​
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==Simulacra===
Type: Volt - Fortitude
Simulacra: Yuno
Weapon: Proteus
-Shatter: 10.50
-Charge: 14.00
-Attack 18
-HP 1165
-Crit 14
​
==Skill==
-Fortitude Resonance: Cry of Weakness: Holding down the skill continually taunts nearby enemies and deal bonus shatter damage for up to 3 seconds and applying 1 mark of Predation to each enemy every 0.5 seconds. Upon releasing the skill, a magnetic needle substitute is made for 2 seconds times the duration held plus 1 to which aggro is temporarily transferred until expiration. Enemies that attack the substitute are taunted and receive 0.1x reflected damage. Become invisible for 4 seconds or until the Wanderer attacks an enemy or the substitute expires. While invisible, movement speed is increased by 35%, dodges cover twice the distance in the same time, and the next attack that hits a target deals +100% shatter damage and weakens the target's ATK by 15% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 seconds x duration held + 10 (Max 25s).
-Non-Fortitude Resonance: Cry of Strength: Holding down the skill continually lowers aggro towards the Wanderer while dealing damage equal to 225% of ATK plus 12 per second for up to 3 seconds and applying 1 mark of Predation to each nearby enemy every 0.5 seconds. Upon releasing the skill, leap at the target with a horror beast claw, dealing dash attack damage equal to 418% of ATK plus 22 as a guaranteed crit with +30% crit damage and reducing the target's crit resistance by 5 levels for 10 seconds. Detonates any magnetic needle nodes touched by the attack independent of their cooldowns, each node dealing area damage equaling 76% of ATK plus 4, recovering 15 weapon charge per node detonated, and placing an additional node for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 2 seconds x duration held + 10 (Max 16s).
-Predation: Per mark up to 5 marks, enemies have crit resistance lowered by 2 levels and for critical hits taken: receive 1% more shatter and have 2% reduced elemental resistance. The Wanderer's movement speed increases by 3% per nearby mark active, up to 5 marks. Marks decay at a rate of 1 every 5 seconds.
​
==Discharge==
-Fortitude Resonance: Unbreakable Will: When weapon charge is full or Phantasia is triggered, switching to this weapon from another weapon removes all debuffs from the wielder and constructs a metal plate wall that stops projectiles for 5 seconds while dispersing magnetic needles into a ring which pulls in enemies towards the wall before scattering on the ground, reducing the movement speed of enemies within by 30% while dealing continuous damage equal to 76% of ATK plus 4 per second for 5 seconds with increased aggro generation. Damage immunity lasts 1.5 seconds while the skill is active (unavailable in Apex League).
-Non-Fortitude Resonance: Revenger's Requiem: Quickly leap to the target and slash multiple times, dealing total damage equal to 580% of ATK plus 31 and scattering 3 magnetic needle nodes for 12 seconds, max 7 on the field. Each node can be detonated by any volt weapon's electrify effect upon becoming fully charged, each dealing area damage equal to 76% of ATK plus 2 and recovering 15 weapon charge for each node detonated. Node detonation cooldown: 5 seconds. Damage immunity lasts 1.5 seconds while the skill is active (unavailable in Apex League).
​
1\*: While wielding Proteus, dodge attack damage that also critically hits applies a Predation mark and deals +20% crit damage and +25% shatter.
2\*: Increase the current weapon's base ATK growth by 16%.
3\*:
--Balance: For each mark of Predation active while wielding Proteus, dodging heals the Wanderer by 1% of max HP, reduces damage received by 1% for 3 seconds, and increases healing effect by 4% for 15 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
--Fortitude: For each mark of Predation active, unleashing any skill or discharge heals the Wanderer by 1% of max HP and reduces damage taken by 2% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 5 seconds. In addition, for each nearby mark of Predation active while wielding Proteus, a party member unleashing a skill heals the Wanderer by 1% of max HP. Cooldown: 5 seconds.
--Attack: For each magnetic needle node detonated while wielding Proteus, heal the Wanderer by 1% of max HP. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
--Benediction: For each magnetic needle node detonated, heal party members by 17.5% of ATK within triple the detonation radius and increases party ATK by 2% for 5 seconds for each mark of Predation active.
--Only the highest stack of marks is counted.
4\*: Increase the current weapon's base HP growth by 32%.
5\*: Enemies receive 1% more damage dealt by the Wanderer for each mark of Predation. While wielding Proteus, restore 4 weapon charge points for each nearby mark of Predation active per second. Only the highest stack of marks is counted.
6\*: Increase Predation max to 7. In addition, increase Crit Rate by 1% and Crit Damage by 2% for each mark of Predation active. Only the highest stack of marks is counted.
​
"Originally invented by Project Ark for testing on G2-U subjects to wield inhuman instincts by substituting missing limbs with electrically charged magnetic needles in their insane plan to elevate humanity, this Proteus has been modified to recharge mid-combat and utilize metal plates which can camouflage."
​
==Normal Attack==
atk x5: While on the ground, attack 5 times.
-First Attack: Deal damage equal to 56.6% of ATK plus 3.
-Second Attack: Deal damage equal to 19.7% of ATK plus 1.
-Third Attack: Deal damage equal to 30%% of ATK plus 2.
-Fourth Attack: Deal damage equal to 47.1% of ATK plus 3.
-Fifth Attack: Deal damage equal to 136.8% of ATK plus 7 and strongly suspend the target.
jump + atk x3: While airborne, use normal attack to attack 3 times in a row in mid-air.
-First Attack: Deal damage equal to 107.9% of ATK plus 6.
-Second Attack: Deal damage equal to 114.0% of ATK plus 6.
-Third Attack: Launch the enemy at a nearby target or at the ground below if there is none, creating a shockwave upon landing that deals area damage equal to 142.8% of ATK plus 8 and stunning targets for 1 second. If the enemy cannot be launched, instead deal damage equal to 172.1% of ATK plus 9 and recover 100 energy weapon charge.
​
hold: Fortitude Resonance: Tap and hold normal attack to take a defensive stance for up to 3 seconds, reducing damage taken by 20% and recovering 10 weapon energy charge per 1% of max HP lost while held. Releasing the normal attack button while holding a direction performs a dodge covering twice the distance in the same time. Releasing before getting hit performs the dodge at no cost, constructs a substitute for 2 seconds to which all aggro is transferred until expiration, and the Wanderer becomes invisible for 2 seconds or until the Wanderer attacks an enemy. If a dodge cannot be performed, instead cast the standing version of this skill. Releasing the normal attack button without holding a direction unleashes an area attack that deals damage equal to 167.3% of ATK plus 9. Releasing before getting hit doubles the damage reduction, energy recharge, and shatter damage, while applying a 0.2x damage reflection to the area attack.
hold: Non-Fortitude Resonance: Tap and hold normal attack to gather magnetic needle nodes on the field and place them in a line towards the target, each node dealing area damage equal to 38% of ATK plus 1 and refreshing their durations. This consumes 1 node.
​
jump + hold: Tap and hold normal attack while airborne, or use normal attack while climbing, jumping backward, or using the Jetpack to trigger aerial branch attacks, to barrel downwards into the target with a horror beast form, dealing damage equal to 154.5% of ATK plus 8 damage, strongly suspending targets. The higher the altitude when triggering the attack, the greater the damage dealt, up to 600% damage.
​
==Dodge==
dodge + atk: Tap normal attack during the short period after dodging. Let out a long and narrow projectile in sandworm form which penetrates the target and returns, dealing damage equal to 78.1% of ATK plus 4, and recovers HP and energy weapon charge proportional to total shatter damage dealt from critical hits. Restore up to 1 dodge if the attack shatters a target's shield. If Fortitude Resonance is activated and the Wanderer is invisible before attacking, taunt enemies hit. If Fortitude Resonance is not activated, detonate any magnetic needle nodes touched by the attack as if triggering electrify from fully charging a volt weapon, each node dealing area damage equaling 76% of ATK plus 4 and recovering 15 weapon charge per node detonated.
​
==Trait==
-Sixth Sense(1.2k): For every 1 second you or your substitute is targeted by an enemy, gain a stack of Adaptation which reduces damage received by 2%, increases resistance for the element last damaged with by 4%, and makes critical hits ignore elemental resistance by 2%, per stack up to 3 stacks. For every 1.5 seconds not targeted, lose 1 stack. Unleashing a skill with Proteus grants 3 stacks of Adaptation.
-Primal Instinct(4k): For every 1 second you or your substitute is targeted by an enemy, gain a stack of Adaptation which reduces damage received by 3%, increases resistance for the element last damaged with by 6%, and makes critical hits ignore elemental resistance by 3%, per stack up to 5 stacks. For every 1.5 seconds not targeted, lose 1 stack. While at 4 or more stacks, become immune to knockback on the ground and double the duration of Predation marks. Unleashing a skill with Proteus grants 5 stacks of Adaptation.
​
==Matrices==
-2-piece set: Increase Crit Rate by 5/6/7/8% and Crit Damage by 7/8/9/10%. Taunting an enemy reduces its crit resistance by 2/3/4/5 levels for 3 seconds. This Matrix's effects work in the off-hand slot, but only the set with the highest star rating will take effect.
-4-piece set: Increases speed of obtaining weapon charge by 12/13%/14%/15% plus 2% for each magnetic needle node on the field. For every 1% of max HP lost, recover 5 weapon energy charge. In addition, for every 200 weapon charge recovered, deal volt damage equal to 7/8/9/10% ATK to nearby enemies. This Matrix's effects work in the off-hand slot, but only the set with the highest star rating will take effect.
​
==Character Background==
Log 1: Yuno, formerly known as Subject G2-U No.7, was born into the secret laboratory under Project Ark in the outskirts of Vera. On the surface, Project Ark aimed to conserve wildlife. Underneath, its true aim was to store the DNA of every creature into a human's to elevate humanity into the pinnacle of evolution and true apex of nature while obtaining the scientific freedom to exterminate all threatening species once stored. Comprised of 12 scientists and 36 miscellaneous staff, in secret they gave birth to 18 children to be used as the first generation test subjects. 12 designated G1-O subjects under the Overlay method of fusing animal parts to learn and integrate the DNA directly, and 6 designated G1-U under the Underlay method of injecting various substances such as blood and hormones to restructure the body instinctually as it grows. All G1-O subjects died, 4 of which died of surgical complications, 3 were hostile, and 2 were abducted by their defected parents and subsequently disposed of. 3 G1-U subjects died of poison-like symptoms and 3 survived with no apparent differences other than prominent hair growth and confused neurological behavior. Afterwards, 9 scientists and 28 staff remained, giving birth to the second generation of 16, 4 designated G2-O with significantly reduced fusions and 10 designated G2-U with varying degrees of raised injection levels and antibodies alongside the newly invented complementary equipment designed to wield prominent instinctive behavior in their intended form without physical complications, a fabric resembling a fur coat named Proteus. Proteus utilized magnetic needles attached to areas closest to the nervous system and used a battery to extend the instinct-induced neurological signals sent to the detachable needles to form substitutes for the missing limbs, taking from needle reserves located on the cuffs and collar when necessary. Of the 4 G2-O subjects, 2 couldn't move their fused limbs and were deemed failures, 1 became completely paralyzed and disposed of, and 1 showed remarkable success, becoming the focus of the project in preparation for G3-O. G2-O No.3 had little strength but had enhanced hearing and could pick up objects with his tail. Most of the G2-U subjects, however, showed hostility almost immediately after integrating enough with Proteus to form a weapon as if their minds were taken over by feral instincts and now had a fighting chance against their captors. Of the 10 G2-U's, 7 met their end this way, 2 were defiant but weak and thus kept until the final weeks of generation 2 to provide data for G3-U, and 1 strangely showed no signs of defiance nor reaction from Proteus. This was strange because G2-U No.7 received the strongest DNA injections. Because of his obedience, G2-U No.7 was allowed to work as manual labor while the project focused on G2-O No.3. What they didn't know was it wasn't that G2-U No.7 didn't possess the instincts he was given, it was that the first instinct he awakened to was one that let him foresee his death and adapt to the situation, becoming obedient and feigning weakness as well as internally mastering Proteus during each "failed" test. Eventually, G2-U No.7 developed enough affinity with Proteus to use his own hair and other metals as a substitute for the magnetic needles with or without Proteus, as long as they were connected by electricity. It was nearing the time in which the generation 3 phase of the project begins and G2-U No.7 could foresee the imminent death of generation 2. With each day he planted hidden hairs and metal plates in rooms, and once he had enough, he initiated his escape plan. First required getting G2-O No.3's cooperation. One night, G2-U No.7 tied together numerous strands of hair and with the small amount of electricity afforded to him with a night light he had innocently requested the week prior, he made this long thread travel through the air vents, as if it itself was a sandworm, into G2-O No.3's soundproofed room that he was almost never allowed to leave from, and constrict G2-O No.3's pinky until it dislocated. With this, G2-O No.3 would be taken out of his soundproofed room in the morning and put into the medical bay to treat his injury, and he can establish communication during the day he is tasked to clean the adjacent room. Whispering as to not be heard by security cameras, G2-U No.7 told him of their imminent death once generation 3 is born soon, and if he wants to prevent that, he has to follow through with a plan not yet disclosed. As the discussion is only one-way, agreement was decided on whether he lies to his escort by saying he could hear someone injured in the Proteus testing room as he's being escorted back. Evidently, the agreement was made. Just as G2-U No.7 heared footsteps toward that direction, he once again took out his long thread of hair, but this time he pretended to accidentally bump into the security camera while cleaning it, exposing the wires. With a lethal amount of electricity now, he quickly extended the thread across the room and into the hallway towards the Proteus testing room, reaching the door faster than the escort and connecting to the 2 strands of hidden hair on the sides of the door at neck height. As soon as the escort opened the door and tried walking through but instead came into contact with the thread, all of the siphonable electricity was channeled into it, killing the escort and shutting down the camera system. This was the moment he secretly trained his legs every night for. With the speed augmented by his strong saber-toothed wolf DNA, he rushed across the room, down the hall, and through the door before it closed, dragging the escort's body in with him. With the keycard he now possessed, he quickly unlocked and equipped Proteus just in time before the facility went into lockdown. But now with Proteus which he already mastered and a full battery, he easily ripped open the door with his horror beast claws formed by the magnetic needles. Then once he left the room, he picked up the couple hidden metal plates in the hall, attached them to his arms as shields, then sent out the rest of the magnetic needles to find and detonate with electricity each hidden strand of hair that was placed near lights and communications equipment, providing the cover of darkness for him to slip through the approaching armed guards. He stealthily killed each person nearby as he collected every metal plate to attach to Proteus and complete his defensive armor against the remaining guards and turrets he knew were waiting at the exit. As he finished, he met G2-O No.3. Being the kindhearted pacifist the staff raised him to be so he would obediently offer himself up as research material for generation 3, G2-O No.3 pleaded for him to stop killing everyone. The mind that was more human than monster remained unaware and manipulated into choosing his parents who gave him fake love. But to G2-U No.7 whose mind was only half human, he still saw G2-O No.3 as his only surviving comrade, the only one he could consider a friend despite their only previous conversation being one-sided. If only he could see the fakeness and lies, he could abandon these true monsters, even *if* they are his parents. With little time to talk, G2-U No.7 simply refused and headed to the exit, bluffingly threatening to kill him as well if he tries to stop him. As he turned the corner, he's met with the expected remaining guards and turrets, but suprisingly 2 scientists who didn't flee. They were G2-O No.3's biological parents. What's more, they didn't attack yet, as if they were waiting for something. G2-O No.3 then came into the room and the parents tell him that G2-U No.7 is about to kill them, his loving parents, and that he needs to protect them by killing. This was a desperate attempt at a pincer attack, but it was a useless effort, for they raised their child to be so pacifistic that no suddenly developed instinct could lead him to harm them. This would turn out well, G2-U No.7 thought, as G2-O No.3 would either be too afraid to take action or deal insignificant damage, but the worst case happened that G2-U No.7 couldn't have expected: he instead put himself between them and pleaded for G2-U No.7 to be spared and the fighting to stop. He had chosen not just his human parents but also a murderous half-monster as equals. Could he only see everyone here as redeemable humans? Could he have believed G2-U No.7's words because he couldn't imagine that anybody would lie? Distracted by the shock of seeing what transpired, G2-U No.7 couldn't react in time before the scientists took the first shot, killing G2-O No.3 who was in the way. Enraged at the betrayal of the greatest kindness he had seen in his life, G2-U No.7 lunged at them, indulging in his primal instincts as he ripped them apart in an act of pure predation. With him being the only survivor inside the lab, only he could hear the sorrowful cries he let out as the only person who treated him as a human died before him. This was also the first time he awakened to his gooseneck beast instincts, as it was only then he was allowed to express the feelings of strength in overcoming his enemies and weakness in losing what he desired to protect. If he would ever have something worth protecting again, he would protect it with everything he had without hesitation. G2-U No.7: escaped, age 6. G2-O No.3: deceased, age 6. Project Ark: mysteriously abandoned.
​
Log 2: As a monster who is a chimera of human, sandworm, saber-toothed wolf, horror beast, shielded beast, and gooseneck beast, the now free G2-U No.7 knew he could survive anywhere but wouldn't belong anywhere. And so, clinging onto the feeling of being treated as a human and the hope that he can meet someone like that again, he snuck onto a cargo ship and into Mirroria, a place where, strangely, his first thought upon arrival was that his friend would've complained how noisy it was. With a lonesome life in the shadows of Mirroria scavenging for food and electricity and running from M-SEC waiting for him, and with the hope of meeting a friend one day, he spent his new life being both the phantom protector of Mirroria and the phantom thief, who not even Captain Saki Fuwa could manage to catch in the end. 4 years pass, G2-U No.7, age 10, finds his life comfortable. Despite not yet finding a friend, being known as both a human-like protector and monster-like thief best suits him. Not even his instinctive foresight could warn him of how his comfortable life would get upturned by another beast in human form. One day in typical fashion, he would steal an unattended piece of food, but this time it wasn't merely a half eaten sandwich, it was a whole pizza! He swiftly snatched it and retreated to the rooftops to eat it in peace, but just as he was about to finish the last piece, a scream could be heard where he had stolen the pizza. It wasn't a fully human scream either--it had an intimidating sense of feral power behind it. Slightly unnerved, he hopped down and wandered off into the back alleys to not get involved. But he could hear footsteps follow him, even though he took secret passages and moved in full stealth that was impossible for humans to hear. It was as if he was being tracked by scent, which should also be impossible for humans. Surprised at how long the chase had gone on, he had forgotten about how much battery was left in Proteus, and when he hit a dead end, it was run dry and he couldn't scale the high wall. The determined creature finally caught up, but what appeared from the shadows was merely a girl with silver hair and 2 dogs. They only appeared small and harmless until he looked into the girl's eyes and for the third time in his life foresaw his imminent death, for he was powerless before her overwhelming power without Proteus nor a nearby power source. His only option was to play dead the moment she hit him. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was being yelled and barked at while being incessantly kicked despite playing dead. When he awoke inside a cozy room, the same monstrously intimidating girl stood before him and asked him if anything was broken, where his parents were, and his name. Up until then, he only had one name, the horrid name given by a group of monsters to treat him as an expendable tool, but it was also the only thing he had left to remember his only friend by. So with a tone of certainty and pride in what he is, he responded "Yuno." It was only later that Yuno found out the girl was only forced to care for his wounds by her caretaker so people wouldn't find out she beat up a kid and ruin her fresh public image. But that minor detail didn't matter--he once again felt like he was treated as a human, and if someone like her can belong here out in the open, then so can he. Although quite young, after hearing about his speed and skills, the girl's caretaker found him work at M-SEC and cared for under Saki Fuwa, who simply sighed at the sight of him as if she lost a race. Because he's too young to be publicly employed and his fighting is a bit unorthadox, he continues his role as the phantom protector but this time embracing his monster side where the phantom thief once occupied. Having Proteus repaired from years of neglect, extended to fit his growing body, and upgraded to collect energy mid-combat and to enable the armor plates to camouflage, this marks a turning point in his life. Ironically, with the same instincts he foresaw his death as a monster with, he now foresees his future as one where he is human and full of life. He will live as the kind of redeemable human his first friend saw in him, and he will protect everyone who gave him a chance and accepted him.
​
==Trivia==

1. "Project Ark" references Noah's Ark, the vessel used in the biblical event in which pairings of every animal were loaded onto the boat to save them from extinction due to a great flood. Just as the great flood decimated all but the surviving handful of animals, Project Ark sought to eradicate all but the creatures they would store within humans.
   
2. Proteus is a prophetic old man in Greek mythology who could shapeshift and knew all things past, present, and future, and would only tell what he knew after being successfully caught. Because he could shapeshift into anything, he became regarded as a symbol of the original matter from which the world was created. Through the use of the equipment Proteus, Yuno could use the knowledge of the past within his library of DNA to construct weapons, complemented by his refined adaptation instinct to analyze the present and perceive his future survival. After being caught by Fenrir, he answered what she wished to know: his name.
   
3. "Yuno" as a Japanese word/phrase can be written many ways in kanji and thus have various meanings. For "yu" this includes "friend," "help," "kindness," "connect," and "origin" among other meanings. For "no" this includes "wish/desire," "field," and "wild" among other meanings.
   
4. "Ono," which would have been G2-O No.3's name had he survived, as a Japanese word/phrase written in kanji means "small field" but is often confused with "Ōno" meaning "large field." Confined within the small labratory and kept in his soundproof room, he never knew such a large world existed.
   
5. Today is April Fools' Day.
   

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One of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning a home improvement project is choosing the right contractor. Finding a trustworthy contractor can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with the industry. The last thing you want is to hire a contractor who cuts corners or leaves the project unfinished. In this article, we’ll provide some helpful tips on how to find a trustworthy contractor for your next home project, and we'll give you access to a trustworthy remodelling contractor in Los Angeles for do-it-yourself home improvement tasks.
Determine your project needs: Before you start looking for a contractor, it’s important to determine your project needs. This includes the scope of the project, the materials you want to use, and your budget. Make a list of the specific features or changes you want to make to your home and prioritize them. This will help you communicate your needs clearly to potential contractors and ensure that you receive accurate estimates. Be realistic about your budget and to factor in additional costs such as permits and unexpected expenses. By having a clear idea of your project needs and budget, you’ll be better equipped to find a contractor who can meet your expectations. Take Sarah’s kitchen project for example:
Sarah and her husband have decided that it’s time to remodel their outdated kitchen.
They have a general idea of what they want to accomplish with the project but need to determine their specific needs before starting the search for a contractor.
First, they discuss their must-haves for the new kitchen. Sarah loves to cook and wants a larger stove and a more functional layout, while her husband wants more counter space and modern appliances. They also want to update the cabinets, flooring, and lighting.
Next, they research different kitchen styles and designs to get inspiration for their project. They save pictures of kitchens they like and make note of the specific features they want to include in their new kitchen.
After determining their project goals and preferences, they set a budget for the project. They decide on a maximum budget of $40,000, which includes the cost of materials, labor, and any unexpected expenses.
To get a better idea of the cost of the project, they visit home improvement stores to get estimates for the materials they want to use. They also research the cost of similar kitchen remodels in their area to ensure that their budget is realistic.
Finally, they create a prioritized list of the features they want to include in their new kitchen, with their must-haves at the top of the list. This will help them communicate their needs clearly to potential contractors and ensure that they receive accurate estimates.
By taking the time to determine their project needs, budget, and priorities, Sarah and her husband are able to start their search for a contractor with a clear idea of what they want to accomplish with their kitchen remodeling project.
Seek out recommendations: Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to find a trustworthy contractor. Ask friends, family, and neighbors if they have any recommendations for contractors they’ve worked with in the past. You can also check with your local home builders’ association or other professional organizations for referrals. When asking for recommendations, be sure to inquire about the quality of the contractor’s work, their communication skills, and their reliability. It’s also a good idea to ask to see the completed projects of the contractors that are recommended to you. This can give you a sense of their style and skill level. By gathering recommendations from trusted sources, you can narrow down your search for a contractor and feel confident in your choice.
With their project needs and budget in mind, Sarah and her husband begin asking for recommendations for contractors who specialize in kitchen remodels. They reach out to friends and family who have recently had kitchen remodels and ask about their experiences with their contractors.
One of Sarah’s coworkers highly recommends a contractor who recently completed a kitchen remodeling project for her. She shares photos of the finished kitchen and raves about the contractor’s attention to detail and communication skills.
Feeling confident in the recommendation, Sarah and her husband reach out to the contractor to schedule a consultation. During the consultation, they discuss their project needs and budget, and the contractor provides them with an estimate for the project.
However, Sarah and her husband decide to reach out to a few more contractors before making their final decision. They ask for additional recommendations from their home builders’ association and search online for highly rated kitchen remodeling contractors in their area.
After gathering several estimates and meeting with multiple contractors, they ultimately decide to go with the contractor recommended by Sarah’s co-worker. They feel that the contractor has the experience, communication skills, and attention to detail they’re looking for and that their project needs align well with the contractor’s expertise.
By gathering recommendations from trusted sources and meeting with multiple contractors, Sarah and her husband are able to find a trustworthy contractor for their kitchen remodelling project.
Meet with the contractor in person: It’s important to meet with the contractor you’re considering in person before hiring them. This will give you a chance to discuss your project in detail and get a sense of their communication skills and professionalism. During the meeting, ask the contractor about their experience with similar projects, their availability, and their approach to the project. Be sure to communicate your project needs and budget clearly and ask any questions you have about the process. The contractor should be able to provide you with references from previous clients, as well as a detailed estimate for the project. Take note of the contractor’s communication style and overall demeanor during the meeting. You want to work with someone who is responsive, communicative, and professional. After meeting with multiple contractors, you should have a clear sense of who you feel comfortable working with and who is the best fit for your project needs.
Sarah and her husband arranged to meet with the contractor in person to discuss their project needs and goals in more detail. During the meeting, they went over the plans they had created with their designer and discussed the specifics of the project, including the materials they wanted to use and their timeline for completion.
The contractor was professional, communicative, and attentive to their needs throughout the meeting. He took the time to listen to their ideas and provided them with valuable feedback and suggestions. He also offered them a detailed estimate that aligned with their budget.
Feeling confident in their choice, Sarah and her husband officially hired the contractor for their kitchen remodeling project. Throughout the project, the contractor kept them updated on the progress and communicated any unexpected delays or issues promptly. He also stayed within their budget and completed the project on time.
Thanks to the recommendation from Sarah’s coworker and their careful research, Sarah and her husband were able to find a trustworthy contractor who was able to bring their vision for their kitchen to life.
Stay involved in the project: Once the project begins, it’s important to stay involved and communicate regularly with your contractor. Make sure you understand what is happening at each stage of the project and ask any questions you may have. If issues arise or changes need to be made, don’t hesitate to communicate with your contractor right away. This will help ensure that the project stays on track and that everyone is on the same page. Additionally, make sure to be available for any necessary site visits or inspections. This will allow you to stay informed about the progress of the project and ensure that it meets your expectations.
Sarah and her husband made a point to stay involved in their kitchen remodeling project from start to finish. They communicated regularly with their contractor, asking questions and discussing any concerns that came up along the way.
At each stage of the project, they made sure to review the progress and offer feedback. They were careful to be available for site visits and inspections, making sure that the work was being done to their satisfaction.
By staying involved in the project, Sarah and her husband were able to catch a few minor issues before they became major problems. They were also able to offer suggestions and ideas that ultimately improved the outcome of the project.
Thanks to their involvement and communication with their contractor, Sarah and her husband were able to ensure that their kitchen remodeling project was completed on time, within budget, and to their satisfaction. They were thrilled with the end result and felt that their involvement throughout the process had played a key role in its success.
Working with a trustworthy contractor is essential to the success of your home improvement project. By following these tips and taking the time to research potential contractors, you can ensure that your project is completed with peace of mind and a job well done!

Happy Fri-Yay and welcome to the recap library. OfNostrils was first on the draw this week and J'Mystery Sister was in fact Jingle. That's right, and in true Bible fashion the prodigal daughter was welcomed warmly, despite her recent tour slamming the religion cult her parents chose to make their entire personality. We open with OfNostrils whispering into her phone camera that she is being quiet to keep from waking up the El Ay Bookses. If it's that big of a deal, go to the car and film it in there like every other mom filming content after their morning trip through the school drop off line...oh and no captions this week...
If she's gonna whisper I wish she'd put the captions on...
Anyways, it's a girl's day with the Dugglettes and Perm, the Dairy Queen herself, at the breakfast date where Jingle, Publicitee, Austina (Evy MAE, with emphasis on the MAE), and OfNostrils walk in to "The Buttered Biscuit" where Perm has assembled the Lost Girls, and JimBlessa has stopped by also. It's going to be a long day of snacking and thrift shopping. Austina is being carried out of the restaurant and plainly and loudly says "Mama! Excuse me!" When OfNostrils says "excuse you?" Austina happily announces "we are having a party!" OfNostrils has some serious balls in this one because she just refuses to consider that you can film without showing the children, but first she tests the waters. Publicitee's voice is heard loud and clear as she responds to her J'aunt's prompt of what her favorite part was. The answer was "getting a Lollypop from Lolly". Oh, they're still doing that whole thing...
Just in case we needed proof they were there, we get a picture of the El Ay Bookses
Austina is ready and occupies her mother while her aunt and cousins get in the cars. Jingle and OfNostrils catch each other vlogging
Hugs all around led by Perm
What were ThE gUyS + Giddy-up and Privacee (Evie JO) doing? Construction work. Not sure why Privacee was with ThE gUyS but...she was. We start with Giddy-Up in the excavator but worry not dear Snarkers as Nostrils smarmily coos, "the keys aren't in it". Nostrils is greasing the excavator, then goes on to repeat that Jingle and JereMaw were visiting with the kids. Next we see Jerm busily cranking a trailer winch in both the rearview and the back-up camera. He hits the truck or the truck backs into the trailer, the forensics are unclear, but these two totally have pissing matches in their backyards when they visit each other.
https://preview.redd.it/7bpgizk9d6ra1.png?width=1009&format=png&auto=webp&s=522ffb70605d67233c600fd1cd269b4827426ecf
Back to the GiRlS dAy and off to the fanciest thrift shop I've ever seen and after blurry pictures and J'Miracle flirting with the edge of the camera shot we see Siah!!!!!! Then it's off to give CinderJana shit for her new Matcha obsession. "Trendy, trendy" OfNostrils says, CinderJana is not pleased. They arrive home before the boys and Austina is in her Belle dress which she claims is "for a birthday party". Her mother calls her pretty and ThE gUyS return "from work". My God remind me never to be a guest at Cabin McBeardsley, he takes his guests to work and makes them sleep on a cheap bunk bed in his TV room. Where can JereMaw and Jingle leave a review? Google maps?
This looks like the most expensive thrift store ever...also we have half of SiRen spotted
Mat-cha, Mat-cha, Mat-cha.....
Austina has gotten her face messy and instead of helping her clean her face, Fundie Matilda's mother sticks a recording camera in her face...
After Nostrils props up on a stuffed tiger and catches some z's with Austina, it's time for tacos with De Planes !De Planes! (Hand me my walker and EnSure please, and get off my lawn) CinderJana takes the wheel, leaving Jesus to his own devices today and ThE gUyS are driving the minivan with the kids. JereMaw reeeeeeeally wants Privacee's face hidden. Afterwards, it's off to JimBlessa's new house because apparently the El Ay Bookses don't watch JimBlessa's YouTube. I wonder if that's her rule or his? Either way, OfNostrils wanders around Carlin Bates style panning across the room and has Publicitee's face shown as she stands in between Planes and Jerm before going in to "check on the kids" and filming it to prove she had...
Helping fill the seconds until the people working get back, then getting her nap in. Nostrils is all tuckered out from not getting in a fistfight with JereMaw
Again with sticking the camera in the faces of the kids. OfNostrils is relentless with her mission...
Tacos for everyone, then Jingle Stickers herself as the Nostrils McBeardsley clan passes around their ice cream
Bin, Nostrils, Planes, J'Obnoxious James, CinderJana, Publicitee's face pic #1, Baby Planes #1 and JereMaw while the rest of the kids at $eeWorld hang out and have movie night in the Greenhouse, aka Plant 1's room. Plant 2 appears to still be in her parents' bed
With Publicitee's face captured, OfNostrils goes all Pokemon Go! on trying to catch Privacee's.
Privacee manages to make it back to home base, I mean her mother, as J'Orchestra Pit and J'Tyler join the discussion in the living room.
Back at Nostrils HQ, OfNostrils sighs that she feels bad that time change happened while the El Ay Bookses on top of jet-lagged toddlers. She's gonna be alone in that because time change happened to everyone and we all dealt. She admits that having Evelyn Mae and Evangeline Jo is confusing as both girls answer to Evy/Evie. I should do a Mr. Obvious call with OfNostrils trying to figure out that they named their children very similarly and that's the issue. The poor woman's God has forsaken her to the point where she has to call her daughter and her niece by their full names and not their overlapping nicknames. Nostrils is watching "Elk hunting" videos. Quel surprise...
J'Orchestra Pit is first to the party
Cue "The Next Day" and J'Orchestra Pit is here! Yay! Now OfNostrils really jumps into the hot water and as she is showing the pre-party events, she pans across Privacee on Jingle's lap before saying "oh, can't have her face in there" before walking away and sticking the phone in her own 2 year old's face. Like. What Would JeeZus Do here Joy? He would edit it out, but she didn't. Guess there wasn't anything in Ezekiel about it...
OfNostrils finally got Privacee's face and then jumps to Austina. Lolly-Perm is running some sort of craft table thing while the Lost Girls apprentice.
After challenging Jingle to a game of darts, the family party ensues, with everyone squeezing into the Nostrils McBeardsley house which is basically a cabin with vinyl siding. Why couldn't they go to TTH? More room there, but nope, and now I wonder if Kath! and J'Obnoxious James have exclusive filming rights there. CinderJana and Hannie hop into the kitchen while OfNostrils shoves the camera in their face. She's getting as bad as J'Obnoxious James. We get snippets of people throughout the party.
Nobody puts Tru! in the corner, Siiiaaahhh checks his Google notifications, Rimmy J stuffs his thumb shaped face and Jillard catches up with Jingle.
CinderJana risks it by staying until almost midnight, and Jingle whines that she is up so late at 11:52 that she has lost her voice like usual when she travels. These people are always complaining if they are awake. After OfNostrils explains that the kids wake up early, she and Jingle joke about just giving them more melatonin before saying it was a joke and saying "we can edit it out". *Narrator voice* She didn't.
CinderJana is checking the time to see if she can get home before midnight and out of the line of fire.
Now things get really good and fun and I'm going to do my best to transcribe this word for word without a caption safety net.
JereMaw: (looks directly at camera) Airdrop this to me?
OfNostrils: (flips camera back to her) NO! I'm NOT giving you my vlog footage, JereMEE!
JereMaw: (is talking to Jingle)for her vlog...I was just asking her to send it to me.
Jingle: (points) you have a phone in your hand.
OfNostrils: You could just be more diligent in filming for your OWN vlog
Nostrils: Yeah, Jeremy.
OfNostrils: Put the work in
Jingle: (as OfNostrils swings camera around to show JereMaw filming) this is where the vlogs cross so look at that.
OfNostrils: there you go.
It's worth pointing out that Jingle and OfNostrils had been filming each other filming all day. I guess JereMaw doesn't trust her. The El Ay Bookses are going to fly home the next morning and the Nostrils McBeardsleys are going on that camping trip.
One last shot of Publicitee's face before JereMaw has to jump in to prove how diligent of a vlog filmer he is.
The Next Day, everyone is up and packing, JereMaw obnoxiously announcing every time they are filming for their vlog. Oh yay, more content to look forward to. I'll be ready for it when it drops.
It's off to do the The !'s International Babymoon Extravaganza Part 2 and I'll catch y'all later!

Introduction

Welcome (back) everyone,
As some of you might remember; I recently posted my third haul and you guys LOVED it, and for that I am very grateful. I said there was another haul coming, and today is the day it arrived. If you are interested into my previous haul, please check it out HERE. I might be biased, but if you have some time it is definitely worth reading as I'll review my review a bit as well to set some things straight. You can find that in the comments.
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I'd like to state that if anyone has any questions regarding the items, shipping, my CSSbuy experience, general feedback/tips or anything like that then please shoot me a question in this topic and not in DM, I will not respond to those. I'll try to get back to you ASAP. Just make sure you have read the entire thread so I don't repeat myself like 20 times.
You can also find me in a lot of the Rep discords: Spoontech#0001
About me

• Age: 24
• Height: 1.86 meters
• Weight: 86KG
• Build: I'd say muscular, but also pretty wide. Not skinny built, and I work out 4-6 times a week.
• Retail top size: For almost everything I wear Large. I use that as a baseline and adjust to that.
• Shoe size: 44

CSSbuy

Just like the previous haul I used CSSbuy for this haul. Nothing really changed with my CSS experience so I'll just quote what I said last time about them.
One last thing that I'd like to add is that CSSbuy has a new share option that creates links similar to the dreaded Pandabuy links. I'm not sure how Pandabuy works with its cancerous links, but if someone makes a purchase through said links the person who shared the initial link will earn a couple of Yuan. Therefore I WILL INCLUDE these (optional) links in my haul if you'd like to give some small support to me.
I do these detailed reviews for free and I absolutely will continue doing that. The review will always be as brutally Dutch honest as I am and I will not hesitate to give something a negative review if I feel that this is deserved. If you like any of the stuff I included in my haul and want to buy it I would feel honored if you could use said CSSbuy link I provide. This (sort of I guess) helps me building next hauls for this community to enjoy. If you just want to use the regular W2C I will not care and I will appreciate you just as much as someone who did use the link.
Edit: I'm currently writing my review and notice the first three/four items have a pretty high grade in my overall grading. This might be because I'm pretty picky when it comes to picking stuff price/quality ratio and that I'm already fairly satisfied with my items before they even arrived. I just wanted to write this as a disclaimer, do with it what you want to do.
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This is the second package I have built with CSSbuy. I lost my rep virginity with WeGoBuy (which I think is one of the best for beginners, even if shipping is more expensive), but switched to CSSbuy since then since I feel like I got the hang of the game fairly quick. The overall prices of CSSbuy are amazing, but I also know that they can be a bit sloppy at times. QC pictures can be pretty bad, getting in touch with your agent can be a bit rough and the UI simply lacks behind competitors.
CSSbuy positives:
Livechat; The one time I used it I got an almost immediate response and the action I needed taken was near-instant as well.
Shipping prices. I don't need to say much about it. Their shipping is relatively quick, cheap and also offer a fuckton of shipping options. Do you want your package to do some sightseeing and travel across the Belt and Road Initiative along with a quick pit stop in Namibia? CSSbuy most likely has that option for you.
Service costs; For a very small fee you get unlimited QC pictures, you can ask them almost anything and they will do it for you. You may have to wait 1-2 days for action (European timezone is very unfavorable for reps in general, with Chinese working hours being basically deep in our nighttime until early in the afternoon).
Agents; While the responses may be a bit slow, they also take a lot of initiative. One example of that was that I requested certain items to be measured pretty specifically (you really need to show them what you want measured really), but the moment I did that all my QC pictures got said specific measurements. If a seller is slow, they'll contact you asking if you want to cancel or keep waiting, and other small things like that.
The app; The app isn't amazing (I wouldn't recommend buying items through your phone, it's just much more difficult) but simply having an app where you can quickly check status updates of your purchased items, rehearsal or whatever is very nice. I don't have to wait half a day for me to come home to check the status.
Website: Don't get me wrong, they can still fix a lot of the website to make it much more user-friendly. CSSbuy isn't very beginner-friendly. Some things are harder to find, especially if it is your first time with CSSbuy. The more you use it, the better you can navigate around the website and you'll notice how easy some things are there to find and how simplistic things are.
Customs: If I am correct, you don't have any import costs bullshit when the package arrives at your front door. I have used CSSbuy twice now, and both times I had no import costs even though I declared my package pretty fairly (around 6-8 euros per KG). CSS takes care of that before your package even leaves the warehouse I think.
Insurance: It's cheap so always worth it. You never know if your airplane crashes, a monsoon ravages your package or whatever.
Following instructions: Pretend your agent is a toddler. English is not their native language so also don't be harsh to them if they don't fully understand your wishes. They are here to help you, and if you give GOOD AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS they will do the absolute maximum to satisfy you.
CSSbuy negatives:
QC-pictures: Like I said, I basically treat CSSbuy QC-service operators like toddlers. You have to tell them everything, and be specific, especially if you're European otherwise you'll basically have to wait another day for when they wake up. Preferably show them pictures too of what you exactly want measured like in THIS picture.
Website: I don't think I need to say more about the UI than I already have. Besides that, I also notice the website is quite slow at times. It could be me, but I don't encounter such slow loading times often so I am fairly confident this is on CSS their end. The final negative is a personal one. I absolutely hate the fact that if you post a link to purchase, it opens a new tab. Again I don't know if this is a me-issue, but I'm willing to point towards CSS just being like that. This is just some personal problem of mine though, I don't want 500 CSSbuy tabs open when I decide to add like 10 items to my cart.
Security: I swear by having all my accounts as secure as possible. I randomize passwords and never use the same password twice. CSSbuy also allows you to connect 2FA to your account, which I think is massively underrated. You don't want your haul get shipped to hackerman.
If CSSbuy staff reads this:
Fix your horrible UI, website speed and make the app amazing. You'll be the #1 agent then for every freps user.
Standardize QC pictures. I am certain there are guidelines for taking QC pictures, but for consistency sake have some set camera positions and standardized measurements.

Shipping, Invoice & Parcel

Parcel stats

• Count Weight: 7135.00g
• Actual Weight: 7490g
• Package Volume: 68800cm³
• Actual Volume: 68800cm³

Parcel price and services:

• Rehearsal: ￥15.00
• Package: ￥10.00
• Invoice: ￥1.00
• Bubble Film: ￥4.00
• Service: ￥55.76
• Insurance: ￥56.88
• Freight: ￥503
• Priority Packagingfee: ￥20.00
• Box Corner Protection: ￥20
• VAT: ￥112.56

Total: ¥627.17
https://preview.redd.it/15u34ooz55ra1.png?width=3072&format=png&auto=webp&s=94c1c9f42c5e150bdd25d9fb56f44d041bdeff85
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https://preview.redd.it/q39z1gx165ra1.png?width=1152&format=png&auto=webp&s=549a4780281bf44858fb215846c82dbb71e901b9
I was not home when this haul arrived and my curious family decided to open it already (I don't mind) so this is the only picture of the arrival I have unfortunately. Nevertheless the packaging looks just like how I would expect my package to be shipped. Good corner protection, tough to open, well wrapped and just well-protected overall. Good job CSSbuy and shipping lines for making sure everything arrived in good condition.
Shipping line used: SAL
Courier name: China EMS (ePacket)
Transit day: March 12, 2023 (Sun)
Delivery date: March 31, 2023 (Fri)
Total days in transit: 19

• ^{2023-03-31 13:49 Netherlands, \}Netherlands] is ready)
• ^{2023-03-31 08:24 Netherlands, \}Netherlands] arranges delivery)
• ^{2023-03-31 07:56 Netherlands, \}Netherlands] arranges delivery)
• ^{2023-03-30 23:10 Netherlands, has arrived at the \}Netherlands] delivery office)
• ^{2023-03-30 23:09 Netherlands, leaving the country through transfers}
• ^{2023-03-30 23:08 Netherlands, arriving abroad via transfer}
• ^{2023-03-30 23:07 Netherlands, leaving the \}Netherlands] processing center)
• ^{2023-03-30 22:07 Netherlands, customs clearance for foreign imports}
• ^{2023-03-30 10:25 Netherlands, customs clearance for foreign imports}
• ^{2023-03-27 13:20 Overseas import customs hold pending inspection (pending submission to border agencies/security authorities})
• ^{2023-03-27 13:08 Send to overseas import customs}
• ^{2023-03-27 13:07 Arrive at the drop-off processing center}
• ^{2023-03-27 13:05 Arrive at the place of delivery}
• ^{2023-03-23 22:32 Aircraft entering the port}
• ^{2023-03-23 21:06 Airline departure}
• ^{2023-03-22 18:47 Aircraft entering the port}
• ^{2023-03-22 17:45 Airline departure}
• ^{2023-03-22 09:54 Transfer station in transit}
• ^{2023-03-21 18:39 Aircraft entering the port}
• ^{2023-03-21 11:04 Airline departure}
• ^{2023-03-18 10:48 Airline receives}
• ^{2023-03-17 14:48 Shanghai, delivered to the carrier for transportation}
• ^{2023-03-17 07:46 Shanghai, Leave \}Shanghai Delivery Division Aviation Center Goodman Package Workshop], next stop [Shanghai International Exchange Station] (via transfer))
• ^{2023-03-17 06:32 Shanghai, Arrive at \}Shanghai Delivery Division Aviation Center Goodman Package Workshop] (via transfer))
• ^{2023-03-17 04:55 Shanghai, flight arrivals}
• ^{2023-03-17 03:01 Beijing, Leave \}Beijing Aviation and Mail Terminal Transportation Workshop], next stop [Shanghai Delivery Division Aviation Center Goodman Package Workshop] (via transfer))
• ^{2023-03-17 03:01 Beijing, flight departure}
• ^{2023-03-15 00:52 Beijing, \}Beijing Wangjing International Exchange Bureau] has been exported directly sealed)
• ^{2023-03-14 13:33 Beijing, Arrive at \}Beijing Comprehensive Mail Processing Center Package Workshop] (via transfer))
• ^{2023-03-13 22:54 Taiyuan City, Leave \}Shanxi Province Delivery Division Taiyuan Postal District Center Package Workshop], the next stop【Beijing Comprehensive Mail Processing Center Package Workshop】)
• ^{2023-03-12 20:02 Taiyuan City, Arrive at 【Shanxi Province Delivery Division Taiyuan City Post District Center Package Workshop】}
• ^{2023-03-12 19:08 Taiyuan City, leave \}Taiyuan City Qianfeng North Road Investment Department], the next stop [Taiyuan International])
• ^{2023-03-12 17:38 Taiyuan City, \}Taiyuan City Qianfeng North Road Investment Department] has been received and sent, investment seeker: Li Jing, telephone: X)

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Invoice:

Nothing special really. Less than $12/kg, so it definitely is possible. I never do $12/kg though.
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Haul

Finally we get to the moment you've all been waiting for. The haul. If I am missing anything, or you have some knowledge that I don't have and want to give me some feedback on the quality of certain pieces, please do not hesitate. A lot of these pieces were first-timers, and therefore I cannot give the best QC check to you guys. I am happy with my haul, but there are always improvements to be made or pointed out, don't hesitate.\
The moment of truth is here: The haul. As I mentioned in my previous haul; I am not a good QC'er so don't treat me like one.
Represent 'Eagle-print' T-shirt White ¥ 76.00 Size M 274g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I like this tee. The print feels good and not really cheap. I expected it to be a bit looser but I'm definitely not complaining. I sized down on this tee and as you can see it fits me perfectly. The material is somewhat thick (not too thick you can't wear it on a warm day) and the stitching is perfectly fine but only time and a couple washes will tell how it holds up. For ¥76 I didn't expect THAT much, and my current verdict is that it easily passes the first test.
I did notice a stain on the shirt on the (for me when I wear it) left side in the middle next to the eagle. It's in the washing machine's hands right now to fix this.
Final grade: 6.8/10. Definitely not bad, if you have some space left for this in your haul this is a cop without much thought.
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Gallery Dept Car Drive Thru Tee Dark Grey ¥75.00 Size M 294g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I've bought at Mystery seller before, and I am a happy Essentials customer of his. It's very cheap, but also pretty reliable (will get back at that later on). As I had a couple essentials pieces that were oversized I decided to size down on this one. Quite honestly this is probably the best for this product. It's pretty wide, while not being the longest. If I would've taken a Large I most likely would've drowned in this thing. The fleece is nice and warm. I do worry a bit about this color looking dirty quite quick, but only time will tell. Stitching is a bit of a mess, but there aren't a lot of loose hanging threads so I'm willing to turn a blind eye on that. The quarter zip goes pretty deep, but this is not a negative for me. I think it adds some character and allows for some nice styling.
Like the previous shirt, I downsized on this so it wouldn't be too boxy. Personally I think I made the correct choice as I love the fitting of this tee. Again, the print feels very good for the price I paid. The stitching is the thing that impressed me the most. There's virtually not a single loose thread to be found which really impresses me. I absolutely love the simplicity of the front and the eye-turning backprint that'll make you go like this. The dark grey color of the tee is very nice as well. From some angles it'll look like a very dark brown, and in some you can see the charcoal-like color it actually has.
Final grade: 7/10. When considering this tee was so little money, this is a must have as well if you're a fan of big and eyecatching backprints. Just like the previous one, definitely worth a spot in your next haul. One thing I did not like at first glance was the very 'Chinese factory'ish' smell this shirt had, so it's instantly thrown on the washing machine VIP list.
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Onlyfans T-shirt White ¥65.00 Size L 408g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I saw this shirt pop up in the Freps discord and I instantly loved it. It's tacky, it's funny, it's a nice nod and on top of that it was pretty cheap too. I instantly bought the shirt and it's not only a super funny shirt but apparently the fans on the shirt speeds up the shipping too as it was in my warehouse in no time. Just like the GD tee the stitching on this shirt is very good too. I bought it as an L and again it fitted me perfectly. It's a bit looser than the previous two shirts but that makes it also a great option to have something like a hoodie, shirt or vest over it.
Final grade: 9/10. A big part of this great grade is just because how much I like it because it's so damn hilarious, so the grade might (most likely is) be a bit skewed. The quality is very passable (I hesitate with using 'good' too much) though, but once again it has to face the washing machine test to find out about its true potential. Can't really go wrong for the price though.
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Doves T-shirt (unknown brand) Black ¥39.90 Size XXL 314g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: What a fucking banger this tee is. The print is of a high quality and contrasts so damn much on the black background it's almost like it sheds a beacon of light. I think I found this seller on a post here somewhere and goddamn he sells so many great lesser known designs. I double sized up on this shirt (not sure why as I can't find a size chart on the post) and if you want a similar fitting I recommend you doing the same. The quality definitely passes the first impression test too but we all know the washing machine story at this point so I'm not going to continue repeating myself.
Final grade: 8/10. I'm in love with the print of this tee and it not really being a massively known brand (hell, I don't even know the brand) so it doesn't have potential to be super a super corny hypebeast tee.
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Stussy Logo Cap White ¥18.00 Size N/A 95g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: It's a hat. It's Stussy. It fits my head. The stitching doesn't look like it'll fall apart any time soon. There isn't really much to say about this hat. If you like hats it can be a nice addition to your haul as it weights and costs next to nothing. One thing I'm not a massive (only)fan of is that you can't hide the strap. But hey, it's a fucking 18 yuan hat.
Final grade: 7/10. I am not gonna say a lot about it. It's a fucking hat, how good/bad can it get?
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Essentials Crewneck Khaki/Tan ¥57.00 Size L 528g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: Some of you might remember I bought this exact item in my last haul but somehow Essentials has the weirdest fittings of all brands. Some items are TTS, some fit small and some fit large. I made the mistake of buying an M last time, and this time I made the correct choice: Large. I'm a big fan of the color and fleece materials as it'll definitely keep me warm during those cold rainy western-European days in the spring.
Final grade: 7/10. Last time I gave a 6/10 because of the annoying sizing (which was partially my fault), but this time it fits exactly how I like it. I can't promise I won't buy more of these.
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Stone Island Sherpa Jacket/Vest (FANTASY) Cream (Off-white) & Green hints ¥128.00 Size L 770g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I'm fairly sure the 'original' is a Carhartt sherpa but this one has SI tags and a (horrible) badge. Thankfully I am a very smart man who has some Topstoney badges to fix that. I am very impressed to say the least. The inner fleece is giga warm and the bottom/wrist has some elastic viber in it that stretches very easily and gets back into its original position too ^{(reminder: I wore this thing for like 5 minutes at best and it is absolutely possible this 'good' elastic turns into a wet used condom that won't get back into its original shape if I wear it enough}). Like I said before the SI badge is absolutely horrible so definitely get yourself a Topstoney badge if you want this item. I could have gone with a larger size I think but not every jacket of mine has to be oversized so I can absolutely live with the fact that it doesn't cover my tiny cock when wearing. The fleece part around the neck is a tiny bit tight for me, but I don't really plan on ever fully zipping it anyways so I don't mind.
Final grade: 6.5/10. I think it's too early to give a proper rating as I need to wear this outside to truly test its warmth and how easily it stains. I ordered another one too but the seller sent the wrong color and after returning it I couldn't bother ordering another one, so keep in mind the seller MIGHT also send you the wrong color.
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Adidas Yeezy Slide Onyx ¥59 Size 45 715g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I already have the 'Bone' colorway of these slides which I'm pretty sure are from the same seller. That gave me a nice baseline to compare as I wear those damn things in my house every day. The first thing I noticed was the smell of them that basically Chez Pierred my entire living room. There is a tiny problem with that though. I do love Chez Pierre perfumes (I own three, which I all love. You can ask me about them if you want), but I did not love the foul chemical smell of these slides. But that Yighury slave factory smell will wear off so it won't affect my grading too much. As with the Bone slides, they start off pretty stiff. Something I did not encounter with the real deal if I remember correctly. But alright, that's just the rep game init. One thing I did notice is that even though they're the same slides these feel a bit more snug than the bone variant. From what I've heard is that Adidas played a bit around with the slides so that could be an explaination. They're also definately smaller than my bone slides, but they we're like 1-2cm too long for me so that isn't excactly a negative. Keep that in mind though if you'd like to purchase these and have prior experience with rep Yeezy slides.
Final grade: 6.5/10. I'll wear them a lot. They're super cheap, they're (hopefully) gonna break in quick and give me as much comfort as the Bone slides have been doing. If that happens, easy 7/10. If you buy them, drop the damn box.
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Nike Air Presto x Off-White 'The Ten' OWF Black ¥290.00 Size 44 1043g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: I had these in my warehouse already during the time of the previous haul. I wanted some good shoes that I could carelessly use as a beater which preferably was black (the only other 'black' pairs I got are a cheap rep Panda Dunk, Coconut Patta's (real), Mini Swoosh Bred's (real) and the NYC Chinatown's (real). Those last three will NOT be used as a beater, and those Panda reps are pretty meh comfort wise. Presto time it is. As far as I'm aware this is the best batch of them so I just yolo'd the trigger. Upon arrival I switched the laces to orange and I just wore them to the gym. They are indeed comfortable. I can totally understand this shoe isn't to everyone their liking though. I still have to get used to it a bit too and I am fully aware that with certain pants this shoe is gonna look like terrible if you care about that. On one of the orange laces the cringe "Shoelaces" part had a small scuff in the text, but I'm not cringe so I don't care about that.
Comfort wise I like this shoe, and it feels pretty breathable too. I am basically calling this a slightly less comfortable Yeezy 700 v1. I'm not sure about any potential flaws on this shoe so please point stuff out to me if you notice something.
Final grade: 6.5/10. I still have to get used to the silhouette. Feels good on the foot though.
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Nike Air Jordan x Cactus Jack PK Reverse Mocha ¥430.00 Size 44 1433g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
Review: If you loose lace you're a nonce. Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. If you want comfort, don't get a Jordan 1 (low), but that's basically common knowledge nowadays. What isn't common knowledge is what the best batch for these is. I chose PK batch as there's a general consensus this is at least a top 3 reverse mocha batch on the market right now. I'm not going to nitpick every difference between the batches as I am A. Not someone who cares and B. Not knowledgeable enough. I really like the colors of this shoe (even though I wasn't a fan at first). These also came with a pretty overwhelming glue smell so I am airing these out as we speak. Near the sole you can spot some glue stains too. On the Travis Scott face on the back I can see a small scuff, so keep an eye out if you don't want that.
Final grade: 7/10. I'm not going to wear these every day, but to some occasions they might actually be very nice and I'm glad I got these.
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Goyard 'Saint Sulpice' Card Holders Light Blue - Yellow - Blue ¥35 each Size N/A 300g (all)
W2C WAREHOUSE 'Light Blue' WAREHOUSE 'Yellow' WAREHOUSE 'Blue' IN HAND CSSlink
Review: Most of the new people probably don't know about this absolute 2021 Fashionreps staple. If this wasn't in your haul, your haul was shit. I already have one of these in another colorway and I haven't used my regular wallet since. It's durable (enough), holds plenty of cards, can hold some cash and is tiny enough to fit in your pocket easily. Absolute gem of an item and a true Fashionreps icon. Now the rest of my family has one too that they can use.
Final grade: 9/10. I hate thick and bulky wallets (it's bulky because of all the money we 'save' by buying reps right?), and this thing simply is the perfect solution to that. You wouldn't ever want to get something else. Card holders are the GOAT.
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Changes to previous haul review

In this chapter I will go a bit more into detail of some items I bought in my last haul. This way you guys can get a better and more true review, as things tend to change with time.
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Essentials Quarter-Zip Fleece Sweater Charcoal ¥79.00 Size M 585g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
^{Review: I've bought at Mystery seller before, and I am a happy Essentials customer of his. It's very cheap, but also pretty reliable (will get back at that later on}. As I had a couple essentials pieces that were oversized I decided to size down on this one. Quite honestly this is probably the best for this product. It's pretty wide, while not being the longest. If I would've taken a Large I most likely would've drowned in this thing. The fleece is nice and warm. I do worry a bit about this color looking dirty quite quick, but only time will tell. Stitching is a bit of a mess, but there aren't a lot of loose hanging threads so I'm willing to turn a blind eye on that. The quarter zip goes pretty deep, but this is not a negative for me. I think it adds some character and allows for some nice styling.)
^{Bonus points for the seller being a pretty quick shipper.}
What changed?
I feel like the material could've been a bit stretchier as it can sometimes feel a bit of a hassle to get it on/off, and I will definitely recommend going true to size.
Final grade: 7.2/10.
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Supreme Nike Arc Corduroy Hooded Jacket Black ¥285.00 Size XL 1148g
W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink
^{Review: This is the item I was looking forward to the most. I was doubting about the sizing at first, but decided to go with an XL because I'd rather have a jacket be a teeny bit longer and more spacious in case I want to have some layers under it. This was ultimately the right choice. As seen on the pictures, the jacket fits very well, so I would definitely recommend a SIZE UP if you're planning to buy this.
As one of the more expensive pieces in this multiple-part haul I think it is fair to have high expectations of the piece. The padding inside the jacket actually surprised me with the amount of warmth it gives. This piece was intended as a good in between jacket for mild spring days, but if dressed according to the weather I think this will keep you warm at pretty 'warm' (let's say 5+ degrees Celcius} winter days if you put some layers under it. The stitching also looks very fine (correct me if I'm wrong), and the zippers give me a good feeling at first glance too. Like with every zipped jacket you have to learn how to zip it correctly, which gave me some issues the first time I wore it. I think this is a me-issue though, but I might come back to that. The Supreme print also looks very good and accurate (to pictures I am checking during this review). Overall the quality definitely matches the expectations.)
I promised you guys a windproof test and here it is. When it's really cold, this jacket won't keep you THAT warm and you must consider that when picking layers underneath it. Since it's a corduroy the wind gets through somewhat easily and can catch you by surprise if you're not prepared. When wearing a good hoodie underneath the wind blowing through this jacket isn't a massive problem though.
Final grade: 8.2/10. Slightly in the middle of my previous grade. It's a very cool jacket and does the job perfectly.
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Finally

This is my 2nd 'old school review' on Fashionreps and I have tried to write it was as much honesty and passion as I could. I'm very satisfied with this haul as it included some pieces that are perfect for the upcoming couple of seasons. I have a couple items laying in a Basetao warehouse which I will probably ship in a couple of months, but unless it's another big haul (or I get a lot of requests) I most likely will not post that one as the items I have got in that haul so far aren't super impressive.
I am most definitely happy with the result of this haul, especially the sleeper picks like the Onlyfans tee or the Doves tee. The price-quality ratio is definitely great and I feel these picks are pretty unique. CSS will remain the agent of my choice, but I am definitely willing to test out others like Basetao.
SAL was a bit slower than last time which surprised me, but 19 days is still solid enough for me to keep considering SAL. It could've been at least 3-4 days less if it wasn't 'stuck' in Dutch customs.
That's it for now. Up until next time.

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bingo card in all its glory
For Bingo this year I thought it would be fun to complete a card using only self- or indie-published books. By definition of indie published I mostly mean anything that uses KDP or Ingram Spark or similar as their main distributor, but if someone from a very small trad press managed to sneak through my filter consider this covering my bum and saying I picked things that were indie “enough” :)
So then, without further ado, the mini reviews!
A Book from Fantasy’s Top LGBTQIA List
Substitution, but within the spirit of the thing: School Setting (2020)
The Enchanter by Tobias Begley
Hard Mode: N/A
Came up against a challenge on the very first square because the only indie published book on the somewhat limited list was Arcane Ascension, which I’d already read, and didn’t really want to use my one reread on that. So I started looking around for other LGBTQ books to use as my substitution and ended up picking up Enchanter, which turned out to be… a lot like Arcane Ascension, actually. Evander is a socially awkward young gay man who is off to magic school to become an enchanter. What he lacks in raw magical ability he makes up for in determination and cleverness, and he spends much of the book pushing the magic system to its absolute limit, all while meanwhile navigating a budding first romance with the handsome nobleman he met on the train. Meanwhile someone is letting eldritch horrors into the school grounds, and it’s up to Evander and his new boyfriend to figure out the mystery and avoid taking the blame themselves. I enjoyed this book quite a lot, though it leans heavily into a lot of the tropes of both the magic school and progression fantasy genres. I’d say if you enjoyed Arcane Ascension and Mother of Learning, you will probably definitely enjoy this one too.
Weird Ecology
Iron Truth by S.A. Tholin
Hard Mode: yes
Over a century ago, Joy Somerset entered cryogenic sleep and boarded a colony ship, expecting to awaken on an idyllic new world. Instead she wakes up on Cato, a dusty hellscape inhabited only by giant spiders, hostile locals, and red lichen that is probably definitely up to no good. Rigid and religiously devout military commander Cassimir from the theocratic Primaterre Protectorate seems like her ticket back to civilization, but neither of them will go anywhere until they can unravel Cato’s mysteries. This book won the first ever SPSFC contest and I can see why, because even though it was a somewhat long book, it kept me turning pages all the way through. Part space opera, part cosmic horror, I felt like I was racing to the end just to figure out what was going on. If I had any complaints it was that the romance felt a little bit forced — here is a hot girl, here is a hot guy, they are designated to end up together because the plot says so. In such a long book there ought to have been plenty of breathing room for their romance to grow organically but I never really felt like I got that, it was just hawtness at first sight and that was that. Still highly recommend to anyone who likes space opera.
Two or More Authors
NACL: Eye of the Storm by Allegra Pescatore and E. Sands
Hard Mode: no
Their planet seems like a perfect paradise, with one glaring flaw: the gods, when they created the world, forgot to include salt, an ingredient necessary for human life. In order to hastily cover up their mistake, they concentrated a world’s worth of salt in a giant pillar in the middle of the ocean, intending for it to distribute over time. But humans being humans, they unfortunately invented capitalism first, and now a corrupt corporation rigidly controls the salt pillar. Thanks to a meddlesome precog who might or might not himself be a god, a ragtag crew comes together, formed of an ex corporate slave, a grumpy doctor, a pair of pirates who smuggle salt to those in need, and a woman with dangerous magical powers who’d honestly rather just be left alone. Together, they hatch a plan to take down the corporation once and for all. They have to learn to trust each other first, though, and that is easier said than done. Well all right. If you know me you know I’m a sucker for a story about a ragtag crew that has to come together to defeat the big bad. This was a great story and it really delivered in that respect. My main complaint was that there are a lot of POV characters and many of them sort of blend together in the beginning. They all have their own reasons for being angry at the corporation but when you have multiple characters whose *main* personality trait is “GRR I HATE THE COMPANY” they kind of run together for the first act until they start to distinguish themselves. My nickname for this book while I was reading it was “Salty Bitches” for a reason. For real, though, I really did enjoy this one, and if you want a nice escapist fantasy about sticking it to the corporate man, this is the book for you.
Historical SFF
Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis
Hard Mode: no, sigh, all I had to do was find something not set in one of two countries, and guess where this one is set
When Elinor’s parents died and left her and her sisters penniless, she has no choice but to move in with her obnoxious relatives and, Cinderella-like, work as a servant for her terrible cousin. She plans to abide this with determined British stoicness until she can finally leave and become a governess or something, but if there is one thing she cannot abide, it is dragon abuse. So she finds herself running from home with a stolen dragon and only a few coins to her name, and is nearly run off the road by a handsome gentleman off to court her very same horrible cousin. And that’s when the real shenanigans begin. This book was a delight from start to finish. It is one of the finalists for this year’s SPFBO which I think is incredibly well-deserved. It shares a lot in common with its fellow finalist Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide, making 2022 evidently a big year for downtrodden British ladies hiding dragons from their terrible relatives. I recommend this one to anyone who likes cozy fantasy, regency era, and fantasy of manners.
Set in Space
The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August
Hard Mode: I can’t honestly remember if the kids are from Earth or not but I’m going to go with yes, so no on the hard mode
When humans finally invented faster-than-light travel, they expected to be welcomed or mistrusted by a greater galactic community. What they found instead were hundreds of abandoned planets, remnants of a civilization wiped clean by some unknown catastrophe. Archaeologists are desperate to find out what went wrong, as are the corrupt corporations who control humanity, because what happened to one civilization could happen to ours, as well. The Last Gifts of the Universe stars Scout, a small-time independent archaeologist, and her younger brother, as they race to find precious recordings of the lost civilization before their corporate rivals can. Despite being set in the backdrop of a mystery that spans centuries and light years and potentially multiple-world-ending stakes, this story is really more about the more immediate human (and sentient-non-human) relationships of the characters. It is a story about Scout’s relationship with their brother, their complicated memories with their parents, and their growing frenemyship with the corporate soldier who wants the same things they do. It is also about Biryeena, the alien politician who lived centuries ago, leaving her recorded memories for future archaeologists to find. I enjoyed this book very much, but I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more if we were not presented with such galaxy-spanning stakes only to be told that those stakes were not the point. They could have just been ordinary space archaeologists without trying to solve Space Plague. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the ancient alien civilization as it is presented. Making them very human-seeming made them more relatable to the reader, but I found it strained suspension of disbelief, just a little, that they would so closely follow a somewhat idealized version of modern Western civilization, in which the alien narrator goes to a four-year college, struggles to find a job upon graduation, gets married, and eventually runs for office in a vaguely democratic society. Still, I recommend this one to fans of Becky Chambers and anyone who wants a more intimate character-focused space opera.
Standalone
Battle Mage by Peter Flannery
Hard Mode: yes
Falco Dante longs to be a dragon rider and fight the demon hordes, but unfortunately, he is shunned by his community for being a sick weakling, and worse yet, being the son of a traitor who turned against the town. But when a dragon summoning goes horribly wrong and the townsfolk are forced to flee, he learns he has the rare potential to become a battle mage, and may be the one to repair the bond between humans and dragons and defeat the demons once and for all. Of course as many of you know I love a good training montage story, as well as “battle school” types of settings. And dragon riders. I love those two. So even going in I knew this book was going to be a good time. It is long, incredibly long, but I actually admire Flannery for keeping the story contained to one book, because it could have easily been a 10 book series full of doorstoppers if he wanted to stretch things out. I did think the pacing dragged a little bit in places, the blow-by-blow battle scenes were too frequent and drawn-out for my personal tastes, and the part where they’re fleeing the town in the beginning seemed to take forever when it really didn’t need to. If you’re a fan of a lot of the classic fantasy tropes, however, this is not one to miss.
Anti-Hero
Where Blood Runs Gold by A.C. Cross
Hard Mode: no
Errol Thorpe is your typical old west sheriff who refuses to take shit from anyone. He has his own strong moral compass, but will not hesitate to bust heads at the slightest provocation. This of course becomes both a strength and a complication when he finds himself in custody of a young woman he needs to keep safe, while also unraveling the mystery of the creepy magic dust that’s making people go crazy. This book is incredibly tightly plotted and had me eagerly turning pages all the way through. I think what I liked the most about it was the general voice to the writing, I really felt like I was getting into Sheriff Errol Thorpe’s head. If you’re a fan of gritty types of westerns like HBO’s Deadwood I think you’ll really enjoy Where Blood Runs Gold.
Book Club OR Readalong Book
The Wolf and the She-Bear by Morgan Stang (RAB December 2022)
Hard Mode: yes :)
“Retired” mercenary Samantha Redwyne just wants a quiet peaceful life in the middle of nowhere. But when a man from her past begs her help transporting some Probably Definitely Stolen Cargo, she reluctantly agrees. Naturally, trouble follows quickly at their heels. This book was both very fast paced and also novella length so it made for a very quick read. I kind of almost wish it had been a little bit longer, though, because I would have liked to get to know the characters a bit more, given them room to breathe. I feel like we never really get to know who Samantha is as a person, and so when big reveals are made about her past, they don’t quite pack the emotional punch they’re probably meant to. There are also two male POV characters, ostensibly on opposite sides, who badly run together to me as both of their chief personality traits are “murder everyone in sight.” I did enjoy one of the minor POV characters, a would-be housewife who has turned to banditry to support her family, because it was kind of intriguing how much she tells herself she’s better than those OTHER bandits when she really, really isn’t. Ultimately this book was either just a little too short or a little too grimdark for my tastes, but it was intriguing enough I can definitely see myself reading something else of Stang’s along the way.
Cool Weapon
Year of the Sword books 1-3 by Dakota Krout
Hard Mode: yes, the sword’s name is Sarge
okay I’m being a LITTLE bit cheaty here because what I actually read for bingo was Dokeshi March, book 3 in the series, but I feel like it makes more sense to do the mini-review of book 1, Lord January, so bear with me. This series. THIS SERIES. I’m not even really sure where to start. Many centuries ago, due to a conflict, the world was split into twelve districts, one for each month of the year. Each district has one defining trait that makes it stand out from the others. In District January, they grow all the food, and everyone is very much into eating as much as possible. The fatter you are, the more status you are perceived to have in January. February is the polar opposite, where everyone drinks wheatgrass smoothies and is obsessed with fitness. In March, everyone is into gambling, and so it goes. Our hero, Grant Leap, is ostracized from his native January District for only being a little bit fat and also being born on leap day which is a big no-no in Calendar Culture. All that changes, however, when he finds a magic talking sword, Sarge, who agrees to train him to become powerful, at a cost. If he doesn’t defeat all the calendar lords by the end of the year, his life is forfeit. If you think this premise sounds ridiculous, well, yes it is. It is 100% exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. And yet I could not for the life of me put it down. What can I say. I love training montages. This is a LitRPG-style progression fantasy with visible stat screens and leveling up, and I think it’s a fun, albeit ludicrous, addition to the genre. Unfortunately the series seems to be on hiatus currently while the author works on other projects, but I’ll definitely be continuing when it picks back up again.
Revolutions and Rebellions
Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain
Hard Mode: Sort of? The action is more human-focused, but they’d not get far without the rebellion
Centuries ago, Fantasy Not Quite Japan was a brutal monarchy, ruled by a violent and corrupt mage queen. After she was defeated, the pendulum swung the other way, and now women and girls are brutally subjugated, especially those who can use magic — when magic-using girls are admitted to exist at all. Mishi and Taka were best friends in their orphanage home, each dreading the day they would be separated to be sold into either servitude or a loveless and abusive marriage. As it happens, they are both taken away on the same day, though to neither of those things. When Taka’s secret magical abilities are revealed, she is shipped off to a brutal school where women with some small magical gift are taught to be healers and midwives, but not without going through a ton of abuse first. Mishi fares better, being adopted into a warrior family who works against the patriarchal government and trains women to fight in secret. Years later, the two friends meet again when Taka flees from her evil magic school and instead joins the rebellion. I quite enjoyed this book, the way the two girls’ stories diverge and then weave back together. The pacing is tight and intriguing and there was never any point where I felt bored, and yet we are also given the space to really get to know and care about the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Name in the Title
India Bones and the Ship of the Dead by Set Sytes
Hard Mode: yes
India Bones lives in a quiet portside town dreaming of a life of adventure like his famous pirate father who disappeared many years ago. His opportunity arrives when a ghost ship makes port and the ghosts and skeletons dance on the shore, and India sneaks off to join them. While he quickly finds that a ghost ship is no place for a living boy, this soon opens the door to discoveries about his past and new adventures ahead. This was a fun adventure romp, a bit disjointed as India is yanked from one misadventure to the next, but entertaining all the way through. The only slightly confusing thing about it was I was never quite sure what age group it was meant for. India himself is quite young and for a lot of the book it reads very much like a middle-grade novel, but it also has things like pre-teens getting drunk, presented uncritically. Still this made for a good pirate adventure and I plan to continue this series eventually.
Author Uses Initials
Heavy by J.J. Thorn
Hard Mode: I’m certain I have no idea
Everyone in the kingdom dreams of being granted an affinity when they turn 16 and going off to magic school. Terrence realizes that chances are he’ll never get any affinity at all, so he’s surprised and rather alarmed when he’s given a rare and unusual one: the ability to see and manipulate weight. Rarity is all well and good, but will it help him become a dungeon-crawler like he hopes? Heavy is another magic school LitRPG progression fantasy with stats and level-ups. I seemed to be big on those this Bingo. This is another book where I’m not really sure how to write a review for it. It’s definitely rough in places; the author seems to have some interesting ideas about how punctuation works, and the truth is not a whole lot HAPPENS in this book. There are hints of some sinister goings-on in the greater dungeon-delving community, but for the most part Terrence just goes to school, stands up to bullies, makes friends, and tries to figure out how to use his unusual weight powers. But you know what, despite all that, I really enjoyed this book. It was cosy and enjoyable and made me want to go to magic school, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
Published in 2022
The Blood of Crows by Alex C. Pierce
Hard Mode: yes
Ren thought his days of violence and bloodshed were over when someone finally bought out his indentured servitude as a state-sanctioned thief in a brutal army unit. Unfortunately, he was wrong. When one last thieving job goes terribly wrong and his friend and mentor goes missing, Ren finds himself framed for the murders of several prominent noblewomen. Now he has to solve the mystery and clear his name before it’s too late. This was a fun book with a fast-paced plot and a lit of twisty turns that I didn’t see coming, plus a protagonist who has a strong voice and is entertaining to read about. I liked the fact that the main character doesn’t have any magic powers in a world where everyone else does. There are some other series that do that, like Codex Alera, but it’s still rare enough to be refreshing. However it does this one thing that’s fairly common in this particular “snarky guy gets in trouble” subgenre where he simply cannot catch a break, ever, and I have to wonder how he has not collapsed from exhaustion already, not to mention how he manages to survive so many beatings. Still, a fun book and a good debut, highly recommend.
Urban Fantasy
Oath Broken by Jarryd Smith
Hard Mode: Alas, no
Once a famed monster hunter, Kaleb just wants to leave that life behind and live a normal life. But when dragged against his will to his friend’s wedding, and discovering there’s definitely something suspicious about the bridal party, he is forcefully dragged back into a life he wanted little to do with. This was an enjoyable, quick read, although I wish there were just a bit more character development as some things feel rushed and I had to scramble to remember who was who. I think this series definitely shows potential, though, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Set in Africa
The Windweaver’s Storm by Antoine Bandele
Hard Mode: yes
This is the second book in the TJ Young and the Orishas series. The first one, The Gatekeeper’s Staff, takes place in the United States and therefore doesn’t qualify for the Africa bingo square, but this one takes place in Nigeria and therefore does. After getting up to all kinds of heroics at summer camp last year, TJ Young has at last been offered a place at the prestigious Ifa Academy. Unfortunately, he has a lot of challenges ahead of him as his power still behaves erratically, and he made a promise to a god that he might not be able to keep. I really enjoyed this follow-up to the first book, especially the depiction of the magic school. Hogwarts has absolutely nothing on how cool Ifa Academy is. I somehow ended up reading a lot of magic school stories this year and this one was by far my favorite. The main characters’ teenage drama, while exhausting in the way that teenage drama often is, was also nonetheless well-realized and fun to read about. My only slight complaint was that I felt the ending was a little rushed, and I wanted a better explanation of certain occurrences near the end. But if you’re interested in something similar to Harry Potter or Percy Jackson with a majority-POC cast, this is the book for you.
Non-Human Protagonist
The Skin by J.E. Hannaford
Hard Mode: She does spend most of the book in human form so I’d say not really
When unscrupulous humans steal her sister’s skin, a young selkie sacrifices her own freedom so that her sister can go free. She is forced to work for the humans she despises, at least until she can win her way to freedom and get her sister’s skin back. This was a really unique book in that it combines ancient Celtic mythology with a post-apocalyptic setting, something I’d never really seen before. Also, it has selkies, who are among some of the coolest mythical creatures. But I like seals so I might be a bit biased. The story starts out with three separate timelines that then join together in the second act, and I thought that part of the storytelling was cleverly done. Selkie’s journey is a powerful one, because she starts out very angry and unwilling to trust anyone but eventually makes deep friendships as the story continues. If I were to have any nitpicks I’d say that things come together almost a little too cleanly at the end, and characters I was certain were sus turn out to be squeaky clean, but that’s hardly a massive flaw. I recommend this one to anyone who likes seals, boats, mythology, shapeshifters, or post-apocalyptic settings.
Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey
Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire by G.M. Nair
Hard Mode: I’m not sure, probably not, there is some time travel
Michael Duckett is starting to get annoyed with his best friend and roommate Stephanie Dyer, who refuses to take life seriously. Whether it’s trying to get out of his dead end job or trying to find a girlfriend, it seems like she’s always ruining his plans with her antics. When they start getting contacted about an ad in the paper selling them as a pair of private detectives, he thinks it must be another prank. What he gets instead is a zany jaunt across the multiverse that will strain and perhaps save their friendship. This book was delightful overall, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It never at any point takes itself too seriously so if you want a Super Serious Time Travel Book this probably isn’t the one for you. But it nevertheless has a lot of heart and I grew quite attached to both main characters by the end. I did think some of the multiverse destinations were just a little too zany as to strain my willing suspension of disbelief, however, such as the world with the giant hamburger monsters. Still, this book was great fun.
Five SFF Short Stories
The Alchemy of Sorrow by Various
Hard Mode: Yes
I find it hard to review short story collections because there are so many of them and each is going to have their own strengths and weaknesses. However this is one of the best short story collections I’ve read in awhile. There was not a single story in it that I found dragged at any point; I enjoyed all of them immensely and found a lot of new authors whose work I will definitely be checking out. The theme of the anthology is dealing with grief so just by definition a lot of these stories will rip your heart out and stomp on it, but there is also an undercurrent of hope throughout. 5/5, highly recommend.
Features Mental Health
The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming by Sienna Tristen
Hard Mode: Yes
This book. OH BOY THIS BOOK. I had actually hoped to read the second book in the duology for this square but I didn’t quite finish in time, but thankfully I reread book 1 to refresh my memory going in, so I’m going to use that as my one allowed reread. Consider this a mini-review for both books, however, with the caveat that I am still working on reading the ending. Ronoah Genoveffa Ellizzi-Denna Pilanovani suffers from a lot of anxiety and self doubt. After failing as both a priest and a scholar, Ronoah finds himself lost in a foreign coffee shop, unsure what to do or how to face the future. Enter Reilin, a mysterious stranger who offers to take him to the beautiful and sacred Pilgrim State — as long as he follows a specific set of rules. Ronoah’s journey takes him half way across the world, where he encounters vibrant cultures, wonderful friends, and mysterious ancient ruins, while almost in passing discovering the lost secrets of the fallen Shalledrim empire. But if you’re looking for action and adventure around every corner, this is probably not the book for you. Ronoah’s journey is internal far more than it is external, all about figuring out who he is and what is important to him and how, at last, to have faith in himself. I fully admit that Ronoah is not the protagonist for everyone, as his internal monologue and negative self talk can be A LOT, especially in the first book. But this series is one of the most beautiful pieces of character work I’ve read in a long time, all told via beautiful, poetic prose that almost seems to sing from the page. I’d say fans of Robin Hobb will also enjoy this series.
Self-Published or Indie Publisher
Dreams of Dust by Lily Anne Crow
Hard Mode: Yes
Technically all of these books would count for this square but I will go with this one because as of typing this it only has two Goodreads reviews, one of which is mine, which is a crying shame because this book deserves better, but also means it handily counts for hard mode. Pampered city kid Thaniel Swift has studied long and hard to be a wayfinder, creating maps with his beautiful magic atlas. He’s beyond thrilled to get to go on his first expedition, only to find out he still has a lot to learn when they get sucked into a missing person investigation and find themselves pit against an undead queen who is willing to destroy the world to end her grief. This book has all the things I enjoy most in a fantasy story: secret ancient ruins, a colorful cast of characters who are suspicious of each other at first but eventually come together like family, and scary evil bad guys who commit their atrocities out of misplaced love. The world building is absolutely top notch, with a setting that feels lived in. I really wish more people would read this series so I could gush about it more.
Award Finalist, But Not Won
Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire
Hard Mode: Yes
Shadow of a Dead God was a SPFBO finalist a few years ago. It features Mennik Thorne, a down on his luck mage who gave up a life of privilege to try and make it on his own. This goes about as well as you might expect, when a routine probably-not-legal job for his oldest and best friend blows up in his face and he winds up with half the city out to get him. This book shares a lot of similarities with the Blood of Crows, reviewed above — snarky guy has a routine job go terribly wrong, gets roped into a conspiracy, and survives far more beatings than is healthy. But if I were to assign comp titles to this book I’d say it’s like the Dresden Files meets Locke Lamora. Mennik is a delightful character overall and I enjoyed being in his sarcastic head.
BIPOC Author
Guns of Penance by Mari Kurisato
Hard Mode: Yes, Mari is Nakawē Ojibwe indigenous
One of the really nice things about Bingo is that it seems like every year there’s a book I might not have necessarily picked up on my own but end up thoroughly enjoying. This book isn’t in my usual wheelhouse — ultra-violent post-apocalyptic settings are usually too edgy for me — but I’d purchased the book awhile back in order to support the author, and since I had it on my kindle anyway and it qualified for hard mode, I decided to give it a go. Wow! For a book about people murdering each other in a post-nuclear wasteland, this book was actually a ton of fun. There are four main female POV characters, whose stories weave in and out of each other: a computer scientist on the run after a major discovery, her rich heiress ex girlfriend, a drug addicted gangster looking to make a clean start, and a retired mercenary who is getting too old for this nonsense. Since all of these women are in somewhat violent roles I was worried they would start to blur together but each has a very distinct voice and was thoroughly enjoyable to read about. Highly recommended if you’re after a more diverse and female-led version of Mad Max.
Shapeshifters
Sidetracked by S.K. Kelley
Hard mode: yes
I received this book as part of an indie author Secret Santa exchange last December. Studious and socially awkward, Jayde wonders how she’s going to survive her first summer vacation in college alone without her more extroverted best friend and roommate. Her summer takes a surprising turn when she meets an attractive stranger named Ice, who turns out to be, of all things, a cat shapeshifter. She is then dragged into a complicated world of hidden supernatural happenings and soon realizes she might be well in over her head. This book starts off seeming like a fairly boilerplate supernatural romance in the vein of Twilight — awkward every-woman falls in love with super hot supernatural dude. However it becomes increasingly clear as the story goes on that this is not that kind of story. Watching the story turn from paranormal romance to paranormal thriller was really fascinating and I found myself staying up late reading just to find out what was going on. This story is incredibly slow-burn, and I worry that some potential readers might give up too soon. But I absolutely can’t wait to continue this series.
No Ifs, Ands, or Buts
No Land for Heroes by Cal Black
Hard Mode: Yes
I had to scan the list of forbidden words like six times to confirm it fits but I’m pretty sure it does. Anyway, this was an enjoyable weird western. Elven Deputy Berry is willing to do anything, even bend the law she is ostensibly sworn to protect, in order to keep her small town and her chosen family safe. But when a train robbery gone wrong pulls her back into a past she’d rather forget, she must face her demons once and for all. For the most part I really enjoyed this story throughout. There were a couple aspects that I was ehhhh on; for instance, in this setting elves take the place of Native Americans, leading me to wonder why there are no actual Native Americans (there are white and Black humans in this setting, so why not Indigenous?). I also would have liked more fantasy in my fantasy — despite there being elves and dragons and Legally Distinct Tieflings, those things almost feel like window dressing on what could have otherwise been perfectly excellent historical fiction. But No Land for Heroes nevertheless had excellent characters and an excellent plot and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.
Family Matters
Awakening the Gods by Kristin Gleeson
Hard Mode: …it’s complicated
Saoirse’s life has gone downhill since she graduated from university. Unable to hold down a series of dead end jobs, the only times she truly feels alive is when she is playing music at her favorite pub in Dublin. Everything is turned on its head when her father mysteriously passes away, and a woman claiming to be her grandmother offers to let her stay with her in rural Cork. There, she meets a hot blacksmith, and comes to learn that her entire life might have been constructed on lies and that she is, in fact, the reincarnation of the goddess Brigid. Unfortunately, Balor, the ancient enemy of the Irish gods, is also back in the picture, and ready to cause trouble. My favorite aspect of this book was the way it really made the setting come to life. I felt like I was there in Ireland with the characters. The romance was also well done, though I found myself getting frustrated as certain characters get angry at each other for reasons that seem irrational to the reader and aren’t explained. Still, this is a great book for anyone who likes Irish mythology, urban fantasy, and romance.

[I posted this a few minutes ago but it looked like only the diagram came through so reposting]
Problem: It can take > 30 secs to get hot water at most of our taps. Besides being inconvenient (I prefer to wash my hands and to wash dishes in hot water), it wastes a lot of water. It takes about .7 gallons of water to get hot at the kitchen sink.
I'm posting this here for review and critique. Is there anything I'm missing?
I plan to run the pump on a schedule from a smart switch. We'll likely start with 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes and adjust from there.
The house was completely re-plumbed about 10 years ago.
Note the branch in the upper left corner. It goes to a guest bath that branches perpendicular to the rest of the house. I'm not too worried about the hot water there. Will leaving this out of the loop cause any problems?
The ball valves are in case I decide the project isn't helpful and can shut the loop off. We do run hot water to the dishwashers. They apparently do not have internal heaters. What's the best way to insulate the hot water pipes?
I have considered POU units but I don't think it's a good option for me. Not much space left in the breaker box.
Any suggestions or critiques are welcome.
Steve Browning