the maker’s marks, serial numbers, and original components.

Assess the Condition: Check for any signs of restoration, wear, or missing parts.

Set a Budget: Auction prices can vary, so establish a spending range before bidding.

Understand Restoration Needs: Some clocks may require expert servicing to maintain their functionality.

Buy from Reputable Sources: Trusted auction platforms like Bidsquare ensure authenticity and quality.

Proper maintenance is crucial for preserving the longevity of your timepiece:

Keep clocks in a stable environment, avoiding extreme temperature and humidity changes.

Regularly clean the exterior with a soft cloth to prevent dust buildup.

If necessary, consult a professional for servicing to keep the mechanical movement in top condition.

Conclusion

Waterbury clock models continue to be cherished by collectors and history enthusiasts alike. Their rich legacy, combined with elegant craftsmanship and mechanical precision, makes them a rewarding addition to any collection. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting, exploring an auction website is a great way to discover and invest in these remarkable timepieces.

For those eager to acquire antique clock models, Looking for an auction near me ? Visit Bidsquare's Auction Near Me page to discover upcoming auctions near you.

[taxisss]

Reliable Taxi Service in Chembur: Convenient and Affordable Travel

Chembur, a prominent suburb of Mumbai, is known for its vibrant commercial and residential areas. Whether you need daily transport, airport transfers, or outstation travel, choosing a taxi service in Chembur ensures a comfortable and hassle-free journey. With growing traffic congestion and parking issues, relying on a professional taxi service is the best way to navigate the city efficiently.

Why Choose a Taxi Service in Chembur?

Opting for a taxi service in Chembur has numerous advantages over self-driving or public transport. Here are some compelling reasons:

1. Convenience at Your Fingertips

A reliable taxi service offers door-to-door pick-up and drop facilities, eliminating the stress of driving through busy streets. You can book a ride anytime and reach your destination without hassle.

2. Professional and Experienced Drivers

Most taxi services employ well-trained drivers familiar with Mumbai’s traffic patterns and alternative routes. This ensures a smooth and timely journey, even during peak hours.

3. Affordable and Transparent Pricing

Hiring a taxi service in Chembur is often cost-effective compared to the expenses of owning a car, fuel, and maintenance. Many services provide upfront pricing with no hidden charges, making it easy to budget your trip.

4. 24/7 Availability

Whether it’s an early morning airport transfer or a late-night ride, a professional taxi service operates round the clock, ensuring you always have transportation when you need it.

5. Safe and Secure Travel

Reputable taxi services prioritize passenger safety by conducting background checks on drivers and equipping vehicles with GPS tracking systems. This provides peace of mind, especially for solo travelers and women.

Types of Taxi Services in Chembur

A diverse range of taxi services in Chembur available to cater to various travel needs. Some popular options include:

1. Local City Rides

Perfect for short-distance travel within Chembur and nearby areas, local taxis are ideal for daily commutes, shopping trips, or visiting friends and family.

2. Airport Transfers

Booking a taxi for airport transfers ensures timely pickup and drop-off at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Many taxi services offer fixed-rate packages for airport commutes.

3. Outstation Travel

Planning a weekend getaway? Taxi services offer comfortable rides to popular destinations like Lonavala, Pune, Nashik, and more. You can choose one-way or round-trip options as per your convenience.

4. Corporate Taxi Services

Businesses can benefit from professional taxi services that provide timely and comfortable transport for employees and clients. Many companies opt for corporate packages with monthly billing options.

5. Luxury and Premium Rides

For those who prefer traveling in style, premium taxi services offer high-end vehicles with top-class amenities. These are ideal for business meetings, weddings, and special occasions.

How to Book a Taxi Service in Chembur?

Booking a taxi service in Chembur is quick and easy, with multiple options available:

1. Online Booking

Most taxi services have user-friendly websites where you can book a ride by entering your pickup and drop-off locations. Payment options include online transactions, wallets, or cash on arrival.

2. Mobile Apps

Many taxi providers offer mobile apps that allow seamless booking, fare estimation, and real-time tracking of the ride.

3. Phone Booking

For those who prefer a direct approach, calling a taxi service provider is an excellent option. Customer support executives assist in booking and provide fare details.

4. Walk-In Booking

Some taxi operators have kiosks or offices where you can book a ride in person.

Tips for a Smooth Taxi Ride in Chembur

To ensure a pleasant experience while using a taxi service in Chembur, consider the following tips:

Book in Advance: To avoid last-minute hassles, especially during peak hours or festive seasons, it’s advisable to book your ride in advance.

Confirm Fare Estimates: Before starting your journey, check the fare estimate to avoid surprises at the end of the trip.

Check Driver Details: Ensure that the taxi service provides driver details and vehicle information for safety purposes.

Carry Cash or Digital Payment Options: While most services accept digital payments, it’s good to keep some cash handy for emergencies.

Share Ride Details: If traveling alone, share your ride details with a trusted friend or family member.

Conclusion

A taxi service in Chembur is the perfect solution for convenient, safe, and affordable travel in and around Mumbai. Whether you need a ride for daily commuting, airport transfers, or outstation trips, professional taxi services offer reliability and comfort. With easy booking options, competitive pricing, and experienced drivers, you can enjoy a stress-free travel experience. Next time you need a ride, choose a trusted taxi service and travel with ease!

[recoveryservice247]

Quick and Reliable 24/7 Car Recovery Near Me for Breakdowns, Accidents, and Long-Distance Towing in Kent

Imagine being stranded on a dark road in Kent after your car breaks down or, worse, getting into an accident. What do you do? Who can you trust to get you back on track quickly? At RecoveryService247 UK, we understand how stressful these situations can be. That’s why we offer quick, reliable, and professional car recovery services 24/7, ensuring you’re never stranded—whether it’s a breakdown, accident, or long-distance towing need.

In this blog, we’ll explore why choosing a trusted car recovery service like RecoveryService247 UK is essential for peace of mind and how we can help you easily navigate emergencies.

Why Quick and Reliable Car Recovery Matters

Every minute feels like an eternity when you’re stuck on the side of the road. A quick response from a reliable car recovery service can make all the difference. Whether it’s a flat tyre, engine trouble, or a dead battery, delays can escalate into bigger problems—especially in bad weather or remote areas.

At RecoveryService247 UK, we pride ourselves on our rapid response times and expert handling of emergencies. Our team is equipped with state-of-the-art tools and vehicles to recover your car safely and efficiently.

For example, one of our customers recently broke down late at night on a rural road in Kent. Within 30 minutes, our team arrived, diagnosed the issue, and towed the vehicle to a nearby repair shop. This level of reliability is what sets us apart.

24/7 Availability: Peace of Mind Around the Clock

Emergencies don’t follow a schedule—and neither do we. At RecoveryService247 UK, we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Whether it’s a breakdown during your morning commute or an accident in the middle of the night, our team is just a call away.

Our 24/7 availability ensures you’re never stranded, no matter when or where you need assistance. For instance, a delivery driver once contacted us at 2 AM after their truck broke down on a highway in Kent. We arrived promptly, secured the vehicle, and transported it to its destination, saving the driver from missing an important deadline.

Handling Breakdowns with Expertise

Breakdowns are inconvenient, but they don’t have to ruin your day. From flat tyres to overheated engines, our team at RecoveryService247 UK is trained to handle a wide range of issues.

We can often perform on-the-spot fixes to get you back on the road quickly. If the problem requires more extensive repairs, we’ll tow your vehicle to a trusted repair shop of your choice.

Here’s a pro tip: Regular vehicle maintenance can significantly reduce the risk of breakdowns. Check your tyres, oil levels, and battery health periodically to avoid unexpected issues.

Accident Assistance: More Than Just Towing

Car accidents are not only stressful but also overwhelming. At RecoveryService247 UK, we go beyond just towing your vehicle. Our team provides comprehensive assistance, including:

Safely towing damaged vehicles to repair shops or secure locations.

Coordinating with insurance companies (if needed).

Offering emotional support during stressful situations.

For example, a family involved in a minor collision in Kent recently contacted us. We towed their car to a nearby garage, helped them file an insurance claim, and even arranged transportation to get home safely.

Always keep emergency contacts handy, including RecoveryService247 UK and your insurance provider.

Long-Distance Towing Services: Beyond Local Boundaries

Whether you’re travelling through Kent or relocating a vehicle across the country, our long-distance towing services ensure safe and secure transport. Many towing companies limit their services to local areas, but at RecoveryService247 UK, we have you covered no matter the distance.

For instance, a customer broke down while driving from London to Manchester. Our team towed their vehicle back to Kent, ensuring it arrived safely without further damage.

If you’re planning a long trip, consider saving our number just in case. You never know when you might need us!

Why Choose RecoveryService247 UK for Car Recovery in Kent?

Here’s why customers trust RecoveryService247 UK for all their car recovery needs:

Experience: Years of expertise in handling breakdowns, accidents, and towing.

Affordability: Competitive pricing without compromising on quality.

Local Knowledge: In-depth understanding of Kent’s roads and traffic patterns.

Customer-Centric Approach: We prioritize your safety, satisfaction, and peace of mind.

Our team is fully licensed, insured, and committed to always delivering exceptional service. Don’t just take our word for it—check out our glowing customer reviews!

Conclusion

Regarding car recovery services, you need a team that’s quick, reliable, and available 24/7. At RecoveryService247 UK, we’re dedicated to helping you easily navigate breakdowns, accidents, and long-distance towing needs.

Don’t let emergencies disrupt your plans. Trust RecoveryService247 UK to get you back on the road safely and quickly. Contact us today for all your car recovery needs in Kent!

FAQs

Q1. What areas of Kent do you cover?

A1. We cover all areas of Kent, including Maidstone, Canterbury, Rochester, and surrounding regions.

Q2. Do you offer flatbed towing?

A2. Yes, we provide flatbed towing to ensure your vehicle is transported safely without further damage.

Q3. How much does car recovery cost?

A3. Pricing depends on the type of service and distance. Contact us for a free quote tailored to your needs.

[smoothyourdrive]

Tips to choose the best ferrari service center in delhi NCR

It takes great thought and investigation to choose the best servicing center in Delhi NCR for your valuable Ferrari. You deserve the finest upkeep and care for your rare Italian masterpiece. This thorough article will assist you in choosing a reputable ferrari best service center in delhi NCR that upholds the highest levels of quality.

Verify Official Ferrari Certification and Authorization

Certification is crucial when it comes to maintaining your Ferrari. A genuine Ferrari repair shop should be officially authorized by Ferrari S.p.A. and keep up-to-date certificates. The facility's adherence to Ferrari's stringent standards and requirements for vehicle maintenance is guaranteed by these certificates. Ferrari ought to have provided the technicians with specific training programs that kept them abreast of the most recent developments in technology and maintenance procedures. Ask about their certification renewal procedure and look for certifications that are clearly visible. A legitimate Ferrari repair shop will gladly display their credentials and be happy to supply proof of permission. This verification process is essential because it ensures that your car will be serviced using original components and authorized diagnostic equipment in accordance with manufacturer standards.

Evaluate Technical Expertise and Specialization

A Ferrari service center's technical expertise is essential to preserving the value and performance of your car. Master technicians with substantial expertise in both vintage and modern Ferrari models should be employed by the institution. These experts have to exhibit a thorough understanding of Ferrari's distinctive mechanical, electrical, and engineering components. Ask about particular expertise, continuous training initiatives, and the team's overall experience. The top servicing facilities make significant investments in the training of their technical personnel to keep up with Ferrari's ever changing technological landscape. Inquire about their approach to diagnostic techniques and their experience with your particular Ferrari model. Technicians at a really competent facility will demonstrate their proficiency with Ferrari's intricate systems while being able to clearly explain complicated technical concerns.

Assess the Quality of Equipment and Facilities

Modern facilities with the newest diagnostic and repair instruments should be maintained by a premier ferrari servicing in delhi NCR. To keep your car safe while being serviced, the workshop should be spotless, orderly, and climate-controlled. Look for model-specific tools that have been approved by Ferrari, appropriate lifting equipment, and specialist diagnostic computers. Every service, from minor upkeep to big repairs, should have its own space in the facility. It is crucial to have modern alignment systems, sophisticated diagnostic instruments, and enough facilities for storing tools and components. To safeguard your priceless car, the workshop should also have sufficient security features, such as limited entry, guarded parking, and round-the-clock surveillance. A well-appointed building shows that the service center is dedicated to offering excellent service and upholding Ferrari's exacting standards.

Examine Parts Inventory and Authenticity

A trustworthy Ferrari repair shop has a large stock of authentic Ferrari components or has created systems for expedited delivery. Using genuine components is essential to preserving the value, performance, and safety of your Ferrari. Find out how they source their parts and confirm that they solely utilize genuine Ferrari parts. The facility should have thorough inventory records and have enough facilities for storing parts. Inquire about their aftermarket parts policy and their approach to custom requests for old or rare parts. Reputable service centers will give evidence attesting to the legitimacy of the components they employ and be open and honest about their parts procurement procedure. They should also maintain records of the parts that are changed during servicing and provide advice on preventative maintenance.

Review Service Documentation and Warranty Policies

Expert Ferrari repair facilities keep thorough service logs and offer thorough documentation for every task completed. Keeping track of your car's service history and warranty compliance requires this paperwork. Clear, detailed invoices that list all services, components utilized, and labor expenses should be provided by the center. They should also describe how they manage warranty claims and offer warranty coverage for their work. Seek out facilities that offer thorough service reports complete with diagnostic information and photos, as well as digital record-keeping systems. Inquire about their approach to handling manufacturer warranty work and their policy on the preservation of service records. Client service reminders and maintenance schedule tracking are handled by well-organized systems at a trustworthy service center.

Consider Customer Service and Communication

Premium Ferrari service locations are known for their outstanding customer service. The employees ought to be kind, professional, and quick to answer your questions. They must be proactive in disclosing any problems found during inspections and offer frequent updates when doing maintenance. Seek out facilities that provide individualized service consultants that are aware of your unique requirements and preferences. When you need help, the facility should be easily available and have open lines of contact. They should also give thorough descriptions of the services they propose and show openness in their pricing. To fit their clients' hectic schedules, professional centers frequently provide extra services including car collection and delivery, short-term transit choices, and flexible scheduling.

Analyze Pricing Structure and Transparency

Even if maintaining a Ferrari is costly by nature, trustworthy repair facilities uphold clear pricing guidelines free of additional fees. Before starting any work, they must provide you thorough pricing estimates and let you know right away if more services are needed. To make sure they are fair, compare labor costs and part prices with those of other approved facilities in the area. The top service centers give several payment alternatives and transparent explanations of their price structure. They should also offer suggestions for how to maximize your service schedule and assist you in understanding the long-term maintenance expenses. Seek out facilities that provide maintenance packages or loyalty programs to loyal clients, as well as value-added services that are included in their prices. Although price is a significant consideration, it shouldn't be the main determinant when selecting a Ferrari repair shop.

Conclusion

The performance, lifespan, and value of your car are all directly impacted by your choice of Ferrari service facility in Delhi NCR like Smooth Your Drive. You may locate a service facility that satisfies Ferrari's high criteria by closely examining certification, experience, facilities, components quality, paperwork, customer service, price transparency, and reputation. Keep in mind that your Ferrari needs only the best care from experts who are knowledgeable about and respectful of these amazing vehicles.