#things i need to do: find a contractor for my bathroom. things i am not doing bc the idea of spending that much money is paralyzing: that.

[mybrainproblems]

.

[leggerefiore]

Dreaming Reality

cw: Darkrai Cyrus, pokemkn hybrid au, slightly possessive Cyrus (very subtle)

pairing: Cyrus/Reader

Newmoon Island was desolate. Mostly rocky with only a small area of greenery that held a grotto inside it. You found it difficult at times to call it home. There were no pokemon that lived on the island, excluding a specific one. The nearest store required a long boat ride back to the main land. Then you needed to fret over what to bring with you. It was always messy.

Your home had become something more… functional than the tent you had originally pitched on it. The pain of hiring contractors to build out here remained fresh on your mind, especially with local rumours making it harder. Though, they absolutely did not have to worry about the nightmare being doing anything to them. He was too busy hiding in said grotto from earlier to avoid all of them. Fascinatingly, that was the first time you saw him express any form of jealousy, too, as he had wanted you to hide with him in the shade of the trees.

The next time came when you decided that more supplies were needed to live somewhat comfortably again. Heading out to meet the boat after scheduling for a pickup, you had watched the Darkrai's face shift from the area of the small cabin that he had claimed. “You are leaving again?” Cyrus's voice was strange, hypnotic – It was something impossibly calming and deep. You feared that if you listened too long, you would fall into slumber while doing something. He walked towards you, eerie shadows seemingly swirling as he moved.

“I'm running low on some bathroom essentials,” you mumbled, trying to fight the odd stupor that had begun to claim your mind. How much you had slept since coming to this island would likely concern any doctor, but such was the fate of being Darkrai's lover, you supposed. At least the dreams you had were often pleasant and comforting. Any nightmares ended quickly, and you found yourself being comforted by Cyrus when they happened.

“Do you truly need them?” his voice sounder like it was coming from everywhere as he grasped your hand and brought it to his lips, “Just stay here… I don't want to give you back to them right now…” You wanted to argue back, but the familiarity of his words sent shivers down your spine. The room around you seemed to suddenly fade to a complete void as you felt alone and terrified. Confusion rushed through your mind. Had you not been awake? Where was this?

You did not dare move.

Arms softly came around you from the darkness behind to gently embrace you.

“Beloved…” you could feel the heat of his breath on your ear, “Awaken.”

You shot awake in your bed, taken aback from the sheer lack of light in the room.

“Cyrus…” you whined, turning to see the man in bed beside you, “… Can't you just cuddle me here instead of messing with my dreams? You made me think I was out of toilet paper.”

He stared at you before clicking his tongue. “… I find it easier to express myself there… I apologise,” the blue-haired man sounded genuine. A hand came to grasp yours. He was being affectionate, something unfortunately uncommon. “Your mind is a comforting place for me to be…” he mumbled while leaning you back down against the sheets, “It's easy for me to lose myself there… Perhaps you hold a perfect world inside your mind…”

You suddenly grabbed his hand tighter than he held your own. It truly had become harder to distinguish reality from dreams. Only one thing was glaringly obvious, and it was Cyrus. No matter the place you were, he was always present in some form. Quite different from his initial reaction to you moving onto his island and deciding to keep him company. “That's almost sweet of you to say, Cy,” you told him sweetly, “… But I do need to be awake for things, too. How am I supposed to eat like that?”

“Do not be foolish,” his voice was strong as he spoke, “I allow you more than enough conscious periods to tend to your human needs. I don't want you to perish.” You sighed. The offence was clear on his face at the thought that he would allow harm to befall you from his actions. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, you then pulled away to stretch and get up from bed.

“Well, I'm going to the mainland for a while, for real this time,” you told him, “… I'll be back, you know. I live here and love to see my cute Cy working away on his projects in his little area.” The Darkrai almost looked more upset by those words than he did by your previous ones.

“I am not cute.”

“Oh, but you haven't seen your focused face. When you figure something out, you smile a little.”

The dark-type felt mortified endlessly by how you viewed him. It definitely bought you time to get away, though.

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

The Gym Membership - Part 45 (Crosshair)

Summary: Crosshair helps Layla with fixing things around her place.

A/N: Hello Lovelies,

I am so sorry for not posting last week, I had a cold, and then a friend was moving, so I was helping paint and unpack things. Anyway, the 700 celebration will start this Saturday, September 1, and run until September 15th.

I hope you will all have fun with this celebration.

Love oo

Warnings: Annoyance, working with one's hands, attraction. I think that's it, if I miss any warnings, please let me know.

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Crosshair��s annoyance was through the roof as he stepped into Layla’s house, the last thing he wanted was to say the wrong thing or give her the wrong look. Especially, since it had nothing to do with her or why he was there to begin with, but no matter how hard he tried to calm down as he drove to her place, he found himself getting more annoyed. And now here he was, doing his stress reducing exercises Avery forced him to remember. He closed his eyes and was counting down from 50 by threes, to get his mind focused on anything else.

“Everything okay, in here?” Layla’s voice echoed off the walls.

Cross glanced over to see Layla pop her head into the bathroom with a smile on her face, completely unaware of the struggle he was going through at the moment. 

“Yeah” was all he answered as he focused back on his task, finishing to scrub the shower head as he cleared his throat. Going over the steps in his head, something he’d done plenty of times before, once the shower head was ready, he just needed to replace the worn gaskets, reinstall everything and turn it on to make sure there were no leaks.

“You seem quiet today.” My eyes focused on his furrowed brow.

He looked up to the mirror to glimpse at her, she was leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on her lips. 

“I’m always quiet”

“True. Well then, you seem particularly annoyed and extremely quiet today.”

He let out a sigh as he moved back to the bathtub wrapping the shower arm with thread seal tape. 

I couldn’t help think, maybe being here was the issue for him, after all I hadn’t exactly made his life easy from the moment I met him. Yes, technically, we were on better terms now, but maybe I had pushed it too far by asking him to fix things in my place. 

“Cross, if this is putting you out, it’s okay. I can get a contractor …”

“No. It’s not putting me out.” He answered gruffly, feeling annoyed and slightly hurt by the fact she was so quick to send him away.

Truth was he didn’t want to leave, he enjoyed working with his hands, oftentimes when he was home, he would dismantle his sniper rifle and guns, clean them, reassemble them, and wipe them down till they were pristine. It gave him a sense of calm, allowing him to think things through, giving him the only peace of mind he could find at times. 

The fact he didn’t feel put out being here gave me a brief sense of joy, I didn’t want to annoy him but more than anything he looked like he needed to talk. I sat down on the toilet seat cover, handing him whatever he requested.

“So … you’re not annoyed because I asked you to fix things for me? At least, I’m hoping you’re not annoyed with me.”

“I’m not. Hand me the shower head.” He held out his hand.

“Here you go.” I passed him the shower head noticing how his muscles shifted under his shirt.

“Thanks”

“Alright, so you’re not annoyed with me, or the fact I asked you to come over and fix things. Then … are you annoyed by something that happened at work?” I asked watching his expression for a hint. 

“No. My patients are pretty good, and being a physiotherapist isn’t as stressful as other aspects of medicine. I mean it is still stressful but not as much. Hand me the cloth and the wrench.” He held his hand out.

I passed both, watching as he tightened the shower head, he stepped out of the bathtub, turning on the shower confirming the pressure. When he turned off the water, he watched to see if anything was dripping out of the faucet. 

“Does it have something to do with your family?”

“Shower heads done, you said there was an issue with the toilet.” He motioned to the seat she was on, wanting to avoid discussing this further.

“Yeah” I stood moving out of his way, “When you flush it makes this god awful sound, it sounds like it’s dying.”

Crosshair chuckled, “I’m sure it’s not dying … well it might be, who knows what you’re eating.” 

“Hey!” I smacked his arm lightly, laughing at his toilet humour, “I’ll have you know, that I’m a very healthy eater.”

“Mmhmm” 

He was busy looking at the tank, as I relocated my seat to the edge of the bathtub, “So, it was one of your family members that ticked you off”

“I think it’s the filler valve,” he answered, ignoring her chosen topic of conversation.

“Did something happen with Hunter or Zai?”

Silence was the only response that greeted me. 

“Okay … well if it wasn’t Hunter or Zai, could it be Wrecker or Mel?”

Rather than answering, he simply turned his head, giving me a look asking if I was ‘for real’, I held up my hand, laughing at his childish behaviour, “Ok not Wrecker or Mel. Echo?” He let out a frustrated sigh, clearly the answer was no, “Sofie?”

“She’s not family.” His voice was poignant and exasperated, as he focused back on the water tank not offering more to his statement.

“Well she’s Echo’s girlfriend, it’s not out of the realm of possibility you consider her family.”

“If and when they start living together, then I’ll consider her family.”

“Fair enough, which only leaves Tech.” The tension between the two had been quite tense the last few times I’d seen them together, “I know things have been a little strained between the two of you because of Avery.”

Cross stopped what he was doing as he looked over his shoulder, glaring his eyes at Layla, “How do you know that?”

The look from his eyes told me I overstepped a tad, okay a lot, “Ahem. I may have had a conversation with Tech about it.” I squirmed a little under his piercing gaze. I held up my hands, “Not on purpose, we just sort of got to talking one day and one thing led to another, and … yeah he may have said something.”

He stood turning to face her, his gaze piercing into her very soul as he leaned back against the sink. Getting increasingly more annoyed by this conversation. 

Yet, the annoyance halted when he finally took in her appearance. 

The way she was sitting on the edge of the tub made his stomach flutter, something about the way she looked so relaxed as she sat with her legs crossed, one over the other, swinging it gently back and forth drawing his attention. She was wearing jean shorts that ended just before her mid-thigh, her legs on full display, down to her manicured toes which were painted a bright orange. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pry his eyes away from her. He especially took note, the way her grey t-shirt pulled tightly against her chest, as she inadvertently pushed it forward, while her hands gripped the tub behind her.

Regardless of how she looked, there was a more pressing concern, he narrowed his eyes as he focused on hers, “When did you two talk?”

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@justanothersadperson93​ @liadamerondjarin​ 

 @spicymcnuggies​ @lady-ren​ @firstofficerwiggles​ 

@darkangel4121​ @discofern​ @kavecika​ 

@monako-jinn-stories​ @ladykatakuri​ @avathebestx​

 @theroguesully​ @furyhellfire66​ @carodealmeida​ 

@ciramaris​ @sprout-fics​ 

 @dindjarin-mandalorian​ @clonethirstingisreal @crosshair-is-the-superior-clone

@totallyunidentified @griffedeloup @leotatombs

@leotawrites @helenaslost @badbatch-simp24​

@dragonrider9905reads

[lolitastories]

NOT A CHAPTER

This will be insert of storylines that happens in the future if Yn and Kayce

Chapter 15:- Part 2

Chapter 14:-Part 1

For the past week it has been the same routine. I get home and lay my things on the couch. Find Kayce if he is home so we could continue to finish up the house. I don’t know how I got dragged into this idea. I wanted to find a house close to the ranch, check. I didn’t care if it was a fixer upper, check. I wanted to wait until atleast a bathroom and the kitchen was done, not check. Kayce got me to agree to move in right away. I should have known better. The kitchen needed painting. The bathroom didn’t have the shower set up yet. And that's only a few things on the list. “Kayce!” I screamed as I got into the house. Eachday we tried to knock something out the list. The first few days we got the bedroom ready. Only a bed was occupying the space. I walked to the kitchen noticing the paint had dried. Another thing that was a hassle is agreeing with things. I wanted a simple white color around the house with a mix of black and greys. Kayce called that the city side of me but that nut jobs wanted browns,greens and reds. What is this supposed to be? That would remind me of my grandmother's house, if I knew her. We decided on a sage green and beige and light blue eggshell color. The wooden floor was all his idea but my bathroom had to be tile and that is as far as we’ve gone.

“In the backyard!” I looked out the far window and saw his back but what I could also see was a figure standing infront of him. Who had come over? I come around cautiosioussly. I stood frozen on the doorway. “Hey-”

“Honey” Last time I heard those words he was using it in a hurtfult way. In the conversation he would call me many other things that weren’t appropriate to call your own daughter. “I wanted to see you” He comes closer but Kayce blocks him from my view.

“Who are you? I thought you were the contractor” His voice was rising and his posture was stiffer.

“Kayce” I stepped forward gently placing my hand on his arm. He got my message and moved aside “I don’t want no lies anymore. I know you are not here to see me” I hadn’t seen him in awhile.His grey hairs were more prominent. Wrinkles probably caused by his companion have worsened. Of course all of this was due because of time other than that he has stayed the same.

“Y/n” He softly spoke. “I am here to see you”

“And?” I raised my eyebrows seeing through his lie.

“And to give you something but that can wait” His shoulders slump down. It might be wrong of me to not even try to hear him out but mistakes back then showed me that people don’t deserve a second chance and it will be okay because I can live without them in my life.

“I said, no lies. Tell me what you need to say or give me, I have no heart to hear anything else”

“My-”

“Mom!” Our heads turn over to the doorway seeing Tate there with two paint swatches in his hand. “I finally choose the color I want”

“Mom?” I look over to see the shock expression in his face. “You had a kid?” His voice was still soft but all I heard was judgment in his tone.

“Who are you?” Thankfully before I could turn to Tate with tears on the brim of my eyes he took him into the house.

“What do you want? I am not going to give you another 5 minutes” I wiped the tears that had not fallen yet.

“I truly wanted to see you but now that I know you have a kid-”

“No” I shake my head furiously. “That will never happen. When you decided to stand there that night and also do nothing when mother screamed at me you also made the decision to have nothing to do with me from that day on”

“I am his grandfather!” I was not going to correct him. The timeline correlates with Tates age so he should have no doubts he was truly mine and I wasn’t about to deny anything. He was the man to forget about wanting to know his grandchild if he knew he didn’t share his blood. Call me evil and stupid but I wanted him to leave here knowing he wasn’t ever going to cross paths with him again and it was for the best.

“Like I said. You are not his grandfather because if I remember correctly you nodded when she said something along the lines of, you can forget your parents, you are no daughter of mine!”

“You knew the reason why! But now it's all cleared up” He took a step forward but I deny him getting closer.

“Yet it took you years later after the truth was announced to come see me and not even an apology was offered”

“You have to understand we felt hurt that day and even after, it was still hard on us” That made me chuckle.

“Hard? You know what was hard? Hearing from the people that gave you life that they didn’t love you! Kicking you out of their house with nothing in hand! Not checking up on you when they knew they were wrong when all they spoke about how bad pride was and how forgiving you should be! I guess it only works for distant relatives and not your own daughter!” Anger was fueling me to let out things I couldn’t control. I didn’t know I felt this way until all the words had been said out loud. “But it's okay. I learned from my mistakes. Like you taught me daddy, you should not trust the one who broke their end of the deal first”

“Y/N/N”

“Don’t” I shake my head. Hearing that nickname only added fuel to the fire I was trying to control. “You have another minute to tell me what you are truly doing here before you get kicked out” I look up to his eyes and see sadness. For the first time I wasn’t the one crying. Then I see a big legal orange envelope pulled from behind him.

“You have been served” And just like that he won the game of chess again. Yes he was crying but I was left broken. “And there will be a rewrite to the list of demands”

“No,” I say coldly. I know what he mean’t. I was the one who walked closer this time. I grabbed the envelope and stared at him in his eyes. “No matter what is in here and what you want, I will not let you take something of mine, I don’t let go of things that easily”

“I saw you in your cousin’s case, you are a good lawyer but good is not going to be enough” He grabs his coat from the chair and walks to the doorway.

“I am not good” He stops his steps turning over and I swear I saw a faint grin. “I am great and if you want a recond you can ask your associate but you can also wait until we are in court ourselves”

“I can’t wait honey” He walks through the doorway allowing me to finally get some air. Closing my eyes I let the faint air caress me and allow it to take away the tension.

“Was it all true?” I turn around frozen at the expression on Kayce’s face. Before I could respond he walked forward wrapping me in his arms. At that time I let out all the frustration in tears. “I'm so sorry. I didn’t know who he was, he told me he was a contractor” I shook my head wanting to tell him not to worry about it but nothing was leaving my mouth. “I thought you called someone about the pool I wanted” I laughed, hitting his chest.

“You’re an idiot, you should have known better. I don’t want a pool in the backyard.”

“How stubborn you are, I should have” He laughs. His hands moved upwards pulling my face into a kiss. “Am sorry” He whispers with sad eyes.

“It's okay. I don’t even know why I am crying, I have bigger things to handle” I left my hand showing the envelope but he pushed my hand down gently.

“Don’t shut down your feelings with me” He kissed me again, pulling closer.

“Trust me when I say I am okay. I guess it was all the emotion of seeing him again. It made me relive that day again.” I look up, wrapping my arms around his neck. “But I am okay. He and my mother will not cause me any more pain” He nods, moving down to place another kiss on my lips. “Now can we talk about the envelope? He nods again. “I haven’t read it but I can tell you he got some ideas by seeing Tate?” His eyebrows furrow. “If I am correct the content of this envelope is to rip me out of the shares in their company and to a new addition to pay some kind of settlement”

“Okay. Where does Tate come in?”

“My mother is vindictive but so am I” I smile pulling away. “I don’t know exactly what card they will pull for Tate but they are going to use him to get me. I will fight for those shares and the money but trade it under a deal for Tate”

“Would you have done it either way?”

“Yes” I smiled up at him. “I don’t want or need anything that ties me to them” I move my hand to his chest messing around with his coat. “I promise Tate will not be involved in this more than just his name”

“I know” He grabs onto my hands and kisses them. “I have a fiance whos the best lawyer here to New york, I bet I can put a good word in to help you”

“I bet I am better than her” I grin, feeling his heartbeat. “In a lot of ways” I hear a low chuckle.

“I will have to verify that” I placed my hand between our lips before he could kiss me.

“Your son has been staring at us for 4 minutes and if I remember correctly that's the same stare you have when you are getting impatient” I look over to Kayce again and laugh. “Yeah just like that” He didn’t get a chance to speak before there was a bang on the glass. We both looked over, almost bursting out laughing at his expression. The stare. The hand pressed against the glass with the paint swatch he chose and the other pointing at it.

“You know what he needs?”Kayce says as we take our time walking towards the house.

“Hmm?” I didn’t look back, mouthing to Tate we were going.

“A sibling” I almost lost my balance. A bit of a blush was surely appearing in my face.

“You should let your fiance know” I turned around letting go of his hand. “Maybe she will agree to start trying tonight” I smile rushing into the house.

“Come on!” I laugh. Tate doesn’t have a bed yet so he is sleeping with us tonight until he goes back with Monica and that is in 3 days. I ran into Tate on the floor spread out.

“Am here buddy” I smile seeing his annoyed look turn into a smile.

“Buddy you are staying with your grandpa tonight” Kayce says rushing in behind me.

“Nope. We are finishing my room even if it takes all night!” He says standing up rushing to the supplies.

“All night” I tell Kayce with a smile.

“3 Days and then you will need many nights to recover” That made two things fall. My smile and my jaw. Now I wanted Tate to go with John

[scarlettgauthor]

[to the tune of Tom Cardy's Big Breakfast]

I don't regret ordering the BIG BATH TUB I know I'll feel so good when I'm... INSIDE THE BIG BATH TUB

OKAY SO if you've read anything I've ever written you might be aware that I have a deep and abiding love of a Big Bathtub. Tragically, this was something I did not have access to in my personal life, as the house we bought had a baby tub for babies who don't like baths. Seriously, this thing was 15" tall on the outside and maybe had 12" of soaking depth if you were lucky. I still took baths, but I complained about it the whole time.

No more.

Now I have Big Bathtub!!!! Look at it! LOOK AT IT!!! I can get my boobs AND my knees underwater at the same time! I'm gonna be making cauldrons of lady soup in there! My 6'1" wife is gonna be able to take baths and be comfortable!

If you can't find me, look for me in the Big Bathtub.

(Don't look for me.)

"Scarlett!" I hear you (a rhetorical device) saying, "I love that for you, but I am also jealous! How do I get a Big Bathtub of my very own?"

Well, my friend, if there's one thing I love more than Big Bathtub, it is oversharing about home improvement projects.

SPECIFIC MONEY TALK TO FOLLOW

Given how absolutely fucking impossible it is to find any guidance online about how much this shit costs when you're just starting the research, I'll start here: This cost us $11,466.16 and took two days to install. We live in a very high COL area, and from what other research I did and estimates we got, $10-12k was about what we could expect to pay for a new bathtub and shower surround that wasn't The Same Fiberglass Shit We Already Had, AND we would have had to bring in multiple contractors.

Some necessary background: My wife and I bought our house about eleven years ago, when house prices in Seattle were at a historic low. My mom gifted us money for the down payment, which was a huge privilege, but if she gifted us the same amount of money now it would buy us precisely jack and shit. We have the stability we have due to a rare combination of privilege and luck, and I am grateful for it literally every day.

The incredibly low price we bought this house at also allowed us to manage to stay afloat through our last seven-ish years of chronic under-employment. I won't get deeply into the details, but we spent a lot of time in a place where buying myself a package of nice butter was a luxury I had to plan for. A little over a year ago my wife got a really good job (after a year of unemployment) and this summer I got a much-overdue promotion at my day job and a significant raise! Between those two things, we've finally been in a place where we can save money for house projects instead of going into debt for them, which still seems like a fucking miracle! It hasn't gotten old yet! I don't know if it ever will!

Flush on that success, earlier this this fall I got quotes for an addition on the house (something we've wanted almost since we moved in, since it's 800 square feet and has just the one tiny bathroom) and learned it would cost AT LEAST 150% MORE than we paid for this house in the first place!!! Like we could buy a whole-ass house in a cheaper area for the cost of adding on to this one! HAHAHAHA NO!! 😭😬

After a couple days of crushing disappointment I decided this meant we could pursue smaller improvements to make the house we have into a house we love, and first on the list was Big Bathtub!

Being generally handy people (ask about the shed my wife built sometime) we looked at buying a nice tub at a showroom and having a plumber install it, but plumbers don't install shower surrounds. Okay, so we figured we could probably install a shower surround? And my dad (a retired general contractor) could help? But this isn't a kitchen counter, this is a bathroom, and in this house we don't fuck with stuff that need waterproofing. We decided we wanted someone who could handle the whole thing, so I requested quotes from remodel contractors but they all told me my project was too small!

Enter Bath Planet. They're a one-stop shop that does custom full bath surround installs with a ton of options. The sales guy who did the estimate had color and material samples with him and dug through all the options to get me the deepest bathtub possible. This sucker's 22" tall! The cost included wrapping the entire window so the sill would be waterproof! If there was damage to the subfloor, they'd repair it before installing the tub at no additional cost! The warranty is really good!

(Oh man I've become such an adult.)

Not gonna lie, the quoted price was 😬😬😬 when he was done, but we couldn't argue with the quality or convenience and we were looking at a cost of close to $7k if we bought a big tub, had a plumber installed it, and then DIYed the surround (with no guarantees about how long that would make our only bathroom unusable!) so we bit the bullet and put down a deposit.

In related news, my wife and I are giving each other very few presents this Christmas, since the tub was our main gift 😂 Our savings are... Very depleted right now, so we're gonna have to hunker down for a few months to rebuild before we can think about any other house projects or expensive fun stuff, but what we lack in money, we make up for in bathtub!

As far as the timeline went, we got the initial quote on 9/20, put down our deposit that day, and then the install happened over 12/6 and 12/7. The installer was great, the work happened exactly as it was supposed to, and now we have BIG BATHTUB.

This was a wall of text, I know! If anyone has questions I didn't answer here, though, I'm happy to answer them. It's so rough trying to find home reno information out on the wide internet, and contractor websites are worse than useless for the purpose.

Meanwhile, I will be in the Big Bathtub.

[adoracora-elizabeth]

But Papa! Why? Chapter 3

"I will not be home this weekend." Robert said while putting his fork down.

Rosamund had invited him and their parents for dinner. And they just finished the main course.

"So, we come to London for you to be away?" Violet said with an annoyed tone.

"I cannot help that Rosamund suddenly plans a family dinner. I already have plans this weekend, and I will not be home. You can use my apartment, while I am away."

"Where are you going son?" Patrick asked, while also putting down his knife and fork.

Just having some downtime out of the city centre."

"You wanted to move to the city, we never forced you too." Violet said.

"I know Mama, and I like it. But sometimes I just want a little break, like a holiday."

"Are you seeing a girl?" Marmaduke joked.

Robert wished he were. It was already a couple of weeks ago that he met Cora and he forgot to ask her number. He had not been in his house in Richmond since then and had not the change to bump into her. "No, I am not seeing a girl. If you must know I am seeing John."

The evening never seemed to end, but finally Robert walked back to his apartment. He had not told his parents that he started to play the piano. It turned out that he was quite good at it, but he was ashamed to tell them. He was also scared for his mother's reaction. She never reacted well on things that did not go according to her plan. And being a musician was not something on her list of doing well. His father would probably not mind, but he was not taking the risk that his mother would find out.

He had searched for a small house just outside of the city centre and he ended up in Richmond. He found a house with a small garden. His piano fitted perfectly in the living room, and he did not need more. It was weird that a small home like that gave him such a comfort feeling. The bedroom was small, his double bed barely fitted and the other bedroom, was not even big enough for a double bed. The bathroom had needed an upgrade, and he hired a contractor to place a modern one. Yes, it was small, but he had a nice shower and that was all he needed. For him it was the best place to create music. He had started playing music from composer's like Einaudi, but he now was also composing his own. It was a challenge, but he really liked that, he needed something more than telling people how to run their estate's. He knew that one day he was expected to run Downton, but for now that day was still far away. His father was in his mid-sixties, so if everything went according to plan, he would have at least ten more years outside of Downton. If he worked hard enough, he would have made name in the music industry. John was the only one who knew about his aspiration’s, and he gave him an alibi quite regularly.

With his bag on his shoulder, he walked towards the subway. He was looking forward to a weekend with just himself and his music. He was secretly hoping to see Cora, she lived in the same area. The fact that he had bumped into her in the supermarket was for him prove enough she lived in Richmond. It was tempting to just walk around, hoping to bump into her. But that would be foolish. He needed to work on his piece. In less than two months he had an appointment with a producer, who was willing to look into his work. But by that time, he needed to have some of his own work ready. He did not want to the kind of piano player that only copied work from others. He wanted to produce his own records, how wonderful it would be to walk past shops and see his own name on the sleeves of records. He knew it was a silly dream, but he hold on to that dream, especially because it made him happy.

After a short ride he walked into the street where his second home away from home was. He noticed that he was constantly scanning his surroundings, hoping to see her. And at the same time, it would be better if she did not see him with his bag. She should not know he had a second house here. What if she found out he played the piano, she would laugh and run from him, surely. He reached his house, without seeing anybody he knew. He needed to start having doubles of everything, so he only needed a small backpack when he moved between houses.

He dumbed his bag upstairs; he would look at it later. He needed to get a song out of his head. He had been thinking of Cora constantly the last couple of days and she inspired him. He opened the piano lid and brushed with his fingers over the keys. He felt so much love for his instrument, the bond they had was special. The fact he felt this for his piano, made him even more ashamed to tell people about it. It did not feel as if it was normal to have those feelings. He heard about musicians, who talked lovingly about their instruments, but they all had been big artist.

He sat down and his fingers started running over the key's. Warm tones filled the room, he had opened the window, since it was a nice summer day. The endless heat had finally left, and only nice warmth was left. The tunes felt like a river running down, through green hills. Sometimes it was a slow stream, but then it transformed into a small waterfall. The water tinkling down, finding its way to lower ground. Where it gathered into a small pond. Where small forest animals came to lessen their thirst. Small birds chirping around. He went fully into the music, he lost himself and the notes followed each other quickly. Once he got to the end of the song, he realised that he forgot to turn on his recorder and he did not write down a single note. Could he recall what he had played? He could only hope.

He thought about Cora's face, her soft expressions. Her melodic voice, her blue eyes that sparkled when she looked at him and laughed about a joke. Her long fingers, holding up her glass. That glass that went to her perfectly formed red lips. Lips that were very kissable he thought. He had only seen her twice, and he could recall every detail of her face. It did help to bring the music back that he had just produced. And while playing, he now wrote down what he had played. With help of his recorder, he had written down a new piece a couple of hours later.

That was no surprise at all! He had not eaten since he had left home. He could have food delivered, but he decided to walk to the supermarket. Who knows who he had run into! It would be a coincidence if Cora were in the supermarket again, but he could always hope. Could he not?

+++

Feeling a little bit disappointed Robert walked home. He stocked enough food to fill his fridge, he decided to stay a little bit longer than this weekend. His felt inspired to the bone and he needed to get it all out before it was lost.

"Carson, can you make sure my appointments for Monday and Tuesday are all rescheduled."

....

"No, I am not sick. I cannot come into the office, but no I am not sick. Please just reschedule those appointments. I will be back on Wednesday and will make up for the lost two days."

....

"I do not need permission from Lady Grantham for this. Please do not bother her with unnecessary information. Her schedule is busy enough."

Robert walked home, while he called Carson. He realised that it was officially his free day on Saturday, but he did not want to have to call in on Monday morning. And the day Carson had started working for him, he had said that he could call day and night. Robert realised, that he was acting like a spoiled prince. He felt guilty instantly. But it was too late now. Carson was arranging his free days for him at this moment.

In the distance somebody was running towards him. Dressed in black leggings and a pink top. Her white shoes were hitting the pavement in a nice rhythm. Her hair was tied up, but some curls had escaped and danced around her face. When she came closer, he saw that it was Cora. Suddenly he did not know what to do, and he had to fight the urge to hide behind a tree. It was already too late to even try to hide because Cora had spotted him. A smile played around her mouth.

"Are you stalking me?" She asked, while she slowed down.

Robert felt his face turn red, even though he had thought about searching for her. At this moment he was genuinely just on the streets because he needed to bring his groceries back home.

"I am not trying to." He stuttered.

Cora was running on her spot, but now stopped. "I was only joking. You have every right to walk on these streets as I have. I am only surprised to see you here again. John did live in Twickenham. Did he not?"

"He indeed does, I was just getting some groceries." Robert could slap himself, why did he say that. Now Cora must wonder why he was getting groceries in an area that he did not even live.

"We all need those. Well, it was nice seeing you again." She smiled again and started walking again. She quickly picked up the same rhythm as before. Robert stared at her; it was fascinating how her body moved. Her small waist perfectly formed bottom. Her hair that was dancing again. She was mesmerising.

When she turned a corner, he was woken up out his trance and realised, that he once again had let her go without asking her number. Although, that would have been weird, because he had just said, that he was not stalking her. He sighed. Why were things so complicated.

[badoccultadvice]

Queer Couple's Home Flooded! Legal & Repair Fund on GoFundMe

Hey everyone, we could really use your help. It's taken me a long time to be able to write this and post this, not because I didn't want to, but because it's so difficult to think through everything that happened in this terrible situation to be able to explain it. No one in this house is very healthy after what happened. I will update with a photo and video when my husband ( @mysterious-dark-shadow ) is awake. I just really wanted to finally get this up. I am really worried for us. Please signal boost and please donate if you can. Text from the fundraiser that explains our situation is below the cut.

My husband and I, and our three cats, are being sued by a construction company after the company left our toilet on the balcony of our house and still claimed they'd completed all the remodeling work. We need a legal fund, and that's what this here is all about.

What happened? In early spring our house's plumbing flooded part of our house with sewage water, requiring us to move out for a few months and live in a hotel room with our three cats. After we moved back in around late May, we got very sick and found one thing after another wrong with the house that the contractors should have fixed, and sometimes didn't notify us were broken. Our house has no hot water because the hot water heater was left leaking so bad it's inoperable. The electric system was overloaded by the water heater arcing into it and we don't have working stoves. The washing machine and dryer were left unhooked by the contractors and until we have an electrician (which we have to be able to afford) look at them we don't want to risk what they'll do to the electric breaker box. So we've been having to rely on a laundromat to do laundry all this time as well. The house feels filthy and disgusting and everyone in it is depressed.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part is that since they left a big open sewer hole in our bathroom instead of installing the toilet, when we first moved in we got sick from the sewer gas coming out of it. The sewer gas contains methane (natural gas), which can't kill you, but it can make you very sick and give you hallucinations. I am still mentally recovering from this. I have not been able to write this fundraising description for a long time because I am still so messed up from everything that happened and all the things I saw that weren't real, the experiences I had that were awful and just felt like I was in the upside-down. My husband suffered similar effects and is still recovering as well. Because of this it's been really hard to talk to other people about what happened and to clearly ask for help.

Since we moved back in we've been fending off the construction company who was immediately demanding the rest of payment for a job they left incomplete, then suing us using a lien they'd placed on the property. If we lose the suit, our house could be foreclosed upon to pay off the amount of the lien. It has been a very difficult situation to defend legally because it took some time before we could find a lawyer willing to defend us in the suit because the amount the contractors are suing for (lowish five figure amount) is too low for most lawyers to find desireable, and also, it's just hard to find a lawyer if you're not rich. If we win the suit, then we can get the construction company to pay our legal fees... but we have to GET there, and the actual case hearing is all the way in February.

We could really use some help when it comes to this. I'm disabled and my husband's job is close to minimum wage. We were already struggling as a household before all this happened and we've been trying for almost an entire year to try and make things work. Our families have been extremely unsupportive of us as a gay trans couple and so we have very few people to ask for help. We've been trying to do what we can to make extra money, but it's been really hard to get the hustle out when neither of us have had a real shower or bath in over two months. Also, our insurance company, who suggested the contractor in the first place, has been of very little help and has been adding red tape in the way of getting proper reimbursement for everything that happened and everything that was lost.

I'll be honest, what I want most is to be able to buy my husband a Christmas present this holiday season, even a small one, because we really just don't have enough for that. We don't have enough for hardly anything and we're being forced to fight this battle that makes no sense. So please if you have it to spare this season, help us keep our house, our cats, our marriage, and our sanity.

Thank you and I hope you and yours stay warm, safe, clean and fed this season and into the new year.

[ohsilverplease]

I’m getting my bathroom renovated this month for a variety of practical and cosmetic reasons, and it’s gonna be so great to have it done but also I am not mentally prepared to pick out … anything. Like I need to get a tub, tile, toilet, sink, fixtures, medicine cabinet, storage cabinet, pretty much the only thing that is staying is the curtain rod and the window. I already have flooring at least.

My mom has been my ~designer for my other remodels but my parents are in LA til basically the day the contractors start so she and I have to figure everything out long-distance. I guess I’ll go to the habitat restore after work one day this week and see if I can find anything useful for cheap, but I have a feeling I will just get basic white everything from Lowe’s. Gray floor. Maybe a eucalyptus green paint? Or pale peach…

Anyway, dream bathroom, what should I make sure to do since we have to gut the room anyway?

[crones-trash]

In reply to Anon: Because of water leakage, mold & structural damage, the disaster at my new house is covered by the previous owners' home insurance...so far. I have made it clear to the contractors that I am not responsible for the cost of anything. I'm only being inconvenienced.

What held up progress was the plumbers not being willing to re-enter the crawlspace until the restoration teams removed all toxic elements. Inhaled insulation fibers can cause cancer, ya'know, not to mention people who aren't allergic can be sickened by it.

One of the restoration guys came by today to install a new subfloor in the master bath that ought to seal off the mold from entering the house. He said the crawlspace was clear but not quite dried out. I told him, not clear enough for the plumbers & suggested they use a shop vac to suck up remaining fibers & standing water. He agreed they would.

It's a good thing I flipped houses back in the 70's & learned how to work w/ contractors. I'm reasonable, haven't cried or cussed, begged or threatened. I told the plumber I imagined all the joins & joints would need to be replaced after being submerged in water for only-gawd-knows how long. He said, nah, it would be quicker, easier & more cost-efficient to replace the whole plumbing system. Apparently, they come almost pre-assembled for manufactured homes. I replied, "You need to convince the insurance people, not me. I just want it done as soon as possible." He agreed, "Yes, mam."

So that's where I'm at. The Park's maintenance man comes by w/ a bucket of water every day to sit by the toilet. I've got cheap 5-liter water dispensers for drinking & brushing my teeth. Now, if I can only find a washrag, I'll get it wet, wring it out, & zap it warm in the microwave to wash my face. Otherwise, I'll be taking showers once a week at my daughter's house & get my laundry done.

The main inconvenience is the delay in the improvements I planned to do. Ya can't paint walls without water to wash your brushes & hands. And I can't have someone from Bathfitters come by to give me estimate until we can both breathe in both bathrooms.

By the way, the total cost so far is $17,000! Oh. My. Gosh.

[cdroofingma222]

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[inherstars]

Personal weirdness.

Weird week. Had my annual "well woman" exam, with a description of issues that the doctor seemed to find concerning, or at least worthy of interest, so now I'm being plugged full of hormones to try and set things right. Looking forward to being absolutely bugshit insane for the next couple weeks. *thumbs up emoji*

Also got scheduled for one of those awful ultrasounds where they blow you up like a water balloon. So that's fun. 2024 is really my year so far.

My Mom has been hitting the gabapentin hard, going back and forth between being completely incoherent, angry, and sweet and contrite, and I never know which version of her I'm going to get until she starts sending me texts.

Her complaining that "my phone isn't working" / "The TV is broken" are the two biggest indicators that she's high as a fucking kite, because she sits there and mashes the buttons, having no idea what she's doing, and fucks things up. Yesterday, somehow, she swapped the remotes from the living room and the bedroom, and was using the wrong one in the living room, which was causing both TVs to get completely fucked up.

She was also a bit more lucid yesterday, but still managed to drop an entire pizza on the floor (after trying to serve it on a decorative charger plate, which... I still don't understand), and was trying to convince me there was something wrong with her phone, and THAT was why all the texts she sent me were complete gibberish.

She complained that she hasn't been right since she was in the hospital, overlooking the fact that she's been self-medicating again since being released.

I am tired.

The cats have also had various levels of stomach upset for about a week now, which has been upsetting. Link -- previously healthy -- lost 2 lbs at his most recent exam, so he's in a "feed him a bit more and see what happens" period before we bring him back for another weigh-in. His bloodwork came back, like, 99.9% clean, so the next step would be an ultrasound.

We're a little past the one-year anniversary from vomit-gate 2023, in which all of the cats got mysteriously sick over a period of like 3 weeks, and then gradually recovered. We still have no idea what caused that.

But bellies seem to be back in order. Stinky poops have diminished to at least normal stink levels, and everyone is eating down to the bottoms of their bowls again.

In more positive news, we got the apple trees moved into a new "temporary" greenhouse last week, during a brief break in the weather, and I've been hand-pollinating the blossoms as they open. We're still probably a week or two from more of them opening appreciably, but it's nice to see things moving along.

The contractor finished fixing the walls in the pantry (yay!) which means that this weekend's primary focus is going to be priming and painting the walls, then replacing everything where it needs to go. Next week (assuming it didn't break in transit), he'll be replacing the solid pantry door with a half-light door, which should allow sunlight to enter through the back door and shine into the kitchen. I'm really excited to see how that looks, which is also why I want to pick a nice color for the pantry walls; it's a kind of "throw-away" room, but it will reflect a lot of light and color.

Since we'll have the paint supplies out already, my hope is to tape up the 2nd floor bathroom and finally get that painted, as well.

I'm knocking around ideas of what to bake and cook but, to be honest, with as much work as we'll be doing I'm probably going to be too knackered to do anything too fancy. But once the kitchen is cleaned and back and order, I've got plenty of time to put bread or bagels on in the morning.

I've also spent most of this week either writing or plotting, which has been really nice. I started outlining what was going to be a quick follow-up to the fairy thing I posted earlier, but it got longer and more involved, and now I want to stitch the two parts together. The first part is going to require some additional work to fill it out, which is fine.

Finishing the outline and starting on the actual writing is on my to-do list for the day.

Time to get on that.

EDIT: No sooner did I hit 'post' then she sent me a text complaining that her TV remote isn't working.

EDIT: Five minutes later and she called me in a panic, asking if her surgery is today. Whoo boy. Don't do drugs, kids.

[unknownjpegs]

property value

The house comes with an original blueprint, which is nice. There’s some stuff he doesn’t feel comfortable doing alone, so it’s good to have when he needs to bring in an expert. 

An expert meaning his dad’s old friend Jim, a retired contractor who offers to help him out if he can pay upfront. And if he’ll let Jim take some original brass dresser knobs that catch his eye.

“You see your old man lately?” Jim asks him, while they’re working in tandem to knock an old wall out.

Benji pauses mid-swing, wipes the sweat off his forehead. Gives Jim a look, one of the ones the old man is used to seeing from him since childhood. He puts both hands up in surrender. 

“A’right, lad, a’right. On yer own time, whenever that might be.” He swings, and plaster flies.

“It’ll be soon,” Benji admits, but he thinks that might be lost in the loud thunk of the next blow. 

It’s near sunset when they’ve managed to get the project done. When the frame of the wall is all that’s left standing, they take a break. Pints in hand, some shit swill from a fancy brewery out near Speke that Saha recommended.

“Shit swill,” Benji offers.

“Aye, well, don’t be snide about it, lad.” He takes another gulp, grimaces with more than a bit of regret. “Bet they put their best piss n’here, lotta hard work went in. Big stream.” 

Benji snickers. “We’ll find somethin’ better for phase two, ‘ey?” 

“Drive me to water, at this rate.” Jim says with a shake of his head. “You sure you wanna g’on? We can just fix ‘er up inside here.”

“I’m sure.”

“Load bearin’ wall on the other side, if we take this one. Can’t undo it, mate. Knocking’ a hole few feet off that little study.” Jim hedges. “M’not trying to steer y’off, just…it’s a historic house, Benji. You’re losin’ a lot of value with less room, just for this.”

Just for this, Benji thinks grumpily, eyebrow pulling. It’s not for nothing. 

“Always wanted one of those big fuckers,” Benji says, stepping over to the sawhorse where they’ve laid out the blueprints. 

“N’here I go reportin’ back to your old man, lad’s doin’ great, throwing orgies in his posh fuckin’ pool of a bath.” 

“Do not,” Benji laughs, “Tell my fuckin’ pa that there are orgies happening. He’ll disown me for that over the military shit.”

Jim puts his hands up in surrender. “Listen, lad, what else am I meant to assume?”

*

When the bathroom’s done, tiled and wet-sealed and clean, Benji leads him up the rickety stairs — still gotta get those nails replaced —  shrouded in a blindfold. 

“This is a sex thing,” Xavier chuckles, hands out to catch himself on corners he’s not yet used to. “You keep telling me it’s not, but I can see right through your fuckin’ plan. Succubus.” 

“It’s not. And aren’t the ones with dicks incubus,” Benji asks, genuinely thoughtful about it. “Incubi?”

“Dunno,” Xavier says, oof when he knocks against the bathroom door. “Never listened to them much.” 

When the blindfold comes off and he sees the bath, Benji assumes it’s the excitement of a kid on Christmas. Never personally experienced that, but Xavier’s got the hyped-up gasp, the jittery ball of energy. His eyes bounce between it and Benji, question there. Benji grins, and it’s barely stretched his mouth before Xavier’s flung himself over the side. 

Benji would reach for his phone and take a picture, if he hadn’t left it down on the couch. 

“Oh, shit,” Xavier yells, the triumphant cry echoing off new tile. His sneakers squeak at the end of the tub, and he’s gotta sink real low, chin dipping under the edge, to get his toe even near under the faucet. 

“Man,” he’s proper laughing, excitement lighting him up from the inside out. Benji can’t stop fucking grinning, so wide his cheeks are starting to ache. “I don’t even have to tuck my knees or anything.” 

“You shoulda seen us trying to get it up the stairs. Had to knock out the wall and take the door to get it to fit in here.” 

Xavier stops kicking his feet. Looks over at him, arm flung over the edge of the bath. “House didn’t come with a tub, huh? What kinda country is this. Very backwards, no wonder Brits smell.”

Benji sticks his tongue out. “It came with a bath,” he corrects, “You wanker. Real small one.”

Two big hands push up on the ceramic edge. Xavier looks very serious now, his eyebrow bunched and mouth open.

“You had this put in?” 

Benji nods, shrugging a little sheepishly and breaking eye contact. “Sure.” 

“For me?”

“Would you believe s’for the other six-something Yank who lives in the house?”

“No,” Xavier breathes, eyes wide. “Get over here before I drag you in.”

And he can’t really say no to that, can he? Not big enough for an orgy, but Benji fits with room to spare.

[getmylife]

T-70 Days to Moving

Completed September 7 2023

So great news! The tiles are here, the windows have been ordered and the doors are being chosen. It should take about three weeks to tile and by then the windows should have arrived and so that can start right away.

The contractor and the joiner should be meeting next week, God willing and so we'll be able to start working on bathroom cabinets and bedroom closets. I'm getting my bed custom made for extra storage so that meeting should get the ball rolling for all of that. #Den

The issue I've been having is that the new house has lost its shiny glow. I've been thinking of it as this Promised Land TM, where life will just be better, which, objectively, is true. Our neighbours will be few and far between so I'll feel more comfortable going out in the yard and I'll get both fresh air and sunshine. I'll have my own space and some more control over my belongings and my routines and so my mind will be clearer. I'll have easy access to my instruments and the internet will be faster and self care activities will become a lot easier. My periods will be more comfortable because of the privacy I'll have. There are so many benefits that will come with moving.

Yet, I'm still going to be me. I'm still intrinsically flawed. I'm still going to have to work on treating myself and others with kindness. I'm going to have to put fail safes in place for the low energy and low mood days. I'm still going to have to keep seeing a psychiatrist. I'm still going to be struggling with figuring out who I am and what I believe and where I'm going. I'm still going to battle with anxiety and depression and ADHD. These are still going to be my struggles.

The realization of this has dampened my excitement a bit, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I think it's more realistic than pessimistic and it will save me from the disappointment waiting for me if I hadn't thought this over more objectively. I can't imagine how devastating it would be to get there and then have this realization. #Notes

It's also helped me be a bit more proactive. I can't wait to get there to start living and improving. I was seriously going to wait til I got there to start seeing a therapist. I'm glad I didn't wait. My next appointment is scheduled for next week. I've been thinking about some of the stuff we talked about the last time and I'm over most of the shame of feeling like I overshared (like that isn't what you're literally supposed to do...smh). #Soul

I've also been doing some recommended reading: The Four Agreements; A Scattered Mind; and The Self-Compassion Workbook. The last two have been kind of overwhelming in terms of length for me right now and my attention span, but I'm taking it all one page at a time. I doubt that I'll be done with all three by the next time we meet, but I'd like to be done with the Four Agreements. That is the one that has been resonating the most with me. #Quotes

My health has been okay lately. Mostly just dizziness and lack of appetite to think about. I'm definitely dehydrated though. This heat has been wicked. I need to find some form of physical activity though: something light and easy and mindless. Walking is not for me, but I need to figure something out and soon. #Bones

I've not found a replacement for myself for my lessons yet and so I'm thinking of keeping one student. I don't know that she'd work well with just anyone and my other two should be fine without me. #World

This week I've not been writing like I'd like to, but I did put out a two liner that has been gaining traction on the Tumblr TM. That will always be so validating to me, getting notes on pieces I'm proud of. My WIP is not close to being done. I've been gunning to finish it by December, but at the rate I'm going it doesn't look great, especially since I also wanted to write a short story to put out during Christmas. We'll see how it goes especially since I'm taking the whole of next month off. #Pen

My #Skills and #Thrills life have been kinda dry. Although, I did go out for icecream with a cousin this week. That was fun. It was nice seeing him after so long.

My music has not gone anywhere in a long time, but my DuoLingo is going strong so yayyy. #Tones

[1stplumberwinchesterva]

6 Tips for What to Do If Your Toilet is Leaking

A leaking toilet is a major annoyance, but it's also easy to fix. If you're not sure how to do so yourself, contact a plumber or contractor for help. Then read on for some tips on what might be causing the leak and how you can address it yourself:

1. Check for a leaky flange or damaged wax ring.

Flange: The flange is the piece of metal that connects to your toilet and creates a watertight seal between the toilet and drain pipe. If this part is damaged, it can cause leaks from underneath your bathroom floor.

Wax ring: A wax ring sits between your toilet bowl and floor, creating another watertight seal so that waste doesn't leak out into surrounding areas. If this part gets damaged or worn down over time, it may cause leaks around the base of your toilet bowl.* How do I know if my flange or wax ring needs repair? If you notice water pooling under one side of your bathroom floor after taking a shower or doing laundry downstairs in another room (or both), then there's likely an issue with either component mentioned above.* What should I do if my flange or wax ring needs repair? First off all make sure that everything else is secure before attempting any repairs yourself--if anything else looks loose then tighten those screws immediately! Then remove any debris clogging up drainage lines by using pliers dipped in dish soap mixed with warm water; once those are clear again apply petroleum jelly around them so they don't leak again later on down road when using hot showers after days without maintenance work being done properly beforehand...

2. If the water is coming from the tank, try tightening the fill valve.

If you have a water-tight toilet tank and it's still leaking, the problem is likely with your fill valve. The fill valve is located at the base of your toilet tank and controls how much water enters into it; if this piece isn't working properly, it can cause all sorts of issues for you.

To check whether or not your fill valve needs replacing:

Check to see if there's any pooling around or under your toilet bowl after flushing--if so, then that means there's something wrong with either its flapper or sealant. You may need some plumber's putty (a kind of sealant) and/or new flappers before attempting any other fixes yourself!

3. Inspect the overflow tube to see if it's clogged, perhaps with debris or mineral deposits from hard water.

If your toilet water is leaking from the tank, it's likely that the overflow tube has become clogged with mineral deposits or debris from hard water. The overflow tube is the pipe that carries water from your tank to your drain; if there's a blockage in this area, it can cause a leak and make your toilet run constantly until you fix it.

Here are some things you can do:

Inspect the overflow tube to see if it's clogged with debris or mineral deposits from hard water (if so, use a toilet brush). Clogs may also be caused by tree roots growing into pipes--you'll need to call in an expert for help with those!

5. If you still can't find a leak, get help from someone at Home Depot

If all else fails, call a plumber. If you're not sure where to find one, try calling your local hardware store or home improvement center. They might have recommendations for trustworthy plumbers in the area. You could also ask friends and family if they know of any good ones--or just Google "plumbing companies near me."

You may also want to consider calling Home Depot Customer Service at 1-800-430-3376 (Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM until 9:00 PM EST).

6. There's nothing wrong with calling in an expert if you can't fix the problem yourself!

If you can't fix the problem yourself, call a plumber. If it's just a small leak, they may be able to repair it without replacing your toilet altogether. This can save you time and money in the long run!

Don't worry about the cost of calling in an expert--it's always better than having to replace your toilet.

Hopefully, this article has helped you get a better understanding of how to spot a toilet leak and what steps you can take to fix it. If all else fails, don't be afraid to call in an expert--they'll be able to help identify where exactly the problem lies and fix it quickly!

1st Plumber Winchester is a city-wide plumbing contractor serving the people of Winchester, Massachusetts. From leaky faucets to giant home remodels, we can handle all your plumbing needs. 1st Plumber Winchester has been in business since 2003 and has grown to become one of the leading local plumbers in our area. 1st Plumber Winchester is a local Plumbing Company that provides Plumbing Contractor Services to homes and businesses in Winchester, VA.

1st Plumber Winchester Winchester, VA 22601 (540) 202-3949 https://1stplumberwinchester.com/

[magalidragon]

Okay drabble #2 for @lalacristina18 ‘s ask! Hope you like this one! It’s a little silly and kind of Fixer Upper Fanfiction ( @nlights37 is that a thing? I’m doing it) meets my drabble “wet paint.”

Enjoy!

haunted house | 30. “You better watch yourself”

It was the dumbest thing she had ever done.

Except she felt like she had to do it.

How else was she going to get the cute handyman to ask her out?

"Just ask him out!" her best friend shouted, as she took a crowbar to the siding on her house, prying up the nails. Missandei was used to most of her antics, but she knew this was going too far. She watched, amazed, slightly terrified, and in awe, muttering, "You have gone mental Daenerys."

Maybe she had gone mental, but she was also put off by how attractive the handyman was. He was incredibly sweet. A little goofy; he apologized one day when he showed up in thick black glasses, saying he'd forgotten to put his contacts in before he left the house. She had wondered why someone would apologize for that, but she soon learned that Jon Snow, Handyman Extraordinaire, apologized for quite a few things that were in no way his fault or under his control.

Like when he couldn't get a part in time to fix her hot water tank, because it was a weekend and the store was closed. "No problem, guess I'll see you Monday," she had simply said with a smile and a cheerful glee, because she knew they were closed on the weekend and he'd have to come back Monday.

Or when she had purposefully yanked out some sort of fuse in her car so it wouldn't start and he had apologized that it had gone missing. "Not your fault at all!" Because it's totally my fault and then she'd pretended to find the fuse on the ground. "Will this fix it?"

He frowned at the tiny piece of place and wire. "Um, aye, that's so weird..."

Today she was going to claim there was something wrong with her siding and it needed to be replaced. She dropped the crowbar, wiping sweat off her forehead, and placed her hands on her hips, glancing at Missandei, who was shaking her head side-to-side. "What?"

"Just bloody ask him out! I'll do it for you. You're destroying your house just to get him to come over." She smirked. "He has to know what you're doing. He's just taking your money and knowing you're using him which is wrong, or he's really bloody stupid and that's not great either."

"You haven't met him yet."

"What guy could be so attractive and cute and sweet and all that for you to resort to this!?" Missandei waved her hands at the splintered wood at her feet. She sighed, closing her eyes. "Dany, love, you are my best friend but..."

"Good morning!"

Dany threw the crowbar into the bushes, spinning on her heels and beaming at the man who had poked his head around the open fence to her back garden. She waved. "Hello Jon! Good morning to you!" She rounded on Missandei, who stared at him and smirked knowingly. "You're a little early."

He turned pink, coming around the corner holding onto his toolbox. "Aye, sorry about that, I thought I might get you a coffee..." he trailed off and politely smiled at Missandei. "Oh I am sorry, I would have gotten another....here, you can have mine if you want."

To her best friend's stunned silence, he removed one of the two takeout coffee cups from the tray in his other hand and passed it to her. Missandei swallowed hard, clearing her throat. "Thank you, that's...so nice of you."

He smiled again in his shy, half-smile way that Dany absolutely bloody adored, and turned his face to her. "You called last night and said that your bathroom pipes were leaking again? I don't know what is going on, I mean..." He scratched his hair, brow furrowing, and gazed up at the old-as-shit house she had purchased with intent to completely renovate. "I swear I just fixed those..."

"Oh you did, I'm sure this place is cursed."

"By a Valyrian dragon," Missandei mumbled under her breath.

Dany stepped on her foot and crossed her arms, grinning. "And would you look at this? This siding is rotten, I think we'll need to replace it."

"Um, yes of course." He knelt and picked up some of the wood, shaking his head. "You must have an angry ghost Dany, this looks like someone took a crowbar to it." He was immediately concerned, jumping to his feet. "You should file a police report, someone could be vandalizing your property!"

Missandei sipped her free coffee and mumbled again, not so quietly, "Hmm, someone with silver hair I think."

"What?" Jon asked.

"Ignore her, she's mad." She forced another smile. "It's fine. I...thank you Jon, perhaps look at those pipes first and then we can look at the siding."

"I have wood," he blurted out.

Missandei choked. Dany flushed bright red. "Oh?"

"Hmm, in the truck. Be right back." He turned on his heel and walked away. Dany elbowed her best friend, who stared now at his retreating back.

"Oh my."

"It's beautiful. I just like to look at it."

Missandei patted her arm. "Daenerys you are my best friend, but if you don't ask him out by the end of the day, I'm going to tell him everything you've been doing and only because I'm scared you might set your house on fire just to watch him come running in with the fire hose."

Dany hummed. The idea was appealing, but arson was certainly not an option.

Yet.

---

It was the end of the day; she'd tried her damndest to get him to ask her out. Missandei had left, becaus she claimed she couldn't watch it any longer, proclaiming them both "stupid idiots" and Dany had to agree. She was a stupid idiot, trying to get him to look at her as something other than the crazy lady in the haunted house. She'd worn her bikini top while gardening, she'd broken her siding, and stuffed leaves in her gutters.

And Jon Snow still didn't bloody get it.

Maybe he was stupid, she thought, and watched him bent over some exposed pipes in the hallway leading to the master bedroom. A himbo or something. Except she knew he wasn't, because she'd seen that he had a stack of books in his truck to return to the library, one of which happened to be her brother's boring ass tome on Targaryen History, and he'd eagerly chatted with her about it.

"So why are you a contractor?" she asked. She kept referring to him as a handyman, but reminded herself he was more than that. He ran his own business and lumber yard up in Winterfell. "Do you just like fixing things?"

He shrugged, reaching his arm down into the pipes. "I do like fixing things, but when I got out of the military, nothing really appealed to me. Didn't want a boss again and I like building things. Working on my own terms."

"I like that too." It was why she moved up North, a freelance journalist, and needing a safe quiet space to recharge and focus between assignments. She got up and cleared her throat. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." She was halfway down the stairs when she heard a strange sound. It was a yowl.

It sounded like Drogon, she thought, turning towards the wall. "Drogon?" she called.

He meowed again, pitiful. She moved closer towards the wall and knocked. Her voice trembled, calling once more. "Drogon?"

A light scratching and more yowling.

She screamed, realizing with horror that Drogon was inside the bloody wall. "DROGON!" She banged on the wall, running up the stairs, crying out. "Jon! Drogon's in the wall!"

"What?"

"I think he must have crawled in when we were talking and not looking, oh my gods, Drogon!"

Jon frowned at her, still not moving. He narrowed his eyes. "Drogon's in the wall, huh?"

"I think so."

He cocked his head and got to his feet, sighing hard. "Dany, I...I think I know what's going on and..." He turned bright pink. "I really have to confess something..." He shifted on his feet and blurted out, really fast, his Northern burr thick. "I...I know that not everything here is breaking and...and I'm fixing it and stuff, but...well...the store was open and I didn't get hte part because I wanted to come see you and...and I may not have cleaned the gutters all the way so I could come back and...oh gods, I haven't charged you at all because I'm just...I like you!"

Her eyes widened, too terrified for her cat to process what he'd just admitted to her. "But...I...I'm sorry, but he's really in the wall! Listen!"

They both were quiet and after a second, heard the pathetic howling of a trapped cat.

Jon moaned, mortified, shoving his face into his palms. "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry! I thought...oh fuck, forget what I said!"

"No I can't forget it because I like you too!" They could have this conversation after they saved her damn cat.

It took awhile, of her trying to coax the damn cat out from the opening in the floor, to Jon carefully searching and finding a space in the wall to knock through with a sledgehammer so he wouldn't hit Drogon or anything unsafe. Bits of drywall and debris scattered, "You better watch yourself," she warned him, when Drogon began to hiss and pant, terrified as they drew closer to him. "He might attack!"

"He's just scared, he'll be alright."

A couple hours later, her entire hallway and stairwell covered in broken bits of drywall, plaster, wood, and insulation, her very dirty and ashy cat enveloped in a blanket in her arms, Dany finally looked up at JOn. He hadn't said a word to her about his confession of not really fixing anything because he liked her and wanted ot keep seeing her.

She ducked her head, whispering, "I know it was wrong of me too, to keep breaking things...I just really liked you too."

"I'm not good with women," he admitted.

"Clearly, I was walking around in my bikini and you didnt say a word."

"I was trying to be professional!"

She giggled. Drogon whined in her arms. She scowled. "Hey! You didn't think I was serious that my cat got stuck in the wall!"

"I thought it was another thing like when you called me to say that your pipes were clogged at ten at night." He arched his brows. "Come on Dany."

"Alright, that was a ruse...but he really did get stuck!" She let go of Drogon, who raced into her bedroom to hide under the bed and lick his wounds-- more like his pride at having to be rescued by humans of all things. She looked up at Jon, sitting on the step just above her and grinned. "Can we agree to just...kind of start over?"

he nodded and licked his lips; she shivered. "Start over at dinner tonight?"

"Yes, dinner is perfect."

"And I'll be the first thing in the morning to start working on..." he gazed around at the chaos surrounding them, sighing. "This."

"Sounds good."

Turned out he didn't have to show up early at all the next morning, because he was already there, fast asleep in her bed, both of them exhausted. Dinner had been merely an afterthought.