#local furnace repair

[furnacerepair7]

heating furnace repair near me

Reliable Furnace Repair Near Me: Ensuring a Warm and Cozy Winter As the winter season approaches, ensuring that your heating system is in optimal condition becomes a top priority. Finding reliable furnace repair services near you is essential to keep your home warm and comfortable. Expert technicians provide thorough inspections and timely repairs to ensure your furnace functions flawlessly,…

[usairhvacservicellc]

Air quality testing in West Lake Hills-Hybrid HVAC systems in Bee Cave

https://usairtx.com/portfolio Air quality testing in West Lake Hills-Hybrid HVAC systems in Bee Cave With a focus on providing a high standard of living in this affluent suburb of Austin, air quality testing services are essential. These services aim to identify and address potential pollutants and allergens in the air, contributing to healthier indoor environments. feel free to contact

[avsheatingggg]

Furnace Installation Companies in Fort Washington

[protohomeservice]

Helpful Plumbing and heating service That Help You Daily Life

Heating system repair

A broken heating system can cause a lot of frustration for homeowners. The last thing you want to do is wait for a plumber to come out and fix your heating system, so be sure to call us immediately when you notice that the temperature in your home is set significantly lower than it should be. We will come right over and take care of the problem in no time!

Heating services 24 hours

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A reliable heating and plumbing service should be able to provide you with the best services at a very competitive price. However, many people are not even aware of the fact that their home is equipped with an efficient heating system. They do not know how to use it properly, what parts need replacement or how it can be repaired. If you have any questions regarding your home’s heating system, it is important to find out what services are available in Quincy and how they can help you get more value out of your investment.

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Whether you need a plumber for your home or business, Quincy is the place to call. Our team of experts will provide you with everything you need for a successful plumbing and heating service.

We offer a wide range of services that can help you repair your plumbing system, install new equipment, install water heaters, and more. We are dedicated to providing the best possible service at affordable rates.

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Home heating and plumbing systems are essential to keep your home comfortable in the winter. When they fail, you will have to deal with the cold air coming out of your vents and no hot water coming out of your faucets.

Heating system repair is a service we offer to all our customers who have heating problems at their house. We are able to diagnose the problem and fix it quickly so that you can get back to enjoying your home again.

Our technicians will be able to tell you more about what needs to be done and how long it will take for repairs to be completed. It is important that you contact us if your furnace or heater has broken down or if you notice any unusual noises coming from them.

We offer 24-hour emergency heating services so that we can respond quickly when needed. Our plumber will come over right away so that we can make sure that everything gets fixed properly as soon as possible. It is very important that you contact us in case something goes wrong with your heating system in order for us to fix it quickly before it becomes a bigger problem.

If there's an issue with your plumbing system, we can help you out too since we know how important it is for these parts of our homes to work properly without any issues at

The best heating service near you is here.

Our team of heating and plumbing professionals are trained to ensure that your home stays warm and cozy during the coldest months of the year. We can also repair your gas or electric water heater quickly, efficiently and effectively to avoid any future problems.

Our emergency heating services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you need us in the middle of the night or on weekends, we’re ready for you!

We specialize in high efficiency heating systems that use less fuel than conventional models and offer greater comfort at lower costs. Our technicians are experts at installing these systems and maintaining them properly so they work efficiently for years to come.

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

dancing-thru-clouds was recently hit with a surprise tax bill (she didn't realize her town had local income tax, and didn't receive the previous year's notice); she's adjusted her withholding to account for this, but still owes the balance from the past two years and is fundraising to cover the balance. You can give via paypal here.

stemmonade is a disabled Black trans person who relies on crowdfunding for survival since they can't work and their wife is currently unemployed; they are raising a little over $700 to cover rent and essentials in the meantime. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

themerrymutants is a disabled queer man currently living on social security aid; he has recently had to travel to the emergency room several times for possible complications from a recent surgery, and is now short on rent because of the cost of transit. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for prototrans, a disabled artist who needs help with rent money; he is also offering commissions. You can read more, reblog, and find giving and commission information here.

Recurring Needs:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for a friend whose family has not had a working furnace since November; they've been using space heaters to keep warm but January in Chicago has been brutal and the space heaters aren't sufficient. With vulnerable family members including elderly relatives and children in the home, they need to raise $6K to get the furnace replaced. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

thelastpyler is raising funds for food and to purchase medication for their family; you can read more and find giving information here.

Eli is a disabled Michigander who cares for their elderly grandmother; they are applying for SSDI, but their car was damaged recently and is undrivable, with estimated $8K-$12K in repairs to make it drivable. They need transportation for doctor's visits and legal consultations for their SSDI appeal, and have no way to get around without the car. You can read more and reblog here or give at the gofundme here.

loversdoom is a college student from the Philippines, studying away from her family, and her parents are unexpectedly unable to support her education; she is in mounting debt and facing eviction from her dorm in her last semester of college. She's raising funds to repair her laptop so she can do her schoolwork and find a remote job that will help her pay rent, and to fund the remainder of her schooling. You can read more and reblog here and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

chingaderita's partner recently lost their job due to a house fire that also destroyed the house; they're raising funds to keep food on the table, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until they can find new work. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[bestfictionalplant]

Prelim Poll: Bionicle

Edit: Thornax typo (imagine this is in the flame text)

Propaganda under cut (including an ESSAY on Karzahni)

Thornax: when ripe, it becomes explosive. these are used as ranged weapons in gladiator fights on a giant desert planet. the planet got apocalypsed because of fracking, but that's not the point

Morbuzakh: the little meat robot mayor gets replaced by a power-hungry ex-protector whose job is to make fucked-up animals and shit. he's called makuta. he makes this semi-sentient plant, promises it that it can rule the city once it's done what he wants it to, and plants it in a fucking furnace. its job is to round up all the little meat robot civilians so they can be put into amnesia-inducing orbs. incidentally, its efforts result in some of them dying. six little meat-robot civilians get picked out by the local superhero and turned into big meat-robot superheroes. they go on a quest to find a bunch of magic frisbees in order to defeat the giant evil plant. the frisbees destroy the king root, and it dies

this plant is notable because, though it was mostly cut from the animated movie adaptation of that arc, it appeared in one brief scene that led to many bionicle fans developing a bondage kink

Karzahni: Makuta (see Morbuzakh propaganda) made karzahni. who was too smart and cool and powerful. so he did not get deployed. he is named after the legendary Lego Hell and Lego Satan where Bad And Naughty Disabled Robots Go For "Repairs" And Never Return. it's expensive to copyright names. they had to double up on occasion. or triple up. or quadruple up. anyway so Makuta who is also ANOTHER Lego Satan but that's besides the point, creates this plant. but the plant is too smart. so he puts it somewhere and forgets about it and makes the morbuzakh

NEW PARAGRAPH anyway so basically most creatures in this universe are immortal bar murder and fucked-up circumstances. no old age, basically. but this plant has one, because Bionicle Satan (Not Karzahni) makes his shit with limited lifespans so they can't wait for ten thousand years gathering their power and then kill-murder him to death. six big robot meat superheroes fight a fucking big monster in a tunnel. the cool smart one who used to be a teacher gets poisoned. but because karzahni (plant) is so fucking cool it can make an antidote. and it holds the antidote hostage in exchange for Cool Oil, which is oil from the apocalypse planet where the robot meat guys' creators are from, but they fracked too hard and split the planet into three pieces so that's a bit fucked-up and yet besides the point. anyway they get the magic juice and give it to karzahni (plant). previously in the story (but later in the timeline; this is a TWO-YEAR FLASHBACK EPISODE BABY) some other robot meat superheroes took a dunk in this cool fucking water and got mega-boosted powers. super-superheroes. but that's because god exists and has predetermined what can happen in each individual's life. those guys got Good Results From Applied Goo. karzahni (plant) does not. it just fucking. dies. it is then chopped up to make some lorries float so they can take the amnesiac sphere guys up to a cool new island they found, because their old island got FUCKING WRECKED

NEW PARAGRAPH anyway a cutting of karzahni survived (known as karzahni ii) with all the memories and shit of the real one and just sort of goes. FINE. i will join you, Lego Satan (not karzahni but the evil mayor impersonator) in gaslighting this mentally ill man into thinking he's short and his life is a lie in order to get the time travel device he made out of some magic fucking frisbees. karzahni took on the role of the morbuzakh. then the guy's like "this is bullshit" and gets thrown off a cliff but Karzahni II catches him and goes "hey. everything's alright. i tortured and killed a guy and he said you're doing good and everything is gonna be okay" and then the evil mayor impersonator (who by this point has not been impersonating the mayor for like. at least a week?) kills it. again. for real this time

[legend-as-old-as-time]

Worldbuilding some more occupations for Metru Nui:

Ko-Metru:

- maintenance crews to upkeep and clean the telescopes

- rahi wranglers in the Knowledge Towers for rahi like the ice bats (vahki cause too much chaos and damage)

- roadworkers who clean Ko-Metru's streets and road from ice and snow building up

- shops that sell and repair equipment for traversing Ko-Metru like skis and sleds, both for job and recreational use

Ga-Metru:

- cleaning staff of schools and universities

- chemists, supporting and working with lab workers

- assistant laboratory workers

- hazard cleaning staff in the laboratories

- maintenance, cleaning, and repair crews who maintain the integrity of the pump systems which haul and distribute the various states of liquid protodermis through Metru Nui

Ta-Metru:

- chip runners (made-up name) gather imperfect or damaged tools and masks from the forges - these goods are often chipped, even if only minorly -, and haul them to the Great Furnace for melting down

- ventilation workers monitor the air flow in the foundries for optimal heat of the fires, removing smoke and fumes safely, and controlling the temperature inside the buildings; this includes maintaining and repairing the ventilaton system

The Great Furnace has its own ventilation system but it's comparitively minor to its size

- slag removers filter out any impurities that might have entered the recycled protodermis after the previous goods were melted down

City-wide jobs:

- pump station attendants locally monitor and regulate the flow of liquid protodermis

- smaller crews maintain the liquid protodermis pipes

- supply runners for various goods

- energy producers produce the energy that matoran recharge with once a year in Metru Nui

- The Foundries' ventilation system only controls the tempeature inside the buildings. The surplus heat still has to removed, so its distributed through the other Metru for use; the rest is neutralized in Ko-Metru. But even so, the foundries and the Great Furnace radiate heat into their surroundings, slowly warming up the entire city.

It's pivotal that the cold from Ko-Metru doesn't slip into Onu-Metru or Le-Metru at the borders.

Meteorologists check that variables like temperature, humidity, etc. in the different Metru don't fall below or rise beyond a specific level and adjust specific machines in communication with each other.

[kickthecan-revolution]

Last week was a lot. I told my team that I was leaving for another experience. They are sad and processing but also very happy for me. We cried a little at the end of the meeting. The initial support structure I had in place was OK but a few parts were confusing/concerning so I adjusted those and I think they feel better. My boss isn't sure where they will officially report into yet but I just made the call and confirmed who their direct manager will be. I've let all of my partners across the company know which has been weird, but OK.

The work in the new role is SO intense, I'm learning everything as fast as I can but also have to apply new learns to what I really don't understand yet to a plan that has to be localized into multiple languages by next week. It's nuts but there's no option not to do it, so I'm working a lot this weekend. I was experiencing such a confidence crisis but a few meetings on Friday validated I am moving in the right direction. For the first time in so long, I had anxiety dreams about work which in a weird way is a good sign - I was just kind of....dead, going through the motions, not super busy, not really caring about anything. My brain is waking up. It's where I am at my best. There will be a time for another way of moving through the world but right now for this next year/last experience, I want to be driving something hard and seeing the impact. I want to push myself to take risks and not be an invisible middle manager. Shirley said that I am like a little joey (baby kangaroo) - I am mostly comfortable living my emotions through animals and I have a tendency of hiding like a little joey. I already see this job will make me deal with conflict, stand in the strength of my opinion instead of being accommodating and malleable, afraid of making someone upset. There's such personal growth here for me.

The Alki remodel continues to provide a number of surprises. After we found so many concerns in the electric wiring in the lower unit, I asked the contractor to have the electrician check the upper unit as well. He couldn't even do much given the electrical panel is over 30 years old, so I had it replaced. We also repaired some cracks in the roof and an HVAC person is coming out to assess what I should do to upgrade the 30 year furnace. It's a lot but I am comforted to know these upgrades will make everything so much stronger and safer, I'm much more confident in renting it now. Another fun thing, the contractor found an outdoor shower on the side of the house so we're going to replace it with this and create a little area with a sauna, so someone can do a cold plunge in the ocean, and then wash off in the shower and take a sauna. It's actually not expensive and the contractor can build it for us. I'm excited!

Health-wise, I signed up for a service that will make it easier for me to get the updates to my health that I need. I got 16 vials of blood taken on Friday for a number of tests - a full panel including a lot of early detection stuff.

This is going to be such a good year. It already is. I trust it. I trust that good things are here, that I deserve them and I am going to meet every moment with new strength, new capability and create more silence so those that are guiding me can be heard even more clearly.

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which neither Trevelyan nor Cullen wish to be in.

Canon divergent fic in which Josephine solves the matter of post-Wicked Hearts attention by inviting invites four noblewomen to compete for Cullen's affections. In this epilogue, Lady Erridge plans a wedding.

(Masterpost. Beginning. Previous entry. Giles' Epilogue. The Baroness' Epilogue. End. Words: 2,223. Rating: all audiences.)

Epilogue: Lady Erridge

“Tam…”

Lady Erridge roused from her slumber, at the sound of her dear Orroat’s voice. A yawn filled her body with life, and the world around her became known once more. The familiar rumble of the carriage beneath them told her that she was still on the road.

“Sorry for waking you,” Orroat whispered, “but I thought you’d like to see Coldon.”

Lady Erridge perked immediately. “Coldon!?”

She jolted up, and stuck her head through the window. True enough, as her lady-love had said, the fields of Coldon unfolded before her.

Each was a different shade of green or yellow. Bushy trees bisected them, marked land where drystone lapsed. Farm buildings punctuated the countryside. Livestock dotted the grass. The familiarity of these sights settled into the chamber of her heart where they belonged.

“Oh, thank you for waking me,” she told Orroat. “I could not have missed this!”

Orroat leant over her shoulder, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Nor would I have kept it to myself.”

Fields gave way, to a sight even more marvellous. At least, it was to Erridge.

Billowing clouds of smoke, rising from forest-shrouded furnaces—the glassmakers of West Coldon. Lady Erridge knew every detail of the production of stained glass. She had recounted it in full to multiple Ladies during her stay at Skyhold. Even if one did not learn from her the methods of glassmaking, they certainly learnt how proud she was of it.

“We must have them make the goblets for our wedding,” she mused, to Lady Orroat. “It should be so lovely if every guest were to have a special glass goblet they could take away and keep as a memento of our marriage.”

Orroat smiled. “Of course—though I do perhaps recall a certain someone saying they wished the goblets to be made of wood, and hand-carved by a local carpenter?”

Erridge cursed herself. “Oh, Maker, I did! Thank Andraste you remember. Perhaps we could have half glass, half wooden?”

“And the glass could come from the West, with the wood sourced from the East.”

“Oh, such a wonderful idea!” Erridge applauded. “What a perfect day it shall be!”

“Week”—Orroat kissed her hand—“you said week.”

Having spent a month in the presence of a man who did not quite care enough to listen, Lady Erridge was rather grateful to have Lady Orroat again. She listened to each and every word Lady Erridge said, and remembered them all with pinpoint accuracy—a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that Lady Erridge liked to speak. A lot.

Yet familiar earthen roads and pretty thatched-roof homes now held her in silence. The settlement of West Coldon possessed such an idyllic rurality—one that Orelsian types would sneer at, but which Erridge found to be superbly quaint and dream-like.

All it was missing was a castle. But the Orroats had retained the original keep of Coldon upon the division of the land, and so the Erridge usurpers had constructed their own manor.

Sat upon as much of a hill as West Coldon could provide, the Erridge abode was a homely affair, born of brick, timber, and clay. But the gardens were the best this side of Redcliffe, and the windows provided an incomparable view of the glasshouses, peeking out from amongst the distant woodland.

Their carriage rolled into its courtyard, kicking up dirt and causing stabled horses to whinny. No one hushed them, for the stable-workers were up on the roof, in the midst of repairs. Several hoisted a beam, buoyed mostly by the efforts of a man of portly physique. Yet as soon as he sighted the carriage of Lady Erridge and Lady Orroat, he dropped the beam and ran.

“Oh, my daughter! My dear Tam!” shouted Bann Erridge, huffing after them. His brown, bristly moustache puffed up with every gasp; the rosacea on his cheeks grew redder with every step.

“Dear, no!” cried a woman’s voice. “You mustn’t run!”

Out on a stoop, a Lady of familiar, Erridge-like quality in her plumpness and pinkness sat weaving wicker. But with the Bann’s charge, her canes were abandoned, and a chase begun.

“What of the physician!?” she called.

“That’s my daughter!” yelled the Bann. “Hang the physician!”

Guards nearby began to move—the elder Lady Erridge stared them down. She caught her husband by his arm, as Erridge began to plead from the carriage window:

“Father, do not panic! Do as mother says!”

But he would not be dissuaded. Quite afeared, Lady Orroat cried out, “Stop the carriage!” and brought them to a sudden halt.

Erridge burst from the door before her father’s efforts to keel over proved successful, and ran to his embrace.

“Oh, my sweet little Tam!” he sobbed, scooping her up and twirling her through the air. “I feared we should never see you again!”

“Darling, you’ll get tear-stains on her clothes!” said her mother, plucking a handkerchief from her dress-pocket. The Bann accepted it, and hurriedly went about patting his face.

The elder Lady Erridge took the opportunity to offer a hug of her own—and one to Orroat, too. She hugged her as warmly as one should the fiance of one’s daughter; especially a fiance one had believed to be a fiance for many years prior. “Welcome home,” she told them both. “We missed you terribly.”

“I missed you too,” said Erridge, tearing up. “And Coldon. And hugs!”

Her mother pulled yet another handkerchief from her pocket. Erridge dried her eyes.

“And to think I almost couldn’t get you to leave,” teased Lady Orroat, petting Erridge’s back.

“If only there were two of me!” she whined. “I could be there and here at once.”

Lady Orroat gave no reply except a barely-concealed smirk. Erridge smacked her arm.

“Do not talk of leaving again,” sobbed her father, mercifully oblivious. “I do not know how I shall spare you.”

“But, father,” Erridge asked, “how shall you cope when I am a married woman?”

“A married woman!” her father wailed, burying his face into the handkerchief again. Erridge made a mental reminder to have plenty of spare handkerchiefs sewn for the wedding day. Perhaps some buckets, too. Her father could cry enough to fill a river!

“Let us pray your family are of stronger constitution,” she commented to Lady Orroat, “or else all Coldon shall be flooded!”

Her mother somehow heard this, over the sound of her father’s weeping. “Oh—speaking of Orroats: the Bann and her Lord are on their way. Your brothers, too, Hulnes. Your father’s invited them all to stay. Isn’t that right, dear?”

Through sniffles, he nodded. “We’re to have a banquet, so we can all discuss the, the... w-wedding arrangements...”

“Perfect!” said Erridge. “Hul and I whiled away the journey home thinking of ideas, and—”

“Oh, don’t you worry about any of that!” Her mother patted her hand. “We’ll take care of everything. You won’t have to lift a finger!”

Erridge exchanged a worried glanced with Lady Orroat. “But—”

“Come along, now!” her father said, ushering them towards the manor. “We have planned the perfect day!”

Week. It was supposed to be a week.

***

It was not until at least midnight that Lady Orroat and Lady Erridge were able to retire to their room. The Orroats had arrived in the evening, and discussion of the wedding had been accelerated into the extreme.

There were, fortunately, no arguments to be had over these arrangements. No, indeed, their parents all quite agreed: it was to be the most elaborate, extravagant gala they were capable of putting on. It would outshine even the luxury of Orlais.

There was talk of multiple ceremonies, so that one could be had in the West, and one in the East. But that meant there could not be merely one band, but two—or three. Lady Erridge and Lady Orroat would arrive in a carriage pulled by six—no, eight white horses—and leave in another carriage, pulled by a further four.

It had all—mercifully—ended, when Lady Erridge complained of headache, and Lady Orroat offered to take her to her room. That itself ought to have given away the ruse, for there could be no place worse for a headache than Lady Erridge’s room.

It was, in essence, an explosion of pink and ruffles. The bed was piled high with teddy bears, each one wearing its own bow. Her trunk was nearly full-to-bursting, because nothing could contain that much chiffon and still function. A bookshelf nearby creaked under the weight of what could have possibly been every romance ever printed.

But it was the chaise that they collapsed onto, advantageously placed in front of a warm and soothing fire.

“Maker,” Erridge breathed. “I thought my notions were fanciful, but—Maker…”

Lady Orroat slumped against her. “They’ll calm down. They’re all excitement now, but with time, perhaps…”

“By all appearances, they’ve waited years to plan our wedding.” Erridge sighed. “I hardly think their enthusiasm shall wane.”

“One can only hope.”

The fire crackled on. Lady Erridge groaned. Unable to remain still, she took to the floor, and began to pace. This was no new habit for her: there was a well-trod track on the hearth-rug from spurts of such pacing.

“I wish it were like in the books,” she complained. “The heroines always seem to have such sweet, simple ceremonies. Oh, why can’t it be like that for us?”

“The heroines in those books are often orphans,” Lady Orroat quipped, “that’s why.”

“Let us consider that a last resort.”

Laughing, Orroat stood. “I say we don’t consider it a resort at all.” She caught her pacing bride-to-be, and swaddled her within her arms. “Your frustrations are getting to you. That would suggest it’s time for bed.”

Even with the rest she’d had on the journey, Lady Erridge could not dispute that she was rather tired. And she desperately missed her bed.

“Very well,” she conceded, off to begin deconstructing her teddy-pile.

Orroat watched her with a smile. “I’ll see you in the ‘morrow,” she said.

“Why?” Erridge paused, a stuffed dragon in one hand, and a stuffed lion in the other. “Where are you going?”

“To my room?”

What? That guest chamber was Orroat’s in name only. “But we’ve forever slept in the same room?”

The proof was all around them. There were scratches on the dresser, where they’d carved their names with needles; wax-stain on the floorboards, from a clumsy incident with a candle; pressed flowers stuck to Erridge’s sewing box in giddy, girlish fugue, slowly peeling with age. There was little point in pretending otherwise now.

“That was when we were friends,” Orroat clarified. “Tonight, we are friends and lovers. There’ll be rumours.”

Erridge scoffed. “As if there have never been any rumours about you and I. Half of them started by your own brothers, mind! At least this time they would be accurate.”

Lady Orroat put on her best hero-in-a-romance voice: “Good Lady, you surely cannot be suggesting what I think you are suggesting?”

“I suggest nothing that is not appropriate. For it has always been appropriate, and shall be no less appropriate tonight—unless you decide to be inappropriate with it.”

Orroat drifted over, and placed her hands upon Erridge’s waist. “My Lady, I would never dare such a thing,” she said, ending it with a kiss.

She released Lady Erridge, and set about undressing herself; Lady Erridge did the same. There were no surprises to be had in this process. Lady Erridge quite knew that Lady Orroat slept in breeches and her undershirt—and sometimes not the undershirt. Lady Erridge had always liked it. She hadn’t quite known why until recently.

They found their way beneath the bedsheets, discovering under the pillows an uncomfortable plush unicorn, which had somehow been missed by Erridge’s earlier dissassembly. At Erridge’s behest it was laid gently aside, and they were at last able to rest.

“Are you comfortable?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Orroat.

The only light was that of the distant fire; the only sound that of shifting fabric. It really was no different to how they’d talked as teenagers. There was merely a margin’s more hand-holding now.

“All this has me thinking,” Erridge whispered. “I’m not even certain I want a wedding.”

Orroat’s face fell. “What?”

“I should still very much like to be married to you—but I can’t stand all this hullabaloo.”

When it was all a distant prospect, a far-flung possibility, Lady Erridge had cared quite significantly about the particulars of her wedding. Where it would be, who was invited, how the food would taste. But that was because she did not know who would be at the altar. And now she did, all that other stuff paled in importance.

“Unfortunately, we cannot have the one without the other,” Orroat lamented. “A marriage requires a wedding.”

Erridge’s mind ticked over that phrase. “You could have a wedding without a marriage.”

“I suppose,” chuckled Orroat, “but I’m afraid that’s the part we want to keep.”

“And I did promise my friends.”

Orroat nodded, eyes closing. “We cannot forsake the opportunity to see them all.”

“Never.”

And if having a wedding was the only way to see them all again, then a wedding she would have.

“So you’ll marry me?” whispered Orroat.

Erridge giggled. “Yes.”

[handeaux]

Cincinnati’s Clean-Up Campaigns Remind Us That Our Ancestors Lived Like Pigs

If you had family in Cincinnati a century ago, I have bad news for you: They wallowed in garbage. It wasn’t entirely Grandma’s and Grandpa’s fault. The City of Cincinnati took a long time to figure out trash collection. Back around 1910, for example, the city sanitation wagons picked up only two kinds of refuse – ashes and garbage. Ashes were the remnants of the fuel burned in stoves and furnaces. Garbage had a very specific definition, as set forth in the 1909 Building Code:

“The word ‘garbage’ shall be held to include all refuse of animal, fish or vegetable matter which has been used for food for man, and all refuse animal, fish or vegetable matter which was intended to be so used.”

The average household also accumulated stacks of paper and piles of rags – no paper towels back then! – and the Rag Man hauled this stuff away for sale to the local paper mills.

That left several miscellaneous categories of rubbish or trash that no one had any interest in: broken bottles and crockery, old wooden barrels, scrap lumber, anything metallic like tin cans or buttons, bricks and stones, tree branches, and so on. All of this junk just piled up in the backyard or basement or both.

In the early 1900s, a few progressive organizations tried to organize city-wide clean-up campaigns to eliminate all the junk from residential backyards. In addition to aesthetic concerns, there was a strong financial incentive for hauling away this trash. Cincinnati’s fire-insurance underwriters applauded [Cincinnati Enquirer 5 January 1906] a report demonstrating that a 1905 clean-up effort had resulted in 200 fewer fires than were recorded in the previous year. Insurers actually lowered rates for the downtown businesses after clean-up campaigns and Captain Jack Conway of the Cincinnati Salvage Corps requested regular campaigns to remove trash:

“He advocates the ‘clean up’ campaign be continued with unabated vigor until all rubbish is removed from cellars, old waste from under benches, &c., which are the most prolific source of fires.”

The Cincinnati Woman’s Club led the charge in 1907 and talked Mayor Edward J. Dempsey into supporting a thorough spring cleaning for the downtown area. The mayor asked residents to haul all that backyard and basement debris out to the curb on one fine day in June. Problem was, all of the city’s street-cleaning wagons were already committed to hauling ashes and garbage that day. It was only when Mayor Dempsey talked the very reluctant Street Repair Department into donating their 40 wagons that the campaign was made possible. Even a fleet that large was not enough to handle the accumulated detritus. According to the Cincinnati Post [10 June 1907]:

“As the Cincinnati Street-cleaning Department has not enough teams and men to clean up all that district in one day, the Woman’s Club, for which the city is making the experiment, has appealed to all firms and corporations and all individuals having wagons and teams to assist in the work Wednesday, June 12. That is the day upon which all the hauling will be done.”

Annual “house cleaning days” gathered enough support to continue for several years, but the Woman’s Club had other initiatives to support and leadership for the campaign transferred to the Chamber of Commerce, which super-sized the operation. For the 1914 campaign, the Chamber set aside several weeks in the spring for the clean-up, followed by a city-wide inspection. The Chamber paid for 100,000 lapel buttons promoting the effort and printed 250,000 circulars informing residents how to participate.

The Chamber even coughed up a $25 prize for the best “Clean Up and Paint Up” song. The winning lyrics were composed by Dr. Stephen E. Slocum, professor of applied mathematics at the University of Cincinnati, whose words were set to music by Walter H. Aiken, director of music for the Cincinnati Public Schools. The local schools stepped up to promote the clean-up campaign, not only by distributing brochures and flyers, but by planting gardens in most of the city’s schoolyards.

In addition to aesthetics and fire safety, the 1914 campaign encouraged sanitary measures to stop the spread of flies. At a time when the majority of vehicles on Cincinnati’s roads were horse-drawn, manure piled up all through the city, supporting an infestation of flies unimaginable today.

After weeks of encouraging residents to tidy up their properties, the Chamber coordinated a city-wide inspection to document compliance and results. According to the annual report, some citizens were none to happy about having their domestic habits evaluated:

“There were some people with a misconception of the meaning of personal liberty who refused to allow inspection of their premises and some preferred not to aid in a general ‘clean up’ for fear it would be only spasmodic and not result in permanent good.”

Despite scattered opposition, the Chamber bragged that the 1914 campaign resulted in a $600,000 reduction in fire loss, from $1.3 million in 1913 to less than $800,000 in 1914. Nearly 8,000 wagonloads of trash were hauled out of residential areas. That success led to an even more ambitious campaign plan for 1915. In fact, the Chamber may have become a victim of its own success. A report suggests that few of the campaign’s ambitious goals were achieved in 1915, although the results were still impressive.

At the conclusion of the 1915 clean-up period, the Chamber coordinated city-wide inspections. More than 42,000 premises received a visit, with 30,000 earning a clean certification. The remaining 12,000 properties appalled the inspectors, who identified nearly 35,000 defects ranging from unsecured garbage and ash cans to obstructed fire escapes to overflowing privy vaults and unsanitary toilets to open manure piles.

More than 300 buildings were found in such deplorable condition that they were ordered razed. The city located nearly 1,300 illegally maintained backyard outhouses and ordered them replaced with flush toilets that could still be located in the backyard if preferred!

Thanks to the generosity of the Mabley & Carew Company, clean-up participants planted more than 84,000 trees on Cincinnati’s barren hillsides.

While congratulating itself on a job well done, the Chamber dinged the city administration for outdated and ineffective procedures for removing garbage and other refuse:

“The city has made no step forward for the disposal of its waste, except garbage, since its first log cabin was built in January 1789. As the population has increased, the dumps have grown in size and become nearer to built up residence sections. This has resulted in strenuous complaints from time to time, and the elimination of those dumps against which pressure has become too strong to be resisted by city officials.”

Alas, with the city administration still under the thumb of the Boss Cox machine, city officials could resist any level of public pressure without even breaking a sweat.

[furnacerepair7]

Heating Repair Near Me

Heating Repair Near Me: Finding the Best Services for Your Home When the temperatures drop and the chill of winter sets in, having a reliable heating system is essential for maintaining a warm and comfortable home. Finding the best heating repair services near you ensures that any issues with your heating system are addressed promptly and efficiently, preventing discomfort and potential damage…

[thejackmeister-mongolhistory]

QARAQORUM STREET VIEW, 1250s

Qaraqorum (Karakorum, Khara Khorum) is famous as the capital of the Mongol Empire and housing the court of the Great Khans, but the textual sources and archaeological study also demonstrate its important as a regional production centre.

The dense settlement layer, particular along the central street and main intersection within the city, shows extensive evidence for wide ranging crafts production, such as glass working, gem and precious stone working, bone carving, processing of birch bark, with furnaces for metal working and kilns for ceramics located in the immediate vicinity of the city. Gold bracelets and the moulds for them and other items have been found in the workshops; remains of iron fragments (bars, wheels caps, even a plough) testify to other activities produced in the city, and for local agriculture. In the written record, we see Khans from Ögedei to Töghön-Temür sending craftsmen and labourers from China to Qaraqorum to expand agriculture, construct palaces and temples, repair existing structures or otherwise support the local economy. This is reflected archaeologically, as the city shows possibly six phases of building and rebuilding from the 13th century until late in the 14th.

In this image you can see a smith's shop, with various Chinese, nomads and even an Alan taking part in activities here. In the background you can see the city's large Buddhist temple complex, the “Pavilion of the Rising Yuan." Begun under Ögedei (but not completed until Möngke's reign, and extensively rebuilt under Töghön-Temür), this huge structure was as high as 90 metres, according to an inscription found on site! Though estimates based on its foundation suggest a slightly more modest structure up to 38 metres high.

You can learn more about Qaraqorum's role in Mongolia's production networks in my latest video on nomadic blacksmithing:

[usairhvacservicellc]

HVAC maintenance in Kyle-Indoor air quality services in Manor

https://usairtx.com/contact

HVAC maintenance in Kyle-Indoor air quality services in Manor commercial HVAC services and thermostat installation services reflects the commitment to creating comfortable and energy-efficient environments in the greater Austin area. Businesses and residents alike benefit from these specialized services, ensuring that indoor climates are tailored to meet the unique demands of the region's diverse and dynamic commercial and residential spaces.

[thewizardtower]

Unsolicited…

You've got a really overwhelming situation. It’s a bit ancillary to my irl job (env health and industrial hygiene), so I wanted to toss some thoughts to the void to maybe make it less heavy? (Def feel free to disregard and delete)

Since the AC is too large for the house, the house will stay too humid because the AC doesn’t have time to “dry” out the air – it’ll kick on and off too quickly instead of running for awhile. I’m guessing this is also contributing to the fire hazard (power cycling of the unit). You may be able to find a company that will trade the unit for a more appropriate one, which could help recoup some of the costs for a new system, or maybe local rebates with the power utility provider if the new unit has a heat pump, or just for being smaller and consuming less energy overall (spitballing ideas)

If you have a dehumidifier (bit spendy), you can put this in affected areas to help the problem from getting worse. For an attic, you can try placing it near a central air intake or exhaust inside of the house, like near vents or the furnace, to try and catch the airflow (if you put the central air furnace to ‘recirculate’). Changing your furnace filters monthly if you don't already should also help with air quality.

Mildew will stain, like the plywood and drywall in the attic, but if it’s dry, it shouldn’t grow. You can also spray surfaces in a diluted bleach solution to help manage it. Just a small bottle of plain bleach (none of those silly laundry kinds) and a spray bottle. An N95 respirator and long sleeve shirt/pants would be a good idea if you go into the attic, but mostly for fiberglass (if you don’t have blown insulation) and potential critter dust (mouse droppings, esp if you’re in a rural area, which I assume if you have a well)

A “hot attic” will be that (hot), but it shouldn’t be “humid”. If it is, it might be worthwhile to visually check your roof or attic and make sure the PO didn’t leave you with a crappy roof and soffit venting set-up, or that the vents weren’t block by wasps, critters, etc.

Sending the best vibes I can, from one broke Millennial to another

Gotta stick together to survive in this shitty capitalist hellscape

Bless you honestly. 🙏🥺 Thank you for this advice! I'm definitely going to use the bleach solution on the mold.. it's everywhere and all into my insulation.

Exactly everything you said is what the repair guy just told me lol that's exactly why there's mold. The previous owners installed a gigantic unit for whatever unknown reason. Unfortunately the AC unit is roughly 20 years old, so I can't trade it in for anything because all the parts and coolant supplies it uses are no longer on the market/viable. We were able to measure what kind of AC unit we'd need and the smaller unit brought the cost down from $13k to...$11.6k. So, not much, but still a little. (I've been considering asking for ko-fi donations since I'm honestly and truly desperate, but I first need to wrestle the part of my brain that doesn't allow me to ask for help first lol).

Thank you, anon, for your advice on this. It truly means a lot to me that you took the time to reach out! People like you make being a poor millennial a little bit easier. Seriously, bless you.

[twilightinanotherlife]

Invitations Make For Selfish Behavior

[First Day Phenomenon] [Risk & Visions]

Fandom: The Twilight Saga x Life and Death

Pairing: Bella Swan/Edythe Cullen

Rating: Teen

Warning: Blood and blood consumption, grief, and implied homophobia.

Word count: 3,825

Summary: Against her better judgement, Bella accepts Edythe’s offer to be her ride while her car is in the shop. Bella faces bigotry from her classmates, but finds an ally in Jessica Stanley.

January 25, 2005 (Bella’s POV)

I could feel Edythe’s eyes on me as I entered my house. The sound of the door closing was quickly followed by the sound of Edythe’s Volvo pulling out of my unpaved driveway. I forced myself to not peak out the door’s window, less she sees me blushing. I stayed by the door and listened until I heard her car turn off onto the next street. What was it about the bronze-haired goddess that made my slow heart race and my face flush with affection?

I walked down the short front hallway, entered the small dining area, and placed my bag on the small round table in the corner. The walls were wood paneled, and the carpet was dull gray. It was cold in the house, so I tossed some logs into the old furnace that I had walked past on my way into the dining room. Room was a bit of a stretch. The entire house couldn’t have been more than nine hundred and fifty square feet. To the left of the dining area was a kitchenette. From the refrigerator, I pulled out a gallon of cattle’s blood (it was amazing what you could buy at the butcher shop) and poured it into a glass I had produced from the cabinet. Cattle was by no means my favorite, but it would do until I could go hunting and restock my supply of wildlife blood. I settled into the cushioned chair I kept near the furnace. I spent a few moments warming myself and savoring my drink before getting up to search for a phonebook that was lying around here somewhere.

Finally finding it, I returned to my chair and opened the pages to “E” section. I quickly found what I was looking for. “Eagle Auto Repair & Towing”, the auto shop that Edythe had told me had towed mine and Tyler’s vehicles away. I called the number listed. A front desk clerk answered and after explaining who I was and the situation I was put on the line with a mechanic. I was told that my truck wouldn’t be available until Saturday. Holding back a frustrated groan I thanked the mechanic before hanging up. I then tossed the phonebook onto the floor where it landed with a thud. The sound echoed in my ears. To human ears the noise wouldn’t have been noticed, but to my ears the sound vibrated against my skull. It was a nuisance, but I could deal with it.

Back in the kitchen I rinsed out my glass in the sink, washed it, and dried it with the kitchen towel. After which I returned to the dining table where I had placed my bag. I seriously considered forgetting the homework that had been assigned. Surely the teachers would understand why I hadn’t been up to doing it? In the end I decided to just get the work done and over with. It hadn’t taken long at all, and I finished within the hour. I glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was a bit past five pm. So, I returned my books to my bag and myself to the kitchen to throw together a quick dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. After I finished my meal and cleaned the kitchen, I dug out the copy of “Mansfield Park” that I had at a local bookstore. The store’s selections had been low and mostly unappealing, so I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my favorite Jane Austen novels.

It had been over two months since Dad was murdered, since my entire life had been turned upside down, and since then nothing in the world felt right. So, when I found “Mansfield Park” buried among a pile of discount books, I felt closer to Dad than I have in a long time. Charlie Swan had been a simple man. His main goals had been to raise me to be independent and to know that I was loved. And to make the most of his immortal existence. Which meant engaging in the activities he loved most; fishing, baseball and reading. Charlie had been a vampire since 1687 and had found many ways to occupy his time. One of which included reading books. Dad had been partial to horror and mystery novels but had a hidden love for the classics. Such as “Jane Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights.” Then he had me and when I was old enough, he introduced me to his favorite authors and their works. Now, as I turned the pages of my book, I felt my father’s presence.

I methodically turned the pages of the novel, carefully reading each word. Even going back to reread sentences, then paragraphs, and then whole pages. As I read and reread the pages the minutes ticked by. As the minutes turned to hours, I knew that I was prolonging the inevitable lull of sleep. It was my least favorite time of day, or rather night, when I had to sleep. It was the only time when I was completely unguarded. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it was the only time that the nightmares took over. Only they weren’t nightmares but were horrible memories that were far too real.

The wall clock chimed to tell me the hour. Eleven o’clock on the dot. Reluctantly, I put my book away and put out the furnace. The whole house steadily became cooler and cooler. I went through my nightly routine. Which mostly consisted of a long hot shower where I spent most of it scrubbing mercilessly at the crescent scar that disfigured my wrist. For several weeks while on the run I had managed to hide out in a mountain home in Wyoming. It had once been my childhood home where Charlie had taught me how to control my vampire abilities. Dad and I had traveled all over the country since leaving Wyoming, but that place had always felt like home. I felt safe there. That was until James found me. He attacked me and I crippled him by tearing off part of his leg, but not before he managed to sink his teeth into my wrist. The fire of the venom as it coursed through my veins was excruciating, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from escaping. I knew that the pain wouldn’t last long. It would die down to an annoying sting before my own venom completely eradicated it from my system. So, I forced myself to run. To get as far away from James as possible while he reattached his leg and recovered. Now, the only evidence of my last encounter with the sadistic vampire was my ugly scar.

The water had long been running cold before I turned off the shower. I stepped out and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel. I grabbed the brush and worked it through my hair. It was long, dark, and straighter than I’ve ever been. As I worked the bristles through the strands of hair, I took notice of the various shades that human eyes could never see. Strands of mahogany and bistre wove their way through the brush. All the strands and shades of brown twist together to make the dark brown that my school peers saw. Only under sunlight would they see shades of red. My dark hair contrasted with my cream-colored skin creating a striking effect. The fog cleared from the mirror, and I caught sight of my arms. The muscles underneath my smooth skin were strong and lean. I never considered myself vain, but I knew I was beautiful. I knew that I was just as lovely as a vampire.

I placed the brush down on the bathroom countertop. As usual, not a single thread of hair had tangled itself in the bristles. Perk of having unbreakable hair. I dried off, threw on some flannel pajamas, and brushed my teeth. The venom that coated my teeth was acidic to anything that could possibly stain them, but I liked the tingling clean sensation that spearmint toothpaste left behind. My bedroom was a second story loft space that overlooked the dining area. Just like the living room below, the loft space was carpeted. Though rather than gray the carpet was a faded golden brown. I crawled under the quilt of my bed and forced my eyes to stay open. I did not want to face the horrifying nightmare, but as the rain fell against the windowpane it created a hypnotic effect. Bit by bit my eyelids grew heavy and even with supernatural strength I couldn’t keep them open.

The next morning, I awoke to find that neither James nor Victoria had murdered me in my sleep. I considered that a good start to my day. Once I dragged myself out of bed, I poured myself a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. The room was still dark as the sun hadn’t even risen yet, but thanks to my superior sight the darkness didn’t hinder my movements. The rain from last night had let up but I could still hear the sound of the morning mist against the walls of my house. Sitting at the kitchen counter, I slowly at the bowl of cereal. As I chewed my food, I considered calling Edythe. The clock read six thirty, that wasn’t too early to call right? I knew that she was a vampire, that she didn’t sleep, but she didn’t know that I knew that. Would it really be so bad if she knew I am a vampire-human hybrid? No, it wouldn’t, but getting Edythe =dragged into my troubles and possibly hurt would be. Perhaps it would be best to keep her at arm’s length. I put the empty bowl in the sink and returned to my room. I rummaged through my dresser and pieced together an outfit for the day. Not sure how I managed to take my time selecting an oversized sweater and faded jeans, but I did. It was just after seven as I laced up my boots. School didn’t start for another hour. To pass the time I brewed myself a cup of tea and sat down on the carpeted steps that led to the loft. From there I could see, off in the distance, the first rays of sunlight breakthrough the trees.

As I sipped my tea, I heard the sound of a familiar engine. I smiled to myself. That was Edythe’s car in the distance, speeding toward the town limits. Soon enough I would catch a glimpse of silver as the Volvo turned onto my street. Just as I predicted, I saw Edythe’s car coming down the street at around eight. I placed my empty mug in the sink and grabbed my bag from the dining table where I had left. I then stepped outside, locked the door behind me, to wait for my ride. As Edythe’s pulled into my driveway, I greeted her with a little wave. Thoughts of keeping her at arm’s length seemed to have disappeared from my mind. All I could see was her bright smile lighting up her golden-rod eyes.

“Good morning, Bella.”

“Hey, Edythe,” I replied as I opened the passenger door and got in. “How was your evening? Did you sleep well?” Of course, I knew that she didn’t sleep at all but what can I say other than I think I’m funny?

“My night was pleasant. How did you sleep?”

I noticed that she avoided the question regarding sleep, but I wasn’t going to say anything. “I slept well enough.”

Edythe had started the drive to the high school which was only a few minutes from my house. The time was filled with simple conversation. She asked me if I had gotten in contact with the auto shop. I filled her in on the conversation that had transpired.

“Unfortunately, my truck won’t be available until Saturday. Does your offer to drive me to the shop still stand?”

“Of course. As does my offer to drive you to school for as long as you need me.” Edythe’s eyes widened as she registered what she said. “I mean it. As long as you need it. My help that is.”

I was amused by her ramblings, but I didn’t let it show on my face. Or at least I hope I didn’t. No point in embarrassing the poor girl further. “I understood what you were trying to say. And I appreciate it. You’re sure you don’t mind being my chauffeur for the rest of the week?”

Why wasn’t I turning her down? It was too dangerous for her to get close to me. It’s not like I couldn’t walk. And if it rained, so what? That’s what an umbrella was for.  

“I don’t mind at all. Really Bella I’m happy to help you.”

“And your siblings don’t mind? How are they getting to school?”

“They don’t mind. They’ll be taking Rosalie’s car. Trust me, she’s happier driving her own car than sitting in the back seat of mine.”

Edythe turned into the school parking lot which was already filled with the student population. As I stepped out of the car, I felt the eyes of my peers. It must have been quite a sight to see the mysterious new girl with one of the elusive Cullens.

“I’m going to be the talk of the town again.” It wasn’t a question. I already knew my day would be spent fending off questions about yesterday’s accident. Edythe, who had also gotten out of the car, looked around the sea of students.

“I would say so. Would you like me to walk you to your first class? I could fend off any intrusive peers.”

I came so close to turning down her offer, but I just couldn’t do it. As much as I knew it was bad for her to get close to me, I found myself craving her company. So, like a fool I said yes. Edythe and I walked side by side. I took the chance to admire her from my peripheral vision. Edythe was slender and petite, just an inch shy of my five feet and four inches. Her bronze-colored hair was pulled up into a messy twist. Curls fell from the updo to frame her face. She wore a pale lavender sweater that hugged her curves and the color brought out the delicate lavender of her eyelids. If I didn’t know better, I would think that Edythe was wearing eyeshadow. The sleeves were rolled up and the material was too thin to provide any protection from the cold, but I knew the weather didn’t bother her. We stopped in front of Building 3 where my English class is held.

“Would you join me for lunch?” Edythe asked me before we parted ways.

‘Just say no. You can’t get any closer to her than you already have. Say no.’

“Yes. I would like that.” ‘Dammit.’

Edythe smiled at me as if my answer just made her day. “Well then I’ll see at lunch time.”

I simply nodded my reply too afraid I’d say something stupid. The smile remained on Edythe’s face as she bid me a good day. I entered the classroom and took my seat. As the other students filed in Mike stopped by my desk.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Cullen?”

“Edythe? How do you mean?” I had a pretty good idea what he meant, but I wanted to hear him say it.

“You know. You two looked pretty cozy. People will start to talk.”

“Firstly, anything between Edythe and I is nobody else’s business. And if people want to gossip about two teenage girls because their own lives are so boring and unfulfilling then that’s their business. Secondly, the only thing between me and Edythe is kindness and a ride to and from school because your buddy’s reckless driving put my truck in the shop.”

Mike’s blond hair and hyperactive personality made me think of a golden retriever, but that wide eyed and gaping expression on his face brought to mind the image of a goldfish. Mr. Mason, the English teacher, entered the classroom before Mike could respond.

“Mr. Newton please take your seat.” Mike walked away from my desk, still appearing to be in shock. As the remaining students took their seats the school bell rang. I kept myself from cringing at the shrill noise. Truth be told, I had never been to school before now (Dad home-schooled me) and had no idea that a school bell was so loud. It made my ears ring and my head throb. I hated that stupid bell.

The rest of the morning couldn’t go by fast enough. If the student body wasn’t talking about the car crash, they were talking about the rumors that were being spread about Edythe and I. Were humans really so backwards in their beliefs surrounding sexuality? I knew they had negative opinions, but I was so used to the acceptance of vampire law that I didn’t consider how humans viewed the subject. I had never had too before now. The bell that singled the end of fourth period rang and the students rushed out, eager to get to the cafeteria building. I was among the last of my classmates to leave and I was stopped by Jessica.

“Hey Bella. How are you doing today? I hope that all this talk hasn’t gotten you down.”

“Not really. It’s annoying, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to think everyone thinks that way.”

“So, you don’t…” My voice trailed off.

Jessica shook her head, her dark voluminous curls bouncing as she did. “Nope.”

By this point we’d reached the cafeteria and pushed through the doors.

“Are you going to sit with us today?” Jessica asked referring to herself and her classmates whom I had sat with yesterday. “I promise to keep Mike and Lauren off your back.”

“I appreciate that, but I’m actually supposed to sit with Edythe.”

“With just Edythe? Or with all the Cullen-Hales?”

I stopped in my tracks. “I’m not sure.”

Something about sitting with five vampires I didn’t know made me feel incredibly on edge. I began looking around the cafeteria and noticed Jessica doing the same. I spotted the Cullens at their usual table, but Edythe wasn’t with them.

“Bella look.” Jessica directed my attention to the other end of the cafeteria where Edythe sat at a table by herself. She gave me a little wave when she saw me staring. I blushed and waved back.

“Come on Bella, lets go get you some food so you can get your flirt on.” Jessica and I grabbed our food and went our separate ways, but not before she wished me luck. I approached Edythe’s table.

“Is this seat taken?” ‘Smooth Bella.’

“Please, help yourself.”

I sat down in the chair next to Edythe, setting my tray on the table. Edythe grimaced at the food.

“That does not look appetizing at all.”

I looked down at the greasy slice of pizza, salad, and bottled lemonade. “It’s not so bad.” ‘It’s actually worse.’

“Are you sure about that?” Edythe had the cutest lopsided smirk. She couldn’t read my thoughts, but she could clearly read my face. I picked up the greasy pizza. I took a bite and chewed slowly. Gah! What was with school food tasting like cardboard with tomato sauce?

“See, like I said, not so bad. But perhaps I’ll stick to just the salad.”

Edythe chuckled. That’s when I noticed she didn’t have a tray of food. ‘Wonder what her excuse will be?’

“Where’s your lunch, Edythe? Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I had a big breakfast this morning. I’m not very hungry.”

I nodded my head and bit my bottom lip to keep from smirking. I picked up the plastic fork from my tray and dug into my salad. After a few bites and a sip of lemonade Edythe got around to asking the questions I knew she would eventually ask.

“May I be forward, Bella?” I nodded for her to continue. “How did you get out of the way of the van? That was an impossible feat.”

“Just must have been lucky I guess.”

“That was some incredible luck.”

I shrugged. “I had an adrenaline rush. It’s very common in a life-threatening situation.” I ate some more salad and drank some more lemonade. “Was that your only question?”

“I have a few. Were you perhaps bitten by a radioactive spider?” The corners of her lips curled up indicating that she was joking. At least mostly.

“Certainly not.” ‘As if a spider’s pincers could break through my diamond-hard skin.’

“Then perhaps kryptonite is involved?”

“You do know that kryptonite weakens Superman’s powers? It’s not the cause of them.”

“Well, there goes my best theories.”

We laughed together. Ever since I met Edythe, I found myself feeling lighter than I have in a long while. There was a time when I’d didn’t think I’d ever laugh again. Not since Dad…since Dad…

“Bella. Bella!”

I blinked away the tears that had blurred my vision. Tears fell down my cheeks, the intense cold of the venom slightly stinging my skin. Of all the human traits I could’ve inherited, why did crying have to be one of them?

“I’m sorry. I just thought of my dad and I…” I choked on silent sobs and couldn’t get the words out. Most of the town, if not everyone, knew that my dad had died even if they didn’t know the truth of how. They just knew the story I had spread around town.

“Hey, hey it’s okay.” The pad of Edythe’s thumb brushed against my cheek wiping away the tears. A pulse of electricity tingled against my skin. My face warmed with the rush of blood to my cheeks.

“I’m sorry…”

“You do not need to apologize.” Edythe interrupted me. “You have every right to be upset over such a loss. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m alright. Thank you though.” I wiped away the rest of my tears with the sleeve of my sweater. “What is it we were talking about?”

“You were shooting down my carefully constructed theories.” Edythe lightly teased me.

“Oh, yes. Radioactive spiders and kryptonite. Groundbreaking theories.”

I took a swig of lemonade then used the sleeve of my sweater to wipe away the rest of my tears. The lunch hour continued on without any more waterworks from yours truly. Edythe and I walked to Biology together and after my last class of the day, Edythe was waiting for me outside of the gymnasium. After dropping me off at home she wished me a pleasant evening and sent me away with a promise to see me in the morning.

Only two more days. I could allow myself the pleasure of her company for two more days. What would it hurt?

[warningsine]

The island of Sulawesi is a hub for the mineral-rich country's production of nickel, a base metal used for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, and Beijing's growing investment has stoked unrest over working conditions at its facilities.

The accident occurred around 5:30 am (2130 GMT Saturday) at a plant owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) in the Morowali Industrial Park in Central Sulawesi province, a spokesperson for the complex said in a statement.

"(The death toll) increased by one person, from 12 to 13," he told AFP, also revising the number of injured down one to 38.

He identified the dead as eight Indonesians and five Chinese workers.

An initial investigation showed the explosion happened during repair work on a furnace when a flammable liquid ignited and the subsequent blast caused nearby oxygen tanks to explode as well, the official said.

The fire was extinguished Sunday morning, according to the statement.

Tsingshan Holding Group, the world's biggest nickel producer and China's biggest stainless steelmaker, holds a majority stake in ITSS.

ITSS is a tenant in the industrial park, which is also majority owned by Tsingshan along with local partner Bintang Delapan.

Safety fears

The firm that runs the industrial park said it was "deeply saddened by this disaster, particularly for the families affected".

It said the remains of several identified victims had been flown home.

Footage shared with AFP showed plumes of smoke emerging from the facility with emergency services at the scene and workers looking on.

A photo shared with AFP showed the bodies of the victims lined up on top of orange body bags in a room in one of the clinics at the industrial complex.

"Their faces were burnt, their clothes were all burnt," a worker at the industrial complex told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Acting Morowali district head Rachmansyah Ismail told broadcaster Kompas TV that as of Sunday afternoon 25 of the injured -- 15 Indonesians and 10 foreign nationals -- had been immediately rushed to hospital after the blast.

Seventeen were seriously injured while eight suffered moderate injuries, he said.

In January, two workers including a Chinese national were killed at a nickel smelting plant in the same industrial park after a riot broke out during a protest over safety conditions and pay.

Deadly fires are not uncommon in Indonesia, a sprawling country of more than 250 million people where safety regulations are often flouted.

In June a fire at the same plant left one dead and six others injured, in another incident that has stoked concern over safety at facilities funded and operated by Chinese companies.

The facility where the riot and fire took place is operated by PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI), a local unit of China's Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry.