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empty-masks · 2 years

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Book Three, Chapter Two

CW: Strong Language, Sexual References, Graphic Violence, Fantasy Bigotry, Smoking, Alcohol Use, Light Body Horror

Late morning in Fusillade is busy, oddly enough. What with all the ash falling from the sky, many businesses have found that their employees have abstained from showing up to work today as they attempt to; A. find out why this is happening, and B. secure any and all flammable belongings under the safety of a fireproof cover. Jules and Lucille, having found a nice covered bench to enjoy their breakfast on, watch as the community collectively scrambles to get a hold on the circumstances.

“You know, I didn’t think I’d ever see the day. The Wyrm’s finally dead.” Jules muses, taking a bite of his egg sandwich.

“Either that or somebody’s busy burning the woods down.”

“Fusillade does like its controlled burns.”

Lucille scoffs. “Fair. If someone did this accidentally the town would’ve strung him up by now.”

“Or the mob would take him. Plenty of that around here.”

“Enough to swipe away a scapegoat from the public’s hands?”

Jules chews another bite of his sandwich. “Enough to do a lot of stuff they’d normally not get away with in some other towns, yeah. This place is theirs, for sure.”

“Well,” she leans back on the bench, wadding up the bit of wax paper her egg sandwich came in. “In that case this shit would be an administrative nightmare for them. A bunch of their territory is going up in flames and people are freaking out.” She motions to the crowds of hurried, worried people.

The Vampire thinks about this for a moment. Then, leaning back with her, he laughs. “Yep. Unforeseen consequences, and all that shit.”

“Consequences? You think they did this?” Lucille immediately sits up in her seat again.

“If Fusillade’s got beef with their Dragon,” he shrugs, “you can bet your ass that the Carnevale’s got something to do with it.”

“Why the hell would the mob want to kill a Dragon?”

“Beats me. Why does the mob do anything they do?”

“Money.” Lucille scrunches up her face. “Maybe it was attacking their shipments or something?”

“Probably.”

“That’s ballsy, though. You can’t drive-by a Dragon.”

“Hah! You’d be surprised,” Jules replies, tapping his foot. “Some of these guns they’re coming up with can punch holes through concrete.”

“And they’ve got the resources for that?”

“Oh, yeah. It’d be a money pit, but a money pit they could fill if they wanted.”

The Mercenary frowns. As the silence breaks between them, a town crier comes into earshot, recruiting for the search-and-rescue mission organized by the Town of Fusillade. She receives a nudge on the shoulder by him, and he points to the source.

“You wanna find out what happened for sure?” He asks, smiling.

“Are we getting paid?” Lucille asks back, maintaining her frown.

“If we aren’t, we can raise hell.”

She stands up from the bench, hucking the ball of wax paper into a nearby bin. “Last stakeout was boring. Might as well make some cash while we’re waiting for our quarry to show.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

“Jules? Lucille?”

“That’d be us,” Lucille says to the crier, holding up a hand.

“Step into the tent please.”

The mercenaries push their way through the thin crowd and into a faded, ash-coated circus tent. Before them sits the crier in a plastic chair, and he invites the two of them to a pair of their own, one green, one yellow. His desk is of the rickety, wood and metal type, the kind you see precariously balancing baking soda-vinegar volcanoes during school projects fairs in bulk. On it, a clipboard and pen sits idly, and an angled nameplate, more than likely taken from one’s office inside the governmental building beside them, reads “Barnaby Kurms”.

Jules, being the first to take a load off, nearly falls through the seat, and the distinct crack of plastic makes its way up to Barnaby, who is giving his forehead a massage with his thumbs. Lucille sits down more carefully, but still feels the bottom of the seat bend under the weight of her gear.

“I’ll pay for that,” the Vampire offers. “Don’t worry about it. Finally gives us an excuse to buy new ones,” the Crier responds. “So, you two are independent contractors? Could you clarify that for me, ‘cause that could mean a bunch of stuff, and I don’t wanna be guessing right now.”

“It means we’ve got a lot of experience on the road. We’re adventurers,” Jules says.

“The kind that burn down towns, or the kind that help the towns clean up?”

Lucille puts her hand over Jules’ mouth. “The second one. We’re just passing through on our way to settle a contract and we figured that we’d help out where we could to make some quick cash.”

“What she said,” Jules frowns, rubbing his lips.

Barnaby sighs, and holds his head in his hands. After a moment of trying to gather himself, he says, “Okay, so. Can you explain some of your, uh. Skills? Or something.”

The mercenaries look at one another, and after some sneering from Lucille, Jules starts with, “We’re manhunters. Alive or dead, we’ll find your people.”

“Might as well tell him we’re killers too,” she says, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“We’re killers too, Mister Kurms. I mean, look at us. It’s okay to assume, ‘cause in this case, you’re probably right. You probably need people like us though, since we’re so good at finding people.”

“And,” Lucille adds, “Our quarry wasn’t on that trip. Guaranteed. You wouldn’t be seeing us if they were.”

A moment of silence fills the tent before Barnaby grabs his clipboard, and clicks down on the pen. “Lucky for the two of you, you help fill our quota of muscle for this assignment. Consider yourselves hired.”

Barnaby directs the mercenaries out the opposite end of the tent that they entered, which opened up for them into a small gathering area, bordered by the familiar rickety tables. Each of them had an umbrella fastened to the center, and underneath each said umbrella was a small selection of preserved meat, cheese, and fruit-based refreshments, alongside a transparent, nearly-full cooler of some herbal brew. Taped onto each of the tables was a piece of paper which, in hastily scrawled ink pen, “Reserved for Confirmed Hires Area, Please Do Not Use!”

There’s a small selection of people hanging around, presumably because the assignment itself is a small one. But, as the two mercenaries find out, as they walk toward the herbal brew cooler to grab something to drink, is that almost everyone present is staring at them with a variety of intense emotions. The two of them face away from the eyes, and Jules immediately whispers, “Recognize anyone?”

Lucille grabs a paper cup, “Yeah. A couple, actually. You?”

“Maybe more than you.”

“Fuck.”

They slowly turn back around, raising their cups of thin green sludge to their mouths. Jules’ eyes immediately turn to Brie, who is in the process of giving an impromptu interrogation session to one of the townies about the nature of ashen precipitation. Upon looking up from her notebook, she notices the Vampire’s presence, and cocks her head to the side in visible confusion. She didn’t expect either of us here, he thinks to himself. I didn’t expect them, either.

Lucille’s gaze immediately matches that of Roxanne’s, who has twisted her face into a combination of anguished interest, like someone being invaded by an embarrassing memory while minding their own business in the shower. Brie taps the Fox on the shoulder to whisper something in her ear. Roxanne chuckles quietly, and reaches behind herself to grab a meat and cheese skewer without breaking eye contact.

The quiet sizing up of the two parties is observed by the remaining few of the search assignment, who could’ve cut the awkward, not-quite-antagonistic energy in the room with a butter knife and served it on toast. It makes them want to consider who they know, and why they know them, in an attempt to ground their relationships away from those four in particular. John knows Todd, since he cleaned his gutter last week on short notice, as the leaf-pack had caused a nasty overflow. Vinny is drinking buddies with Todd and has been for a couple years now, but also works for the same mason as Jones. Jones is neighbors with John… but these small thoughts are hardly enough to keep the townies from gawking at the scene before them.

“Can I get your attention please, folks?” Barnaby says, not anticipating a blast of odd, acquaintance-based energy to hit him squarely in the jaw as everyone’s gaze turns directly to him. Mind still in the process of rebooting, he comments, “Everyone’s met one another? We all feeling good?”

Roxanne, swallowing the last bites of her appetizer, says, “It certainly appears that way, Mister Kurms.”

“Good. I hope.” The Crier stands upright, gathering himself. “Well. You eight are it. Even if you weren’t already, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting acquainted anyways. I’ll be leading the assignment, I always have to do everything around here. Any questions?”

Brie raises a hand, but doesn’t begin talking until Barnaby actively calls on her. “The questions I have are geared toward the participants of the group, rather than you, Mister Kurms. Is that alright?”

Barnaby scratches his head with his pencil. “Uh, check with them?”

“It is just a few simple questions,” Brie starts, pulling out her notepad. “Starting with you, the Vampire.”

Jules’ eyes widen at the prospect of being questioned by someone other than their assignment manager. “Anything in particular, Ms. Brie?” he responds, attempting to cover up his worry with a toothy smile.

“The first is more of a comment than a question. We have met before, yes? Back in Kiln, I interviewed you at the Superposition Inn about the whereabouts of some runaways, in which you informed me that you were chasing them yourself with your partner.”

“That’s the truth. Sorry about not being straight with you. You know how things are.”

“Apology accepted. Second question— what category of Vampire do you fall under? My nerves tell me that you are the kind that has to sustain yourself on Humanoid blood, as if you were not, it would be more a part of your personality. But, I am not one to assume such things from someone I have only met on official terms.” Brie readies her pencil, and smiles back. “I would like to know before potentially spending a day out in the forest with you, as a forewarning.”

“Well, you guessed right,” he responds, smile fading with nervousness.

Lucille butts in as Brie starts writing. “He’s never eaten people. There’s this brand of dried mushroom we get. Tastes just like the real thing, they say. It does the trick.”

Brie raises an eyebrow, and scribbles for a moment before asking, “Are you implying that you also eat people?”

“...Yeah?” Lucille curses under her breath.

“And you are Lucille, yes?” Brie asks.

“Yeah.”

“Would it be safe to assume that the two of you are here in Fusillade chasing down the same quarry that you were in Kiln?”

“Is this really necessary? Let’s shut up and get to this job already,” she hisses, turning to Barnaby.

Roxanne elbows the Detective in the side, and whispers up into her ear, “You’re not doing much in the way of making them comfortable, Ms. Brie.”

“To be frank, that is not my job. I am simply curious about their presence here in Fusillade, and now that my suspicions have been confirmed, I can continue gathering more relevant information.”

“Yes, but it’d be wise of you to work towards that goal anyways. Loose lips come with comfort, you know.”

“Hm,” Brie looks back to the two Mercenaries, who were aggressively talking amongst themselves. “Agreed. I’ll refrain from prying any further with them.”

Roxanne looks around the room, noting that there’s an odd level of interest from Barnaby on the history between her, Brie, and the two mercenaries. That’s probably not a good sign. “I’m glad we see eye to eye.” She grabs another appetizer skewer. “Let’s coast for a while and see what they do, yes?”

==============================================================

The Eternal Autumn contains more civilization the further you move from the mountains— it’s a living, breathing network of cities, towns, hamlets, and pit-stops that communicate and trade via a line of paved, high-speed roads. At the center of it all is the capital of Midland, Primary, and its famous six highways that reach out to the very ends of the Western Continent. If you were to follow the southeastern highway for long enough, blowing through city after city, town after town, you’d eventually reach the end of the line, where the road ceases to be paved and the atmosphere hardly even resembles that of a suburb anymore. You’d reach a part of the territory where the wild is still very much in control, and the threat of Monsters is ever-present.

You’d reach the smallish city (or largeish town (or medium-sized hamlet) depending on who you ask) of Black Hill, a fingertip on the arm of Humanoid development. Family homes fill out the lower canopy between the autumn colours, local business fills the air with a muted bustle, and a handful of buildings stand tall above them all, with one in particular having the rest beat by just a floor or two.

Though the wild frequently makes its way into Black Hill by lieu of curiosity and a concerning, growing comfort of the Humanoids around them (it’s not uncommon to see deer wandering the streets in the morning hours, and you’ll find raccoons ransacking untended-to dumpsters frequently), the town is perfectly safe— the local law enforcement makes certain of that. Crime either exists on the corporate level, and thus is not their business, or doesn’t exist at all. And the local Monsters aren’t so local any more, after the last attempted invasion by a legion of Scabs. Emphasis on “attempted,” as the kill-count was estimated to be a little over three hundred by the end of the battle’s second hour, with not a single Humanoid losing their life in the process. That was five years ago, and no Monster has knocked on their doorstep since.

Black Hill exists with a strange aura, however. Its suburban theming clashes severely with the towns surrounding, and even with most of its populace’s choice of aesthetic. Adventurers, still soaked in viscera and carrying their trophies on their shoulders, frequent the town as a safehouse, something many would avoid doing further west without taking a shower first. Gangsters and crooked business folk walk the streets in broad daylight, living their lives just like you and I. A majority of the populace still arms themselves when they prepare in the morning, something that law enforcement has encouraged against (but clearly cannot stop).

It’s as though the civilization, no matter how secure it may be, cannot kick its wild streak.

At least she’s already there. It softens the blow of Piper’s days off being interrupted by a message from Gilroy himself, one given to her by a particularly dedicated secretary from HQ with little to do aside from track down people who obviously still work for them, as Piper does. Not in the strictest legal sense mind you, but she does still wander around in the grey jumpsuit even here.

The blood wouldn’t fully come out of her previous suit, so she had to get a new one— despite how cool the bullet hole looked. It’s still that unmistakable Shepherd Gemstone grey, baggy in just the right places so one could grow or shrink without constriction, just labeled as “one size fits all.” It’s what she’s wearing as she parks outside of the house, smack dab in the middle of the suburbs.

From her pocket she withdraws the scrap of paper she’d been sent with the address, and for a second she makes note of the house’s address plate hanging just above the door. Beat for beat, match for match, it’s the place. A two-story family home with some children’s toys out on the lawn. She shifts in her seat as she regards it, her thoughts drifting back to Smokestone, back to her boss. The man’s lucky that he had someone else give her this job out here, because if she’d been told that she had to head out to Black Hill hot off of just getting patched up to scare some moron. Honestly it seems below her paygrade.

It’s all beautiful. It reminds her a good deal of the pictures she’d seen Blondie flaunt, with perfect fence rows and yards that people watered on their own time. If she wants something like this, it isn’t going to just fall into her lap— she has to take the initiative and make it happen. She damn well would, but far as she can tell the security and acquisitions program she’s applied to still hasn’t finished processing the applications. It’s been days and she hasn’t gotten any word back beyond that secretary she asked about it giving her little more than a noncommittal shrug and some long practiced and entirely bullshit line about how these things take more time than anyone thinks.

She doesn’t want to have to work for Gilroy much longer. He’d been bearable when they hardly spoke, as she’d only really pop in to converse with him when something happened on-site, and until recently nothing really happened in her mines. Everything had been drearily, painfully mundane, with no experimental equipment or strange setups for her crews. Jessup was the one that got into fights with those beneath him and Judith had ended up the test subject of the latest and greatest in exploding water drills. Everything she did, though? Perfectly satisfactory, not worth any real regards. He never called her in to talk, and she never had any reason to pop by his office save for the occasional “Everything’s going great, boss,” which typically earned a similarly performative “we appreciate hard work around here,” from him. Only in retrospect does she realize how pitiful that life had actually been. She made more from offing that old man than she had enduring an entire month of that nothing life, and on top of that, she got entire days of wholly unregulated free time to herself. And that was only interrupted because Gilroy had the gall to give her more work in the meantime.

Everything had been perfectly satisfying. Nothing ever happened to her miners, she never screwed up, and she never had any problems with any of the other foremen. What life had she had before now? It’s not as though there were ever really any way up in that position. Gilroy knows that. He knows that the position of a foreman isn’t some magical gateway into the wild and adventurous life of white collar crap. This, though?

She snickers to herself in the car, fingers drifting along the steering wheel as she moves to unbuckle her seatbelt. He knows well enough that this is the real ticket to what you want in life, and just like Blondie said, she had to make it happen. Based on what Gilroy had complained about with regards to Jessup, it sounds like maybe the old dog was catching on too. It’s not the kindest thing to do— to try and keep something like this from somebody looking to move up. She’s lucky, she understands, because this is perfect timing. He’s probably trying to have an in with the Acquisitions side of things through her, based on the work she’s been doing. It bulks up her resume and he probably thinks it’s going to ingratiate her to him, since he’s been so very generous as to hand her the dirty jobs.

Not the dirtiest, of course. This one has to be clean. This isn’t her backwoods haunt, and she’s not about to go and talk down a former Shepherd employee into a proper non-disclosure agreement by whatever means necessary, and based on the tacky plastic playground equipment she can see set up in the backyard and a notably fresh looking tricycle in the front, he’s a family man.

If she were more experienced in this line of work she’s sure she could probably off him like the man back in Smokestone, but this isn’t a situation she knows. There's actual law enforcement around here, and while she’s sure she could outrun them, she knows better than to piss upstream from her bathwater. Becoming an outlaw in Black Hill practically kills any potential work from Shepherd before it can even start, since it’s essentially the brain of their operations in the Eternal Autumn. She’d be stuck taking petty contract work like Jules and Lucille, but worse off— she’s not used to the life of a bum with a gun.

This isn't the Tundra and it isn’t Smokestone. Families live here, people head to mundane workplaces for the day, and they come home in the evening to a warm meal and a radio show. The local law pretends very hard to care about these people, and are far better armed than whatever shitpile Smokestone calls its local militia, which might as well not exist after Shepherd set up. She can’t just shoot somebody or beat them to death, not unless she’s willing to ruin things or deal with the consequences, and as it stands she doesn’t have the corpo-political clout to make the law look the other way.

One day, though? One day.

Until then, she has to make it clean. She has to make it happen.

First, she has to ring the doorbell.

Chapter End.

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#b&tsm #empty-mask #writing #original content #oc #fantasy #adventure #creative writing #writeblr #original writing #serialized fiction #b&tsm-brie #b&tsm-roxanne #b&tsm-jules #b&tsm-lucille

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tommeurs · 2 years

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Johnson Wax Administration Building, Frank Lloyd Wright

#architecture #design #awesome

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hbreference · 2 years

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Johnson Wax Headquarters, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1936-1940, Wisconsin USA.

I used to rag on this building for being 10 years late and 10x over budget, but after seeing that first photo literally who cares. The walls and slabs and columns last and matter. Almost nothing else does. Mr. Johnson did us all a service by footing the bill for transcendence.

The great workroom was an early example of an open office type, executed brilliantly. The slender lily pad columns in the workroom are only 23cm diameter at their base, and generated some controversy at the time. The building administration deemed them too slender to support the required 12 ton mass above, and required a test column be built and loaded. It supported that mass, and Wright demanded it be loaded with 5x more material. It supported 60 tons before failing, and Wright was given his permit.

Typical for Wright buildings, this thing leaks. The glass tubing that was used for the clerestory and some roofs of course let water in, and later had to be replaced with plexiglass sheets. This kind of thing isn't acceptable for such an expensive and advanced building - building construction matters. Those leaks probably shortened the life of the bricks and every other component of the building by 50%.

At the end of the day, this is an absolutely chadded American clanger, I think more need to follow.

#large #brick #concrete #glass #1950 #northamerica #USA #commercial

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officecleaningsolutionsau · 2 months

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Commercial cleaning services play a crucial role in enhancing hygiene standards, improving indoor air quality, and fostering productivity in commercial spaces across Melbourne. By outsourcing cleaning tasks to professional companies, businesses can benefit from customized cleaning solutions, cost savings, and access to expertise and resources. From routine janitorial services to specialized cleaning solutions, commercial cleaning companies in Melbourne offer a comprehensive range of services to meet the diverse needs of businesses across various industries. In today's competitive business landscape, investing in professional cleaning services is essential for maintaining a clean, safe, and inviting environment that enhances the overall well-being and satisfaction of occupants.

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jpegfantasy · 2 years

Photo

Interior Style & Design, Frank LLoyd Wright, 2003 📚

S.C. Johnson Wax Administration Building, Wisconsin, built 1936-1939 🏢

Salvaged & scanned by @jpegfantasy 🖨️

#90s #1990s #aesthetic #aesthetics #retro #vintage #interior design #design #decor #architecture #commercial design #lobby #frank lloyd wright #sc johnson #wax administration building #wisconson

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oliviachows · 6 months

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How to Do Car Detailing in Winter?

Winter can be a slower time for car detailers. Nonetheless, it can likewise be quite possibly the most productive time assuming that you set up your business appropriately.

Preparing your car for winter incorporates detailing within and beyond the car as well as pursuing key upkeep choices.

To do perfect Car Detailing in Kingston, Ontario, reach out to Maple Carwash and Detailing. They offer a maple blue wipe-down package of $80 on sale for $50.

Here are the absolute most significant things you want to do to keep your car with everything looking good in the colder time of year:

Wash Your Car on Warmer Days.

As the colder time of year season draws near, it's critical to wash your car all the more habitually to eliminate the development of slush, salt, and grime. This will help your car look better and last longer, in addition, it can diminish the possibilities of rust that might cost you an early outing to the junkyard.

While washing your car, it is ideal to do so on a warm day if conceivable. This will guarantee that the cleanser and cleaning liquids dry rapidly without causing water spots which can deface the appearance of your car.

It is likewise smart to utilize a great car wax after your wash to add a layer of insurance. Ensure you do this quickly to build the viability of your defensive wax covering. This should be possible either at home or with an expert detailing administration like Maple Carwash and Detailing Services. They will want to bring all of the important gear for your particular requirements.

Change Your Tires.

The chilly climate can make your tires lose pneumatic stress all the more rapidly. In this way, you ought to transform them before the colder time of year season to guarantee you can drive securely and serenely. You ought to likewise check the tire tracks to ensure they are looking great.

Washing your car consistently forestalls the amassing of street salt and different impurities that can harm the paint and cause rust. An intensive waxing can likewise shield your car from the components.

An expert detailing administration can likewise clean the inside of your car and assist it with enduring longer. Assuming you have material seats, they might require more successive cleaning to forestall stains. On the off chance that you have cowhide, a detailer can spruce it up and reapply a stain monitor on a case-by-case basis.

A detailer can likewise treat your wheels with defensive coatings that keep brake residue and brackish water arrangements from sticking to the wheel faces lasting through the year. They can likewise grease up the fasteners of your tires to facilitate the most common way of transforming them in cold and blanketed conditions.

Check Your Battery.

Assuming you've at any point gotten abandoned in the colder time of year because your car won't begin, it very well may be brought about by consumption around the battery terminals. A multimeter can be utilized to take a look at the voltage of the battery, however, make a point to wear defensive gloves and utilize a non-metal device on the off chance that you want to detach the terminals to try not to ignite and perhaps harm the equipment.

Having a fired covering, for example, Wolfgang Uber Clay or BLACKFIRE Star Earthenware Covering on your car is great for keeping it looking, and its best lasting through the year to perform. The two items are not difficult to apply and can assist with safeguarding your paint, glass, and hard outside trim from soil, grime, salt, and snow.

Texture and leather seats can get destroyed in the colder time of year, particularly with steady openness to ice and salt on the streets. An expert detailer can invigorate these materials, eliminate stains, and yet again apply stain gatekeeper to help them last longer and look better.

Clean the Interior.

Car detailing in winter isn't just about washing and waxing the outside. It's likewise really smart to clean the inside, particularly the floor mats and texture seats. These are bound to get canvassed in salt, mud, and snow. Cleaning them will eliminate these sullies and assist the textures with enduring longer.

Rust is one more danger in winter. Indeed, even new cars aren't safe from this destructive compound. Careful cleaning and detailing can eliminate scratches that speed up the rusting system and forestall future harm to the car's paint.

Moreover, expert wax work is an incredible method for shielding covered surfaces from erosion throughout time. Similarly, utilizing a water repellant on windshields and windows can assist with keeping them clear all through the colder time of year. At last, applying a leather and vinyl conditioner can prepare for drying and breaking. These outrageous temperatures make these materials contract and extend a great deal, which can harm them while possibly not appropriately focused on.

#carwash #car detailing #carwashing #interior car detailing near me #exterior car wash #full car wash #car wash services #fullcarwash #maplecarwash #carwashkingston #interior car cleaning near me #carwashexpert #car service #car wash #full car detailing

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itsmemaycc · 6 months

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Dream Destination France

France is the oldest and third-largest European nation with multiple cultural values. The country has six bordering countries which are; Italy and Switzerland towards the southeast, Germany and Belgium to the northeast, and Spain to the southwest. France has one of the most stable economies in Western Europe and is known for administrating a huge area of the sea. This country is located in the middle of western Europe. The history of France date backs to ancient times, which includes various battles, invasions, conflicts, and riots. France has seen a great number of era-defining events. The history of France is discussed later in the article to get a better understanding of the culture and the events that took place before France had become a wealthy and economically stable country.

The revolution of the French nation had a significant impact on building towards a stable and better nation and was considered an important part of the history of the European region. France has been an influential European country that takes an active part in different external affairs alongside civil affairs and governmental issues. The present government of France is providing the democratic states with inspiration on how a state/country should be administrated. The French movement made many reforms, and the French revolution was a noticeable growth for the coming generation.

The country is considered one of the most popular destinations for tourists as it has amazing architectural and natural beauty, multiple other activities, rich historical places, and buildings that became well-known tourist attractions.

The culture of France has been shaped by geography, by historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture since the 17th century and from the 19th century on, worldwide. From the late 19th century, France has also played an important role in cinema, fashion, cuisine, literature, technology, the social sciences, and mathematics. The importance of French culture has waxed and waned over the centuries, depending on its economic, political and military importance. French culture today is marked both by great regional and socioeconomic differences and strong unifying tendencies. A global opinion poll for the BBC saw France ranked as the country with the fourth most positive influence in the world (behind Germany, Canada and the UK) in 2014.[1]

Holidays and traditions in France – and how we celebrate them

The most important holidays in France are based on religion, changes in nature, or history.

France is a Catholic country so having a majority of holidays based on Catholicism should be no surprise.

A vast majority of French identify as Catholics, but when it comes to practising, it's a different story. Fewer than 5% of us go to church every week, with most people limiting church visits to Easter and Christmas − if that.

Even so, 6 of our 11 official holidays are Catholic.

These holidays, however, are rarely celebrated as religious feasts. They are opportunities to visit family, eat good food, or "faire le pont" − literally "make the bridge", say by taking Friday off when the holiday falls on a Thursday.

When it comes to holiday traditions in France, every opportunity is a good one.

The 11 official public holidays of France

OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS FOR FRANCE**

1 January − Nouvel An (New Year's Day)

Lundi de Pâques (Easter Monday)

1 May - La Fête du Travail (May Day)

8 May - Fête de la Victoire de 1945 (VE Day)

L'ascension (40 days after Easter)

Pentecôte (50 days after Easter)

14 July - La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)

15 August - L'assomption (Assumption Day)

1 November - La Toussaint (All Saints' Day)

11 November - L'armistice (Armistice Day)

25 December - Noël (Christmas)

In this article, we’ll talk about the following:

Average cost of living in France

Average monthly expenses in different French cities

Rental prices in different French cities

Utility prices

Food prices

Transportation costs

Living costs in France relative to French salaries

So how much does it cost to live in France? To answer this question, let’s take a quick look at the average living expenses in France per month.

The average cost of living in France

The average cost of living in France per month for a single person is around €1,800. It's important to remember that this's just an estimate number, and your actual cost of living in France may be higher or lower depending on your location, specific needs, and lifestyle. For instance, if you live in Paris, the average cost of living can go up to €2,200 per month.

The average basic living expenses in France per month.

ExpenseAverage cost1-bedroom apartment€900 ($989)Utilities€189 ($207)Internet€30 ($33)Monthly public transport pass€64 ($70)Fitness club€35 ($38)Groceries€300 ($330)Leisure€280 ($307)Total€1,800 ($1976)

Average rent and living costs across French cities

Since the cost of living varies between French cities, we've gathered a list of some of the most popular cities in France to compare their cost of living.

Average rent and living expenses in some of France's major cities:

CityPrivate RoomStudioApartmentOther expensesParis€700 ($768)€1,326 ($1,455)€1,802 ($1977)€950 ($1042)Lyon€550 ($604)€1,000 ($1,097)€1,626 ($1,784)€900 ($987)Nice€595 ($653)€750 ($823)€1,061 ($1164)€947 ($1039)Bordeaux€550 ($604)€609 ($668)€1,020 ($1120)€885 ($971)Marseille€460 ($505)€600 ($659)€733 ($804)€880 ($966)Strasbourg€550 ($604)€659 ($723)€890 ($977)€800 ($878)Montpellier€495 ($543)€650 ($713)€800 ($878)€792 ($869)

It's worth noting that you can find cheaper or more expensive rentals, depending on your specific needs and location. So it's a good idea to research and compare prices before signing a rental contract.

Regardless of whether you’re going to France to study or work, it’s better to start looking for your dream home early. Then you’ll surely find something that fits your budget!

Average utility prices in France

ExpenseAverage cost per monthWater€40 ($44)Electricity€79 ($87)Gas€70 ($77)Internet€30 ($33)Waste Collection€20 ($22)

Depending on your contract, utilities can be either included or excluded from your rent. Considering the increasing prices for utilities across Europe, we advise you to search for places with fixed utility costs included in your rent. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can recklessly use them; otherwise, you might have to pay extra for the additional costs.

How much does food cost in France?

Overall, grocery shoppingin France is expensive compared to many other countries. Compared to other European countries, prices in France are 11% higher for everyday food products and 20% higher for fruits and vegetables.

Depending on your habits, diet, and where you shop, you can expect to pay €250–€300 per week for groceries in France. Let’s break it down:

Comparison of the average grocery prices across France:

ExpenseParisLyonNiceBordeauxMilk (1 litre )€1.15($1.26)€1.15($1.26)€1.40($1.54)€1.02($1.12)Eggs (12)€3.54 ($3.89)€3.42($3.75)€3.69($4.05)€3.08($3.38)Tomato (1kg)€3.75($4.12)€3.74($4.10)€3.11($3.41)€2.50($2.74)Potato (1kg)€2.21($2.43)€1.92($2.11)€1.74($1.91)€1.32($1.45)Apples (1kg)€3.19($3.50)€2.86($2.14)€2.58($2,83)€2.67($2,93)Banana (1kg)€2.03($2.23)€2.07($2.27)€2.27($2.49)€2.07($2.27)White Bread (500g)€1.96 ($2.15)€1.96($2.15)€1.36($1.49)€2.24($2.46)Local cheese (1 kg)€17.33($19.02)€17($18.66)€21($23,05)€18($19,76)Bottle of red wine (mid-range)€9($10)€7($7.68)€8($8.78)€11$12.07)

If you want quality and price ratio, do your grocery from supermarkets like Carrefour Intermarché. For good discount deals, check discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi. If you want bio or premium products, expect to pay higher prices.

Comparison of the average prices to eat out in France:

ExpenseParisLyonNiceBordeauxA meal in an inexpensive restaurant€17($18.75)€16($17.64)€15($16.54)€15($16.54)Dinner (2 courses)€38($41.90)€35($38.60)€35($38.60)€34($37.49)Cappuccino€3.80($4.19)€2.85($3.14)€3.62($3.99)€4.07($4.49)Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)€6.80($7.50)€6.50($7.17)€8($8.82)€5.50($6.07)Croissant in a café€2($2.21)€1.30($1.43)

DOs

1. Do say hello (“Bonjour”) upon entering an establishment (ie. store, restaurant, etc) before you begin browsing or asking questions. Say good-bye (“Au revoir”) upon leaving.

2. Do learn some French phrases. It will show you are making the effort to speak the language and shows respect. Some phrases:

Hello (“Bonjour”)

Thank you (“Merci”)

Excuse me (“Excusez-moi”)

Please (“S’il vous plaît”)

I am lost (“Je suis perdu”)

Where are the bathrooms? (“Ou sont les toilettes?”)

I don’t speak French. In English please (“Je ne parle pas Francais. En Anglais, s’il vous plaît”)

3. Do realize that to use the washroom in places such as a train station or department store, you will have to pay a nominal fee (ie. 0.35 Euros)

4. Do take the metro (subway) and hang onto your ticket until you leave your station. You could be checked by the police and fined if you don’t have your ticket stub.

5. Do remember to validate your ticket before you board a train. Validating machines are located at the entrance to the “quai” or platform.

6. Do dress appropriately. Jeans are OK, but shorts, flip flops, and running shoes are not. They are for the beach and exercising.

7. Do shake hands with acquaintances or “air kiss” those who are close to you when you are greeting the person. Air kissing involves bringing your cheek close to the other’s cheek as if you are going to kiss the cheek. It is a ritual, called “Faire la bise” and indicates friendship. The number of kisses depends on the region. In most of France, one kisses each cheek once; however, in other areas, it could range from 3-5. What side to start on? I have read one starts on the right; however, opinions differ.

8. Do consider a “Prix Fixe” menu, which will include a starter, main course, and dessert at a fixed price. Some restaurants have prix fixe menus with many choices for each course. Some offer menus which include some wine.

9. Do consider ordering a “pichet” of wine. Technically, it is a “jug” of wine, but really it is a carafe of wine and comes in different sizes: 25 cl or 50 cl. (250 ml or 500ml). It is the restaurant’s house wine and is very often very good and a good deal.

10. Do expect to find the sale of wine and liquor in grocery stores and the store, Monoprix.

DON’TS

1. Do not use “Tu” (you) to address another person unless that person is quite familiar to you. Use “Vous”, as it is more formal.

2. Do not take out coffee and drink it while walking down the street. Drink it at a cafe, either standing at a bar or sitting at a table.

3. Do not touch the produce at an outdoor market. Simply indicate to the seller what you want

4. Do not order a cafe au lait to end your meal. This drink is taken at breakfast.

5. Do not rush your meal. The French enjoy their time to relax over a coffee or meal. You should too and take at least 2 hours to savor the flavors.

6. Do not assume all stores will be open between 12-2 pm as this is when most people have lunch.

7. Do not assume everyone speaks and understands English.

8. Do not (have to) tip as the 15% service charge is included in the bill most of the time. The bill will say, “Service Compris”. However, it is a custom to leave an additional few Euros at dinner if the service was exceptional.

9. Do not expect to get ice in your drink. It is just rare to find drinks with ice in France as compared to North America.

10. Do not have dinner before 8:00 pm. It is more acceptable to have a pre-dinner drink (cocktail hour or “apero”) such as wine, beer, a kir or pastis between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. It can be served with nuts or crackers.

Climate and Average Weather in France

France is divided into multiple climate zones. The majority of the country has a temperate maritime climate which means it is generally cold in winter, mild in summer and rainfall is spread throughout the year.

The South and South West of France have a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. The eastern part of the coastal area, the Cote D'Azur, is the sunniest part of France with more than 320 hours of sunshine in July. This month is the peak of summer and many tourists from all over Europe invade the south of France with caravans and tents.

References:

https://www.edrawmind.com/article/history-of-france.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_France

https://www.offbeatfrance.com/french-holidays-and-traditions.html

https://housinganywhere.com/France/cost-of-living-france

https://www.francetraveltips.com/10-dos-donts-france/

https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine-in-France

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fire-starterdylan · 8 months

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run, rabbit, run | sunny & open

@sunshinebunnyx

Sunny’s heart was racing a mile a minute, which, given her current situation, she thought was quite reasonable. She’d been on her way back to the cells from a visit with a master when the explosion happened–not close enough to the administration building to be injured, thankfully, but close enough that the blast shook the ground underneath her feat–and in her fear, she’d reached instinctively for her shifting. Her abilities were supposed to be bound, but when she called on them they answered, and then–

And then she’d been a rabbit again. A red rabbit who’d fled the scene as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

When she’d finally managed to surface from the all-too-familiar comfort of rabbit brain, she’d been far from the chaos, under a bush in someone’s backyard. It had occurred to her, of course, to stay in that form–but while a rabbit might have been able to hide and run, it couldn’t check on the people she cared about. Which was how she’d come to be naked, crouching behind the aforementioned bush, straining her arm in an effort to reach a pool towel without emerging.

The sound of someone approaching made her jump, stumbling forward to grab the towel and pull it over her breasts, at least, as she turned. Sunny was not shy about her own nudity, but it felt a bit too vulnerable just now.

“Who’s there?” she asked, eyes straining. “I just needed a towel! I’m sorry!”

The fireworks were pretty for awhile, but the sound of the explosion was what he noticed first. He was at a mistress's house for the evening, who was a bit slap happy and excited about some wax and candles she had found - that's really how he noticed it. It was some light concentration on where the candle and flame was, until the concentration manifested into a harsh burst of fire, which singed the mistress's eyebrows and her extensions - Dylan ran out of there.

He had to test it once or twice, flicking a few flames from his snapping fingers, finding a tree on fire and manipulating the flow of it back and forth - quelling it to the size of a candle, before illuminating it even more. Finally, he was back.

Dylan had his defenses now, well trained already from years essentially being homeless. Fire equals survival, in his opinion. Which is why it was that much easier to find himself a hot tub to relax in, keeping away anyone bothering him by having a lighter nearby - always needing that source of fire - with a nice perimeter of a steady flame surrounding him, warding off anyone he didn't feel like dealing with. That is, until the rustling in the bushes caught his attention, and he looked behind him. The flames rose a bit higher in protection, until he noticed it was just a pretty girl wrapping a towel around herself. "Are you good?" he blurted, clocking the apprehension in her voice. "No one's home here. I already checked."

#broken spells event #come out come out wherever you are || event #sunshine #moved to a new thread for tracking!

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sauntering-down · 10 months

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some older dreams

copied from discord, as usual.

dude you were in my dream! i visited you at your... house, i guess? it was a big house haha. your bedroom was on the second floor and it wasn't THAT big, but you had a GINORMOUS bookshelf and i remember taking pics of it on my phone because 1. awesome, and 2. you also had a ton of books that sounded super interesting (iirc one series was like... fiction about Van Gogh?). and then my dad showed up to play what i think was the new Zelda game on the tv in your bedroom. the end.

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most of my dream didn't make sense - i was upstate visiting my cousins, and i think one of them secretly had an eating disorder, but i wasn't supposed to know about that? - and the only part worth remembering is the end. i left with my dad and brother and we started driving back home, but to do that, we had to pass through this town called 'Bright Place'. it was gorgeous, beautiful houses on the hill, super decorated, one building that looked like a small castle... and it was also completely abandoned and run-down and overgrown. there was something incredibly eerie about driving through this beautiful ghost town, and somehow the name made it worse... idk, i'd like to set something there now haha

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god i had way too many School Dreams last night?? in one i was on this HUGE campus and trying to find a class in like... i think it was room 281? but i couldn't find the right building and then when someone directed me to it, i couldn't find the classroom - thought i finally did, had to take this tiny elevator up to an auditorium, and THEN found out i was in like room 231 instead and got so mad lol. and in another dream we'd had some kind of project about Chinese culture and my partner and i had written an essay, and apparently there was a presentation too but i'd been absent on that day so my partner did it herself. came back and i got like a 70 on it lol. turned out all the other projects had these gorgeous displays and everything and we didn't... also i'd apparently alluded to some classmate assaulting a girl and the teacher had given me a note like "btw the administrators are going to speak with you later about these allegations. btw in the meantime i wrote an entire story based on your accusation" and she actually had???? it was just handed to me along with my grade for the project??????? teacher wtf. it was too weird so i went home with my brother and then later we joined my aunt and cousins at this really cool little carnival on some tropical island. there was supposedly a rollercoaster we went on but i can't remember it. the end.

(Mary: alsdnfajkslLKJASNDFLJKAS the teacher with their fanfic about your accusation is SENDING ME)

i was like ?????????????????? because ALL I'D DONE was leave a little note on my report like "hey, i heard this messed-up thing, maybe Adults should look into it" and she comes back at me with THAT????

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ALSO i am So Annoyed because i struggle to come up with Cool Ideas whilst awake, but apparently when i'm asleep my subconscious just. churns it out??? i had this dream about some kind of magical town that was built inside a huge ravine, and at the bottom of the very deep ravine was an ancient castle housing some kind of evil. that wasn't really important at first, because there was this awesome open-air market going on and everyone was selling neat magic shit - like, one of the stalls had these tubs of wax to make crayons. every wax was a different color and some weren't exactly colors at all (one of them changed to reflect the night sky, so it was full of stars), but they all had magical properties. they were formed into crayons which, depending on the color(s) of wax, were used to write different spells. the smallest crayons were just one or two colors, whereas the maximum was 15 and those were like, thick Sharpies. and there was another stall selling components for magical charms, all sorts of strange stuff like crossword puzzles a centimeter square and tiny glass rods. the person at the stand would take everything you bought and 'fuse' it into a charm, but i guess i knew how to do that myself because i was just buying the components. the opposite of fusion was fragmentation, which was apparently a VERY rare skill because it required you to be able to differentiate every single component used in a charm or spell, know how they interacted, and be able to separate them without any damage so they could be reused to put back together.

there was also something later on about that castle - hundreds of years later, the ravine had been abandoned, but the castle was still there and i guess i broke in? in the main room there was a throne at the far end, and set into the walls on either side was a sort of plinth. one was empty. a man was standing on the left one, wearing armor and holding a sword. he and the woman who used to stand on the right were guards of whatever evil thing stayed in the castle. people had been trying to break in and free it for about a thousand years. the woman had broken free and escaped long ago, so he was stuck there alone. whenever someone entered the castle, he'd be alerted and could step down and kill whoever had broken in - there were dead bodies EVERYWHERE because he'd been at it so long. then he returned to the plinth, which kept him in a sort of stasis where he did not need to eat or sleep or anything. his eyes were covered by a bloody blindfold, but i think his eyes were fine and the blood came from a cut on his forehead that had never healed while he was in stasis... and i guess his ears were also plugged, the idea being that WHOEVER came into the castle had to die, even if they were someone he knew? idk, it was wild. anyway i broke in and he came after me but i retreated just outside a window, and since he couldn't leave the castle, he just went back to his position... and i guess i woke up then

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had an interesting dream where i went to a beach not far from where i lived on LI, intending to look for shells, but when i got there it was super crowded... and instead of just a park, it had this huge boardwalk... there were a ton of food trucks and arcade games... wish i could go there irl

#dream

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