Thanks to Patron Member u/Entharo_entho - Here is the wiped out Tweet retrieved
Context - Wiped out from Internet
In March, I got a chance to work with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali right after he made Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Alia Bhatt, playing the titular character in the film, retweeted me.
The headline (in my head) was going to be, ‘The Boy From Kamathipura Goes To Bhansali Mandi.’
Then reality struck in April.
One of my closest friends Sweta called me from the Shivapuri National Park near Kathmandu and put me on speaker. Two other friends Mona and Ayush were listening to the WhatsApp call.
‘How’s it going with Bhansu?’ Sweta asked.
‘We are not working together anymore,’ I said.
‘Whaaaaaaaat?’ the three people shrieked, creating a wavy disturbance in audio frequency.
‘Whyyyyy?’ they cried, collectively anguished.
‘He said he is not feeling the vibes.’
‘What?’
‘Vibes,’ I said aloud, causing a seismic tremor in the audio frequency.
‘What vibes?’ Sweta jibed, ‘Maybe he can’t feel the vibrator.’
Laughter upped the vibes.
First, a little context on how I got that far. Check this, this, this & this.
So my tweets were going viral in February-March.
In the second week of March, a woman DM’d me saying she loves the tweets. I said thank you. She said she works at Bhansali Productions.
Whoopsie Daisy!
I asked if I could be a part of the production. She checked with SLB and team. He said he wants to meet now.
NOW!
How?
I was in Calcutta.
I called an actor friend in Bombay and told him about it.
“They will book your tickets and put you up in 5-star,” he said, “Like Hollywood.”
“This is Bhansaliwood,” I said, “Yahan dhanda hamesha manda hai.”
I flew (on my own expense) and met him.
I was ‘prepared’ by his team for the meeting with His High and Mightiness.
I was told:

Arre, then what do I say?
I sashayed in a brown kurta and white linen trousers. Please see Madhuri Dixit-Nene’s brown ghagra for aesthetic reference I used from my very limited wardrobe of the only kurta I had at the time. By the way, the chorus sings ‘Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje,’ aesthetically referencing you know what, right?
He was lunching with his minions (strictly calling them minions from his pov) when I arrived in his pristine white dining hall in a building called Magnum Opus. Where else should he reside, no? Both his house, and his office (where I was ‘prepared’ earlier) were tastefully done in creamy white.
It was, as I said to my friend later, like walking into a cumulus cloud, or like sitting on his favourite singer Lata Mangeshkar’s lap. Calm, serene and quite surreal. I was inside his snow globe. Violins from a Bach concerto (in my head) were replaced with say Madan Mohan’s doleful rendition of ‘Mai ri main ka se kahoon peedh apne jiya ki.’ (Side effect of writing this on Mother’s Day.)
I look for books when I enter a house for signs of intelligent life. There were lots of lamps and candelabras but where were the stacks of books they were perched on? The aesthetic was high on film set disposable kitsch. I stared into a cumulative void.
The minions were intensely debating Darjeeling momos. What’s that? I spent my childhood there. Never heard of this GI tag!
SLB relished his meal and said, “I want puranpoli today.”
Puranpoli appeared not out of thin air, but a house-help flipping wishes instantly on a griddle on the fifth floor. We were on the first floor. Although the puranpoli is shaped like a flying saucer, it doesn’t fly, perhaps burdened by the weight of excess ghee and crowd-pleasing expectation. It does, however, reach SLB’s plate at the speed of light.
‘Give him some,’ he asked a minion to serve me while I waited on the sofa.
‘I’ve had lunch, thank you,’ I said, trying to behave. The plate arrived. I took a mousy bite to exhibit my failing attempt to transform into a champion minion.
When he came to chat, he noticed the unfinished food and gently reminded me how there were days he went hungry. I should have rolled my eyes for my own lean days.
‘One should not waste food,’ he said.
‘I don’t,’ I said, ‘I was going to parcel it home in a doggy bag.’
Hearing the word doggy, his well-behaved dog came over to inspect me.
He observed me. I petted her perfunctorily. Am a cat person. Stereotypical writer stuff — allergic to undesired petting and attention.
‘So, what have you done?’ he asked, sitting on a sort of empire-style bergere chair. Full marks for faux-ornate.
‘A novel, some writing for a series,’ I said nervously, dismissively.
‘Anything I might have seen?’ he asked.
‘No, not worthwhile.’
‘Are you interested in direction also?’
‘No, am not delusional.’
A moment passed. I might have displayed an errant repartee.
‘I mean, I can only write, or am trying to,’ I said. L’esprit de l’escalier.
He gave me a spiel on writing, how screenplay is an art not many understand, etc, et cetera.
I nodded to make his voice disappear.
‘What are you writing now?’
I showed him the cover of my new book, The Last Courtesan, featuring my mother, on my phone.
‘Oh, this is so fascinating,’ he said.
He spoke rapturously about Calcutta’s great food and colonial architecture when I mentioned growing up in Bowbazar kothas. If you watch any of his interviews now on YouTube you will realise he only speaks in raptures. He’s always explaining things like an impassioned conductor at a dime-store opera. It can exhaust the boorish audience immediately. He spoke about living in the Kamathipura area as a child when I said I had lived there. The mythmaker was interested in exoticising his own legend as an ‘outsider’.
‘But how will you work here if your mother is in Calcutta?’ he said, ‘I am a maa-ka-bhakt.’
Everything is about him or his mother. I have reached that stage too, though only by circumstances unavoidable.
‘Actually it was my mother who asked me to come here. I told her it would only work out if you understand that I will have to vacillate between the two cities initially. Jaise Sanjay ki Leela hai, waise meri Rekha.’
Corny dialogue, but worked. No one calls him by his first name, except perhaps his own mother. He is sir for everyone.
‘If I am speaking to you for so long means I like you,’ he said. ‘Otherwise, I would have asked you to leave long ago.’
Barely five minutes into the conversation, he asked me to return to his office and inform his team that I was going to be a part of his writer’s room.
I went back to his office and read a script. This is the part I cannot mention. His legal team sits in the adjacent room.
I flew to Calcutta and was to return after a week. I had to make arrangements for my mother’s tri-weekly dialysis sessions at a nearby hospital, figure out a tiffin-delivery service for her, find a house help (she sent four nurses scurrying in the past), all of which is a bit of a task in this retrograde city.
Remember the woman who had DM’d me about my tweets? She messaged. She had met SLB after my meeting. He said this about me: ‘What a wonderful find. That boy has so much potential and is talented. Most importantly, he is sensitive.’
I told her I’d get this engraved on my tombstone.
Like how he wants to take Alia Bhatt’s golchakkar in Dholida to his grave.
“It’s a shot that I will take to my grave. If there’s any shot that I want to be played when I breathe my last, it would be Alia doing that shot. It is the best thing I have seen an actor do in a very long, long time.”
I was only emulating the high priest of hyperbole in my tombstone comment. Perhaps I was regressing into a minion.
I had only managed a few tasks for mother when I was back in Bombay. It worried me that the old, frail woman with shaky limbs and slurred speech was trying to be brave to send me to work. I hadn’t worked since the pandemic; she was in and out of hospitals so frequently that I had surrendered the thought of getting another job ever again. Taking care of her was my full-time job.
The first day in his office was to chill in my new, aesthetically pleasing kurta I had shopped for in Gariahat. There was a security camera in every corner that was apparently accessible on his phone. My skin tingled with this information. Chilled. He was at home. Probably watching. That’s a great way to create a myth.
The next day, there were more minions on the lunch table in his first floor apartment. The magically appearing steamy and fragrant sheera was delicious. A minion deemed it the best sheera in the city. I nodded to make that statement evaporate.
A courier boy interrupted for a document signature. SLB flared at a spelling mistake in the document papers.
‘Go wash your face and come back,’ he yelled at the young man.
The minions at the table laughed nervously. I so wished I was wearing a mask to cover my surprise emoji face.
The minions on the table were writers and assistant directors.
‘Dastavez,’ SLB said, ‘would that be correct to use?’
‘Kaaghzaat,’ the minion replied.
‘Kaaghzaat is paper, dastavez is document,’ said the second minion.
‘You always mislead me,’ SLB sternly reprimanded the first minion. ‘Don’t ever do that again.’
Only that minion tried to laugh, offering an apology. He shut the minion down.
My mask, my mask emoji face.
A third minion was sulking in a corner before I arrived for the writing session. This minion had reportedly offered a script suggestion, which he disliked and barked down. I liked this minion the most. Relatable.
A faint noise of a person running or perhaps just a rumbling sound from somewhere outside interrupted the room. He looked up at the ceiling and said, ‘No one lives there. Am certain it is a ghost. I hear running sounds all the time. I have heard sounds of furniture being dragged.’
I wondered if he actually believed in half the things he uttered, or was he just saying it to create enigma about himself. Mythical thoughts certainly kept him preoccupied.
Reality bored him. SLB had nothing good to say about the ‘current plague’ of South Indian films upsetting the Bollywood cartel. He compared them to a circus. He wasn’t kind to the actors he had worked with in his last film. He cracked lame jokes about everyone and everything. The minions laughed and kept him busy. I chuckled a few times to blend in. The mythmaker revelled in his prophesies about the impending doom of charlatans with no aesthetics: just crass, commercial peddlers pimping art. It was all said to amuse and bemuse while he fussed over the yellow shade of fabric from several swatches.
When he left for his music session, the minions bitched him out, and how! All the horror stories I had heard over the years about his moods, behaviour, language and violent temper were true. How else will he create myth about himself as a maestro? The Glomar response. Let the plebs indulge in hearsay. I will neither confirm nor deny. The minions sang effigy songs in happy tunes, if I may stretch this part a bit like his penchant for high camp.
That night, when I went to my actor friend’s house, where I was temporarily staying, I said to him, ‘I don’t think I will last a week there.’
I was rattled by how he spoke to the courier boy and the minions, with no filter. Well, at least it was clear he had no tact, endearing as that might be of a ‘genius’ if one compromises with his erratic behaviour. The CEO of his company does it beautifully and advises to develop a ‘thick hide’ around him. Cows, essentially.
Verve
The words genius, great, master, maverick, were so loosely bandied by his office staff even in his absence that I was tempted to add auteur, if they could spell or pronounce it. They worked in perpetual fear of him turning up at any hour and checking on their tidiness. A minion whined she wasn’t dressed appropriately for his surprise visit. Once, he even cut pay for unscheduled leave, said another minion. A minion narrated a shot he copied from a photographer in Gangubai Kathiawadi. Another minion recounted how he made her cry on shoot by screaming at her for a silly mistake. Minions couldn’t leave the office till his evenings were scheduled. It was a well-paying job so long as they did not have to see ‘chacha’s’ face and only applaud his cinematic sorcery.
His office team would assign me desk-work and warn me not to inform him about it.
‘What am I supposed to say if he asks?’
‘Make up something,’ I was told.
‘Why should I?’
‘You will slowly understand,’ I was told.
His team of assistants would sneak around me. I didn’t know who was reporting what back to him. He would interrogate the management team. They would lash out at me for informing the assistants. The management wanted to control me a certain way because ‘sir’ does not need to know everything. It was quite a guessing game. He had created an ecosystem of complete chaos and loved the hubbub. New people were hired for him to use the ‘new energy’ to rekindle the ‘old energy’ that needed to be reminded it could be snuffed out and replaced. He thrived on confusion because it all boiled down to him to sort out the mess. He was the provider so long as the minions ingratiated and served their grand master.
One time he called me upstairs, what his CEO called the god’s chamber aka the Shahenshah’s durbar: his office on the seventh floor. Walls were lined with giant posters of his films. We minions sat on the fifth floor. I was of course by now a week old in the toady mill. On the seventh floor, production team members, set designer, director assistant, young people sat on the floor, armed with notebooks and laptops, alert and sugar-tongued. He sat on a throne and dictated each one about their duty. A masseur massaged his leg. He asked me what I thought of a script. I said it was lovely. He asked me to elaborate. I said I liked a character’s resolve. He denied it was written. I said that’s my interpretation. A minion promptly backed me.
‘What changes do you suggest?’ he asked.
‘We should sit on it collectively and decide,’ I said.
He mumbled something. My suggestion was dismissed. I was dismissed. I bowed out. A minion whispered to me, ‘We all walk on eggshells around him.’ I had to be a chicken in a coop I suppose.
Another time he dismissed my suggestion for a scene saying, ‘That’s not how art is made.’ I had referenced a scene from Bandit Queen to illustrate my point. Just like his entire oeuvre is homage to a classic. How else does he make his art?
Allow me to illustrate with a frame from his first film Khamoshi: The Musical. The second image is from Pakeezah.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam references Red Beard, Woh 7 Din.
Devdas references Pakeezah more than once.
Black references The Miracle Worker.
Saawariya references Pyaasa, Awaara.
Guzaarish references Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela references Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story.
Bajirao Mastani references Mughal-E-Azam.
Padmaavat references Mirch Masala.
Gangubai Kathiawadi, let’s give him the benefit of doubt is all his own, original artistry.
The American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch once meta quoted the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard when he said:
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.”
SLB believes he takes art and betters it, removing the grubby coat of slime from the sublime, often not concerned with acknowledging the source. He is a master’s master, elevating it to an otherworldly experience, the creator of a mythoverse.
He asked me to rewrite a scene I didn’t agree with. He banged the script folders on the table like a petulant, little child. I watched his posture change into a frump. Tiger Shroff’s ‘Bacchi ho kya,’ dialogue comes to mind.
‘You are talking like those critics who find fault but don’t know how to write. They should write the film,’ he said.
That argument will never make sense to me but since I write movies now and not just about them, I rewrote the scene in half an hour and showed it to him. He found it rubbish.
I was not called to the writer’s room for a week.
His CEO said I should go to his house; hang around him, like the other assistants whose only purpose in life is to feed his ego. We are slaves to his vision, she said. She thought I was a better writer than the team he had assembled. ‘From whatever I read, only three lines of your work on social media, I could sense it,’ she said.
Either she was encouraging, or bluffing with a perfectly Zen face. From the hundreds of Ganesh idols stacked in her room, it was clear she wasn’t a reader. She was good at reading numbers, data, and stats. She would sense a sign if one of the metal idols sucked milk from a spoon on the day she enquired about box –office figures.
There was more than one right-wing hardliner in his office. Secular staff was invisible. A pretty minion in baby pink t-shirt, whose main grouse was that another minion called him a Barbie doll, said he was happy with the Modi government building roads in his home state Bihar. Another minion countered him by asking: What about the persecution of minorities by the same government? The pretty minion said he didn’t care for that. He was assisting ‘sir’ because he wanted to be an actor. Which lead me to wonder how many Muslim actors has this production worked with? Silly of me to think, right? Given that I myself don’t use my Muslim surname. I’ve now successfully planted a myth in your head. That’s how it works.
In the time that I was in Versova during my brief stint at Bhansali Productions, I met several people with their own SLB horror story. A producer said, ‘He is a difficult man but life changes for good after you work with him. Some people want to go through hell first. Life bann jaati hai.’ I didn’t understand why purgatory was necessary. Another former assistant said, ‘When you work with the worst (SLB) and the best (KJO), you are ready for the rest.’
A young woman gave him a thesis she wrote on his films. He asked her to write a book on her. She said she wanted to assist as a director. She never heard from him. A filmmaker said SLB was too friendly with another assistant, suggesting intimacy. A writer wasn’t given credit in a film.
Another writer was promised his script will be turned into a film but it never took off and now he feels his life has been ruined. A young filmmaker’s debut movie SLB produced was delayed, not promoted, and called ‘kachra’ to his face.
The young man said SLB is sexist, homophobe, classist, fat shamer, emotional abuser, and a body shamer. “He is a joyless pit of darkness where happiness goes to die. And those are the nicest words I can think of to describe him,” he said. Another filmmaker said a choreographer was in a relationship with SLB and wanted to marry him but he wouldn’t even touch her, a hotly discussed conversation amongst his minions.
Everything sounds hokum. A successful man is likely to upset a few. The few will talk. Their words may ring true through a gossamer veil of implausibility. Myths magnifying his persona.
There are too many myths about his personal life, aroused by his silence on the subject but all too obvious in his work. When people want to confirm with me, I am equally appalled at their lack of aesthetics. Like the great reader of curtains, Edgar Allan Poe, you only have to look at SLB’s use of billowy curtains in films to guess.

Above stanza, courtesy Poe, poem: The Raven.
Hope you get the drift, or draft, hawa ka jhonka! By the way, am digressing now, is the weirdly named character Sameer Rosselline in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam the first mainstream Hindi film hero to pass wind? The ruffled curtains are first to be cautioned though.
Unlike most people willing to swallow their pride to work with SLB, few like the eponymous Gangubai character choose izzat. The house-help employed in my actor friend’s house was asked to work as a cook in his house. When she heard the whimsy, dessert-craving demands, she declined the offer. I identify with her no-nonsense style.
In November 2021, a filmmaker read a film script I wrote and said, ‘This is SLB territory. Only he can make it. It is the modern love-story he has been wanting to make for a long time.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked, somewhat flattered but also bewildered.
‘Yes, we just have to change the setting from Calcutta-Bombay to Calcutta-New York. It is what he has been trying to crack. I’ll get him to read it.’
I never spoke to SLB about my script. I did not want to look like a schemer. I had only got a chance because of my mother’s story. I had come to write courtesan songs. Hindi films are recognised by their songs. His films have show tunes that live on long after the sequins and mirrors reflect a decadent style. He employs the old-fashioned method of making Hindi films, which is to stitch scenes around a song, not the other way round. And when you glean your references from the best of classical melodies, how can you falter?
My own SLB story is that after watching Saawariya in 2007, I wrote a few songs, moved to Bombay, lived in Versova, close to Magnum Opus, and hoped to meet him, but made no effort even though I came in close contact with people who worked directly with him. I never requested for a meeting. Over the years, I too had heard a few horror stories about him. I only believe in what I see. I waited when he would call for me, my work would have to speak for itself.
A day before Good Friday, his CEO sat me down and said it’s not working out.
There’s a mythical story of how Lata Mangeshkar was on her way to record a song for SLB but the heavens poured and she had to turn her car back. A typical SLB frame of hope and hopelessness.
Never work with your idols. You’ll have a better story to imagine and create myths.
I was so relieved to leave. I hadn’t got a moment to read, or write, let alone think since I got here. Why I wanted to work with SLB was to not believe in hearsay. I will either confirm or deny.
‘Great,’ I said, ‘everyone deserves an off on Good Friday.’
The office was unsure about public holidays. SLB’s mood dictated the calendar.
Before returning to Calcutta, I met a friend entrenched in the film business.
When she heard of the fiasco, she said, ‘I’ve heard he is very anal, is he?’
The vibrator jokes never stop.

I don’t live in the middle of nowhere, but it is about 10 minutes out of town. I live off of a frontage road, so you just turn off the main road and into my driveway. I leave very clear instructions on how to find it. “Red house with the red garage. Driveway is on the south side of the house. Look for the white truck 😊” (a literal copy and paste of my description)
Last night, I was doing some DYI on some furniture and was exhausted and it was already 9:30 pm so i decided to DD. The driver drove down my neighbors driveway on accident. I only knew this because I could hear him holding his horn and letting out one looongg honk as he drove up and down their driveway... at 10pm on a Monday.
He then got back on the main road and down the correct driveway, and sat in his car and blared his horn until I came out of my house and he just rolled down his window and held my order out of his driver window despite me requesting contactless delivery and made me walk to his driver door to collect my food

I've read (here and elsewhere) about the quality of Flexsteel furniture, but everyone only seems to be talking about sofas and other "soft" furniture from them. Can anyone comment on the quality (or lack thereof?) of Flexsteel's wood furniture?
I'm looking for new bedroom furniture and I like some of their designs such as the Ludwig line) but it's unclear whether it is actually solid wood or just veneer over MDF, etc.

Date: 05/21/2024

Reading time: 10 minutes, 2056 words

🪖 Military

Armenia participates in NATO's Regex 2024 headquarters exercise in Moldova

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Armenpress

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ArkaAm

NATO and Armenia strengthen cooperation in defense education

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ArmRadio

Funeral procession of Iranian president Raisi starts in Tabriz

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Armenpress, The National Assembly observes minute of silence for Iranian President and staff lost in helicopter crash

🏛️ Politics & Government

Azerbaijani FM makes phone call to Iran's acting Foreign Minister

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Armenpress

Armenian, Slovenian foreign ministries address security implications of recent developments

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Armenpress

Joint statement adopted at the International Conference on Nuclear Security; Armenia joins

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Armenpress

Alen Simonyan, Ruslan Stefanchuk discuss the security situation in the South Caucasus and Ukraine

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Armenpress, Armenian, Ukrainian Parliament Speakers discuss situation in the South Caucasus and Ukraine

Armenia top security official receives CIA deputy director

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Armenpress

Mirzoyan and Floyd highlight comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty's role in non- proliferation and nuclear disarmament

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Armenpress

Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development to be involved in Armenia’s infrastructure projects

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ArkaAm

Security Council Secretary: Armenia ready to sign peace treaty with Azerbaijan ‘any day’

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ArkaAm

Victory or concessions? Secretary of Security Council comments on delimitation ofborder with Azerbaijan

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ArkaAm

Armenia calls for prohibiting threats of attacks on nuclear facilities

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PanArmenian

Armenian lawyers protest against bill that will increase the cost of their services

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ArkaAm

Funeral procession moves to Qom, Iran

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ArmRadio

💵 Economy

Armenia works on diversification of economy with an eye on Europe - Secretary of the Security Council

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ArkaAm, Armenia is working to diversify its economy with the prospect of exporting to Europe. AX:

Almost 100 taxpayers in Armenia fined 55.25 million drams for unregistered workers

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ArkaAm

Armenia’s GDP grows by 9.2% up to 1.97 trillion AMD

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ArkaAm

Second tranche of loan for development of MSMEs provided to Ardshinbank by EBRD and EU

Ardshinbank signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) for the allocation of the second tranche of financing to re-lending micro, small, and medium businesses. This lending is carried out under the “MSME Competitiveness in the Eastern Partnership (EaP SMEC)” program. The agreement will support MSME investments in sustainable technologies, as well as towards health and safety.

ArkaAm, The EBRD and the EU granted Ardshinbank the second tranche of the loan for the development of SMEs (PHOTO)

Ambassador sees potential for expansion of trade between Armenia and Brazil

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Brazil were established more than 30 years ago. Ambassador Yeganian said that the trade between the two countries amounts to approximately $100 million dollars annually. Brazil is one of the largest economies in the world, and Armenia has seen impressive economic growth.

ArmRadio

Armenia an emerging destination for UK and global investors – Ambassador

Armenia’s Ambassador to UK Varuzhan Nersesyan writes in an article published by London Business Matters. He emphasizes that Armenia in recent years Armenia has made significant progress on enhancing its business environment, creating opportunities and favorable conditions for investment.

ArmRadio

🧪 Science & Technology

Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants

Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province.

PanArmenian

IAEA’s Grossi to visit Kaliningrad May 28 to discuss ZNPP

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi will visit Kaliningrad on May 28 to discuss the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said.

Armenpress

IAEA supports Armenia’s nuclear program – Rafael Grossi

International Atomic Energy Agency supports Armenia’s nuclear program, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi wrote on X. Grossi presented the results of his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan.

Armenpress, Effective cooperation is established between Armenia and IAEA

Tree Planting Results with My Forest Armenia: The Power of One Dram

During March and April 2022, AMD 10.757.867 was directed to the afforestation program of the "My Forest Armenia" NGO, 16,000 trees were planted. Representatives of IDBank and Idram visited Jrashen again to see the newly planted forest.

Armenpress

Mirzoyan: Armenia will extend lifetime of current nuclear power unit with smooth transition tonew capacity by 2036

The Armenian NPP is one of the main sources of electricity in the country, providing up to 40% of the total generation. Its service life has been extended until 2026, and work is underway to re-extend it for another 10 years. The construction of a new plant is estimated to take 8-10 years.

ArkaAm, Armenia has decided to extend the operation period of the NPP until 2036, with the ultimate goal of a smooth transition to the new capacity. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armenia says ready to extend nuclear plant’s lifetime by 10 years

🎭 Culture

ARARAT Special Evening Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of Charles Aznavour

On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. The event took place at the "One & Only" theater within the Seven Visions Hotel. Guests of the event had the chance to reveal the brandy on the course of special tasting.

Armenpress, VTB Armenia general sponsor for Charles Aznavour 100th birthday tribute concert, VTB-Armenia Bank acted as the main sponsor of the concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Charles Aznavour., For you, Charles: Yerevan to host exhibition on Aznavour’s centennial anniversary, ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv.

“Yerevan Ballet Festival” to host theater groups from various countries

The "Yerevan Ballet Festival" will be held on June 2-5 in the park named after Hovhannes Tumanyan. Admission to the outdoor ballet festival is free.

Armenpress

Aznavouriana: Album dedicated to Aznavour’s 100th anniversary released

The album “Aznavouriana” by Deutsche Grammophon is already released and is available since May 17, 2024, just ahead of the artist’s birthday. The album is a collection of exquisite interpretations of globally beloved iconic songs.

ArmRadio

⚽ Sport

Gymnasts left for Bulgaria

Gymnastics team will participate in "World Challenge Cup" to be held in Bulgaria. Artur Davtyan, Artur Avetisyan, Erik Baghdasaryan, and Artur Tovmasyan will represent Armenia in the regular round.

Armenpress

Hayk Martirosyan wins 7th round of Sharjah tournament

Shant Sargsyan, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, Manuel Petrosyan shared the point. Hayk Martirosyan won the 7th round of the Sharjah Masters 2024 international tournament in UAE. The leaders are participants from India and the USA with 5.5 points.

Armenpress

Donations to Armenia:

Himnadram
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This is a crossover fanfiction between original fiction titles: Nature of Predators by SpacePaladin15 and The Last Angel by Proximal Flame respectively. All credit and rights reserved goes to them for making such amazing science fiction settings that I wanted to put this together.
You can read The Last Angel here: Be warned, it's decently long, and at its third installment so far. I highly suggest reading it before reading this, or this story will not make sense.

Otherwise, enjoy the story! Thanks again to u/jesterra54 and u/skais01 for beta and checking of work!
First Prev Next (soon)
Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136
What I was doing was risky.
I kept thinking this, as I prepared to spring the idea I worked on. I had Samantha and Carlos look into acquiring a shuttlecraft, for the purposes of infiltrating Aafa. It took a day and a half longer than the UN's initial start date, but I promised them it was worth it. They believed that, and set to work on getting one through their few Venlil resources in the UN. Now that it was in my hands, I was on a trip to Aafa, alone, with no backup or human handlers to my name. They believed I wasn't a flight risk...a mistake on their part, but in a way, I was still performing their goal.
I was still suspicious of Federation governance, even before the humans took stage on the galactic scene. The Sivkit's refugee crisis turnaway, the Krakotl's military extortionate practice, the Federation was full of shady characters who ought to be exposed. I was even working on a source towards what I thought was frivolous and mismanaged Kolshian military spending budgets, but it was interrupted by the human's arrival, and I had set it to the wayside.
Though, neither of those were supposedly leaked by 'me'. Cilany was the one who put it into proper public eye, even if I was her source...
How I wish I could have her here with me, her sharp skill for coercion and interrogation of valuable info in interrogation and interview alike. But the colony she was on was under siege by the Arxur, who struck while the Federation fleet had gone to Earth. All the more fuel for the fire of my suspicions...
I could only hope that Cilany, and by extension the rest of the people there would hold out despite their actions against the humans. None deserved the Arxur thrust upon them.
It would have been far too risky to try and stop by a planet under siege by the Arxur. I would be, at best, blown to smithereens without hesitation, and at worst...eugh...don't think about it, don't think about it!
Plus, I didn't want to give any human assets an idea on my plans currently. I was already going behind their back on this, betraying their trust on this front.
If my hunch is correct, then the Arxur might be coordinating with them, and by extension, feeding info about Federation homeworlds back in their twisted little game. Seeing me pop up in a report would turn heads.
I'm sorry Humanity, but this is for your own good. You cannot trust the Arxur, and the only way we can prevent your manipulation by their Dominion is through convincing a proper attack on them from the Greater Commonwealth.
But now, I found myself on a course to Aafa, alone, all on my lonesome, seeking to do something akin to Noah, but to the most powerful person in the galaxy one-on-one...Nikonus. I felt my ability to pull rank and my reputation would precede me better than the predatory reception of humanity, even though they didn't deserve it. This was a pragmatic decision, not an emotional one…
The trip was not very eventful, roughly [6 days] one way in a ship with as underpowered of a FTL drive as this, but I was trying to sell an infiltration mission, not a courier one. I wouldn't have my claws on anything top-of-the-line for speed in a shuttle. But as my ship hit disruptor fields in-system, and I got a ping from Gunships asking for classic hailing codes, intent to visit, and the like, I sent a message that likely would have shocked their crew.
"This is Captain Sovlin of Federation Fleet Command. I have escaped human custody, and need to request an audience with Nikonus."
WARNING: Formatting of memory transcription non-standard, conversion may cause loss of data. Do you wish to continue?
[Yes]
Memory transcription subject: Chief Nikonus of the Kolshian Commonwealth
Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136
I walked the outer rungs of the capital gardens, looking for relief to the mounds of bureaucratic paperwork back in-office. A good walk could clear ones mind of most stresses every now and then, and given the circumstances nowadays, I think a longer one is in order.
The Affliaf blooms are quite vibrant today. That's a good omen, for what it's worth...
With the state of the galaxy in a comprehensive deadlock over what to do with humanity, I had to take to some under-the-table talks with Nishtal's military. While the Kolshian Commonwealth was not publically for humanity's invitation into the Federation, they were clearly vocal that they did not wish for the problem to be removed, so to speak. And so, I had to get my tentacles dirty planting seeds of inspiration to some military leaders in and around the Krakotl Alliance. They, thankfully took the predator threat as seriously as they ought to, and mobilized to rid ourselves of the pests.
It should have simply ended there. Humanity should have been exterminated, status quo restored, the whole cropland tilled. But no, a fleet of twenty-thousand failed to even kill a fledgling space-faring species like humanity! Even with the Venlil Space Corps on their side, the battle should have been a wash! And the worst part, was that the true believers on Venlil Prime were giving me garbage intelligence on the matter.
'A ship of unknown origin swooped in and saved humanity? One that was unheard of up to this point'? No, a wad of ectolan spulk, there was no chance it was humanity keeping something in reserve that could even the tide! They likely were feeding false data to their allies, the manipulative little apes. No, humanity being saved stunk of the Dominion's play, and that was worrisome.
Did Giznel and his lackeys go back on our deal, seeing blood in the water? I knew we groomed a deal out of Betterment that'd give them all the wrong ideas...
Needless to say, I had to now figure out where to start on approaching them and confirming our deal was still on the table, and to cease and desist assistance with humanity at once. If they didn't want to play ball anymore, we'd have to consider some Shadow Fleet excursions to pave a path for a public route to invasion. That would change the whole dynamic of the Federation's control structures, and was absolutely not the path this great galactic Commonwealth should go.
So now, I am stuck in a dilemma. Do I assume Giznel and the Dominion are still in on the deal, and haven't made allies with humanity in the backdrop, or do I take the only opportunity we get, and start mounting an offensive while the Dominion's unprepared.
Decisions, decisions...
Not long into my musings, an aide contacted me over holo-prompt. Odd, I didn't have anything scheduled this soon, and central planning proceedings weren't set to start up again until the following day, what was it?...
"Chief Nikonus. There's been a development on the outer edge of the system. Bulwark Patrol states that a shuttlecraft of Venlil-make warped in, one individual alone on scans. They identified itself as Captain Sovlin, seeking refuge from human captivity."
Oh dear. That's not anything I could have expected. The last thing I need right now is more complications...but that wording...
"Why hasn't he been boarded and processed yet? I am hardly the first authority to come to for a asylum dispute."
"He asked for you specifically, your graciousness. Said to request an audience with utmost urgency."
"Is that so?...Hmm." I am currently free of responsibilities for a solid chunk of time. While I did not know Sovlin personally, his record spoke for himself. If he truly was escaping human custody, it was likely he found something out about them that they shared by accident, not knowing he wasn't loyal to them.
If he's come here for the reason I think he might've, there's a very real chance...
"Send him my way as soon as possible then. He's lucky I can spare an audience now."
...that said opportunity has just walked itself right into my garden.
Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136
There was thankfully little fanfare or media attention in bringing my shuttle in. The decision to come alone clearly disarmed their initial worries of human sympathizing or terrorist actions, and soon enough, I found myself amongst an escort of soldiers to Aslou's government district.
I had been to Aafa various times throughout my life. In my tenure as captain, you tend to visit the homeworlds of the larger species at least once in a lifetime, if not several. Most times were not very exciting or noteworthy...but this time, the visit felt downright off.
The gardens were as beautiful as ever, but there were little walking them. The Songbedas were oddly quiet, making an unsettling atmosphere. The population out in the outer and medial rungs of the city split to make way for my escort, as if expecting trouble on their doorstep should they draw attention.
Given what happened with humanity, I wouldn't put it past them. Why is it so...empty?
It was forced to be pushed aside as we finally reached the inner rings of the Capitol Spire. A gleam ran up into the heavens, and a sequence of block outcroppings spun around the structure, green architecture patterns spiraled up and up. It was a beautiful idol of the dedication of megalithic engineering and urban planning of the Kolshian Commonwealth. Under any other circumstances, I would have once felt comfortable walking under its shadow, but now I felt only unease at being in its monolithic shade.
Across from us, not far up the steps leading to the Capitol Spire, was Nikonus and his guards. They were clearly waiting for me. Nikonus looked pleased to see me, somehow. Was there no clear indicator...?
Does he trust my cover?
"Captain Sovlin, your reputation precedes you! I could have sworn you were interred so deep you weren't getting out. Yet, you say you broke out?"
Here goes nothing. Make it believable, Sovlin...
"I...yes, your graciousness. After I was imprisoned on Venlil Prime, the humans kept trying to get me to turn on the Federation. They were convincing, but my loyalties ultimately lie in this government, Chief Nikonus." I put my chest into the last bit of the statement, trying to give emphasis.
He seemed to mull on that for a split second, before he made a gesture to follow him. "We may talk more about your escape inside. I assume what you have meant to say to me is not for public ears?" He glanced about, subtly tilting his head out at the few gathered crowds out and about Aslou's Capitol District. Given how open and flat the area was, with the slightest elevation, you could practically see for [kilometers].
He was right on that. My suspicions would not be for the general public to hear, lest it cause a panic. "Yes. It would not do for the media to run wild with. It could cause unrest."
The Kolshian's eyes seemed to glint at that. "On that, you and I can agree. Come, to my offices." Him and his troop started up the stairs, and I followed soon after, my 'escorts' following closely behind. I could not yet tell whether I was actually in good trust with Chief Nikonus, or whether he was playing up the kindly elder act. Politicians were always shifty like that...
We walked a long way, took several lifts to reach the original Kolshian suites of the Capitol Spire. Passing through halls of elaborate aquatic decor, and indoor habitats, we approached our destination: Chief Nikonus' personal office.
He waved away all but two guards to stand outside the office, as we walked in. As he sat down, and the door closed, the visual look of the Kolshian shifted. His old, elderly demeanor sharpened to a politics-honed edge. The tone of the room felt far more off.
"I hope you know how much your position here is troubling, Sovlin." His voice had none of the kindness it held before. In its place, laid a piercing tone of seriousness. "If I'm anticipating right, you came here with distinctly bad news, given the state of galactic politics and military scuffles. That is...if I can even trust your story at all." He got up from his chair in a way that betrayed none of his age from before, and began to pace.
Or was his earlier light hobbling also just a disarming act?
"I mean really, you mean to tell me you turned yourself in to humanity for 'crimes against sentience', and then go back on your self-inflicted punishment? All so you could come to Aafa to let me know of something I'm already decently certain I know of before you even tell me? Your loyalty in question is a mind game Sovlin. I do not appreciate mind games. You'd best get to your point quickly and succinctly."
There was a chilling quality to that statement. I did not want to see what lied on the end of that thinly veiled threat.
A hitch came to my throat, but I pushed through the discomfort. "I...Chief Nikonus...I do not revoke my feelings about humanity's sentience, but neither do I revoke my faith in the Federation's dream. Despite their predator biology, they are capable of empathy and care for things outside what we'd consider stereotypical predatory behavior. They still deserve a chance at being within the galactic community, of being part of the Federation; no matter what preconceptions are of predators, they are clearly different. But, there's something we distinctly missed about humanity, and I think the Arxur are making an attempt to exploit it."
WARNING: Formatting of memory transcription non-standard, conversion may cause loss of data. Do you wish to continue?
[Yes]
Memory transcription subject: Chief Nikonus of the Kolshian Commonwealth
Date [standardized human time]: October 24, 2136
"You've seen the empathy tests, right?" Sovlin mentioned. Of course I had, it was only the thing that had kept me from having their ambassador Noah shot on the spot, where was he going with this?
"Yes, I have. Are you saying there isn't empathy for them?"
"No, Chief Nikonus. They are just as empathic as before. The problem is in how they use it. If a protective instincts in herbivore's is to block the danger from the person, then a predator's instincts is to remove the danger."
Huh?
"I'm not seeing the problem here, Sovlin. Aggression versus protection is a choice all sentients can make, even if one is uncouth for most herbivores to make."
But my rebuttal didn't shake his look any. No, there was mortification interwoven throughout it still.
"Follow with me here, still. The human's empathic desires to latch onto anything as a companion is an odd case, but a documented one. They are looking for friends among the cosmos, and given the first thing they found was the Venlil, they took to them immediately. When they found the Federation, they too attempted to befriend us. And over the Cradle, despite our best efforts to dissuade them, they were curious of the Arxur too. I would know, I was there."
Hmm, so the humans have been making some attempt at contacting The Dominion. Given their Prophet's Word, and their temperament for predators, they likely would act receptive if given some chance. More fuel to the fire...
I motioned him on further. "They...interrogated a Arxur above the cradle. They told them of how Federation first contact went; how the Arxur were starved by the Federation releasing a bioweapon, and how it lead them into conflict during the uplift."
I walked over to my desk, and sat down. My tentacle hovered over a concealed sidearm underneath the lip, just in case. "And...did you believe what that Arxur said was true, Sovlin?..."
Sovlin sighed in denial. "No, your graciousness...but I'm afraid...the humans do." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he talked. "The Arxur have picked up on a weakness we didn't see, Chief Nikonus. Likely due to them being predators themselves. They know humanity is a pack predator, so they're seeking to manipulate the humans onto their side using their empathy."
I brought my tentacles away from the gun while I considered, because this was only meaning one thing.
Those bastards ARE going back on the deal! Sovlin, your loyalty has just saved me a world of hurt...
But before I could get a word in edgewise, he continued. "They are using the empathy the humans latch on with to some effect. Given the choice between a galaxy that shuns and tries to kill their species, and a fellow predator lending a claw in the interim, why would they pick anything but the Arxur? Why wouldn't they pick self-preservation?"
Sovlin looked at me with a worried face. I shared in the worry too, the long-term survival of the Federation was unraveling from the worst case scenario. "The humans might be coaxed into cruelty as bad as the Arxur because of that. We missed how their empathy was their bloodlust. And now the Arxur are here to collect on our mistakes."
This is bad. While we had some agreement beforehand with the Dominion, the human's existence on the galactic stage changes the game. The Dominion would look to seek true control of everything, rather than just playing even with us. The [Prisoner's Dilemma] is broken.
...But there is still a solution. And Sovlin proved himself loyal enough to help with it.
I turned back to him, trying to assuage his worries. "Sovlin, while this is very bad news, there is a solution that the galaxy isn't considering here."
Sovlin piped up. "Yes. We'd need to form an intense first strike on Wriss itself, to devastate the head of their government, and collapse their attempts to indoctrinate humanity. Humanity might protest, but it would be for their own good that the Arxur fails to get their claws on them. From there, we can try to reestablish friendly connections, even as strained and painful as they are..."
Oh, you poor naive fool Sovlin. Don't worry, there is a better way.
I enabled a soundproofing field interladen in the walls of my office, for what came next was sensitive. "Not...quite Captain Sovlin, a good plan, and one that will be considered soon. But...what if I told you, there was a way to remove that fellow predator’ link?..."
First Prev Next (soon)

Hello, everyone! I just started playing Symphony of the Night, and it's one of the first gamer-games, and one of the first retro games I'm playing ever [I literally just downloaded my emulator today haha] and I keep getting stuck at the prologue. I collect the hearts by smashing the furniture prior to meeting Dracula and I still can't trigger the hydrostorm. I did it accidentally once, and then moved on as Alucard, but then died without saving beforehand. I cannot for the life of me remember what exactly I did and clicked to get past Drac and now I'm just perpetually fighting him, and I'm finding it very difficult. Can someone help me out, please? Thanks!

TL;DR: Naively placed an order at scammy furniture store. Should I wait until the due date or lose 20% of the refund?
Okay, where to begin. I was (still am at this point) in need of a new sofa with a limited budget for a while. On last Saturday I did some digging in this sub, many were obviously out of my league, then found a couple of mentions of Johnny's Furniture. Turned out that I was nearby one of their stores and headed there. Found a cute but sturdy looking sofa well sit in my budget, told by a store attendant that it will arrive in 4-5 weeks, thought that would coincide the kerbside collection of my old sofa, placed an order, went home. Everything looked fine.
Today, by a pure chance, I found a comment that they're very dodgy. Kinda freaked out and checked their Google review. I admit that I never read such a big collection of negative reviews. Extremely long wait times, the worst customer service, rude managers and non existent warranty, you name it. On top of that, they will deduct 20% of total order in case of cancellation or change of mind. They were even in local news because of this. I feel like an imbecile in the era of online reviews.
So my question is, what shall I do now? I wouldn't mind if I actually receive the sofa, so one side of me thinking let's wait until June. But almost all the customer reviews say otherwise. Should I just head to the store and try to get a refund minus 20%? By any chance, is there a way to get a full refund?

I went out with an unknown group on Halloween to collect candy. I can't recall the costumes we wore. It was already dark as we went from door to door. Arriving at an apartment with a stairwell illuminated through a window, I saw a black figure at the window. The body seemed human, but it had horns on its head and white, glowing eyes. At that moment, I didn't understand what I had let in – what it meant. But all this was just a dream, a nightmare. In the following days, I didn't think much about this figure, as it seemed to be a one-time occurrence. However, from that dream onwards, I suffered from depression triggered by family, friendship, and school problems.
At that time, I was 21 to 22 years old, studying, and still living with my parents. The problems in my family had worsened due to the death of a family member. My friendships with two of my closest friends also began to crumble, as we were unable to have mature conversations about our problems. The increasing stress at university made it even harder for me to manage everything.
A particularly strange experience happened during dinner with my family at my grandma's place. We were in her old apartment, although she hadn't lived there for 10 years. The place gave me goosebumps – old, gray, and smelling of cigarette smoke. The food tasted only of onions, which spoiled my appetite. While my family chatted and ignored me, I felt as if someone was looking over my shoulder. An uncomfortable feeling of being watched followed me.
I felt a magical pull towards grandma's bedroom. But as I entered, it became dark, and the sounds of dinner ceased. A dark shadow appeared on the wall – with a large hump, horns, and white eyes. Panic gripped me, and I just wanted to flee. My eyes slowly closed and reopened. I was lying in my bed, drenched in sweat, looking around. I couldn't move, and the blanket felt heavy on me.
The depression intensified, and my behavior became increasingly strange. I felt as if someone else had taken over me. Indecision, confusion, and fear accompanied me from then on. The nightmares became more frequent, and I suffered from sleep paralysis. Again and again, I thought I saw someone out of the corner of my eye or saw someone fleeting by. But the worst was the sleep demon, who lurked as a silent observer in my dreams. He blended into the surroundings – sometimes a drawing, sometimes a shadow or an outline. But no matter how he appeared, he took my breath away.
A particularly oppressive experience happened when I was climbing a staircase with my mother. The way seemed endless. The walls were white, and the stairs yellow with black steps. The atmosphere was gray and empty. The higher we climbed, the emptier and grayer it became. Finally, we reached an apartment door, opened by an unknown woman. As we entered, I stood by the window and saw him standing there – with his hump, his horns, and the glowing white eyes. He showed me a suffocating smile with his sharp teeth. Emotionless, I followed the woman into the room she wanted to show us. But the room was charred, and the furniture looked as if it had melted. Panic gripped me, and I felt an indescribable fear.
Darkness surrounded me, with no solid ground and no clear sight. Everything I tried to hold onto turned to smoke and vanished. A deep, dark hole formed in my stomach, swallowing all the good and bright things until only darkness remained.
Did I feel guilty about everything? Was I wrong? Was I just a burden? Was I in everyone's way? I wandered along a beach, the surroundings veiled in darkness. Is this really a beach? I heard the sound of the waves but saw no water. The sand beneath my feet did not give way easily, but it tickled with every step. Without thinking, I followed the endless beach and let myself drift.
Now I am 23 years old. The phase of depression is over, and I have regained my balance by practicing acceptance and taking care of my body, mind, and surroundings. The sleep demon has not appeared in my dreams for six months, and I can now sleep without any issues. Was he real or just a manifestation of my problems or a part of myself? To me, he seemed very real, and even if not, it seems he only embedded himself in me because I had lost my inner balance and could only drive him away by returning to that balance.

This one may be impossible to find as I know most compilation CDs are made from songs cheap to license so many CDs share tracks between them and they were pumped out like crazy for quick cash.
I bought a CD back in 2012 for a road trip around California with my dad (the CD was bought in the UK in a shop called Fopp/JustEntertainment) called something like “rock n roll through the ages” or MAYBE it was the “ultimate hits/greatest rock hits of all time”. This CD featured tracks up through the late 80s early 90s and included recordings of songs I’ve not been able to find anywhere (like a very “raw” sounding version of White Light/White Heat by Lou Reed.
Some of the tracks included were: White Light/White Heat The Air that I Breathe - The Hollies Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis Little Richard Iggy Pop Carlos Santana Teenage Head - The Flaming Groovies (maybe)
There are a few others on the tip of my tongue and I’ll add in the comments if I remember.
This is the closest to the track listing I’ve ever found:
https://www.discogs.com/release/22163389-Various-Graffiti-Collection-Rock-Music-Born-To-Be-Wild
A few of the tracks on that list are a strong maybe too, but I’m not confident in saying for sure.
The main clear difference is White Light/White Heat is definitely not on the above list and I don’t recall ELO or Fleetwood Mac or Blue Öyster Cult being on the compilation CD I’m looking for, however I could be mistaken.
The CD contained anywhere from 40-80 songs as it was definitely on 2 CDs, but could have had 3.

Wade held Jasmine in his arms as he flew a low height down the long road to another section of the staryard, Tina on his back and Nathan and F right behind them in the air. Together, the five glided across the base grounds, taking care as to not irritate the aerial security during their search for the meeting room. Being outside for the flight, the group considered it a blessing that Wade's 'enhanced cooling unit' allowed his body to tolerate the breaching sun in the still cloudy sky, which, according to F, was dangerous to drones like her due to the inefficient cooling she and disassembly drones like her suffered from. Given F's physical fault, she had to fly under shady areas in order to safely traverse the base at day.
Originally, Wade and his friends had planned to walk to the meeting zone, but after running into a trooper experiencing a health mishap, the group did what they could to help the distressed officer. By the time he was brought to the medical ward by other soldiers, Wade found that him and his team would be at least a few minutes late if they kept on their way with their walk.
Deciding to speed things up, Wade, understanding the concern for performing such an effort, opted to carry the Fowleys around the base to the meeting area. Reluctantly, F decided to come along, carrying Nathan in a similar manner that Wade was carrying Jasmine. Taking notice of the time on his HUD, which read, "9:47 AM", Wade scouted for the building he and his friends were directed to. "8072" He said to himself, the number being for the building that would house the imminent meeting.
"They said it was down here, right?" Wade asked aloud to Tina before stopping himself in mid-air, the girl holding onto him tightly as he tried to speak over the growing sound of a retrofit Apache flying overhead.
Looking about, Tina nodded as she spotted the target building. "Yes, I believe that's the one over there!" Pointing past his head, Wade followed her finger to a large building ahead at his right. The structure was moderately tall, only about two stories high, with several soldiers and officers going in and out of the building. Wade smiled as he noticed the target number, as well as the big, bold words describing the building's designation. "8072, Briefing Center B"
"Good eye, honey. Hang on!" Continuing his low glide, Wade zoomed towards the building's entrance before stopping just meters above the ground, his two friends close behind as they slowed down as well. The troopers around them initially looked startled by the sudden arrival of Wade and his group, but quickly regained their composure as Wade hovered still above them.
"At ease! Just visitors." One of the soldiers declared as they identified the newcomers, who touched down before Wade let Jasmine down to her feet, Tina hopping onto the ground along with her.
Putting his hands up, Wade apologized for his swift surprise. "Sorry for the scare, we got delayed for a meeting we're invited to."
The soldier gave an understanding nod as he replied to the former worker drone sternly. "I can see that, just be a bit more careful next time, Mr. Carter. You gave the boys here quite a scare."
Wade returned the gesture in embarrassment as F put a hand to his back, chuckling at his efforts as Tina questioned the officer. "Is Mrs. J in there? She's the one who called for us."
The guard gave his reply as Wade and Tina pulled out their IDs for clearance. "Yes she is, Miss. The meeting's set to begin in under ten minutes." Checking the two drones' IDs, Jasmine and the others pulled out theirs as well, the watchman motioning another trooper over to verify the group. Once the guard finished checking the five's cards, he nodded in approval as the watchman spoke once more. "You're clear to enter."
"Thank you Sir, again, sorry about that spook back there." Wade replied with a smile as the trooper gave one of his own, the disassembly drone and his allies making their way towards the office door before stopping upon the call of a voice.
"Hey, Felice!" Wade turned to find the origin of the voice, F doing the same as the two quickly spotted a quartet of soldiers walking excitedly towards F. The disassembly drone glanced to her friends with a smile before turning back to the approaching entourage.
Wade examined the four troops as they got closer: Two human men, one woman, and a male worker drone. One of the male soldiers had short, blonde hair, and a small scar to the right side of their face. The second man bore a tan skin tone and had black hair, with blue strips that went down slightly in a mullet style. The woman bore a set of long, dark green hair, with the hair going down and over her left shoulder. As for the worker drone, he wore the standard green soldier helmet, single eye visor and all. He had no hair on him from what Wade could tell, and bore a pair of whiteish purple eyes on his visor.
As F walked over to the soldiers, the same one that called to her spoke again. "Felicity, I didn't expect to see you around here today! Where you been?"
The girl soldier interrupted his initial chatter. "Hang on Carlos, do you even know if she remembers us?"
"Aye, don't she have one o' them memory locks, or sumthin?" The drone added in a heavy Scottish accent.
F waved her hand as she replied to the group. "Easy, everyone. Thankfully I still got my memories, courtesy of my technician back at Central." Lowering her hand, F let down her usual persona as she gave a wide smirk to the soldiers, clearly pleased to see them. "Good to see you guys around here."
The soldiers gave light cheers to F as they all embraced her, the group having a surprise reunion as Wade and the others watched in surprise. These must've been F's old colleagues from when she was in the service, Wade thought. Quite the coincidence for them to be here at this base of all places.
Not bothering with the convenience of the matter, Wade shook the thought off as he and his friends watched F and her old friends breaking the hug, Tina wrapping an arm around her boyfriend as the second male human spoke to her in what the two discerned as Spanish. "Ay, who your new friends, F?"
"Oh, these guys?" F replied in the same language, quietly startling Wade and the others as they had never heard her speak like that until now. Glancing over to Wade, F motioned him and the others to come over. "Everyone, these are some friends I made in the past few days. Wade, Nathan, Tina, and Jasmine." She pointed her hand to the four as she said each of their names. "I met the boys here during my time on Ceres. Jasmine and Tina here are sisters."
The four soldiers gave various forms of excitement, ranging from hearty laughs to low woops and even a whistle from one of the guys. As F stood next to her old teammates, they each introduced themselves to Wade and his friends. The blonde soldier went first. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all, name's Carlos, Lieutenant Marksman."
"I'm Private Alvaros, good with close-range and stealth operations." Said the tan soldier with a salute.
"Sergeant Lucia Vasquez, usually the one who leads this bunch around these days." The female warrior stated with a humorous smirk.
"And Corporal Duncan Wallace, at your service!" The soldier drone stated proudly as he saluted to the bunch in front of him, who gave warm smiles as Wade shook his hand.
"Quite honored to meet you all, seems you have quite the history with F." The former worker drone said as Carlos patted F on her back.
"Oh, we do! She's the one who took charge when we didn't! Did you all hear of the Pasting of Nola VI?" Jasmine and Tina gave nods of affirmation while Wade, not as familiar with such history, held his hand up in a questioning manner.
"I think, wasn't that the battle where the Navy just barely held the outpost in that system? From the Stryker Clan?" Wade asked as Carlos nodded approvingly to him.
"That's right, and if Felice weren't there, WE would've been the ones getting pasted!" Carlos' statement brought victorious cheers and "oorahs" from the group, F letting a blush loose as she chuckled at her team's praise of her efforts.
"Well, that's not wrong." Although she didn't want to break off from her friends and discuss the past few years since they'd last met, F remembered the briefing. Clearing her throat, she continued. "And as much as I'd like to chat about the good times, I've been called to a meeting here, as have Wade and his crew."
The soldier group gave understanding looks to F as Lucia spoke up. "Thought so, Carl here was real eager to see you, though."
"Maybe we can talk after the meeting?" Nathan proposed as the soldiers collectively nodded in agreement, F readying a smartcomm attachment before turning to face her friends again.
"We're probably getting low on time, you all go in, I'll catch up in a sec." Wade nodded in acknowledgement before taking Tina's hand, the lover drones continuing towards the briefing center as Jasmine and Nathan followed behind them.
Passing through the door, the four guests observed a short hallway, which seemed to split into two paths as they came closer to the other end. Looking to a sign on the wall above, they saw arrows pointing to two separate areas, "Primary Briefing Room; Main Lobby + Secondary & Tertiary" Going to the right, they entered the moderately active lobby, several officers walking and standing about in mass chatter. Walking over to the desk up against the wall to their left, Wade and his group waved a hand to the occupying attendant.
"Welcome, what do you need?" The desk attendant asked as Tina raised a finger to reply.
"We're here for a meeting, Mrs. J called us here."
The attendant nodded in understanding before directing an arm towards the other end of the room, where a single door stood. "She should be in the second briefing room down that way."
"Thank you." Tina replied warmly before she and Wade began walking towards the door, their friends behind them as they proceeded into the room.
The room beyond the door was quite sizable, a large circular table occupying the middle with several chairs surrounding it. The walls went up a few meters, with four whiteish blue lights illuminating the room. On the wall opposite to Wade and Tina were three monitor screens, all of which showed the USN in bright blue. In several of the seats were faces both familiar and unfamiliar, several men and women in varying styles of uniforms conversing about quietly or taking notice of the recent visitors. Standing up near the monitors were three people: A decorated officer whom Tina identified as a ship captain, and the so-called operatives, Tessa, albeit as a hologram, and J.
Walking slowly into the room, Wade gave a low wave of his hand as he tried to hide his nervousness. Noticing his shyness in front of the officers, Tina held his hand and rubbed his arm comfortingly while returning a pleasant smile to the staff in the room.
"Ah, Wade, Tina. Glad to see you all here." J stated with a smile as she scanned the group, raising a digital eyebrow as she noticed one missing guest. "Or, most of you, I see. Did F run off somewhere?"
Wade shook his head as he replied to his fellow disassembly drone. "Oh, no. She just ran into some old friends, she should be back-"
"Right now." F finished aloud as she entered the room, seemingly having heard Wade speaking about her absence. The warrior drone fast walked to Wade's team, taking a seat near them as they prepared to do the same. "Not too late, are we?"
"Not at all." The standing officer answered as the group took their seats, Wade and Tina sitting next to each other as they got comfortable. The captain examined the lot for a moment, glancing to J as he asked about them. "So, these are the ones you helped rescue from the Mojave?"
"Yes Captain, and they helped us out greatly in turn. This is Wade Carter, one of the captured drones whom became a disassembly drone before we could mount the rescue. The luckiest one, if you ask me." Motioning her arm over the others, she continued. "And there's his girlfriend, Mrs. Tina Fowley, and her sister Jasmine." Smirking to F and Nathan, she finished her friends' introductions. "And these two are Serial Designation F and Mr. Nathan, whom I've heard were once under your ranks."
The military captain gave a welcoming smile to the five as they returned the gesture, eyeing F and Nathan specifically before speaking to them. "Indeed they were, we still have records on their contributions to the colonies." Eyeing F, he continued. "Though, in Mrs. F's case, I won't blame her if she doesn't remember us. We've been very well aware of JCJenson's 'memory suppression' protocols when it comes to their DDs."
F laid back in her seat with a smug look as she replied to her former superior. "Well, my friend on the station's a good tech gal. She's... waived that hindrance from me."
"I see, that means your still with us, am I right, Mrs. Lee?" Unlike her friends next to her, F was not startled by her original name being said aloud, rather smiling proudly as she saluted to the captain. "Good to see you again."
"Pleased to be here, Sir." F replied as she lowered her arm, glancing to her companions next to her as J spoke up.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Captain Preston Mitchell, commander of the USNV Vickers down at the stardock."
Wade gave a respectful salute to Preston as he spoke first. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir."
"Thank you, Mr. Carter. I've heard about your efforts from J, you did an admirable job back there, son." Wade failed to hide an embarrassed blush from the compliment, but it quickly faded as a beep sounded from a small device on the table. It was swiftly silenced by the captain as he tapped a button on the small, pyramid shaped timer, then facing Wade's group before continuing. "Though, as much as we could use some small talk, it'll have to wait till later."
"Indeed, we're running late at this point." Said another officer, a highly decorated member of the base with dark skin, dark grey hair and a thin beard. He immediately won the attention of everyone in the room as he spoke up. "I'm General Hugh Hood, overseer of this base. I'm certain you know some of the reasons you're here with us, correct?"
Wade nodded as he spoke to Hood. "Yeah, it's cause of those rogue agents from the JCJenson corporation." Glancing to J, the corporate drone nodded in affirmation before speaking herself.
"Tessa and I spent the last hours of yesterday evening clearing up the matter with General Hood, along with several other officials stationed here." She stopped as the middle monitor behind her flashed with a banner at the top, reading, "INCOMING TRANSMISSION", and in place of the USN emblem was a textless version of the JCJenson logo. Below the profile image was another two lines of text. "N. Jenson (Company Exec); Comms Source: Yottrite IV"
"And also told our boss about what happened here too, he wanted to give his say on this ordeal." Looking to the general, J asked him, "May I put him on?"
Hood only gave a nod of approval to the corporate drone before she picked up a remote on the table and tapped a button, accepting the call as the picture shifted to show a middle-aged man in a pristine-looking business suit on the screen.
Wade and Tina glanced to each other before J introduced their guest on the screen. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the CEO of JCJenson: Mr. Noor Jenson."
Jenson gave a pleased nod to his subordinate as he spoke to J. "Thank you for the pleasantries, J. I see we are ready to discuss our plans on dealing with this 'recall' disaster I've bore witness to on the news this morning?"
J nodded as she replied to her boss. "Indeed, I've explained to General Hood here about our efforts yesterday, and, as of recent, we've just received a message from a source we believe to be close to the company."
Mr. Jenson looked down to J attentively as he spoke to her. "Well, that's quite intriguing news, J. Do you have this message available for us to view?" J and Hood both nodded in affirmation, but didn't get an immediate reply as Jenson gazed to Wade and his friends. "...And I presume these are some of the drones rescued from one of the factories?"
Again, J nodded to her superior before explaining her colleagues. "Yes Mr. Jenson, the two drones at the front in particular were among those taken by the Administrator and their subordinates." Pointing an arm to Wade and Tina, she introduced the drone couple. "The disassembly drone here is Mr. Wade Carter, a brother to his-technically speaking-owner, the late Ron Carter. The latter helped us recover Wade during an initial raid inside the Nevada facility." When bringing up Ron, J gave an apologetic look to Wade as to show she did not mean to be offending on him and his brother's relationship. "And this is his romantic partner, Mrs. Tina Fowley. I heard she and her sister Jasmine are pilots."
Jenson looked over the two drones as his obedient employee described them to him, quietly sighing as Wade and Tina returned the gaze with nervous smiles. Once J finished, Jenson spoke to Wade. "I... would say it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter. But, given recent events, I don't hold fault to you for feeling frustrated at me for my... former subordinate's actions."
Wade shook his head lightly, taking Jenson's light apology with a faint smile as he replied to the CEO. "Actually, I don't. The only person I have such feelings put towards is," He hesitated for a moment, his anger at Dr. Halloway returning for a short moment before he eased himself. "..That bastard Halloway."
"The feeling's mutual, Mr. Carter. Dr. Halloway has been trying my patience for years now, especially with you and your fellow disassembly drones." Looking to J, then F, he returned his gaze to Wade before questioning him on his new body. "I don't know if J has told you of this, but if there's one truth my company has admittedly not held up to for a while, it's our quality. Recently, some of my research staff here made blueprints for an upgraded variant of the disassembly drone design. It's intended to fix several faults we expected to be nonexistent previously, most notably that atrocious cooling unit."
As a schematic pulled up on the left monitor, everyone glanced to the improved design before F spoke up about it. "If I may ask, Mr. Jenson, how big of an improvement is this new cooling unit supposed to be?"
"Good question, F. Frankly, it's supposed to do away with the issue entirely. Saves us from sacrificing enormous supplies of oil for the poorly built unit in the previous iterations. We even tested it with a repaired drone just a few days ago, and it worked flawlessly." Then, glancing to Wade again, he questioned the former worker drone on his new form. "Speaking of, how does your enhanced body feel, Mr. Carter? I'm certain it feels better to not have to-"
"Actually, Mr. Jenson," Wade interrupted, pulling out one of his canteens as he answered the CEO on his upgrades. "I guess Halloway changed up the blueprints, cause unfortunately this new cooling unit didn't cure the overheating problem. I... kinda learned that the hard way." Wade glanced to Tina apologetically, still feeling bad from her seeing him eat the corpse of the dead murder drone back at the factory.
The corporate CEO grimaced in frustration as he took in Wade's statement, already intolerant of the head researcher's actions as he replied. "...I was worried about that, Edgar always likes to run things his own way, making excuses for that 'Administrator' he watches over." Taking an agitated breath, he continued on with his spew on the two culprits of yesterday's events. "It was only because of all the very impressive creations and enhancements she and her research team provided that I tolerated them for so long, but this..." Sitting up straight in front of the camera, Jenson finished sternly. "J said the Administrator... Cyn, I believe? She was apparently something worse than we presumed originally, and I'm very inclined to believe so after yesterday."
"As well as the program tied to the Administrator, the AbsoluteSolver." J clarified before receiving an agreeing nod from Mr. Jenson, standing corrected on his placing of blame.
Raising a hand, Nathan asked about the supposed plans. "Yeah, about this "Solver Project", what do we plan to do about that?"
"Good question, Nate." Tessa replied as she crossed her arms before looking to Jenson and beginning her explanation. "Initially, we were going to investigate the other factories spread across Earth in order to get some more info on the Administrator before things get worse. But, just this morning, it seems someone else saved us the trouble." Just as Tessa neared the end of her sentence, J held up the remote again, tapping a few buttons before the left monitor shifted to show a slightly grainy video onscreen.
The video only showed a single being, a worker drone, dressed in a chrome suit and bearing a set of yellow eyes. Behind them was what appeared to be a vacant room, a few shelves holding many books within them standing still in the back. The drone's visage indicated they were filled with immense anxiety, terrified of being caught as they spoke quietly to the camera.
"I can only hope someone gets this in time, they're gonna be on me once they find out the transmitter screens are down!" Turning the camera, he showed what appeared to be a large factory room, several more of the mysterious conveyor belts like at the factory slotted next to each other. It was hard to discern every detail due to not only the window reflection, but also the dark lighting in the inactive conveyor room. Filming the room beyond, the drone continued. "Dr. Halloway's a madman, he's got more of those stolen drones being brought here and he's going to be overseeing it in the afternoon tomorrow! I've seen what happened back in Nevada, I can't take this any longer! I'm at coordinates ##.######, -###.###### Please, send someo-"
The suspicious, partially scrambled transmission immediately cut off to static, leaving Wade, Tina, and their friends with confused expressions as Tessa spoke up. "Yeah, that caught me by surprise too."
"So, that guy says they got more drones being sent 'there', but... where is there, exactly?" Jasmine asked with immense curiosity.
"I was hoping you'd ask that, Mrs. Fowley." The technician replied as she glanced to J, who tapped a few more buttons on the remote before speaking over her boss-friend.
"While the transmission itself isn't much to work off of, our friends from Comms over here managed to intercept the signal earlier, and even better, discern where it originated from." As J started her explanation, the screen shifted once more to show a large city, with one skyscraper highlighted in red as it was zoomed towards on the screen. "That scrambled audio wasn't a simple glitch, it was intentionally done so as to hide key information for us to uncover. Upon cleaning up the message, we managed to recover a set of coordinates, which direct to this structure here, in San Francisco."
Wade and his friends stared at the building in shock, examining the tall structure as it stood over the shorter buildings in the city. Tina broke the silence in her gaze. "So, this is another factory? It looks... terribly different from the one we got out of."
"Not exactly, Mrs. Fowley." Mr. Jenson answered, Tina and the others looking to him as he continued. "THAT is the Administrator's main laboratory, its location was kept on the down low so other authorities and terrorist groups wouldn't find out what the buildings true purpose was." Sighing, Jenson completed his reply. "But, with this recent mistake of Halloway's, that place has lost all purpose for us at the company."
Wade raised a hand to speak. "So, we're going to pounce on that place? Get Halloway before he runs off again?"
"Exactly." General Hood replied as he looked up to Mr. Jenson. "This whole 'recovery/recruitment' effort has gotten out of hand all across Sol. We've gotten countless reports of people being killed because of this, be it the brutal robberies here in Nevada or the bloodbath on Ceres. Even if Mr. Jenson refuses to cooperate, this has become a dire matter for us now. One way or another, this insanity will be stopped with due haste."
The CEO nodded in acknowledgement before explaining his own plans for the mission. "Speaking of cooperation, upon seeing what was happening at Earth, I ordered a detachment of our corporate starships in orbit at the time to depart for Sol in order to help with investigating the situation. They're not warships, but they are well-armed. I'll dispatch them to your authority upon concluding this call." Glancing to Wade and his team for a moment, Jenson continued. "As for the mission, I may not have much of a say, but let it be known that you have my blessing to do whatever it takes to end this madness. I don't care what you do with Halloway or any of his lackeys, or what happens to that facility down there... I want that program shut down."
"Thank you for the extra hands, Mr. Jenson. We'll make sure this Administrator is dealt with." Hood replied gratefully as Wade sat firm in his seat, Tina and the others following suite.
"General?" The former worker drone said aloud, catching Hood's attention before he made his request. "I know I'm not a soldier, but I want to help with dealing with Halloway and his grunts. After what he did, after losing my brother, I can't rest until I see that man stopped."
Tina raised a finger as well. "As do I, Wade could use a hand with those people, and given how we did during our escape run out of that place, I think the two of us make quite the duo." She glanced to Wade with a smirk as she referenced their combat prowess when flying together.
Nathan and F stood up before the latter gave her own request. "Sir, I wish to take part in this mission as well. I can also recommend Wade for you too, as I fought alongside him during the factory raid."
"Wouldn't mind giving a hand myself! And I'm sure my pal Kurtis would love to help, he's here at the base too!" Nathan added with a confident smirk, the group's determination encouraging Jasmine to stand up as well.
"I'd like to help too." She stated simply, a smile on her face as the general and his companions observed the five guests.
Admittedly, Hood knew it would be a bit absurd to allow these people to take part in an operation which would certainly involve bloodshed, especially considering most of them merely had civilian status at the moment. But, upon careful evaluation of the five, their desire to see this problem dealt with, and the fact that some of them had experience on the field...
He paused his train of thought as Captain Mitchell spoke to him. "General? I read up on the Fowleys' files when we recovered Mrs. Jasmine here, they provided service in their early careers." He smirked to the pilot sisters as he finished adding his say. "And to be frank, we need more people like them here. The records we have of them showed them to be damn fine pilots."
Tina blushed at the praise from Mitchell as she spoke to the general. "That is true, we uh... did get discharged for our... 'fancy maneuvering'."
"Sir?" Jasmine said, the general's attention on her as she added to the conversation. "Even if our flying is a bit out of protocol, Tina saved a lot of people on that starjet a few days back. I can promise you, she's an excellent woman to have at the wheel."
Glancing to Wade again, Hood took in his face, one of begging desperation as he spoke once more. "Please, Sir. My brother, the troops he brought from the Coalition, Halloway's gotten them all killed cause of this. I want to do this. I HAVE to do this, at least for them."
The good general took a deep, quiet breath, considering his decision once more before finally revealing it to Wade and his friends. "Mr. Carter, Fowleys? I'm probably making myself a fool for saying this, but you're permitted to assist us in this mission."
The drone couple contained their gratefulness in the form of ecstatic grins as Wade replied to the general. "Thanks, General. We won't let you down."
"And Mrs. Lee?" Hood said as he glanced to F, who returned the gesture as he told her, "You're technically under Mr. Jenson's authority, whatever his answer is, it's mine as well."
Bringing her yellow-orange eyes to her CEO, F awaited Mr. Jenson's answer. "F, yes? I heard Mr. Hood call you by a different name just now, I assume you have some experience with the army?"
The warrior drone nodded as she explained herself. "I once inherited the name of Felicity Lee, Mr. Jenson. I served under the USN Defense Forces before joining the DD Division." Then, glancing to the military staff near her, she finished with, "I had hoped to provide my enhancements to the Force one day."
Jenson gave a hint of a proud smile as he finally gave his decision. "Well, it seems you'll finally get that chance. From now on, even after this mission on Earth is over with, you're hereby dispatched to serve under the USN."
F admittedly couldn't hide her excited smirk as she flung a salute to her now former boss. "Thank you Sir!"
Looking up to Jenson, General Hood asked the CEO, "Mr. Jenson, how long until your ships can reach Earth?"
Jenson glanced down at his communication console as he answered the military leader. "At max speed, their Ion drives should be able to bring them into orbit in as little as one to two days. I believe there should be some ships within the system that could help as well."
"Signal them when you can, Mr. Jenson. We could use all the help we can get from them." The CEO nodded to Hood as he stood firmly to the viewer, the general turning to face Wade and his colleagues. "And Mr. Carter? We'll be mobilizing our forces immediately after this meeting concludes. It'll be a minute, but I want you to gather whatever items and belongings you'll need for this operation. Be ready to head to the flight pads in no more than three hours."
"Understood Sir!" Wade said with a salute, Tina, Jasmine and Nathan giving their own as Jasmine raised a finger.
"What about the area around the lab? That place looks like it's in the middle of the city."
J raised a finger as she told Jasmine and the others about their resolution of the civilian obstacle. "Shortly after reporting our findings on the transmission, Hood told us that they were sending in some teams to clear out the civilian population within several miles of the facility. Once we get there, it should be of no concern."
Jasmine sighed in relief as Tina spoke up. "So the people should be safe from any sort of danger?"
"Correct, Mrs. Tina." Preston answered before continuing. "Given the resistance Halloway and his men showed during the Coalition's raid, they most certainly won't hold back there."
"One more thing, Sir." Nathan asked. "The Coalition's going to help us out with this too, right?"
"You can count on it, Mr. Nathan." The Vickers' captain replied as he looked to J, then to Jenson as he spoke further. "I met the leader of the Coalition's detachment working with us when I was introduced to J and Mrs. Elliott here, they intend to see this conflict finished. I highly doubt they're willing to sit back and let us do this by ourselves."
"And their help will be much appreciated." Hood added, everyone's attention returned to him as he looked to Tessa, curious eyes scanning her holographic form. "And Mrs. Elliott, if I may. Do you mind heading down here to assist us in our investigations later on?"
"Funny you say that, General. I'm almost done with my own snooping around on the JCJ up in orbit, Cyn has some small departments of hers aboard, and I thought I'd gather some more intel before coming down." Glancing to Mr. Jenson, she saw him giving an understanding nod before returning her gaze to the military staff. "I should be down there by the evening, judging by where you're located."
"Do what you must, Mrs. Elliott. We could use whatever you find." Hood replied firmly as he turned once more to the JCJenson CEO. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Jenson. We will get to the bottom of this."
"It's my pleasure, General." Glancing to J and Tessa, he spoke to them once more. "J? Contact me when you've finished with Halloway and his Administrator."
"It'll be done, Mr. Jenson." The obedient servant answered before saluting firmly, receiving a final nod from her boss before he ended the transmission.
With their off-world guest out of the way, Hood looked to Wade and his friends, J, Tessa and Captain Mitchells sharing the gaze with them as the general spoke to them in finality. "Well, you know what comes next everyone. You're all dismissed for now. And remember, landing zone by 1300."
"We'll be there Sir." Wade said with a nod as he and his friends stood up, pushing in their chairs before making their way out to the door.
As they neared it, Wade stopped for a moment as they heard Hood call to one of his friends. "And F?" The soldier drone looked to the general as he continued. "Before we depart, would you mind changing your uniform? I believe it could help with identifying you from the other disassembly drones more easily." Glancing to J, then back to F, he finished with, "I recall hearing about the most formidable drones having clones prepared, yes?"
"Correct, Sir. I'll stop by the nearest barracks while I can." F replied before turning back to the door with her colleagues, Wade opening the door for them all as they passed through. After them, Wade passed through himself, shutting the door to the meeting room as he returned to the lobby.
Walking about together, F spoke to Wade and the others. "Well, that went smoothly. I'll be heading down to the barracks, then head over to your place to help out."
"Actually," Wade replied, raising a finger up as he asked his fellow murder drone, "You think you could bring your friends over? We could get to know each other while we're getting ready."
F glanced to Nathan with a smile before returning her eyes to Wade. "I could see about that. You're gonna like them, I can promise you that."
Taking Tina's hand, Wade walked with his girlfriend alongside Jasmine and the others, nearing the hallway they came through as they prepared for the walk back to the apartment.

I am dealing with a strange issue I hope someone might have experience with. My current modlist seems very stable and has everything I want, including grass lods. However, there are certain spots where, when water transitions between LOD and full model, it disappears.
This is what it looks like if I quickly go from anywhere on the "tamriel" worldspace to this specific point.
https://imgur.com/a/nCpngLN
However, even without restarting the game. If I simply fast travel to a city, then fast travel close to the point and go there, the water appears totally normal:
https://imgur.com/a/IThMOZr
Although I've been modding my skyrim for a long time, I must admit I still use LOOT to make my load order, and I don't know better than it does. Here is my current load order:
Skyrim.esm
Update.esm
Dawnguard.esm
HearthFires.esm
Dragonborn.esm
ccasvsse001-almsivi.esm
ccBGSSSE001-Fish.esm
ccbgssse002-exoticarrows.esl
ccbgssse003-zombies.esl
ccbgssse004-ruinsedge.esl
ccbgssse005-goldbrand.esl
ccbgssse006-stendarshammer.esl
ccbgssse007-chrysamere.esl
ccbgssse010-petdwarvenarmoredmudcrab.esl
ccbgssse011-hrsarmrelvn.esl
ccbgssse012-hrsarmrstl.esl
ccbgssse014-spellpack01.esl
ccbgssse019-staffofsheogorath.esl
ccbgssse020-graycowl.esl
ccbgssse021-lordsmail.esl
ccmtysse001-knightsofthenine.esl
ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode.esl
cctwbsse001-puzzledungeon.esm
cceejsse001-hstead.esm
ccqdrsse002-firewood.esl
ccbgssse018-shadowrend.esl
ccbgssse035-petnhound.esl
ccfsvsse001-backpacks.esl
cceejsse002-tower.esl
ccedhsse001-norjewel.esl
ccvsvsse002-pets.esl
ccBGSSSE037-Curios.esl
ccbgssse034-mntuni.esl
ccbgssse045-hasedoki.esl
ccbgssse008-wraithguard.esl
ccbgssse036-petbwolf.esl
ccffbsse001-imperialdragon.esl
ccmtysse002-ve.esl
ccbgssse043-crosselv.esl
ccvsvsse001-winter.esl
cceejsse003-hollow.esl
ccbgssse016-umbra.esm
ccbgssse031-advcyrus.esm
ccbgssse038-bowofshadows.esl
ccbgssse040-advobgobs.esl
ccbgssse050-ba_daedric.esl
ccbgssse052-ba_iron.esl
ccbgssse054-ba_orcish.esl
ccbgssse058-ba_steel.esl
ccbgssse059-ba_dragonplate.esl
ccbgssse061-ba_dwarven.esl
ccpewsse002-armsofchaos.esl
ccbgssse041-netchleather.esl
ccedhsse002-splkntset.esl
ccbgssse064-ba_elven.esl
ccbgssse063-ba_ebony.esl
ccbgssse062-ba_dwarvenmail.esl
ccbgssse060-ba_dragonscale.esl
ccbgssse056-ba_silver.esl
ccbgssse055-ba_orcishscaled.esl
ccbgssse053-ba_leather.esl
ccbgssse051-ba_daedricmail.esl
ccbgssse057-ba_stalhrim.esl
ccbgssse066-staves.esl
ccbgssse067-daedinv.esm
ccbgssse068-bloodfall.esl
ccbgssse069-contest.esl
ccvsvsse003-necroarts.esl
ccvsvsse004-beafarmer.esl
ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS.esm
ccffbsse002-crossbowpack.esl
ccbgssse013-dawnfang.esl
ccrmssse001-necrohouse.esl
ccedhsse003-redguard.esl
cceejsse004-hall.esl
cceejsse005-cave.esm
cckrtsse001_altar.esl
cccbhsse001-gaunt.esl
ccafdsse001-dwesanctuary.esm
_ResourcePack.esl
Treescale.esm
Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.esp
Vanilla Script MicroOptimizations.esl
Unofficial Skyrim Modders Patch.esp
Unofficial Skyrim Creation Club Content Patch.esl
Landscape and Water Fixes.esp
MajesticMountains_Landscape.esm
LegacyoftheDragonborn.esm
Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers.esp
Water for ENB.esm
Natural Waterfalls.esp
Lux Via - Markarth Entrance and Farm Overhaul.esp
MajesticMountains_Moss.esp
AnimatedShips.esl
Lux Orbis - Master plugin.esm
BSAssets.esm
BSHeartland.esm
BS_DLC_patch.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_DragonBridge.esl
Ryn's Snazzy Last Vigil.esp
NoBrokenWhiterunTower.esp
JSwordsD.esm
Vigilant.esm
Natural Waterfalls - Dragonborn.esp
Lux - Master plugin.esm
Armors of the Velothi Pt2.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Karthwasten.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Rorikstead.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Falkreath.esl
1Dwemer.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Ivarstead.esl
evgSIRENROOT.esm
Markarth Outskirts - Water for ENB patch.esp
Seascale.esl
Siege at Icemoth.esp
1NDArmor.esl
1Markynaz.esl
1WR.esl
1NGarmor.esl
1YsmirArmorSE.esl
Lux - Resources.esp
Lux Via.esp
SmoothCam.esl
SimplyOptimizedScripts.esl
Vanilla Scripts Enhanced.esl
Wyrmstooth.esp
EVGAnimatedTraversal.esl
DynamicCollisionAdjustment.esl
Environs Master Plugin.esp
1Three-eyedSwallow.esl
1FlutedArmor.esl
FerrumNibenis.esl
siltstriderarmor.esl
VigilantHiResPackSE.esl
Experience.esl
Kanjs - AIO Books Patch.esl
Natural Waterfalls - Dawnguard.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_Whiterun.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Markarth.esl
RU_CityTreesSE_Solitude.esl
TES4WaitMenu.esl
Sentinel - Distribution Framework.esp
TrueHUD.esl
NorthernIce.esp
DynDOLOD.esm
Particle Patch for ENB.esp
SkyUI_SE.esp
SMIM-SE-Merged-All.esp
Audio Overhaul Skyrim.esp
Immersive Sounds - Compendium.esp
AOS_ISC_Integration.esp
Thaumaturgy.esp
Lux Orbis.esp
JKs Skyrim.esp
Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods.esp
AI Overhaul.esp
MysticismMagic.esp
Lux Orbis - JK's Skyrim patch.esp
NAT-ENB.esp
HappyLittleTrees.esp
Lux Via - plugin.esp
Locked Chests Have Keys.esp
Adamant.esp
Apothecary.esp
Landscape and Water Fixes - Patch - LFfGM.esp
Artificer.esp
Environs - Abandoned Abodes.esp
Ryn's Standing Stones.esp
Lux Orbis - LotD patch.esp
SkyTEST-RealisticAnimals&Predators.esp
Embers XD.esp
RAEQuestRequirements.esp
Ryn's Dragon Mounds AIO.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_Rorikstead_JKSkyrimPatch.esp
WhiterunMarket.esp
Lux Via - Whiterun Market patch.esp
Unique Border Gates - Fixes.esp
Bruma Unique Border Gates Patch.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_DragonBridge_JKSkyrimPatch.esp
MajesticMountains.esp
Skoglendi - A Grass Mod.esp
NoGrassias.esp
Environs - Kolskeggr.esp
Sentinel.esp
Sentinel + CC Armors.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack.esp
JKs Skyrim - AI Overhaul Patch.esp
Environs - Shrines of Talos.esp
JK's The Bannered Mare.esp
Inigo.esp
mihailcrowsandravens.esp
Northern Scenery _Tundra.esp
Grass Patch - All CC Mods.esp
Innocence Lost - Quest Expansion.esp
Landscape For Grass Mods JK'S Skyrim.esp
DBM_Vigilant_Patch.esp
Markarth Entrance and Farm Overhaul Light Plugin.esp
Environs - Shrines of Talos - Lux Orbis and JK's Skyrim Patch.esp
Blubbos_Riften_Trees_2022_JK_Skyrim.esp
mihailhummingbird.esp
mihailchickenvariants.esp
Quick Start - SE.esp
Sorcerer.esp
Spaghetti's Faction Halls - AIO.esp
aMidianBorn_Book of Silence.esp
Lux Orbis - Ryn's Standing Stones patch.esp
Landscape and Water Fixes - Patch - Tundra Homested.esp
The Heart Of Dibella - Quest Expansion.esp
Northern Scenery_Ansilvund.esp
NorthernScenery_IronBindBarrow.esp
DBM_JKSkyrim_Patch.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Ryn's Dragon Mounds Collection Patch.esp
JKs Skyrim - Fishing patch.esp
Landscape and Water Fixes - Patch - Farming.esp
Environs - Greenwood Shack.esp
mihailpigeon.esp
Environs - Whiterun Watchtower.esp
PaarthurnaxQuestExpansion.esp
College Of Winterhold - Quest Expansion.esp
Reverb Interior Sounds Expansion.esp
AcousticTemplateFixes.esp
mihailhousecat.esp
Skykings Unique Signs.esp
Paragliding.esp
LeapsOfFaith.esp
Lux Orbis - Markarth Entrance and Farm overhaul patch.esp
Environs - Tundra Farmhouse.esp
Missives.esp
Markarth Outskirts - Natural Waterfalls patch.esp
Lux Orbis - JK's Whiterun Horses patch.esp
JKs The Drunken Huntsman.esp
Lux Orbis - Whiterun Market patch.esp
Sentinel + CC Netch Leather.esp
mihailmountainlion.esp
Lux Orbis - Unique Border Gates Fixes.esp
Lux Orbis - Saints and Seducers patch.esp
Lux Orbis - CC Fish patch.esp
mihailemperorpenguin.esp
LeapsOfFaith_LOTD_Patch.esp
Lux Orbis - Tundra Homestead patch.esp
The Standing Sound Stones.esp
StandingSoundStones_Ryns Patch.esp
Nilheim_MiscQuestExpansion.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Lux Via Patch.esp
Caught Red Handed - Quest Expansion.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Solstheim.esp
Northern Scenery - BleakFallBarrow.esp
Markarth Entrance and Farm Overhaul - Via patch.esp
CC Goblins Unique Border Gates Patch.esp
Lux Orbis - USSEP patch.esp
Unique Border Gates - EVG Traversal Patch.esp
DBM_JaysusSwords_Patch.esp
Lux Orbis - Wyrmstooth.esp
JELWyrmstoothCausePatch.esp
Lux Via - Wyrmstooth addon.esp
JELWyrmstoothCuriosPatch.esp
DBM_Wyrmstooth_Patch.esp
Northern Scenery_Angarvunde.esp
Lux Orbis - Farming CC patch.esp
Lux Orbis - Ryn's Dragon Mounds.esp
Environs - Hroggars House.esp
Environs - Kolskeggr - Lux Orbis Patch.esp
Spaghetti's Orc Strongholds - AIO.esp
Environs - Riften Warehouse.esp
Lux Orbis - Embers XD patch.esp
mihailwhalebones.esp
Majestic Mountains - Creation Club Landscape Patch.esp
BS Bruma - MM Patch.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_Whiterun_Addon0.esp
BSHeartland - No Custom Map Markers.esp
Abyss.esp
DBM_Missives_Patch.esp
USMP - LOTD patch.esp
Whiterun Market - JK skyrim patch.esp
Spaghetti's Faction Halls - AIO - USSEP Patch.esp
Eli_InigoBloodchillPatch.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_Solitude_Addon0.esp
Eli_Landscape Fixes Hendraheim Patch.esp
Environs - Western Watchtower - Lux Orbis Patch.esp
Natural Waterfalls - SLaWF Patch.esp
Lux Via - Ryn's Standing Stones patch.esp
Lux Orbis - Arms of Chaos CC.esp
Markarth Entrance and Farm Overhaul - USSEP patch.esp
Spaghetti's Solstheim - AIO.esp
Armors of the Velothi.esp
Lux Orbis - USMP Patch.esp
Environs - Hroggars House - Lux Orbis Patch.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Fixes.esp
Landscape and Water Fixes - Patch - Alternative Armors - Elven Hunter.esp
VolkiharSoundscapeOverhaul.esp
Lux Via - JK's Skyrim Patch.esp
MBW Dragon Souls to Perk Points.esp
1FlutedArmor - Shield and Broadsword by Xtudo.esp
LOTD Unique Border Gates Patch.esp
RU_CityTreesSE_Markarth_Addon0.esp
MCMHelper.esp
QuickLootEE.esp
BetterThirdPersonSelection.esp
SkyHUD.esp
UntarnishedUI_Blur.esp
UntarnishedUI_Subtitle.esp
MoonsAndStars.esp
ENB Light.esp
Lux Via - Blended Roads Bridges Texture sets.esp
Lux Orbis - Bow of Shadow CC.esp
Lux Orbis - Lord's Mail CC.esp
Lux Orbis - Saturalia CC.esp
Lux Orbis - Spell Knight Armor CC.esp
Natural Waterfalls - LFfGM Patch.esp
Landscape and Water Fixes - Patch - Hendraheim.esp
Lux Orbis - Environs - Greenwood Shack Patch.esp
Lux Via - CC Farming Patch.esp
Embers XD - Patch - Goldenhills Plantation.esp
Embers XD - Fire Magick Add-On.esp
NAT - Patch - Rudy ENB.esp
TrueDirectionalMovement.esp
Precision.esp
SkyClimb.esp
ArtificerXav.esp
Eli_SMIM-Hendraheim-Patch.esp
Simplicity of Snow - Dwemer Sanctuary Patch.esp
Simplicity of Snow.esp
CBBE.esp
DynamicDungeonLoot.esp
ValhallaCombat.esp
HandtoHand.esp
Arena.esp
Additional Dremora Faces.esp
Vigilant Voiced.esp
Inigo Riding Patch.esp
Horse Whistle Key Lite.esp
AcousticTemplateFixes_CC_Farming.esp
AcousticTemplateFixes_CC_Seducers.esp
AcousticTemplateFixes_ReverbInteriorSounds.esp
Reverb Interior Sounds Expansion_VolumeSlider_Rain.esp
Reverb Interior Sounds Expansion_VolumeSlider_Thunder.esp
DeadlySpellImpacts.esp
DeadlySpellImpacts Transparency Fix.esp
RaceMenu.esp
RaceMenuPlugin.esp
RichMerchantsSkyrim_x10.esp
Rielle Objects Secured.esp
ChillwindDephts.esp
evgSIRENROOTthecausepatch.esp
evgSIRENROOTtraversalpatch.esp
Bandit Lines Expansion.esp
Civil War Lines Expansion.esp
Forsworn and Thalmor Lines Expansion.esp
Vampire Lines Expansion.esp
Brawl Lines Expansion.esp
Additional Dremora Faces - CC The Cause Patch.esp
Additional Dremora Faces - Mysticism Patch.esp
Dremora Lines Expansion.esp
TimingIsEverything.esp
NARC SE for Vanilla.esp
Stamina of Steeds.esp
EnchantableSpecialItemFix_Gaunt.esp
EnchantableSpecialItemFix_USSEP.esp
Extended Guard Dialogue.esp
Eli_HomeinaHat.esp
Apothecary - Fishing Patch.esp
Apothecary - Rare Curios Patch.esp
Apothecary - Saints & Seducers Patch.esp
SmoothJumpINISettings.esp
Abyss - Adamant Patch.esp
Bloodmoon.esp
Ascension.esp
Desecration.esp
Stellaris.esp
Stellaris - Adamant Patch.esp
EVGConditionalIdles.esp
Lunaris.esp
Arclight.esp
Flames of Coldharbour.esp
Flames of Coldharbour - Adamant Patch.esp
Reanimated Detector.esp
Keytrace.esp
FNIS.esp
TKDodgeSE sound.esp
dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp
Dynamic Impact - Slash Effects X.esp
Dynamic Impact - Slash Effects X-03EBT_ISC.esp
AOS_EBT Patch.esp
dD-Larger Splatter Size.esp
The Whispering Door - Quest Expansion.esp
The Whispering Door QE - USSEP Patch.esp
Belethor's Sister.esp
CRH_USSEP Patch.esp
The Whispering Door QE - EVGAT Patch.esp
Innocence Lost QE - USSEP Patch.esp
NPCs React To Invisibility.esp
NPCs React To Invisibility - Bow of Shadows Patch.esp
CarriageAndStableDialogues.esp
Wild Horses - Dialogues.esp
Animals Swim.esp
Sleeping Expanded.esp
Use Those Blankets.esp
NPCs React To Necromancy.esp
NPCs React To Necromancy - No Consequences.esp
NPCs_Wear_Amulets_Of_Mara.esp
Immersive Rejections.esp
JustBlood.esp
SunAffectsNPCVampires.esp
SunAffectsNPCVampires - ExcludeFriendlies.esp
DynamicMercenaryFees.esp
StoreDoorbells.esp
Whiterun Watchtower Doesnt Start Broken - Siberpunks Cut.esp
TheEyesOfBeauty.esp
The Eyes Of Beauty - Elves Edition.esp
Chest Variants.esp
Spaghetti's Palaces - AIO.esp
Shaders of Solstheim.esp
XPMSE.esp
FSMPM - The FSMP MCM.esp
_Fuse00_ArmorRaven.esp
Vampire Armor Expansion.esp
Armors of the Velothi - Ashlander Seer And Indoril Wayfarer Crafting.esp
AOTV_Beast_Helms.esp
blendedshrooms.esp
Dynamic Things Alternative.esp
RadiantRequirements.esp
Apothecary - Wyrmstooth Patch.esp
Apothecary - Bruma Patch.esp
Simplicity of Snow - BSBruma Patch.esp
Water for ENB - Patch - Beyond Skyrim.esp
Water for ENB - Patch - Wyrmstooth.esp
DBM_Adamant_Patch.esp
DBM_DDL_Patch.esp
DBM_ISC_Patch.esp
DBM_SMIM_Patch.esp
Lore Weapon Expansion.esp
Leveling Freedom.esp
UniqueDragonPriests_XB.esp
ForswornRetexture Unique Armor of the Old Gods.esp
ReadingIsGood.esp
NPCsReactToFrenzy.esp
evgmodularSMPhair.esp
Shrubbery Symphony Enhanced Greenery.esp
Rally's Common Furniture.esp
JS Dragon Claws - Wyrmstooth Patch.esp
Skyking Soul Gems.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Sovngarde.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Forgotten Vale.esp
Unmarked Locations Pack - Soul Cairn.esp
WIZ_FoscsF.esp
GDOS - Splendid Mechanized Dwemer Door.esp
Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass.esp
Rudy Nordic Pottery SSE.esp
RallysAnimMarket.esp
Diverse Campfires BOS.esp
BlendedRoads.esp
Skoglendi Tweaks.esp
HYORFishing&SurvivalPatch.esp
DBM_SkyTEST_Patch.esp
Fluffworks.esp
JKs Skyrim - Gray Cowl Patch.esp
MurderOfSongbirds.esp
WhalesOffTheCoast.esp
Stones of Solitude.esp
Fluffworks - CC Pets of Skyrim Patch.esp
Fluffworks - CC Wild Horse Patch.esp
WildwoodEchoes.esp
Lux Orbis - LotD JK's Skyrim patch.esp
GDOS - Glorious Solitude Door - Rotation Fix.esp
USMP - AI Overhaul patch.esp
USMP - Timing is Everything patch.esp
USMP - USCCCP patch.esp
JKs Bannered Mare - Immersion Patch.esp
JKs Drunken Huntsman - Civil War Champions Patch.esp
JKs Drunken Huntsman - USSEP Patch.esp
Ryn's Snazzy Last Vigil - Ebony Warrior Overhaul.esp
NPCs Take Cover.esp
DBM_JKBannered_Patch.esp
Water for ENB - Patch - JKs Bannered Mare.esp
SOS MM.esp
BlackreachEerieAmbience.esp
DistantDragonRoars.esp
Embers XD - Patch - Beyond Skyrim - Bruma.esp
Lunaris - Adamant Patch.esp
Desecration - Adamant Patch.esp
Rally's Crates.esp
Vigilant CBBE Patch.esp
Rally's Nord War Horns - Unique Torygg's Horn.esp
DBM_JKDrunken_Patch.esp
CaravansDialogueExpansion.esp
Nordic Winds.esp
WindhelmDialogueExpansion.esp
Arclight - Adamant Patch.esp
Skyking Signs - Bruma.esp
Extended Bandit Dialogue.esp
Lux Orbis - Goblins CC.esp
Lux Orbis - JK's Drunken Huntsman patch.esp
Lux Orbis - JK's Bannered Mare patch.esp
The Royal Seat - BOS Color Variance.esp
Sentinel - Unique Stormcloak Meshes.esp
Sentinel - Unique Skyforge Meshes.esp
Sentinel - Unique Guard Meshes.esp
Sentinel - Imperial Crafting.esp
1Dwemer.esp
1FlutedArmor.esp
1Markynaz.esp
Sentinel + BS Bruma.esp
Sentinel + CC Backpacks.esp
Sentinel + CC Fearsome Fists.esp
Sentinel + CC Ghosts of the Tribunal.esp
Sentinel - Adamant Patch.esp
Sentinel - USSEP Patch.esp
RibbitRemix.esp
SRP Additional Landscape Parallax.esp
Happy Little Trees - Ivy on Trees.esp
Solitude Braziers.esp
TMDWinery.esp
Water for ENB (Shades of Skyrim).esp
Water for ENB - Patch - Landscape Fixes for Grass Mods.esp
Markarth Outskirts - Water for ENB (Shades of Skyrim) patch.esp
Natural Waterfalls - Water for ENB Patch (Shades of Skyrim).esp
Lux.esp
LUX - Apocrypha Patch - Rudy ENB NAT.esp
Ryn's Snazzy Last Vigil - Lux Patch.esp
Environs - Hroggars House - Lux Patch.esp
Environs - Riften Warehouse - Lux Patch.esp
Environs - Shrines of Talos - Lux Patch.esp
Environs - Kolskeggr - Lux Patch.esp
Environs - Tundra Farmhouse - Lux Patch.esp
Lux - Legacy of the Dragonborn patch.esp
Lux - USSEP patch.esp
Lux - CC Fish patch.esp
Lux - Water for ENB patch.esp
Lux - Markarth Outskirts patch.esp
Spaghetti's Palaces - AIO - Lux Patch.esp
Lux - No grass in caves patch.esp
Lux - SLaWF patch.esp
Lux - Bittercup Patch.esp
Lux - Bloodchill Manor patch.esp
Lux - Dawnfang CC.esp
Lux - Dead Mans Dread Patch.esp
Lux - Elite Crossbows.esp
Lux - JK's Bannered Mare patch.esp
Lux - Embers XD patch.esp
Lux - Farmer patch.esp
Lux - Forgotten Seasons.esp
Lux - Ghosts of the Tribunal CC.esp
Lux - Goblins CC.esp
Lux - Goldbrand CC.esp
Lux - Hendraheim patch.esp
Lux - Inigo.esp
Lux - JK's Drunken Huntsman patch.esp
Lux - JK's Skyrim.esp
Lux - Legacy of the Dragonborn - JaySuS Swords Patch.esp
Lux - NAT ENB.esp
Lux - Nchuanthumz Dwarven Home patch.esp
Lux - Necrohouse patch.esp
Lux - Pets of Skyrim CC.esp
Lux - Saints and Seducers patch.esp
Lux - Shadowfoot Sanctum patch.esp
Lux - Siege at Icemoth patch.esp
Lux - Sirenroot patch.esp
Lux - Staff of Hasedoki CC.esp
Lux - The Cause patch.esp
Lux - Tundra Homestead patch.esp
Lux - Umbra CC.esp
Lux - Vigil Enforcer CC.esp
Lux - Vigilant patch.esp
Lux - Water for ENB (Shades of skyrim) patch.esp
Lux - Whiterun Market patch.esp
Lux - Wyrmstooth.esp
VSO_LUX Patch.esp
Bashed Patch, 0.esp
Synthesis.esp
DynDOLOD.esp
Occlusion.esp
I would greatly appreciate any input on what might be causing this strange issue.

Can you add treasure or collectibles as furniture in your houses? Most treasures I’ll fence and sell but a couple of them I think are pretty cool and would like to use as furnishings. Is that possible? They are taking up a huge amount of bank space which is fine if I can place them later… but if not I need to sell them. Same with collectibles - I’ve kept most in the hopes I can place them somehow.