#realized today there is One More Hose i still need to coil up for the season; gah!

[theemperorsfeather]

It was overcast but not raining when I finished breakfast, and I had an unusual amount of energy for post-breakfast, so I put on a couple layers and got several gardening tasks taken care of, hooray. It did start raining a bit, but lightly, and then my neighbor came out onto her porch and worried at me about being out in the rain, "don't get sick!! but if you do call me and I'll bring you some medicine," "ok, thank you."

One of my tasks was raking up pine needles and mulching the raspberries and the blackberry, but in the process I realized that the pines would, of course, much prefer if I -left- it there. Unfortunately, the area around and right under them has pavers laid in the ground, I guess to make a little . . . IDK . . . sitting area? I guess? It's next to the stone wall at the front, and there's a little bench tucked into a corner of the wall. I don't see much appeal in hanging out there, but I guess someone at some point thought it might be nice. Anyway! I now have an understanding in place which is that next year, I'll remove a bunch of the pavers, so perhaps about half the space will be permitted to just be, which should make the trees healthier and happier.

The layer of needles ought to help keep weeds down in that area, and there's a section of wooden deck I want to take out (it's slightly higher than the rest of the deck . . . why, why the fuck, it makes no fucking sense and it's a tripping hazard, and part of the wood is rotten, it all needs to go) and you know what would be nice to replace it with, hmm, maybe some stone pavers. How fortunate I have a supply on hand!

With that and several other things taken care of I only have a few garden tasks to take care of for the season, which is great; I think the dormant season pruning needs to happen much later on so I'm not counting that.

[miss-eucatastrophe]

Main Pairing: Levi x Erwin x Mike x Thick!Reader/PlusSize!Reader

Summary: When you purchased your first home you’d anticipated it being a turning point in your life. You just didn’t anticipate that turn to give you whiplash.

A new home throws you into a new lifestyle you would have never thought you’d find yourself in-- with three men you’d never expected to be with.

Rated: Explicit [18+]

Main Tags: Polyamory/Polyamorous relationship, BDSM, Attack on Titain Modern AU, Slow Burn, Porn with Plot, Thick!reader, PlusSize!Reader, Chubby!Reader

A/N: I was gonna wait, but I guess I have no self control. 

Chapter 2

A groan left your lips. You were so sore. Who knew that gardening could make someone so sore? Your legs and forearms ached from digging, weeding, and kneeling in the dirt. But the payoff had been near instantaneous. Your little front yard garden was so cute. Time would tell if it would thrive. For now, it was just what you wanted. It was welcoming, and warm; evidence that a new person lived in the house.

“Just gotta keep my flower children from dying.” You mumbled out loud against your pillow. It took great effort to turn your head and face the light shining through your blinds. It was early again. It was shocking you hadn’t been sleeping in late given how busy you were. It was safe to assume it was the excited jitters that came with being a new homeowner. Each day brought a new project. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath through your nose, willing yourself to settle your thoughts before they started to list all the things you wanted to do to your house. For now, you settled on nurturing your flower children.

Good ‘ol Google had informed you that you should water your plants every day when you first put them in the ground to get them used to their new home. After that you could settle on a watering routine.

You pushed one foot out of bed, testing the air with your toes like you would a pool, and then groaned, pulling your foot back under the warm safety of the blanket. For a moment you contemplated going back to sleep, but vanquished the idea when the morning sun assaulted your eyes again.

With a determined huff, you threw the covers from your body, taking the plunge into the day. It took you a moment of stretching to drag yourself over to your dresser and throw some clothes on the bed. Something comfortable. You weren’t planning to go out anywhere today, just outside for as long as it took to water your front yard, then you would likely retreat to the comfort of your home. You had a few more boxes to unpack anyway.

After you slipped your clothes on, you made your way down the stairs to your kitchen, petite—but still bigger than your previous. It was the perfect size for a single occupant. In spite of not being hungry in the morning, you forced yourself to make breakfast, hoping the smell of scrambled eggs would coax you into eating by the time it was done. You often skipped out on meals, which was a problem. Perhaps it was one of the reasons for your thickness. Skipping meals could be just as bad as overeating, forcing your body to unhealthily accommodate for the bad habits. It could also be a trigger for overeating later in the day. One of your goals of a new home was to adopt a routine, which included eating regularly.

You spooned your meal onto your plate, adding some toast to it as you made your way to the window of the living room that overlooked your front yard. You yanked open the blinds, eyeing your garden as you lifted toast to your mouth and took a bite. Thankfully, the new plants hadn’t spontaneously combusted in the night. Something you assumed happened if you didn’t have a green thumb.

Noticing movement from the corner of your eye, you turned your head, seeing your neighbor getting into a clean, and rather new looking, truck in an army green color. Mike must have been going to work. You smiled, resisting the urge to wave. He probably wouldn’t have seen you anyway. Moving back to the kitchen table, you sat down to eat your breakfast before placing your dishes in the sink, opting to scrub them later. For now, you’d let them soak. Did they need to soak? No. But letting them soak gave you an excuse to avoid doing them for a few hours until they stared you down later.

Slipping on your shoes, you walked outside and unwrapped the hose from its coil, turning on the spray and providing your plants with much needed sustenance. You started with your potted plants, being reserved with the amount of water you gave your succulents before making your way down the stretch of dirt to the north of your lawn that your new shrubs and flowers called home. You watered your shrubs generously, pausing as you reach your pansies. You glared down at them, some of the flowers had actually had the audacity to wilt slightly. Giving a huff, you changed the function of your hose nozzle, making the flow far gentler as you crouched to examine them more closely.

“If you could not do that, that would be great.” You mumbled at the ungrateful cluster of flowers, eyeing a particularly sad looking petal.

“Flowers being disobedient?” You flinched at the smooth voice and stood right up, turning around quickly. If you hose had been on a higher function you would have sprayed the source. Opting not to take any chances, you quickly moved to stop the flow of water with the switch on the attachment.

You weren’t adequately prepared for what greeted you when you leveled your gaze on the source of the voice. Though after yesterday, maybe you really shouldn’t have been all that surprised. This man was nearly as tall, though not as brawny as your new acquaintance Mike. He had golden hair the color of wheat, and eyes that put oceans to shame under a pair of thick brows. You swallowed, taking note of his jawline and the expanse of his fit torso which was snuggly clad in a white button down. You didn’t realize you could hold contempt for a shirt—but with the sleeves rolled up a pair of strong forearms, it was clear the shirt was hiding impressive goods.

Damn every man in this neighborhood must have been a stud. You weren’t particularly religious, but you felt the urge to praise god for the blessing.

Though he’d probably just strike your down for the unholy thoughts going through your head.  

The clearing of a throat brought your eyes back up to the blond man’s face where a smile sat, not the smirk you’d expected from your obvious ogling. “I’m Erwin Smith. I’m your neighbor.”

“Ah, sorry!” you said quickly, setting the hose down by your tennis shoe clad feet. You wiped your palm as discreetly as you could over your thigh to clear it of moisture from the hose and extended it to him. “Nice to meet you, I’m [y/n].” This hand was soft, but all consuming as Mike’s had been.

Mike.

You suddenly remembered, stopping your handshake abruptly to point to what you assumed was the man’s house. “You’re Mike’s boyfriend?” You probably shouldn’t have blurted that; in case you were wrong. After all, Della had made assumptions about you and Sasha the day you’d moved in. But the stranger, Erwin, only tilted his head and chuckled. “Did he mention me? All good things I hope.” His tone was deceptively casual.

“Uh, no,” you mumbled in embarrassment, clearing your own throat this time as a blush rose to your cheeks. “Della told me there was a couple next door.”

Erwin hummed, a deep and satisfying sound, and nodded his head, though in the next breath he’d seamlessly dodged the question. “Della is such a kind woman. Did she bake for you?”

You smiled brightly, remembering the cookies, and not noticing his lack of confirmation. You’d already drawn your conclusions. “Yeah, the cookies were amazing. I’ve got a theory that she’s a witch.” Oops, word vomit. You were worried that male wouldn’t understand you were joking, but he laughed—to your relief.

“When we moved in, she made a cake.” He leaned in closer to you, his voice just above a whisper, “She might be looking to fatten us up and eat us, so be on guard.”

This pulled a giggle from you, and oh what a pleasant sound to Erwin’s ears, “If Hansel and Gretel could handle it, I think we’ll be okay.” The scent of Erwin’s cologne filled your nose, musk and mahogany flooding your senses and the hint of something else too. Ink maybe.

“I sure hope so,” Erwin leaned back, out of your space, “I would hate to lose our new neighbor so soon.”

Biting your lower lip, you took in air that wasn’t saturated with the blonde’s heady scent.

“Yeah, who would care for my flower children if I died so soon?” You teased, gesturing behind you to the new plants which for the most part looked healthy in spite of the stubborn pansies which seemed hell bent on making your life a little more difficult. The last thing you needed to worry about where flowers. Though your anxiety was probably delighted to have yet another thing to obsess over.

You compared your anxiety to a super villain—someone lingering in the shadows and waiting for the smallest display of weakness through your progress—poised to strike.

Erwin’s blue eyes slid over the greenery before looking up at you. “We’d adopt them for you. No need to worry.” You looked over to Erwin’s home where the lovely magnolia tree grew. Their garden didn’t have as many plants with flowers, but what plants were there were clearly well taken care of. It was mostly green, though the magnolia tree added the perfect little pop of color to an otherwise verdant front yard. “At least I know they’d be going to a good home.”

The male chuckled, a sound that hummed from deep in that fit chest. “Can’t take all the credit. Mike takes care of the yard occasionally, but we leave most of it to the gardener.”

Of course, they would have a gardener. Their house was large and immaculate, and in addition to Mike’s well-maintained truck, it was hard to miss the Mercedes currently parked in the driveway. Clearly Mike and Erwin had well-paying jobs. “A plant nanny.” You deadpanned, earning another chuckle from Erwin who’s smile turned fond.

“We’d love to have you over for dinner. We’d like to properly welcome you to the neighborhood.”

You were taken aback for a moment, anxiety flooding your stomach on instinct. The thoughts were instantaneous. ‘What if I make a fool of myself?’, ‘What if I spill a drink?’, ‘What if I eat too much in front of them?’, ‘What if I say something wrong?’, ‘What if—’

A deep breath through your nose.

A subtle exhale from your mouth.

The thoughts were quieted.

Another deep breath through your nose.

Another subtle exhale from your mouth.

Your heart rate significantly lowered.

“I’d like that very much.” You answered before your thoughts could creep in again and dispel your nerve.

You weren’t going to let your anxiety keep you from experiences, especially making friends with your neighbors. You knew if you stopped to think on it deeply you would psych yourself out with overthinking the kind offer and ultimately decline. Best not to let your anxiety or self-consciousness rule your decisions. Therapy had taught you that.

Erwin looked pleased with your answer, his smile touching his blue eyes.

“Wonderful,” he purred, reaching into the pocket of his black slacks to hand you his phone, “Put your number in, if you wouldn’t mind,” he added the last bit to make it less of a command and more of a suggestion, “I’ll text you a date.” You smiled and tapped your name and number into the contacts of his phone, adding a flower emoji just as a playful wink to your conversation before handing the cellphone back to his waiting hand. “Sounds good.”

The male’s smile didn’t fade as he slipped the phone back in his pocket. “I’ll text you later.” He promised, making you return his smile. Though that should have triggered a bit more nervousness, anticipating a text, instead it just put little butterflies in your stomach. Yeah, he was gay—and taken, you reminded yourself again—but you could have attractive friends that were nice to look at. You were allowed to get excited over a little dinner date, no matter how platonic.

As Erwin moved in the direction of his Mercedes, he looked over his shoulder at you. “Don’t be too hard on your flowers,” he fished out his key fob, clicking the button to unlock his car, “It can be hard adapting to a new home.”

Smiling, you leaned down and picked up the hose, clicking the water back on and misting it gently over the pansies once again for good measure, hoping to perk up the wilting petals. “It helps to have someone to pamper you though.” You mumbled absentmindedly, earning a little glance from Erwin before the blond got into his car and sped off down the road.

-

You thought you had made yourself perfectly clear to yourself that the backyard was not a priority. But after unpacking a few more boxes of miscellaneous objects late into the afternoon, it just seemed to call to you.

You stood at your sink in your kitchen, looking out into the yard from the window as you nibbled on a bite of your lazily made sandwich. Your small kitchen table had already been set up so it’s not like you had to stand to eat any of your meals, but it seemed even when eating you had to pace. You blamed the new environment. It would take time to get comfortable, just like Erwin had said about your flowers. Even though you were excited and loved your new home, it was taking your time to adjust.

Your eyes narrowed as you looked over the yard, as though you were trying to imagine it looking differently than it currently did. You had a rather vivid imagination, you read quite a bit after all, but when it came to mental landscaping you were coming up short. The only reason you were able to spruce up your front yard without much deep consideration was because there was a plot of dirt already prime for flowers. It just lacked anything in it. Picking some things to fill the void hadn’t required a great deal of mental fortitude. The backyard was different.

It wasn’t exactly a mess, but it wasn’t a marvel either. It was a blank canvas of untapped potential—and weeds. A slightly overgrown lawn, lack of any interesting plant life, and boarder of dirt that was begging for flowers much as the front yard had. But you weren’t ready for the amount of plant life the backyard could hold. Being a new plant mother, you needed time to hone your skills. The front yard was plenty for now.

Even so, you couldn’t keep yourself from glaring at the backyard. Maybe it was because it glared back at you from every window. You wanted to look outside and see something pleasing to the eye. Why did hyper fixation always go hand-in-hand with anxiety? You tapped your foot against the floor and chewed your food, willing the nervous energy to dispel.

Fuck it.

You could pluck the weeds.

That might help until you could really bring yourself to get into the project that it would someday be. Besides, you should really keep up on the yard even before fixing it so that it wasn’t more of a hassle in the long run. Weeding it would be a good start, and it might make looking through your windows a bit less bothersome.

You placed your crumb covered plate into the sink and made your way through the sliding glass door to the backyard, taking a little detour to drag the green’s can from the side yard so you would have somewhere to put the weeds after you ripped their stubborn carcasses from the ground.

The poor bastards had no idea what was coming.

Taking a look around you, you once again crinkled your nose in contemplation. At least the lawn was mostly green. It didn’t look as though the previous owner had used the yard for storage or trash. It really didn’t look like the previous owner had used it for much of anything. They clearly couldn’t have been bothered to do much more than turn on the sprinklers, just like the front yard. You narrowed your eyes and scanned the environment, once again trying to channel your creative side. All you could think about were plants for the most part. You weren’t even all that plant crazy until recently. It was just the first thing that came to mind when you thought of the outdoors. You huffed through your nose. Maybe a deck at some point? That would cost money. You sure as hell were not going to build one yourself. IKEA furniture was the extent of your carpentry skills. At least the fence looked pretty good, spare for a hole like crack in one of the planks on the left side of the wall. That should be easy enough to fix. Surely it wouldn’t require the establishment of a whole new fence so at least you’d save some money there.

You gave up your attempt at visualization to pull your gardening gloves onto your hands. You’d take to some online forums for backyard ideas when the time was right. You had to remind yourself that right now you were just focusing on battling the weeds.

You tried to go at it methodically, you really did. You were going to start at one end of the yard and make your way to the other. But each time you bent down to pluck one weed you’d see a huge one from the corner of your eye at the other end of the yard that would distract you. You’d pluck that one, then there would be another at the side of the yard you’d just came from so you’d have to go back again. Pretty soon you were just hopping from whatever weed assaulted your eyes to the next, which mainly consisted of the big ones that had no right existing in the first place.

You were going to kick yourself later when you had to revert back to your original method of going from one end of the yard to the other when it came time to sift through the smaller weeds—but for now the satisfaction that came from yanking the big suckers out of the earth gave you too much momentary euphoria to care. That would be a problem for your future self.

For now, your newest target was spotted. A huge weed growing along the fence line. The number of squats you were inadvertently doing in your quest to de-weed the yard was going to hurt you tomorrow. It was kind of hurting you now. Turning your legs to Jell-O. But you were determined to vanquish every form of unsavory vegetation before sunset. You’d use tomorrow as a day of rest if it came to that.

It was probably going to come to that. Gardening was proving to be a workout in itself.

Pulling yourself to standing, you walked over to the weed by the fence and crouched down, gripping it and giving a firm tug around the stock. But the titan weed hardly budged. You arched a brow and wrapped your other hand around it, tugging once more. You swore the weed pulled back as you rocked on your heels. Frustrated, you sat yourself on your knees and leaned back, trying to use your body weight to get the massive bulb from the earth with a grunt.

At least, you thought you grunted.

Wait that wasn’t you.

You paused; your hands still wrapped around the weed as you stayed frozen in mid tug.

There was another grunt in a masculine tone— which most certainly did not come from you.

“Goddamn it…” The voice was deep, dripping with a sort of smooth roughness that was a complete contradiction that only made sense from hearing it firsthand. It was the sort of tone that held an edge in any words that came from it. In spite of it coming from the direction of your neighbor’s yard, it was not a voice you’d heard before. You were sure you would have remembered it.

“Erwin—fuck!” There it was again.

“Shh…” That second voice you thought you recognized. Finally, your head darted up from your place on your knees out of instinct. You were eye level with the rough hole in the plank you’d noticed earlier that exposed your neighbor’s yard.

And much more than that.

From your viewpoint you could see the edge of a pool, lush plants, a deck further back—but the lovely yard wasn’t what pulled your attention. What pulled your attention was two people on a lounge chair, one propped up by the lifted back, the other straddling across strong hips.

The person sitting back on the lounge was obviously Erwin, naked as the day he was born in the late afternoon sun. Your assumption had been right about his torso. It was in fact sculpted by the hands of god, all firm muscle and definition. You could vaguely make out light traces of hair on it from your distance, what little there was must have been as blond as he was.

However, this isn’t what struck you the most about what you were seeing. Though it was a sight to behold. What struck you the most was that the person in his lap—

Was not Mike.

Your lips parted in a silent gasp, lashes fluttering as if you could wash the other figure away and replace it with Mike. But the person on Erwin’s lap couldn’t be more different and there was no way in hell to confuse the two even with the most vivid of imaginations.  

He was smaller, clearly shorter, with a body that was muscular on its own but far more lithe than the bulkier form of Mike. It was hard to see his face at the angle you were given. The lounge was not exactly parallel to the break in the fence, giving an angle that displayed a view of the sinewy back of the stranger, as well as their stark black hair, but no hint to their face in the slightest. But you could see Erwin’s, twisted in pleasure, and even at a distance it was obvious what was taking place.

Swallowing thickly, your eyes drifted down the stranger’s back to a pert round ass currently stuffed with Erwin—which from what little you could see not buried inside, was not an easy adjustment.

“Fuck me harder.” Came that deep voice once again, a commanding growl for more as his hips rolled down on the intruding length.

Erwin grunted, his fingers digging into the man’s waist in a white-knuckle grip as he bucked himself up, thrusting himself into the ravenette. “Beg for it then.” He bit back in a grunt, it seemed to be taking a great deal of effort to keep from fulfilling the request, if his clenching palms and strained voice were anything to go by.

The man on top of Erwin scoffed, lifting his body and sitting himself right back down on his lap, forcing the cock deep inside him before rocking his hips forward and back, pulling a moan from Erwin. “When have I ever begged?” His tone was deceptively even for what he was doing— as if taking that massive length was the easiest thing in the world. Perhaps something he did regularly.

You weren’t so sure you would be able to keep an even tone had you been in the raven’s place even if it had been the hundredth time.

A smirk played on the blonde’s lips, “First time for everything.” You thought you heard, but the voice was quiet, perhaps suddenly conscious that they were outside.

Pale fingers slid up the plains of Erwin’s chest to coil around his neck. “I’ll take it myself.” The black-haired male growled, steadying himself on his knees before he started to bounce on the cock inside him. He pulled himself up, nearly taking the shaft out of his hole before slamming himself back down, muted moans pulling from him each time he forced himself down on the lap with a lewd slapping of skin.

It was at that moment that the weed in your hand snapped, sending you backwards with a yelp. You’d lost your balance, your butt making contact with the soles of your shoes as you plopped down completely on your knees from your previously raised position on them. Ditching the weed, you crawled away from the hole in a panic and covered your mouth with your hand as though you could turn back time and capture the yelp that was already in the air.

It wasn’t until you were a good seven feet from the fence that you allowed yourself to listen for any sound. There was silence for a long while other than your rapidly thumping heart under your palm while you attempted to keep it in your chest. It was only when you heard the faint and distant sound of skin on skin, a sound you’d only hear if you’d known to listen for it, that you allowed yourself to breath. You pulled your mouth shut, not realizing how long it’d been hanging open. You’d probably swallowed a bug or two in your stupor. You couldn’t be sure.

Feeling your pulse throb between your legs, you whined softly, squeezing your thighs together and biting your bottom lip as guilt washed over you. The guilt was rather misdirected, at least it should have been. But you’d felt it for a variety of reasons. The hallow yet heavy sensation sat deep in your chest. You’d peeped on your neighbor, accident or not, a total invasion of privacy. What made it worse was the wetness steadily forming at your core. You’d peeped like a horny teenager and gotten turned on by it.

If the guild from that wasn’t enough—you’d gotten turned on, meanwhile Mike was being cheated on.

That last part stung the most.

Erwin was cheating on Mike.

-

You paced back and forth in your living room, the tip of your thumb in your lips so you could bite at your nail—a habit you’d thought you’d long since kicked.

How on how on earth were you going to tell Mike that he was being cheated on? Should you tell him at all? Was it really your place?

These where the questions stirring in your mind as you paced. If you continued to traverse one end of your living room to the other, you would likely ware a rut in your flooring.

Plucking your thumb from your mouth, you stilled your feet and pulled your phone from the pocket of your leggings, tapping away on the technological rectangle to bring up Sasha’s number. It was times like this where you needed to get out of your head. So, in these moments you often talked out your thoughts with Sasha. It was the only way to get out of the infinite circle your pondering often became.

‘If you were being cheated on, would you want someone to tell you?’

It wasn’t ten seconds after you sent the text than those little ellipsis came on the screen to indicate your friend was already typing out a reply.

 ‘What do you know?’

You brought up the keyboard of your phone to explain, but another message quickly followed.

‘Is Connie cheating on me?’

‘I’m gonna serve him in the burgers.’

‘I’m Sweeney Todd-ing this bitch.’

You had to type faster to cut her off. Maybe starting the message like that hadn’t been your wisest move.

‘No!’

‘No!’

You sent the message twice when you saw the ellipsis raise on your screen again, being sure she saw your reply so you could clearly explain.

‘Not you or Connie! I’m talking about my neighbors.’

‘Oh’.

She wrote back, a momentary pause before adding,

‘Don’t tell Connie about me making him into burgers.’

This pulled a smile from you and curbed your anxiety, allowing your heart to still. Leave it to Sasha to calm your nerves with her naturally comedic personality.

‘Anyway, what happened?’

Well that calm was short lived. You remained standing in case you had to get the nervous energy out by pacing again.

‘I met the neighbors. The ones Della told us about when we were moving me in, remember?’

It only took a second for Sasha to text back—she was fast with her fingers even though she had had the same shitty phone for close to 3 years. Only shitty because of the cracked screen that she had more than enough money to fix, but always complained if she got a new one, she would just drop it anyway. You were fairly sure the phone also had a little dent in it, she said it added character.

‘Yeah.’

‘They hot?’

‘Ridiculously.’

‘Niiice.’

You typed hastily to try and stay on topic.

‘Their names are Mike and Erwin.’

‘And they’re hot.’

You snorted but continued typing, trying not to let your thoughts linger on how attractive both the men were. That wasn’t was the discussion was about. You cut to the chase.

‘I accidentally saw Erwin having sex with someone that was NOT Mike.’

The reply actually took a full minute, though it wasn’t long, an indicator that Sasha had probably typed a few different replies but deleted them until settling on what it was she did send.

‘How did you ACCIDENTALLY see that?’

You could hear the accusatory tone through the little blue bubble that held her words.

‘I was in the backyard and I heard a sound and I ACCIDENTALLY looked through a hole in the fence.’

Reading that back—it really did sound like you were some kind of voyeur.  

‘It really was an accident. I was weeding.’

These excuses were completely pitiful, and you were the one writing them.

‘So did you accidentally get a good look at who he was screwing?’

‘I only saw his back.’

It was only half a lie. You saw his strong back, his black hair, and an amazing ass.

‘Was he hot?’

Maybe texting Sasha wasn’t as productive as you originally thought.

‘It was a very nice back.’

An understatement if there ever was one. You hastily added to the message.

‘But that’s not the point. It wasn’t Mike. Now I don’t know if I should tell Mike or if I should just mind my business.’

On the one hand, you wanted to have a good relationship with your neighbors, and who they were and were not sleeping with was not something you should be concerning yourself with. Injecting yourself into their love life was something you didn’t feel you had the right to do, especially because you hardly knew the two of them.

On the other hand, you thought about how much it hurt to be cheated on. You imagined Mike, blissfully unaware that the love of his life was sleeping with someone else in their own home and it made your heart sink into the pit of your stomach. You ached for him

‘Are you 100% sure that you saw what you think you saw?’

Taking a moment to recall the memory, a blush creeped up your neck and right up to your face. You shook you head to will the images away, once again ashamed of the heat it stirred between your legs.

‘Yeah. It was clear.’

There was no way to mistake what you saw. They weren’t nude sunbathing, they weren’t naked cuddling, and there was no way the other guy just fell on Erwin’s dick.

This time it took Sasha more than two minutes to answer. She must have been thinking. Maybe even asking Connie what he thought. You hopped not. Connie and Sasha may not have known your neighbors, but you also didn’t want to gossip about them. You honestly just needed your friend’s advice on a difficult situation. One that you’d put your own damn self in. 

‘That’s hard. I mean you don’t really know them well enough to say anything, ya know?’

That was something you wrestled with. It would be different if this were a friend who you were close with. It wouldn’t even be a debate if it were someone you knew well, like Sasha. You would tell them in a heartbeat because not telling them would likely have greater consequences. But when it came to Mike and Erwin, you didn’t know them. Again, you reminded yourself that it wasn’t your place.

But if you did form a friendship with them, would you be more obligated to tell Mike? You imagined having a friendship with the men and all the while harboring this dark secret.

There you went again, 100 miles ahead of present.

You chewed your thumb nail again, not noticing that you had once again began to pace.

You must have been taking too long to respond, because another text from Sasha lit up your phone.

‘Who do you think he was banging?’

‘Dunno. They do have a gardener.’

Your reply was meant to be sarcastic. How were you supposed to know? You didn’t know a thing about the guys next door other than they were both attractive and that one was a cheater.

Actually, you were relatively certain that Erwin wasn’t banging the gardener. That man on top of Erwin was too pale to see the sun on a regular basis.

A vibration in your hand made you lift your phone again, expecting another text from Sasha, only to see a message from an unknown number. Your brows knitted together as your finger pressed against the notification, pulling up the text.

‘Hello, [y/n]. It’s Erwin. If you’re available, we’d like to have you over for dinner tomorrow night.’

These guys didn’t waste any time. You’d be thankful about not having to cook if you weren’t harboring a secret about your inviter. You stared at the message, kicking yourself for opening it because Erwin would likely have an alert on his end that said the text had been read. He’d be expecting a reply.

It wasn’t as though you could lie and tell him you wouldn’t be home. That avoidance strategy wouldn’t work with someone who could just peek outside and see if your car were in the driveway. Hiding your car in the garage wouldn’t work when it was still a mess of packed and unpacked boxes you had yet to either toss or organize. Honestly, you weren’t about to be up all night clearing it just to avoid your neighbors. You answered before you had more time to mull it over.

‘That sounds great, I look forward to seeing you.’

Was that too formal? You added the number as a new contact before you could hyper analyze your own words. It was tempting to place the number under the name ‘adulterer’, but you thought better of it. You were just being petty about a matter that you shouldn’t be so invested in. You were going to have dinner with your neighbors and completely forget about what you saw—for your own sanity. You weren���t about to let self-imposed guilt eat you up inside. Though this wouldn’t be the first time.

“Not my circus, not my monkeys.” You muttered to yourself, a little mantra you used to say when reminding yourself that something, often some sort of drama, wasn’t your business to involve yourself in or to be dragged into.

Instead, you opted for continuing your conversation with Sasha, steering it toward any other subject possible. By the grace of god, she started asking you about your move and how you were enjoying your new house. Your friend always knew how to distract you. Maybe she felt your nerves through the phone.

She’d known you early in your journey through therapy and knew when you needed to talk and when you needed to be distracted. Sometimes she knew it before you did.

Counting and colors could only go so far. Sometimes a friend was the best grounding tool.

To bad you couldn’t bring her to dinner tomorrow. 

You’d be on your own for that.

[bffsoobin]

Windflower

01|02|03|04|05|06

↳ after a heartbreak you find yourself in a small town looking for purpose. you find employment with Choi Soobin and his impressive ancestral home. when you start to fall in love again, there’s no way for you to predict what you find in the depths of the home and Soobin’s mind.

➤ hanahaki au, fluff, angst

Word Count:3,945

Warnings: swearing, mentions of an injury (nothing serious), I didn’t proof read (surprise!)

A/N: here’s the long awaited (by some) part 4 of Windflower! I’m getting really excited about this as we’re reaching somewhat of a turning point. I cannot wait to see your reactions to the twists in the coming chapters hehe. Anyway I hope you enjoy & leave feedback if you want to!

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•

If you had thought the humidity the day you arrived in town was bad, you definitely were not ready for the sweltering heat that permeated the air today. You had awoken surprisingly early and found that the sun was shining in vibrant rays into your room. In your drowsy state you had enjoyed the heat, even curling deeper under your covers as your body surfaced back into reality. If you listened close enough, you could hear birds chirping outside through the closed windows and you briefly wondered if you should spend the whole day cuddled up with your pillow. The silk sheets could only shield you from the radiating heat for so long, though. Soon enough, the gentle heat that had caressed you awake settled into your skin and made you feel suffocated. Flinging your sheets off only gave you a bit of relief as you realized that there was almost no cool air in your room. Upon peeking outside, you noticed no evidence of the gentle summer breeze you had come to love. Every single plant in the yard stood still as the sun beat down on them. Sweat was beading on your forehead and the back of your neck in uncomfortable patches as you headed for the bathroom. Thankfully, the tiles were cold under your feet, and the small relief washed through your entire body.

You started the water for a cold shower, hoping to drive away the heat that the day had already provided as early as 8am. As small droplets of water splashed onto your skin, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was the kind of weather you should come to expect from the tiny town. You decided you’d have to ask Soobin once he got up. 

After the shower expelled the sweat off of your skin, you dressed and bounded down the steps toward the kitchen. At this point, you had been living and working with Soobin for several weeks. The two of you had a comfortable routine that included a healthy mix of time spent both together and alone. You rose before him almost every morning and took it upon yourself to make him an omelet after watering all of the houseplants littered around the living spaces. Many times he had insisted that there was no reason for you to make him breakfast; and this morning was no exception. Just as you finished watering an impressively sized aloe plant, Soobin had begun his grumbling.

“Y/N! How many times do I have to tell you that you have no obligation to make me breakfast every day?” His voice was still thick with sleep and upon examining him you noticed he still had some gunk in the corner of his eyes. The corners of your mouth twitched upwards at his helplessly soft nature.

“You can tell me every day, Soobin. I don’t care,” you pulled a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and poured both of you a glass, “it’s the least I can do. Plus, I know you love breakfast but you’d burn it all if you tried to do it yourself.” He grumbled at that through a mouthful of food but didn’t protest as he knew you were right. As Soobin sipped at his drink, he hummed thoughtfully as if he suddenly remembered something. 

“I think we need to water the flowers today. We aren’t supposed to get rain for a long time and it’s getting to be really hot. I don’t want any of them to die.” For some reason, the thought of manually caring for Soobin’s beloved garden put fear in your stomach. Of course you had done some work on the garden but nothing more than adding some mulch and chasing away the occasional bunny looking for a place to burrow. But caring for the house and garden was why you were here to begin with, so you nodded in agreement.

Soobin stood to his full height, stretching his arms above his body to work out all of the aches from his sleep. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t bring yourself to look away from the strip of smooth skin that became exposed in the process. You hoped he hadn’t noticed your staring or the light pink dusting on your cheeks as he passed by you to drop his dishes into the sink. With your mind whirling, you desperately tried to steer your thoughts away from the way they were running with the imagine of Soobin’s exposed stomach. 

“I’m going to go,” you coughed awkwardly when Soobin whirled around with his plate still in hand to make eye contact with you, “upstairs to change and then we can go out to work on the garden.” You took his moment of comprehension to haul yourself up the creaking maplewood staircase and into the safety of your room as your palms began to sweat. 

----

As soon as the two of you stepped onto the back porch you felt like you had walked into a brick wall. The heat was so oppressive that you felt physical weight on your shoulders as you groaned. Soobin bounded ahead of you as if he hadn’t even registered the unmovable force of heat encasing your whole being. You audibly gagged, earning a snorted laugh from Soobin as he made his way toward the sea of flowers. Their colors seemed to shine even brighter underneath the intense sunlight and you swore you could almost see some of them sparkling with an otherworldly quality. Upon further inspection you noticed just how dry the soil was and felt concern digging at your heart. Soobin seemed similarly worried as he stooped over a section of jasmine plants, cooing over a weed he had found in the ground alongside them. You shook your head at his antics and caught wind of him apologizing to the plant as you retrieved the hose coiled up alongside the house. 

For a while the two of you worked in a comfortable harmony. Soobin had put himself in charge of weeding while you were responsible for making sure the soil was thoroughly wet to avoid any damage to the coveted flowers. As far as jobs go, this one wasn’t half bad. Despite the massive area of the garden, the hose reached as far as you ever would need it to. After you finished watering a rather large patch of roses you could no longer resist the urge to stick your entire head underneath the hose. With all of the sun beating down you began to understand how Soobin had achieved his impeccable tan so early into the summer. 

“Soobin,” you whined his name to tear his attention away from the pesky weeds that had rooted themselves within his beloved garden. 

“Yeah?” his answer was punctuated by a grunt of exertion that you could only assume was his attempt at yanking out the weed. You grimaced at the knowledge that he wasn’t wearing any gardening gloves and worried for the sensitive skin of his palms.

“I’m too hot. It’s disgusting out here,” you pulled the fabric of your shirt away from your stomach before waving it back and forth to prove just how sweaty the combination of heat and manual labor had made you. Soobin said nothing for a second but you could hear the sound of roots ripping out of the ground before he finally replied. 

“I forget that you’re not from here,” he laughed as if the oppressive heat was something you should have expected the day you rode in on the winding road with your whole life packed in the back seat. “Why don’t you just go inside for a bit? I’ll be fine dealing with this alone for a while. Plus, I can’t afford to take you to the hospital if you pass out. And imagine how much damage you’d do to the flowers!” He gasped as if absolutely scandalized at the idea of your body crashing into the delicate fauna. 

You grumbled under your breath, making sure to turn away so there was no chance he could see the quirking corners of your mouth. “Fine,” you sighed, equally as dramatic as he had just been, “I’ll stay inside and watch you from the living room like a widow.” 

Upon entering the house, you knew something was off. Your eyebrows scrunched in confusion as you stood just inside of the closed doorway. Why the fuck was it just as hot inside as it was outside? Heat still crawled over every inch of your body, making strands of hair stick disgustingly to the back of your neck. You wandered through the living room, kitchen and library in the hope that the heat you felt upon entering was just due to your location. Unfortunately, every section of the grand home was equally as steamy as the direct sunshine outside. The dream of taking a break in the wonderful air conditioning was crushed. 

Stomping like a toddler, you made your way back down to the garden. Soobin had taken over your watering job and he seemed shocked to see you back so early. His shirt showed small hints of sweat building on his lower back and around the collar, but it was nothing compared to the absolute mess you had become. If it wasn’t for how much you liked him, you would have been annoyed at his tolerance. 

“Back already? Did you miss me that much, bub?” Your heart stuttered at the use of your occasional nickname. 

“No. You give yourself too much credit. The AC is broken,” the steady stream of water sprouting from the hose ceased as Soobin loosened his grip on the handle. 

“The house AC?” He asked dumbly, blinking at you in disbelief. His lips were parted wide as you rolled your eyes. 

“No, the AC for the shower. Yes, the house AC!” Knowing you had no easy escape from the heat made your nerves fray even more. 

“Oh. Well,” he turns the hose back on, “I can call the mechanic.” You stared at him blankly for a while before he felt your burning gaze. 

“What?” Rounded eyes opened even wider than you thought were possible as he stared you down. 

“It’s Sunday. What are we going to do until the mechanic gets here tomorrow?” The point makes his eyebrows scrunch together as the hose clicks off again. It hangs loosely in his hand for a few moments before he springs back into action. 

“Okay, you’re right. I’ll go into town and see if I can find one of those portable ones? That way we can at least keep one room cooler.” He nodded to himself as if he were speaking to his reflection and handed you the hose. Cold water dripped from his fingertips onto your arm and you shivered at the feeling. You chose to believe the water was the only reason for your reaction. Soobin ran into the house, lean body disappearing for a few seconds before he reemerged with his car keys. He said his goodbyes and left to find a solution for your personal hell. 

For a bit, you went back to watering the flowers. And then you turned the hose on yourself and let the frigid water run down your back. Although it was a shock to your system, you knew it was the only way you could keep yourself from actually melting into a gummy pile before Soobin got back. The idea of simply staying outside until he came back bounced around your mind until an even better one cropped up. Maybe you could fix the AC on your own! That way you wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of waiting for a mechanic. You were sure that you could locate the unit and find a tutorial to fix the thing. Maybe a special switch just needed flipped. With renewed vigor you shuffled back into the house, making a strategic pit stop at the kitchen to fill a metal water bottle with ice cold water. Your clothing dripped loudly against the wooden floors but you ignored it. You figured it was so hot that the water would probably evaporate immediately.

Although you had a clear mission in mind you had to admit that you were totally unsure of where the AC unit would be. Soobin had never pointed it out to you and the stately home boasted so many doors that you weren’t sure you would have remembered if he showed you anyway. You wandered into the laundry room, wondering if you had missed something on the walls. When you had no success there, you moved on to opening almost every dark wooded sleek door you could find. By some kind of miracle, your body had finally adjusted to the pressing heat as you searched. Despite that, you could still feel sweat beading on your forehead as you rooted through a storage room in the hopes of finding something that you assumed would be the AC. 

Eventually, you had exhausted the entire first floor. Every heavy door only lead you to disappointment and some mild confusion over why the old home had so many unused rooms. Perhaps the house got much more use in the old days when the large family painted on the canvas just to the left of Soobin’s room was still alive. The thought of the haunting oil painting encouraged you to make the walk up the steps. Your legs felt heavy from the exhaustion that heat and your search had made settle into your bones. 

A heavy sigh left your parted lips as you finally rounded the corner of the staircase and were faced with the familiar upper landing. You skipped past yours and Soobin’s room immediately. The AC unit was obviously not residing in your room, and while you had never fully been inside of Soobin’s room, you doubted that the house was designed that oddly. Three more identical doors stood further down the hallway. Weeks ago when you had taken your initial tour of the home, Soobin had glossed right over them in favor of showing off your new home for the summer. 

Something about his easy dismissal of the rooms unsettled you. You trusted Soobin, but there was no way to ignore the disparity between the way he had so eagerly toured you through the house against the way he barely even acknowledged these doors. You’re being ridiculous, you thought. What could Soobin possibly be hiding behind these three non descript doors? Shaking off the unsettling knot in your stomach you pushed the door closest to your room open. It creaked loudly from disuse and you cringed as you felt along the wall for a lightswitch. When you finally found one, a light crackled on in the center of the room and shone a brilliant vibrance all around. It was so intense that you had to squint your eyes until they no longer hurt. The room was oddly clean compared to the rooms you scoured downstairs. There was no layer of dust that you would have expected and a faint scent of lemon cleaner permeated the air. Innocuous dressers and bookshelves were pushed up against all of the walls. None of them quite matched but you recalled in the back of your mind that Soobin’s cousin was an interior designer; which would explain the disconnection of styles. This must have been the place he stored old projects and pieces he shuffled through the home. 

Feeling a bit more at ease, you continued to look around for any hint of the unit you were hunting for. Circling the round table serving as a centerpiece of the room changed your perspective and you caught a glimpse of something peaking out from behind what seemed to be a bunch of heavy furniture. The edge you could see looked promisingly similar to the AC unit that had been within your home growing up. With renewed vigor you began to push at a small dresser that felt much heavier than it looked. A grunt of exertion slipped from your lips as you finally pushed the furniture over far enough to get to the table located behind it. While it was much easier to move, it was also much louder than the dresser had been. The legs screeched against the floors and you shrieked in concern at the idea of the probably original hardwood being scratched in the midst of your desperation for cool air. As you crouched down to examine the floor, you heard stomping footsteps enter the room behind you. 

Reflexively you jumped back at the sound and subsequently bounced your head off of the underside of the table. 

“Ouch, fuck!” you clutched at the back of your head as you bit into your tongue to try and manage the throbbing pain. Your vision was blurry but you could vaguely make out Soobin’s figure and his distinct scent as he crouched down beside you. Gentle hands grasped at you, one cupping your head and the other resting firmly on your forearm as he ushered you out from under the table. Your head was still spinning; the combination of heat and pain making you feel sick to your stomach as Soobin guided you all the way out of the room. 

“What were you doing?” Soobin’s voice was assertive and laced with a concern you hadn’t quite expected. 

“I was-” you cut yourself off with a whine as a flash of pain shot behind your eyes and felt large hands grab at you once again. The next time you opened your eyes was when you felt the silky texture of your bedsheets underneath your knees. While Soobin rushed away from the bed, you fought to open your eyes as you grasped at the flesh of your knees to ground yourself. Although your vision was less shaky, there was no denying the extreme headache that originated from the back of your head. 

“Here,” you saw Soobin’s form coming your way before he pushed a cold washcloth onto your forehead. Although that wasn’t the origin of your pain, the cool sensation helped the throbbing in your mind calm down. Soobin shuffled nervously between his feet as he waited for some kind of sign that you were alright. Eventually, you were able to actually focus on the way his eyes were crinkled with concern, lips downturned in a serious frown that you hadn’t even seen him wear when he found he was overwatering his ivy plant. The persistent sunlight of the summer day shone in through your windows and casted him in a glow that made him look as if he had just descended from Heaven to check on you. Golden strips of light casted over his t-shirt in such a way that you were almost envious of the way the rays were able to wrap around his body. 

And then you remembered it was the same damn sun that got you into this mess. 

“I was trying to find the AC unit,” your voice was gravely and quiet but Soobin still heard you. 

“What were you thinking? You can’t just wander around the house like that! You could’ve-” he waved his hands toward where you pressed the washcloth to your forehead, “well you did! You got hurt! There’s a reason I didn’t bother to tell you what was in that room. There’s no reason for you to be poking around like that in a house that isn’t yours!” 

The corners of your eyes burned with unshed tears as you registered the raw emotion in his tone. Although some of his words made you feel like a child being berated, you understood where he was coming from. You could easily recognize the genuine concern for your wellbeing. 

“I’m sorry, Soobin,” he plopped down on the bed next to you, “you’re right. This isn’t my house. It’s my fault that I got hurt, really. I was just trying to help with the AC issue and I couldn’t find the unit anywhere else so I started looking in rooms I’d never been in before,” you stole a quick glance his way only to see his intense gaze locked onto your form. “Please don’t feel bad about me getting hurt. And I’m sorry about the room, I can help you move all the furniture back!” Something deep inside of you felt the need to do as much as you can to make up for the hurt you seem to have caused Soobin. He grinned at you softly before reaching up and encircling your wrist with his slender fingers. The feeling of his fingertips grazing the soft skin of your wrist made your insides ignite in a nervous fire. Gently, he coaxed your hand away from your forehead and you instinctively dropped the now room temperature washcloth into your lap. It landed with a wet plop but you didn’t have time to pay it any mind as Soobin slowly laced his fingers right between yours. 

He gave you all the time in the world to pull away from his touch but instead you just stared dumbly at your hand while he finally latched onto you fully. Your breath hitched violently in your throat at the warm contact and you were sure Soobin had heard it. For a second you worried that he would pull away or make fun of you for your reactions but he simply gave your hand a short squeeze. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about the room,” his voice was so smooth and quiet that you could almost fall asleep right there. An instinct you didn’t know you had caused you to lean closer into his side. “Just don’t go in there again, okay? I mean it. There’s nothing worth looking at in there,” his voice hardened unexpectedly and you couldn’t help but laugh at him a bit. 

“Okay, okay! I’ll stay away, but you do know that I just bumped into the table, right? It didn’t hurt me on purpose.” The teasing seemed to lift a small weight from his shoulders as he visibly brightened. There was no way you could miss the firm weight of his hand pressing further into yours as he leaned into your side the same way you were on him. Using his free hand, he tentatively cupped the back of your head where you had originally hurt yourself. The pain had begun to subside, but a new type of anxiety ran through your body as you noticed just how close your faces had become. You could nearly count every single eyelash framing his rich brown eyes. 

“Please,” his warm breath fanned over your already clammy skin, “don’t ever go in that room again. I’m already beside myself that you got hurt and it’s not even a bad injury. If you do anything for me, at least do this.” 

“Of course, Soobin.” You finally mustered the courage to return one of his reassuring squeezes; causing his dimples pop out from the smooth plains of his cheeks. Your heart stuttered in your chest before a dull, persistent pain permeated through it. You swallowed it down, successfully tricking Soobin into thinking you were fine as he rattled on about the fans and portable AC units he managed to buy at the local hardware store. 

The inside of your mouth went dry. You hoped that you were horribly off base, but you knew that ache. You’d felt it before. A part of you wanted to ignore the obvious and pretend that you were simply overreacting to a pulled muscle. Unfortunately, a larger, more rational part of you knew exactly what the feeling was. You were growing flowers. Again.

[shadow-passes]

Experiment

It was a bleak February morning when Sachiko Yagami arrived at the resting place of her son. She was dressed as all mourning women should be. A black dress with the only off setting color being a string of ivory pearls draped around her slender throat. She had come early today for it was the last day she would ever get to see him. He was to be cremated this afternoon. The idea still made her sick with grief. A mother was never supposed to do this. Never to see their child pass before them. It was unacceptable and Sachiko couldn’t help the way her face twisted. The morgue was cold, minimalistic in decor, it was not meant to hold life. “ Ms. Yagami..”   The voice was low, sympathetic even. “I’m fine. I’m ready.” She lied. She would never be ready. She had seen one body before and that had been more than enough. The portly young man only nodded, almond eyes downcast. It was always hard when the family got involved.   Inhaling, Sachiko stepped into the large tiled room.   Chrome tables lined one wall, all holding various tools, others holding stacks of papers. The other was lined with what looked like lockers. All locked with numbers adorning the metal surfaces in bold black lettering. Locker number 8 was opened well before she had arrived. It’s contents laid bare against a smooth silvered table. Mist still trickled from the now vacant chamber, proving just how cold that tiny dark space was. There he was; her only son dressed in soft blues and vibrant reds. He looked beautiful as a porcelain doll. Lips a pallid blue, never to utter a good morning nor bid a good night. If she didn’t know any  better Sachiko would have thought him asleep.   Oh her boy, her sweet boy had been taken from her. Sachiko moved without thought; closer and closer until her hands were wrapped around lifeless fingers. She hadn’t realized she’d been crying. Only when warm tears clouded her vision did she scrub them uselessly away. She held onto that freezing, stiff hand for all her worth. This was no longer her child, just an empty cold shell and yet….she did not lessen her grip.   “Oh Light…” Sachiko’s voice cracked, bearing her sorrow. “ My sweet boy…” Something was calling him. Disturbed, warped, frightening even as it called again and again into the freezing expanse. It was his mother’s voice that woke him. Her warm hands tightly wrapped around his limp, freezing palm to the point it burned. Low, shallow, thin breathes began to roll down a throat that should be still. To fill up lungs that had long since ceased and to pump a heart that had been still for nearly a week. Thoughts flooded his mind, images, shards of memory, everything rushing in all at once. He would have screamed until his throat collapsed but as it was Light could only breathe in somber stillness. He couldn’t move…..at all. No matter how hard he tried nothing happened.   The scorching of his hand had long since ceased. The voice of his mother disappeared leaving only hollow silence in its place. /W-Wait!/ He wanted to cry, shout, something, anything but lay in freezing darkness. For the second time in his life Light felt an overwhelming, suffocating terror sink deep into his bones.He remembered everything clearly now. He had died, suffocating on his own blood in a filthy puddle. Every ounce of pride he once had shattered the moment that bullet sank into his flesh.  He had died as he lived; a coward. If he had died…why was…? / Wait….Whats../ The thoughts were slow, sluggish and made his head begin to throb.His lungs wound unto themselves like split-ended threads coiling into a spool.They weighed heavy in his chest, smothering his heartbeat. A dull aching throb begins to pound in between his temples.  His headache paints spirals in his skull, swirling and swirling and his mouth goes dry. /I’m alive? How? No, why…I had died…/ The questions burned his mind and slithered into his heart. Light had never been one to feverishly cling to baseless belief but.. / I am God.Why else would i have been brought back?/ The question went unanswered for some time. / There is no other reason. This world is still rotting, still brimming with such filth./ The thoughts made him seethe. His body shook both out of the cold and the righteous rage that pulsed through him. / Those who are making it rot are truly evil. They deserve to die not me. I am Justice, I am God and I WILL create a better world./ He was given a purpose and he would fulfill this purpose to his dying breathe. He had sacrificed his mind, body, his very soul and he had been rewarded. Struck down by impure, squalid individuals only fueled his belief. He had been unjustly dethroned. He would reclaim that mantel and crush any and all who dared to oppose him. He was the one true God. He was brought back to continue his work.There could be no other reason. That was the only thing that kept him from falling into a pit of frenzied panic. Humans feared the unknown, basic fact, so Light simply gave it a face. Light tried hard to open his eyes. It was painful just breathing to even attempt to move made him quiver. The noise around him was back, this time much deeper then before, two sets of sounds mumbling here and there. Light could not make out words only the guttural sounds that bounced off his ear drums. The frigid darkness was split by a thin layer of blinding light, one followed by another until finally both eyes were open. They couldn’t focus, everything was too bright, too loud and Light closed them once again. Something particularly loud grated against his ears and bounced around the room.   Takahiro Sugimoto didn’t believe in ghosts. Doing what he did, seeing as many bodies as he did, the belief long vanished. Well….until today.  A dead man was staring up at him, eyes bloodshot, irises a pitch black and unwavering as they watched. Takahiro did what any normal man would in this situation. He screamed, tumbled and knocked a tray of surgical equipment to the floor. The tools all slapped against the tile with an array of sounds, none pleasant to hear. The body did not move. It did not lunge for him nor did it crawl from the place it lay. Takahiro rose from his place on the floor. His limbs were trembling, his heart was pounding and he suddenly felt nauseous. “H-Hello?” This person was….alive? The Cremation Operator looked hesitant, fearful even to approach but he did so out of better judgment. Surely this must be a prank! He was a transfer from out of state. His colleagues were simply pulling him around for shits and giggles. It had to be. The closer he grew, the more he searched for hoses or mechanics the more that comfort died. The body was breathing, labored but still breathing. The eyes again opened this time they tried to look around. Red blotched eyes rolling from one end to another. They did not rest on him merely passing over to peek at the walls. Did it…..not see him? Takahiro took solace in that. So far it did nothing but breathe and peer about. So far anyway. What if it tried to move? To get off the table? The young man hurriedly moved across the room eyes never leaving the body. His fingers were slick with sweat and they trembled so hard he barely managed to dial the phone at all.The slow rolling monotone beeped in rhythm with his heart. Sweat had already begun to bead down his forehead to collect in the lapels of his shirt dampening the fabric at an alarming rate. Several minutes ticked by before the phone finally clicked alive and a voice greeted him. “Chief of Police this is Aizawa.” The phone was silent, the only sound being a strange wheezing. They sounded sick or in pain by the way the noise labored. “ Hello? “ Aizawa looked down to the receiver and indeed the phone was connected. “I-Its alive! I-It’s..I-Its..” the voice screeched loudly into the phone. Aizawa tilted his ear away as the sound grew louder. “Sir, your going to need to calm down.” The voice on the line continued on with its frantic tone. “ You need to send somebody! I didn’t….I didn’t know who to call….” “ Sir- “ The police chief was briefly cut off by a jarring clatter from the other line and then gasping. “ It woke up! Please just send somebody here..” “ What woke up? Where are you calling from? “ “THE BODY! It just woke up! Please send somebody!! I-I’m….” Another heavy pause. Aizawa’s face scrunched and his eyebrows pinched together. Something was very strange. Were they high? Drunk? Their voice didn’t sound slurred, perhaps heavy drugs? “Please sir, calm down and tell me your name, exactly where you are and your emergency.” The poor fool on the other line sounded scared witless. “M-My name?” They sounded breathless, confused. “O-Oh my name is Takahiro Sugimoto.” Decent enough start. “ Take a deep breathe Takahiro and please explain to me the situation.” Matsuda had finally looked up from his desk. Bending forward in his office chair to tap a finger against the grained wood. “We got a call?” The young cop had been bored stiff lately. Aizawa waved him off with an exasperated look. The plastic phone creaked and sounded as if it was to snap. “Who?” Aizawa suddenly sounded angry. Rage clipping the edges of his voice easily as a knife would slid through paper. “Light Yagami sir.”  Takahiro repeated, his once erratic breathing finally returning to normalcy. The Police Chief looked about to toss the phone across the room. Just the very name set him in a tizzy. He did not want to ever hear that name. He wanted to forget and  purge himself of that /monster/. Light Yagami was not a man. He was a demon, a wolf hiding amongst a flock of sheep. He had died and Aizawa had witnessed it. Witnessed the dying pathetic pleas of a frightened little boy up until his voice stilled and his body sank into a red puddle. So why was somebody calling about him? About him waking up? It must be some sick prank. “A-And..” A breathe.” And what is he doing currently?” “ He is…..He is just..just looking around. He hasn’t moved onl-” “Where exactly are you?” Even if it was some terrible joke he couldn’t simply ignore it. Aizawa dug through his desk, produced a note pad and pen and began scribbling down an address. The phone was hung up with more force then needed. The desk chair sputtered out behind him slapping into the adjacent wall. Matsuda hurriedly rose from his seat and snagged  his coat without even a word. “You might just get the money you spent on that suit back.” It was a grim, ill-tempered excuse of a joke but it was the only thing keeping Aizawa from breaking out into a rage. If this was some sick fucks excuse of a joke heads were going to roll. Both men left the building in a hurry, bracing as the wind had picked up pace. A nasty storm was beginning to roll in from the North.

@ywlir

[spellucci]

California Here I Come

Leap Day, Saturday, February 29, 2020

Today is the day!

We have been prepping for our trip to Anaheim for, well, months. We went to bed well past midnight last night, wired over all the preparations for our first cross-continent trip in a still very new camper. We woke before 6:00, roused by yet more things that needed to be put on the list before we forget. The lists were making lists.

To store our gear, we had to outfit Millie with storage cabinets that Jeanne gleefully fetched from the Container Store. The basic layout of our storage area is three stacks of drawers stowed under the driver's side of the double bed in the rear of the camper. (The passenger's side folds up out of the way during the daytime.) One stack faces forward and holds dry goods. A second faces to the side, and holds more dry goods and Amber's supplies. The last faces rear and holds cables, hoses, tools, and spare parts. Each is neatly labeled with its contents, like "Snacks", and has a detailed inventory taped to the front. Bulky gear like chairs and leveling blocks go in a waterproof bag on the roof.

Or at least that was how we planned to use the space. As Tim's brother says, "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is." So in practice, some drawers were overflowing, while others were partly empty. We rearranged, or "rebalanced" as they say in the trade. Mild panic sets in when we realize we have two more bags of supplies to fit in to the already full drawers somehow. But fit them in we did, and by 10:00 we were rolling.

Our progress had been slowed by yet another low coolant warning, an ongoing issue. Tim found the likely leaking part and took a picture to send to Storyteller Overland, although it is much more likely a Mercedes-Benz issue. The issue seems to occur when we've been idling for quite some time. But we have coolant and can get more, and it only needs a pint at a time, so we set off to take it to the Mercedes dealer to have it looked at. The dealer in Anaheim, that is.

It is cold. Not bitter freeze your lips off cold. But we're already prepared to be in Southern California, so coiling hoses and cables while it is 38 out is noticeably uncomfortable. As we set off for the first leg of the trip, the wind picks up and the temperature drops below freezing. The owner's manual says it is possible to use heat from the engine to heat the back of the camper. Motivated by the cold air from the back drifting into the cab, we study the manual until we learn how.

We made decent time across Massachusetts and Connecticut, stopping at Rein's for lunch, took the Beacon Newburgh bridge across the Hudson, got diesel before leaving New York (it's pricy in Pennsylvania) and made it halfway through the Keystone State before we bedded down at a rest area on I-80 in a town aptly named Snow Shoe. We brought Amber's big bed and laid it under the double bed. You have never seen a dog in so comfy a cave.

[completeautoloans]

Car Alarm Installation

If you own a car, you understand the importance of adopting advanced security measures to protect your vehicle.  Installing a good car alarm is an effective way of doing so. Before you settle for an alarm system for your car, there are various factors you need to consider. We shall find out all about car alarm installation in this comprehensive article.

  How to Find the Best Car Alarm Installation near Me

To establish the best service provider within your area, you should know your car make and model. It’s also important to know the best alarm system that not only is compatible with your car but also one that fits your needs. You may want to identify two-car alarm systems and comparing them before picking the one that has all your preferred features.

The car alarm you choose should guarantee ultimate security for your car. Some of the best and most advanced car security systems feature a remote control which gives you access to communicate regularly with your vehicle while leveraging on the key free entry system.

Fuel treatments…read all about them

Should I Use a Fuel Injection Service

Remember;

For each car alarm system, you choose, be careful to read the manufacturer’s descriptions. This will go a long way in helping you choose the best system for your car. There are different factors which play a major role when it comes to choosing the ultimate car alarm for your car. While some of them are more critical, you should consider all these factors before purchasing an alarm system for your car. They are:

Sensors​ & Sirens

The best car alarms feature different sensors capable of noticing an ongoing theft in various ways. Further, good quality car alarms should have a noise-producing gadget such as a siren which goes off every time a thief tries to steal the car.

Best Devices to Keep Your Car Secured

How to Ensure Your Car Stereo Doesn’t Go Missing

Details

A good car alarm should come with comprehensive details online and within the package. Before purchasing a car alarm, you should be satisfied with its capability.

Compatibility Options

A good car alarm should be compatible with your vehicle. In this era of advanced technology,  the best car alarm systems should not only allow customers to choose their preferred features, but they should also be able to customize them accordingly immediately or at a later date.

These Tips Will Help You Get a Buyer for Your Car

Car Alarm System Installation Guide

Car alarms offer a certain percentage of security to your car to give you some peace of mind. Many cars already feature a car alarm system but some come without one. Even when you’re lucky enough to purchase a car that’s already fitted with an alarm system, you’ll want to fit it with a good quality alarm system to enhance the security of your car.

Fitting a new car alarm system is not a complex technical idea as many car owners may think. You can easily do it on your own albeit with sufficient data and appropriate preparation.  The process below will ease the car alarm installation process for you should you opt to do it yourself.

Have an Installation Strategy

Having a plan is the first step which can accelerate the installation process while cutting off many hours from your installation time. Collect together all the necessary documents you will need for the installation process. These could include manuals with exhaustive details regarding your vehicle’s wire polarities, their location, and their colors.

Test Your Car Doors

Inspect all your car doors to ensure that the door ajar indicator is functioning appropriately. If it doesn’t, then that should be the first indication that the alarm system won’t activate if someone tampers with the doors which eventually makes the alarm ineffective. Many car alarms feature elective pin switches which stimulate the alarm every time your car door opens. You can use these if you realize that your car doors don’t activate the door ajar indicator.

Research Extensively

Today, you can easily get all the information you need from the internet with ease. Look for manuals and search for wiring diagrams. Figure out the panels that you need to remove and understand the appropriate tools you need to execute the task. Remember, each car comes with a varying wiring layout and you want to study your car to better understand it. You could draw down a plan indicating where you intend to fix the car alarm system.

How to Fix a Car Alarm System

Here is a simple car alarm installation system.

Remove the Essential Panels

By removing the panels, you will be able to view and get access to the wires you need to connect the alarm system. Further, you’ll also gain access to other areas in your car such as the dashboard where you can fit in the alarm. In this case, you’ll need to remove the panels located along the central part of the dashboard along the driver’s side of your car.

Many times, these panels are either beneath the steering wheel or near the floor of your car. These panels differ depending on the make and model of your car. However, a car service manual should help you identify the ideal panels.

Fix the Car Alarm

Ensure you fix your alarm in a concealed area. While some people opt to fix it under the dash, you can choose to fit in other parts too such as beneath the driver’s seat. You don’t want to make the alarm system visible enough for potential thieves to see it. This way, you’re sure that no one will attempt to tamper with it. A hard to find car alarm system is often the most effective. Ensure to fit in all the accessories and screw that come packaged with the alarm system. Inspect surfaces before screwing through to avoid screwing through car parts or wires.

Drill across the Firewall

Identify a hole within the firewall and direct a wire straight from the car alarm to the siren. If you can, run the wire next to the core heater hoses, ignition power source, an amp power engine, or any lead penetrating which allows direct access through the firewall. If you can’t spot any hole, then you’ll need to proceed with the drilling process. Exercise caution when drilling to ensure that the spot you intend to drill is safe and will not cause damage to other parts of your car.

Drive a Wire across the Firewall

The wire connects the car alarm and the siren. Remember to insulate the wire using a rubber boot. Better still, you can choose to load silicon inside the hole to protect the wire from shorting out and getting destroyed when it gets into contact with the firewall. Secure the wire in a safe place out of human reach.

Affix the Siren

Decide where between your car’s engine bay and firewall is spacious enough for the siren to fit. Place the siren face down to ensure that water doesn’t accumulate around the voice coil.

How to Wire the Connections

The next step involves wiring your connections and this is how to go about it.

Fit in the Valet Switch

The valet switch enables you to divert all the alarm functions of your car albeit temporarily. With this option, you don’t need to give your transmitter to the mechanic or parking attendants. When the valet mode gets activated, the remote door locks and remote panic features will still be active.

Fit in the LED Light

The alarm system LED light shows active. To affix the LED light, you’ll need to drill a small hole through the dashboard and drive the wire towards the alarm module. The light is then affixed on the dashboard with superglue to secure it in place. Exercise caution when drilling to avoid hitting and damaging other parts of your car. This is an easy step and you may not need to dismantle the dashboard especially if you’re able to establish a secure place to drill your holes.

Fit in the External Antenna

The external antenna of your car is designed to draw signal from outside and convey it to the car alarm system. Many external antennas come as glass a mount antenna which means you need to affix a receiver on the exterior part of your car glass and another on the interior part of the same glass. The signal is then conveyed via the glass through the repeater wires and to the alarm’s antenna wire. This eliminates the need to drill holes.

Attach the Siren

Your siren should have negative and positive. Since many car alarms generate a positive siren, you may want to attach the alarm unit on the siren’s positive wire and attach the other siren’s wire to a ground.

Attach the Alarm Sensors

The sensors alert the siren when the car is tampered with to activate it. Attach the sensor wires from the alarm system to the dome lights or the wires which show door ajar. You may choose to attach them to the hood and trunk position sensors, or the ignition switch depending on the features of your alarm system. Rather than twisting your connections, you can either use a wire nut or simply crimp them.

Connect the Power Wire

Remember, your alarm should be powered even when the car is switched off. Connect your alarm system’s power wire to a sustained power source. This guarantees that the alarm is adequately powered and constantly active.

Restore Your Car’s Panels

When you’ve completed the alarm installation, restore your car panels exercising caution to ensure that they fit well together. You may want to follow the instructions on your service manual to complete the restoration process successfully.

How much does it cost to put an alarm on your car?

As we’ve mentioned above, many vehicles will come with a basic inbuilt car alarm. However, if you live in high crime places you may want to install a more advanced security alarm. Let’s find out how much you’d have to spend to upgrade your vehicle’s security system.

Average Costs

If you are looking for a basic alarm system complete with a siren connected to the car’s wiring system, remote control, and a controller, you should have an average amount of $30 and $300. Alarm systems that surpass this rate may feature more sensors and a back-up battery. Further, they may come with a starter immobilizer or a remote start to avert hot wiring.

Installing a basic alarm system comes at an average price ranging from $50 and $200 depending on how complex the system is, and the ease of accessing the car’s dashboard. This means you’ll spend between $80 and $500 to purchase and install a basic alarm system in your car.

Advanced Car Alarm Systems

You’ll spend an average cost ranging from $300 and $850 to purchase an advanced and modern car alarm system. This comes with more sensors, a complex computer controller, and is more effective. This system also comes with a remote ignition starter and a camera. You can use the disable car ignition starter option to cut off the gas supply in the event of theft. The average cost of installing the advanced car alarm system ranges between $100 and $450 and sometimes even higher depending on how complex the system is. Remember, you could spend more for a high-end luxury vehicle compared to standard models. The total cost of purchasing and installing an advanced car alarm system will, therefore, range between $400 and $1,300.

Which car alarm system is best?

Car alarm systems rely on various sensors to notice the presence of an intruder. You’ll want to pay more attention to this factor when choosing an alarm system for your car. While basic car alarms only feature door sensors, advanced alarm systems come with more sensors such as: door sensors, broken window detectors which go off when thieves break through your car window, movement sensors which go off when your car is either jiggled or bumped, and motion sensors which go off if there’s motion near your vehicle. The best car alarm system should be capable of giving your car comprehensive protection against various factors.

Now you know about car alarm installation

If you’re pressed for finances, you can opt for a basic car alarm system with door sensors only for a start. However, you may want to upgrade your system at a later date to ensure that your vehicle is well secured.

from Complete Auto Loans https://ift.tt/2M0XJVD via IFTTT

[cashcounts]

How to Choose the Right E-Juice for Your Tank?

We hear it all the time: “What is the right juice for my tank?” And we usually respond the same way: “Well, that depends…”

Don’t get me wrong – we work hard to ensure readers get the information they need. But when it comes to matching an e-liquid to a tank, there are just too many variables in play, and too many preferences to consider, for any single solution to be labeled the “correct” one.

That said, we can certainly give you the information to help you find the right juice to maximize your enjoyment. If you’re looking to determine the best e-liquid/tank pairing for your needs, let’s get started.

(And if you’re ENTIRELY new to vaping, stop right here and bookmark the page. Go read our primer on how to vape, then come back. We’ll wait for you. Promise.)

So, what exactly do you want from your vape?

Building an ideal vape setup is like buying a car, in that the decision will hinge on how you plan to use it. For example, it’s no secret there are myriad differences between a Bentley and a Kia, yet both are equally capable of getting you to Trader Joe’s every Saturday.

Well, the same applies to vaping. Stripped down to the essentials, all e-cigs, regardless of size, shape or format, involve a heating element, an atomizer, and something to vaporize for flavor. From a corner store cigalike to a four-battery mod, this is how vape devices work. The differences come down to what experiences you want it to provide.

For brand new vapers who formerly smoked, or those who still enjoy the sensation of cigarette smoking, there is probably no immediate need for a 12-coil cloud tank, or thick e-liquid comprised entirely of vegetable glycerin (VG).

In turn, those who want to produce massive clouds, and only want a scant amount of nicotine or throat hit, likely wouldn’t want a narrow, single-coil tank, or a liquid made primarily of propylene glycol (PG). It’s still vaping, but the results may not satisfy.

Let’s dive in a little further.

First, the hardware

We acknowledge that the following section is by no means a comprehensive breakdown of vape tanks. There are scores of different tanks available. But for the purposes of this article, we’ve broadened the field to two types – mouth-to-lung (MTL) and sub-ohm tanks since they come with premade coils and empty tanks that you must fill.

MTL tanks

Designed for a more authentic smoking-like experience

Use either factory-built coils

Usually have more restrictive juice flow and airflow

Better suited for thinner – PG-based juices

Generally speaking – they are more enjoyable with high nic than sub ohm tanks

Sub-ohm tanks

Capable of using coils with resistances lower than 1.0 ohm

Typically have larger juice flow channels

Have adjustable airflow settings from semi-restrictive to wide open

Intended for larger direct lung hits and copious vapor

Demand more power and e-liquid consumption

Now, the e-liquid…

If choosing a tank is akin to a vehicle, then consider the e-liquid the motor oil. In an engine, more aggressive performance means more heat, which in turn requires a higher viscosity oil. If you only require enough performance to get across town, your needs might be more conservative, and higher viscosities might clog up the inner workings of the device.

Mouth-to-lung vaping is generally enjoyed at lower heat, so MTL tanks don’t need copious liquid flow to keep wicks saturated. As such, using thinner liquids – those comprised of 50% PG or higher – allows these devices to truly shine in delivering throat hit, nicotine satisfaction, and well-defined flavor.

Technically, higher-VG juices can be used in MTL tanks. (I can also technically audition for “America’s Next Top Model,” but it doesn’t mean I should.) The limited juice flow brings about an ongoing risk of dry hits and scorched cotton since the thick viscosity has a hard time flowing through the smaller wick holes of MTL tanks.

Sub ohm vaping is more focused on the satisfaction of thick vapor production, and requires ample heat and higher-VG e-liquid. The denser, more viscous nature of these liquids – coupled with appropriately large juice flow channels – results in some serious cloud production.

The tradeoff? Greater juice consumption, which means more juice to buy.

How tight do you like it?

In most environments, asking this question will likely earn you a meeting with HR. But for vapers, draw is key. In fact, some would argue that draw and airflow are as important to vaping as flavor itself.

This is one reason why adjustable airflow control has become standard on virtually every tank on the market – both MTL and sub-ohm. Airflow control allows users to further customize their vapes, depending on the liquid they use, and the power they want to apply.

Furthermore, certain sub ohm options serve as a good bridge between MTL restriction and today’s wide-open draws. These early fog-friendly pioneers could certainly produce ample vapor, but weren’t nearly the e-liquid guzzlers we see on shelves now.

Using such entry-level sub-ohm tanks is more like inhaling through standard bendy straws, or even those spoon-straw things you find in a McFlurry. Broad, adjustable and adaptable, these tanks allow users of predominantly PG liquid to transition to sub-ohming, adjusting juice types and device settings as preferences change.

Modern sub-ohm tanks have even more control over airflow, but their designs and performance make things abundantly clear: These tanks are made to swallow juice, blow clouds and take names.

The airflow on these new tanks is like taking deep breaths through a garden hose. With e-liquids that feature less than 3mg nicotine, you may not even realize you’re inhaling… at least until plumes of thick, voluminous vapor exit every hole on your face.

What about nicotine?

New vapers are generally best served by PG-heavy, high-nicotine e-liquids. However, should these vapers move to more advanced equipment, they should strongly consider shifting to thicker, VG-heavy liquids. Not only to prevent e-liquid from seeping through those wide juice holes, but also to prevent throat pain from a brutal inhale.

It’s probably becoming obvious, but if you prefer high nicotine concentrations, we strongly advise against using sub ohm tanks. The huge boost in vapor inhalation that comes with sub ohm tanks intensifies normally tolerable nicotine hits into frighteningly potent puffs.

Oh, you might see clouds, alright. But you’ll also see stars.

Think back to the last time you puffed a cigarette. Now imagine taking that same draw on a cigarette 3-5x wider in circumference. Hurts to think about, right? It’s why you just puff on cigars!

To replicate the smoking experience, avoid any liquids with more than 50% VG, not to mention any bottle that uses terms like “drip,” “sauce” or “max.”

Conclusion

In the end, if your setup provides enjoyment and satisfaction then you’ve found your sweet spot. Yes, even if other people think you’re “crazy” for vaping that way.

Ultimately, vaping always comes down to preference. In an ever-expanding world of vaping, there is very little that is definitively “wrong” or “right,” until we are talking about how you like it.

But there are tank and e-liquid types that simply work better together, optimizing the capabilities of your hardware, and maximizing the flavor and enjoyment you get from your e-liquid. Hopefully now you can walk into a vape shop and leave with the right e-liquid for your tank.

> Keep reading: Check out our list of “Best E-Liquids”

[realestatedigitalsales]

Real Estate - The Great Big List Of Things To Do When Getting Ready To Sell Your House

Real Estate - The Great Big List Of Things To Do When Getting Ready To Sell Your House

Real Estate - The Great Big List Of Things To Do When Getting Ready To Sell Your House

By Peter Anderson Real Estate - My wife and I are in the midst of building a new home, and readying our current home to put it on the market within the next few weeks. It's a flurry of activity, and it's daunting to think about all that we need to do before our home goes up for sale. In the process of trying to come up with a list of things that we need to do to sell our house quick, i realized that having something like this might be useful to have for others as they get ready to sell their own homes. So today I thought I'd come up with a great big list of things to do before you sell your house.

Preparing And Staging Your House For The Sale

Probably the first thing you'll need to do when getting ready to put your house on the market is preparing the house to be shown in it's best light. Making sure your house looks it's best on the inside and outside is key to making the right first impression and making the sale. So what are some things you can do inside the house to get ready to make sale?

Save Clear the home of clutter:  Do what you can to make the house as free of clutter as you can.  If you have a lot of possessions, pack them up, and put them in a storage locker while you're selling your home. Nothing says “this house is cramped” like a house full of things. Clear off counter surfaces: Clear everything off the kitchen and bathroom counters, as well as off of other horizontal surfaces where it makes sense.  Less stuff makes it feel like there's more available space to put things – and makes it feel more roomy. De-personalize the home: Remove personal photos of your family, and other personal touches around the home. Keep decorations and photos neutral. You want potential buyers to picture themselves living in the house, not to feel like a creepy voyeur! Fix obvious issues that need repair:  If you have items that need obvious repair, take care of them before listing. For us that meant fixing some drywall that had peeling drywall tape, fixing a leaking faucet and patching up a few of small drywall holes. A fresh coat of paint: Paint rooms with non-neutral colors (that bright red kitchen?), or touch up paint in rooms where there are nicks and scrapes on the wall.  Our house was already pretty neutral in color, but we still went around the house and touched up small marks,scrapes and nicks on the walls.  Now the walls look brand new! Fresh caulking in bathrooms: Put fresh caulking on the the showers, tubs and around the sinks in your bathrooms and other areas that might be caulked. Update outdated or unsightly fixtures:  If you live in an older house that looks a bit outdated you can update the look relatively inexpensively by putting in a few new faucets, light fixtures and other accessories. Replace outlet or light switch covers that are old/worn: Sometimes after years of use light fixtures and outlet covers get dirty, scraped up and ugly.  Spend a few dollars and get new ones. They'll only take a short time to replace and will make the outlets and switches look new! Replace or clean worn carpeting: If you have older carpeting that's threadbare you might consider replacing it.  If the carpet's newer you might want to just get it cleaned to remove any stains or blemishes. Make sure to replace all burned out bulbs: Before your showing make sure that all the light bulbs are working to ensure there is adequate light in the house. Open shades/curtains to give the home a light and airy feel:  Open the curtains and blinds to let in plenty of light when you sell. It will give the house a lighter and airier feel. Use scented plugins or bake cookies on the day of a showing:  Before your showing bake some cookies, or plugin a scented air freshener to give the home a nice homey smell. Pack away un-needed clothes and accessories in closets: If your closets are jam packed full of clothes, pack away the ones you don't need and put them in storage. The roomier you can make your closets look and feel the better! Oil squeaky doors and hinges: Go around the house and oil any squeaky doors and hinges.  Squeaky hinges can make a house feel old. There are also quite a few things you can do outside the home to make sure that it has great curb appeal.

Clean your windows:  Make sure to clean your windows so that they look clean from inside and out, and let plenty of light in. Wash the house down: If you've got siding on your house, give it a good cleaning so that it looks fresh and new.  For us that essentially means just spraying it down with the hose. Paint the house and/or trim: If your house is painted and is looking worn, you may want to consider painting the house. At a minimum painting the trim can be a good idea. Cut the lawn: Make sure your lawn isn't an overgrown mess. Mow the grass and trim the edges before any showings. Trim the bushes back: If you've got big overgrown bushes in front of the house you may want to consider cutting them back a bit.  If bushes or undergrowth gets too out of control, it can hide the house and make it feel out of repair. Plant flowers and other plants: If you don't have any landscaping or plants, consider planting a few inexpensive flowers and plants, or get a planter to put in front of the house.  Some people suggest planting yellow flowers – a color that supposedly puts people in the mood to buy! Put down fresh mulch: Put down a few fresh bags of mulch in flower beds to make it look  nice and appear as if you maintain things, including the landscaping. Clean the AC unit condenser:  Make sure to clear debris out of your AC unit condenser coils, and hose it down to make it clean. Make the home's entry inviting: Spruce up the home's entryway with flowers, a wreath on the door and by making sure it's clean and house numbers are visible and polished.

Doing Your Research

When listing your home for sale it's important to do your research in several different areas. Finding the right price: This is by far the biggest thing you will need to do when selling your house, choosing a price that will mean your home actually gets showings.  If you're working on your own finding the right price can often be as easy as perusing recent sales in your neighborhood for comparable homes, and pricing it accordingly.  Usually, however, your best bet is to work with a good agent who can give you a good market analysis.  Be careful not to price all your priceless memories and fond feelings for your home – into the selling price.  Buyers won't want to pay for those! Finding the right agent: Finding a good agent can definitely help you to sell your home quicker. Not only are they able to get your house listed in the MLS system, they can also help you in pricing your home and work their network of contacts to help sell your house.  Try not to choose just any agent because they're a friend or family member. Interview a few agents and go with the one that feels right and can demonstrate expertise.

Finding the right photographer: Do some research and ask around to find a good photographer that can take great inside and outside photos of your house, preferably with a wide angle lens, and some degree of HDR photography so that light and dark areas in the house are both easily visible. Figuring out where to list the house:  There are a variety of places you can list your house.  Most important is getting it on the MLS service so it will be available to agents showing homes to prospective buyers. You can do that through an agent,or via a service that charges a MLS listing fee.  Beyond that you can list the home at Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Craigslist. IWantAnOffer.com, FSBO.com, ForSaleByOwner.com and other local online and newspaper classifieds.  Another option is to create your own website for your house (at 1234lincolnave.com or something similar) to list extensive details and photos about the house. Research other successful ads: Look at ads for other homes that are for sale, especially ones in your neighborhood on recent sales. See how the homes are presented, and notice what things stand out to you when you look at ads for other houses. Write out some of the biggest pluses of your house and figure out how to feature those things in your ads.

Be Aware Of The Costs Associated With Selling Your House

Selling your house isn't likely to be cheap, in fact that are all kinds of costs associated with selling a house. When you add it all up, the cost of selling a home can sometimes be anywhere from 7-10% of the sale price or more. Here are some of the costs to be ready for: Marketing the home:  Marketing your home can be quite expensive when you factor in all the listing fees, the cost of a photographer to do nice photos, etc. Fixing and staging the home: The costs of fixing up things that are wrong and staging the home (especially if you use a professional) can add up quick. Fixing things contingent to sale: Sometimes when you have a potential buyer they'll agree to purchase, but only contingent on certain things being fixed.  Those costs can add up. Real estate agent fees: agent fees to buyer and seller's agent can be anywhere from 6-7% of the sale price. Closing fees: Closing fees can be thousands of dollars depending on where you close, and what you've agreed to pay for the buyer's fees. Miscellaneous fees: Sometimes there will be other miscellaneous fees like transferring association membership, among other things. When it comes down to it, to properly fix, stage and market your house can potentially cost thousands of dollars, so be sure you're ready for the cost when you go in.

Conclusion

Selling your home can be quite the undertaking, but if you put in the time, do your research and do what it takes to make the sale, you could end up with thousands more in your pocket because of your hard work. Read more Read the full article

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How to choose the right e-juice for your tank

We hear it all the time: “What is the right juice for my tank?” And we usually respond the same way: “Well, that depends…”

Don’t get me wrong – we work hard to ensure readers get the information they need. But when it comes to matching an e-liquid to a tank, there are just too many variables in play, and too many preferences to consider, for any single solution to be labeled the “correct” one.

That said, we can certainly give you the information to help you find the right juice to maximize your enjoyment. If you’re looking to determine the best e-liquid/tank pairing for your needs, let’s get started.

(And if you’re ENTIRELY new to vaping, stop right here and bookmark the page. Go read our primer on how to vape, then come back. We’ll wait for you. Promise.)

So, what exactly do you want from your vape?

Building an ideal vape setup is like buying a car, in that the decision will hinge on how you plan to use it. For example, it’s no secret there are myriad differences between a Bentley and a Kia, yet both are equally capable of getting you to Trader Joe’s every Saturday.

Well, the same applies to vaping. Stripped down to the essentials, all e-cigs, regardless of size, shape or format, involve a heating element, an atomizer, and something to vaporize for flavor. From a corner store cigalike to a four-battery mod, this is how vape devices work. The differences come down to what experiences you want it to provide.

For brand new vapers who formerly smoked, or those who still enjoy the sensation of cigarette smoking, there is probably no immediate need for a 12-coil cloud tank, or thick e-liquid comprised entirely of vegetable glycerin (VG).

In turn, those who want to produce massive clouds, and only want a scant amount of nicotine or throat hit, likely wouldn’t want a narrow, single-coil tank, or a liquid made primarily of propylene glycol (PG). It’s still vaping, but the results may not satisfy.

Let’s dive in a little further.

First, the hardware

We acknowledge that the following section is by no means a comprehensive breakdown of vape tanks. There are scores of different tanks available. But for the purposes of this article, we’ve broadened the field to two types – mouth-to-lung (MTL) and sub-ohm tanks since they come with premade coils and empty tanks that you must fill.

MTL tanks

Designed for a more authentic smoking-like experience

Use either factory-built coils

Usually have more restrictive juice flow and airflow

Better suited for thinner – PG-based juices

Generally speaking – they are more enjoyable with high nic than sub ohm tanks

Sub-ohm tanks

Capable of using coils with resistances lower than 1.0 ohm

Typically have larger juice flow channels

Have adjustable airflow settings from semi-restrictive to wide open

Intended for larger direct lung hits and copious vapor

Demand more power and e-liquid consumption

Now, the e-liquid…

If choosing a tank is akin to a vehicle, then consider the e-liquid the motor oil. In an engine, more aggressive performance means more heat, which in turn requires a higher viscosity oil. If you only require enough performance to get across town, your needs might be more conservative, and higher viscosities might clog up the inner workings of the device.

Mouth-to-lung vaping is generally enjoyed at lower heat, so MTL tanks don’t need copious liquid flow to keep wicks saturated. As such, using thinner liquids – those comprised of 50% PG or higher – allows these devices to truly shine in delivering throat hit, nicotine satisfaction, and well-defined flavor.

Technically, higher-VG juices can be used in MTL tanks. (I can also technically audition for “America’s Next Top Model,” but it doesn’t mean I should.) The limited juice flow brings about an ongoing risk of dry hits and scorched cotton since the thick viscosity has a hard time flowing through the smaller wick holes of MTL tanks.

Sub ohm vaping is more focused on the satisfaction of thick vapor production, and requires ample heat and higher-VG e-liquid. The denser, more viscous nature of these liquids – coupled with appropriately large juice flow channels – results in some serious cloud production.

The tradeoff? Greater juice consumption, which means more juice to buy.

How tight do you like it?

In most environments, asking this question will likely earn you a meeting with HR. But for vapers, draw is key. In fact, some would argue that draw and airflow are as important to vaping as flavor itself.

This is one reason why adjustable airflow control has become standard on virtually every tank on the market – both MTL and sub-ohm. Airflow control allows users to further customize their vapes, depending on the liquid they use, and the power they want to apply.

Furthermore, certain sub ohm options, such as the venerable Kanger Subtank Mini and Aspire Atlantis, serve as a good bridge between MTL restriction and today’s wide-open draws. These early fog-friendly pioneers could certainly produce ample vapor, but weren’t nearly the e-liquid guzzlers we see on shelves now.

Using such entry-level sub-ohm tanks is more like inhaling through standard bendy straws, or even those spoon-straw things you find in a McFlurry. Broad, adjustable and adaptable, these tanks allow users of predominantly PG liquid to transition to sub-ohming, adjusting juice types and device settings as preferences change.

Modern (read: made in the last three months) sub-ohm tanks, such as the Smok TFV12, have even more control over airflow, but their designs and performance make things abundantly clear: These tanks are made to swallow juice, blow clouds and take names.

The airflow on these new tanks is like taking deep breaths through a garden hose. With e-liquids that feature less than 3mg nicotine, you may not even realize you’re inhaling… at least until plumes of thick, voluminous vapor exit every hole on your face.

What about nicotine?

New vapers are generally best served by PG-heavy, high-nicotine e-liquids. However, should these vapers move to more advanced equipment, they should strongly consider shifting to thicker, VG-heavy liquids. Not only to prevent e-liquid from seeping through those wide juice holes, but also to prevent throat pain from a brutal inhale.

It’s probably becoming obvious, but if you prefer high nicotine concentrations, we strongly advise against using sub ohm tanks. The huge boost in vapor inhalation that comes with sub ohm tanks intensifies normally tolerable nicotine hits into frighteningly potent puffs.

Oh, you might see clouds, alright. But you’ll also see stars.

Think back to the last time you puffed a cigarette. Now imagine taking that same draw on a cigarette 3-5x wider in circumference. Hurts to think about, right? It’s why you just puff on cigars!

To replicate the smoking experience, avoid any liquids with more than 50% VG, not to mention any bottle that uses terms like “drip,” “sauce” or “max.”

Conclusion

In the end, if your setup provides enjoyment and satisfaction then you’ve found your sweet spot. Yes, even if other people think you’re “crazy” for vaping that way.

Ultimately, vaping always comes down to preference. In an ever-expanding world of vaping, there is very little that is definitively “wrong” or “right,” until we are talking about how you like it.

But there are tank and e-liquid types that simply work better together, optimizing the capabilities of your hardware, and maximizing the flavor and enjoyment you get from your e-liquid. Hopefully now you can walk into a vape shop and leave with the right e-liquid for your tank.