《From Square One [Modern Fantasy, Slice-of-live, DIY, Unconventional FFM Relationship]》 Prologue: It was hard for a Tel¡¯ani to slam the door. Not due to mass, sure the average Tel¡¯ani was smaller than the average human, but it was the long sinuous black tail that got in the way. Tel¡¯ani children learned early on not to slam doors. Slamming doors caused a lot of pain. This was a good thing for Nickolette as the Apartment¡¯s Entry door wasn¡¯t hers to accidentally break just because she was pissed. She marched forward with a bag full of her clothes, green eyes focused on the parking lot and totally trying to ignore the sound of the second story window opening. ¡°Hey Bitch!¡± Jenna screamed. Nickolette did not look back. She was going to walk out to her car and leave with as much dignity as she could muster. ¡°You forgot your stupid hoodie!¡± Well shit¡­ Nickolette turned just in time to see the balled up fabric of her favorite hoodie unfold mid-flight and drop into the hedges along the building. Jenna flashed Nickolette a double bird and slammed the window. Nickolette hung her head as she walked back to the building to fish her hoodie out of the bush. She threw the bag and hoodie in the back seat of the car and only after making sure her tail was securely inside the vehicle, slammed the car door with a satisfying thud. She angrily shoved the key into the ignition, an action that took a couple tries, and turned. The car made a horrific grinding noise. ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t do this to me now.¡± She begged as she turned the key again and winced at the horrible sound. ¡°Please start, I need you to start.¡± She gave it to the count of ten and turned again. The car turned over and Nickolete rested her forehead on the steering wheel while patting the dashboard. ¡°There¡¯s a good girl.¡± Nickolette put the car in reverse, looked behind her, and pushed on the gas only to lurch forward and into the wooded post that separated the parking lot from the grass. Nickolete grit her teeth, put the car in actual reverse, looked behind her, and carefully pulled out. It was a two minute drive to the parking lot of the local department store where she parked in a distant spot and screamed her frustrations into the steering wheel. She then pulled out her cellphone and navigated to her brother¡¯s number.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Hey. Jenna kicked me out again. Is your couch still available?¡± He wouldn¡¯t see it until his lunch break and she wasn¡¯t fond of being a burden on him and his wife, but she was homeless again. Nickolette prepared herself for a good cry, but spent the first minute or so beating on the steering wheel in anger. *** ¡°Move.¡± ¡°Move? I can''t move. I don''t have the money.¡± Sally gave Nickolette one of her ¡°don''t bullshit me¡± looks. ¡°Seriously? Just apply somewhere else. Devil''s Peak or something. You got a car. It''s that or stay in this shit hole.¡± ¡°It''s not that much of a shithole.¡± Nickolette protested. ¡°Oh yeah? Boss is coming, and someone thought it was a good idea to wear a skirt.¡± ¡°Oh shit.¡± Nickolette swore as she tried to push down the fabric of said garment. ¡°That''s not fair, I got kicked out this morning.¡± ¡°Mmmhmmm.¡± Said Sally. ¡°Nikki, babe.¡± Said Carl. ¡°Not your babe.¡± Nickolette said, putting a little annoyed heat in her tone. ¡°I''d like everything off the top shelf today.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to hold the ladder.¡± ¡°Safety first.¡± Carl sang as he wandered past. ¡°This is sexual harassment.¡± ¡°Take it up with HR.¡± Carl, the entire humanoid resources department, called back. ¡°I hate him.¡± Nickolette said. ¡°Use your brother as a mailing address, get a gym membership for a shower, live in your car for a couple weeks. Or stay here and deal with this shit.¡± Nickolette frowned. ¡°Hey! Nikki! You coming?¡± *** Nickolette was stuck at a stoplight in Devil''s Peak when she noticed a guy at the entrance road that lead to the supercenter, the building supply store, and a strip mall. He was holding a sign that started with ¡°Starting over. Trying to get back on my feet. Need money or¡­¡± The light turned green and Nickolette stopped reading and started driving. ¡°At least I''m not that guy.¡± 01 Day 001 Starting over. Trying to get back on my feet. Need money or¡­ Some people laughed. That was fine. Others handed the homeless man cash. Which was also fine. One guy tossed a rather nice quality pooper scooper at Jake while laughing as if it was the greatest joke in the world. He seemed a bit off, but that was one less thing to buy. When Jake figured he had enough cash to buy the rest of what he needed, he wandered down the hill to the building supply store and went shopping. Jake wandered down the street just off Main until he came to the first house with a fenced off yard and a large dog. The place needed some work. It must have been old because the siding was falling apart and they didn''t make 12 inch Masonite siding anymore. He set his bucket of supplies down and knocked on the front door. The dog in the backyard barked wildly, but there was no sound of movement from inside. Jay shrugged to himself and made his way to the next fenced off yard. *** ¡°Hi. My name¡¯s Jake Carter. I''m offering dog poop clean up for $50 a yard today. Would you be interested?¡± The older woman stared at him for an awkwardly long time before saying ¡°no¡± and shutting the door in his face. ¡°Where is the rich side of town?¡± Jake asked himself as he picked up his bucket and headed down the street. At the intersection he looked up the hill. It would be harder walking, but the nicer houses were usually higher up.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. *** Nickolette pulled a folding chair out of the trunk of her car and flopped her ass down in it with a sigh. The sky was getting darker, the air was getting colder, and the other people in the campground were starting to huddle around their tiny fires or disappearing into their fancy campers. A campground near the highway on a weekday certainly lacked the party atmosphere she had come to expect. With a dejected sigh she pulled on the tab of her tin of sausages and looked at the cold and sad chunks of meat. If only she had a way of warming them up. Either one of her neighbor''s little firepits or the small stove the guy in the next spot was using. Couldn''t be jealous of him though. He was sitting on a sleeping bag, heating water on a little camp stove presumably to make noodles. He had a gray plastic tote and a bucket. That was it. As if summoned by her thoughts, he looked up at her. Nickolette gave the man a smile and an upward head nod. ¡°You travel light.¡± He laughed. ¡°Literally everything I own.¡± ¡°Your girlfriend kick you out?¡± ¡°Ex wife.¡± Came the reply. He seemed a bit bitter about it, but it wasn''t aimed at her. ¡°What about you?¡± He asked, using the same upward head motion to note her car. Nickolette laughed. ¡°Girlfriend kicked me out.¡± They both laughed and a not-awkward silence fell between the two as Jake finished cooking his noodles and Nickolette chewed on a disappointing sausage. ¡°You''re not the guy I saw on the corner begging this morning are you?¡± Nickolette asked, hoping it didn''t sound offensive. ¡°Probably. Only took a couple hours.¡± ¡°And you made enough to stay here?¡± Jake looked around at his camping spot. ¡°Yeah, not much for $30 is it.¡± Nickolette snorted. ¡°Yeah, not sure I can afford it until payday.¡± ¡°I''ll go halfsies with you. Not like I''d actually be any closer.¡± ¡°What? And give up all this room?¡± Nickolette asked, gesturing at the empty space behind her car. The camping spots were long and narrow. Fit for campers and the truck to pull them. If she took the front, and the guy took the back, they would actually be farther apart. ¡°On a serious note, I''m good with that.¡± The guy nodded. ¡°I''m Jake Carter.¡± ¡°Nickolette Aliea. Nikki for short. Nix for fun.¡± ¡°Ha, well met Nikki.¡± Nickolette raised her bottle of water in a mock toast. 02 Day 002: Sleeping in the backseat of a car sucked. The seats were slanted instead of flat. There were buckles which dug into one''s back and Nickolette was on the tall side for a Tel¡¯ani, about average for a human, which meant she couldn''t stretch out. The damn vehicle also trapped in all the moisture, leaving her wet and sticky feeling when she woke up. The morning air was stupid cold, but nature called and the bathrooms were several campsites away. She noted that her tent-less, car-less neighbor was also awake, wrapped up in multiple sweatshirts and fiddling with his little green camp stove. Once her morning business was done and she was just about back to her car, Jake looked up at her and asked a question that was a single magical world. ¡°Coffee?¡± Nickolette stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°You have coffee?¡± Jake held up a gas station styrofoam coffee cup, ¡°Yes, but I don''t have another cup.¡± Nickolette found herself a bit confused. Had he run to a gas station while she was using the restrooms and was mocking her? ¡°You made coffee?¡± she asked, looking for some clarification. ¡°Yeah, if you got a cup, I can heat some water.¡± ¡°Yeah sure.¡± Jake nodded and filled his small cooking pot with water from a jug. Nickolette fell into the front seat of her car and pulled open a very similar gas station styrofoam cup to Jake¡¯s. She gave the cup a sniff. It smelled like stale coffee and not like mold so a brief rinse of water should do. She snatched her folding chair and brought it and her cup over to her neighbor''s identical camping spot. ¡°How do you plan to make coffee?¡± She asked, trying not to sound skeptical. Jake didn''t say a word, just held out his hand for her cup. With the styrofoam container surrendered to the man sitting cross-legged on the ground, Nickolette watched as he put a plastic thing over the rim and stuffed a coffee filter into it. Now she felt dumb. How was she supposed to know they sold single cup drip coffee maker thing-ys. A scoop of coffee grounds and a slow pour of hot water left a rich dark liquid pooling in the cup.Stolen story; please report. ¡°Got any cream?¡± ¡°No, sorry.¡± Came Jake''s expected reply. Nickolette shrugged, creamless coffee was better than no coffee. She sat in her chair with a warm cup in her hands and let the hot bitter drink fight back against the cold trying to seep through her sweatpants and hoodie. Jake got up and started packing his things into the tote. ¡°I guess I''ll be moving in today.¡± He said with a grin as he picked up his tote and brought it over to the backside of Nickolette¡¯s camping spot. He really would be farther away. That was kind of funny. Nickolette said her thanks and goodbyes after taking $15 for his half of the spot. She paid at the entrance and headed off to work. ¡°Morning Cheryl.¡± Nickolette said as she meandered to her cubicle. ¡°Morning.¡± Cheryl mumbled back. Nickolette sat down in the chair, turned on her computer, and spread out the morning¡¯s map, weighing down the corners so it didn''t roll itself back up. ¡°Morning.¡± Came the tired sound of Sam''s voice. Those present returned the greeting as he wandered to the back of the line of cubicles. Sam was decent person, he liked online video games and all of the local sports teams a little too much, but he never gawked or was weird around the women. Nickolette felt bad for holding her breath as he went by. Nice guy, but fat and smelly. ¡°Morning Red.¡± Cheryl said as the cute little half-elf Lucy wandered in. ¡°Oh, good morning, Cheryl. Morning Nickolette.¡± Said the vibrant redhead in her usual quiet tone. ¡°Morning Luce.¡± Nickolette said completing the morning rituals. Nickolette hadn''t worked here for a full week yet and she was already sucked into the office rituals and customs. She clocked in, opened the D2L program and began the tedious process of updating city maps with cable line information. Mindless dull drum. *** ¡°Would you like your trees removed?¡± The old man retrieving his mail turned and looked at Jake with a perplexed expression. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Jake said with a self deprecating smile. ¡°Bad joke. There are trees growing out of your eaves troughs, if you have a working hose spigot, I can clean those out for you. Not today though.¡± Jake lifted his bucket slightly. ¡°On dog poop clean up today.¡± The old man turned back to his house and examined it. ¡°I do have trees in the gutters.¡± Jake tried not to laugh. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°$150.¡± ¡°The guy made a show of considering it, but Jake had a feeling that his gutters had been on some to-do list for a long time. ¡°Hmmm, front and back?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°When? "Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure then.¡± Jake gave the man a nod. ¡°See you tomorrow then.¡± *** Nickolette pulled her car into the camping spot a few hours after dark. A few hours after she finished her second job. Her stomach growled, letting her know that it was displeased with the lack of reasonably decent food. With a sigh she shifted through a box and fished out a pouch of tuna. It was unappealing at best, but hunger was hunger. Jake wasn''t visible tonight. His worldly possessions had grown to include a tent and a second tote. Nickolette finished her terrible meal, used the smelly concrete block bathrooms, and grumbled about how much she hated sleeping in a car. Maybe she should get a tent. At least she''d be able to stretch out. 03 Day 003: Way to short to be a chapter, I think I need to modify my story structure. Aluminum ladders had their pros and cons. Pros were that they were cheap and light. Both things that Jake was happy about as he didn''t have a lot of money and he was walking everywhere. If he had been carrying a fiberglass ladder, he''d be exhausted by the time he arrived at his first job of the day. The con was that the aluminum ladders were cheaply built. They occasionally folded. He¡¯d never forget the first time he watched an aluminum ladder fold. His father was coming down, once he hit the fourth step up, the bottom of the ladder caved. Jake had in a panic attempted to catch his father, an act that would have hurt him far worse than falling the four feet to the ground. His father had jumped down, or perhaps, gracefully fell, then slapped the top of the ladder to the side before the top fell on the both of them. That wasn''t a particularly good job. Literally the next day, one of Jake¡¯s father¡¯s employees stepped onto a board not supported by a roof jack and fell two stories. Amazingly the fall didn''t hurt him, but the board he had stepped on came down after him landing small first into his palm. He ended up okay. A few stitches and a tetanus shot just in case. As a rule Jake didn''t work on steep roofs. Best to leave those to the specialized companies with safety equipment and training.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Jake finished cleaning the eaves troughs of the old man and left another $150 richer. With ladder in hand he started down the street looking for any other houses that severely needed the service he was providing today. He stopped on the corner and stared across the street at a dirty and neglected looking two story home with flaking shingles, worn blue siding, and grass that clearly hadn''t been cut even once since the snow melted. He made his way across the street and eyed the ¡°for sale by owner¡± sign. Of course they never put a damn price on these things. The house looked in rough shape, but even if he could make a down payment, he couldn''t get a loan without pay stubs and a job history. He put it out of his mind and continued down the street until he found a single story brown house with a simple roof plan and eavestroughs overflowing with detritus. He knocked on the door. 04 Day 005: ¡°So, not a creeper?¡± Cheryl asked as Nickolette meandered to her cubicle. ¡°Not at all. I guess he could be leering at me while I sleep, but I don''t think so. I''d assume he was gay if I didn''t know he had just gotten divorced so¡­ then again that might be the reason. You should have met my last boss. He was the definition of sexual harassment.¡± Nickolette thumbed on her computer before turning. ¡°What''s up Red? You look like you have a question.¡± ¡°Oh, ah?¡± Lucy started in her usual shy tone, seeming surprised to have been noticed. ¡°It''s just, do you really live in your car?¡± ¡°Until I can afford a cheap apartment.¡± ¡°And speaking of affording things¡­¡± The group''s boss cut in. He dropped an envelope on Cheryl''s desk. ¡°Cheryl.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Cheryl replied cheerfully. Everyone loved payday. ¡°Nickolette, it''s only a week''s worth. Next payday should be double. Fitting in well though.¡± He dropped the envelope on her desk and leaned over to Red. ¡°Lucy.¡± A couple more steps to the rear of the alse brought him to his last drop off. ¡°And Sam. I got the Shentell maps up now, so there is plenty of work to do.¡± Nickolette let out a sigh of relief as her new boss headed off to his office and she found a check worth actual money in her hands. No more canned sausages. *** Nickolette tried not to let the rain bother her. It was cold and unpleasant and was going to mean her car was going to get muddy. Jake¡¯s tent had moved. Its original position now sported a sizable puddle. The current location included a tarp covering, giving it about two feet of dry ground in front of a somewhat open tent flap. Jake was visible inside fiddling with a cell phone. ¡°Hey.¡± Nickolette said, getting Jake''s attention while trying to squeeze herself into the dry spot. ¡°Its payday, I bought Sorjev, want some?¡± Jake stared at her for a moment with a befuddled look on his face as she held up the bag of food containers. ¡°Oh, ah, sure.¡± He tossed the phone to the side and leaned forward to unzip the tent enough to let her in.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Nickolette fell to her knees as she struggled to kick off her wet shoes. Jake took the bag from her, freeing her hands to fumble with the tent''s zipper. By the time she turned around, Jake had scooted backward and placed the bag on a plastic tote. She shifted her weight onto her ass and started unloading the contents of her bag onto the makeshift table. ¡°You didn''t need to include me in this.¡± Jake said as Nickolette unveiled dumplings, and four different types of sauced meats. ¡°Eh, this is my first payday in this town. I didn''t have anyone else to celebrate with.¡± ¡°Oh? Where you from?¡± Nickolette handed over one of the plastic forks. ¡°Palisade. You?¡± ¡°Greenbrush.¡± Nickolette nodded as she chewed on a strip of spicy pork. She pointed the business end of her plastic fork at Jake before asking, ¡°so what do you do all day? I doubt you need a ladder to beg on the street corner.¡± ¡°Handyman shit. Cleaning gutters and dog shit at the moment.¡± Nickolette snorted. ¡°How''s that pay?¡± ¡°$50 to clean up dog shit. $150 for gutters.¡± ¡°How many gutter jobs have you gotten?¡± ¡°Four yesterday. Only two the day before.¡± Nickolette stopped chewing. ¡°That''s almost more than I make in a week. You did make more. Fuck.¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°For now. I didn''t do anything today. But I got a phone now. Might head to the library tomorrow and print out some flyers. Can''t set up an actual business until I have an address though.¡± Nickolette switched to the peanut chicken. She gave a few thoughtful chews before deciding it was delicious and continuing the conversation. ¡°What do you need for a business?¡± ¡°Insurance mostly. Some paperwork filed with the Polei and maybe a permit from the city. All that needs a license, a phone number, and an address. I''m just short the address at the moment.¡± ¡°I''ve got a few more weeks before I can start looking for a cheap apartment. Looking forward to not sleeping in my car.¡± Jake nodded. ¡°Yeah. I''d prefer a house, but I don''t have the work history or down-payment needed to even look.¡± ¡°Ha, I''ve never had that much saved up. Or a stable enough life to think about owning a home. Not sure what I do with one.¡± ¡°I''d fix it up and either rent it out or sell it. Then buy another.¡± ¡°Well, let me know when you got a place to rent.¡± Nickolette said before dipping her jerked chicken into one of the sauces. ¡°Sure, doubt I''ll find you here when I''m ready for that though.¡± ¡°Not going to ask for my number?¡± She asked with a teasing tone. ¡°Didn''t want to imply interest in dating. I think I''d like to stay single for a year, or two, or six.¡± Nickolette snorted. ¡°Fuck I hear you there. Last girlfriend was a bitch. I''m fucking horrible with relationships.¡± Jake lifted his dumpling. ¡°Here''s to avoiding relationship bullshit then.¡± Nickolette lifted her own dumpling. ¡°Aye aye.¡± 05 Day 012: Jake stopped. The ¡°For Sale by Owner¡± sign caught his attention immediately after he had laughed at the hole in the wall just under the eave. He hadn''t realized that he''d been walking down the same street he had nearly a week ago and looked at this same house. Today he had been coming from the opposite side of the beat up blue house. The grass was already overgrown, the hole was big enough that a family of squirrels could enter and exit comfortably, and the shingles looked like shit. On a whim, Jake pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number posted on the sign. Of course no one answered. ¡°Hey, my name is Jake Carter. I was wondering what was up with the blue house on Saint''s End. 602 I think. How much and what all is wrong with it?¡± With the message left, he pocketed the phone and started back down the street. He looked the side over as he passed. The rear porch steps were rotting away and the very narrow single stall garage that looked like I wouldn''t be capable of fitting a car, looked ready to fall over. Jake pulled the phone back out of his pocket and looked down at the incoming call. ¡°Well that didn''t take long.¡± He said to himself as he answered. ¡°This is Jake.¡± ¡°Hey, you called about the house in Devil''s Peak? 602 Saint''s End?¡± That was interesting. The guy on the other end specified that the house was in Devil''s Peak, which meant he either wasn''t from the area, or he had multiple houses for sale in multiple towns. ¡°Yeah, how much and what''s wrong with it?¡± ¡°It''s being sold as is. Twenty thousand, but the roof needs work, there is a hole in the upstairs wall, and the pipes froze and burst during the winter.¡± ¡°Huh, I suppose you can''t sell it via conventional bank loan without fixing it up first?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And you likely don''t have the money for that many repairs?¡± ¡°That''s correct.¡± ¡°Hmmmm. I''d like to see how bad it is.¡± ¡°I got a guy who will show it to you if you''re serious.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don''t have twenty-k in my back pocket right now, but it''s just a matter of time and I can think of a few other options that would work.¡± There was a long pause on the other side of the line as the man no doubt considered Jake¡¯s words. He had admitted to not having the money, but had left enough of a maybe in there to give the guy hope. ¡°I''ll send Mike your number. He''ll reach out to you when he''s got time.¡± Mike had time a couple hours later. A few back and forths via text messaging and Jake was meeting a heavyset human man with a pudgy red face. He tried not to judge the guy. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Mike unlocked the door and let Jake in. It opened directly into the kitchen. To the right was the countertop, the colorful veneer peeling away from the particle board core around the sink. The sink itself was still filled with dishes. The flooring was of the peel and stick tile variety, but seemed solid and level enough. To the left was an old added yellow table complete with pile of mail and four chairs. One had a worn cushion on it, the others looked untouched. ¡°What exactly is up with this place?¡± Jake asked. ¡°Ah, Pete''s mother got real sick late fall. She was hospitalized for several months and didn''t make it through the winter. Pete hasn''t left the city in twenty years.¡± ¡°Shit, that sucks.¡± Jake walked into the living room where the ancient carpet was worn down to near nothing in a path that led from the kitchen to the bathroom. A bed sat in one corner as the older lady likely stopped climbing the stairs years ago.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The bathroom needed some work. The floor was a bit soft near the toilet and the tiles around the tub looked like some of them were ready to fall off. Jake moved up the stairs to find three small rooms. Two of them contained only boxes. The one with the hole in the wall had a small bed, a truly ancient TV, and a rundown dresser. The plaster was splitting in several places and the carpet was discussing, particularly around the hole in the wall, but the structure seemed stable enough. ¡°Where¡¯s the basement?¡± Jake asked as he returned to the first floor. ¡°Ahh, over here I think.¡± Mike said as he walked back into the kitchen and pulled open a closet door. The staircase was small and rickety. Jake lit the way with the flashlight on his cellphone. Calling it a basement would have been too generous. The floor dirt and Jake had to duck his head. The furnace looked old, but in reasonable condition. The water heater was a mess. It bulged out in places and the discolored area under it proved that it had failed when the water inside froze. The house had to be old and whoever had built it had clearly cut corners with the ¡®not basement, not crawl space¡¯. But for twenty thousand¡­ ¡°Alright, I think I''ve seen enough. I''ll give the guy a call back.¡± ¡°Chance you''ll buy it?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Maybe. Money''s the issue. Can''t get a loan. I''ll see if I can work something out.¡± ¡°Would you consider renting it out for six months?¡± Jake asked the guy on the other side of the phone conversation. He was leaning against the rickety shed/garage thing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Pete, his tone of voice skeptical. Not a lot of people have 20K in their pocket, plus the amount needed to get the house liveable. I''d like to rent it for up to six months, say at three hundred a month. After six months I''ll buy it. I''d have to fix up the pipes to live in it anyway so even if I couldn''t come up with the money, you''d have an easier time selling it.¡± Jake waited for the decision to be made. ¡°I''ll have to think about it.¡± ¡°Sure, you''ve got my number.¡± *** Nickolette pulled out her chair, unfolded the thing, and slumped herself into it. She gave a glance over at Jake who was on his phone. ¡°Hmmm. I need money to replace pipes and fix the hole and such. How ¡®bout four hundred¡­ Right¡­ I can get a contract drafted up¡­ Sure, what''s your address¡­ Oh wow.¡± Nickolette noted the look of surprise on Jake''s as he wrote something down in the small notebook he kept in one of his pockets. ¡°Alright, I''ll message you tomorrow¡­ Sounds good¡­ Bye¡­¡± He turned his attention to her. ¡°What''s up?¡± Nickolette held a package of sausages up. ¡°Wanted to use your camp stove if that''s ok?¡± ¡°Yeah sure.¡± His head disappeared into his tent and Nickolette took a moment hlto admire his ass. Jake set the camp stove on a tote next to Nickolette and slumped into his own folding chair. ¡°So,¡± Jake started as Nickolette fired up the stove. ¡°How''s the cheap apartment search?¡± ¡°Eeh, the cheapest place I''ve found is 500 per month, but I need first and last month''s rent and a security deposit. Why?¡± ¡°What about 200 a month and half the utilities?¡± ¡°Seriously? What''s the catch?¡± ¡°Several catches. First, you''d have a roommate. Second, the place is a mess and needs a thorough cleaning. Third, there''s currently no working water. It would basically be like living here, except in a building¡­ For a little while.¡± Nickolette leaned back in her chair and considered. Jake could practically see the math running through her head. 200 was less than two weeks renting together. Less than one week renting alone. She''d have to suffer subpar conditions for longer, but would save a considerable amount financially. ¡°I''m willing to look at it.¡± Came the measured response. Jake gave her an accepting nod. ¡°Will be a few days.¡± ¡°What did whoever you were talking to say? You looked surprised.¡± ¡°Oh, his address is in the city.¡± ¡°What city?¡± ¡°The city.¡± ¡°Helenapolis?¡± Nickolette asked with as much surprise as Jake probably had when he heard the name. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°That''s fucking crazy. Why''s a guy who lives in an arcology got a house way out here?¡± ¡°His mom lived here.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Comfortable silence settled between them as Nickolette cooked and they both considered Arcologies. 06 Day 018: Nickolette made her way down the narrow staircase and into the living room. The place certainly was a mess. A mess she would be happy to deal with for only $200 and half utilities a month for the next six months. The toilet not working, she was less enthusiastic about. ¡°Is it electric or gas?... Is there a large break for it, or a pipe that goes into the ceiling above it?¡± Jake said, talking to someone over the phone while leaning against the counter. Nickolette looked out the large front window and at the houses on the other side of the street as she absently listened to the conversation. ¡°And there''s nothing wrong with the old one?... Okay. I would call the local home improvement store, tell them what you want and make sure they know it''s electric and the breaker size¡­ Right double 40¡­ Yep. Have them deliver and send me a message. I''ll do it $100 and the old one¡­ Yes¡­ I happen to really need one right now so win-win¡­ Right¡­ Talk to you later¡­ Yeah, thank you.¡± Jake ended the call and looked up. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Sure is a mess.¡± Nickolette replied. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about the water?¡± Jake pointed to the table he had piled with tubes and a bucket of tools. ¡°I''ll get cold water going today. Hot water might take some time.¡± Nickolette crossed her arms and nodded. As long as the toilet and sink worked, she could deal with the mess. She could buy a real bed to sleep in instead of savin06up for an apartment. ¡°You get the toilet and sink working and I''m in.¡± ¡°All-righty.¡± Jake picked up the bucket and the tubes and headed to a closet. The open door revealed a very narrow set of stairs that went into a dingy looking basement. ¡°Want some help?¡± Nickolette asked. She''d already finished work and had the day off from her second job. ¡°I won''t say no. It''ll certainly go faster just having someone to hold the light.¡± He dropped the tubes and handed Nickolette a flashlight once they were both under the house. Nickolette would have expected him to follow Any of the pipes that were above their heads, but he instead made his way to the electrical box. She almost giggled at the way Jake had to duck his head, but managed not to. The tips of her horns almost hit a low hanging pipe so being a hair too tall might be just as annoying as being too short. ¡°See this wire?¡±Jake said pointing at a thick copper wire without the plastic coating of normal wires. ¡°We''re looking for where it connects to the pipes.¡± ¡°Why would it connect to a pipe?¡± Nickolette asked. Because common sense said it was bad to mix water and electricity. ¡°It grounds the system. They don''t do it that way anymore.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± Nickolette asked, pointing the beam of her flashlight at a spot where the wire was clamped onto a pipe. ¡°That''s it. Now let''s see if we can follow the pipe back to the main shutoff. Should be easy. We¡¯re just making sure it''s attached.¡± The two of them made their way over to the main waterline while following the pipe, which got bigger as they went. ¡°Good. No problems there then.¡± Jake placed a small red colored tool onto the pipe above the valve, tightened a screw thing, and started rotating it around the pipe. ¡°What are you doing?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Cutting the pipe. Can you find the sandpaper? In the bucket somewhere.¡± Nickolette fished through the bucket. She knew what sandpaper was, if not the other things. The pipe snapped apart and Jake rubbed the lower end of the cut pipe until it was shiny. He pressed a small tube thing with brass ends onto the now clean pipe. ¡°I need those clamps now.¡± ¡°Clamps?¡± Jake looked into the bucket and pulled out two copper clamp looking things and a small roll for the same thick copper wire that ran out of the electrical box and attached to the pipes. He clamped one end of the wire to the lower pipe and the other end to the pipe that was now separated. ¡°We need to make sure the electrical can still ground to the outside.¡± Nickolette nodded in acknowledgment, not that he could see it with the lights pointed elsewhere. ¡°Okay, now we take this three quarter inch pipe.¡± Jake picked up one of the rolls of blue tubing and walked over to a damaged looking water heater. ¡°Can you hold this while I run it over the existing pipes?¡± Nickolette took the roll and Jake took the end, lifting it over the old pipes and threading through all the way to the water valve where he shoved it into the coupling he had put on earlier. All Nickolette had to do was unravel the roll as he went. ¡°Alright, dig my finger cutters out the bucket.¡± ¡°Finger cutters?¡± Nickolette asked, hoping that wasn''t what the tool was actually called. ¡°They''re red, large blade on one side.¡± He said with a chuckle as he pulled a brass fitting out of its bag. Nickolette found the tool. It did look like it could cut fingers off. Handing it to Jake, he snipped the blue tube with the tool as if it were butter. Warm soft butter, not cold refrigerator butter. ¡°Okay. This is a three quarter inch ring.¡± He said holding up a black piece of metal resembling a crude ring. I''ll need another one in a minute.¡± Jake put the ring on the tube, shoved the brass fitting into the tube, then used a large pliers-like tool to clamp the ring down. ¡°Ring please.¡± Nickolette handed him another ring and he repeated the clamping procedure with the other side of the fitting. ¡°Why''d you cut the pipe just to clamp it back together?¡± Jake rotated the fitting so she could see the smaller branch of the fitting. ¡°This goes to the kitchen sink.¡± ¡°Ah, I didn''t see that side.¡± She followed Jake back to the other end where he put a similar fitting on followed by a valve. They then ran a thinner tube from the fitting over toward the bathtub area. ¡°Can you go upstairs, next to the toilet is this pipe.¡± He tapped the copper pipe he was cutting. ¡°Pull it out and put the blue one I have up there in the same hole.¡± Nickolette gave him a nod and a word of acknowledgement before running to the main floor and doing as asked. ¡°Do you want me to come back down?¡± She yelled at the floor. ¡°No, one minute¡­ Open the vanity.¡± Nickolette shifted over to the sink cabinet. One of the pipes was moving, after a moment it fell, then was pushed up. ¡°Can you grab that?¡± Came Jake''s muffled voice. Nickolette compiled and was momentarily shocked when a blue pipe snaked up from underneath, filling the same hole. The next pipe over started moving and she pulled it out when it fell, but a new pipe didn''t show up to replace it. She waited a bit, but no new orders came she met Jake at the stairs as he was coming up. ¡°What''s next?¡± She asked. ¡°Hmm, wanna start taking apart that box.¡± Jake pointed to a large box with a picture of a toilet on it. ¡°Old one''s probably fine, but it''s not something I want to gamble on.¡± Nearly as soon as Nickolette had all the small toilet components out of the box and on the kitchen table, Jake came through carrying half of the old toilet. ¡°Door please.¡± He grunted. Nickolette opened the door and Jake grabbed the new porcelain throne on his way back. ¡°That small box there, grab that.¡± Jake scraped away a disgusting goopy substance from the tube that all the shit went down before opening the small box and sticking a new goopy ring on the bottom of the new toilet bowl. He rotated the whole thing, lined it up with a couple of bolts and set it down over the hole, squishing the goop ring. Once settled in place, Jake began tightening it down. ¡°Wanna grab the tank and bag of hardware?¡± ¡°Yeah sure.¡± With the tank in place, a tube connected to the pipe they had put in earlier and the flushing mechanism put into place, Jake slowly turned on the water. Nickolette was upstairs with orders to scream if water started shooting out of anything. Nothing was leaking. They both watched the toilet fill up and flush appropriately. Jake checked some other pipes for leaks, but found none. ¡°All right. A few more fittings and I''ll have the sinks working.¡± ¡°Get me the ability to take a hot shower and I''ll blow you.¡± Nickolette responded. Jake laughed. ¡°Don''t make promises you don''t intend to keep. I was just talking to a guy who wants his water heater replaced. Old one works, it''s just too small. On that note, would you be willing to drive, and me here. I can''t carry a tank.¡± Nickolette chuckled at the thought of Jake hauling a large metal tank down the sidewalk. ¡°Yeah sure. If it gets me a shower here instead of the gym.¡± Test Scene 1 (Poll at bottom)
This is a writing methodology test. I''m going to be posting bits of the opening scene written by two different methods and and running a poll on which people think is the best. Test Scene A Nicolette stormed out of the second-floor apartment, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder and anger simmering just beneath her purple-hued skin. The echoes of her shouting match with her now ex-girlfriend still rang in her ears. She wanted to slam the door, to punctuate the end of their relationship with a satisfying bang, but experience held her back. She¡¯d learned as a child that slamming doors often resulted in her tail getting caught. A mistake she was not willing to repeat. Instead, she closed the door with a firm, restrained push, the click feeling feeble compared to the rage boiling inside her. She strode toward her car parked at the curb just past the apartment¡¯s lawn, chin held high in an attempt to preserve a shred of dignity. Her tail swayed sharply with each step, betraying her emotions. Just as she reached the pavement, her ex¡¯s voice pierced the air. ¡°You forgot your stupid hoodie!¡± Nicolette froze, then turned just in time to see a balled-up hoodie hurtling toward her. It unfurled mid-air and flopped unceremoniously into the bushes. Her ex leaned out the second-story window, laughing derisively and throwing up two middle fingers before slamming the window shut. For a moment, Nicolette considered leaving the hoodie where it lay, tangled among the branches. It wasn¡¯t worth the effort or the humiliation, but practicality won out. She muttered a curse under her breath and doubled back, plucking the garment from the bushes. Shaking off a few stray leaves, she continued toward her car, her steps heavier now, her pride bruised. Reaching her old sedan, she tossed the duffel bag into the back seat and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. Ensuring her tail was safely inside, she slammed the door with a resounding thunk that provided a small, fleeting sense of satisfaction. She jammed the key into the ignition, her hands trembling with frustration, and turned it. The vehicle let out a screeching whine, refusing to start. She gritted her teeth and tried again, the sound mocking her with every failed attempt. "Come on, girl, don¡¯t do this to me," Nicolette pleaded, her voice wavering as she turned the key once more. This time, the engine started as if nothing was wrong. Relief washed over her, and she patted the dashboard gently. "Good girl," she murmured, forcing a faint smile. She shifted the car into reverse and stepped on the gas, but instead of rolling backward, the vehicle lurched forward and collided with one of the wooden posts that separated the parking lot from the lawn. "Shit!" she hissed, slamming the brake and throwing the car into actual reverse. This time, she carefully backed out, her cheeks burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Nicolette drove aimlessly for a while before pulling into the back end of a department store parking lot. The lot was nearly empty, its desolate corners offering her a semblance of privacy. She grabbed her phone and stared at the screen for a long moment before texting her brother. "Hey. Jenna kicked me out again. Is your couch still available?" She hit send, knowing he wouldn¡¯t see it for hours and hating herself for being a burden on him and his wife. Tossing the phone onto the passenger seat, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, her tail curling around her ankle in a gesture of despair. Hot tears pricked at her eyes, but before they could spill, she angrily slammed her palms against the steering wheel. The loud thud echoed in the empty lot, a futile attempt to vent her frustration. Only then did she allow herself to cry, the sobs wracking her body as she curled into herself, alone in the cold, unfeeling car. Test Scene B It was hard for a Tel¡¯ani to slam the door. Not due to mass, sure the average Tel¡¯ani was smaller than the average human, but it was the long sinuous black tail that got in the way. Tel¡¯ani children learned early on not to slam doors. Slamming doors caused a lot of pain. This was a good thing for Nickolette as the Apartment¡¯s Entry door wasn¡¯t hers to accidentally break just because she was pissed. She marched forward with a bag full of her clothes, green eyes focused on the parking lot and totally trying to ignore the sound of the second story window opening. ¡°Hey Bitch!¡± Jenna screamed. Nickolette did not look back. She was going to walk out to her car and leave with as much dignity as she could muster. ¡°You forgot your stupid hoodie!¡± Well shit¡­ Nickolette turned just in time to see the balled up fabric of her favorite hoodie unfold mid-flight and drop into the hedges along the building. Jenna flashed Nickolette a double bird and slammed the window. Nickolette hung her head as she walked back to the building to fish her hoodie out of the bush. She threw the bag and hoodie in the back seat of the car and only after making sure her tail was securely inside the vehicle, slammed the car door with a satisfying thud. She angrily shoved the key into the ignition, an action that took a couple tries, and turned. The car made a horrific grinding noise. ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t do this to me now.¡± She begged as she turned the key again and winced at the horrible sound. ¡°Please start, I need you to start.¡± She gave it to the count of ten and turned again. The car turned over and Nickolete rested her forehead on the steering wheel while patting the dashboard. ¡°There¡¯s a good girl.¡± Nickolette put the car in reverse, looked behind her, and pushed on the gas only to lurch forward and into the wooded post that separated the parking lot from the grass. Nickolete grit her teeth, put the car in actual reverse, looked behind her, and carefully pulled out. It was a two minute drive to the parking lot of the local department store where she parked in a distant spot and screamed her frustrations into the steering wheel. She then pulled out her cellphone and navigated to her brother¡¯s number. ¡°Hey. Jenna kicked me out again. Is your couch still available?¡± He wouldn¡¯t see it until his lunch break and she wasn¡¯t fond of being a burden on him and his wife, but she was homeless again. Nickolette prepared herself for a good cry, but spent the first minute or so beating on the steering wheel in anger. 00 Prologue re-write 00 Prologue Nicolette stormed out of the second-floor apartment, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder and anger simmering just beneath her purple-hued skin. The echoes of her shouting match with her now ex-girlfriend still rang in her ears. She wanted to slam the door, to punctuate the end of their relationship with a satisfying bang, but experience held her back. She¡¯d learned as a child that slamming doors often resulted in her tail getting caught. A mistake she was not willing to repeat. Instead, she closed the door with a firm, restrained push, the click feeling feeble compared to the rage boiling inside her. She strode toward her car parked at the curb just past the apartment¡¯s lawn, chin held high in an attempt to preserve a shred of dignity. Her tail swayed sharply with each step, betraying her emotions. Just as she reached the pavement, her ex¡¯s voice pierced the air. ¡°You forgot your stupid hoodie!¡± Nicolette froze, then turned just in time to see a balled-up hoodie hurtling toward her. It unfurled mid-air and flopped unceremoniously into the bushes. Her ex leaned out the second-story window, laughing derisively and throwing up two middle fingers before slamming the window shut. For a moment, Nicolette considered leaving the hoodie where it lay, tangled among the branches. It wasn¡¯t worth the effort or the humiliation, but practicality won out. She muttered a curse under her breath and doubled back, plucking the garment from the bushes. Shaking off a few stray leaves, she continued toward her car, her steps heavier now, her pride bruised. Reaching her old sedan, she tossed the duffel bag into the back seat and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. Ensuring her tail was safely inside, she slammed the door with a resounding thunk that provided a small, fleeting sense of satisfaction. She jammed the key into the ignition, her hands trembling with frustration, and turned it. The vehicle let out a screeching whine, refusing to start. She gritted her teeth and tried again, the sound mocking her with every failed attempt. "Come on, girl, don¡¯t do this to me," Nicolette pleaded, her voice wavering as she turned the key once more. This time, the engine started as if nothing was wrong. Relief washed over her, and she patted the dashboard gently. "Good girl," she murmured, forcing a faint smile. She shifted the car into reverse and stepped on the gas, but instead of rolling backward, the vehicle lurched forward and collided with one of the wooden posts that separated the parking lot from the lawn. "Shit!" she hissed, slamming the brake and throwing the car into actual reverse. This time, she carefully backed out, her cheeks burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment. Nicolette drove aimlessly for a while before pulling into the back end of a department store parking lot. The lot was nearly empty, its desolate corners offering her a semblance of privacy. She grabbed her phone and stared at the screen for a long moment before texting her brother. "Hey. Jenna kicked me out again. Is your couch still available?" She hit send, knowing he wouldn¡¯t see it for hours and hating herself for being a burden on him and his wife. Tossing the phone onto the passenger seat, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, her tail curling around her ankle in a gesture of despair. Hot tears pricked at her eyes, but before they could spill, she angrily slammed her palms against the steering wheel. The loud thud echoed in the empty lot, a futile attempt to vent her frustration. Only then did she allow herself to cry, the sobs wracking her body as she curled into herself, alone in the cold, unfeeling car.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *** Nicolette leaned against the counter, absently fiddling with a pen while her coworker Sally leaned over, whispering conspiratorially. ¡°You know, you could always move. Devil¡¯s Peak is only a few hours away.¡± Nicolette sighed, her tail flicking in irritation. ¡°I can¡¯t just pack up and go. Moving takes money, and I don¡¯t exactly have a savings account right now. And my car is falling apart.¡± She avoided Sally¡¯s gaze, focusing instead on the chipped paint of the counter. Before Sally could reply, Carl, the store manager, walked past with a clipboard in hand. His eyes lingered too long on Nicolette, his smile making her skin crawl. ¡°Hey, Nikki,¡± he called out, ¡°I need you to clear off the top shelves in aisle five today. Got it?¡± His tone was dripping with fake cheerfulness, but the underlying insinuation in his glance was impossible to miss. Nicolette stiffened, clutching the pen so tightly her knuckles turned a shade lighter. She mumbled an acknowledgment and turned back to Sally, who rolled her eyes the moment Carl was out of earshot. ¡°You forgot to change out of that skirt after your¡­ morning drama. You know he¡¯s going to take advantage of that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Nicolette muttered, pulling at the hem of her skirt as if that would make it longer. She had been too frazzled after her fight to change into her usual jeans, and now she felt like she had a target painted on her. Sally leaned closer, her voice dropping. ¡°You know what you should do? Use your brother¡¯s address to get out of here. Get a gym membership so you can take a shower, and sleep in your car. It¡¯s temporary, but it beats staying in this hellhole and dealing with Creepy Carl every day.¡± Nicolette¡¯s tail flicked sharply, a sign of her frustration. ¡°And then what? I¡¯ll just be homeless in Devil¡¯s Peak instead of a miserable stock clerk here? That doesn¡¯t sound like much of an upgrade.¡± Sally shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but at least you¡¯d have a shot. Staying here means more of the same. Dead-end job, rundown town, and Carl thinking he can get away with¡­ whatever that was.¡± She gestured toward the aisle where Carl had disappeared. Nicolette hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Her tail coiled slightly behind her as she considered her options: endure Carl¡¯s harassment and a dead-end life in her hometown, or take a risk, even if it meant sleeping in her car and starting from scratch. Neither choice was ideal, but Sally¡¯s words planted a seed of possibility she couldn¡¯t quite ignore. *** Nicolette sat behind the wheel of her car, her fingers drumming absently against the steering wheel as she waited at the red light. She leaned her head against the headrest, exhaustion creeping in after the long drive into Devil¡¯s Peak. The weight of her decision to leave home still pressed heavily on her, but the not too distant tree covered hills in the town¡¯s backdrop offered a strange sort of comfort. As her gaze wandered, it landed on a man standing at the intersection with a cardboard sign. His clothes were worn, his hair slightly disheveled, but his posture wasn¡¯t defeated. He held the sign steady, its bold, handwritten letters declaring, ¡°Starting over. Trying to get back on my feet. Need money or¡­¡± Nicolette squinted to read the rest, but the light turned green before she could make out the list of items. She hesitated for a moment, her foot hovering over the gas pedal. Something about him tugged at her¡ªa kind of resilience in his stance that she didn¡¯t expect from a beggar. The car behind her honked, snapping her out of the moment, and she pressed the gas, driving through the intersection. The man stood at the corner of an entrance road leading downhill to a cluster of businesses: a building supply store, a supercenter, and a strip mall with faded storefront signs. Nicolette caught a glimpse of the area as she passed, making a mental note of the location. It didn¡¯t look like much, but she suspected she¡¯d find herself there sooner rather than later. She shook off the encounter as she drove on, focusing instead on finding somewhere to park for the night. Still, the image of the man and his sign lingered in her mind. ¡°Starting over,¡± she muttered to herself, her tail flicking against the seat. ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t we all?¡±