Kohler soap dispenser for kitchen sink

First time purchase and I am considering purchasing a condo in College Park, Georgia. Im a single mid 30's person with a cat so a condo seems fitting for my lifestyle. These condos are part of a preschool (built in 1947) conversion project that developing an artist community. I work in education and I am an artist so I feel this is a good place for me. The preschool being converted is attached to a church that is now full of art studios and are occupied with artists currently. There are other projects like this across the US so i know this isn't just some hair-brained idea.
Here is a link to the project: https://ioncollegepark.community/
Some details:
$156k purchase price, I would putting down around 65k for a deposit. Im not in underwriting, but I do have earnest money (1%) in is already, I understand I would loose this if I walk away.
~550 Sq.ft, basically a rectangle. All brand new kitchen appliances (except a combo washer dryer), tile backsplash, quartz countertops ,all new bathroom (sink, toilet, shower). Building has all new pluming, electrical, HVAC Ductwork, ect). Ive read over all the paper work, building has been inspected by a registered architect and building is in adequate condition for its age. There are plans for reoccurring maintenance schedules for exterior of the building.
HOA: ~$300 month (Covers HVAC, Water, Community fees, trash, sewage). I would only pay for electric and Internet.
The units are almost ready to move in and Ive seen the model unit and they look nice!
My concerns:
#1. The windows in the building are old (not sure if original) but are definitely single pane windows. All the glass is being replaced and resealed. Since there is no HOA reps, I could potentially be part of the board and help direct the HOA to maybe replace these down the line. I dont have any health issues so I dont feel like these single pane windows would be an issue.
#2. The unit I'm interested in is a top floor, corner unit (three windows yay). They have confirmed the ceiling does not have insulation installed, even though they have installed drywall/new HVAC systems. I've asked them to get a quote and see if we can roll it into the total purchase price. This seems like a weird thing to not do since any walls they added they also put in insulation according to the purchase agreement. The builder has already given me a quote for blow in insulation but hasn't confirmed if he can roll it into the purchase price since my unit is an 'affordable unit' compared to the other units. The fact he is working to see if we can make it work makes me feel good about this.
My family is helping with the down payment so I have to consider their input on all this. They seem confused and concerned about this 'art community', but they are late 60s/early 70's boomer who bought a standard house for 50k in 1994. There is a bit of co-dependency in my family dynamic so their worries become my anxieties so Im turning to strangers on the internet for help/validation.
Does this seem like a decent deal given the current real estate market? I am a first time buyer so I am just trying my best to consider everything.
If possible, can someone point out the PROS and CONS of this in terms of Real Estate ownership, NOT lifestyle adjustment/community engagement.
I feel like I have given all the necessary details, feel free to ask me anything.
Thanks

Now, to start, I've experienced strange things in my past, but I'm not an easy believer. I find myself more of a debunker.
Then this happened.
It was about a month ago that I heard a man's deep voice over the baby monitor in my grandmother's room and she was responding to it. I wake to everything. But I wasn't asleep at the time. As always, I went to check on her. Never mattered whether day or night. She knew I was always there.
When I first posted about this, someone mentioned that the veil was thinning for her to cross over. I don't recall everything that I put in that first post, but I went in once when she laying down. I couldn't exactly hear Voices at that point but the green light meter (sounds) was filling up. She started saying something about that "he and they" were talking to her, but she didn't want to talk to them.
She told someone on the phone that she had less than 2 weeks to go. But she seemed to be holding on. Even though everything seem to be going south for her, it was only after, having lived a long and rough road, she knew I went to the doctor to get checked out that she, relieved from what I heard, said "Good."
We had her in rehab for just a little while. Her organs were starting to fail. Trying to get her back on point. We had a place to move to out of this apartment that charges way too much. So we would visit her.
We watched the Preakness together. Joked around about different things. She'd smile and laugh. And then she went to sleep. I thought that was just what she did, go to sleep. I think she passed before I even made it down the hallway.
A day later, just like usual, having the thermostat set at 73, all of a sudden it got very very cold. Like low 40s. Maybe high 30s. Enough so that I'd have to climb underneath the blanket because I would start shivering. And I heard her call my name. I was watching something so I had to put that on pause to listen. A couple days later, I wasn't watching anything but looking at my news feeds, and that same cold started again. That time I heard her voice right outside my bedroom door.
It wasn't the 89-year-old grandmother's voice. That was the voice of the second mother that I had many many years ago. Didn't seem to be in distress or asking for help, but more like letting me know.
Today I was talking about her prize ring with my mother that she'd lost and where I think it might have been. Slipped off into the food disposal in the sink. Suddenly there came a strange sound from the kitchen, at the food disposal, which hasn't worked in a few months. It caught the cat's attention too. It's eyes grew really really wide and then it started smiling with its eyes.
I asked Mom if it was cold. She said no. But then a cold draft came from the kitchen.

My partner and I have been together for 12 years, married 5 and have a 5 year old daughter and a 2.5 year old son. I feel our home life is better than most and I'm really grateful for that. Our kids are smart, fun, well behaved, and they frequently play like best friends. We both work full time, my partner works from home and I work for a smallish company that allows me to duck out early or come in late basically without question many days. We've never really struggled with money and live an extremely basic cook at home, don't go out much, plain lifestyle. We try to get a sitter and go on dates at least once a month if not twice a month. We have great conversations and frequently reminisce about how lucky we are. We share chores about as equally as we can, I do most grocery shopping, cooking, kitchen cleanup and kids baths, they do laundry, more general house cleaning, and meal planning.
The problem is I feel like every day I'm going through the motions. I feel like a robot. I feel like I'm the least important member of the family. Our kids clearly favor my partner over me, which I know is just a kids thing, but it still hurts when they reject me. I've been at the butt end of multiple unintentional backhanded comments from our 5 year old daughter. My partner is great with the kids, and at the end of the day I understand being tired, but I feel like there is never any more energy left for them to put towards me. We have sex maybe once a week and every time it's because I've asked to set time aside or done 100% of the pursuing. I think if I didn't do that we'd literally never have sex. I think the sex we do have is great and intimate and pleasureful. But I'm tired of having to ASKED to be loved. I'm tired of feeling like I'm the least favorite by everyone.
I don't really know what to do. If my kids weren't in the picture I'd have already left to find a more fulfilling relationship sexually, someone who was passionate about me and didn't sink all their energy into other things then throw up their arms and say "Well, I guess there's just nothing left for you today, try again tomorrow."

Good evening reddit, this happend just a couple of hours ago and i feel really shitty right now.
So i(F27) work in the kitchen of a Mexican restaurant, usually for a saturday evening we are about 5 people on shift, divided in pairs for each station.
Tonight i was working with S(M19) and It was a super busy night, with lots of take aways a deliveries on top of all the customers dining at the restaurant.
S started packaging and closing 3 orders that needed to be delivered toghether while i prepped the food for the tables eating outside.
I needed space in the fryer for some fries for a burger i was serving, so i took the chicken wings from one of S's order, and, to help him , i put them directly in the paper box for the delivery.
This is something quite normal when the nights are very busy, i do this all the time with literally EVERYONE, S included, and he does this with me at every occasion, i never heard him or anyone else complain about It.
So i didn't think much about It, and put in my fries, when i see S leaving the station, going straight for the sink, and starting washing dishes.
Flabbergasted, i'm left with about 15 orders and 3 deliveries which i have no idea if are being completed or not ,totally alone.
One of my other collegues takes pity on me and start to help me sort everything out while S keeps washing without saying a word.
I asked him if i did anything wrong, and that i was really sorry if in the chaos i messed up his orders or made him feel "left aside" or not trustworthy, that it wasn't my intention and i was just trying to make space for my stuff, not "steal" his work.
He said It wasn't about It and kept angrily washing and ignoring me.
I was feeling awful, i started silently crying (not very mature i know) and when the situation was calm enough i went straight outside for a break.
The more i thought about It, the angrier i got, when the night was almost over and we were alone, i snapped.
This is where i might be TA.
I told him that the next time he left me like this without saying anything i would refuse to work with him again ; to at least TELL ME what was going on and if i did something to offend him, not to just disappear. I wasn't screaming but i was really harsh.
He went on defensive and said that he was just "making space" for me to work and there wasn't time to explain or question while we were so busy, and that i "took work off his hands".
One of our managers arrived and calmed the situation down. Later i felt guilty and apologized for being harsh to him, he kept saying that he was pissed off at me doing his stuff so he just left to avoid to confront me about It.
My other collegue told me that it wasn't important and i am just stressed for the incoming summer, but didn't completely agree with me.
Right now i feel really ashamed for my behaviour, but on the other side i keep thinking he could have just said SOMETHING instead of leaving me alone in such a shitty situation.
So reddit, AITA?

Gutting our 1950s bathroom
We have one bathroom on the main floor with an odd (though super convenient) jack & jill layout. One door leads to the hallway with bedrooms, the other leads to the pantry/kitchen. We are going to reno and close off the pantry-side door in order to move the plumbing down and install a much larger, double-sink vanity.
Our contractor told us we can fit up to a 72” vanity. I would LOVE that size, but I think it might make everything too crowded. Opinions?
A 72” vanity would leave us with about 34” between it and the wall for the toilet and a trash can. Is that enough space? we are keeping the current toilet and would be left with enough room for 16” off center.
A 60” vanity would leave us with a ton of space, about 46”, just for the toilet area. What else could we put in there (other than a trash can)? It seems like it would be weirdly empty.
I found a couple 66-67" vanities and this between size seems highly appealing. Any drawbacks to getting a non-standard size?
Details of room:

• about 4.5’x8.75’ main floor area (with current plaster, not including closet or tub)
• we are taking it all down…replacing walls with drywall, new tub, new tile floor, tile surround, arch over showetub, add an exhaust fan, new lighting. Probably will not replace tile on walls.

In photos I highlighted where 60” and 72” vanities would hit. Again, a 60” vanity (marked with blue) leaves roughly 46” to the far wall, and 72” leaves about 34” (marked with pink) to the far wall.
https://imgur.com/a/tFqDkLc (photos taken with .5 zoom on iPhone, so perspective may be a little weird)
(idk if it matters, but x-posted in HomeImprovement)

Gutting our 1950s bathroom
We have one bathroom on the main floor with an odd (though super convenient) jack & jill layout. One door leads to the hallway with bedrooms, the other leads to the pantry/kitchen. We are going to reno and close off the pantry-side door in order to move the plumbing down and install a much larger, double-sink vanity.
Our contractor told us we can fit up to a 72” vanity. I would LOVE that size, but I think it might make everything too crowded. Opinions?
A 72” vanity would leave us with about 34” between it and the wall for the toilet and a trash can. Is that enough space? we are keeping the current toilet and would be left with enough room for 16” off center.
A 60” vanity would leave us with a ton of space, about 46”, just for the toilet area. What else could we put in there (other than a trash can)? It seems like it would be weirdly empty.
I found a couple 66-67" vanities and this between size seems highly appealing. Any drawbacks to getting a non-standard size?
Details of room:

• about 4.5’x8.75’ main floor area (with current plaster, not including closet or tub)
• we are taking it all down…replacing walls with drywall, new tub, new tile floor, tile surround, arch over showetub, add an exhaust fan, new lighting. Probably will not replace tile on walls.

In photos I highlighted where 60” and 72” vanities would hit. Again, a 60” vanity (marked with blue) leaves roughly 46” to the far wall, and 72” leaves about 34” (marked with pink) to the far wall.
https://imgur.com/a/tFqDkLc (photos taken with .5 zoom on iPhone, so perspective may be a little weird)

Just returned Thursday from our trip to Bermuda, aboard the Vision of the Seas. We had a great time!
This was our first cruise, so we thought starting with a smaller ship was ideal. I'm so glad we did because it was a bit overwhelming the first day or so to get the hang of the ship's layout, dining schedules, etc.
For meals everyday, we chose to eat in the Windjammer. We hadn't realized that the Main Dining Room carries a slightly more put together dress code, and had only bought laid back clothing like shorts, tees, and casual sundresses since we just wanted to keep a chill vibe for our much needed vacation. I know a lot of people go in shorts etc anyway, but I just didn't feel comfortable doing so, and so we stuck with Windjammer.
The food was good- if you're expecting fine dining, this probably won't meet your expectations. But for buffet style and a "there's something for everyone" menu, it was perfect for us. My favorites were the fresh fruit and pastries at breakfast, and the nice mix of Indian dishes served at lunch and dinner. Chicken vindaloo, pork vindaloo, chana masala, roti, and rice. All were delicious.
The crew was very good about encouraging the use of hand sanitizer, though unfortunately we did occasionally see people sneak past without using it.
Our room attendant was awesome- he kept us well stocked with towels and washcloths, and was sweet enough to let us in our room during a couple times he found me rooting through my bag for my Seapass.
Handy items to bring, if you are a first time cruiser: We brought our own shampoos, conditioners, liquid hand soap, bar soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, lotion, and bathroom sprays. I was glad we did, because RC only gives you a tiny bar of soap and whatever sad shampoo is in the shower dispenser. I'm not sure if it might be different in the higher grade cabins, but in our basic stateroom it was pretty bare bones. Not complaining, just giving a heads up. We found the magnetic hooks that were suggested on here to be really helpful- we were able to hang up bags, hats, and towels.
Sadly it rained pretty much our entire cruise, including the 24ish hours we were docked in Bermuda. That said, we still had an absolute blast and did our best to make the most of it. On the island, we visited the National Museum of Bermuda (requires paid admission, just FYI.) We had lunch at Frog and Onion Pub (decent food and fun drinks, and there was live music when we went.) We also visited a few shops, the Bermuda Craft Market, and the Clocktower Mall. Between all these stops we found plenty of souvenirs and fun stuff (including bottled pink sand.) All of these places were within walking distance of the dock. We were bummed about the weather and the fact that we didn't make it to the beach, but we still felt like we were able to squeeze in some fun stops. And everyone we met on the island was incredibly nice, even the people at Customs- what a stark difference it was once we landed back in the States and heard them barking out orders, haha.
Entertainment we enjoyed on the ship- the theater show Boogie Wonderland was awesome, they absolutely killed it. A band called Rockport played most nights on the main deck and did a fantastic job covering all kinds of big hits. Trivia was fun, bingo was fun but pricey, and one of our favorites was the 70s disco party. We also loved the International Flags event where they highlighted all the different nationalities of the crew.
Two crappy side notes- two out of the five of us did end up catching COVID at the tail end of the trip, so that sucked, but I wasn't surprised given that cruise ships are kind of big floating petri dishes and the amount of people who don't cover when they cough, etc. If you're going on a cruise soon, just know that it's definitely a possibility and hope for the best. And then second, someone stole two of our magnets off of one of our doors. :( We had brought cute Super Mario magnets for our cabin doors, to make them easily identifiable. Mario disappeared from one door on the first or second night, and by the fifth night Luigi was gone from the same cabin door. Our kids were pretty bummed, but some people are just entitled trash with no moral compass, it is what it is.
Overall we had an awesome time on The Vision, and for what is generally considered a less exciting ship we really, really enjoyed our time aboard. The food was good, the crew was amazing, and it was just so much fun.

I'm a 36 year old dad of 2 (2.5y/7w) and feel completely overwhelmed. I work evenings and Saturdays, the rest of my time is spent taking 2.5yo to groups, raising kids, housework, litter trays for cats, cooking etc. Partner is on maternity and looks after both kids while I'm at work and does all the washing - clothes and constant cycle of reusable nappies. We struggle to keep up with it all and the house is usually chaotic.
One thing I've found helps me feel less overwhelmed with it all is cleaning the kitchen sink. It's usually full of dishes so get those out first, emptying/rinsing as you go and add them to the tetris of other dishes on the kitchen counter. If it's full of water unblock it - just use your hands (it used to gross me out too but the more you do it the less it does). Give it a spray, wipe and rinse.
I've found that at least having somewhere to empty/clean stuff, prep food, wash hands or fill the kettle makes a big difference to being able to get other stuff done and makes things a little less stressful.

Hello, first off, I hope you are all doing well. I had just helped a friend work through some issues he was having with the aid of mushrooms recently, and to help reground me and focus back up some I had used DMT to meditate on my thoughts and all things that are to see what it has to offer. My intent and question was to learn to grow and be better, how I can help people and what paths to follow. I did 3 full blinkers of a normal N,N DMT cart. Held it in as long as I could and as I exhaled I heard no breath. I was able to keep my breathing in focus but all else was lost, and there were moments where I was asking myself who was breathing. As it came on, there was a total dissolution of reality and existence, I felt more connected to everything and everyone around more than any trip prior even with the same DMT. It felt as though I could feel EVERY SINGLE atom in my body separately vibrating individually as they do. As I was lying there in the dark my feet began to get cold and I "heard" someone say it was okay and I was allowed to sit up and cover my feet but had to immediately lie back down. As soon as I laid back down and reclosed my eyes, I saw a simple woodworked cabin like kitchen, I only focused the sink, it had a spatula, it had 3 plates, 2 bowls, and some pots and pans. As soon as I went to start touching them, I turned into a woman, (I am male). Then as I was cleaning there was a feeling a "voice" that said the time was almost up but I want to leave you with this. At that moment, the spatula stretched into a very smooth concrete-like path with deadend trees and dark grass surrounding it. There was a being standing straight and tall, in dark black and gray robes, he was wearing a mask dark silver in color and looked like a cross between a bull and horse with rams horns. It outstretched it's robe and no body part was visible and no leg movements occurred when it walked. I had the feeling to follow, so (still laying with my eyes closed) I followed down the dark and almost terrifying path. And it look as if it would go on forever. Until we passed an invisible threshold in which I felt myself begin to cry in the real world here. I saw the most bright beautiful flowing green grass and the most real vibrant blue sky that could not be imagined. The path we followed as I looked around did continue forever, it looped around the sky and back down over what I can only think of as a horizon. In the fields and on the edges along the infinite path, there were stones. The tops were rounded and the stretched to the ground, there were 4 distinct sides on all of them, Each side had a crystal or a mirror, or some sort of glass on them. As we continued walking, I was "told" If I ever wanted to see this again I would have to restart. Each one represented something completely different but I was unable to stay to find out what, as it was time for my end and it was okay. I did not go back in though, as soon as the visit ended my eyes opened I was fully awake and sober. I drank some water rolled over and went to sleep. I didn't feel the need to continue although I wanted to, what I learned I needed to share and sit with. If I immediately went back in, I may have forgotten this. Notes: Any thoughts, questions, comments, or insults are welcome, as we only learn what we hear and feel, negativity is a feeling to be learned from not something to be outward pressed, but if it makes you feel better I'd rather you insult me than anyone else, I know I can take it lmao. - Never fear your own mind, you are stronger than the substances being used. They are there to work alongside you and if you can stay present and grounded with the fact that the subconscious and conscious are the same, you can go much farther by staying conscious within your own mind even if you can't control what's going on and have to let go. Happy trails!!

This took place about 21 years ago, when I was about 18 or 19. This is a wild ride so make sure you’re comfortable then get ready for quit the most mysterious tale you’ve ever heard. Hang in there for the long haul because this is a period of time that took place in the south side of Detroit in the early 2000s. I’ve been listening to creepy pastas for years and have never come across something like this. That’s not flexing either I’m just saying stick around this is a strange ride. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.
​
So, with that said let’s set the scene. I lived in a 24-unit apartment building with my mother who was a hard working single mom, who basically was hardly around as she was working two waitress jobs to keep a home and lived with my younger brother about 14 or 15 at the time. Furthermore, between late shifts and travel time 5 and 6 nights a week she wouldn’t even get home until 2 or 3am or so.
This is an erie story that came together from 3 points of view and the parts that are based in unquestionable reality were not divulged between us until years after moving out of this apartment. In addition, there are parts of this situation that could be interpreted as having roots in the supernatural, ie, spirits, ghosts, demons, afterlife ect. Although if you like your scares based that’s here as well. The overall tale is based yet some things that you’ll hear can be arguably blooming from another dimension. It’s open-ended and I would love to see what people think. My mom never wants to get into it as she is 70 now, and my younger brother and I will bring it up at family gatherings here and there but again that’s just our perspectives.
​
We lived on the top floor, and to give a quick layout because for this story it really does factor significantly in how things were perceived and ultimately played a big role in how things were handled. This building was one solid long rectangle. As I said before it was 24 units that were divided into two sections with 12 on each side that each had their own separate entrances and the only way to travel to the other section of 12 units once you’re inside being through a conjoining laundry room that had a doorway from each side. Every apartment was shaped in a way that you had a big window on the side facing the front of the building which was essentially the street that lead to the apartment, also it was the street that you could turn into the back parking lot which was a secluded parking lot that was fenced off and had a slightly wooded area behind the fence and then the back of a strip mall a grocery store but you couldn't really see it with all the brush in between.
That being said you could look to Main Street or there was a small window in the kitchen that you could look at to the back parking lot. Now as I stated before we lived on the top floor, within a week of living in this apartment something was slightly disturbing on the first floor in the middle of the night we would hear screaming if we went out into the apartment hallways. Which happened often being teenagers and having friends over or leaving and coming in.
This would take place usually between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. Technically at this point it was random and living where I come from again you tend to ignore the neighbors but after it went on for a while my brother and I both conveyed that we heard this lady screaming and we're very added out about it.
​
Although at this point our mother had not heard it yet as I said three and four nights a week she worked till well after 3:00 AM and somehow, she just was missing anytime get the screaming what's going on. Although within a week or so she did hear it and that's how we found out who it was it was the lady on the first floor she was an old woman in her 80s that lived by herself. Now with this latest information it did one of two things that either made it upsetting and sad that she may be experiencing mental issues at that age but at the same time it also made it slightly scary or eerie in a sense that she was screaming at that time of night.
Now let's step away from the elderly lady who screams for a few minutes, if you remember how our building was set up when I'm in my bedroom on the opposite side of the wall there's a neighbor but you can only get to him by going through the laundry room basement almost every night one of two things would happen an alarm would go off in the middle of the night from his apartment and never shut off for hours on end like four or five hours or every other weekend or every few weeks we would hear loud muffled screaming in there as well or at least I would hear strange noises. We live in the South side of Detroit it's the kind of place you don't get into neighbors’ business I didn't know if this was moaning for pleasure or what.
​
As time went on, I begin to notice that the neighbor that was on the opposite wall as I said before was rarely ever home and when he was home it was always hearing a woman moaning or muffled sounds. Loud bangs from the opposite side of the wall. If you remember how the building is designed that there's a window to look to the Main Street and a small window in the kitchen looking to the back parking lot this became the stuff of possible nightmares. I started noticing that when the guy was around, he was taking out giant heavy duty garbage bags or big duffel bags that looked like they were packed heavy and putting them in his pickup truck and driving away. This would always happen at night and went on for the course of a year. I Notice through this years’ time that this would happen about once a month are every other month, at least that's the number of times that happened to notice him bringing these bags out in the wee hours of the night.
​
I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit I want to jump back some, the lady downstairs continue to scream in the middle of the night I had noticed that the times that she was screaming sometimes always equal the times that he was carrying out these duffel bags not the same day but just the same time frame which was starting to get weird, finally I questioned the older lady and asked her if she was OK, I did not directly ask why she screams that night I didn't want to embarrass her or push her mental issue stronger I just asked her if she was in need of any help or was she having any trouble at night.
​
I'm not sure if I would have preferred a straight up answer of some sort because what I got was ominous and chilling in its own right, she stared at me blankly with almost Halo eyes again this lady was in at least her mid-80s and she brushed off the question and just asked if I would like some cookies she said that I liked cookies since I was younger and then she asked where Timothy, Charlie, and Susie have been she misses all her grandchildren. So, at this moment I wrapped it up to she must be experiencing Alzheimer's or some memory loss, once every few weeks she would have a family member stop by and check on her. So at least for that moment I figured that her family was making sure she was OK, and it must be my brain just connecting that's something strange was going on with her yelling and screaming when really, it's just Mental issues. Or at least for the time being my perception of that would soon change.
​
Now as I discussed the guy who was bringing the bags out and had women periodically screaming and was barely ever home his alarm clock would go off day after day when he wasn't there and it would start around 2-3 in the %99 and somehow would shut itself off around maybe 7:00 or 8:00 AM but it was one of them old style alarm clocks that everybody had back in the 90s the ones that just are beep that will drive you crazy, now from my mother's room you couldn't hear it and you could only slightly hear it from the front room and my younger brother was a very deep sleeper so he seemed to not have an issue with it when he slept in the room yet when it was my turn to sleep in the room it would drive me crazy. Eventually I got the nerve up that I was going to walk through the laundry room to his side of the building when I knew he wasn't home and check the door handle because I was going to unplug that alarm clock.
​
It was the middle of the night I got to say I really didn't know what to expect but I did go over there and I knocked at first even though I knew that he wasn't home but still my instinct was the knob I wasn't 100% but I was pretty sure and yet there was no answer for about 3 or 4 minutes. If you remember I was a late teenager at this time the time of your life that you feel invincible and I wanted to put an end to this plus I got to admit I was curious to see what was inside this apartment but I truly do not expect the door handle to be unlocked yet it was.
As the door slowly creaked across the hinges I felt as if I was a detective in an old school rat pack movie, I could no longer control the irregular heartbeat that I had soon discovered was going on inside my organs. I was the protagonist of my own private eye story at this point. That little gulp inside your throat that you get when your fight flight or freeze instincts start dripping down the nerves of your body , which somehow tingle the very bones that are keeping you standing in your own place begin to give way as if they are defective and have worked perfectly for you your entire life.
It is as if you have just entered an enemy war zone or some kind of alternate dimension. At the very least every nerve single inside your body is telling you that you should not be in the position that you are in right now but for some reason you ignore what your gut instinct is telling you. Which is not got for over all human evolution or at least human survival rate amongst other species because this is what is supposed to keep us alive at the upmost undesirable moments5 natural instinct kicking in as I entered the apartment.
​
It was every bit the cliche looking serial killer apartment, there was no furniture and rusted over stove all the lights are off just a couple scattered things it was super freaky and I knew right away something was wrong with this place but again the invincibility of being a teenager pushed through and also I pretty much knew the man was not home as I said before how I described the building I fully made my way to the bedroom it was like torn up mattress with stains on it and sprawled around the closet where different items that look to be women's clothes and jewelry and a giant jug of change like one of them water dispenser jugs and then of course the infamous alarm clock was ringing. Anybody who was born in the 80s and grew up in the 90s knows this alarm clock it's the one everybody had without hesitation I pulled the plug out and for good measure I must say at the time we were not a wealthy family and Mr. jug of change had to be a few $100 I took the jug with me when I left I was in and out of that apartment in less than two minutes.
​
My heart was racing so much as I left the apartment because that would be the only moments I couldn't see if he pulled up and then here I am lugging his water jug through the basements through the laundry room back up to my side of the building and in my house it was quite frightful. Especially now running through my head even more as the fact that he might actually be a killer. My brave confidence had weighed in on seeing the insides of that apartment and I got back to my house as fast as possible locking the door and going inside.
​
What we have here is a man who's hardly around and when he is there's add sounds coming from his apartment and he takes out body size bags to his truck and leaves. We also have an incredibly old woman in her 90s who screams in the middle of the night yelping her saying names occasionally. So we didn't put it all together then but after we had moved out my brother and I started swapping stories and we came to the conclusion that it's possible people were being murdered there and the old lady could see their souls as they were unsettled and still here on earth walking around which made her scream and yell. But as I said this story isn't necessarily supernatural as she could just be old and have dementia and we were just dealing with somebody who was a killer by us bringing bodies up back to their truck and burying them somewhere else. So you can come to your own conclusions on what was going on but it was such a disturbing time overall and when I look back on it I get such bad vibes and the chills even thinking about that place if I was to drive by it now I wonder if it would have a dark aura about it I may do so.
​
Yet here's the catch after swapping stories years after a few years ago a serial killer was caught and a few of his kills took place here in Detroit as they said he lived here part time when they showed his picture on TV he all looked almost exactly like our neighbor to the state we're not 100% sure if it was Sam as we both don't remember that neighbors name or if there was a name on the mailbox to tell us who it was what chances are it was him and that's real messed up I feel like if we would have pushed harder maybe we could have stopped them back then yeah we were young and just piercing all this information together.
.

I (27M) visited my family for my mom’s bday. My activities included watching my sister’s (26F) children (2 and 4). My mom and I went to my sister’s house to see their backyard. My sister and her husband have been putting a lot of work into this backyard project. She is also 8 months pregnant so we also expected to help out while there.
During the visit we saw a rat that got into the kids’ room. We caught it and released it hopefully far enough. It’s not hard to believe why a rat had been in the house for what was at least 3 days. Every time I visit there is dishes overflowing the sink, sticky counters, food on the floor and on furniture, and miscellaneous clutter everywhere. My sister has always been this way; as a kid, when she was dating her now husband, when they had no kids, and now with 3 kids. So I don’t chalk up the mess to their current 2 kids + pregnant + both parents working. But I get how messes can be unavoidable at this point.
My sympathy ends where they both have flexible jobs that allow them to organize their own work schedule, and the MASSIVE help my parents contribute to childcare. So I fail to see how when a rat and flies are an issue that they don’t own up to cleaning better. I don’t expect perfection, but this has been ongoing.
She shows me where the rat came from: under the kitchen sink. Inside the cabinet, there are rat droppings and when I see the poop I nonchalantly “yeah, probably just need to clean a little better.” And my sister starts yelling at me saying how hurtful and rude I was. I say “well it’s obvious isn’t it?” She starts yelling more so I decide to leave, since any defense I have would mean arguing in front of kids and upsetting her more.
I might be the AH because I don’t see how much they DO clean and can’t judge what I don’t have business in. And she says they are always cleaning. I still find it kinda hard to believe since I’ve been to parents’ houses and the mess is never to this degree. But I’m not a parent so I should’ve stayed quiet. If it wasn’t my family I would mind my own business but I felt like some gentle advice was needed. My mom won’t speak up cuz it’s immediately responded with defensive yelling and crying. I think my sister has a right to be upset since parenting is a full time job. But the backlash feels manipulative at times when it comes at the expense of my parents.
I apologized to her later for my comment. But it feels like Im just to avoiding conflict. I think if they have time to beautify the backyard they have time to keep a living room void of half eaten strawberries. Or at least keep food time for kids at the kitchen table. I’m not a parent so I don’t give my sister advice since I could be an idiot here. But my mom has made suggestions like this and they are quickly shutdown and labeled attacks by my sister. And I guess I thought I’d try hinting that a change was needed. But is it really that rude to mention that I have to avoid garbage on the couch when I visit my sister?

I just had the most ADHD stereotypical day, and I thought y’all would appreciate it.
I went to the kitchen to cut up a big watermelon and put it in the fridge. We have a small fridge, so I went to make sure there would be room.
There’s lots of old leftovers in there, they need to go. So, I cleaned out the fridge.
Well now the sink is full of dishes from the leftovers, so I did the dishes.
Then I remembered I wanted to throw some stuff in the slow cooker to meal prep for work, so I pulled that all out and got it started.
Oh hey, there’s a giant knife and watermelon next to the slow cooker.
All that to say, an hour after I got to the kitchen, the watermelon was cut up and in the fridge. 😂

Hi, I made this account for writing this post, my mother is chronically online so, though I'm sure she's not on reddit, I would rather be safe than sorry. It's hard to get to the point on stuff like this, I've had a really bad habit of over explaining things, and I've watched SmoshPit read stories on here and they always say "we don't know the full context" so I'm stuck between being one of those people that goes over and beyond to explain something and in the process I come off as annoying and dramatic, or saying so little I look like an entitled kid, so I don't know, I'm sorry in advance. When I was around two years old my mom broke up with my bio dad (now 61M), who I now live with, and almost immediately moved in with my now ex-stepdad (now 60M), who before moving in was apparently nice to me (I have no memory of us ever being decent to each other), but once we moved in things got bad. I have an older sister who is five years older, and a little brother who is just under two years younger, and both of them were treated like gifts from God by my mother and stepdad, older sister got everything she asked for because she kept her grades up and our mother considered her a "mini me", my little brother was charismatic and a social butterfly, and I was the middle kid, who was introverted and anxious, and for a lack of a better word, was something of a scapegoat. I got blamed for things that broke, went missing, or for not having money to do stuff, all starting when I was four years old or maybe younger. The constant blaming got so bad, my mom told me years later that the reason I got diagnosed with bipolar depression when I was seven was because she had overheard me crying myself to sleep, praying to God telling him to kill me, because I was convinced that every bad thing that happened in the world was my fault and if I died the world would be at peace. And speaking of diagnosis', I want to tell you all what my full list is and what ages I was diagnosed with them, so I don't feel like I'm going back and forth with the story, otherwise I fear the timeline might come off a little wonky and unorganized. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was six years old, starting Vyvanse and Adderall shortly after, bipolar depression when I was seven, I was put on several things, most of which I cannot remember the names of. Anxiety when I was ten, they didn't really put me on something, they gave me these weird melting pills that tasted like mint but again, I can't recall what they are named. And lastly I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 20, also being diagnosed with maladaptive daydreaming which I had been doing since I was little due to lack of accommodations for said autism. (My psychiatrist when I was four years old and showing symptoms of autism got his degree in the seventies, he believed only men could have autism so he diagnosed me with Oppositional Defiant Disorder instead.) As I grew older, my thoughts, feelings, and issues became more complicated. When I was in first grade I was molested by the school janitor, and though my mom took it seriously, I couldn't help put the man away because my brain had blocked out the memory of what happened until about 2-3 years ago. So naturally, having been a victim of abuse but having no recollection of it, made my rage for a small child seem...unprecedented? I don't know how to not sound dramatic, I'm sorry. But around this time, the stock market was crashing, and my mom who was working at a BMV I think (maybe a fast food restaurant or maybe she was a photographer at this point idk), was struggling to get money for the family since my stepdad had quit his job and now just sat in front of the TV all day. The point is, is that any extra cash that didn't go towards food, bills, and gas in the car, went to buying weed, cigarettes, and southern comfort (bourbon? it's liquor), and the drinking and smoking got so bad, they would get blackout drunk all the time, though this might just be me trying to justify why they had forgotten what I'm about to tell you. One night when I was seven, my sister and brother were possibly at a friends house, and the reason I say possibly is because it was 11 o'clock at night, and I was only up to eat dinner which hadn't been made yet, and if I try to remember that night, I can't seem to picture whether or not my sister and brother were there that night. Anyway, they were drinking and smoking while making dinner, and I finally got my plate, I ate, I had a small child sized glass of milk that I didn't completely finish, and I went back to the kitchen to set my plate on the sink. Thing is, I tripped on my own feet because I was so tired, I spilled the glass of milk. (It was a small kids cup that would barely hold maybe half a cup.) Immediately my step-dad starts to lay into me: "Why would you spill that! Do you not know how expensive milk is! Why are you so careless!" Now, this is the first time I ever remember my mom standing up for me, and quite honestly it doesn't happen often, but in this moment, my Mom fired back saying that it wasn't that much milk lost and that it's fine. Then they started getting into a screaming match and I ran to my room crying because I didn't mean to start an argument and I was basically an over glorified toddler since I was again only seven years old and sleep deprived. Eventually, the screaming stopped, and my step-dad was walking away, but to get to the front door from the kitchen, you had to walk past my bedroom door, but getting close to my bedroom door is not a smooth transition to be heading towards the front door, also, my mother is legally deaf in one ear, and partially deaf in the other, so unless you're talking louder than reasonable, she can't hear you, something my stepdad would take advantage of to insult me under his breath for the fourteen years we lived with him. The point is, my stepdad took a step towards my door, and said through my shut door loud enough for me to hear, by not loud enough for my mother could, he said "I'm gonna kill you in your sleep.", and then proceeded to walk away. I assume that the reason my mother opened my door was because 1: I had went from normal kid crying, to absolute wailing of a freshly widowed victorian woman in the span of two seconds, and 2: she had seen my stepdad take the step away from my door to continue towards the front of the house. Mom came in and said "what did he say?" and I told her, and I don't remember much after that because I passed out from crying too much. The next day I actually had a therapy session, and when I tried to tell the therapist what had happened, my mother who was in the room, told my therapist "she's been lying a lot lately, that never happened." and my therapist believed her. After that, my mother started going into my weekly/eventually bi-weekly therapy sessions by herself for the first 40 minutes, complaining about all the lying/bad things I had done since I was there last, and then last twenty minutes, my mother would go out to the car, then I would be in the room with my therapist, who of which just scolded me for the first ten minutes, "honor thy mother and father" (Yes they said those exact words.), and then the final ten minutes were spent talking about what I wanted to talk about, but because of the ADHD, I can't form a continuous conversation for at least 10 minutes, especially if it's been one or two weeks since the last time I spoke to a person, so by the time I got to the actually concerning things that my therapist probably should need to know, it was time to leave because the session was over. "But, OP, i thought you said you were on medication for your ADHD, how could making conversation still be hard?" I'm glad you asked, my mother had realized when I tried to tell my therapist about being threatened by my stepdad, that I could tell my therapist about the drinking, the smoking, the abuse, and emotional neglect, and that it would most likely result in getting me, and possibly my two siblings removed from her care, so she tried to figure out what to do, and then she found out that vyvanse and adderall are a pretty sought out after drug, and she knew I couldn't focus without them, so yeah, my grades would suffer, but she'd be getting hundreds of dollars a month, wouldn't have her kids taken away because I can't focus on a conversation long enough to rat her out, and I'm under the age of 18 so I'm not going to be drug tested to make sure I'm taking the medication, so she could get away with it. I feel like at this point, I'm just ranting, I might do more on this page about this, and please know that this isn't ALL of it. This is quite literally maybe the first 10 years of my life, but I don't want to write a book that no one's gonna glance at, you know? So if any of you have questions, I'll answer them in the comments to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading this, I appreciate all of you.

Anyone else’s store still getting fixes in post/ after their remodel ended?, at first i thought they were just straightening up areas but we just got a new sink in our employee restroom that matches the new updated look of our breakroom (walls, metal table with outlets, white kitchen sink counter, white cabinets we didn’t have before) & public restrooms.
TMI: (rant) i thought i’d enjoy the remodel process, never disliked lazy, people i knew from high school more in my life, as a coworker put it “they’re probably chill & fine to hang out with outside of work but workwise i rather not”, some were upset, surprised to get fired or weren’t kept, but i wasn’t, i like some of them but i don’t like slackers it actually made most of our crew slack off too because of how much shit they were getting away with more so with the dumbass people over them not pushing them to work & believing they’ll suddenly take the job seriously, made me laugh when some remodel associates started quitting because one of our managers started getting on their asses and making them work, i won’t lie tho i’m most happy that a few rehires didn’t get kept i had my doubts knowing how favoritism works especially with this company, lastly on a bittersweet note i will miss the solid 2-3 silent months not hearing walmart radio. (End rant)
Hope if whoever reads this has a good day & is doing well & if not keep hanging in there, as much as you can, & prioritize yourself & what matters to you, don’t feel guilty to take a personal day off, especially for ex: overworking yourself (feeling the consequences all over my body and my mind right now 💀)

❗️❗️I am not a medical professional, and I’m not telling you that you need to, or have to, do any of these things. This is what works for me. Talk to your doctor before taking any of the supplements or following my diet that I shared in this post ❗️❗️
The reason I put cure in quotation marks in the title is because there’s technically no cure for tmau. But, I have completely stopped my odor and am living a peaceful life as of now.
Yesterday I made a post asking people what their diets are like and a lot of people messaged me asking what my diet is like and what foods I avoid. I figured instead of replying to everyone individually, I’d make a post explaining what I do in detail. So here we go!
Diet:
To stop smelling bad, I had to cut out all meat and seafood from my diet for good. This is an absolute must for me. And don’t get it twisted, I eat a lot, and you definitely don’t have to starve yourself. There are still a ton of foods that you can eat. Here is an example of my diet. I’m allergic to gluten, and my diet mainly consists of rice, berries (frozen or regular), vegetables (plain or roasted), coconut water, salads, and grain bowls. For protein I eat plain unsweetened Greek yogurt, and tofu occasionally. I’m a young female and I live a sedentary lifestyle so I don’t value protein very much but I do make sure that I have an decent amount every day.
For breakfast I’ll have one of these things. Either a [smoothie with frozen fruit, plain unsweetened Greek yogurt, and spinach] [gluten free pancakes with berry syrup that I make from frozen mixed berries, lemon juice and maple syrup] [2 slices of gluten free toast with butter and jam with 1-2 apples] [cereal with oatmilk, berries, and chia seeds (usually I buy crispy rice cereal)] and this thing called “natures cereal.” It’s strawberries, watermelon, and blueberries cut up small and mixed with coconut water.
For lunch: I always buy 90 second rice packets. I’ll heat up a packet of rice, mix in some plain unsweetened Greek yogurt, chop up carrots, cucumbers, and any other vegetables I have in the fridge, stir them in, and season it with turmeric powder, a little bit of black pepper, salt, and fresh lemon juice.
For dinner, I always make a grain bowl. Essentially it’s a salad but with rice, and your choices of toppings and a protein. I will get a big bowl and fill it with a ton of lettuce, I’ll add some rice, cucumbers, carrots, or literally any other vegetables that I have in the kitchen, I’ll also add plain unsweetened Greek yogurt to it. For the dressing, I use fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, sometimes some maple syrup, and a little bit of pepper.
A list of safe foods for me are,
•avocados in moderation •corn •tomatoes in moderation •carrots •cucumbers •squash •celery •peppers •all lettuce except for arugula •apples (all kinds) •lemons •limes •pears •strawberries •bananas •blueberries •raspberries •blackberries •mango (and basically every other fruit) •matcha tea •mint tea •chai tea •sweet potatoes •regular potatoes •coconut water •tofu in moderation •crispy rice cereal •rice (brown, basmati, white, it doesn’t matter) •oatmeal in small amounts (some people say that oatmeal makes them worse so be careful on this one) •smoothies with frozen berries, any of the milks listed below, any of the sweeteners listed below, Greek yogurt, spinach, and chia seeds •chia seeds •flax seeds •pumpkin seeds (again, some people can’t eat these so be careful) •honey •maple syrup •agave nectar •plain unsweetened Greek yogurt •sometimes I can tolerate some mozzarella cheese but only a little bit •dairy free ice creams oatmilk or coconut milk based •oat milk •coconut milk •rice milk •olive oil •coconut oil •avocado oil •(I make all of my dressings for salads out of lemon juice and unsweetened Greek yogurt)
List of my ❗️❗️DO NOT EAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE❗️❗️foods •eggs (specifically the yolks) •gluten (you can find gluten free versions of literally everything in the grocery store) •seafood of any kind (seaweed and crustaceans too) •all meat especially red meat •legumes •nuts of any kind especially peanuts •coffee or heavily caffeinated drinks like energy drinks (I drink chai tea and matcha instead) • cruciferous vegetables •most dairy products. get the non-dairy versions of ice creams that are coconut/oatmilk based •mushrooms •Spicy food and heavy seasonings (I’ve noticed that spicy food really makes me smell bad no matter how clean my diet is)
Supplements: •chlorophyll liquid drops (I get these on amazon. 1 small bottle usually lasts me 6 months to a year). Use this 1-4 times per week. Don’t use it every day. Your body can get used to it •probiotics (these are an absolute must for me. As soon as I started taking them, the odor on my actual skin completely went away) •activated charcoal pills. Activated charcoal sucks the toxins out of your body but it also can make other supplements you’re taking in-effective. Only take when you’re really concerned about smelling.
Hygiene: •Perfume and cologne will make you smell worse. If you aren’t doing the diet, it’s like spraying perfume next to a sewage tank. Doesn’t smell good together. I do wear perfume now because I don’t smell anymore. If you insist on using perfume, use a very faint scent and one that isn’t strong. I always use some sort of bath and body works scent because it doesn’t last long. •keep your clothes smelling fresh. Use a good smelling detergent and a decent smelling fabric softener. This will give you the confidence going out without perfume. •invest in loofa gloves, and wash your body twice in the shower. Once with an unscented soap and again with either the same soap, or a mildly scented soap if your odor is gone. •I don’t suggest using lotions or coconut oil on your skin. they make my skin smell terrible. •if you can, switch to natural deodorant. I use Lumé toasted coconut or Native cinnamon hearts
I hope these things help you! If you have any questions feel free to PM me or leave it in the comments :) sorry this is a long post, but I wanted to cover everything.

--- Table of Contents ---
Autumn 4983, 20 Shinmoth
Shon stirred awake before the servant came in, but kept his eyes closed, slowly wiggling fingers and toes, waiting for her to gently shake him. He needed to confirm this wasn’t just an extension of the very lifelike dream he'd been having. She used the tips of her fingers to quickly shake him, pulling sharply back when Shon twitched away.
She stepped back and Shon rolled towards her to sit up. He blinked as she brought her finger to her lips. She didn’t usually bother, after two years all the servants knew Shon was more than capable of letting the others sleep for a few more hours. He glanced over his shoulder, towards the reason for her added caution. Only recently moved out of the nursery, the newest boy snuffled restlessly.
Nodding to the maid, Shon moved slowly, though it probably didn’t matter. The dorms kept the eldest near the door, the boys getting younger as the long hall-like room reached towards the window. As the youngest, the new boy had only two empty beds between him and the glass window, while Shon's spot was nearly to the door.
As Shon slipped on his boots, the maid shivered, breathing on her hands and turning away. He narrowed his eyes as she left then looked towards the window beyond the restless boy. Snow was falling beyond the glass. Shon rolled his eyes, reaching for the box below his bed and pulling out his short cloak, just long enough to cover his shoulders and arms. He would be expected to wear something extra now that it was officially snowing. He really didn’t see the point. It wasn’t that cold. But the others always looked at him funny, and the priests would yell about him getting sick. So rather than argue, Shon did as he was told.
The new boy whined in his sleep while Shon finished making his bed, and the oldest curled tighter into his blankets, stopping Shon before he could pass and leave. Glancing over his shoulder, Shon sighed and returned to pull the blanket off his bed. Folding it just enough not to drag on the ground, he tip-toed down the central hall of the dorm before slowly and carefully draping it over the youngest. His whimpers settled shortly after, and Shon shook his head. He would have to remember to grab one of the spare blankets before anyone noticed his was missing.
Leaving the dorm, Shon didn’t try to be as quiet in the halls. Servants scuttled about in their early morning duties, lighting candles and torches, getting everything ready for when the rest of the church began to wake for the day.
The head cook returned Shon’s nod when he entered the kitchen, going back to kneading the morning bread as Shon started his chores. This was the agreement they'd come to when he'd asked that they wake him up early. Every day he would get up hours before the other children and help prep the dining area for breakfast. It was simple work that he finished quickly, but it still freed up an extra servant to work the ovens.
When finished, Shon walked through the kitchens again, waving at the cook to let him know he was done before exiting into the courtyard for the real work of the morning. Soft snow floated lazily down between the naked branches of the central tree, dusting the ground like fine sugar on an expensive sweet roll. Shon hardly noticed the snow, reaching his usual practice area and breathing deep before sinking into his low stance to start his most basic drills.
This time of year, it would be hours before the sun rose, and though there were no lights in the courtyard, he didn’t need to see. Shon closed his eyes as he worked his muscles awake, breathing in the crisp icy air and feeling it invigorate him in a way that rarely happened during the warmer months. He thought of Master Veon-Zih, imagining the Monk standing beside him, matching his punches and kicks, occasionally offering a small lesson during the warmup. ‘Imagine your opponent with each punch. Where are you hitting? Be sure to aim through them, so you don’t stop short with barely a tap…’ His Master wasn’t here, though he was expected to arrive sometime this week. Still, Shon could see the man clearly in his mind’s eye as he worked, sweat beginning to bead on his head and neck.
He moved from the simple drills onto his kata. Working through the fighting forms and taking his teacher’s past advice, picturing his opponent with each strike. He tried not to let his mind wander as his muscles moved almost on their own. Over two years of going through the same motions every day had made them automatic, requiring him to focus harder now than when he'd first begun to stay in the moment.
His birthday was only a few months away, and it would be the last he spent in the church…
No, focus. His sweeping kick landed on an imaginary adversary at just the right spot in the middle of the shin, causing him to fall forward, perfectly in line for Shon’s next punch.
On the Spring Equinox, he would take the test to join the Temple. Everything else beyond depended on that…
FOCUS! Shon let slip a growl of frustration at himself, finishing his kata and starting the same again. He wouldn’t move on until he could maintain his concentration through this one.
Only one season until the rest of his life. Whatever that would be…
The snow was distracting him, it marked the start of winter better than the calendar. Shon stopped his kata, breathing deep and looking into the sky. The stars would be shining beyond the clouds, though they would fade soon as the sun slowly began to rise. He would go to the Temple again today. While the others tried to impress the Weavers Guild in the hopes of getting an apprenticeship with one of the trades after reaching maturity, he would pray. Though if that actually helped, he didn’t know. Was he making the right choice? Should he instead focus on something more practical? Or something he already had skill in? Gaven seemed to think Shon could make it as an artist at a Bard's College…
Shaking his head, Shon resumed his stance, taking an extra moment to breathe deep. In through his nose, then out his pursed lips. He'd been slated for the Temple. Everyone said so. But more than that, something deep in his chest cried out with a need to serve, to fight. Nothing better encapsulated that drive than an Hengist Paladin.
Shon started his kata again.
***
Veon-Zih found Shon in Hengist's chapel. Though the most decorative of the rooms in the Temple, even it was considered utilitarian compared to the worship halls of Soleil and most of the other gods. Stone walls were lined with alternating windows and niches, the latter containing scale statues of Hengist's Chosen. Pews were separated on each side by a simple blue carpet leading from the door and officer's balcony to the altar with its blue and silver tapestry of an upright sword.
With no sermon scheduled the chapel was nearly empty. A young Paladin stood guard at the entrance while a priest dusted statues, and Shon sat alone in a central pew, head bowed. The knight nodded silently to Veon-Zih as he entered and made his way down the main aisle to pay his respects at the altar. The priest rushed forward to grant the Monk a quick blessing before he made his way toward Shon.
Sliding into the boy’s pew, Veon-Zih saw Shon didn’t have his head down in prayer. Instead, his ever-present journal was spread across his knees as he drew. Veon-Zih snuck a peek at the drawing. It was more elaborate than anything Shon usually drew. He had already finished a decorative border, that consisted of each of the knights lining the walls, and was just putting in the fine details of the man in the center, the god himself, Hengist.
“You didn’t want to join the others at the Weavers?” Veon-Zih spoke softly, not quite a whisper, but not loud enough to disturb the chapel's peace.
With his characteristic silence, Shon merely shrugged and nodded to confirm the observation.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it in time for morning exercises. After a few months away, I’m sure you're eager to continue your lessons?” Veon-Zih had warned Shon that this last journey would keep him away far longer than any of his previous missions. With no new evidence surfacing of possible Warlocks in Clearhelm, he'd run out of excuses to stay away from his Monastery. Whoever these magic users were, and whatever they were doing, they were able to stay hidden for years at a time.
In the meantime, for the first time in nearly forty years, Veon-Zih had spent his time between missions in one place. Training Shon.
Branston had made the observation that Shon seemed to be opening up to Veon-Zih in a way the Cleric hadn’t seen before. Veon-Zih disagreed. The longer he spent with the strangely silent and stoic boy, the more Veon-Zih realized that Shon wasn’t as closed off as Father Branston’s statement implied. Most people just didn’t know how to approach him or translate his silent cues.
In answer to Veon-Zih’s question, Shon looked up from his drawing, meeting the Monk’s eyes and nodding resolutely. Veon-Zih didn’t bother to hide his smile and returned the nod, watching as Shon returned to his drawing. He could appreciate the simplicity of the boy’s communication. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to talk at all, just that he didn’t see the point in answering verbally when it wasn’t necessary. All you had to do to get him to talk was ask a question that needed words to answer…
“Why Hengist?”
The light scratching of pencil on paper stopped, the chapel ringing with silence at its absence. “He protects.” Shon’s voice was a soft whisper in the stillness of the worship hall, “Everyone is worth protecting, and it’s the duty of those who can fight to protect those who can’t.” he looked up, focusing on the tapestry and the altar, “I…” he faltered, “I want to be like that, like him.”
“You don’t have to be a Paladin to do that,” Veon-Zih said. He hadn’t tried to convince Shon to abandon his goal and join him. Often, he wanted to, but whenever he thought to try, he would see that look in the boy’s ice-blue eyes. The intensity and… longing, and Veon-Zih’s voice would die in his throat.
Shon didn’t look away from the tapestry, “But…” the chapel doors opened, and Shon turned with Veon-Zih to watch another young boy, no older than Shon, enter with his parents. They were obviously well off, possibly even noble, their clothing the height of fashion and well-made of expensive fabric. The father passed the boy something, and he walked alone down the central aisle. He met Shon’s gaze, the two exchanging a nod as he continued towards the altar, where he made his offering and received a blessing before turning to leave again.
“A friend of yours?” Veon-Zih asked once the doors had closed behind the family.
Shon shook his head, going back to his drawing. Veon-Zih tapped him on the shoulder and arched a questioning eyebrow when Shon looked up. Shon shrugged, “He comes almost every time I’m here, makes a large offering, and leaves.” he sighed and looked toward the altar again, “He wants to be a Paladin, but you can’t buy your way into the order.”
“Hengist accepts all willing and able to serve,” Veon-Zih quoted. Though people often forgot that not just anyone was ‘able’ no matter how willing. “You were going to say something else,” the Monk prompted, “before your friend so rudely interrupted.”
Shon narrowed his eyes, moving his pencil away from the drawing and tapping it absently on the opposite page, “I don’t know.” he finally said, “I’ve tried to describe it, but I can’t find the words…” he starting drawing again but continuing to speak, “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. Like there's something inside me that reaches out for it. Whenever I try to imagine myself older, I’m always a Paladin, serving the people and fighting evil. I’ve drawn this picture of myself, and I can’t erase it. It just feels… right.”
He took a moment to finish his drawing, paying close attention to each detail, going back and adding shading and texture so the art seemed to come alive in a way even the statues couldn’t achieve with their added dimension. “Paladins…” Shon muttered, finally setting his pencil down, “They're never alone. Hengist is always with them, even in the darkest times and most dire situations. The gods love us, they made us, but only the Paladins and Clerics ever truly feel it.”
Veon-Zih felt guilty. He'd taken many missions from both the Temple and Church, so he spent as much time out of the city as in it. The boy never seemed to begrudge him, appearing to enjoy the stories and lessons Veon-Zih would bring back. Shon often spent time alone, but the Monk had thought it was of his own choosing, preferring to read or draw than play with the others of his age. Had he actually been lonely all this time?
“You would hardly be alone at the Monastery. It's fairly bursting with Monks who share your passions and interests in the art-” but Shon was shaking his head, slowly working the finished page out of his journal.
“It’s not the same. People… people are annoying. They always want to talk while you’re busy. They get upset when you don’t answer right away or with what they want to hear. Even some of the gods would want me to change, to better fit what they teach, just like people. But Hengist… I already believe what he teaches. It just fits.” Shon ran his fingers over the drawing and that small smile Veon-Zih loved so much colored his features, “Discipline, service, honor. He wouldn’t be uncomfortable. If I could reach out and touch him, he wouldn’t pull away…” his smile faded, and Shon shook his head as if to dismiss that particular thought.
“Hey,” Veon-Zih reached over, patting Shon’s hand. The boy’s skin was cold, not unusual considering the weather but made strange in the heated chapel. But he didn’t pull away, “Why don’t we learn something fun and impressive today?”
Shon looked up sharply, his eyes wide and eager, then, with some concentration, he arched a black eyebrow. The Monk had to stifle a chuckle, saying, “It’s rather inefficient to have to climb back to your feet if you fall down, and downright deadly in battle, but there's a nifty little technique you can use to jump from your back to your feet in an instant!” he stood as he spoke and Shon jumped up after him, still a child despite the earlier seriousness.
Exiting the pew, Veon-Zih bowed respectfully to the altar while Shon shuffled past, walking to the altar and laying down his drawing reverently as an offering. One might not be able to buy themselves into the order, but it didn't hurt to try.
***
“I think I hate the gods…” She sat on the floor with Her back against the locked door of Her room. A book rested on Her bent knees, and She stroked Her hair over Her shoulder. It was finally the length She liked, meaning they were probably going to cut it today…
“Careful saying such things Red,” Ran spoke from the other side of the door, “they might decide to smite you.”
She scoffed, tossing the hair back over Her shoulder and leaning forward as the lock clicked, “What are they going to do? Make this somehow even more boring?” She pushed against the door as Ran tried to open it, snickering as he struggled to push Her weight. “Inryuu won’t take me because I’m too good, and Yoryuu won’t have me because I’m too bad.”
“Red…” Ran said disapprovingly.
“I guess she doesn’t want to see the puppies after all…” Brom’s voice. She could practically feel his shrug, and She scrambled forward on Her hands and knees, letting the book, ‘Gods of Dragons and Men,’ tumble open to the floor.
She jumped to Her feet with an extra hop and spin toward the open door, causing Her dress to swirl around Her knees, “She had them? How many?” She bounced on the balls of Her feet, clutching Her curled fingers to Her lips in barely contained exuberance.
Ran chuckled, holding the door open while Brom made a sweeping gesture towards the hall, “After you, Firewyrm.” With that, She ran past them both and down the only hall. She managed to slow somewhat before passing the first open door, its tables filled with bottles of glowing liquid and colorful stones. The Archmage looked up from his massive tome to watch Her pass. She waved at him, giggling as Brom and Ran stuttered their apologies in a rush to keep up with Her.
The next few doors were closed, but from the last came the shuffling of many pawed feet and the quiet mews and yips of Her treasures. She smiled at each of them as she entered, but was pulled inevitably towards the only open cage and the other Archmage blocking Her view of it. She squeezed past Archmage Shaloon and gasped at the golden wolf with her five shimmering puppies, crowded around her belly, fighting each other for prime spots and suckling eagerly.
“Oh,” She cooed. Dropping to Her knees, She stroked the mother’s head, “You did such a good job. They're so cute.”
“Hmm,” Shaloon pursed her lips, muttering, “We will see.” then louder, “Where are Ran and Brom?”
“Here, Archmage…” Ran puffed as he rounded into the room.
“The Firewyrm is not to be left alone,” she snapped at them while the Firewyrm in question scratched the golden wolf’s chin.
“They were right behind me,” She said absently, sitting back on Her heels and cupping Her hands before Her. In Her palms, She summoned a little fire and spoke to the wolf, “I made something for you to chase when you feel better…” She focused on the fire, shaping its heart with Her will...
Archmage Shaloon took Her by the wrist, breaking Her focus as she pulled the girl to Her feet, “Not now, Firewyrm, we are short on samples. You two,” she let go of the girl's hot skin and turned back to Brom and Ran who stiffened, “Blood and saliva.”
“And hair?” Ran asked, taking the girl gingerly by the shoulders.
Shaloon waved a dismissive hand as he led the Firewyrm away from the wolf and her new puppies towards another door, “We have enough for now.”
The Firewyrm did a little happy dance. No hair and no scales! It was indeed a good day. Though even that good news couldn’t bring too much spring into Her step as Brom opened the door, and Ran ushered Her into the lab usually used for taking samples from Her treasures. It was even smaller than Her room, holding only a tall cabinet, a wooden stand with jars, tubes, and vials, and a steel table with heavy leather straps dangling from the sides.
Dutifully She moved to the table and clamored on. Laying down and staring at the stones of the ceiling, She tried not to listen too carefully to the clanking of glass and creaking of wood as Brom and Ran busied themselves getting ready. At least they weren’t going to cut Her hair.
They didn’t strap Her down. They hadn’t needed to for many years. Brom approached Her left side, lifting Her limp arm and examining the fold of Her elbow with a hum, “Still bruised, better use the right side this time Ran.”
She closed Her eyes, listening to the soft rustle of Ran’s robes as he rounded the table to lift Her right arm. The cold cleaning agent made Her twitch, and She focused on trying not to flinch as the long needle entered Her vein, trying to breathe through the discomfort as a pulling sensation accompanied the taking of Her blood sample.
“Open up, Goldy,” Brom stood at Her head, and She obeyed, taking a large swab in Her mouth and soaking it with spit before he pulled it out and replaced it with another. She didn’t bother to count them or try to keep track of the time. It always seemed to go so much slower whenever She did. Instead, She thought about Her newest treasures.
Ever since She'd first been allowed to help care for the other subjects of the tower, She'd claimed them as Her own. They were a strange and beautiful lot, predatory animals with metallic fur or gem-colored scales. This generation was still healthy, but She knew they would grow sickly the older they got, their bodies unable to handle their own power. She couldn’t do anything about it, so She focused on keeping them as healthy and happy as She could for the time She had them. Until the next generation was bred.
The newest puppies were a variety of red scales or gold fur, just like Her. Maybe they would survive longer. After all, She was perfectly healthy…
She grew drowsy, Her hand going numb as Ran continued to take his samples. Her mouth was dry enough to feel as though it were still stuffed with cotton even after Brom had stopped giving Her swabs to soak. “I want to play with them… before… I go back…” She gasped out, opening Her eyes to see Brom shake his head at Her.
“For a little while, maybe…” he answered. She smiled. It was the best She was going to get. They were always too busy to let Her out for long on sample days. Tomorrow, perhaps the day after, She would be given more time...
She jerked awake as Ran slid the needle from Her arm, “All done, Red. Don’t sit up too fast.” She didn’t sit up at all, rolling off of the table and climbing to Her feet, eager to get back to Her treasures before being forced to Her room. She felt a bit woozy and hadn’t intended to fall asleep but tried not to show it as Brom opened the door for Her to sprint out.
Archmage Morndancer had joined Archmage Shaloon. They stood together outside the wolf’s stall, “Useless…” Morndancer muttered, holding a puppy with glints of gold fur beneath each of its red scales.
“Perhaps it will better show the relationship between-” Shaloon started only to be interrupted by the puppy squealing and wiggling in Morndancer's suddenly tight fist.
“We’ve seen it a hundred times before,” he snapped at his colleague, “It will grow, but it can not breed. Can not evolve or further our efforts.” They hadn’t noticed the Firewyrm. She slowed, eyes fixed on the struggling captive pup. “Useless…” Morndancer said again, then threw the puppy at the far wall.
Its yip was silenced by a sickening crunch and wet plop as it bounced off the wall and landed unmoving on the floor.
The Firewyrm screamed.
She was still dizzy, but She lunged for Morndancer anyway. He disappeared beneath her clawing fingers, reappearing further away. Her neck itched, and Fire flickered at the hem of his robes, spreading to the pile of straw used to pad the cages.
“Red, don’t…” someone grabbed Her shoulders but let go immediately, cursing in pain at the heat causing Her hair to undulate in the shifting waves.
“Firewyrm, calm down,” Shaloon ordered, stepping between Her and Morndancer, who was trying to pat the spreading fire out of his robes. Her heart pounded in Her ears. crimson bleeding into Her vision, narrowing Her focus on the man who had so callously killed one of Her treasures. Her arm tingled and Her neck itched. Her vision wavered, She was too dizzy, too drained.
Fingers snapped, and She couldn’t breathe. She clawed at the tightening collar around Her neck, Her fires going out in a blink as She fought for air that wouldn’t come. The voices around Her seemed to come from far away, their words barely registering, “If she has enough energy for this, then obviously we have been skimping on samples.” She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even cry out as the collar continued to squeeze, “Take her back, we can never have enough blood. And cut that damn hair…”
***
Her head hurt. She squeezed Her eyes shut tighter, but that only made the pounding worse. Struggling to move Her fingers, She eventually managed to lift Her hand only to flinch as the move put pressure on Her sore elbow, Her left side. They had drained Her on both sides the second time then. She moved past the pain and brought Her hand up to pat Her head. Her hair was shorn short, right up against the scalp.
Letting slip a groan, She rolled over and flinched violently as the shift put pressure on Her left upper arm. They had taken a large patch of red scales as well, ripping them free by the root. She finally managed to squint Her eyes open to find She was back in Her room. The only light the shine of the moon reflecting off the snow through Her window. She looked at Her candles, but they wouldn’t light, and Her head pounded harder.
Curling into a tight ball, She tried to scan the rest of Her room, but it was empty. The books and comfortable chair, gone. Squeezing Her eyes shut again, She cried silently, the pitiful yip of Her lost treasure ringing in Her ears. “I hate the gods…”
--- Table of Contents ---
All comments and communication are welcome and wanted!