Hey, everyone!
What's this?
Here's our regular reminder of our rules. We do this to aid new members who perhaps aren't sure how to check for rules yet, just as a general reminder for everyone, and to share any important notes.
Every Subreddit (aka sub or community) has its own rules totally unique to that community. This may seem confusing and frustrating at first, but the rules are there to keep each community on topic, healthy, and a desirable place to be, and they need to be different for different topics; no one wants to be in a sub full of spam or off-topic content for example.
Here's a guide on how to find a subreddits rules.
How to report
If you spot anything you think breaks Reddit's or a community's rules, you can report it. Here's our guide on reporting. :)
---

Important notes

Issues:
If you have issues with this community or mod actions taken against you here, please modmail us to discuss it with us. We are open to constructive feedback.
Again we ask that should you see anything slip our net, please do report it to help us get to it faster. Thanks to those that are helping out by reporting things already :)
---

Our rules

Our own rules can be found:

• In our sidebar on the right on desktop
• Under 'community info' or 'see more' on mobile
  • Both of those display a shortened version of the full rules as written here

The rules are as follows (shortened for this post):

1. Be kind, decent, polite, & respectful. SFW content only. Tag post NSFW if profile is 18+.
   1. This community is a safe space for everyone. All users must follow the content policy If your profile is NSFW/18+, tag your post as NSFW if you know how.
2. Only post once per 72hrs
   1. If you already have a post and have further questions, please add them as replies to your post
3. Refrain from asking for votes or karma, naming free karma subs, or sharing how you are voting
   1. We discourage use of subs offering free karma as participation in them may lead to bans. You may ask about karma & earning it genuinely. Please read our karma guide for more information.
4. Use the weekly threads for subreddit recommendations & chat
   1. If you are seeking sub recommendations please ask in the weekly Subreddit Sunday thread. General chat or introductions belong in our Tuesday Lounge posts.
5. Refrain from sharing specific community requirements
   1. Do not disclose community minimum account age or karma requirements.
6. Be as accurate and understanding as you can
   1. Please strive to ensure the information you are providing is correct to the best of your knowledge and tailored for new or inexperienced redditors. Do not mislead others or lead them into potentially uncomfortable situations without clear warning.
7. Be considerate in negative situations
   1. If your post is about a negative interaction, only explain the situation objectively & ask your question without names of communities, users, or mods. The NToR mods will message if we require more information to help.
8. Promotions should be shared elsewhere
   1. No unapproved adverts or promotion at all. If your community has low to no karma and account age requirements, we invite you to modmail us for consideration to be offered a place on our new-user friendly subreddit list.
9. Share rants, venting, complaints, political, or agenda-driven content elsewhere please
   1. NewtoReddit's purpose is helping people navigate Reddit. No inflammatory or loaded language & questions or complaints. Rants and debates belong to subreddits dedicated to those discussions/topics.
10. Be on topic; ask for assistance using Reddit or assist others
    1. Ask for help using Reddit, almost anything else will be off-topic (excludes our weekly chat thread).
    2. Provide sincere assistance, and not fan upset.
11. Please avoid using Large Language Models here
    1. Answers produced this way are not accurate and may use old data.
    2. We value answers from your own experience, in your own words, tailored for OP, and the more welcoming, friendly, and authentic tone you will have over LLMs.
    3. An example of using LLMs is using ChatGPT.

---
If you have any questions on these, please let us know in the comments below.

Would it be illegal once I sign a lease and then having my partner move in with me without her signing the lease too?.. She has no credit score to be accepted to any apartments but has 50k salary. I think there is apartment owners who dont care about the credit score? Please let me know if anything ): Im new to moving out. My credit score is 780+ but I only make 34k yearly . (They say we have to make 3x the rent which Im too slow to understand) .. I wonder if I will be accepted to any apartment even though I will have a lot saved in my checkings account that I know I can pay monthly.

Where to begin, I really this year to be a year I become something for myself so I wanted to go back and finish off my studying, only problem is that I live in a different country to where I am a citizen in so I tried to apply for a citizenship but when I was applying for it I didn't have the required proof that I was currently staying at the country I am living now so I was kinda devastated that I wouldn't be able to get my citizenship on time before university started. Because of that mental health got worse, I was getting depressed, I was jobless and it felt like no matter what I tried to make things better for myself and wanting to go somewhere with my artwork, nothing good happened, I just got so overwhelmed with everything that I became really tired of just doing anything. Then the worse thing for me could happen, my fiance of 4 years broke up with me without any warning, I guess in my own words she said I wasn't doing enough even though I tried to do more where I can, it just wasn't enough. My world just felt like it turned upside down from that point on, before then I would've done anything for her to now knowing her as the person who left me high and dry when I was at a low point without any form of warning, the worst part, she told me that if I tried and sorted myself out that she would consider getting back with me so I did, one of my best friends/ sister in law who witnessed the whole thing told me about a free therapist for under 25s so I went to therapy, sorted my art portfolio out, applied for jobs seeing that freelance art was no longer a viable option, anything to be self sufficient. When she found out I was doing all of this what was her response? "Why didn't you do any of this earlier?" It honestly crushed me when I heard those words from her like no matter what I do, it was never enough.
Now to mention all the other stuff that's been happening during those 4 months after the breakup:
.I applied to all the studios that I wanted to get into, even though I've been told by people and professionals that my art is good, I got rejected from all of them.
. My ex Fiance was still using my bank account, she was putting money in there to buy her own things but didn't even ask me to use my account and there were still subscriptions that were going into my account for stuff she used and I didn't, so I had to cancel my card.
. I am still jobless, even though I've been applying anywhere I am able to that I have experience in, and still had no response from anywhere I applied for.
. I've lost contact with most of my friends, whether it be from me being radio silent after the break up or some of my friends cutting contact with me because my ex got to them first
. A family member passed away
. I found that all of the things I've do or been feeling is because I have autism and that I might have high risk psychosis (I already knew I was austitic for a while now, I don't think I do have hrp, still that's not really something that you wanna find out through a study that you're involved in)
. My birthday recently passed, but I wasn't able to do anything because I was sick and almost all of mine and my ex's friends are on her side and haven't talked to me after the break up
. My ex broke into my place to get her stuff even though she agreed to do it when I'm home, twice.
. My mother, brother and sister in law are helping me wherever they can (brother and sister in law live in the same place as me) and I can't ever thank them enough, but at the same time I always feel like a burden.
. Tried other methods of getting new clients for freelance or find other ways to get into the industry even for something entry level or as a first step into getting in, but nothing was available.
. Applied for the required documents for my citizenship so that maybe I'll have a chance to go to uni next year, got rejected.
It just feels like no matter how much I try to make my life better or turn things around for myself something always have to get in the way and it's becoming too much now, doing art feels like a chore like no matter what I do I still won't get in, I don't feel safe in my own house because my ex has a key and I don't want to talk to her for a while after what she has been doing, I feel useless because it's been 4 months and I haven't been able to get a job, I can't even apologise for how much of a burden I've been to my mother, brother and sister in law, and overall no matter what I do to try and make things right for myself, something is always there to stop it. I wanted 2024 to be the year that I make something for myself, and now it's just become the worst year I've lived through recently. Maybe I deserve it, maybe I don't, either way I'm tired and I want to give up on everything.

Disclaimer: this recipe does require an ice cream maker. I have this one. I got it on Facebook marketplace for like $20.
Also, this isn’t sugar free. Sugar helps to keep the ice cream from freezing into a block. I would not recommend trying to replace the sugar. So it’s not as low calorie as something like Halo Top, but it’s still pretty low cal for a homemade ice cream.
The chocolate tastes like a Wendy’s frosty. 😋
CHOCOLATE:
Makes 6 1/2 cup servings, 121 cals per serving.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 tbs. cocoa powder
2 tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of the milk to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix the third cup of milk with the sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Add the milk/sugacornstarch mixture to the simmering milk. Add the Xanthan gum. Cook for a minute or two longer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Whisk in vanilla. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Churn mixture in your ice cream mixer according to the machine directions.
VANILLA:
6 1/2 cup servings, 112 cals each
1 cup whole milk
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
Same process as chocolate, just without the cocoa powder.
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP:
6 1/2 cup servings, cals depend on how much chocolate you add
1 cup whole milk
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp mint extract
Chocolate chips to taste
Same as other flavors, just add the chocolate chips into the ice cream machine during the last few minutes of churning (obviously the chips will add cals).
Enjoy!

I’ve rented an apartment, and I started being unable to pay rent so I I moved out but I accrued debt before leaving. I was served about 10-15 days prior to leaving with a notice for eviction and rent and a month after I left we had court, and they (apartment complex management) didn’t show up so the case was dismissed. I reach out before and after the court appearance to set up some type of payment plan and never got a response. I found about 15 days after I left (as in turned in my keys) the apartment a new management company took over. Do I still owe them money? Will they be able to file again for eviction? I’m more worried about the eviction being on my record than the debt (which again I have been willing to create a payment plan for)
First missed payment February 1st Gave required 30 day notice on March 15th Served paperwork somewhere between April 1st-10th Left apartment April 15th Management changed April 30th Court date & dismissal May 15th
Also, I live in MS.

I'm interested in creating a local union focused on hospitality workers. I live in a tourist town and a primary part of our economy is tourism that occurs during a very limited window of time in the summer months. This creates a huge demand for seasonal workers, but we live in a very rural county with a low population and we are not located on the path to anywhere. Basically if you aren't coming here for the tourist season, you aren't coming here at all. This leads to a lot of exploited workers, people who are often part of federally protected classes but still vulnerable to predatory employer practices. The season is short, as little as 13 weeks, and even at $20 hour that only comes out to $10,000 a year. That's not enough when rent here is $1,500-$2,000 a month. So the only people who can take these jobs are vulnerable employees; Highschool and College kids on summer break, disabled workers who receive disability payments and need a few more thousand dollars a year to survive, J-1 visa are also common employees here, they're students on break from university in their country and they come here for work. While it may be good money back home, they're still being exploited while they're here.
This over reliance on tourism also leads to a mindset that it needs to be protected, sometimes at an unreasonable cost. This manifests itself as insufficient government oversight and enforcement of safety and health codes. There's only a handful of people in the whole county that enforce codes, and there's thousands of businesses. The county cannot even fill empty positions in it's government services, close to half the positions that are required for a functional government remain unfilled, and the yearly turnover rate for the positions that do hire is about 125%. Ultimately what this leads to is public officials who are susceptible to bribes, and a big issue that I want to fight against.
Specifically, I want to target one employer and use his labor violations as reasons to persuade his employees to join the union. I was previously employed there and was fired for multiple reasons that can be summed up as me complaining about unsafe/illegal workplace practices and reporting them. I reported these violations to multiple local and state agencies who refuse to enforce labor laws or safety codes. Ultimately i made a complaint with the NLRB who brought a charge against my employer for violating me and my coworkers right for concerted workplace activity. So i have the support of the federal government already.
I intend on setting up an information booth about this union on public property near the business. I spoke with local government officials and police about this, and nobody there knows if I need a permit to do it. I told them I will be excercising my federal rights, and a lot of it will be protesting local government corruption, so I believe they cannot legally stop me, and I told them as much. The targeted business operates an underground kitchen that has not been approved or passed any application process. Basically they opened a restaurant 30 years ago, and then 10-15 year ago decided to expand into the basement. But the basement does not and never will meet codes, it's a colonial era building. So they openly bribe the inspector to allow them to operate.
My goal is to entice these employees to form/join a union and use their collective power to walkout until these safety issues are repaired. I've already complained to the officials who are tasked with enforcement and they won't do their job. I've talked to county code enforcement, State labor board, State Fire code enforcement, and my local representative in the state legislature. None of them will help or do their job. I have made complaints to OSHA and the NLRB, both agencies responded and subsequently enforced my workplace rights. But federal rights are limited and I need State and County enforcement. And until they step up and do their job I believe an employee union threatening to walkout in the middle of the limited tourist season is the only way to force the employer to follow the law.

While i think monkey team is a fine addition to the game, golden bloon fucking suck.
​
The problems
First thing, if you back out using the home button the gold bloon just dissapear entirely, i think it's because you can used on rounds where the golden bloon spawn so that you can prepare for it, but like who the hell care, and if i'm playing on impopable and bloons start leaking i have to use a continue because if i back out i'll loose the golden bloon, and this has been a problem for more than 3 years since the entire golden bloon existance, why has there been no fixes yet?
Second thing, it's so repetitive, unlike monkey team where you can try different strategies, there's only a few towers that work with golden bloon, and most of them require very specific setup which mean your choice of towers will be even more niche (you can only use short and medium range tower, and no tower near your glue/ice), i used to go with a 250 glue storm + bloon sabotage for golden bloon because since the ability is global range it let me pop the golden bloon without having to compromise my defenses, but now even that doesn't work anymore due to the slowdown nerf of glue storm, the only real other option that can consistently pop golden bloon and doesn't compromise having you to use specific tower is the pop and awe, which is extremely annoying to saveup for in the early rounds and also if you time the ability even slightly late the golden bloon will get past your defense. So in general, the way that the game want you to pop a golden bloon is to buy the exact same tower to pop the golden bloon and not let you buy global range/long range towers (which let's be real is usually the most fun tower to use)
Third thing, the golden bloon mechanic is just super annoying. Like why does it have to spawn on a random round? I don't think there'd be any issue if it spawn on a specific round like rounds that ends with 5, after all NK is trying to crack down RNG of many towers (which they should, because it's a tower defense game, loosing to rng is not fun at all) yet they still leave the golden bloon RNG to be a thing, there's a huge difference in difficulty if a golden bloon spawn in on round 21 or 29 for example. Same thing with the jumping mechanic, it's just so unpredictable that it makes the golden bloon unfun to play especially on harder maps like advanced or expert (i usually don't like playing on beginner or intermediate since it's too easy but on harder maps it become way too inconsistent).
And lastly, the rewards are just plain garbage. The only reason anyone would do this and keep up with the frustration is just to clear achievements. Like seriously i think it's much more efficient to just ignore golden bloon and play like normal to clear the map faster, and also the golden bloon isn't on all maps so it'll be even rarer for it to be conviniently on a map that you're grinding for
TLDR: Golden bloon doesn't let you back out of the game, is super repetitive and has very few strategies that work (while all of the good strategies being boring), has an overall rng and frustrating mechanic, and the rewards def needs a buff
What i would do to fix it: -Fix the back to home bug/feature, it's just an annoyance and absolutely do not need to be there -Either nerf the jump mechanic or rework it entirely, this mechanic just make it so that it's super annoying to deal with -Add some variety into the golden bloon gameplay, an idea is that every golden bloon game there'll be a special modifier in the golden bloon that get randomly selected every game (for example, the "golden MOAB" modifier, after round 80, the golden bloon will get transformed into the golden MOAB which mean you'll have to change the way you tackle the golden bloon since low tier ice monkey or glue gunner won't work on it anymore. Another modifier is regrow golden bloon that regenerate hp over time but have its invincibility and jump range reduced, which make tower like the glue gunner not as viable while making other fast attacking towers like the supermonkey viable) -Buff the reward, maybe give an extra insta monkey and the more golden bloon you pop, the higher rarity it will be (maybe only up to like tier 4, and a 5% chance to get tier 5 if you pop all golden bloons) -Reduce the RNG in golden bloon by making the spawn range smaller or remove it entirely and make the jump distance a fixed amount

Opening a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Delaware offers several benefits that make it a popular choice for businesses. Here are some of the key advantages:
​

1. **Business-Friendly Legal Environment**:
   - **Well-Established Legal Precedents**: Delaware has a well-developed body of business law and an experienced judiciary that specializes in corporate matters, providing clarity and predictability for businesses.
   - **Court of Chancery**: This specialized court handles corporate disputes and is known for its speed and expertise in resolving business issues.
   

​

1. **Flexibility in Structuring**:
   - **Flexible Operating Agreements**: Delaware allows significant flexibility in structuring the management and operations of an LLC, accommodating various business needs and arrangements.
   - **Member and Manager Roles**: Delaware LLCs can be managed by members or appointed managers, providing options for internal organization.
   

​

1. **Tax Benefits**:
   - **No State Income Tax for Out-of-State Income**: If your LLC does not conduct business in Delaware, it will not be subject to state income tax on income derived from other states.
   - **No Sales Tax**: Delaware does not impose a sales tax, which can reduce the overall tax burden on the business.
   

​

1. **Privacy**:
   - **Anonymity**: Delaware allows the formation of LLCs without disclosing the names of the members or managers in the public records, providing a level of privacy that is attractive to many business owners.
   

​

1. **Ease of Formation and Maintenance**:
   - **Streamlined Formation Process**: Delaware offers a straightforward and efficient process for forming an LLC, often with same-day processing available.
   - **Simple Annual Requirements**: The ongoing compliance requirements, such as filing an annual report and paying a franchise tax, are relatively simple and cost-effective.
   

​

1. **Credibility and Prestige**:
   - **Reputation**: Delaware's reputation as a business-friendly state can lend credibility to your company, which may be beneficial when seeking investors or partners.
   

​

1. **Protection of Personal Assets**:
   - **Limited Liability**: Like all LLCs, a Delaware LLC provides limited liability protection to its members, safeguarding personal assets from business liabilities and debts.
   

​

1. **Series LLC Option**:
   - **Series LLCs**: Delaware allows the formation of Series LLCs, which enable a single LLC to establish multiple series or cells, each with its own assets, liabilities, and members. This can be useful for businesses with multiple ventures or investments.
   

​
These benefits make Delaware an attractive state for forming an LLC, especially for businesses seeking legal predictability, operational flexibility, and favorable tax treatment. However, it's important to consider the specific needs and circumstances of your business, and consulting with a legal or financial advisor is often a good idea when making this decision.

‘Everyone in the world has desires even if someone deny of this fact’
If someone denies that they are desirous then the person would be loveless, dead from inside, and has kept his desires suppressed. The other possibility is that the person has attained joy, and its sign is a loving person, but the probability of this is very low.
“Desires are inside everybody, and behind all desires is the wish to ultimately attain satisfaction”
Like, suppose you like candy so much that whenever you see that candy even in someone’s mouth, you just want to take that candy out of that person’s mouth and then eat it.
The maximum number of candies you’ve ever eaten together in the mouth is two. Now if I fill your mouth with ten candies, then what will happen is that the wish to eat candy will vanish completely. Then the next time you see that candy, the body will crave it, but you will not be interested in eating it.
Internally, the wish to eat the candy is dead as you have seen that even after eating so many candies, you are unable to get satisfied and all this happens inside you without even you knowing about it. This is like a practical which you can try yourself by trying to eat your favorite food more than how much you usually eat.
What happens inside you when you see a candy is that bodily cravings start to come. Now like everyone, you too are chasing satisfaction. The cravings give you an illusion that the candy can make you satisfied but after you’ve eaten like ten candies, then you will understand that it cannot provide you satisfaction but just taste.
Next time when you see the candy, the attraction will be gone and just the cravings will be left. But still, you will eat the candy and give it another try as indeed gives satisfaction only for a few moments, but we want everlasting satisfaction. This explanation is not limited to candy but applies to all bodily pleasures like sex and food.
Sleep too is the state of satisfaction and that’s why people like to sleep so much more than most of other activities of life. Whatever activities a common man does is unable to reduce his dissatisfaction and suffering in life. And so, sleep is a slightly better substitute for those works as dissatisfaction is absent.
But the twist here is that joy or the hope of joy is always the reason why you choose pleasure or any indulging activity like playing guitar or oversleeping even when your body is desperately telling you to sleep. Joy is the only reason why you were selfless at any point in your life.
Humans cannot get the satisfaction that even animals have whose bodily needs are fulfilled. But humans can achieve something even higher than satisfaction which is joy, but it requires your will and effort.
Joy is the satisfaction with our current state despite being in pain and agony as well as having unending love and care for every living being. You can learn more about joy in the article ‘Ending the Life’s Agony with Joy’.

Would a 2 months advance rent be required up front for a husband with a 650 credit score and wife with a credit score of 690? Wife makes income 3x.

Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
When Kayla awoke, she found herself curled up on a couch in the Banshee’s infirmary. In the nearest bed, Thandi appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Across from her, Yak was hooked up to several scary looking tubes, but her vitals looked stable. Most of the rest of the beds were also filled. Another successful Valkyrie operation, Kayla thought, bitterly.
She didn’t remember the trip back from the planet. She did remember being told that nobody had found any sign of Rayker, and that memory kindled a little of the rage that never burned out. They had been through a nightmare for nothing.
“I wondered how long you would be asleep,” a voice said.
Kayla turned to see Christie sat on the end of her couch. Her friend seemed to be weighed down by sadness as she put aside the tablet she was typing on and smiled back at her.
“Wha— uh…” Kayla managed, as her stiff tongue flapped helplessly. She yawned and stretched.
“Twenty-three wounded in total,” Christie said. “Thandi will walk again in a week. Yak’s going to be in a coma for the next month. Fortunately, nothing struck her vital organs. And, by the way, one of the Raider squads was also involved in a friendly fire incident.”
Kayla focused on her, then looked away. “Jesus,” she said to herself. “God dammit.”
“Thandi wouldn’t like that,” Christie scolded. “Heathen.”
Kayla stood up and began to pace slowly as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t believe I—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Christie said, “because you’ve been asleep for about ten hours. In the interim, I was able to speak with several Rangers about what happened. It was not your fault. Not entirely.”
Kayla shook her head. “Yes, it was. Oh, God, yes it was. I should have seen them, I should have had a stronger optic, I should have—”
“Corporal Rudaski misread her map. So did the leader of second squad. You were both actually in hall hotel-four. The base was constructed in a circular pattern of radially linked zones, orbiting a central facility. It’s a highly abstract layout that we have never seen before. Most Ranger battalions have spent the last several centuries clearing logical, grid-like layouts in ships and bunkers. Under fire, it is easy to see how confusion caused units to lose track of their positions as they advanced. Most of the platoons did, actually, at one point or another. And, in my opinion, we did not have anything like the troop numbers needed to comfortably secure that site. A consequence, no doubt, of Valkyrie’s failure to prepare and train for large scale deployments, for which there has been no requirement in at least a millennia, so they tell me.”
Kayla turned to her with a puzzled expression. “You figured all that out already?”
“I’m drafting a report on the matter. I can’t sleep, you see, because the flaws of this operation stem entirely from the task force’s desire to follow Rayker until she discovered the tracker. We found it in the central command chamber. It was sealed in a wrapping of fat and muscle tissue, which she obviously cut out of herself hours before the tamper alarm sensed the toxins of cell decay. She left it there for us to find. To taunt us, no doubt.”
Christie yawned deeply, stood up and brushed her sweater off. “Do you see, Kayla, that the intelligence team were making decisions based off of my actions on Ambrosia, when I planted that device?” She smiled bitterly. “And I had the arrogance to think I was outwitting the woman. So, in a way, it’s my fault.”
Kayla swallowed and slowly shook her head. Then she grabbed her friend and held her in a tight hug. “War sucks,” she said. “Everything about it is awful.”
“I agree. Nevertheless, we are drawn to it, like moths to a flame perhaps?”
Kayla released her and collapsed into the couch. “When I slept, I had a dream. I was in Plato’s cave, but I got free. Outside there was a dragon, burning everything in sight. The world was covered in ash, and the puppets casting shadows were dead bodies,” She wiped moisture out of her eye. “He said, ‘come out and play, little girl’.”
Christie nodded. “We were lucky nobody was killed today. Rayker will certainly cost us more blood before we manage to catch her. She could have set up a much stronger defense than a battalion of light combat drones, but she didn’t.”
Kayla reached into her pocket and found her necklace. She placed it over her head and ran a thumb over the engraved name.
She looked back at Christie. “Why not?”
“The freighter the Sirène caught was carrying several large combat walkers, produced by that plant. A deep space survey revealed that a second freighter had jumped away earlier. No doubt Rayker’s escape—she seems to have plotted a course opposite the star from where we stopped at the minefield. There seems to be no question that she had the main force of those machines with her.”
“Any idea where they went?”
Christie turned away to retrieve her tablet. “Not yet, unfortunately.”
“May the saints have mercy,” said a voice, “if a shot up woman cannot get a wink of sleep with all the talking in here.”
Kayla whirled around to see Thandi, sitting up in her bed. She darted over and grabbed her into a bearhug.
“I’m really sorry I got you shot,” she said.
“Yeah,” Thandi said looking pleased with herself. “And to apologize, you’ll be fetching me chocolate cake from the mess until I get out of here.” She lowered her voice. “Seriously though, Kayla, I need you. The food is terrible.”
Kayla chuckled. “You can count on me.”
“How are you feeling, wonder woman?”
“Oh, uh… not that wonderful to be honest.”
“Leaping tall structures in a single bound?” Thandi grinned admiringly at her. “You had a bit of a superhero moment.”
Kayla raised her eyebrows. “I tore half the muscles in my body. It was definitely not awesome.”
“Sure looked like it. I don’t even know how you do stuff like that. The Lord moved you.”
Christie cleared her throat and gave Thandi a significant look.
Thandi rolled her eyes. “It’s a compliment—I’m not diminishing what you did.”
Kayla returned her cheerful gaze with a flat expression. She had felt like everyone she cared about was about to die. Like her soul had been lit on fire, and the only way to put it out had been to move like a lightning bolt. It was not something she ever wanted to experience again.
“I was on probation for the incident on Ambrosia,” she reminded Thandi. “I will definitely be dropped back to private from now on.”
“Oh,” Thandi’s sparkling eyes darkened. “Well, that sucks. I hope they don’t. You straight up saved us all from an ambush at the start of that firefight. And the illume drone—you made lots of good calls down there.”
Kayla shook her head. “I shouldn’t be a team leader. I keep losing control. I can’t let… I don’t respond well when any of you are in danger.”
Thandi grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. “What happens to us is not up to you, my dear. It’s in God’s hands alone.”
Kayla didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure if she could accept that.
“How’s the pain?” Christie asked.
“Oh,” Thandi said and waved her hand. “Nothing too severe. I think of how Rose would be responding, and I know I can handle anything.”
Christie nodded silently.
“She speaks to me, in my dreams. She tells me how proud she is of us.” Thandi glanced at Kayla. “She says you are a true leader.”
Kayla turned away, unable to keep her eyes from tearing up.
“Will you be up in time for the merger?” Christie asked.
“On crutches maybe,” Thandi said. “But I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t imagine anything more glorious.”
“What’s that?” Kayla asked before slowly turning back.
“The Banshee is returning to Tyr,” Christie explained. “On the way back, we have been tasked with collecting a probe that was observing a binary star merger. We will have the opportunity to observe the event live.”
“Whatever,” Kayla said with an eye roll. She was a little offended that their task force had been assigned a science project after what had happened. “Nerd stuff, right?”
Christie laughed, and met Thandi’s eyes with a smirk. “If you say so.”
Thandi shifted against her pillows. “How is the mood of the ship?” she said to Christie. “Are people still angry?”
“What do you mean?” Kayla cut in.
Thandi glanced back and forth between them. “You didn’t tell her?”
Christie waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, but with all that’s happening I didn’t think it pertinent. Why add to our already substantial burdens?”
“What’s going on?” Kayla demanded, and felt her hair stand on end.
Christie smiled tightly. “ODT Four seized the freighter and searched it thoroughly. No evidence of Rayker, as I said.”
“Yeah? And?”
“Well, they found a false compartment in one of the holds. And there were a pair of young teenagers inside. A boy and a girl.”
“In rags, and chained up,” Thandi added.
Kayla realized her jaw had clenched. She felt her skin crawl with a new kind of horror. “Oh my God,” she said, then glanced at Thandi. “Sorry.”
“In this case you get a dispensation.”
“Obviously,” Christie continued, “the pour souls will be returned to their families. A terrible situation.”
Kayla’s mind buzzed with questions. “What is—uh… where was it from? The ship?”
“Intaba,” Thandi said sullenly. “A VennZech registered vessel. Justice cannot come swiftly enough for the demon scum who perpetrated this evil on my homeworld…” she frowned as she lost her words, and clenched her fists together.
“Do you think Valkyrie will start interdicting their ships?” Kayla asked.
“No,” Christie said. “Hence the angry mood. It is a problem the organization has faced since humanity took to the stars. The chieftains have resolutely refused to address it. Our mission statement is to protect humanity, not interfere with their conduct. Frankly I have to agree with them, though I appear to be in the minority.”
Kayla stared at her incredulously. “But that’s bullshit,” she said. “How can you be okay with letting something like that go?”
Christie arched an eyebrow. “A secret army of super soldiers, with access to civilization destroying technology, and who answer—as far as we know—to nobody but themselves? The very thought of interfering gives me an existential crisis. However tragic the situation, it seems obvious that we must maintain our distance.”
Kayla shook her head. She already felt hot anger driving her to act. How could such monsters be allowed to walk freely in a just galaxy?
“All that it takes for evil to succeed—” Thandi began.
“Please can we not continue this conversation?” Christie snapped. “I’ve had enough of being insulted by some of my colleagues. I don’t want it from my friends too.”
Kayla exchanged looks with Thandi, but she owed her best friend the space she wanted.
“I promise, I won’t bring it up again, Chris,” she said.
***
Kayla ate in the ship’s mess then returned to her bunk, where the rest of the squad were waiting. They were talking in somber tones, but fell silent when she approached.
Kes stood up and beckoned to her. “Platoon ready room, this way.”
Once shut away in privacy, Kes sat her down and they retraced every event that had occurred inside the base. Every decision was picked apart minutely, with no judgement or grievance allowed.
“I needed us to go through this as soon as possible,” she explained. “This will sit with you for the rest of your life. We all made mistakes, but nobody should feel incriminated. I have been through five blue on blue incidents. This shit just happens, and I guarantee it will happen to you again in the future.”
Kayla felt a little relief as she spoke with her squad leader and found that she was neither alone, nor justified in hating herself. They had been moving quickly through a confusing environment, making a deadly situation much more likely.
“One last thing, though,” Kes added somberly. “Private Voigt from second squad fired the burst that hit Yak and Thandi. She is being removed from the battalion. By her own account, she returned Yak’s fire without any kind of communication with her team leader, or any attempt to check the position of friendlies. That was a major SOP violation when she knew they were expecting to move in our direction.”
Kayla absorbed this with shock. She couldn’t argue with it; after all, what good was a Ranger who couldn’t do her job? And didn’t that mean that the same punishment should apply to her?
She cleared her throat. Terror gnawed at her insides as Kes stared at her expectantly.
“I lost control again,” Kayla said.
“Yup,” Kes said, and rubbed her eyes with obvious frustration. “And this time, your actions swiftly ended a dangerous firefight following a terrible accident. Yak got immediate medical attention because of that. On the other hand, you put yourself in a position to be killed or wounded where no-one could help you.”
There was a long pause while the corporal appeared to search a distant horizon. “You don’t need a lecture, and Akane can’t make a decision on you. Yak was my next choice for Lance Corporal, but she’s out of action, along with a bunch of others. Together with this Rayker shitshow, it is not the time to be shuffling people around.”
Kayla’s brow furrowed “What about Ray?”
“Oh,” Kes ran a hand through her hair. “Every time I’ve offered it, she’s refused. Anyway, we’ve already been told by Captain Aguilar to expect a new private out of Ranger school once we return to Tyr.”
“Yes, Corporal,” Kayla said, unsure what to think about the decision.
“I’ve seen you make good decisions in the field. But I will push to replace you when the opportunity comes up again.” Kes narrowed her eyes. “Unless you can show me I’m wrong before that happens.”
Kayla left the room with her head spinning. She was keeping her job, even though she obviously didn’t have what it took to lead Rangers in combat.
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

Hi everyone, I'm Jose, a System Architect, and I recently developed a product to address an issue I encountered with my Airbnb, and I'm curious if any of you would find it useful.
TDLR: I built a solution to communicate with smart devices to make your property self check-in, and I wonder if it would be helpful to you as I consider making it public. Here is the system worflow/diagram https://ibb.co/HPmtvqN
From now on, you can continue reading to find out more about it, or jump to the end and take a look at the product's screenshots.
Problem Statement:
Managing key exchanges and collecting guest IDs for security purposes can be inconvenient for Airbnb hosts. This process typically requires physical presence and coordination, which is not always feasible.
Issues Addressed:
Key Delivery Hassles: Hosts do not need to meet guests in person to hand over keys.
ID Collection: Simplifies collecting guest IDs with building administrators.
Communication Overhead: Reduces the need for multiple messages and calls to manage check-ins and ID collection.
Proposed Solution:
A self check-in website that allows guests to input their government ID information and check themselves in. They are then redirected to a page containing check-in instructions and a button to remotely open the gate. In my case, a smart relay installed in the apartment's intercom to release the main building's gate.
Benefits for Hosts:
Efficiency: Eliminates the need for face-to-face key exchanges.
Security: Ensures proper identification and verification of guests through check-in.
Convenience: Reduces the amount of manual coordination required to collect data and deliver keys.
Improved Airbnb Ranking: Properties with self check-in options are often favored in Airbnb search results.
How It Works:
Guest Reservation: Guest makes a reservation.
Automated Message: Guest receives an automated message requesting them to check in on the website (e.g. airbnbuilding.com/reservation?code={RESERVATION_CODE}).
Guest Check-In: Guest completes the check-in process by submitting their government ID information.
Host Notification: Host receives a confirmation of the check-in along with the guest's ID.
Gate Access: Guest is provided with instructions and a button to open the gate remotely, using a smart relay installed in the property's (inexpensive device - around $10) intercom, gate, door, etc. This is customizable and can be integrated with many smart devices.
What this is NOT:
It's not a PMS - Property Management System. In fact, I still use my PMS for the management of properties, bookings, price, calendar, etc, and I use my own solution for smart device integrations and self check-in
Screenshots:
System diagram/workflow: https://ibb.co/HPmtvqN
Check-in page: https://ibb.co/QYr2tw9
Check-in instruction/open gate: https://ibb.co/P1dMZ7b
--
Would such a solution enable you to overcome the challenges of delivering keys, managing government IDs, and enabling self check-in for your property? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated as I consider making this solution public.

Long story short, I have a lot of allergies. Like, a LOT of allergies. Medically I think my cat allergy qualifies as low to moderate, but I’m not sure if I react only to Fel D1, or if with my luck, it’s other cat proteins as well.
A few years ago I was also diagnosed as having a mast cell disorder, which means I can develop new allergies relatively easily and will sometimes react to things that I’m not allergic to as if I were actually allergic. Thankfully, I have a relatively mild case compared to many others, and with medication can live and eat relatively normally, although there’s a lot of foods I have to avoid and still occasionally have bad flares.
I have wanted a pet all my life. We had a family dog when I was younger, and I developed cat and dog allergies during the time that we had her (actual trigger I believe was puberty, not the dog)
As an established adult who is now living on my own, I really want to be able to have a furry friend, particularly a cat because I think it would be a better choice for my living situation.
I’ve spent years assuming I will never be able to live with any kind of furry/cuddly pet (rodents are okay but I’m often allergic to either their food or bedding fml) so was over the moon to learn about Siberians and would be thrilled to get one, but the more research I do, the more nervous I become that it is a bad idea. But I’m also a very anxious person, so I may be overthinking it. I’m hoping the fine folks of Reddit can speak sense to me whether it’s a yes or no. Some quick facts:

• I’ve never owned a cat (dad is more allergic than me so we didn’t have one growing up and I’ve never had the budget for it until more recent years) but have been doing a ton of reading about it
  
• I live alone in a ~700 sq ft 1 br apartment
  
• I work from home part of the week and am in the office the other days, am home most weekends
  
• I can be around friends’ (non-Siberian) cats with little issues so long as I’m on my antihistamines, of which I take a crazy amount per day, but if while playing with the kitties I get scratched, it leaves welts, sometimes I get very mild asthma symptoms. I’m a little nervous about how I’d react being around them for 24/7 though
  
• right now, realistically I can only afford 1 cat, both due to up front costs of the breed and regular living costs, but I’ve heard a lot about single kitten syndrome and am worried about giving a single kitten a good life, and the possibility of it developing behavior problems because of not having another cat.
  

Honestly I’ve wanted a pet for so long if I do end up buying a Sib, I’m going to spoil the hell out of that thing, but am unsure if it’s a wise decision given my health and the fact that it would be a single cat.
Also I have a regular check in with my allergist on Monday and am going to discuss the topic. I need to ask for a few new tests anyway, and may ask to add in horse, rabbit, and egg since I know those can cross react (I have no reason to think I’m allergic to any of these, eggs especially I eat with relative frequency). If anyone has any suggestions for other questions to ask, I’m all ears.
If you’ve read this far, thank you!

Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
When Kayla awoke, she found herself curled up on a couch in the Banshee’s infirmary. In the nearest bed, Thandi appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Across from her, Yak was hooked up to several scary looking tubes, but her vitals looked stable. Most of the rest of the beds were also filled. Another successful Valkyrie operation, Kayla thought, bitterly.
She didn’t remember the trip back from the planet. She did remember being told that nobody had found any sign of Rayker, and that memory kindled a little of the rage that never burned out. They had been through a nightmare for nothing.
“I wondered how long you would be asleep,” a voice said.
Kayla turned to see Christie sat on the end of her couch. Her friend seemed to be weighed down by sadness as she put aside the tablet she was typing on and smiled back at her.
“Wha— uh…” Kayla managed, as her stiff tongue flapped helplessly. She yawned and stretched.
“Twenty-three wounded in total,” Christie said. “Thandi will walk again in a week. Yak’s going to be in a coma for the next month. Fortunately, nothing struck her vital organs. And, by the way, one of the Raider squads was also involved in a friendly fire incident.”
Kayla focused on her, then looked away. “Jesus,” she said to herself. “God dammit.”
“Thandi wouldn’t like that,” Christie scolded. “Heathen.”
Kayla stood up and began to pace slowly as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t believe I—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Christie said, “because you’ve been asleep for about ten hours. In the interim, I was able to speak with several Rangers about what happened. It was not your fault. Not entirely.”
Kayla shook her head. “Yes, it was. Oh, God, yes it was. I should have seen them, I should have had a stronger optic, I should have—”
“Corporal Rudaski misread her map. So did the leader of second squad. You were both actually in hall hotel-four. The base was constructed in a circular pattern of radially linked zones, orbiting a central facility. It’s a highly abstract layout that we have never seen before. Most Ranger battalions have spent the last several centuries clearing logical, grid-like layouts in ships and bunkers. Under fire, it is easy to see how confusion caused units to lose track of their positions as they advanced. Most of the platoons did, actually, at one point or another. And, in my opinion, we did not have anything like the troop numbers needed to comfortably secure that site. A consequence, no doubt, of Valkyrie’s failure to prepare and train for large scale deployments, for which there has been no requirement in at least a millennia, so they tell me.”
Kayla turned to her with a puzzled expression. “You figured all that out already?”
“I’m drafting a report on the matter. I can’t sleep, you see, because the flaws of this operation stem entirely from the task force’s desire to follow Rayker until she discovered the tracker. We found it in the central command chamber. It was sealed in a wrapping of fat and muscle tissue, which she obviously cut out of herself hours before the tamper alarm sensed the toxins of cell decay. She left it there for us to find. To taunt us, no doubt.”
Christie yawned deeply, stood up and brushed her sweater off. “Do you see, Kayla, that the intelligence team were making decisions based off of my actions on Ambrosia, when I planted that device?” She smiled bitterly. “And I had the arrogance to think I was outwitting the woman. So, in a way, it’s my fault.”
Kayla swallowed and slowly shook her head. Then she grabbed her friend and held her in a tight hug. “War sucks,” she said. “Everything about it is awful.”
“I agree. Nevertheless, we are drawn to it, like moths to a flame perhaps?”
Kayla released her and collapsed into the couch. “When I slept, I had a dream. I was in Plato’s cave, but I got free. Outside there was a dragon, burning everything in sight. The world was covered in ash, and the puppets casting shadows were dead bodies,” She wiped moisture out of her eye. “He said, ‘come out and play, little girl’.”
Christie nodded. “We were lucky nobody was killed today. Rayker will certainly cost us more blood before we manage to catch her. She could have set up a much stronger defense than a battalion of light combat drones, but she didn’t.”
Kayla reached into her pocket and found her necklace. She placed it over her head and ran a thumb over the engraved name.
She looked back at Christie. “Why not?”
“The freighter the Sirène caught was carrying several large combat walkers, produced by that plant. A deep space survey revealed that a second freighter had jumped away earlier. No doubt Rayker’s escape—she seems to have plotted a course opposite the star from where we stopped at the minefield. There seems to be no question that she had the main force of those machines with her.”
“Any idea where they went?”
Christie turned away to retrieve her tablet. “Not yet, unfortunately.”
“May the saints have mercy,” said a voice, “if a shot up woman cannot get a wink of sleep with all the talking in here.”
Kayla whirled around to see Thandi, sitting up in her bed. She darted over and grabbed her into a bearhug.
“I’m really sorry I got you shot,” she said.
“Yeah,” Thandi said looking pleased with herself. “And to apologize, you’ll be fetching me chocolate cake from the mess until I get out of here.” She lowered her voice. “Seriously though, Kayla, I need you. The food is terrible.”
Kayla chuckled. “You can count on me.”
“How are you feeling, wonder woman?”
“Oh, uh… not that wonderful to be honest.”
“Leaping tall structures in a single bound?” Thandi grinned admiringly at her. “You had a bit of a superhero moment.”
Kayla raised her eyebrows. “I tore half the muscles in my body. It was definitely not awesome.”
“Sure looked like it. I don’t even know how you do stuff like that. The Lord moved you.”
Christie cleared her throat and gave Thandi a significant look.
Thandi rolled her eyes. “It’s a compliment—I’m not diminishing what you did.”
Kayla returned her cheerful gaze with a flat expression. She had felt like everyone she cared about was about to die. Like her soul had been lit on fire, and the only way to put it out had been to move like a lightning bolt. It was not something she ever wanted to experience again.
“I was on probation for the incident on Ambrosia,” she reminded Thandi. “I will definitely be dropped back to private from now on.”
“Oh,” Thandi’s sparkling eyes darkened. “Well, that sucks. I hope they don’t. You straight up saved us all from an ambush at the start of that firefight. And the illume drone—you made lots of good calls down there.”
Kayla shook her head. “I shouldn’t be a team leader. I keep losing control. I can’t let… I don’t respond well when any of you are in danger.”
Thandi grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. “What happens to us is not up to you, my dear. It’s in God’s hands alone.”
Kayla didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure if she could accept that.
“How’s the pain?” Christie asked.
“Oh,” Thandi said and waved her hand. “Nothing too severe. I think of how Rose would be responding, and I know I can handle anything.”
Christie nodded silently.
“She speaks to me, in my dreams. She tells me how proud she is of us.” Thandi glanced at Kayla. “She says you are a true leader.”
Kayla turned away, unable to keep her eyes from tearing up.
“Will you be up in time for the merger?” Christie asked.
“On crutches maybe,” Thandi said. “But I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t imagine anything more glorious.”
“What’s that?” Kayla asked before slowly turning back.
“The Banshee is returning to Tyr,” Christie explained. “On the way back, we have been tasked with collecting a probe that was observing a binary star merger. We will have the opportunity to observe the event live.”
“Whatever,” Kayla said with an eye roll. She was a little offended that their task force had been assigned a science project after what had happened. “Nerd stuff, right?”
Christie laughed, and met Thandi’s eyes with a smirk. “If you say so.”
Thandi shifted against her pillows. “How is the mood of the ship?” she said to Christie. “Are people still angry?”
“What do you mean?” Kayla cut in.
Thandi glanced back and forth between them. “You didn’t tell her?”
Christie waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, but with all that’s happening I didn’t think it pertinent. Why add to our already substantial burdens?”
“What’s going on?” Kayla demanded, and felt her hair stand on end.
Christie smiled tightly. “ODT Four seized the freighter and searched it thoroughly. No evidence of Rayker, as I said.”
“Yeah? And?”
“Well, they found a false compartment in one of the holds. And there were a pair of young teenagers inside. A boy and a girl.”
“In rags, and chained up,” Thandi added.
Kayla realized her jaw had clenched. She felt her skin crawl with a new kind of horror. “Oh my God,” she said, then glanced at Thandi. “Sorry.”
“In this case you get a dispensation.”
“Obviously,” Christie continued, “the pour souls will be returned to their families. A terrible situation.”
Kayla’s mind buzzed with questions. “What is—uh… where was it from? The ship?”
“Intaba,” Thandi said sullenly. “A VennZech registered vessel. Justice cannot come swiftly enough for the demon scum who perpetrated this evil on my homeworld…” she frowned as she lost her words, and clenched her fists together.
“Do you think Valkyrie will start interdicting their ships?” Kayla asked.
“No,” Christie said. “Hence the angry mood. It is a problem the organization has faced since humanity took to the stars. The chieftains have resolutely refused to address it. Our mission statement is to protect humanity, not interfere with their conduct. Frankly I have to agree with them, though I appear to be in the minority.”
Kayla stared at her incredulously. “But that’s bullshit,” she said. “How can you be okay with letting something like that go?”
Christie arched an eyebrow. “A secret army of super soldiers, with access to civilization destroying technology, and who answer—as far as we know—to nobody but themselves? The very thought of interfering gives me an existential crisis. However tragic the situation, it seems obvious that we must maintain our distance.”
Kayla shook her head. She already felt hot anger driving her to act. How could such monsters be allowed to walk freely in a just galaxy?
“All that it takes for evil to succeed—” Thandi began.
“Please can we not continue this conversation?” Christie snapped. “I’ve had enough of being insulted by some of my colleagues. I don’t want it from my friends too.”
Kayla exchanged looks with Thandi, but she owed her best friend the space she wanted.
“I promise, I won’t bring it up again, Chris,” she said.
***
Kayla ate in the ship’s mess then returned to her bunk, where the rest of the squad were waiting. They were talking in somber tones, but fell silent when she approached.
Kes stood up and beckoned to her. “Platoon ready room, this way.”
Once shut away in privacy, Kes sat her down and they retraced every event that had occurred inside the base. Every decision was picked apart minutely, with no judgement or grievance allowed.
“I needed us to go through this as soon as possible,” she explained. “This will sit with you for the rest of your life. We all made mistakes, but nobody should feel incriminated. I have been through five blue on blue incidents. This shit just happens, and I guarantee it will happen to you again in the future.”
Kayla felt a little relief as she spoke with her squad leader and found that she was neither alone, nor justified in hating herself. They had been moving quickly through a confusing environment, making a deadly situation much more likely.
“One last thing, though,” Kes added somberly. “Private Voigt from second squad fired the burst that hit Yak and Thandi. She is being removed from the battalion. By her own account, she returned Yak’s fire without any kind of communication with her team leader, or any attempt to check the position of friendlies. That was a major SOP violation when she knew they were expecting to move in our direction.”
Kayla absorbed this with shock. She couldn’t argue with it; after all, what good was a Ranger who couldn’t do her job? And didn’t that mean that the same punishment should apply to her?
She cleared her throat. Terror gnawed at her insides as Kes stared at her expectantly.
“I lost control again,” Kayla said.
“Yup,” Kes said, and rubbed her eyes with obvious frustration. “And this time, your actions swiftly ended a dangerous firefight following a terrible accident. Yak got immediate medical attention because of that. On the other hand, you put yourself in a position to be killed or wounded where no-one could help you.”
There was a long pause while the corporal appeared to search a distant horizon. “You don’t need a lecture, and Akane can’t make a decision on you. Yak was my next choice for Lance Corporal, but she’s out of action, along with a bunch of others. Together with this Rayker shitshow, it is not the time to be shuffling people around.”
Kayla’s brow furrowed “What about Ray?”
“Oh,” Kes ran a hand through her hair. “Every time I’ve offered it, she’s refused. Anyway, we’ve already been told by Captain Aguilar to expect a new private out of Ranger school once we return to Tyr.”
“Yes, Corporal,” Kayla said, unsure what to think about the decision.
“I’ve seen you make good decisions in the field. But I will push to replace you when the opportunity comes up again.” Kes narrowed her eyes. “Unless you can show me I’m wrong before that happens.”
Kayla left the room with her head spinning. She was keeping her job, even though she obviously didn’t have what it took to lead Rangers in combat.
First ¦ Previous ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

In the ever-evolving world of IT, Mohammad Ziadeh stands out as a model professional who embraces lifelong learning. Based in the USA, Mohammad is a seasoned Web Developer and Software Engineer with a particular emphasis on project scoping and stakeholder management. His journey in IT is characterized by a relentless commitment to learning, adapting, and excelling in a fast-paced environment.

A Lifelong Student of IT

Mohammad Ziadeh's dedication to staying ahead in the tech industry is evident in his continuous pursuit of knowledge and skill enhancement. His approach to IT is not just about keeping up with the latest technologies, but mastering them to provide innovative and effective solutions. This commitment to lifelong learning sets him apart, allowing him to tackle complex challenges with a fresh perspective.

Expertise in Project Scoping and Stakeholder Management

One of Mohammad's standout qualities is his ability to define project requirements accurately and manage stakeholder expectations effectively. In an industry where clear communication and precise planning are crucial, Mohammad excels. His strategic thinking and meticulous attention to detail ensure that projects are not only completed successfully but also align with the stakeholders' vision and goals.

Delivering Solutions That Work

Throughout his career, Mohammad has consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver practical and efficient solutions. His technical prowess combined with his problem-solving mindset enables him to create robust web applications and software that meet the needs of users and clients alike. This track record of success is a testament to his expertise and dedication to excellence.

Connect with Mohammad Ziadeh

For those interested in learning more about Mohammad Ziadeh's professional journey and achievements, you can explore his profiles on LinkedIn and about.me. These platforms offer insights into his career, skills, and the various projects that highlight his capabilities.

Conclusion

In a field that demands both technical acumen and effective communication, Mohammad Ziadeh exemplifies what it means to be a lifelong learner and a dedicated professional. His journey is an inspiration to aspiring IT professionals and a powerful reminder of the importance of continuous growth and innovation. Follow his story to see how a commitment to learning and excellence can lead to a successful and impactful career in IT.

I have so far been up all night as I can’t fall asleep for nothing. I have been stressing so much lately and there is nothing that can ease the stress.. on top of the thoughts of what can happen to the baby long term medical wise from all this stress. It’s honestly so much eating away at me and I just don’t know what to do with these thoughts. I am going to just write away everything that’s been eating away at me.. that is why this is going to be very long as it’s been a lot so far… I got off birth control in December as life was going amazing and it was giving me awful migraines as I was rearing my third year being on nexplanon. I knew that there could be a possibility of getting pregnant and honestly with how life was going the thought of potentially getting our boy as we have two girls right now was really exciting me. I have been working from home and recently got a huge raise and things were looking great. A month after getting off the birth control I started feeling weird, that intuition feeling came. Shortly after, my job that I had been with for almost 3 years randomly lays off a lot of employees including me with no notice or anything. I thought it would be a long term job but they eventually grew financial issues. Of course I didn’t want to abort this baby just because my job laid me off. I am a very independent person so of course I would do anything to make sure me and mine are straight. I start back doordashing full time from 9 am to 9 pm and I stay an hour from the nearest city so the stress of wear and tear on my car has always scared me but you gotta do what you gotta do as a parent. Of course they say I’m eligible for unemployment and I’ve tried endless times to file for it and they always denied me due to work searches as I wasn’t applying to the right places when I was applying EVERYWHERE. No matter what I put. Every week would get denied cause of this and the phone number is impossible to reach someone. So I’ve given up on unemployment. We lived off of our tax return plus DoorDashing which I really wanted to save this money. The work search has been so stressful. I got a seasonal job and did amazing at it working up to 18 hours overtime one day but they over hired people so there was way to many people to consider hiring everyone full time so once it ended less then a month of working there that was it. Until I got a call from my dream job which my mom and my bf mom both work there and it pays way higher then what I’ve made on top of providing a hybrid schedule too. I felt it was a stretch applying but my resume looked really good so I went for it. I got an interview with them and the interviewer loved me and said he felt really confident in me and would like to offer me the position. Of course I’m overly excited cause this is my dream job. After filling out the onboarding and going to scheduled onboarding appointments they state there was only one issue stopping my onboarding which was a previous account with them that had restrictions on it that I was not aware of. I trusted the wrong “friends” back in high school 7 YEARS AGO with my personal information not knowing any better and they did fraud with my information and of course it fell back on me. I even paid back every owed penny from the fraud to clear my name to move on from that mistake. They never told me they also proceeded to put restrictions cause of it. So my onboarding was put on hold until I handled the restrictions. Fast forward a month later of struggling making ends meet. We have no more income tax money.. but at least I finally receive a response saying the restrictions would be removed. So finally we receive great news. I let the people know and they proceed to let me know that someone will reach out to me in 5-7 days and it has now surpassed that time frame with no response and I am just so scared that they won’t follow through.. It is now June and I have been struggling to get a full time job since February and I am holding onto the little ounce of hope that this job will follow through like they said… Holding onto that ounce of hope as doordash grew very stressful I decided to pull all of my retirement out from my previous job to put into savings in case we need it for an emergency especially if the car were to go out on us. on top of our apartment lease renewal coming up. We did NOT want to renew the lease because this apartment has treated us HORRIBLY since we moved in. We came from a clean bug free apartment due to the rent randomly increasing twice since we moved in it and moved 30 minutes to be closer to my OLD job and his family. We moved into this apartment because I had a work friend refer it to me saying it was her first apartment and she fell in love with it. Not knowing we were going to get the worst apartment building probably out of the whole complex. Since we moved in we could not look at the apartment until after the lease was signed and given the keys. We moved ONE box into the place and came back days later to move the rest of our stuff. We moved that box and SO MANY roaches scattered from it and we knew instantly we got played and that now all of our things were going to be roach infested now. Fast forward almost a whole year later we have tried endless methods to get rid of them such as boric acid, orthene, endless traps, endless raid bottles, ONTOP of the apartment buildings monthly pest control coming in doing whatever they do and WE STILL HAVE THEM. No matter what we do they are not leaving as I believe even tho we try different methods it won’t matter if everyone else in the building aren’t trying to get rid of them. They are probably being constantly rotated between the other apartments around us so it’s useless. I DO NOT WANT TO BRING MY NEW BORN BABY INTO THIS APARTMENT. On top of all the plugs in the walls has blown in the living room. I let the landlord know about this and they sent there only technician to check it out and they didn’t know what they were doing. They switched the power surge switches on and off and it fixed the plugs but they proceeded to go back out the next day. We haven’t even been there a year and the refrigerator has been tearing up like crazy. The whole bottom of it has ripped off cause apparently the adhesive is so strong when closing and opening that it slowly tore its own frame off. We had to use gorilla glue to glue it back on and it’s so far worked. On top of the rims around the door got so many rips in it. The door holders on the fridge can’t hold anything heavy or else the whole shelf falls off same as the door handles on the freezer so we have to carefully move things around it and put only certain things in those spots or else it’s all going to the floor. The first red flag of the apartment is there are no washer and dryer hook ups and that is honestly the least of our problems with this place.. the bolts on the dish washer are so tiny and unscrewed with time and randomly the whole dish washer completely fell down from being poorly connected to the counter. Whenever you open it to put dishes in you have to hold the racks or else the whole dish washer will fall forward and they will roll out with all the dishes in it. I’m so over this place and we have BEEN ready to move out. So once the 30 days came up I contacted the landlord about the 30 day notice that we were going to move out before the lease renewed. She proceeded to tell me with no emotion that they required a 60 DAY notice in advance prior to our lease end date and that our lease already renewed for another YEAR. She didn’t even try to help us out and did not provide any kind of notice or reminding about the 60 day notice. She just kept repeating that we signed the lease and it is written in the lease. She said if we move out we will be responsible to pay the months rent for each upcoming month until a new tenant moves in and takes over the lease which is very unlikely as they have full control on whether they want to move someone new in or continue to bill us the monthly rent.. So now we are trying to figure out how we are going to work out this New obstacle/road block and I am already halfway through my pregnancy. All of this stress has been eating me alive for the whole beginning of my pregnancy and it ALL came out of the blue. This is not how I pictured being pregnant with my third baby and I feel completely miserable right now. I am struggling doordashing all day just waiting for any kind of good news. We are thinking about ditching this apartment and going to stay with my mom until we find a full time job to afford a new apartment as we just want to start the process of this landlord potentially searching for a new tenant to take this burden off of us. We do not wish to pay two apartment rents as my credit is amazing and I know if they put any of this apartments owed rent when we move out on my collections it will ruin my credit.. we have been growing it for when we are ready to get our first home. So I know not paying it is not an option for me. I’ve just been wishing this ongoing nightmare will finally come to an end and I can finally receive any kind of good news. I was sooo excited about this pregnancy but now I have zero excitement for it as I have been through endless stressing and roadblocks the whole pregnancy so far. I am afraid that this stress and pain will affect the baby long term.. I do not wish to bring this baby into this apartment as I fully wish to be in a new upgraded apartment bug free when the baby comes in October my birthday month.. It’s just super hard holding onto any kind of motivation right now and the pain is slowly eating me up inside.. I just really needed to get all of this off of my chest and hopefully maybe I can finally get some sleep right now. If you read all of this.. thank you for listening and all I can really say is check on your people cause you never know what they could be going through as life can hit so random at times..