#professional hoarders clean

[vamoosecleaningg]

Decluttering London: Hoarders Clean Services to the Rescue

Briefly introduce the issue of hoarding and its impact on individuals and their living spaces. Highlight the importance of professional hoarders clean services in providing compassionate and effective solutions. Section 1: Understanding Hoarding:

Define hoarding and discuss its psychological aspects. Explore common reasons why people hoard and the challenges they face in parting with possessions. Section 2: The Impact of Hoarding on Living Spaces:

Discuss the consequences of hoarding on living conditions, safety, and overall well-being. Highlight the need for professional intervention to address hoarding situations. Section 3: The Role of Hoarders Clean Services:

Introduce professional hoarders clean services in London. Discuss the specialized skills and training required for hoarding cleanup. Highlight the importance of a sensitive and non-judgmental approach in these services. Section 4: Benefits of Professional Hoarding Cleanup:

Outline the advantages of hiring professional services, such as efficiency, safety, and emotional support. Share success stories or testimonials from clients who have benefited from hoarders clean services. Section 5: How to Choose the Right Hoarders Clean Service in London:

Provide tips on selecting a reputable and experienced hoarders clean service. Discuss key factors such as certification, reviews, and the ability to handle different levels of hoarding. Section 6: Case Studies:

Share real-life examples of hoarding cleanup projects in London. Discuss the challenges faced and the positive outcomes achieved through professional intervention.

[niteshade925]

😛

[cortosis-ct]

The Bad Batch and their jobs (Modern AU)

In my headcanon they all started out as soldiers. After getting out and accidentally acquisiting Omega, they desperately need money and take any jobs they can get. Eventually, everyone finds something they actually like.

Hunter:

Retail sales associate aka Walmart slave and getting yelled at by Karens all day. He's also doing freelance cleaning jobs, the grosser the better the payment. Think hoarder apartments with fifty cats or scat orgy hotel room cleanup.

He works hard on getting his record cleaned up and eventually secures a job at the fire station. He becomes a firefighter and will eventually be a lieutenant and later captain.

Tech:

Fast food worker which means lots of being yelled at by hangry people who are unhappy with the way their BigMac was stacked. He takes any extra shift he can get.

After several failed rounds of applications, he hacks into a big company's system and puts his name on top of the candidate list. He ends up supervisor for some bank insurance IT stuff with lots of numbers.

Wrecker: Miner. It's hard work and long hours in the dark. He actually earns the most of all of them but that's because it's fucking dangerous and depressing.

The leading instructor for the demolition expert trainees blows up. Wrecker, having had professional training in the military and lots of experience at not getting blown up (again), is their best take so he becomes their new instructor for the new hires.

Crosshair: Nobody is really willing to hire him so he's an unlicensed taxi driver most nights. (He hates everything about it.) He also signed up as a freelance roadkill collector job in Hunter's name and takes the calls when he doesn't have passengers.

He meets railroaders when cleaning up railkill one night. When smoking he mentions how much he hates being a taxi driver and the railroaders recruit him for their company. He becomes a traindriver and finally doesn't have to interact with his passengers.

Echo: They call it online sales associate marketer and customer service advisor. He calls it tele-scam-marketer. Many people yelling at him but at least he can work from home.

At a parent-teacher conference of Omega's school he helps another parent with a technology problem. He's like: "I tried to get rid of that problem for hours and you did it within five minutes. You gotta be a master software engineer." and Echo's like "I get payed to get yelled at as a telemarketer". Turns out the guy is an HR associate at an IT company and gets Echo a proper job.

[letsdeclutter]

Master List of Decluttering Resources

Backup of the list from r/declutter recommendations, due to planned mid-June 2023 Reddit Blackout in protest of plans to charge exorbitant fees for API access.

Some well-established decluttering gurus have omnimedia empires covering YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, multiple books, TV shows, a web site, and more. For these titans of tidying, the list shows whichever one to three resources are most recommended. These resources intentionally showcase a variety of perspectives, so if you dislike one, scan the list for something different.

YouTubers and Podcasts

A to Zen Life. A recovering “emotional hoarder” shares her extreme decluttering journey, including tips and new habits. https://www.youtube.com/@AtoZenLife

The Art of Decluttering. Includes an entire series on decluttering with ADHD, plus interviews with ordinary people who are decluttering. (Australian) https://www.theartofdecluttering.com.au/podcast/

But First, Coffee. Katie in Conneticut intersperses decluttering, organizing, and home maintenance hacks with her experiences with motherhood. https://www.youtube.com/@ButFirstCoffee

Clean My Space. Over 500 videos on cleaning and organizing, dividing the topic into small bites. https://www.youtube.com/@cleanmyspace

Clean with Me. The podcast that talks you through cleaning your house. https://cleanwithmepodcast.com/

Clutterbug. Focus is on organizing and organizational style. She also talks with popular decluttering experts. https://clutterbug.me/podcast

Curious Freedom. Professional organizers explore decluttering issues you may be curious about, from tips to broad minimalism, to smart shopping. (Australian) https://curiousfreedom.com.au/podcast/

The Declutter Hub. Professional organizers Ingrid and Lesley offer a mix of quick-and-easy tips, professional organizing secrets, and approaches to de-hoarding. https://declutterhub.com/the-podcast/

A Hoarder’s Heart. A recovering hoarder shares her journey to a better life, with lots of material on decluttering with ADHD and struggling with the craft stash. https://www.youtube.com/@ahoardersheart

Messy Minimalist. Mom-blogger-style journey from hoarder to minimalist, with challenges and adventures in every room and on topics like decision fatigue. Appears to have taken a break after 2022. https://www.youtube.com/@MessyMinimalist/

The Minimal Mom. How-tos for decluttering, deciding how many items are enough, and even thrifting with a minimalist mindset. https://www.youtube.com/@TheMinimalMom

The Minimalists. Netflix stars Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus discuss ways to live more meaningfully with less stuff. Their topics range widely into lifestyle issues such as diet, travel, personal finance, and chronic illness; this rec is not an endorsement of everything they have to say on those issues. https://www.theminimalists.com/podcast/

My Great Challenge. “Declutter with me” videos and cleaning routines. https://www.youtube.com/@mygreatchallenge

Organize 365. Covers an extensive binder-based organization system, intended to organize people who need a lot of paperwork or have a complicated family. https://organize365.com/podcast/

Simply This Life. Candice exudes enthusiasm along with cleaning and decluttering hacks. https://www.youtube.com/@FancyThatwithCandice

A Slob Comes Clean. Dana K. White talks about her experiences with and insights into decluttering. Her emphasis is on managing your home and fitting what you value into your space. https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/podcasts/

Small Changes. Sarah walks you through minimalist cleaning routines and debunks myths about decluttering. https://www.youtube.com/@SmallChanges

Spark Joy. KonMari consultants Karin Sochi and Kristyn Ivey host speakers on issues related to bringing greater joy into your life, from meditation to shopping habits to productivity and mindfulness. Seems to end with 2020. https://www.sparkjoypodcast.com/episodes

Struggle Care. Therapist KC Davis focuses here on self-care and issues that can be barriers to decluttering, such as ADHD, depression, perfectionism, and having limited spoons. https://www.strugglecare.com/podcast-rss

Instagram

clutterbug_me. Clutterbug content emphasizing organizing and cleaning inspo. https://www.instagram.com/clutterbug_me/?hl=en

find_yourgold. Professional organizer with minimalist home shares her process and inspiration. https://www.instagram.com/find_yourgold/

the_organized_mum. Tips on not letting your house get away from you, but also not letting it bully you. https://www.instagram.com/the_organised_mum/

simplyspaced. Style inspo and organizing tips in a very orderly, soothing home, plus before-and-afters. https://www.instagram.com/simplyspaced/

aslobcomesclean. Dana K. White shows you decluttering tips and talks about why organizing is not decluttering. https://www.instagram.com/aslobcomesclean/

strugglecare. Short items from her mission to help people remove barriers to treating themselves right (including clutter). https://www.instagram.com/strugglecare/

@taramstewart. Organizing and donating tips. https://www.instagram.com/taramstewart/

Books

Links are to Goodreads so you can evaluate reviews for yourself.

The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less (Christine Platt). Radical revisioning of minimalism, incorporating social justice issues and the experience of marginalized peoples. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55711709-the-afrominimalist-s-guide-to-living-with-less

Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness! (Donna Smallin). Cute little book of short tips for decluttering. Fun if you want a daily inspiration to tackle a new task.

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui (Karen Kingston). Uses westernized feng shui principles as a guide to decluttering and organizing. Reviews suggest this one is polarizing. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27071482-clear-your-clutter-with-feng-shui

Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What’s Holding You Back (Brooks Palmer). Motivational approach looking at reasons for clutter, such as fear of change or trying to live a fantasy self. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6262598-clutter-busting

The Clutter Cure (Juli Culbertson). Focuses on assessing emotional attachments, with lots of exercises to help think through what objects are serving your current needs. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/879650.The_Clutter_Cure

Clutter’s Last Stand (Don Aslett). Fast-paced and humorous approach to reducing clutter. Aslett is one of the earliest organizing and cleaning gurus, and any of his decluttering or cleaning books are worth a read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11610.Clutter_s_Last_Stand

Cozy Minimalist Home (Myquillyn Smith). Primarily a decorating guide, focused on achieving a cozy minimalist home that honors your specific priorities (e.g., not stark white with one chair and an artfully placed rock). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38915707-cozy-minimalist-home

Decluttering at the Speed of Life (Dana K. White). A decluttering approach that isn’t “all or nothing” but is geared to gradual progress. (The rest of White’s books are also worth a read.) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35540769-decluttering-at-the-speed-of-life

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (Margareta Magnusson). A gentle nudge toward decluttering so your heirs aren’t overwhelmed and housekeeping in old age is less demanding. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297297-the-gentle-art-of-swedish-death-cleaning

Goodbye Things (Fumio Sasaki). One man’s journey toward minimalism and personal growth. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30231806-goodbye-things

It’s All Too Much (Peter Walsh). Organizer from TLC’s Clean Sweep explores frustrations related to clutter and organizing, and how to resolve them. He also has a Facebook with decluttering challenges. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34266.It_s_All_Too_Much

The Joy of Less (Francine Jay). Thoughts on simple living and achieving a minimalist lifestyle. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8576972-the-joy-of-less-a-minimalist-living-guide

The Hoarder in You (Robin Zasio). Focuses on the psychological aspects of over-attachment to stuff, including tips on dealing with hoarding relatives. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11452567-the-hoarder-in-you

How to Keep House While Drowning (KC Davis). Subtitled “a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing,” this book emphasizes overcoming shame and perfectionism, handling mental health issues, and creating a home that is a safe and kind place. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60139504-how-to-keep-house-while-drowning

Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff (Matt Paxton). Extreme cleaner Paxton shares his process for decluttering sentimental items when it’s time to downsize or when dealing with a deceased person’s estate. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58933265-keep-the-memories-lose-the-stuff

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Marie Kondo). The now-famous Kon-Mari approach emphasizes deciding what “sparks joy” in your life. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22318578-the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up

The Minimalist Home (Joshua Becker). Room-by-room approach to reducing clutter and achieving a more peaceful lifestyle. Reviews note a conservative evangelical slant to his material. Has many decluttering-related best sellers, including Clutter Free With Kids, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39810030-the-minimalist-home

Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter (Erin Rooney Doland). Checklists of tasks sorted by room and by “30 seconds,” “1 minute,” etc. Many are geared more to developing maintenance routines than to actual clutter removal. Her Unclutter Your Life in One Week also gets recommended. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817627-never-too-busy-to-cure-clutter

Organizing from the Inside Out (Julia Morgenstern). Addresses emotional barriers to organizing, on the way to providing tips and solutions. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220713.Organizing_from_the_Inside_Out

Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD (Suzanne C. Pinsky). Tips are intended to be aimed at people with ADHD. Judging from reviews, this book gets both very strong positive responses and very strong negative responses. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19033611-organizing-solutions-for-people-with-adhd

Outer Order, Inner Calm (Gretchen Rubin). Quick read pulling together the Happiness Project author’s thoughts and tips on bringing more joy into the home through orderliness. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39901314-outer-order-inner-calm

Simple Ways to Be More with Less (Courtney Carver). Brief ebook where thinkers on minimalism share ideas and inspiration. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16028018-simple-ways-to-be-more-with-less

Tidy the F*ck Up (Messie Condo). Yes, it’s a parody of KonMari, but it includes actual useful decluttering tips. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45869149-tidy-the-f-ck-up

Unf*ck Your Habitat (Rachel Hoffman). Book developed from the blog, with checklists for routine and emergency cleaning, and an approach geared to students, people with roommates, and people with disabilities. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39901314-outer-order-inner-calm

The Year of Less (Cait Flanders). Documents a year of low-buy (food, gas, and similar only), lowered consumption, and decluttering, including reactions to crisis. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35488858-the-year-of-less

You Have Too Much Shit (Chris Thomas). Humorous 20-page ebook that’s a kick in the face about consumerism and clutter. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24322942-you-have-too-much-shit

Zen Habits (Leo Babauta). Book from the Zen Habits blog, discussing decluttering in the context of living a simpler life. One reviewer calls it “a basic get-your-shit-together book.” Babauta has additional related books. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6056602-zen-habits---handbook-for-life

Web or Blog

30-Day Minimalism Cure. The Minimalists explain the rules and framework for the popular “declutter 1 item the first day, 2 items the second day” challenge. https://www.theminimalists.com/game/

Apartment Therapy Home Cure. Annual (or multiple times a year–it has varied over time) process for decluttering, cleaning, and decorating. Based (increasingly loosely) on founder Maxwell Ryan’s book, Apartment Therapy: The 8-Step Home Cure. Most of the community discussion has moved onto Facebook. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/features/the-cure-program

Avalanche Declutter Challenge. The one where you declutter 30 items on the first day, 29 on the second, 28 on the third... down to one item on the 30th day of the month. https://wannabeclutterfree.com/avalanche-declutter-challenge

FLylady (Marla Cilley). Daily 15-minute missions, habit-building, slow-cooker recipes, and task lists for the run-up to Christmas. One of the early dominant figures in declutter blogging, kind of what would happen if Pioneer Woman confronted a messy house. She also published a couple books. http://www.flylady.net/

Printable Short-Term Goal List (PopSugar). Printable page for dividing larger goals into smaller goals. Especially useful when you feel so overwhelmed that you need to break things into tiny areas or steps. https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/photo-gallery/44467993/image/44468176/Printable-Short-Term-Goal-Worksheet/amp

Project 333. Popular fashion challenge to dress with 30 or fewer items for 3 months. Part of a larger minimalism blog. https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/

TV-like

Links are to information on the series, as who's streaming what changes over time.

Hoarders. Long-running US series where a psychologist, a professional organizer, and a junk-hauling crew tackle serious hoards. Not for the squeamish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoarders_(TV_series) Has a subreddit at r/HoardersTV

Nick Knowles’ Big Clear Out. Most recent series from UK decluttering star: his team takes a family’s belongings to a warehouse to sort, then puts things back room-by-room. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15267660/

Sort Your Life Out. UK series with Stacey Solomon, in which a disorganized household declutters and reorganizes. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00116n4

Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Reality TV series where Marie Kondo visits U.S. households and guides residents in using her KonMari method. There is a follow-up series, Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo. Originally on Netflix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidying_Up_with_Marie_Kondo

[meabh-mcinness]

Peppermint

(Alternatively known as 'Pest Control')

Main Masterlist

Living in the human world had meant learning tips and tricks to keep pests at bay while still enjoying small luxuries. Such as using lavender to deter bed bugs the one time you bought and forgot to clean a comforter at a thrift store, or peppermint around windows and doors to keep spiders outside. You hadn't known, of course, that such tricks could apply to pests in the Netherworld too. You couldn't decide whether you were happy or not to discover they did in fact do so. 

TW! There is technically a torture scene in here? A character gets a bottle full of peppermint oil to their face, which is known to cause skin irritation and rashes on humans when used too much, and does slightly worse due to him rather special heritage and lack of exposure to it. Also light descriptions of gore, or at least I think it falls under the gore category? Maybe?

Also, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY AND UNHOLY, DO NOT TAKE THE PLANT AND OTHER FACTS AT FACE VALUE!!! I am not a trained botanist nor biologist (I haven't even started my college courses yet!) and everything in here is based on research I've found in books, oral stories, online research, and personal findings. ALWAYS check in with professionals before using or consuming something you don't know about. I use some of the things in here because it's what I grew up with, BUT it does not mean it's actually true or safe. Please take caution in the things you use!

Also, the MC in this is a tad bit of a hater of insects, which in no way reflects my views. So if you're like me and actually find the bug world terribly fascinating, you may not like some of this. Hopefully, you enjoy the rest, though! Also, there's some Shiida X reader, and Balam x reader if you squint, really hard. 

The taking down of one Atori had been both incredulous and laughably easy for you. 

In hindsight, you supposed it wouldn't have been as easy if you hadn't known a little bit of basic human world biology and been a bit of a hoarder. 

In the human world, spiders and other bugs are a bit of (read, incredibly) a hindrance. You understood they were needed for the ecosystem to thrive, and you did enjoy a fair few (snails in particular were very cute, for example), but for the most part, they were an annoyance in your daily life. When they weren't posing a danger, that is. 

To keep such annoyances at bay, you had taken to making 'herbal potions' that smelt good to you, but that most bugs hated. Even taking to wearing it as hairsprays, body oils, and lotions to keep them away from your person while working your various jobs or just going out and about. The added health benefits you gained from soft, clear skin and full, shiny hair were merely a nice bonus you wouldn't complain about.

 It had been incredibly easy to squirrel away unwanted seedlings from farming gigs or dumped herbs that had fallen on the floor from your serving jobs. The thrown-away herbs were the hardest to save, but you always felt so proud to see the cuttings growing tiny roots after a few weeks in water-filled cups. Such plants were then cleaned and went through various lengthy processes depending on what you wanted at the time. 

Lavender oil to spray on and around your bed, because you failed to clean one comforter from a thrift store, basil lotion to repel mosquitoes, and large amounts of various types of mint along with others. The mints were mostly used to spray around the doors, windows, and the general perimeter of your tiny home, to keep bugs from invading in the first place. You even used the extra for your hair specifically, both to promote growth and just because it smelt nice. 

You had even just finished a fresh batch, of newly sealed vials and bottles in your old, patched bag to transfer when Sullivan had invaded your home and essentially kidnapped you. Granted, you had willingly gone once he motioned to a bound Iruma, but still. You had been non-too-pleased when you discovered Iruma's parents had sold both of your souls to the demon, vowing revenge if it was the last thing you did. 

Regardless, because you had this batch and no bugs to use them on (Opera did an excellent job of keeping the mansion pest free, and that was assuming the Netherworld even had those kinds of bugs, to begin with), they had been delegated to strictly hair product use until you ran out. 

It had been rather surprising, and humorous, for you to find out that this world had a similar-smelling plant. That apparently only high-rankers and rich folk used, due to how difficult it was to grow and harvest, along with how volatile it was, and its rather fond taste for flesh. 

A misunderstanding had eventually arisen that you were as, or at least close to, as powerful as Sullivan was and simply hiding your rank when Suzie-sensei had asked how you acquired the oils. Your confusion, briefly forgetting that you were not in the human world any more, led to you confessing that you simply used to grow them from cuttings before crushing them into oils and pastes yourself, and how you were quite sad that you no longer had access to them due to moving in with Sullivan. The awed and calculating looks everyone had given you had lasted for days until the Battler party, and Iruma took centre stage again with his "fireworks". 

Although you could still hear the occasional whispers about how powerful you must be to have Sullivan as a father, and, the quickly rising through the ranks, Iruma as a son. You quite often wanted to bang your head on a wall when you heard those because of that one slip of a mistake. Especially when, for your birthday, after bemoaning the fact you were running low, the Babyls teachers had banded together to get you a couple of cuttings from the actual Netherworld peppermint plant counterpart, the Geagpian. 

You had quickly understood why others feared it so much. Smelling almost disgustingly minty up close, it rather reminded you of a stinking corpse lily in looks. If a stinking corpse lily was far smaller, had sharp teeth surrounding the inside of its petals and sentient vines covered in sharp hollow thorns filled with paralysing venom and grew multiple flowers along a tall cactus-like stem. The three, foot-long cuttings they had given you had apparently almost eaten Robin and a couple of curious students in the few days they were hiding it from you. When one of the Geagpian tried to do so again, your rather firm smack on its creeping vines only cemented their ideals of you being powerful when it quickly drew back again. Despite your apprehensive feelings about having such a dangerous gift, you had almost cried that they had tried to be so thoughtful. 

The Geagpians were then lovingly planted in a corner of the mansion's outer garden, far away from the other plants, where you happily took care of them. The nauseating in-your-face mint smell, a small comfort of your old home. Not that you wanted to go back. 

Now, though, a year into your stay here in the Netherworld, hunched over Sabro and the first years, checking them for serious injuries, as Shichirou fought Atori, you were rather glad that you had a few of your original hair oils left. And even happier that you had a full bottle in your pocket thanks to Shiida.

(You glanced up when a sudden shadow crossed over the table you were sitting at in the teacher's break room. One of the newest teachers, Shiida, you thought her name was, staring at you before flumping down in the seat next to you. You blinked in surprise before internally shrugging and going back to the book you were reading. 

It was as obvious as the two moons in the night sky that the girl was bad at social interactions, and as a fellow 'no social skills' person, you could understand how hard it could be to make friends with your new co-workers. If this was her attempt to break out of her mould and make new relationships, you were most certainly not going to stop her. 

You sat together in relative silence, the occasional flipping of a page in your book, the sound of fabric as she shifted, or another teacher wandering in briefly to say hello, being the only sounds to interrupt your peace. Over the course of your break, however, her shifting increased. Hands wringing together, bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she seemed to contemplate something. Taking pity on the poor girl, you slid a silk ribbon bookmark, a gift courtesy of Kalego who had been annoyed at the constant crinkling of the random papers you had shoved in between the pages, and closed your book. 

"Is something bothering you, Shiida-sensei?" She startled, turning towards you with wide eyes and the slightest parting of lips. You gave her what you hoped was a comforting smile, "While I'm not certain I can help, I will certainly try."

"Your scent..." she said suddenly. You paused in surprise, not actually expecting an answer beyond 'I'm fine'. 

Then your thoughts took over. Your scent? Had you forgotten your perfume today? You had been in a rush having woken up late, but no, you were certain Shichirou would have said something if you had when you joined him for a jointly taught class this morning. Or even one of the students, they weren't exactly known for keeping their mouths shut after all. (The one time you switched up scents just to try something new, everyone demanded to know if you were courting someone. That had taken forever to clear up, and you hadn't worn anything else sense.) Demons, it turned out, were especially blunt creatures by nature. Rarely talking with constant double-wording that humans so favoured unless they were especially manipulative, or a member of the succubus battler. 

"It....smells good... What is...the scent?" A faint blush was appearing on her face, and she appeared to be about five seconds away from bolting. A giggle left you before you could stop it. She was actually very adorable, wasn't she?

"Oh, is that all? It's a Geagpian mixture. I grow and make it myself." 

"I see... Atori-san hates it... I like it." She nodded to herself, "Where...can I find?" You blinked in surprise. Atori hated the scent of your hair oils? That explains why he always avoided you, even taking positions as far from you as possible when you had to share space in meetings. Your first meeting made exceptional sense now. 

When you had first met, Atori had attempted to greet you from behind, only to get a face full of your hair when you turned around. You had assumed the rather violent reaction of his body jerking and entire face seizing up had been because of the surprise at a rather hearty amount of hair suddenly in his face. 

You had long since wondered if you had offended him somehow with the hair slap, but everyone had drawn blanks because Momonoki had done the same thing only a few hours later, and much harder considering the absolute length of hair and speed she had done it with, and he was still perfectly fine with her. Though, you considered it a blessing in disguise the longer you watched him. There was just something about him that creeped you out, especially after Shichirou confessed that he was certain they were hiding something. 

"I can give you some of mine to try if you would like. I have a couple of extras since it lasts for three-four years in a bottle, and I've just pruned mine to be able to make more." And hadn't that been a pain to try and figure out? You couldn't ask any of the teachers at Babyls what parts to make into the oils since they were under the impression you already knew, and most breeders were rather tight-lipped in their secrets in fear that you were a competitor. 

Well until Opera decided to get involved, and then you had not only which parts were safe to use but also formulas for the best things to mix with them and brand-new equipment to get started. 

"Although I'm surprised you would want to smell like me if your friend hates it." 

"Friend...?" Ah, right, you had forgotten that was a human word. 

"Friends are people who enjoy spending time together and help one another, but in a non-romantic or familial sense. Like how Iruma, Alice, and Clara do or Shichirou and Kalego. It's like allies but stronger, if that makes sense. If you want, we can be friends?"  You held out your hand towards her and were rather reminded of the scene from the first Harry Potter film. 

The longer she stared wide-eyed at your hand, the more you started to worry you would end up like Draco. Spurned before even being given a chance. Until slowly but surely her hand rose up and took yours. Eyes alight in wonder as she looks fixedly at your joined hands. 

"Not friends...with Atori...forced...companionship....coworkers on various jobs...no one else....to really talk to..." 

"Well, now you can talk to me!" You declared brightly, a large smile gracing your face. "Whenever you want to spend time together or need some help, just come to me and I'll be there." 

"Can we...pet chicks...?" 

"Of course! I'll even ask Shichirou if he knows of any petting zoos around here, and we can visit to pet lots of animals if so. And to cement this newfound friendship, how about I bring a bottle of my hair oil tomorrow to give you after the exam? As a way to celebrate our obvious winnings as well." 

"I would...like that." 

"Then it's a deal!")

Looking up from your position, fingering the bottle in your pocket, your mind racing with what to do. You had three terrified students, two of which were injured, and at least one deranged intruder. Potentially two if he and Shiida were working together. And wasn't that a sad thought? Your possible new friend could actually be an enemy in disguise. 

Though as you watched Shichirou smack down Atori with a giant fist made of vines, you could at least be assured you wouldn't have to attempt to fight. Shichrou had it well in hand, and eveidently he thought so as well as he turned back and gave you a nod, hellphone already in hand to contact the others. 

You started to turn back to the students to get them ready to be transferred when you noticed movement out of the corner of your eye. Whirling back around you saw it again. Thin shimmering strands of something were protruding out of where Atori's body lay before. You dared a glance at Shichirou who hadn't yet noticed, back still turned to the danger. 

You cried out his name in panic, right before a multitude of the strands poured out and wrapped around the fallen demon. Shichirou whirled around and you both watched, stunned, as the strands seemed to undulate, as if something was moving underneath. Were...were they healing him? No, your eyes darted about the shapes, counting each one and cataloguing how they move. 

It wasn't healing Atori, it was changing him. 

You risked another glance at Shichirou who was still standing there surprised. He wasn't doing anything, why wasn't he doing anything? Strike, burn, crush, something before-!

The threads tore apart, and your gaze was forced back to the suddenly mutated body before you. Atori stood slowly, shakily rising, his body with that came equipped with two extra sets of limbs. He hadn't just changed slightly, he had metamorphised. Like....like a bug, you suddenly realized. A giant spider that had been humanized. 

Your hands flexed around the bottle in your pocket again. Should you? Could you? There was no guarantee it would do anything, and even if it did, you only had one shot. One shot to make this work when you were lucky to throw something straight on your best days. But would it even work, or would you just be in the way? 

Shiida's words rang in your mind, "Atori-san hates it". If that were true and really what reason would she have to lie about that of all things? If he really did hate it and that was before the change, then maybe...just maybe. 

You forced yourself out of your thoughts right as Atori started to bring his hand up. Your hand clench around the bottle harder, bringing it out of your pocket as your body moved to exit the egg shaped shield Shichirou had thrown up in the beginning. All thoughts focused on your task, it never registered that you shouldn't have been able to leave it all, and yet your body flowed through like it wasn't even there. 

You had seconds, Atori's hand already at his mouth, lips forming an o-shape as if blowing. You saw it in slow motion as more threads, webs, spurred out and flew at Shichirou’s face. Sliding past him, you ducked underneath, far from the splash zone, and continued on your way. You could already see Atori starting to turn to get away. You were so close, just a little more, and there! Hand whipping out, you felt the bottle leave you, flying in an arch right towards its target. 

Smack!

The bottle struck the side of Atori's head, glass shards flying as the liquid poured out directly onto his skin. His loud screech of pain echoed across the courtyard, pausing in his retreat to use his multiple hands to scratch at his face. You watched horrified, scrambling backwards again to get towards safety, as Atori fell to his knees, screams never fading. You felt large hands grab at your arms and almost panicked until you saw the tale-tell sign of green gloves. Shichirou. 

You let yourself be pulled against his chest as he jumped further away from the still screeching demon, more vines being produced to wrap around Atori's body once more. This time staying there to hold him in place. With Atori's arms held in place and no longer covering his face, you finally saw what damage you had done. The entire right side of his face was bright red and bulging, some areas far darker than others, an obvious sign of where the oils had hit first and stayed the longest. His left eye, that was still open, rolled about its socket manically as if he couldn't focus it at all. 

Once a considerable distance away, Shichirou put you down, but still hovered about directly behind you. You stood frozen, still staring at the carnage you had wrought on the spider demon. Completely ignoring the gargoyle behind you as he tried to check you over, a rant about dangers spilling from his lips, your eyes stayed locked on Atori. Adrenaline making it, so you couldn’t take your eyes away from the possible danger. It wasn’t until Shichirou forced your head to look at him that you finally took your gaze away. 

“Are you alright?” He asked softly. Were you? No, you were not alright. Your senses, still so high-strung, still screamed of danger. That turning your back was perilousness. All of your inner instincts clamouring and fighting to rip out of you and take care of the threat. Or at least run away. 

To run...run? Run! Your entire body jerked forward instinctively, Shichirou's arms wrapping around you, his wings bursting forth in a flurry of feathers ready to block whatever was coming to your back as he lept away again.  Your hands clutched his shirt tightly, eyes scrunching shut in fear at being so exposed and not being able to see the danger, much less attack back. Pulse racing, you waited for the attack to hit. 

Only, it never did. 

There was a loud cracking noise, that rather reminded you of bones snapping, and a pained yowl by the time Shichirou touched down again. Most of his body stayed tense, but the arms holding you loosened just enough that you could look to see what happened. Turning around, the first thing you noticed was Shiida, with a rather more exposed outfit than you remembered seeing her in this morning, lowering her leg back toward the ground. Stepping on top of a knocked-down Atori, a spray of web trailed from his mouth to fall only a few inches short of where you had been. She easily dug her heel into his back, exactly where you assumed his wing roots were... 

"You will....not hurt....my friend," Shiida growled, digging her foot further into his back. His body spasmed out of instinct, but it was obvious to tell from the way his body had fallen, she had fully snapped his spine. 

"Shiidaaaaa..." Atori growled out, "How… could you?!" 

"Friends help...one another...when needed... You...threatened friend... I end...the threat," Shiida explained before locking eyes with you, "I help...my friend." 

My allegiance lies with you. 

Your eyes teared up from all the emotions stirring in you like a cyclone, the most prominent being relief and something akin to affection blooming across your chest. You understood her message and nodded at her with a watery smile. 

A wall of fire surrounded the four of you, followed by what appeared to be a wall of flower guns crawling up the side of the building, Ifirit-sensei and Suzy-sensei. You heard the door to the side of you slam open and the pounding of footsteps as more and more teachers filed in as backup. 

Your body almost collapsed from the amount of relief that flowed through you, and if Shichirou’s arms weren’t still holding you close, you probably would have. You and the others were safe, there was simply no way Atori could take on the entire staff of Babyls if he had issues with two, technically three, of you. When the heavy pressure of Sullivan’s aura arrived long before you saw his tall, lean form, it merely confirmed what you already knew. 

Atori would not be getting away this day. 

"Hey, Shichirou?" He hummed in response, Shiida walking closer to you guys after finally getting off of Atori’s battered body, and Sullivan got to work questioning him. "Do you know of any petting zoos around here? Specifically, one with chicks?" 

The crazed look he gave you was more than worth the slightly hysterical laugh that left your throat as he went about checking your head for injuries.

Cross posted on Wattpad and AO3!

[batwynn]

As someone with OCD hey, welcome to the club! I feel it takes forever for OCD to get properly diagnosed because the culture depcitions are so far off from what so many people experience re: OCD. Like yes, there are people who experience counting, obsessive cleaning, but mine literally feels like im on a train that I cant get off of--everything is my fault and one bad thing must lead to the very worst outcome, right? (also known as Pure O). I'm also, instead of obsessive cleaning, tend to be a hoarder. Things make me feel better and I struggle to get rid of things because...WHAT IF I NEED THEM??

Therapy has helped a lot, but I've also been able to get on some great meds that have helped me as well. I really hope you find a path towards a better mental state; diagnosis is always the first step and often the hardest. You've got this!

It’s truly wild that medical professionals also seem to believe what’s shown on TV because man-o-man same hat with the not obsessive cleaning but I have like twenty thousand envelopes. 🥲

The saddest part for me right now is that I was diagnosed when I was a kid by one dr who also said ‘lol but wait, there’s more! They also have ADHD and some mysterious learning disabilities. Good luck.’ and then like… no one ever did a single thing about it no matter how hard my mom tried to get help for me and it eventually it all just got lost in my medical history. So I just kind stomped down any noticeable ‘quarks’ (For a while I was drawing ten million little circles and it Deeply Concerned people) from all of the above and internalized it hard core to the point of assuming everyone thought and felt the same way I did for so many years and I now I want to explode.

Anyway. I’m extremely happy to hear you’ve had some success with therapy and meds! It’s always nice to hear when the combo works for folks. :)

[katasstrophy]

isagi brain juice ! enjoy this lil sneak peek of what i’m working on (isagi’s lowk a dick here but we humble him, but then we get humbled back ) —

isagi knew you were moody. it was something he disciplined himself to be patient for and he prided himself in being able to handle your mood swings. but right now he’s just trying to think of a way to not let his veins pop out of frustration.

“you’re being dramatic, i told you it was my fault already!” isagi frowned, his index and thumb rubbing the temples of his forehead to soothe the little headache forming.

“if you know it’s your fault then why aren’t you apologizing?” scoffing at his eye roll you pause your cleaning on the countertop and cross your arms at him, foot tapping in annoyance.

“because YN you should know that practice is irregular— if you’d told me that your parents were coming over earlier i’d have asked for a day off!”

gritting your teeth in anger you walked up to the man and rivaled his glare with your own, temper flaring at his ignorance. “yoichi i don’t want to have to hear that bullshit excuse from you ever again because like you, i’m also an athlete and i have better time management than blue lock’s so called hero.”

letting out a huff of anger isagi throws his head back and feels his patience thrown out the window. any self control he had before was now gone.

“just because you have better time management doesn’t mean shit to me YN. you don’t need an ego for your sport, i do. my career literally depends on me and my confidence to kick the ball. so sorry if i don’t have time to play house with you.”

before isagi could walk away you made sure to grab the silver necklace he wore- the one with your initials on it and drag him down to you height— eyes flaring in anger, and with a low voice you whisper in his ear as your words trembled in anger. “ don’t take it out on me that you don’t have the balls to kick a fucking football isagi yoichi. just because you’re too pussy to consistently keep an ego doesn’t mean you can disrespect our relationship.” grabbing his jaw firmly you make the blue eyed boy look into your eyes, making sure his line of vision was focused on you. “unlike you yoichi i’m not a dog to ego. following his orders to a T. why don’t you just wear a collar with his name on it? that way when he wants to go on a walk he can just strap a leash on you whenever he pleases.”

laughing to yourself you release his necklace and began to walk away— but not before isagi grabs the back of your shirt and drags you back to him, his arms harshly man-handling you to lay on the table, pinning yours against smooth surface as he let out a growl of frustration.

“you’ve gotten mouthy ever since you landed a spot on the national team YN. i recommend to think before you speak because i’ll make sure you never say that shit to me again.” he seethed.

pressing your arms harder onto the surface he felt himself smirk at your whimper.

“if i’m a dog then you’re my bitch. remember that pretty.”

the way i’ve been hogging this all too myself like a professional hoarder literally WHAT THE FUCK KAYLA i can’t keep going on like this. like WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT WHOOOOO ALLOWED YOU TO ASSULT MY EYEBALLS WITH THIS TOE CURLING DRABBLE???? the audacity. no consideration for my wellbeing and sanity ABSOLUTELY NONE ZERO hope ur ready to cover my medical bills bc i have permanent asthma from wheezing so hard while reading this i am NOOTTTT OKAAYYY SCREECHING TEARING MY HAIR OUT

where do i even START you’ve been feeding me ur angry isagi agenda for a while now BUT THIS IS NEXT LEVEL CAUTION HOT MIGHT BURN SCALDING …. i will quite literally never get tired of readers being just as much IF NOT MORE of an asshole especially when it comes to bllk boys like ,,,, YES BBIE BE NASTY AND DEPRAVED AND A MASSIVE JERK WITH ANGER ISSUES i want every blue lock guy ever to go “is my type insane women??? hot” i’m foaming at the mouf coochie weeping

AND BOY DID YOU DELIVVEERRRRRR. like the argument here is so insane(ly sexy). they went off so hard the clap backs??? i gasped out loud it was vicious instant hit call the firemen for that type of first degree burn kinda insults. reader grabbing ISAGI’S CHAIN WITH HER INITIALS TO BRING HIM TO EYE LEVEL what if i came what then. there’s just so much audacity and tension bc they’re both pro athletes.

“if i’m your dog then you’re my bitch. remember that pretty.” THIS TOOK ME OUUTTTT LOORRDDD. the contrast of bitch and pretty like yeah he’s gonna hate fuck the shit out of you on the kitchen counter but ur still his pretty baby he’s obsessed with you.

[0l0x]

Back yard update.

The house will always look trashy no matter what. I can't wait for the day we just bulldoze that decrepit fucking mold-farm to the ground and put a tiny house in its place. The only reason we haven't yet is because my mom still insists on living in it. Whenever she goes, that house is falling right behind her. Same with Kenneth and his trailer, it looks awful and it's infested with rats.

Once these two kick the bucket, that's it. No hoarder shall set a god damn foot on this property ever again. I'm so beyond sick of living in other peoples' filth.

In the meantime I'm working on other things I can actually control, like:

-Decommissioning that burn pit. It's served us well over the years, but it's in an annoying location and it looks like crap so it's gotta go.

-Cutting down those remaining cottonwoods in the back. They're small enough that we shouldn't have to pay a professional, we can just do it ourselves. The challenge is cleaning up all the wood and branches...again. For the millionth time. I've had enough cleaning up trees for 100 lifetimes.

-Expanding the vegetable garden. Not a big priority, but it's something I'd like to do maybe next year.

-This one IS a big priority: screening those loud, smelly, ugly-ass greenhouses. I already got started on this back in spring, when I planted some willows, poplars, and clumping bamboo along the fenceline. But I have to finish the job by getting my hands on some evergreen saplings, which I can't afford to do at the moment. Maybe in autumn.

-There's a huge mess of logs and branches from recent tree work along the western fenceline, on top of fallen trees from years ago that I've been chipping away at since 2021. It just doesn't end. I'd like to clean all that up by the end of this year.

Sometimes I look out the window and just cry because I'm so sick and there's so much to do, it's way too overwhelming. Looking back on these progress updates and reminding myself of all I've accomplished so far keeps me from going postal.

I desperately want to live in a nice, normal, not trashy/ghetto/unsafe place of my own for just once in my life.

6/1/2024

[sorchaivy]

Some days, hope is hard. Today is one of those days.

Maudlin ramblings and wailing and gnashing of teeth below the cut.

Today is grey and rainy (and early summer here, so hardly seasonal weather), which always makes it harder for me to feel positive or hopeful.

But even sunny days are hard right now.

I live alone, and I've been single for nearly 10 years, working in a job that barely respects me as a worker let alone a person. I have my cat and my knitting and the media I enjoy, and beyond that and my family and a handful of friends I have very little else.

My father has dementia and is nearly completely gone. He's not yet 70, so young, and the dementia has moved so fast. It's barely 4 years since the first signs began, and he is now almost completely non-verbal, has lost all continence and spends his days lying in bed with a book open in his hands but no ability to read it.

We (my younger sister and I) knew it was coming, but knowing a thing and living it are horrifically different things.

In order to keep him in care, we have to sell his flat... and therein lies the next heartache. Because Dad was a hoarder who lived in squalor for 15 years, even before the dementia claimed him. And we can't afford to pay for professionals to help us clear out his flat, let alone pay for renovations to ensure we'll get even close to market value for it.

So we have to clean up and throw out 15+ years of accumulated filth and rubbish while also dealing with shame of knowing our father lived in those conditions, and we let him. Couldn't have stopped him, really.

And we have to do it within the next three or four months, so that we have a chance of selling the flat before June next year, so as to pay for Dad's residential care before the cost goes up and he gets evicted.

And we also have to do all before June because my sister is going to emigrate to the other side of the world with her new husband, to be with his family there. Parents and siblings and niblings are all waiting for them.

And that will leave me here, alone. Dad nearly gone, mostly just a body now. Mum died almost 15 years ago. And sister leaving for her new family on the other side of the world.

Add to that, my beloved cat is ageing and I will probably have to choose in the coming years between treatment I can't afford or the kindest goodbye I can give her.

And I just... I can feel my life, and my joy in life withering. I feel like all I have ahead of me is a hollowing out, a barren prospect of work and sleep and gradual physical decline as I age, and the occasional small bits of joy I can claw with bloodied fingers and grim determination from the implacable granite face of exhaustion and grief and late-capitalist hellscape despair.

And I know how tiny my problems are in the face of the literal fucking genocides, plural, being perpetrated right now. I know how little my complaints are in comparison with the fear of total climate collapse, or the possibility of further economic hardship driving millions into soul-crushing poverty.

And do not mistake me, I am NOT suicidal, nor am I giving in to this depression and despair.

I will persist, and I will keep carving out my tiny joys...

I just... for right here and right now I'm too tired and heartsore to do it without complaint.

I am crying. I hate crying. But right now I can't really do anything else.

In a little while I'll get up, splash water on my face, make myself a cup of tea and something to eat, and sit down to keep knitting a blanket for my sister. I'll even enjoy doing it, or I'll bloody well try to.

Because what else is there?

[loominggaia]

New Looming Gaia Story: Resistance is Futile

Title: Resistance is Futile

Summary: Mysterious monsters have been wreaking havoc in the Northern Sea. Even professional monster hunters are struggling to get this menace under control, so they call upon the Freelance Good Guys to get the job done. The crew soon realizes that this problem goes much deeper than they ever imagined…

Length: 49k words

---> READ IT HERE ON Ao3 <---

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.

Notes:

It's currently October of 2023. This story was first drafted in March of 2020, just to give you an idea how far behind I am...But now it's finally finished, and I'm extra excited because:

1 ) This is the second-longest story in the Looming Gaia series so far. At 49k words, it's surpassed just slightly by "Dirty Animal", which is 50k words. Usually they only run half this long, but this story is double-stuffed with content!

2 ) The previous entry in the main series was posted in December 2021, making this the longest gap between entries since the series began. Typically a new story gets posted every month or two, but this one took over a year to finish due to big changes in my life. I worked on this in small increments between moving, cleaning and fixing up a stage 4 hoarder property, and taking care of my elderly mom, and I thought I'd never see the end of it but here we are.

3 ) WE GET A NEW FREELANCE GOOD GUY! Okay, this one isn't much of a surprise. If you've read the last few stories, you probably saw this coming from miles away. But still!

A lot of other exciting things happen in this story. Unfortunately I can't say any more without spoiling them, so read on to find out for yourself!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

Cora's Collecting

A03

Summary:

When Regina Mills adopted her son, she decided to cut her mother off from her life. Cora’s collecting habit had spiralled so far out of control that she feared for her son’s health and safety. Today, Cora says she is ready to start cleaning out her mess and making space for her family and friends to come back into her life.

Notes:

My excuses are that I couldn’t sleep and had the clearest image of Cora being a hoarder that I could not shake until it was written. And, honestly, it was so much fun that I hope you laugh and enjoy it as much as sleep-deprived me enjoyed dreaming it up. This is meant to be lovingly mocking the television programme and the format they follow for all their one million episodes. This is not, at all, a jest at the expense of anyone who does suffer from compulsive hoarding. 

For over fifteen years, Cora Mills has been bringing things into her 145,000-square-foot residence nestled in the picturesque Misthaven woods. When she moved into the hunting lodge that she has used as a primary residence for over thirty-seven years, Cora was a newlywed and it was the ideal place for her to start her family. 

The gilded halls were with bright sunlight streaming in through windows with their heavy drapes tied back. The expensive fabrics of the drapes were perfectly coordinated with finely embroidered seats and the thick, soft rugs. Heavy wooden tables sat between the seats which lined the marble corridors. The lodge boasted over 180 large rooms, each decorated immaculately in individual styles which complimented one another. 

But, all that changed for her when her husband of over twenty years suddenly died in his sleep. Despite a lifelong battle with an unknown heart condition, his death changed everything for Cora. She had to fight to keep her home after her husband died and five years after his death, she and her teenage daughter, Regina, were finally given the deed to the home they’d lived in for her daughter’s entire life. 

“I don’t think my father and mother had a particularly happy marriage,” Regina recalls without emotion. “It was the house and the potential to lose the house that really seemed to shake her up. Yeah, I think that is when she really started to accumulate things.” 

Today, the once-pristine hunting lodge is filled with clutter. Every one of the over 180 rooms is so stuffed with furniture, clothing, children’s toys, and other items that Cora has resulted in sleeping in the stable on a haystack without heat. 

“I’ve been sleeping in the stables and washing in the watering trough for about three years now,” Cora admits to Dr Archie Hopper, a clinical psychologist who specialises in the treatment of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder and who struggle with compulsive hoarding. Archie has been brought in, along with professional organiser, Belle French, to help Cora clear out the clutter that has overtaken her life. 

“I want to see my grandson play in the halls where I raised my daughter,” Cora explains as she shows Archie through the cramped halls of her home. After climbing over too many items to identify single objects and shimming against walls they finally reach the suite of rooms that Cora once slept in. Here, the clothing and furniture are stacked around them in mountainous piles that reach the ceilings. The gold-plated ceiling seems to have dulled. Little light filters through the massive windows, which are almost completely blocked by Cora’s items. 

“We are now standing in your wing of the home and it is completely buried in items,” Archie says matter-of-factly. Cora nods in agreement with his statements but doesn’t say anything in response. “How does it make you feel, Cora? Looking at these items in the rooms where you once dressed for grand balls?” 

Cora looks around the space and takes in the piles around them, “It’s embarrassing. I don’t know how I let it get this far.” 

Archie grabs a nearby item, a landscape of the north woods of Arendelle in an elaborate dusty golden frame, and shows it to Cora. “How would you feel if I took this with me tonight?” 

“I wouldn’t like that,” Cora’s voice is sharp with a mixture of anxiety and unquestionable authority. 

“Cora, you called me here to help you get better.” 

“How does taking my things help me?” 

“You have to try to make room for your grandson to play. This is not a safe environment for him to be in,” Archie softly states to remind Cora of her goals in having him there today. 

“Fine.”

“So, I am going to take this with me.”

“Okay,” Cora says wearily. 

“How do you feel right now?” 

“Angry. Stressed.” 

“I want you to sit with that for a while. It is important for you to know this feeling will fade away and you are strong enough to endure the discomfort,” Archie explains gently. Cora looks away from where Archie stands with the painting, toward the other items surrounding them. The dust and clutter fill her with dread that chases out the discomfort she was feeling at the thought of the psychologist taking the painting of the white woods of the North Forest. 

Cora desperately wishes that the home could already be organised and returned to its former glory and is overwhelmed by the taste of bitter emotions - anger, shame, frustration, guilt, and hopelessness - thick on her tongue. She is ready to have her house back and her daughter back, but she cannot see a path forward out of the clutter she has built up around her. 

Dr Hopper has called Cora’s daughter, Regina, to see how the conditions of the home have deteriorated since she was last there, eight years ago. Regina stopped visiting her mother when she adopted her son, Henry, because she feared for his safety in her home. 

“When I was a child, the house was spotless. My mother had a host of people that helped keep everything in order. If she found a speck anywhere in the house, the maid responsible for that room was never seen again,” Regina tells Dr Hopper before he knocks on the door of the home. 

Cora opens the door and Regina walks into her childhood home once again. Cora and Archie stand at the threshold of the door and allow Regina to tour her once-spotless home alone. Regina is horrified by the clutter. “The mountains of junk have grown so much since the last time I was in there. I could never allow my son into that death trap.” 

She makes her way through another room, items crunching beneath her feet, and her anger flares again at the situation her mother has created. When the pile she was standing on gave out and sent her tumbling, Regina terminates the tour and returns to her mother and the psychologist waiting in the foyer.

“Mother, this is horrible. How do you live this way? It is disgusting.” Regina’s anger is rolling off her in waves, the hate and accusation in her glare all too familiar. 

“I know. I don’t know,” Cora answers but her words fall on deaf ears.

“Belle should be arriving, let’s make our way back outside,” Archie suggests.

Regina shakes her head, “I’m leaving, I have to get Henry from school,” and with that, she is gone as quickly as she came. 

After collecting herself, Cora nods to Archie. When they exit from the house, Regina has disappeared. The grand fountains flowing with clear water and bright green topiaries with not a branch out of place provide a sharp contrast from the dark and dusty house behind them. 

Cora draws in a deep breath of fresh air before turning to watch the young brunette woman in a flowing blue dress cutting through the courtyard, her thick hair billowing in waves behind her with every purposeful step. Cora felt an immediate dislike for the young lady storming her home. 

As if reading her mind, Archie lays a calming hand on Cora’s shoulder, “She’s here to help. You are still in control of this entire process.”

Scowling at the clammy hand on her shoulder, Cora mutters -  Supper with Regina and Henry. Supper with Regina and Henry. 

“Good morning, Belle!” Archie calls to the new arrival with a smile. They shake hands and exchange some pleasantries. 

Belle turns to face Cora with a bright smile. “You must be Cora?” Belle’s chipper voice grates at Cora’s already raw nerves. Her smile does not falter when Cora refuses to shake her proffered hand or acknowledge her ridiculous question in any way, “Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?”

“No better time to start than the present,” Archie chirps as he pushes open the grand door, revealing the hoard behind to the organiser. To Cora’s disappointment and relief, Belle’s smile still doesn’t falter as she crosses the threshold and orients herself with the clutter inside. 

“Cora, you have some beautiful things here,” Belle says and Cora wonders if she misjudged the lady. “But, we have a lot of things to clear so that you can actually enjoy them.”

No, I was right.

“That is why I have called you, Ms. French,” Cora explains slowly, as if worried the organiser could not grasp their meaning.

“Absolutely,” Belle replied cheerily. The smile finally fades as she picks up two items at random and holds them up to Cora. “Cora, can you get rid of either of these two items?”

Cora studies the small broken round table. The green marble table top is a sad echo of the sprawling gardens visible through the open door, two of the three shiny cheery wood legs are still intact and end in a highly decorative curl, dust is so thick that the finer details of the carvings are lost. Her palms start sweating and her pulse thunders in her chest and head as she shifts her focus to the porcelain doll Belle holds. The black hair of the doll has become frizzy with age and poor storage, the fine fabric of her dress is creased and wrinkly, and the doll’s painted face has faded. 

“No,” Cora rasps out, her mouth and throat suddenly too dry. Cora knows that she has to get rid of her things, but the doll’s big brown eyes stare at her accusingly. Regina’s face, splotchy and red from crying, fills Cora’s mind. Her expression is equally as accusing as the doll’s; she blamed Cora for the accident that had taken Daniel’s life. Cora would never heal the wounds that formed when she survived the accident that Regina’s first love did not. 

“Cora, you have to give up so much more than one thing before your daughter and grandson can come over for a visit,” Belle admonishes gently.

Archie steps toward Cora, placing a hand on her arm, “You seemed to have gotten very stressed all of a sudden. What are you thinking about, right now?” 

“I am thinking that I cannot throw out the doll.”

“What happens if you throw out the doll?” Archie nudges. 

“I can never get my daughter back,” Cora grinds out. 

“Cora, we are cleaning up all of this to get her back,” Belle says simply. Both of their faces are sad and understanding in a way that snaps something in Cora. 

“Throw them both out,” Cora demands, a sense of pride soaring through her as Archie and Belle congratulate her on making a good decision. It is ridiculous that their praise should matter to her, but she relishes it all the same. 

They work through the day and night similarly - Belle and Archie holding up a few items and Cora deciding what to keep and what to remove; Cora continues to bask in the praise, encouraged to keep only priceless family heirlooms and the necessary furnishings. It is not until an owl flies in through the open doorway, making the three all squeal and swat at it to shoo it back out, that they haul the progress for the day. 

Cora sleeps in her halfway-cleared grand foyer that night. The comfort of the antique tufted sofa far exceeded the straw bed she slept in the night prior. 

When she wakes up, she is shocked that she does not mourn the loss of the things that were removed from her home. The realisation inspires her to go forward with the process when Belle and Archie arrive. 

After a successful first day, Archie and Belle have an idea to speed up the clean-up process to get Cora back in her home, ready to host her daughter and grandson.

“Cora, since your house is so large. We brought along a crew of over 120 people to help haul away all of your stuff. With your permission, we would like to have them take away anything that is damaged or of little value,” Archie says in a way that seems like a question and command all at once. 

“Okay,” Cora agrees, but she feels a sense of impending doom that throws her off as she picks up where they had left off sorting through the foyer last night. After an hour or so, the feeling becomes too much for her to continue to ignore and she stops working and runs out to the courtyard. Trucks as far as she can see are filled with items taken from her home. The workers are tossing her possessions in without care and she worries they have included relics of great import in those bags that she cannot see through. The fear grips her and she is rushing the trucks and yelling at the men toiling away before she is aware of her actions.

“Cora? Cora, what is wrong?” Belle asks, chasing after her from the front door. 

“They are just removing everything. Not everything in my home is trash! You promised they would only take away things that were damaged or trash! This is twenty trucks of things, there is no way that my house had twenty trucks of worthless trash in it,” Cora is yelling at the petit organiser. 

“Cora, I promise you that we did not throw away anything of value,” Belle says in her most soothing tone. 

LIAR!  Cora wants to scream it in her face but knows there is no point. “I don’t want to do this anymore,” she admits to the organiser. 

“It is hard, what you are doing is very hard. But, if you keep going, you can have your daughter back in your life. Isn’t that more important to you?” 

“Of course, it is,” Cora snaps. The last day and a half have been extremely difficult and she feels more alone than she ever has before. Cora is exhausted and does not want to fight anymore. 

Belle pauses the cleaning crew and Cora talks with Archie. Three hours later, Cora agrees to continue with the clean-up. She returns to the task with a new determination and allows the Merry Men to continue their removal work without interruption. That night, she falls asleep in her bed for the first time in over a decade. 

After ten months of work with professional organiser, Belle French, and numerous haul-away days with the Merry Men, Cora’s home has been returned to its former glory. Her daughter is returning to see how her mother is progressing.

Cora waits for her daughter to arrive filled with nervous energy. The home is immaculate once more, the halls almost as bright as they were when Regina’s laughter filled them, but she worries that Regina will not see the progress that she has made.  It won’t be enough to have your daughter and grandson in your life.

When the knock sounds, a newly hired butler rushes to open the door. The butler shows Regina around the house, as directed. Regina takes in the beautifully polished furniture, the rich fabrics, the smudge-free windows and mirrors, the tastefully decorated rooms, the maids and servers darting between the rooms, and she is transported to a time when their home was the centre of the kingdom.

Cora is settled in a formal sitting room, anxiously waiting to receive her daughter. A maid appears with tea and biscuits before disappearing again. 

Regina arrives with a broad smile on her face, “You did it, Mother.”

Cora’s heart leaps at her daughter’s approval. Her daughter looks at her with love and admiration that hasn’t been there for as long as Cora can remember. Cora is filled with cautious hope for their relationship. 

“I cannot believe it. You did it. It looks incredible!” Regina pulled her into a tight hug and Cora feels tears prickling in her eyes.

“Does that mean you will bring Henry for dinner and for holidays?” Cora asks tentatively.

“Yes. Oh, you’re going to love him. He is perfect; so smart and so funny,” Regina gushes, settling to sit with her mother on her couch for the first time in years. Cora gestures toward the tea, listening and laughing and enjoying her daughter’s company. The future looks bright for them for the first time in many more years. 

[wasntfaira]

my parents are buying me a house sometime this year ( crazy ) so my roommates have been de-hoarding my parents house as payment since my parents wont accept a payment plan bc they know we're gonna barely scrape by paying for bills. mom & dad & i are all disabled & just can't clean, plus any professional hoarding cleaning crews need the hoarder's participation & consent & my mom has dementia & is bedridden & just can't do that. den & kitchen are finally clean & it just finally doesn't smell like dog piss & mold it kind of made me emotional ?? bc jfc it's been dirty for so long & i'm sad my parents have been living like that. like family helped before (when i was like 10, so it's been 17 years) but they gave up after a while bc my mom just continues to hoard after they leave. i've just been throwing out everything we don't need -- we've filled the curb twice now. it's a crazy difference. the plan is to become their like weekly 'maids' once we move out -- do the basics & maintain what we've accomplished. hopefully dad can keep mom from overbuying when i'm out of here. my grandma died a couple months ago & we're about to get hit with whatever she left to my mom & me & i'm worried moms gonna try & keep too much. but dad's pretty set on not letting her take anything but jewelry so hopefully he sticks to that. hoarding is a hell of a disease.

[ilhoonftw]

i hate how hoarder clean ups became a trend among in that 'weird but satisfying videos' niche!!! all people see is pilies of trash and maybe the person cleaning tells them 'don't be mean they have depression' but it's more like 'look at me i'm soooo nice doing this for free! i love dirt!'. hoarding is very misunderstood, hardly ever talked about beyond 'gross people who live in trash'. hoarding disorder is in dsm!!! it's a serious thing!!! it pains me too see how those content creators are freely exploiting people who need professional help beyond just cleaning. there was this korean youtube channel cleaning avengers that actually did interviews with people they helped with cleaning, how there was always some sort of trauma involved. and in the end the guys running that channel got burnt out. also it's wild scrub daddy sponsors like all of the big tiktok accounts who make this type of content? like that popular finnish lady who cleans mold without any protection 🤢

[rogue-ai-cat]

Looked at gigs on craigslist bc someone said that was a good way to make a quick buck and literally every listing except for one is like "I demand someone who does this professionally to come and help me do this thing for free RIGHT NOW" and the thing is like cleaning out a hoarders home full of roaches or transporting half a ton of bricks.

[soul-wanderer]

The Noel Diary (a brief and belated review) (okay, we all know this won’t be brief, because these reviews are not ever brief)

The Good:

- Barrett being her usual cute self and a literal light in the darkness of this season

- Barrett singing, incredible as usual

- A cute dog, can’t ever go wrong with that

- Small town christmas vibes, kinda cute, even if it’s also kitschy

- The neighbour lady and her date/boyfriend, 10/10 would ship it again

- “If you said there was only one room left, this would be like a rom-com” was, again, kitschy, but given the tone of this movie I’ll allow it and give it a brief chuckle

- For half of this movie, Barrett’s (aka Rachel’s) outfits and hair were on point (you guess where you will find the other half of the movie)

- The overall somewhat diversity in this movie. I say that in direct comparison to Hallmark movies, because this movie definitely fits the Hallmark stereotype, even though it’s produced by Netflix, hence the attempt at diversity (hello menorah in the hospital and random gay folks and PoC)

The Not So Good:

- Why did he get the fireplace started that probably hasn’t been cleaned in forever

- How was that piano sounding so good? Mum was a hoarder and I assure you that piano hasn’t been professionally tuned in what? 20 years? Yeah, there’s no way that piano still played a single straight note

- I cannot officially criticise the stereotypes/clichés in a Netflix Hallmark movies, but if I could: goddamnit, they really shoved a lot of those down their viewer’s throats (white shirt in the rain, impromptu jam session, woman choosing the wrong guy, lonely writer, suddenly being alone at a public event, only one bedroom left, father and son reconnecting in an awkward manner, dude randomly showing up at her house and looking up at the window, and so on)

- Dude really needs a leash for his dog

- Why did Dude and father leave Rachel waiting in the cold car for so long? And how did they survive sleeping in a cold af car?

- Who messed up Barrett’s hair and outfits in the second half of the movie?! Choices were made and they were not good choices, at all

The Bad:

- His weird stalking when she accidentally left the connecting door of their hotel rooms ajar. Seriously, wtf

- Dude looking for/meeting up with Rachel’s biological mother?! That looked a lot like overstepping boundaries, what was he trying to achieve anyway?

- We see him meeting her bio mum but not her?! Which makes this extra strange

- I don’t want to make assumptions here, but I feel like the bio mum was miscast looks wise (not acting wise, the acting was great) and I have a thought or two about the process

- Dude showing up at her house on christmas day/eve, despite fucking knowing that she’s still engaged. It might have been cute if she had been single, but she wasn’t. What was he trying to achieve there? Yeah, she cheated on her fiance and they were obviously trying to reconcile, but even if she chose the safe option over the “being happy” option, it wasn’t his place to insert himself into their relationship like that. That’s not cool, guys (gender neutral), so please don’t ever do that. Write a letter, for what it’s worth, but don’t basically stalk an engaged person

- The final parts seemed rushed, mostly because they spent too much time fulfilling clichés, but I wasn’t expecting a cinematic masterpiece anyway

In Conclusion:

It’s a Hallmark movie, only it is not because it’s produced by Netflix. But don’t be fooled, it’s still very much a Hallmark movie. Watch it if you generally like Hallmark movies but are fed up with the overall whiteness and lack of diversity of Hallmark movies. Or watch it if you generally hate Hallmark movies but are willing to watch some kitsch for the holidays (or any other day of the year). Don’t expect too much plot wise but other than that it does have it’s sweet/cute/funny moments and Barrett’s performance is a solid 9/10, but that’s due to the fact that no one can genuinely portray that many clichés without it looking a little, well, cliché. Overall it’s an easy watch and despite hating Christmas and Hallmark movies (I know, I know), I did not have a terrible time watching this, so that probably speaks for itself

[goflowolfog]

I’m nearly 30 and this summer I moved in with my dad. He’s a hoarder in denial, and I’ve been trying to clean the place up but of course it’s an uphill battle. I’m slowly getting better about my agoraphobia and anxiety, but it’s still agonizing when I see people in my feeds going out, or posting from their clean and tidy living spaces. I can’t hold a job or drive due to my ADHD being that bad, and I have a largely irrational fear of taking medication. My diet has gotten worse. I have little hope of ever finishing my degree. The bathroom here is almost unusable filthy. I refuse to touch the carpet with my bare feet. I know I should set up appointments with medical professionals, but it’s like pulling teeth with extra forms. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this