#Emergency Storm Damage Repair

[gcnorthwest]

If you have experienced #damage to your commercial property due to natural disasters, malfunctions, or other unexpected events, #Portland’s trusted team of commercial restoration experts are here to help. Our team of experienced restoration professionals are dedicated to restoring your property to its pre-loss condition as quickly and safely as possible. We provide a wide range of commercial restoration services, including water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, smoke damage restoration, mold remediation, and more.

[renovationgroup]

Professional Roof Tarping Service After Storm Damage

When a storm hits and leaves roof damage in its wake, taking immediate steps to protect your home becomes essential. Roof tarping is one of the most effective temporary solutions for covering damaged areas, keeping rain, wind, and debris out, and preventing further harm to your property. While some homeowners may consider DIY tarping, calling a professional roof tarping service is often the smartest choice, ensuring both safety and reliable protection. Here’s why hiring a professional roof tarping service after storm damage is one of the best decisions you can make for your home.

1. Immediate Action and Protection

After a storm, time is of the essence. Even small roof damage can rapidly turn into a much larger issue if exposed to further rain or wind. Water infiltration, in particular, can seep through small cracks and gaps, damaging insulation, walls, ceilings, and even electrical systems. Roof tarping acts as a shield, blocking out the elements until permanent repairs can be made.

Professional roof tarping services can respond quickly, often within hours of a call. They know that immediate action is crucial to protecting your home from escalating damage. By hiring professionals, you ensure that your roof is covered with a heavy-duty tarp, securely fastened to withstand additional weather. This protection buys valuable time to plan for repairs and minimizes the risk of costly, long-term damage to the structure and interior of your home.

2. Ensuring Safety on a Damaged Roof

Working on a roof is inherently dangerous, especially after a storm when surfaces may be wet, damaged, or unstable. Climbing onto a roof without proper experience or equipment can result in serious accidents or injuries. Professional roof tarping services are well-trained in safety protocols, and they come equipped with harnesses, ladders, and other necessary gear to work on roofs safely. They are skilled at assessing and navigating the roof’s surface to secure the tarp without risking injury.

Professional roofers are also adept at identifying hazards that may not be obvious to a homeowner. After a storm, roofs often have hidden weak spots, loose shingles, or structural issues that could be dangerous to step on. Professionals understand these risks and know how to safely install a tarp in compromised areas, ensuring the roof and tarp remain stable until permanent repairs are made. By hiring a professional, you avoid putting yourself in harm’s way and leave the job to experts who can handle it safely and efficiently.

3. High-Quality Materials for Reliable Protection

Not all tarps are created equal. Professional roof tarping services use high-grade, weather-resistant materials designed to provide strong, long-lasting coverage. Heavy-duty polyethylene or vinyl tarps are commonly used by professionals for their durability, UV resistance, and waterproofing. These tarps are much stronger than typical store-bought versions, meaning they’ll last longer and provide better protection against the elements.

Additionally, professionals use proper fastening techniques to secure the tarp in place. They know how to prevent the tarp from shifting or lifting in high winds, using materials like sandbags, wooden planks, or specialized fasteners. This secure installation ensures the tarp stays in place even in harsh weather, keeping your roof and home protected until a full repair is scheduled. When you invest in professional tarping, you gain peace of mind knowing that the materials used will offer reliable protection.

4. Compliance with Insurance Requirements

After storm damage, many insurance policies require homeowners to take “reasonable steps” to mitigate additional damage. By hiring a professional tarping service, you’re showing your insurance provider that you took immediate action to protect your home, which can be important in claim processing. Delaying action can sometimes result in reduced claim coverage or even claim denial, as insurance companies may argue that further damage could have been prevented.

Professional roof tarping services can provide documentation, such as photographs and a report, that details the damage and the steps taken to secure the property. This documentation can be crucial when submitting an insurance claim, as it demonstrates that the homeowner acted responsibly. By choosing a professional tarping service, you not only ensure protection but also help support a smoother, more efficient claims process, potentially speeding up reimbursements for repairs.

5. Prevention of Long-Term Damage and Cost Savings

While hiring a professional roof tarping service comes with an upfront cost, it often saves money in the long run. A tarp prevents rainwater from seeping into your home, which can lead to significant damage to insulation, drywall, floors, and personal belongings. Water exposure can also result in mold growth, a costly and complex problem to resolve. By stopping leaks before they start, tarping minimizes the risk of mold and structural deterioration, which can add thousands of dollars to your repair bill.

Additionally, a professionally installed tarp prevents roof damage from worsening, which means that when permanent repairs are conducted, the scope of work—and cost—is likely to be less extensive. A well-secured tarp effectively preserves the integrity of the roof, saving you from having to deal with widespread damage and higher costs. In this way, professional tarping acts as an investment that protects not only your property but also your finances.

6. Expertise and Peace of Mind

After experiencing roof damage, dealing with repairs and insurance claims can be overwhelming. Calling a professional roof tarping service relieves some of this burden by allowing experts to handle the initial response. Professional roofers are skilled at evaluating damage, installing a tarp efficiently, and providing the necessary documentation. Their expertise and quick response allow homeowners to focus on other pressing tasks, such as coordinating with insurance adjusters or finding a contractor for permanent repairs.

Hiring a professional also provides peace of mind that your home is truly protected. DIY tarping may result in leaks or gaps if not done properly, leading to further anxiety about whether your home is secure. With a professional tarping service, you know that experienced technicians have inspected and protected your roof effectively, allowing you to concentrate on other aspects of recovery without constant worry about the state of your roof.

The Smart Choice for Protecting Your Home After Storm Damage

Professional roof tarping services offer essential, immediate protection for homes following storm damage. By covering exposed areas and securing the roof with high-quality tarps, these services provide a barrier against further weather exposure, protecting your home and your investment. Hiring a professional service ensures safety, compliance with insurance requirements, and access to durable materials that provide reliable coverage. While some may consider attempting DIY tarping, the expertise, materials, and documentation provided by professionals make this service a wise choice.

When storms strike, leaving your home exposed to additional risks can be costly and dangerous. Choosing a professional tarping service ensures that your home remains safe, your insurance claim is supported, and you can focus on arranging for permanent repairs without added stress. For homeowners facing the uncertainty of storm damage, a professional roof tarping service is an invaluable asset that protects your property and brings peace of mind.

Learn More: roof tarping

[roofsol4less]

Essential Roofing Repair Techniques Every Homeowner Should Know

Maintaining your roof doesn’t just enhance your home’s appearance; it safeguards its structure and efficiency. With advanced repair techniques available today, homeowners can take a proactive approach to roof care. Here’s a look at key repair methods that keep your roof in top shape and help prevent costly future repairs.

Detecting Leaks Early

Spotting leaks before they escalate is essential for roof maintenance. Advanced leak detection now utilizes infrared moisture scanning, which reveals hidden leaks by identifying trapped moisture within roofing materials. This precise method allows homeowners to address issues promptly, avoiding extensive repairs and safeguarding the structural integrity of the home. Detecting leaks early helps ensure your roof remains resilient and dry year after year.

Modern Sealants for Enhanced Protection

Roof sealing has evolved significantly with the introduction of high-performance sealants. Today’s options, such as polyurethane and silicone-based coatings, provide an extra layer of defense against UV rays, water, and extreme weather. Silicone coatings are especially effective on flat roofs, creating a seamless barrier that resists moisture and minimizes wear. Regularly applying these advanced sealants can extend your roof’s life, reducing the frequency of repairs and protecting your home from the elements.

Reinforced Shingle Replacement

Replacing damaged shingles goes beyond aesthetics; it strengthens your roof’s resilience. While asphalt shingles remain a popular choice, impact-resistant alternatives offer improved protection against hail and high winds. When replacing or reinforcing shingles, roofers remove the damaged pieces and install more durable options, which fortify the roof against future damage. This technique is especially beneficial in storm-prone areas, adding both durability and peace of mind.

Expert Flashing Repair

Flashing is often overlooked, yet it’s vital for a well-sealed roof. Positioned around vents, chimneys, and skylights, flashing prevents water from seeping through vulnerable areas. Advanced flashing repair involves examining each section, removing corroded or damaged pieces, and replacing them with high-quality metal. A secure flashing barrier keeps water out and improves energy efficiency by sealing out drafts. Ensuring your flashing is intact protects your roof and maintains your home’s comfort during extreme weather.

Achieving Long-Term Roof Health

Using these advanced repair techniques can make a world of difference in maintaining your roof’s durability. By staying proactive with modern repair methods, homeowners can extend their roof’s life, minimize costs, and avoid frequent repairs. Consulting with a professional ensures these techniques are applied correctly, so your roof remains resilient against time and the elements.

[eliteroofings4l]

Common Culprits Behind Roofing Repairs: Understanding the Issues

Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against nature’s elements. When problems arise, addressing them quickly can prevent more extensive—and expensive—damage. Let’s explore the most frequent causes of roofing repairs and how understanding these issues can help you keep your roof strong and secure.

Weather’s Toll on Your Roof

Mother Nature is a major factor in roof damage. Storms with high winds can lift or tear shingles, leaving your roof vulnerable. Hailstones, even small ones, can leave dents or punctures, compromising the surface. Prolonged exposure to the sun can be just as damaging, causing shingles to crack and lose their protective granules. Each season brings its own challenges, so regular inspections after severe weather can catch damage early, preventing minor issues from escalating.

Faulty Installation: A Silent Saboteur

A roof is only as good as its installation. Poor workmanship during the initial install can lead to a host of problems down the line, including leaks, uneven water drainage, and structural vulnerabilities. When flashing is improperly sealed or shingles are not correctly aligned, your roof's ability to shed water efficiently is compromised. This can result in mold, rot, and insulation damage. Partnering with skilled, experienced roofers ensures your roof is built to last and minimizes the likelihood of premature repairs.

The Overlooked Importance of Maintenance

Many roofing issues stem from a lack of routine care. Simple tasks like cleaning out gutters or checking for loose shingles often get overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in extending the life of your roof. Clogged gutters can lead to water pooling and seepage, which weakens the roof's structure over time. Accumulated debris, such as leaves or small branches, can trap moisture, encouraging the growth of mold or algae. Regular maintenance, especially before and after stormy seasons, keeps these issues at bay and your roof performing at its best.

Trees and Debris: Hidden Hazards

Overhanging branches might provide shade, but they can also pose significant risks to your roof. Wind can cause branches to scrape against shingles, wearing down their protective layers. In more severe cases, heavy branches can break off and cause direct impact damage. Even something as seemingly harmless as falling leaves can clog gutters, leading to water overflow and potential leaks. Trimming nearby trees and clearing debris regularly are simple yet effective ways to protect your roof from these common threats.

Taking a Proactive Approach

Understanding the leading causes of roof damage empowers homeowners to take preventative steps. Regular inspections, consistent maintenance, and working with reputable contractors all contribute to a healthy, long-lasting roof. When damage does occur, addressing it quickly not only saves money but also helps ensure your home remains safe and secure for years to come.

[strongroofingsrq]

The Advantages of Working with a Sarasota-Based Roofing Company

Sun, storms, and serious humidity – that's the Sarasota life! But it can be tough on your roof. So, when it's time for repairs or a replacement, who do you call? Here's why a Sarasota-based roofing company like Strong Roofing is your secret weapon:

Local Expertise Matters: They've seen it all – the relentless heat, the surprise downpours, and the hurricane threats. This local knowledge means they use the right materials and techniques for Sarasota's unique climate. Think of long-lasting, weather-resistant solutions that keep your home safe and dry.

Faster Response, Less Stress: A storm rolls through, and a shingle says, "adios!" With a local company, help is just around the corner. Strong Roofing's quick response times minimize damage and get your roof back in tip-top shape before the next storm brews.

Your Sarasota Neighbor: Forget faceless corporations! Local companies like Strong Roofing are invested in the community. They take the time to understand your needs and provide personalized service. Plus, your business keeps Sarasota strong by supporting the local economy.

Strong Roof, Strong Community: Don't settle for anything less than the best for your Sarasota home. Strong Roofing offers expertise, responsiveness, and a commitment to your community. 

Read More >> Advantages of Working with a Sarasota-Based Roofing Company

Reliable Follow-Up and Maintenance

A local roofing company is more accessible for follow-up services and ongoing roof maintenance. Their proximity makes it convenient to address any future issues or perform routine inspections. This accessibility ensures your roof remains in optimal condition, extending its lifespan and protecting your home investment over the long term.

Trust THE BEST SARASOTA ROOFING COMPANY - Strong Roofing in Sarasota for superior roofing solutions tailored to your needs. Contact us today for expert services that ensure your home’s protection and longevity.

Get a free quote today and experience the Sarasota Strong difference!

[waterdamageprostpaulmn]

The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Water Damage Restoration Company

Discover the leading water damage restoration services in St. Paul, MN, dedicated to providing swift and effective solutions for your property. Trust in our Water Damage Pro St Paul professional expertise to address all aspects of water damage, from assessment and extraction to thorough drying and restoration. Our expert team is equipped to handle any water-related emergency with speed and efficiency, ensuring that your home or business is restored to its pre-damage condition in no time. 

Water Damage Pro St Paul 1862 Heather Ct St Paul MN, 55118 651-304-6190 https://repairdamagepro.com/st-paul/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=10701903318577997841

[nirbobharvey]

Hail Damage Detection and Repair

Avoid significant roof damage and leaks from severe hailstorms. Knowing how to identify hail damage to your roofing system will help you get the insurance company and the roofer started on repairs before minor leaks can become severe water damage.

New Image Roofing Atlanta gathered information about hailstorms, detecting damages they can cause, and how to get your roof repaired or replaced when damages are sufficient for an insurance claim.

When is Hail Season?

When a thunderstorm reaches “severe” limits, it has intensified to the point that it will produce high wind gusts – 58 mph or more – and/or hail 1 inch in diameter or larger. Georgia’s peak severe thunderstorm or hailstorm season is March, April, and May.

Note: Autumn brings a secondary, smaller peak in hailstorms in early fall as air – higher in the atmosphere – cools down, while heat and moisture at the surface are still relatively high. Consider the following information about hail:

What is Hail – Hail is solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts. Hail can damage aircraft, homes, and cars and can be deadly to livestock and people.

How does Hail Fall – Hail falls when it gets heavy enough to overcome a thunderstorm’s updraft strength and is pulled toward Earth by gravity.

Note: Wind-driven hail can damage siding, break windows and blow into houses, shatter side windows on cars, and cause severe injury and/or death to people, vegetation, and animals.

Detecting Hail Damage

Hail damage is not always immediately apparent, and homeowners may not realize the harm done until there is a severe problem. Here are some key signs to look for when assessing your roof for hail damage:

Dented or Damaged Shingles – Inspect your roof for dented, bruised, or cracked shingles. Hail can cause granules to wear off, exposing the underlying material and compromising the shingle’s integrity.

Granule Loss – Check your gutters and downspouts for an accumulation of granules. Loss of granules can reduce the shingle’s ability to protect your home from UV rays, water, and other elements.

Soft Spots – Walk carefully on your roof and check for soft spots or areas where the roof feels spongy underfoot. This can indicate underlying damage to the decking beneath the shingles.

Dents on Metal Surfaces – Inspect metal components like gutters, vents, and downspouts for dents and dings. These are signs of hail impact.

Cracked or Broken Windows and Skylights – Hailstorms can damage windows and skylights. If you notice cracked or broken windows or skylights (it is a good indicator that your roof has sustained significant damage as well).

Dented, Cracked, or Damaged Boots and Flashing – Boots and flashing (protecting penetrations and joints) can be damaged or dislodged during a hailstorm, causing severe leaks.

Coordinating Hail Damage Inspections

Once you suspect hail damage, it is crucial to take prompt action to assess the situation and initiate repairs. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to coordinate inspections with your roofer and insurance provider:

Contact Your Roofer – Call a reputable roofing professional to schedule a thorough inspection. Choose a licensed and insured roofer with experience in hail damage assessments.

Document the Damage – Before the inspection, document the damage by taking clear photographs of affected areas. This visual evidence will be crucial when dealing with insurance claims.

Meet with the Roofer – Accompany the roofer during the inspection. Discuss your observations and concerns, and ask for a detailed damage assessment. A professional roofer can provide an estimate for repairs.

Contact Your Insurance Provider – Once you understand the damage and the estimated repair costs, contact your insurance provider and give them the documentation, including photographs and the roofer’s assessment.

Schedule an Insurance Inspection – Your insurance company will likely send out an adjuster to inspect the damage independently. Coordinate with the adjuster and your roofer to ensure a comprehensive evaluation.

Review the Insurance Claim – Review the claim with your insurance carrier. Ensure all documented damage is included in the claim, and clarify any discrepancies.

Approval and Repairs – When approved, work with your roofer to schedule the repairs. Choose high-quality materials and ensure repairs address both visible and underlying damage.

Watch this video for more information about insurance claim deductibles.

Severe Hailstorm Roof Damage

In this article, you discovered crucial information about hailstorms, detecting damages they cause, and how to get your roof repaired or replaced when damages warrant an insurance claim.

Your ability to detect damages caused by hailstorms will keep you from coping with significant leaks and water damage.

Failure to identify and repair hail damage can lead to severe leaks and costly structural damage to your home or business.

Sources: nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail weather.gov/ffc/hail extension.missouri.edu/news/call-insurance-adjuster-to-determine-hail-damage learnandserve.org/hail-homeowners-guide-hail-damage

New Image Roofing Atlanta

2020 Howell Mill Rd NW Suite 232 Atlanta, GA30318 (404) 680-0041

To see the original version of this article, visit https://www.newimageroofingatlanta.com/hail-damage-detection-and-repair/

[prominneapolis]

Water Damage Restoration Experts in Minneapolis

Water Damage Pro is oyour trusted partner for all your water damage needs in Minneapolis. When it comes to addressing water damage, prompt and professional service is crucial, and that’s precisely what we provide. Our team of experienced experts is dedicated to restoring your property to its pre-damage condition swiftly and efficiently. We understand the urgency of water damage situations, and we’re committed to delivering top-notch solutions to residents and businesses throughout Minneapolis. Don’t let water damage disrupt your life—count on Water Damage Pro to get you back on track.

Water Damage Pro Minneapolis 1917 Park Avenue Minneapolis MN, 55404 612-400-8523 https://repairdamagepro.com/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=8325239936816747852 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDexJEhrytk https://sites.google.com/view/waterdamageprominneapolis

[cdservicesut]

Don’t Overlook Electrical Fires Aftermath: Get A Fire Damage Removal Now

 Have you ever considered what would transpire if an electrical fire broke out in your home or workplace? We don’t like to think about it, but electrical fires can happen anywhere and anytime. Sure, we all know that it can start from faulty wiring or outdated electrical systems, but do we really understand the aftermath of such a fire?

Electrical fires can be sneaky, and the damage it brings can be devastating. That’s why calling professionals for fire damage removal services is crucial, even with no visible smoke or flames. In this article, we’ll discuss the repercussions of this kind of fire disaster and how it can occur. We’ll also highlight how fire damage removal services can help. So, buckle up and let’s get started.

Electrical Fires: Causes You May Often Overlook

When it comes to fire damage, electrical fires can be some of the most destructive and surprising. Sure, you might expect a frayed cord or overloaded outlet to spark a blaze, but did you know that there are some causes of electrical fires that you might not expect?

If you don’t know it, rodents can also be the culprit. Yes, mice and rats also love to chew through wires, causing a short circuit that leads to a fire. When the wires short out, they can ignite nearby materials; before you know it, your hands are already on fire.

Next, we have the light bulb. That’s right – light bulbs can actually start fires. When you screw them in too tightly, its socket will overheat. And if it’s left on for too long, the heat will cause the insulation on the wires to melt and ignite.

Using extension cords is also a bad idea. Sure, they’re functional for giving you a little extra reach. However, they can also be dangerous if you use them frequently, especially if you leave them plugged in overnight.

Electrical Fires: The Aftermath

Electric fires are no joke. You might think, “Oh, it’s just a small spark. No big deal.” But that tiny spark can quickly turn into a raging inferno that can cause much damage. And the result? Well, it’s definitely not something you look forward to.

First of all, it can damage your electrical system. Wires can melt, circuits can overload, and appliances can get fried. But that’s just the beginning. The heat from an electrical fire can also damage your walls, floors, and ceilings.

And then there’s the smoke damage. Smoke can spread quickly, leaving thick soot and ash on everything in its path. Not only does it smell terrible, but it can also cause health problems if it’s not adequately cleaned up.

Speaking of cleaning up, that’s no small task either. After an electrical fire, you’ll likely need to hire professionals to remove all the damaged materials, including debris and contaminated items. Then, you’ll need to repair and replace any damaged structures or appliances.

Electrical Fire Damage Removal: The Process

The fire damage removal process always starts with a thorough assessment. We’ll look at everything from the structural integrity of your property to the electrical wiring and everything in between. Once we’ve figured out what needs attention, we can now get on to the next step of the process: removing the electric fire damage.

Now, this is where things get interesting. We’ll need to remove all the debris, soot, and ash left behind by the fire. It can be messy and time-consuming, but it’s necessary to ensure that your property is safe to live in.

Finally, we’ll move on to restoration. This is where we’ll start rebuilding your property and returning everything to how it was before the fire.

Fire Damage Removal: Is It Necessary?

Now, let’s talk about why we should remove even the smallest debris from an electrical fire. The answer is simple: for your safety. Those tiny remnants can still contain live electrical currents that could cause additional fires or shocks.

If you leave debris lying around anywhere in your home after an electrical fire, it can also corrode your other electrical systems or appliances. And let’s not forget about the foul odor that can linger. This debris may still contain harmful chemicals that can cause health problems if inhaled or touched. Plus, they will continue to release toxic fumes even after the fire is out.

That’s why it’s essential to hire professional fire damage removal agents like Certified Disaster Services in Ogden, UT, to handle the aftermath of the electrical fire in your home, even if the fire is relatively small.

Not only can we ensure your home or business is safe to inhabit, but we can also help you restore your property and navigate the insurance process.

Key Takeaway

So there you have it – why it’s so crucial to remove all debris after an electrical fire. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the damage is minimal and can be left alone. 

With the help of an expert in fire damage removal services, you can be confident knowing that your home is safe and secure. It’s not just about cleaning up the mess – it’s about preventing further damage and protecting yourself from potential health risks.

Remember, your safety and the safety of your home is a top priority. So don’t take any chances.

Read More: Don’t Overlook Electrical Fires Aftermath: Get A Fire Damage Removal Now

[veteransroofig]

Your roof is more than just protection; it's an integral part of your home's beauty and structural integrity. At Veteran's Roofing, we understand the importance of a strong, dependable roof. That's why we're proud to offer top-notch hail damaged roof repair services in Alpharetta and the surrounding areas.

[renovationgroup]

When your roof sustains unexpected damage from a storm, fallen tree, or accident, the first priority should be to protect your home from further harm. Roof tarping services offer immediate, temporary protection by covering damaged sections with a heavy-duty tarp, preventing rain, debris, and wind from entering your home. However, when faced with roof damage, you might wonder whether to tarp the roof yourself or hire a professional service. Investing in a professional roof tarping service is often the safest, most effective, and most cost-efficient choice. Below, we explore why calling a professional roof tarping service is a smart decision that protects your home, ensures your safety, and can even save you money.

1. Immediate Protection from Water and Debris

One of the primary reasons for hiring a roof tarping service is the immediate protection it provides. Roof damage, if left untreated, can expose your home’s interior to the elements, allowing rain, wind, and debris to cause even greater issues. Water can seep into walls, ceilings, insulation, and even wiring, potentially leading to mold growth, structural weakening, and electrical hazards. A professional tarping service can respond quickly, installing a tarp that provides a reliable shield against weather conditions until permanent repairs can be made.

By preventing water and debris from entering your home, roof tarping minimizes the risk of secondary damage, which can be costly and time-consuming to repair. In areas prone to heavy rain or storms, having your roof tarped by a professional after sustaining damage can mean the difference between minor repairs and a major restoration project. Professional roof tarping services can act fast, giving you peace of mind that your home is protected from further harm, regardless of the weather forecast.

2. Ensuring Safety for You and Your Family

Climbing onto a damaged roof is a risky endeavor, especially if the structure is unstable, slippery, or covered in debris from a storm. Roof tarping requires climbing and working at height, handling heavy-duty materials, and securing the tarp correctly. Attempting to tarp a roof yourself without the proper equipment, experience, or safety measures can lead to accidents, including falls and injuries. Professional tarping technicians are trained to handle such tasks safely. They have specialized tools, protective gear, and knowledge of safety protocols, reducing the risk of injury during installation.

Safety isn’t just about avoiding falls; it’s also about identifying potential hazards. Professional tarping services can assess the condition of your roof and determine whether there are additional structural issues that may need to be addressed. They know how to secure a tarp effectively over damaged or unstable areas, creating a sturdy barrier that minimizes risk. By hiring a professional, you avoid putting yourself in harm’s way and ensure that your roof is stabilized and secure, giving you a safer environment to return to.

3. Superior Quality Materials and Installation

When it comes to roof tarping, the materials and installation technique make a big difference. Professional roof tarping services use high-quality, weather-resistant tarps made of materials like heavy-duty polyethylene or vinyl. These materials are specifically designed to withstand harsh weather, including heavy rain, strong winds, and even UV exposure, offering longer-lasting protection than the average store-bought tarp. A high-quality tarp installed by a professional service can protect your home effectively for weeks or even months, giving you time to organize permanent repairs.

In addition to superior materials, professional tarping services know the correct installation techniques to secure the tarp without damaging your roof further. Improperly installed tarps can create gaps, allow water to seep in, or even become dislodged in windy conditions. Professional roofers use specialized fasteners, sandbags, or wooden anchors that prevent the tarp from shifting, ensuring it stays securely in place and fully covers the damaged areas. This combination of quality materials and expert installation makes professional roof tarping a dependable solution for keeping your home safe during emergencies.

4. Insurance Compliance and Documentation

After roof damage, many insurance companies require homeowners to take immediate steps to prevent further damage. This means that, following an incident, you may be obligated to secure a damaged roof to avoid additional water intrusion or structural weakening. Failing to do so can lead to complications with your insurance claim, as the insurer may argue that you neglected to protect the property from further harm. Hiring a professional roof tarping service ensures that you’ve taken the necessary action to meet your insurance provider’s requirements.

Additionally, professional tarping services can provide documentation, including photos and written reports, to help you with the insurance claim process. This documentation serves as proof that you took prompt action to protect your property, which can make the claims process smoother and increase the likelihood of reimbursement. Having a professional handle the tarping can also lend credibility to your claim, as it demonstrates that you invested in quality protection for your home. In short, professional tarping can be an asset not only in safeguarding your property but also in securing insurance support when you need it most.

5. Long-Term Cost Savings and Preventing Major Damage

While hiring a roof tarping service does involve an upfront cost, it can actually save you money in the long run by preventing larger, more expensive issues down the road. Roof tarping acts as a barrier, stopping water from entering your home and damaging insulation, drywall, wood structures, and even personal belongings. Water damage can escalate quickly, leading to mold infestations, warped walls, and weakened support beams. The cost of addressing these issues can far outweigh the expense of hiring a professional tarping service.

Investing in roof tarping is a cost-effective preventive measure that protects the integrity of your home. By stopping leaks and keeping out the elements, tarping minimizes the potential for costly repairs and helps preserve your property’s value. In many cases, acting quickly to secure a damaged roof can reduce the scope of necessary repairs, saving you money and reducing the time needed for a full restoration. For homeowners concerned with maintaining their property’s condition, professional tarping is an investment that provides peace of mind and financial protection.

6. Peace of Mind During a Stressful Time

When your roof is damaged, whether from a storm or a fallen tree, it can be a stressful experience. The threat of additional rain, potential water leaks, and the worry about the safety of your family and belongings can feel overwhelming. Hiring a professional roof tarping service offers peace of mind that your home is protected. Knowing that experts have handled the tarping process means you can rest assured that the structure is secure, buying you time to focus on planning long-term repairs.

Professional roof tarping services take on the responsibility of assessing the damage, installing the tarp, and providing support throughout the process. This comprehensive approach gives homeowners relief from the immediate pressures of roof damage, allowing them to concentrate on other essential tasks like contacting their insurance company, coordinating with contractors, or managing daily responsibilities. In times of crisis, having a professional handle your roof tarping can ease the burden and offer confidence that your home is safe and secure.

[ghostofskywalker]

More Than The Persona

Tyler Owens/Fem!Reader

Words: 2,248

Summary: Tyler Owens is the poster child for storm chasing, his videos often leading to viewers glamourising these drastic weather events. As a first responder, you're no stranger to the death and destruction that tornadoes leave in their wake, so the two of you don't exactly click the first time you meet.

Note: i saw twisters yesterday and i was pleasantly surprised with how much i enjoyed it, since i also love the original 1996 one. as far as why this was written, i’m procrastinating writing zine fics right now and that's the only explanation I can offer lol. i'd love to write more twisters fic in the future though, i did have fun with it

As you stepped out of the ambulance, you could see destruction wherever you turned. Countless houses were razed where they stood, their contents strewn all across the street. Even the structures that had been lucky enough to only get clipped by the tornado were still damaged beyond repair, in some cases with their entire facades ripped off, now laying somewhere smashed on the ground. No matter how many times you had seen scenes like this, the gravity of the situation never got lighter. For almost all of these people, recovering would take months, if not years. 

Crowds were just beginning to collect on the streets as some emerged from storm shelters, but you knew there were some who hadn’t been afforded that luxury. You shared a knowing look with the other members of your team as they began to step over the debris in search of those that might be trapped under rubble. 

By the time more pickup trucks pulled up to the scene, you had set up outside one of the ambulances, hard at work treating the wounds of those who could make it over to you. The crates of water bottles next to you were quickly diminishing, but the line of people in need of medical care never seemed to, which was a sitaution you were unfortunately used to finding yourself in. 

As the newcomers fanned out through the area, you weren’t the only one who stared. Although not a fan yourself of the self-appointed “Tornado Wrangler,” you unfortunately recognized the man who led a small group down the street. Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you turned your attention back to the person in front of you. There was nothing you could do about the fact that some wannabe celebrities were trying to profit off of the disaster by getting in the public’s good graces, so you would just have to suck it up and hope they eventually get bored enough to leave.

Hours later, you were still in that same spot, and there was still so much to do. Some of the ambulances had left temporarily the scene, taking those whose injuries were more intense off to the closest hospital. Right now, your priority was getting immediate medical aid to those who needed it, even if you could feel your eyes drooping with fatigue. As you gently bandaged up the arm of a young girl, someone tapped on your your shoulder. “Take a break,” and you could hear the sound of your best friend’s voice even if you were looking at him. “I can tell that you need it.” 

You shook your head as the little girl walked off in the direction her mother was standing. “Don’t worry about me Isaac, ‘m fine here.” 

“I don’t believe that,” he responded. “At least get some water and take a few moments to eat something.” 

After a few more passes back and forth, Isaac practically shoved you from your post. With a water bottle in your hand, you wandered around the area, mind racing as you tried to find a way you could help once you had taken a few minutes to yourself. But of course, you were not granted solitude for long. Right as you had raised the bottle to your lips, a voice interrupted your thoughts. “Need anything?” 

Tyler Owens was standing a few paces away, a small box in his hands. The cowboy hat on his head looked pristine, a stark contrast to the way that your work clothes were already too grimy for your taste. “I’m okay,” you said, sending a tight-lipped smile his way and hoping that he would get the message that you weren’t interested in conversing right now. “Thank you.” 

“Are you sure?” he asked, clearly not having picked up on the signs. “You’ve been out here for hours and this is the first time you’ve stopped for any kind of break.” 

Your gaze hardened slightly as you regarded him. “And how would you know?” He was correct of course, but you had no plans to admit that, especially not when he acted as though he knew everything about you. 

“It was just a guess, but I can see that I’m right,” he said, a smile crossing his face that you hated to say that you found attractive. Why did the best looking people have to act as dumb as they did? 

By the grace of the universe, a colleague called you over to them right as you opened your mouth to respond, and Tyler didn’t follow as you headed over to help once more. The whole time, you found yourself thinking about him and his team. What were they even doing here, besides getting in the way of those actually trying to help? 

***

After that time, it felt like you ran into Tyler Owens at least three times a week. He and his team showed up to the sites of destruction with their video cameras out as they surveyed the damage. Multiple times, you had to shoo them away from you as you worked, tirelessly bandaging cuts, scrapes, and other lacerations that people had suffered from the winds of the storm. Despite the fact that your initial conversation with Tyler had lasted less than a minute, he apparently felt that it was enough to bother you again, and to act as though you were much closer than you were. 

This time, you were bandaging up an older woman when you heard his voice interrupt your focus. “Hey medic!” 

Resisting the urge to sigh, you turned to look at him. “What are you doing here?” 

Unfortunately, the smile on his face didn’t shift at your tone. “Helping, of course.” 

“And how exactly is annoying me while I’m just trying to do my job considered helpful?” 

“I’m convincing you to take a break,” he said. “I’ve seen how hard you work, and the way you put others first so many times. Sometimes you need to take care of yourself to take care of others.”

Sighing, you finished gently wrapping gauze around the woman’s leg before speaking. “Nice try, making it seem like you have any concern,” you said. “But I don’t have any interest being on in your  YouTube videos, and I can take care of myself perfectly fine.” 

His smile dropped slightly as he registered your words, the first time it’s happened since you met. Every other time, your words seem to pass right over him, no matter how annoyed you sounded as you spoke, but not this one. He mumbled something you didn’t quite catch before stepping away, and you felt your heart sink slightly in a way you didn’t expect. 

“He’s right you know,” the woman you had just bandaged said as she got up from the chair in front of you. 

“What?” you asked, still trying to wrap your head around the conversation with Tyler.

“You need to take a break at some point. If you’ve been out helping like this after all these recent storms, it’s going to take a toll on you.” 

You nodded, knows that both her and Tyler were right. “I will, I promise.”

“Good,” said. The woman left after giving you another knowing smile, and you flagged down Isaac to take your place for a few minutes. 

It always felt strange, to sit down on the ground and look at the tornado’s destruction. Children’s toys, blankets, and even the skeletal remains of furniture were on the street now, no telling which homes they had once belonged to. You stared out as the wind picked up a photo and pushed it away from you, before it was eventually grabbed by someone. 

As you took a sip of the water bottle in your hands, Tyler appeared from the crowds once more, his hands up in mock surrender as he approached you. “I see you took my advice.”

“I see you’re still dead set on bothering me wherever I go,” you said, but the tone was halfhearted. 

“It’s not my only goal in life, but it’s one I get to work on often,” he said, sitting down next to you. 

“Why?” you asked, finally gathering up the courage to voice the question that had been swirling around your mind since you first met him. “I don’t know you. No offense, of course.” 

A small snort of laughter left his mouth. “I don’t know, I think at this point we could be longtime friends.” You raised your eyebrows at him, and the smile on face grew as he realized that this was once again lighthearted teasing. “I keep bothering you because I can tell you need someone to tell you when to stop.” 

Immediately, you got a little defensive. “No I don’t.” 

“Come on, I think the only time I’ve ever seen you take a break is when someone else said something, and I doubt it’s ever done without some kind of denial.” You looked down at the ground, slightly embarrassed that he had hit the nail on the head. “People all across the community are going to be incredibly grateful for the hours you put in to help them, but it wouldn’t matter as much if you’re neglecting your own care.” 

You stopped, staring once more at the destruction in front of you. “Just because I’m not smiling and laughing for the camera doesn’t mean I’m not taking care of myself.” 

“Going hours without even a sip of water doesn’t exactly back that statement up you know.” 

“Fine,” you admitted. “Maybe you’re right, but it certainly doesn’t help when people like you show up to these scenes to sightsee all the destruction and try to get some clicks out of it.” 

His face changed in an instant, growing more somber than you’ve ever seen before. “Is that all you think we’ve been doing?” 

You nodded slowly, not sure what to expect from his change of attitude. 

“I suppose the way you’ve treated me makes sense now.” 

You stopped. “So you’re not just here for fun?” 

“Half of what we do can usually be considered stupid, I’ll admit that,” he said, looking over at you. “But it’s not all fun and games, I promise. See over there?” He gestured to where a group of people were standing around a table outside his team’s camper van, the reason for their presence obscured by the growing crowd gathering there. “A portion of our our t-shirt sales is put towards disaster kits, and my team over there is handing them out. Free of charge of course.” 

As your eyes focused on the scene, you could see he was right. There was no exchange of money as the team of people handed out boxes of food and bottles of water. You could see a stack of T-shirts sitting to the side, but even those were being handed out to the those that asked whenever requested. 

Immediately, you were overwhelmed with embarrassment at the way you had always perceived him, when all this time he had been doing so much to aid those who just had their lives disrupted. Maybe if you had taken the time to look past the thrill-seeking attitude you could have seen that, but instead you had been so wrapped up in your own life and work. “I’m so sorry for the way I saw you,” you said, turning towards Tyler with a sincere look on your face. “You want to help just as much as I do, and I let my opinion the ‘Tornado Wrangler’ persona get in the way of understanding that.”

He smiled in a way that was more genuine than any of the others you had seen on him. “Thanks,” he said sincerely. “But don’t worry about it, you’re not the first person to make the assumption, and you probably won’t be the last. I willingly drive into tornados for fun, it’s not exactly something you do if you’re not a little bit crazy.” 

You laughed. “Yeah, as a medical professional I really can’t condone that.”

“Most people would probably agree with you.” 

The two of you sat there for a few minutes more, a comfortable silence enveloping the air before you had to get back to work. There was still so much more to be done, and the daylight hours were slipping away. 

But as the two of you got up and you began to walk away, Tyler’s voice stopped you. “Hey.” 

Turning around to face him, a quizzical look overtook your face. “Hmm?” 

“I’ll see you around, alright?” 

You smiled, the cautious fluttering of tiny butterflies taking hold of your stomach. It was only a matter of time before this happened, you supposed, but you tried not to let anything show on your face. “Yeah,” you said, a genuine smile breaking through any attempt you made to remain nonchalant. “See you around.” 

***

That night, as you laid on the couch watching TV, you saw a text pop up on your phone from a number you didn’t recognize. 

It’s Tyler. Before you get mad at me, Isaac gave me your contact info. 

You playfully rolled your eyes, making a mental note to confront your friend later, that perceptive bastard. 

Do you wanna go out for drinks sometime? I don’t wanna have to wait for another tornado to see you. 

Sure, was the response you typed out and sent off, but on the inside, you were a lot more excited. 

Okay, maybe you didn’t have to be that hard on Isaac.

- the end -

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[ckret2]

Above: Bill showing off the messed up things he can make the Nightmare Realm do.

Below: Bill literally an hour later.

Here, have a fic. In which the gods try to figure out what to do about the new omnicidal chaos god who would rather destroy reality than politely exit Dimension Zero so they can arrest him for burning down multiple dimensions.

This is part 7 of a ???9-ish??? part plot about the Axolotl meeting this friendly harmless innocent little triangle in the wake of the Euclidean Massacre and then getting repeatedly slapped in the face with all the atrocities Bill's committed. If you want to read and/or look at the pretty art on the other parts, here's one, two, three, four, five, and six.

####

There was fresh fear amongst the many gods crowded around the site where Dimension 2 Delta had once stood.

The perimeter around Dimension Zero's turbulent border had pulled back dramatically, leaving a barren no man's land between the police cordon and the triangle's territory.

The fires in the 1D and 2D universes, for a moment so close to doused, had returned with a vengeance—and by the sound of some chatter amongst the Apocalyptic Threat Task Force agents, they suspected it was a literal vengeance. The storm cloud heading the ATTF operations had needed to personally visit the burning dimensions again—see which previously contained fires had reignited or jumped their firelines, and see which new fires had broken out so that it could redistribute the available firefighting forces appropriately.

The Time Giant had gone along to inspect the damage and figure out which dimensions could be repaired—provided they ever stopped the fires—and which would ultimately needed to be rebuilt.

And anyone who wasn't actively engaged in trying to control the fires was still trying to process the newest crisis: the leader of the mortals who'd fallen into Dimension Zero wasn't a fellow mortal victim, but an out-of-control new god with the power to move and burn entire universes who didn't seem to understand that he was about to destroy all of reality, himself included.

VENDOR had finally run out of excuses to avoid the media, and was now reluctantly holding an impromptu press conference with the reporters on the scene—and THEY looked so miserable the Axolotl nearly felt bad for THEM. He overheard THEM blurt out, probably far louder than intended, "I will not be remembered as the god who was in charge of the emergency response efforts that got the entire multiverse destroyed!" and he wondered whether VENDOR remembered either that THEY weren't in charge or that, if the multiverse were destroyed, THEY wouldn't be remembered at all. No one would be.

From the conversations he overheard, the Axolotl got the impression that no one, even the most senior ATTF agents on the scene, had ever dealt with a threat to the multiverse this dire. No one knew what to do about the triangle—least of all the Axolotl, who was only here because everybody still hadn't realized that he wasn't supposed to be.

So while everyone else was arguing, privately panicking, or actually doing something useful, he was floating at the cordon holding people away from Dimension Zero.

####

There were a few stars and rocky bodies on the wrong side of the cordon. The triangle's sun—the star that had once shone down on his 2D world before it burned down (before he burned it down)—was still out there. Once again, it was falling toward Dimension Zero.

He glanced around to see if anyone was watching, then swooped under the cordon, scooped up the sun, and carried it back to the safe zone. He opened a portal to his tank, slid the star inside, then shook out his forefeet and inspected the burns on the soft skin. He'd been playing with a lot of fire today.

"Axolotl!"

The Axolotl looked up. He wasn't surprised by the familiar sight of his Oracle's soul emerging from the aether—she'd already come by once to but he was frustrated by it. One more person he had to protect in this mess.

"Something happened—"

"I know." He quickly curled around her, doing his best to shield her from the other gods in case any of the nearby arguments escalated—or the triangle decided to lash out at the third dimension again. "You shouldn't be here now. It isn't safe."

Of course, she ignored him. She wouldn't be the kind of person he picked as one of his Oracles if she weren't the kind of person who ignored gods' warnings. "Our seers heard the whole sky scream in pain, and then saw a vast eye—"

"Over there." He lifted his tail out of the way just enough to let her see the border of Dimension Zero.

No matter where you looked at Dimension Zero, that golden fleck of light seemed to twinkle in the center of your field of vision. The Oracle squinted. "The little flat yellow creature?"

"He was bigger earlier."

"What happened?"

"A showdown with the cops."

The Oracle paused as she tried to reconcile that with the seers' apocalyptic vision. "Who won?"

"He did."

"Good." And she wouldn't have been the kind of person the Axolotl picked for his Oracles if she didn't say that, either.

On most days, he'd agree with her. But after seeing what the triangle could do—knowing what he would do... The cops weren't the answer, but he had to be stopped somehow.

(He could feel the triangle's eye on them. Was he listening to them now?)

"He's shaped like a triangle. Is he connected to the blind seer's final vision?"

The seer who'd seen the sky burn and collapse into a blinding triangular light. "He is. He's the last survivor of the first dimension to burn. His people called him the Magister Mentium; he was a seer to his people, too."It tore the Axolotl's heart to say more than that—but he wouldn't mislead his Oracle. "Somehow, he started the fire."

Before the Oracle could ask him how, a faint voice yelled, "Hey!"

They turned toward Dimension Zero. The triangle was on the border, looking straight at them. He shouted again, "Hey! You with the pink freak!"

"What?"

"How many fingers do you have!"

She gave her four arms a puzzled look. "Twenty!"

"Wow!" The triangle sounded genuinely impressed. "What do you use 'em all for?!"

"Normal finger things?" She asked, "Why's your hat so skinny?"

"What hat?"

She paused. "Never mind!" She turned back to the Axolotl and whispered, "Is the hat part of his body?"

"I don't think so. He didn't have it the last time I saw him."

She kept trying to look at the triangle until the Axolotl curled around her to stop her staring. "That's the seer who's destroying universes?"

He wanted to make excuses for the triangle. He wanted to defend him. "Yes."

She was silent a moment before asking the question she'd really come for: "Is my world in danger?"

"Not yet. Not directly. But... if he isn't stopped, it eventually will be," the Axolotl said. "He's fallen into the center of the multiverse and is trying to build a kingdom there. If he fails, it will collapse and kill him; but if he succeeds, it will destabilize and kill all of reality."

"Wh—?!" She gave him a look of disbelief. "But—that doesn't make any sense! He loses either way!"

"I know."

"So why is he endangering everyone for nothing?!"

"I don't know."

"I'm going to find out."

"Wait—!"

The Oracle's astral projection could be very slippery when she wanted; she was already past the Axolotl and flying toward Dimension Zero. "Hey! Magister Mentium! I want a word with you!"

"Don't cross the border between dimensions!" The Axolotl clutched the police tape in both forefeet as he watched.

After five minutes of shouting and death threats, the Oracle flew back to the Axolotl.

"I think he's stupid," she said.

He smiled sadly. "I fear it's something much worse than that."

He had the skin-crawling feeling that the triangle was staring at him. He forced himself not to turn and find out for sure.

####

The Time Giant was the first to return from the frontlines of the fire. She joined the Axolotl next to the police tape, muttered something about needing to pick up some "stuff" from "a couple centuries ago," snapped out a length of time tape, and returned three seconds later in a different shirt with sleeves rolled up and carrying a folding table, a bundle of blueprints, and an energy drink. She unfolded the table in the void, spread out her blueprints on it, chugged her drink, hunched over the table, and ignored the rest of the universe.

The Oracle gazed up at the Time Giant and instantly fell in love. The Axolotl politely pretended he didn't notice.

VENDOR was the second to float over—slumped forward, lights dim, looking like THEY were returning from a war zone rather than a press conference. Heaving a weary sigh, THEY positioned THEMSELF next to the cordon with the Axolotl and Time Giant; which was the point at which the Axolotl realized he'd accidentally formed a club of people who didn't want to be in charge of this mess but were. "Any change?" 

The Time Giant grunted distractedly. The Axolotl said, "No." The Oracle said, "I accidentally taught the triangle an obscene gesture." 

VENDOR turned toward Dimension Zero.

The triangle sprouted two extra arms and gleefully pantomimed something filthy.

VENDOR turned away from Dimension Zero and sighed even more heavily.

When the storm cloud drifted over, VENDOR said, "Go away unless you have good news." The arrogance had drained out of THEIR voice; what little pomposity THEY had left was a thin mask over exhausted fear. (The Axolotl could sympathize; he felt the same dread weighing low in the pit of his stomach.)

Before the storm cloud had left to check on the other dimensions, it had still been hailing in fear; by now, it had whipped itself up into a furious blizzard. It had to stay back from the group to keep from freezing them too, and even at that frost still crept across VENDOR's glass and the Axolotl had to shield the Oracle from the cold. "Well," it said stiffly, trying to rein in its rage and sounding even colder as a consequence.. "Almost all the new fires have already been contained. I'll say one thing for that—" It paused as it mentally glided over what was no doubt a long and creative list of insults, "—guy; at least he's making an effort to be more careful of where he kicks the neighboring dimensions so the damage doesn't spread as fast." It sighed a chilly, angry gust of wind. "Unfortunately, he's gotten more aggressive about kidnapping mortals from other dimensions. He's narrowed his focus, but he's kicking ten times harder."

"That wasn't very good good news," VENDOR whined.

"Sorry. Fresh out," the cloud said. "Fact is, if we don't stop him, we're toast."

Nobody was surprised by that. VENDOR asked, "How much time do we have?" THEY turned to the Time Giant.

While VENDOR had gotten pathetic and the cloud was seething with barely-restrained rage, the Time Giant had only grown more stoic. Her face was set in a stony mask; her jaw was tight enough that she could bite an airplane clean in half. Since she'd come back, she hadn't glanced up from the stack of blueprints she'd retrieved.

It took her a moment to realize the question was directed toward her. She jerked her head up as if ready to snap at whoever had interrupted her; but caught herself as she processed the question. "Uhh, pffff..." She squinted toward the horizon of time, face scrunched up to expose her teeth. "If we get the fires put out? Few years. Couple decades at the outside. Reckon it's more than enough time to jury rig something that'll keep reality propped up while we get in a construction crew to set up a new Big Bang, no problem."

The Axolotl whispered reassuringly to the Oracle, "A couple of decades to us is over a thousand of your people's generations."

"A couple of decades," VENDOR muttered, voice rough, a few stray moons rattling around behind THEIR product dispenser door. "This multiverse was built to last an eternity. To think it could be destabilized enough to collapse within a couple of decades, all because of one..." THEY fell silent. They could all feel the steady staring eye watching them from deep within Dimension Zero.

The cloud said, "And if he doesn't let us stop all the fires?"

She pursed her lips, brows knit tightly. "If the fires keep spreading and that triangle keeps destabilizing things, the whole thing could collapse in a week tops."

"That's still a few years for your people," the Axolotl told the Oracle optimistically.

She swatted his paw. "Aren't you powerful enough to, just—stop him? You're gods." They must have seemed undefeatable to her—living beings the size of mountains and vast world-moving machines and forces of nature. That was how the gods always looked to mortals.

But unfortunately, when you got right down to it, they weren't much more than weirdly big people.

VENDOR muttered, "Well, I don't have the authority to call in the kind of reinforcements that can take that thing down." (More cautious now that THEY realized this wasn't a threat THEY could effortlessly crush in THEIR gears, weren't THEY.)

The cloud said, "The Apocalyptic Threat Task Force can make that a call that in any situation that poses a credible threat to multiversal safety and security, but..." It asked the Axolotl and Time Giant, "Just how strong do you think he is?"

"Could be omnipotent," the Time Giant said. "Wouldn't be surprised."

The Axolotl reluctantly nodded in agreement. "He doesn't understand what he's doing yet, but he's already manipulating the fabric of reality with his bare hands."

VENDOR made a tiny noise like a malfunctioning motor at that.

Grimly, the cloud said, "I could put in a call to HQ. We have a few higher dimensional types on call. Creator gods and the like. They're probably the only ones who'd stand a chance against an omnipotent god that can make a whole universe do a barrel roll. But if we aren't sure we could win the fight, and fast..."

The assembled group of gods cast a nervous look at the gaping hole into Dimension Zero.

The triangle, smaller than one of the Axolotl's fingertips, stared back from the border. He solemnly spread his arms wide. "You wanna go? Come at me."

They did not want to go. They turned away.

"Bad idea," the Time Giant said. "If the laws of physics are unstable, even the strongest god wouldn't have an advantage. It'd be like putting the fastest sprinter in the multiverse on a racetrack without gravity. And since he's the one running the physics, he could practically hand himself a win."

"And on top of that, any fight down there risks knocking the multiverse down," the cloud said. "It's too dangerous. We can't risk attacking him."

"We'll just have to hope he doesn't attack us first," VENDOR muttered.

The Axolotl's stomach flipped. He knew something they didn't. "Actually, I... don't think he can."

All attention was on him. VENDOR said, "Please tell me you have some actual good news."

"I don't know." He wasn't sure whether it would make any difference. All he knew was that he felt like he was betraying the triangle. He lowered his voice to what for him passed as a whisper. "But, I think... I think his power is limited to the borders of his realm." As he said it, he knew he was telling the truth. Some beings got like that when they were old enough; they could just feel when something was right. "He can't impact anything that isn't touching his dimension. He's essentially harmless to the rest of the multiverse. The only real threat is... well." He gestured helplessly at the frothing chaos. "The fact that the dimension is like that."

Voice hushed, the cloud said slowly, "Hold on. So... he's trapped in the crawlspace beneath reality."

"No—he's trapped in the 'dream realm' he's built inside the crawlspace. He can drag the realm out with him, but... we saw what happens when he does that." They'd all heard how existence had howled in pain. They'd seen how even the triangle had been scared enough to stop.

"So we have no hope of fighting him in his bunker—but if we drag him across the threshold... the fight's over." THEY turned to the two cops THEY'd been leading around all day.

The crab and burning wheels tried very had to look like they hadn't noticed the conversation at all. 

VENDOR and the cloud exchanged a frustrated glance. Sarcastically, the cloud muttered, "Yeah. Easy."

The Axolotl said, "I'm not even sure we can drag him out of his bunker. I don't know if he won't leave, or physically can't leave—just that his power stops at his borders."

VENDOR sighed, "So we're back where we started."

The Time Giant smacked her mess of blueprints, making the other gods start. "No we aren't! If his influence can't spread outside his dimension, then I've got a fix." She held up a thick binder. "It's a fiddly chrono-construction technique to shore up brittle dimensions. It can work as a stopgap measure to stop him from destabilizing any more dimensions." She looked at VENDOR. "It'll make a lot of extra work for the urban planning committee."

VENDOR's lights flickered off. The Axolotl could see the numbers on THEIR digital display as THEY slowly counted to ten. Then THEY turned their lights back on and said, with an air of forced calm, "All right. I don't think there is any getting out of this without extra work. Tell me the idea."

"Right now, all our dimensions are connected adjacent to each other—corner to corner and edge to edge. It's simple that way. But, if we restructure the dimensions parallel to each other, we can use the pressure of the outside dimensions to press in on the crawlspace and keep its contents in place. It's gonna be a mess. Forget about the Dimension 1, Dimension 2, Dimension 3 system we have right now; by the end of this we're gonna have Dimension 143 and Dimension M and Dimension 6.5 and Dimension -17 and imaginary number dimensions and quadratic dimensions..." She shrugged helplessly. "But if we can't get this bozo out, it might be our only option."

"Parallel universes? It sounds ridiculous." VENDOR let out a low moan of pain, "We'll have to restructure the whole multiverse."

"Yup. Probably."

"Everything's so nice and tidy now. A perfectly arranged planned community. Nice, straight, gridlike dimensions..."

"Parallel dimensions do have some potential benefits over adjacent dimensions," the Time Giant offered comfortingly. "Easier interdimensional travel—"

VENDOR grumbled, "Oh, I know, I know, Municipalitron's been pushing to experiment with parallel dimensions for the past two hundred billion years. He won't shut up about how it would benefit mass transit."

The cloud said, "All I care about is the multiverse surviving long enough to worry about mass transit."

The time giant said, "The biggest downside is that once we've completely closed up the crawlspace, when that dimension he's set up inevitably collapses, there's no easy way to get back all that energy and dark matter. If we ever decide to rip open a rift big enough to drain it out, it could take trillions of years if we don't want the flood to destroy the receiving universe. We might never clear out the rubble. But on the other hand, if it's sealed up well enough, it won't matter if the ruins are left to rot."

"What about the hostages?" the Axolotl asked. "Won't that trap everyone inside?"

"We'll have to leave manhole covers and maintenance shafts, obviously. Until the fabric of reality's finished unraveling, we'll have a chance to get them out," the Time Giant said. "Even that 'Magister' can leave if he decides to surrender himself. Assuming he's willing to leave his construction project behind."

If he could leave it.

VENDOR let a heavy whoosh out THEIR vents. "Balls. Very well, submit your proposal to the committee. I'll vouch for it. But I won't like it." THEY muttered, "Municipalitron's never going to let me live this down."

The storm aimed its sunbeam at the Time Giant. "Can't start construction as long as he's still starting fires and picking fights, though—can we? Unless you can build new dimensions on top of an active inferno?"

"N—Hold on." She squinted toward the future to check. "Nope. Though once I get down a fireproof foundation, we won't need to worry about it anymore. Got a trick called timeline splitting: you reformat a dimension so that the timelines fork infinitely, any time a choice is made. If he tries to burn 'em, they split: one timeline he burned and one he didn't. He'll just add more timelines and thicken the foundation every time he tries to attack the neighbors."

Horrified, VENDOR said, "I've been trying to pass an ordinance to ban timeline splitting for an eon."

"Has it passed yet?" the storm asked.

"No!"

"Great. Then that's our plan," the storm said. "We just need somebody to talk him down long enough to put out the fires and get the fireproof foundation in place." Its sunbeam turned toward the Time Giant. "Maybe if someone explains the stakes to him—?"

She shook her head, expression flat. "I'm a civil engineer, not a hostage negotiator. If he didn't get it the first time I laid it out to him, he ain't gonna get it the second time."

VENDOR asked the cloud, "Isn't the Apocalyptic Threat Task Force trained in talking down apocalyptic threats?"

"Yes, but no," the storm cloud said.

"What does that mean! Just... go up to that thing"—THEY tilted toward Dimension Zero—"and keep him calm."

"Are you kidding? I'm not suicidal!"

"This is your job, you're an apoc cop!"

"Apoc agent!" It raised its voice, "And talking down threats is not my speciality! I was sent because we thought this was a structural issue, not an actively malevolent entity!"

"Hey!" the triangle shouted. "Who are you calling malevolent?! Hey! Hey! Look me in the eye and say that again, I'll kick your base! I'm the most benevolent entity you've ever met!"

They wordlessly avoided eye contact with the triangle, scooted another solar system farther away from Dimension Zero, and lowered their voices again. 

The storm cloud asked VENDOR, "Shouldn't this be your department? We're dealing with the possible genesis of a new god, and his first act was destroying a dimension and destabilizing reality. Sounds like politics to me."

Delicately, the Axolotl said, "I don't think THEY're the best choice."

"I'm certainly not. I handle the urban planning committee's budgeting," VENDOR said. "I deal with accountants, not terrorists! The only reason I'm here is to provide planets for those flat refugees, and I am sick of being at every humanitarian crisis in the multiverse just because I vend planets—"

The Axolotl had taken all of VENDOR that he could. He rounded on THEM, snarling, "Why are you even in politics, if it's not to help mortals? Is that not why you accepted the title of 'god'?" He flared his gills and his eyes glowed in rage. "Because it's why I did! I wish there was more I could do to help! And you, you can do more than anyone, and you're complaining about it?!"

VENDOR jerked back from the Axolotl. For a moment, the whole group was stunned silent. The Axolotl's eyes stopped glowing. He had to fight the urge to shrink back self-consciously from their staring. His Oracle patted his side comfortingly.

And then VENDOR's lights  brightened. "You know how to talk to mortals like that. This triangle is just like the omnicidal monsters you represent every day." THEIR camera whirred as THEY sized him up. "If you want to help more, then why don't you?"

Ah. The Axolotl paused to swallow his anger. 

He glanced down at his Oracle, who had been hiding in his shadow as she took notes and attempted to surreptitiously ogle the Time Giant. He said, "I think..."

She nodded. "I'll wake up." And then she faded out as her spirit sank back down to a lower plane.

The Axolotl tried to avoid looking at VENDOR—how could someone without a face look so smug?—and focused on the Time Giant. "What do you need me to get him to do?"

####

Biologically there was really no such thing as a god, in the same way that botanically there is really no such thing as a vegetable. Tomatoes are fruits; spinach is a leaf; carrots are roots; broccoli is an unfinished flower. The word "vegetable" just indicates the cultural role a plant performs in the kitchen.

The word "god" indicated the cultural role an entity performed in cosmology: a god was anything that people considered powerful enough to be worth worshiping.

A trillion trillion priests and philosophers and theologians and politicians had attempted to pin down a firm definition—but any definition was only ever valid to the worshipers who agreed it was right. The simple truth was that a being who had created a universe could be called a god, and a particularly impressive tree could be called a god, and a con artist who used clever stage magic to convince people he could teleport and raise the dead could be called a god, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, to prove than any one of them "really" was or wasn't a god, no trait that universally separated the false gods from the true. If other gods thought you were a god, or if enough mortals worshiped you that the other gods had to bow to public pressure, that meant you were a god. 

Different beings honored with the title "god" handled it in different ways. Some, unsurprisingly, developed a god complex. Some picked up debilitating scrupulosity in an effort to be perfect enough to be worthy of their people's worship, and their people developed scrupulosity in an effort to live up to their god's perfect example, and so it went in a vicious cycle until somebody finally got therapy. Some printed their titles on the party invitation flyers they tossed out on busy streets. For the Axolotl's part, he thought it was a useful designation to help with networking, but mostly it was a pain that meant he was put up on a pedestal for doing his job.

The Axolotl was a god of justice. Not the god of justice, but one. He held dominion over an abstract concept; over millions and billions of years, his words and decisions slowly, inexorably altered the idea of "justice" on a multiversal scale. Mercy, retribution, punishment, rehabilitation, equity, equality, fairness, and righteousness were like multicolored clays he could twist, squish, sculpt, and blend in his wet little salamandrine grip, permanently altering what those ideas meant to the mortals they affected.

Which was to say: he was a lawyer.

He was also known as a god of rebirth. Which was to say: he specialized in afterlife law. Before going into law he'd only been a psychopomp, but after having to escort too many despairing souls to afterlives he felt were too severe for their sins, he'd decided he wanted a say in where he took his souls. For a while, he helped clients get their charges reduced so they were eligible for a higher-tier reincarnation, or got their purgatorial sentences reduced. Though for a long time he'd steered away from damnation cases. He didn't always win—and those ones were too depressing to lose.

And then he'd thought he should be doing more. It wasn't enough for him to help his clients get the best option available under the system to which they were subjected; he wanted to change the system. He'd started pursuing bigger cases.

Now, he had a reputation.

For the past few centuries, he'd been working on a damnation case. He was defending a supervillain who'd developed a weapon that could slice open the fabric of spacetime so severely it could rip clean into another dimension—a mortal who'd committed an interdimensional crime against reality. The villain had died in the jurisdiction of an afterlife that had legalized eternal damnation.

Case law had long established that, unless other arrangements had been made premortem, the dead were to be sent to—in order—the afterlife of their birth, their death, or their choice, provided that the afterlife in question accepted them; and that they would be judged and sentenced by that afterlife's laws.

But if this villain had been extradited to his home world, the heaviest sentence he could have faced was a thousand years purgatory with an option for early reincarnation for good behavior after a hundred years.

So the jurisdiction he'd died in had summoned up some bureaucratic red tape to dismiss his native afterlife's extradition request, and he'd been sentenced where he'd died. Crimes against reality were often handled differently from regular sins; and the gods of vengeance in the domain where he'd died would love to see the courts declare that the gods who'd brought down a criminal against reality could call dibs on punishing him, rather than hand him back to his motherland. They hoped they would get away with it just for lack of anyone protesting the move. After all, everyone involved would much prefer that a mortal wicked enough to damage spacetime and obliterate multiple populated planets receive eternal punishment.

Everyone involved except the Axolotl. 

Taking this case hadn't made him many friends. He didn't care; he had his principles. Let an interplanetary supervillain be dragged away to a foreign afterlife just so that he can be forced into damnation, and next it'll be a planetary dictator; let a dictator be dragged away, and next it'll be a murderer; and next it'll be a burglar; and next it'll be a jaywalker that a psychopomp has a personal grudge against. If the Axolotl could establish that even the most undeserving mortal imaginable still deserved the right to be sentenced in his home afterlife, then he could ensure that everyone less evil received the same right.

If he had anything to say about it, in two or three trillion years he'd see eternal punishment outlawed completely; but untilthen, he was not going to sit idly by and let this flagrant abuse of interdimensional law become the new meaning of justice! He would get that supervillain out of eternal damnation, personally escort him to his native afterlife, and see him reincarnated on his own home world; and mark his words, he would rain so much bureaucratic hell on the judges and psychopomps that had let this abuse of justice take place—he would wreak such vengeance upon the vengeance gods who had tried to claim his client—that no god would dare keep a soul from its rightful afterlife ever again, or he wasn't the Axolotl!

All of which was to say:

Yes, unfortunately. This triangle was like the omnicidal monsters he represented every day.

And so he was appointed hostage negotiator.

####

(Thanks for reading!! If the art lured you in and this is the first chapter you read, this is part 7 of a probably-9-part fic about the Axolotl in the immediate aftermath of the Euclidean Massacre. I'll be posting one chapter a week, Fridays 5pm CST, so stick around if you wanna watch the Axolotl almost fucking die.

It's ALSO chapter 61 Part Seven of an ongoing post-canon post-TBOB very-reluctantly-human Bill fic. So if you wanna read more of me writing Bill, check it out. If you're not sold on the idea of a human Bill fic, I've also got a one-shot about normal triangle Bill escaping the Theraprism if you wanna read that.

If this is NOT your first time here and you already knew all of the above: okay THIS is now probably the least cosmic-horrifying chapter of this arc. Which is a necessary interlude, because NEXT CHAPTER is the big climax woohoo!

Even if not much horrifying happens this chapter, I like the worldbuilding in it. The section on what being a god of justice means to the Axolotl was one of the first things I wrote for this arc.)

[chibinasuu]

My Jolly Sailor Bold | Straw Hats x Reader

★ requested by @supernatural-hunter1 (see here)

Summary: You found yourself humming an old song from your childhood as you mend the sails of the Thousand Sunny Tags: sfw, platonic straw hats x reader, GN but written with F!Reader in mind, no use of y/n

The Thousand Sunny floated on the open ocean, in near stillness due to the absence of the sails upon its masts.

You sat on the deck, humming a tune as old as time as you deftly thread a needle through the vast fabric draped all around you, sewing shut a large tear down its length.

A run-in with particularly violent weather had caused some damage to the ship, forcing the crew to momentarily stop in the middle of the now-calm waters for emergency repairs. Franky and Usopp were fixing the splintered railing, and Jinbe had just returned from his underwater inspection below the ship to check for leaks in the hull. Meanwhile, the others were clearing up the deck from debris brought over by the storm.

Your fingers danced upon the sail on autopilot – in and out, in and out. It had become your responsibility to mend the sails anytime damage occurred, even though you knew that Robin, with her powers, could do the job in seconds. But whenever the crew was not in a hurry, you found yourself volunteering for the task, finding it enjoyable and even calming.

Your hums slowly turned into song as you recalled the words to the tune, passed on long ago by your mother, and her mother before her, and her mother before her. 

“Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be. 

Who love a jolly sailor that ploughs the raging sea” 

The faint call of the seabirds flying high above complimented your voice, and the slow hammering of your hard-working shipwright provided a steady beat of accompaniment as you continued to softly sing, 

“While up aloft in storm, from me his absence mourn

And firmly pray, arrive the day, he's never more to roam”

Some of the crew members near you had started to notice your somber melodies, hands unwittingly pausing in their tasks as if enchanted by a siren’s voice.

“My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing–”

You abruptly stopped singing as you became aware of the sudden silence that washed over the deck. You looked up to see all of your crewmates watching you intently with fond smiles on their faces. Heat spread to your cheeks in embarrassment at their attention, and you covered your face with the sail you were stitching. 

“Oh, please don’t stop, darling!” Sanji cooed loudly, “Please let me hear your wonderful voice again!”

Brook came over to you and remarked, “What a beautifully haunting song. I’ve never heard it before in all my life – or death! Yo ho ho ho!”

The musician pulled out his violin, trying to replicate the melodies based only on what he heard you sing. You helped him by humming the notes, and with the repetitive nature of the song, it only took an instant for the maestro to pick it up. 

With Brook’s silent encouragement, you joined in the violin’s serenade, singing verse after verse of the song for the small audience.

“There is nothing can console me

But my Jolly Sailor Bold.”

The crew broke out in enthusiastic claps, wolf-whistles, and cheers as the song reached its end. You laughed sheepishly and took a playful bow, before shooing everyone back to their respective chores. 

The catchy song seemed to have wormed its way into your crewmates’ heads, and over the next few days, you caught some of them absentmindedly humming the tune, or singing it with jumbled words as they have yet to memorize the lyrics. 

Your heart warmed whenever you heard the melodies coming from your crewmates’ lips, breathing a new life to the previously half-forgotten song – a piece of your hometown carried over to your new home.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Don Moynihan at Can We Still Govern?

An exhausted Bradley Boone, the assistant Fire Chief at Pensacola, took to Facebook on Saturday. As his community was recovering from Hurricane Helene he asked viewers for help. Not with aid or supplies. They had plenty of that for now. But to dispel the rumors that were making it harder for him to do his job. These rumors include that 150 people were missing, that the community was overrun with violence, that there were not sufficient food and water, that roads which were in reality in need of repair were being shut to limit the flow of help, and that FEMA was unwelcome. He said he had spent a large chunk of his day talking to citizens face-to-face to dispel the rumors. Boone is an example of how emergency responders have become one more category of public service worker who have discovered that they now have a second job they did not sign up for. Alongside librarians, teachers, public health officials, election officials, and law enforcement, emergency responders must now also be misinformation experts. They have to spend their days separating facts from reality for constituents who are being lied to via right-wing conspiracy theorists. FEMA set up a website to battle misinformation. Some of it comes from the usual suspects, like foreign adversaries such as Russia, seeking to sow mistrust, or professional conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones. But many of the lies (that FEMA is only offering $750 to disaster victims, running out of money, that FEMA money has gone overseas) comes directly from the people who could be in charge of the national disaster response next year.

JD Vance, Trump, and Fox News are key conveyers of the $750 lie. ($750 is intended to cover up-front costs, but citizens can apply for tens of thousands of dollars more in relief for property damage).

Trump said that Biden refused to talk to the Governor of Georgia, part of a pattern of discriminating against red states. But earlier in the day, Governor Kemp described the conversation he had with Biden the day before, and praised Biden’s support: “He offered that if there’s other things we need, just to call him directly, which — I appreciate that. But we’ve had FEMA embedded with us since a day or two before the storm hit in our state operations center in Atlanta; we’ve got a great relationship with them.” Other Republican leaders have issued similar praise of the responsiveness of the administration.

Trump: “They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.” Yeah, this is also untrue. But fun fact: Trump raided the FEMA budget to redirect money towards his immigration policies, including building a wall.

The misinformation, and much worse, is coursing through social media because much of social media has given up on policing lies, and some social media (e.g., Truth Social, Elon Musk’s X) see a strategic advantage in lying about the disaster. This false post from Elon Musk was viewed 28 million times. No community notes.

[...] We could be angry here about the hypocrisy. Trump says Biden does not want to deliver disaster aid to Republicans. Biden not wanting to visibly help swing states like Georgia and North Carolina, right before an election, doesn’t make much sense. But it fits with Trump’s own attitudes about disaster response. Multiple Trump aides say he was reluctant to allow FEMA support go to blue states. “One of his first questions would be: Are they my people?” according to a former aide, Stephanie Grisham.

But setting aside the hypocrisy, we should care because conspiracy theories affect the competence and quality of service delivery. I used to do research on disaster response. One thing that was clear is how important it is to have a functional national crisis response agency, and how dependent the response is on human factors. FEMA itself is not a large organization: it organizes and relies on a broader network of responders, and on the trust of the public. Take that trust away, and their ability to help people collapses. Competence really matters for disaster response like few other government functions. You can't bluff your way through it. You can’t learn the job as you go along. Mistakes are costly. Musk’s Cybertruck is on its fifth recall in the space of a year, while the boss spends his day on social media. His status as a natural disaster schmuck emerged when he promised to rescue a group of kids in Thailand stranded in a cave with a tiny submarine. When a cave diver who advised the successful rescue mocked the impracticality of Musk’s plan, Musk labeled him a pedophile, and hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on him.

[...] There is a basic asymmetry here. Democrats would certainly attack missteps by a GOP President failing in disaster response. The failure of Hurricane Katrina marked a key point in the decline of President Bush’s popularity. Trump was criticized for his sluggish response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and for pushing his appointees to violate scientific and ethical guidelines when releasing public information about the path of hurricanes to align with his Sharpie additions to a map. But that criticism was grounded in reality. Instead, the GOP simply turns to conspiracy theories rather than engaging in troublesome facts. More climate-driven disasters are coming. This is the future. Trump won’t acknowledge or prepare for this reality. Indeed, Project 2025 has proposed that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should be “broken up and downsized” because it is “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.”

Another top notch post from Don Moynihan, this time addressing the hydra of lies and conspiracy theories about FEMA and the response to Hurricane Helene (and Milton).