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nugnthopkns · 3 years

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i’ll tell you i was wrong if you dance with me

word count: 3.3k

warnings: explicit fem!reader, slightly unhealthy relationship moment (lack of communication), mention of infidelity, cursing, alcohol consumption, a fair bit of angst

recommended listening: fred astaire | adam brock

a/n: communicate with your partners!!! also yeah this is the song from lady bird. it’s a banger

This seriously isn’t happening.

You never fight with Travis. Communication comes easy between the two of you, but you also make it a priority to talk about your feelings. It keeps things from boiling over; both of you are known to unleash wicked tempers on occasion and have found being direct stops issues from occuring. Arguments still occasionally happen, but they’re typically over trivial things like what movie to watch or where you’re spending the holidays. Travis apparently forgot about the fact you talk to each other about things.

He’d been upset when he came home from practice, but you were pretty sure he was fine after he woke up from his pre-game nap. Knowing he’s a superstitious person and has a lot of pressure on him to put up points, you had made the choice not to ask about what was bothering him. Throwing off his routine could have detrimental consequences. Tonight's game is tighter than it should have been, but the Flyers come out on top. Travis spends a bit more time in the penalty box than you would have liked, but everyone was getting chippy by the start of the third period. Claude tries to talk to him on the bench but he gets shut down. Whatever Travis was upset about before is still clearly bothering him, and it’s affecting his game.

You’re following Travis home from the game, and can tell he’s uptight from the way he’s gripping the steering wheel. As you wind through downtown Philadelphia you try and prepare yourself for any bomb that could drop. Chances are that when you reach your apartment things will explode. Maybe it’s nothing; Travis is fine and just wants to be a responsible driver for once. You pull into the free spot beside his car and see him walking towards the elevator, suit jacket balled up and tucked under his arm. This won’t be good. Trying to buy yourself some time, you take the stairs. Seven flights later you arrive outside your door; he left it unlocked, which gives you a sliver of hope things will be fine.

“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” you call into the darkness of the apartment. Your sneakers are left at the door and to retreat towards the bedroom, looking for a sign of life. You find one in the bathroom: the light is on. A gentle push on the door reveals your boyfriend is in the shower and ignoring you.

“Trav?”

“Yeah,” he huffs, words muffled by him tossing his head back to rinse the shampoo of his hair. Apparently the shower isn’t as relaxing as he had hoped.

You don’t bother to tread lightly, upset that he’s acting like a child. “You’re being an asshole. I get that you had a bad day, but you can’t take it out on me. I just want to help.”

Travis turns the water off suddenly. “Can’t help if you’re the problem,” he scoffs.

His statement doesn’t make sense. You’ve done nothing out of the ordinary the past couple of days; nothing that would warrant the behaviour you’re receiving. “What do you mean?”

Shouldering passed you to exit the room, Travis doesn’t bother to respond. You’re beyond frustrated: partners in healthy relationships communicate, not show emotions like grade schoolers. “You’re not giving me the fucking silent treatment Travis. You gotta talk to me.” The bedroom is dark when you enter and you flick the overhead light on to see better.

“You really don’t know?”

“Of course I don’t know,” you seethe. “If I did know we wouldn’t be in this predicament because we’d be solving the issue.”

The glare you receive is sharp enough to cut stone. He pulls on a t-shirt, anger clear in the aggression he does it with. “Why did I have to find out from Carter that you’ve been getting coffee with your TA?”

You’re shocked. In no way is it what he thinks it is. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” you sigh, upset that Travis would take someone else’s words at face value and not talk to you about it.

“I’m dead fucking serious Y/N. You preach communication, but it looks as though you’re the one who hasn’t been doing enough talking.”

The room around you starts to spin. You can’t comprehend what he’s insinuating. “Wait, you think I’m cheating on you?” you ask. There has been a gross miscommunication error somewhere; never in a million years would you think of having an affair.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well what the fuck did you say?”

Travis tugs at the roots of his hair in frustration. He doesn’t answer immediately, pacing the length of the bed a few times. “I just–” he struggles to articulate his words. “I just said that you’re being a bit hypocritical, don’t you think? You’re standing here yelling at me because I didn’t voice my concerns, but you haven’t been talking to me about what’s going on in your life.” Travis’ tone is sharp, and it stings.

It’s your turn to show how upset you are. Your hands curl into fists at your side, and you squeeze your nails into your palms before releasing them. “I do tell you what goes on in my life Travis,” your breathing ragged as you try to not lose your cool. “I ran into my TA at the coffee shop yesterday, and he paid for my drink because my card wouldn’t work. Didn’t think it was breaking news, sorry I don’t send you every single fucking life update that happens. What’s gotten into you?”

“You could have been cheating!”

“But I wasn’t!” you scream, no longing caring about keeping up appearances. You can’t believe Travis would think that. It hurts. “And I never would! You know this”

He turns his back to you, like it pains him to look at you, but you don’t understand why. You're not the one suggesting infidelity. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got to say?” he seethes.

“That’s all there is to say! There’s nothing to explain, no secret to uncover. I’m not in the wrong here.”

“And you think I am?”

You look at Travis like he has three heads. “Are you serious? You’re the one who’s so fucking upset over a situation that could have happened to literally anyone.” Your tone suggests that you’re exhausted with the conversation, and Travis gets the hint.

He slinks towards the door, still visibly angry. “I’ll take the couch tonight,” he grits out before tightly gripping the doorknob and shutting the door with more force than needed.

The bed doesn’t look appealing, full of much happier memories, but fighting with Travis has knocked any and all energy out of you. You gingerly pull back the covers and slip underneath. Tears trickle down your cheek as you toss and turn, trying to fall into some sort of slumber. However, your mind has other ideas, replaying the blowout. You can’t begin to understand why Travis is so bothered by the instance, and more importantly why it caused him to disregard a fundamental part of your relationship. There’s little movement from beyond the door, but you can hear the faint noise of a Johnny Cash record playing from the speakers in the living room. After hours of staring at the ceiling your eyes close and a fitful sleep follows.

You might have gotten nine hours of sleep, but you wake up feeling exhausted. Fighting with anyone drains you, but fighting with Travis is especially terrible because it rarely happens. There doesn’t seem to be any movement from the other side of the door; maybe he’s still asleep. You refrain from heading into the kitchen, unsure of what will happen if you see him. After nearly twenty minutes you can’t wait any longer to start your day and pad into the main living space. It’s empty: no sign that Travis has been there for many hours. Guess you don’t have to immediately deal with the fallout of last night.

A post-it note is tacked onto the fridge handle and your heart skips a beat. In Travis’ chicken scratch it reads I’ll see you at the gala tonight. We’ve got media all day and I won’t be back in time for us to go together. There’s no mention of the fight, and you can’t judge from a two sentence note whether or not he’s still pissed off.

“Fuck,” you groan. “The gala.” Tonight’s the annual Flyers Give Back gala, and you’re expected to be in attendance. It’s not even a charity event; the organization is offering a chance for business men to chat up the players in hopes they continue to donate. You find things like these unbearable and tedious, but Travis does his best to make them enjoyable. Not knowing what page you’re on with him is going to be terrible. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll ignore you if he’s still upset.

As if someone is reading your mind, the better halves group chat starts to explode. Everyone is chattering excitedly about tonight, and under normal circumstances you’d be excited to see them in such a relaxed setting. It’s been a while you’ve all hung out, but you can’t find yourself to contribute to the conversation. You mute the notifications and do your best to move on with your day. The rest of the morning is spent working on your thesis; mind numbing work that almost makes you forget about everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours. Once you’ve hit an acceptable word count for the day you shutdown your computer and make lunch.

The grilled cheese sandwich you eat while watching a John Mulaney comedy special fulfills your appetite but doesn’t curb your dread. You decide to call your sister, hoping she can be a welcome distraction. Dialling her number you sink further into the couch cushions, wrapping yourself tightly with a blanket so that only your head is poking out. “What’s up?” she asks, and you hear her shuffle in the background, presumably to move somewhere more private. It isn’t normal for you to call her unannounced.

You hold it together for approximately two seconds. The tears start and they don’t stop. Every emotion you’ve felt since getting home last night comes to the surface, and before you know it you’re sobbing into the receiver.

“Woah, slow down,” she says. “Y/N, take some deep breaths.” When your breathing returns to a somewhat regular level she continues speaking. “What happened?”

It takes you nearly twenty minutes to tell the whole story because you’re so distraught. No detail is spared, and you go back much farther than is probably needed. You recount what happened after yesterday’s practice, pretty much the entire game, and the fight that followed. “I just don’t know what brought this on,” you sniffle. “We don’t fight, we talk about things. I’m not sure if I’m more upset at what he insinuated or at the fact he broke a cardinal rule.”

Your sister sighs, and you hear her breath fan in slight annoyance. You’re worked up about something kinda stupid, you know, but you can’t let it slide. “It’s probably a bit of both. So, what are you going to do?”

“What can I do? I know that we need to talk about what happened, but a public event is not the best place to do that. I also can’t not show up or ask Trav to ditch in order to figure this out. We have to be there.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it figured out then.”

You really don’t. “What happens if he ignores me the entire night?”

She laughs and tells you to not to anything stupid, and to take your mind off of things tells you a story about your nephew eating dirt. It does the trick; you’re momentarily distracted and forget about Travis. You talk for a while longer before she has to go. “Miles is crying, will you be okay if I let you go?”

It’s your turn to laugh. “I’ll be fine,” you insist. A glance at the clock tells you it’s time to start getting ready. “I’ve gotta shower and start the process. Beauty is time consuming you know.”

Against your better judgement you open your text messages to see if there’s anything from Travis. His text thread is the same as it was yesterday and you’re disappointed. You had hoped that maybe he’d get bored between interviews and check in. With no new notifications you exit out of the application and pull up a playlist you hope will brighten your mood. The steam from the shower relaxes your tense muscles and warms you up. It’s comforting in the way a cocoon is; you practically have to drag yourself out of the bathtub.

Your bedroom is cold and doesn’t offer the same respite as the bathroom. The music continues to float in from the hallway, and you allow yourself to get lost in it. It’s been a while since you danced around your room; it worked to cure sadness when you were a teenager. Hopefully the magic hasn’t worn off. You flail your arms, not caring how silly you look since no one is here to see you anyways, and scream along at the top of your lungs. After a few songs you feel better and return to the task at hand. The dress code is labelled as ‘black tie’ on the invitation, but that isn’t what you’re worried about. You own a million dresses for situations like this after being with Travis for so long. You don’t know what he packed to wear, and there’s a decent chance you’ll be pushed together for photos. Clashing colours will look terrible.

A quick glance through his side of the closest leaves you no clues, so you decide to be as literal as possible. Black is a flattering colour and works well with every colour combination. There’s a jumpsuit hanging in the back that catches your eye and you think it’s the perfect choice. After pulling it on you move back into the bathroom to do your hair and makeup. Everything is natural and relaxed; once again for the sake of potential photos. The clock strikes on the hour and you realize it’s time to leave. A pair of heels are slipped on and you order an Uber before locking the apartment and heading to the lobby. You had thought about driving yourself, but on the occasion that things don’t end well with Travis you’ll probably have more than a couple of drinks.

The entire way to the venue your leg bounces up and down. It’s been years since you’ve been this nervous about being around the team. You’ve been with Travis for a few seasons now, and the organization has become a second family to you. No one is going to know about the fight and you worry they’re going to talk about your solo arrival. The outside of the convention centre is sharply decorated, and your driver lets out a low whistle at the extravagance of it all. “Thank you so much,” you gush, and exit the car. Thankfully no photographers are set up outside, and you dart inside without being seen.

Once in the main event space, you scan for the bar. There’s no sign of Travis, which should make you more relaxed but doesn’t. What if there was an accident on the way to the venue? You have no idea where he was all or who he came with. Overthinking distracts you from your original goal, leaving you standing aimlessly in the middle of the room.

“You look like you might need one of these,” Ryanne chuckles, handing you a champagne flute. You gladly accept and down it in two gulps. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” you sigh, eyes scanning to see if your boyfriend has made an appearance.

She sees right through your facade of calm and wraps you in a tight hug. “What’s going on?”

For a second time today you explain what happened last night. There’s no judgement from Ryanne as there might have been from your sister because she understands. Dating a professional athlete isn’t easy; things like this happen much more frequently than you’d expect. Perhaps it’s all the time spent apart that makes the occasional lapse in communication so apparent. She listens quietly, full attention on you. To your credit you don’t cry this time, slightly more numb to the situation to due more time passing. It still hurts a tremendous amount.

“He’ll come around,” Ryanne insists. “TK is a little moronic sometimes, but he’d never jeopardize his relationship with you. You’re quite literally the most important thing in his life.”

“I know. I’m just upset because the whole thing could have been avoided.”

She offers you a sympathetic smile. “I know.” Ryanne links her arm through yours. “Let’s go find something to snack on.”

You spend most of the night with Ryanne, and occasionally Claude when he can get away from the hot-shot businessmen. Travis eventually came in, flanked by Nolan, but was immediately pulled into the politics of the night. The two of you occasionally sneak glances at each other and you tell he’s uncomfortable. You can only hope it isn’t because of your presence. It’s nearing eleven; the party has become a much more relaxed affair, and the DJ is playing sappy love songs in an attempt to get the media team some good photo ops. An intern asks the Giroux’s if they’ll dance for an instagram story and they both look hesitant. “Go on guys, I’ll be fine,” you reassure. It’s the subtle push they need to enjoy a quiet moment together.

As if he can sense you’re lonely and feel out of place, Travis approaches you. It’s tentative, like he’s petrified you’ll turn him away, but he comes regardless. Drinks are in each of his hands and he extends one to you. When you don’t take it he sets it on the table behind you. “Hi,” he says sheepishly, fiddling with something in his pocket.

“Hi Travis.” You’re determined not to let his presence crack your resolve; last night illuminated a big issue and it needed to be dealt with. It’s proving to be difficult because he bumps a shoulder against yours and all you can think of is kissing him senseless.

The song changes to a Bruce Springsteen ballad, and you recognize it instantly. It played at the coffee shop on your first date with Travis all those years ago. One look at him tells you this isn’t an accident, that he had requested it specifically for the two of you. “Dance with me?”

You sigh deeply, looking him in the eyes. “Trav, this isn’t going to magically fix things.”

“I know, baby, I know,” he pleads. “I fucked up so bad last night because I was being an idiot. I wrote down everything I would do differently if I had a time machine, look.” A hand reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper filled with his nearly illegible print. “Just one dance, and then we can go home and talk about it like I should have suggested in the first place. Let me know we’re still okay.”

If you hadn’t been in public you’re sure Travis would have been in tears. It’s not necessarily a good look to cry in front of hundreds of sponsors. He has a reputation as the goofy boy who takes no shit to uphold. “You have a lot of talking ahead of you,” you say, and let him drag you onto the dance floor. Swaying in his arms you realize things are going to be just fine. Travis loves you and you love him; there’s nothing the two of you can’t work through.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

taglist: @jamiedrysdales @kiedhara @tortito if you want to be added shoot me an ask :)

#travis konecny imagine #travis konecny x reader #travis konecny fic #philadelphia flyers imagine #hockey imagine #hockey fic #nhl imagine #nhl fic #cwrites

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squidlyskeet · 3 years

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Joy Ride -.006

Pairing: StreetRacer!Bakugou x Fem!reader

Genre: TokyoDrift!au, Noquirks!au

Status: Ongoing

TW: Violence, Blood, firearms, eventual nsfw, 18+, mentions of anxiety and OCD disorders, grand theft auto, gang activity, eventual soft yandere Bakugou.

Summary:

It started with a simple question. “What do you say Y/n? You coming?”

After the sudden death of her mother, Y/n is sent to live with her estranged aunt who made a home in Tokyo, Japan. Weary of what this new adventure might mean for her future, Y/n lets loose for her first night there, but how was Y/n supposed to know it would lead to a car chase? A car chase in the passenger seat of a very angry, very hot, street racer’s super car.

A/n: Bold Italics means the words are spoken in Japanese. -Squidlyskeet ✌🏻✌🏻

💥Bakugou’s POV💥

I parked the car on the road in front of Noels house. I’d been there a few times over the years to meet with Mirio about different jobs and organizing patrols. I was happy that I could finally just get this part of the night done and over with, but sighed heavily as I remembered what the next part of my night would consist of.

I’d probably have to walk on eggshells to avoid a bullet to the head where Mirio and I were going.

I looked over to where Y/N was curled up in my passenger seat. I didn’t want to wake her up, after all she did mention that she just got off a plane this morning. She must be exhausted with jet lag and the events of today. I was also hesitant to try and remove her from the seat and attempt to carry her inside. I was already frustrated with myself for allowing her sweet nature to somehow affect me the way it did, and I didn’t want to make it worse by literally touching her.

And god forbid she wakes up and catches me trying to carry her. Or Mirio. I’d never live it down, and that’s unacceptable. I couldn’t have people thinking I was going soft, or worse that I was going soft for some dumb girl.

Maybe I should just open the door and kick her out.

Nah, that’s douch-

“What the fuck are you doing man?” Mirio’s voice was directly outside my window and I jumped, whipping my head to the side and preparing to throw my body in front of Y/n’s.

I could feel my blood pressure rise when I realized it was just the overgrown oaf, and my face flushed with anger at the intrusion while I was trying to focus.

I was pissed he caught me overthinking about carrying Y/n inside too.

“Nothing you baboon idiot.” I whisper screamed back, trying to keep the peacefully sleeping Y/n undisturbed.

She seemed to be full of curious questions, and the last thing I needed was her asking where I was headed in some kind of dumb attempt to feign worry about me. I also just didn’t want to have to lie to her, she seemed so..free and pure. Free of the darkness that wrapped around and tainted my life with an endless string of one complication after the next. One death after the next. One lonely night after the next.

I felt like if I lied to her about something, even after only knowing her for this short period of time, I’d sully her innocence. Darken that lightness that she let shine so brightly for me tonight. That’s why I couldn’t see her in anything but passing again after this, I couldn’t risk letting myself dwell on the stir she created in my stomach. I had to leave at least one thing in my life untainted.

I growled at my own thoughts, not understanding why I couldn’t just let this sappy shit go. It wasn’t like she was some kind of friend to me, hell I’d only known her for one night.

That didn’t change the fact that she had gotten a reaction out of me anyways, even being the irrelevant extra she is.

“Alright then, let me grab Y/n and go give Noel a kiss goodbye and I’ll be back out so we can go.” Mirio replied, unphased by my obvious disrespect to him.

It never irritated him, and it got under my skin. Usually this kind of shit would progress when we were together, and it would get to the point where Mirio and I would spar into the late hours of the night. Each of us trying to prove something to the other.

He that I couldn’t push people around whenever I wanted to get what I want, and I that even if it was still fifty fifty between us, that I could still wipe the floor with his oversized ass. Even if it was only half the time.

“Tch. Whatever.” I replied, watching from the corner of my eye as he rounded the car and quietly opened Y/n’s door.

He gently picked her up, one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. I had to suppress a growl, words that I knew would only cause problems threatening to spew out my mouth like word vomit.

I was mad at myself, had I known she was such a heavy damn sleeper I would have just done it myself when I first got here.

My eyes laser focused when he stood straight and Y/n’s limp sleeping body -my hoodie still draped over her- almost slipped from his hand around her back and I jumped. I knew logically that I was still in the driver's seat and could do nothing if he actually did drop her. That didn’t stop the irritation at myself for not just doing it myself, where I could make sure she made it safely inside.

He quickly adjusted his hold, and frowned.

“What’s the matter with you dumbass, be careful with her.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and he raised his brows at me.

“I was, she is just sleeping like a rock. I wasn’t expecting her to flop around like a noodle. Man she must have been tired,” He started laughing quietly, shaking his head as he turned and started walking inside. He paused, turning his head to the side to say something else, voice suddenly serious. “Start my car for me.”

More code terms.

I sent him an okay sign, and forced thoughts of Y/n out of my mind. Trying to get into the headspace I needed, I got to work.

I waited until the door shut behind Mirio to exit the car. I knew she was sleeping but I wanted to make absolutely certain Y/n didn’t see anything.

I swung my door open and rounded the car to the trunk, I looked around before opening it, and then opening the false bottom.

When someone from the Side Riders said ‘start my car’ they didn’t really mean for you to start their car. In fact it was considered disrespectful to get in the driver's seat of someone else’s ride, let alone start it. What it really meant was to make sure you're locked and loaded, ready to defend yourself and your territory.

It was meant as a way to let your squad know that you didn’t know what you were rolling into, coded to make sure no one caught on that whoever was riding with you was strapped to the teeth with weapons.

I sighed as I looked down at the cubby beneath the false bottom, debating on what gun I’d use in case things went south. I knew I should pick something small, but before I could even try to convince myself, my hand was reaching for the heavy fire power of the automatic rifle.

I held the box of ammo when I heard the door open again. I quickly held the gun out of sight when I looked up, sighing in relief to find it was only Mirio. I could tell he was switching his mindset to work mode, the usual warmth of his features melting into a dark, unforgiving grimace. The cold emotionless depths of his eyes was an expression I was familiar with. I stared at it everyday in the mirror.

“You strapped?” The wording reminded me of when he asked if Y/n was strapped correctly into my passenger seat. She was, I checked. Eight times.

My chest warmed, thinking of her struggling to get the damn things unbuckled.

*a/n: it’s safe to say everything from this point on will be spoken in Japanese without bold italics*

I sighed at the memory, because, this time he was talking about weapons.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” I replied, as I finished loading the rifle and closed the trunk.

His only acknowledgement was a flick of his wrist as he started toward his car. I made my way back to my own, opening the door and placing the gun barrel down on my passenger seat floor.

I hadn’t noticed before when I was in the car, but after getting out and then back in it hit me full force. It smelled like her. I tried not to think about how the smell of vanilla and lavender tea left a haze clouding my mind. I also refused to acknowledge the deep breaths I was taking while I pushed in the clutch and pressed the start button on the dash.

We started our engines at the same time, usually the sound did nothing but bring me peace and excitement. This time though, I cringed. The force of the cars starting shook the ground with a deep rumble, and I glanced at the house making sure no lights flicked on.

When I was sure she was still passed out, I fiddled with the screen on my dash, putting on some music and waiting for Mirio to pull off the road ahead of me.

I had a thought then and allowed self indulge, even for just a moment.

How did that song she put on go?

I hummed it to myself, as I tried to remember the English words.

Oh, yeah.

I typed it into the search bar and pressed play.

The deep soothing beats pumped from my speakers as Mirio finally pulled away from the curb.

I followed him, unsure of what exactly we were getting ourselves into but ready for anything.

————————————————————————-

Thirty minutes later, after Monoma joined us somewhere along the way, we pulled into an open parking lot surrounded by abandoned warehouses on all sides. My guard immediately went up as I followed Mirio to the already parked cars sitting in the middle.

All of them blacked out and all of them with a red rose emblem on the side.

Except one.

The gaudy car in the middle seemed so out of place with all the rides built for racing surrounding it. While ours were expensive, they were built for racing. This one was built for the rich, made to sit in the lap of luxury and look good doing it.

It was a show, put on to try and intimidate us but I refused. The fact that they would even try had rage building under my skin, and it was almost unbearable to contain when I noticed the men of the Yakuza leaning against their hoods, all with a weapon of some sort.

I pulled up and parked next to Mirio, Monoma following me and doing the same. I looked through our windows asking Mirio a silent question, he shook his no. I was mad, but I trusted his judgement and quietly accepted as I released my grip on the stock of the rifle.

I opened my door and got out, I made a show of a leisure walk. Hands behind my head and a smirk on my face, I knew without looking that both Mirio and Monoma flanked my left and right sides. No matter the smallest of differences or rivalry’s, brothers never step to their enemies alone.

“Well? Where is he?” I asked, my tone coming out a lot more relaxed than I felt.

One of the men nodded his head at whoever was in the passenger seat. I tried to see if it was him, but I couldn’t see past the tinted windows.

A man stepped out of the drivers, rounding the car to the back seat facing us. The boss’s bodyguard. Shoji Mezo. A towering man, muscles stacked on each other like a brick wall.

Man, I hope he said something stupid. I’d love to take a crack at him.

He pulled open the door, and to my surprise, a heeled foot stepped out onto the pavement first. My mood instantly darkened when I realized who it was. Why was this bitch everywhere tonight?

“Hello Katsu.” Her greeting was a soft purr as she addressed me with the nickname she gave me all those years ago. I felt my face twist into a sneer before I forced myself to relax as she stepped out of the car fully.

She had changed out her red ensemble from earlier tonight into some gaudy sparkly evening dress, if you could call it that, that is. The fabric hugged her curves tightly, and asymmetrical cut outs flaunted most of her tanned unblemished skin.

I was happy to find I didn’t have a reaction to it anymore.

This was just another one of his dramatics, a way for the boss to try and exert some kind of nonexistent dominance of me. I couldn’t let it get to me.

“It’s been a long time hasn’t it Katsu? You’re looking extra delicious tonight..” Her sickly sweet voice dripped with sarcasm.

It disgusted me that for two long years, I let that same condescending tone lead me around like a lost puppy. Now that I had been out of the relationship for a year, I could see where I went wrong. I let her soft words and her curves distract me from her actions.

“Camie.” I greeted back with a slight bow of my head, keeping my voice cold and detached.

“Camie darling, what have I told you about playing with the help.” A deep voice called from behind her.

“Oh Tenny baby, it’s nothing to worry about, I was just having some fun.” She replied, as she worked her acting skills on the Boss getting out of the car.

“Bakugou, Togata, Monoma. How are my favorite squad leaders tonight?” He asked, a false pretense at friendship.

Tenya Iida.

Leader and boss of the Tokyo Yakuza, and squad leader of the South Side Riders.

He wore a three piece pinstripe suit, and expensive loafers. His face was tense and his strong jawline was clenched, which proved my point further at his false friendliness.

“Boss.” The three of us said in unison. A deeper bow given by all of us.

I hated saying the word out loud or admitting that he was above me in any way. To not show respect though, would result in an immediate death execution style. While I was more than willing to put Iida in his place, I couldn’t do much with my only defense still sitting on my passenger seat floor.

“Does anyone want to tell me why you are here tonight?” He spoke up again, not acknowledging our greeting.

I guess we were getting right into it.

None of us answered.

All of us knew better than to assume.

It really lit a fire under my ass that I had to stand here and act like the man standing before me was some kind of royalty. He was my age for christ’s sake.

“No one has anything? Let me break it down for you then,” He started toward us, clearing the space between the gap in a few strides before stopping in front of Mirio. “Tonight while you trash we’re out in your little race cars, having a pissing match on who is the fastest one of my warehouses was raided.” He said, his expression one of complete calm.

We still didn’t speak up.

While I knew I couldn’t say anything, I never let my gaze leave his face. Silently challenging his authority with my uninterrupted glare.

“No one has anything to say then?” His arms raised in amusement as he turned back around to address his men. “Did you hear that guys? No one has anything to say.” He was laughing as he said it.

Before he whipped his body around, his arm flying through the air with his fist clenched. It landed on Mirio’s face with a sickening crack. He didn’t knock the man over, no I don’t think Iida could even if he wanted to. While it was a hard hit, his form was sloppy and wasn’t well placed. Mirio’s probably taken more painful hits from Noel, if I’m being honest.

I did my best to hide my snicker that escaped at the thought.

“I’m sorry? Was there something you wanted to say Bakugou?” He addressed me then, blank features finally cracking into a sneer.

“Well I-.” I was cut off abruptly when another one of Iida’s fists came flying at my face.

I saw it coming from a mile away, but had to stand there and take it as I didn’t want an entire team of trained henchmen actively trying to murder me.

I was right when I said it was a hard hit. His fist made contact with my right eye socket, and it sent my head flying backwards. Pain instantly throbbed through my skull, but I’d die before I ever let it show to this dumpster fire.

Mirio had the same idea as he didn’t even hold his nose that was currently gushing blood.

“What about you Monoma? Care to explain?” He asked the third member of our group, who, like an obedient dog, lowered his eyes and kept silent.

I wanted to scoff but the thought of being on the receiving end of another hit right to the eye kept the sound inside my throat. Iida nodded his head and backed up a few paces, talking to all of us at once.

“If I find out that you little street rats had something to do with this, especially if your little dick measuring contest was being shut down as some kind of distraction,” He cracked his knuckles before rubbing them, letting me know that the punches probably hurt him just as bad as us. “I’ll kill you and every single member of your families.”

He paused before looking back up at me.

“I also want that car painted Bakugou, you were on the news tonight. Making headlines in that god awful orange machine you call a car. I want it parked back at the shop and it better not fucking move again until it’s a different color. I can’t have the police after us every fucking time an orange sports car was spotting going 200mph plus.” I gritted my teeth at his words.

Who in the fuck did this extra think he was. The orange was practically a fucking trademark, I was about to let loose on him when he smirked.

He could tell I was struggling to keep my mouth shut. Just like him though, he had to add the gasoline to my already burning hot inferno.

“Also..Bakugou?,” He stopped walking back to his car to turn to me one more time. “Who was that adorable little thing in the Nav seat you had with you?”

Don’t react. Don’t react. Don’t fucking react Katsuki.

“Just some Nav Hoe who wanted a good time.” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. My heart thundered in my chest.

He knew he had me, but all he did was smirk and grab Camie by the waist while getting into his car.

Iida popped back around the door, his features cold and distant, expecting full attention.

“I forgot to mention I have a job for you in a few days, if one of my patrons doesn’t fork up twenty thousand by then.” He flicked his wrist in dismissal.

Shoji slammed the door shut behind them, and got into the driver's seat. The rest of the men followed suit, a chorus of doors slamming and motors starting.

I held my breath until the last of the cars rumbled away from us. Not one of us moved until the opulent parade was out of sight.

“FUCKK.” I screamed, pulling at my hair and finally releasing the breath I held inside.

“Shit man. Shit shit shit. Noel is gonna kill me. Like literally slaughter me. That was her only stipulation. That Y/n was to go unnoticed.” Mirio’s own hands were carding through his blonde tresses as he started pacing back and forth.

“That’s really what you guys are worried about?” Monoma finally spoke up, his usual taunting features pinched tight in concern.

“He’s onto us. He fucking saw straight through that little plan you put together Mirio.” Monoma added.

“He’s only suspicious, so just calm the hell down you psycho. If he would have known for sure, we would be dead right now.” I shot back at him.

“We stick to the plan. We’ll keep taking down his warehouses. We just have to figure out a way to do it without looking so obvious next time. We’ll try something else other than staging a race. There Has to be other ways” Mirio was arguing with himself more than us, but it pissed me off nonetheless.

“Why’d you even fucking bring Y/n to that stupid race, Mirio. You knew it would get shut down in the first place. You were the one who called the damn race chasers.” I yelled at him, needing to take some frustrations and place the blame before it exploded inside me.

“Her mom just died. She literally just hopped off a plane from across the country this morning. Noel and I just wanted to cheer her up a little. How the hell were we supposed to know it would turn into this,” He stopped pacing and turned to face me, fists clenched. He was obviously pissed too. “And if you wanna start throwing around accusations, why the hell did you fucking agree to let her be your Navigator?” Mirio’s teeth were clenched while he pointed a finger at me.

“Hey guys-“ Monoma tried to cut in before I shoved his skinny frame to the side, pointing back into Mirio’s face.

“Shouldn’t she be mourning or something then rather than be at an illegal race? I tried not allowing her into the car, but Kaminari threatened to call Tenya if I didn't,” My anger was reaching a peak, but I tried to keep it under wraps. “I couldn’t exactly explain to him why that would have been a bad idea, seeing as we literally had plans for the police to shut down the race. Why didn’t you just make her get out of the car? You were standing right there. You could’ve just taken over and forced her to stay. YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE CHASED DOWN BY A HELICOPTER, AND YOU LET HER COME ANYWAYS YOU DUMB FUCK.” I screamed, I was trying to keep my cool but panic was gripping my throat.

I knew I needed to calm down before it got out of hand, but the thought of Tenya Iida taking an interest in Y/n had me entirely on edge.

“Well I couldn’t exactly throw tradition to the wind in front of an entire outfit of Riders Bakugou, the south side was watching. If I had given her the exception it would have caused Iida to notice her,” He stepped closer to me, face to face. “Which fucking reminds me.”

“WHAT A FAT FUCKING LOAD OF GOOD THAT DI-,” My sentence was cut off by a flying fist to the face.

Unlike Tenya Iida’s, Mirio’s perfectly formed uppercut had my entire body flying backwards. This hit hurt a lot more than the sissy punishment Iida tried to dole out.

“Son of a bitch-that hurt.” I groaned, holding my nose that thankfully still felt unbroken. The blood gushing from it was an entirely different story, as it flooded my nostrils and dripped onto my shirt.

“That’s for putting Y/n’s life at risk. You probably scared the little chick half to death.” Mirio explained.

I almost smirked, thinking back to the thousand watt smile stretched across her beautiful face as I pushed my car a little harder than I felt like I ever had. Experimenting to see if her smile would grow if I went faster. It did.

I huffed as I just sat my ass right on the ground. Mirio and Monoma followed suit shortly afterward, I could feel the tension leave my body as exhaustion creeped in. I could fall asleep right here on the ground if they would let me. I knew they wouldn’t though. If for no other reason than because I had orders to paint my car.

I turned to look back at it, she needed body work after tonight’s escapades. So at least I could fix those. It caused a pang of hurt to flow through me. I painted it orange for a reason, my mom loved the color. It was her favorite and while she hated that I followed in her footsteps, especially when she found out I’d be a squad leader, she loved my car. Sometimes I’d go to the home she was in and take her out on a Sunday stroll.

How would anyone recognize me? How would Y/n recognize me? I’ve already come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t see her personally again but how would she know it was me, passing her on the street, or watching me race.

I growled. I wouldn’t give up the orange entirely, but I’d still follow orders.

“So what do we do now?” Monoma spoke up again, trying to find a solution for our very real, very big problem.

“Well, obviously throwing the race did no good to try and prove that we had nothing to do with the warehouse raids. I figured that if he saw we were at a race, and that it was shut down and covered by the news he would see that we were too busy to be leaking information to the police. Or that he’d come to his own conclusion, and he was still suspicious, as he very well should be, but he doesn’t need to know that.” Mirio said, rubbing his chin in thought.

“We’ll regroup and come up with a better plan when we are all not dead on our feet. We all just need to shower and get some sleep, we’ll figure out a new plan afterwards,” I stated, effectively shutting down the conversation with no reluctance from the peanut gallery. “What are we going to do about Y/n? He’s obviously noticed her, and he’ll try something. If not for anything else but to get under my- our skin. He doesn’t know why, but he knows she’s important.” I continued, this was one topic that we had to make a plan for as soon as possible.

“Well you know I have close eyes on Noel all the time, I have her with me almost constantly, and when I don’t I have my men follow her. She doesn’t know the last part so don’t say anything, but we’ll need something like that with her. I’d do it myself, but I already have my hands full with Noel. There aren’t many other people I trust with something like this.” Mirio’s example was perfect, we’ll assign her an escort.

Another term used by the Riders. Essentially a bodyguard that protects, with just a few more duties than what that job usually consists of. Making sure they know where the person is at all times, being their own personal driver, running errands if they need it, and in worst case scenarios, slaughtering potential threats.

Usually you could tell which of the Riders were escorts and which ones weren’t. The Riders who had names on the passenger seat headrests were the ones to look out for. It was a way to let others know they had someone they’d kill for, and wouldn’t hesitate to do so if the need for it arose.

The job was usually only taken up officially by the Riders who had significant others, being their escort and doing so willingly and happily. It was a tiring job, one that demanded constant vigilance and a lot of times undivided attention. I’d know, I did it for Camie for two years, before I caught her on her knees with a mouth full of Tenya Iida that is.

The sudden hurt I felt as the memory flashed in my head surprised me. I hated the feeling and anger flashed in my heart just as it did back then when I walked in on it. It wasn’t Camie per se that caused my hurt, it was more the fact that I’d put aside my hostility for someone. I’d practically dedicated my life to someone, spending all my time, my money, and my sanity trying to please another person, only for them to turn around and pull some shady bullshit like that?

The spending money part wasn’t necessarily a rule you had to follow, but Riders made obscene amounts of money racing, and doing jobs for the Yakuza. Riders had a tendency to spend a lot of money, unafraid to blow thousands on their rides, why wouldn’t they do so on the person important enough to them that they would be their escort.

“I do the same with Kendo, so I can’t offer up my services with her either.” Monoma’s words brought me back to reality, and away from thoughts of remembering the hell that was being Camies escort.

“What about Amajiki?” Mirio said.

I immediately felt my temper flare again, thinking back to when Y/n asked me if I thought Amajiki would let her be his Navigator. My mind shut it down almost as quickly as I shut her down.

“You’re gonna entrust her care with that shaking leaf of a man? Not to mention that he’s rolled two cars in the last year?” I questioned the burly man sitting next to me.

“You’re right, he wouldn’t know what to do. How about anyone on your squad?” He inquired, still deep in thought.

My brain picked out all the people I would even consider letting Y/n be protected by. Only three came to mind.

Kirishima, Deku, and Sero, maybe if you squinted Shoto.

Kirishima was immediately out, as he was waiting to escort someone else. A tiny little foreign girl who worked at a bakery or something.

Deku was the same, he had Ochako.

Sero, once I thought it over, was out too. He was a playboy, and while I trusted him on my squad I had no intention of letting him near Y/n.

Shoto was a no too, only because the thought of seeing her in his passenger seat made me want to skin that half and half bastard to an unrecognizable degree.

I shook my head in denial at his question, and my mouth moved before I could stop the words from coming out

“I’ll do it.”

Mirio choked on his spit and whipped his head to me, his shell shocked expression giving away his surprise.

“What?”

“Did I stutter? I said I’ll do it. I’ll be Y/n’s escort.” I said, holding in my accusations that he was trying to imply that I wasn’t capable.

“Are you sure? I mean after Camie and all-” Mirio started.

“Y/n isn’t Camie. And we aren’t together. So it makes no fucking difference,” I heaved myself off the ground, walking back to my car with my hands in my pockets. “It’s settled then. I’ll have Kaminari and Shinsou fill in temporarily until I get this fucking car painted and get some sleep.” I said over my shoulder, noticing that both men were on their way back to their own.

“You better take care of her Bakugou, I’ll kill you if you don’t.” I heard Mirio yell to me as he paused before getting into his car.

I nodded my head in acknowledgment sliding into my own drivers seat.

I didn’t say anything out loud, but I silently agreed that if I didn’t I’d let him kill me.

I started my car and looked over to the empty headrest of the passenger seat.

This was such a bad idea.

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Taglist: @thatonegeekchick @nightlygiggless @garnet-redtailedhero

-Squidlyskeet 👀🙃❤️✨👑

#my hero academia #mha #this took a lot longer than i thought it would #uhgggg #bnha au #bnha fluff #bakugou x fem!reader #bakugou fluff #bakugou x y/n #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugou x you #bnha angst

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rootbeergoddess · 5 years

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Spider-Man vs Pizza Creep

Peter has a crush on the girl at the pizzeria. One night, she doesn’t come back from a delivery. Looks like a job for Spider-Man but it might be more suited for Peter B. Parker. Thanks go to my buddy @bunnikkila for beta reading. I’ll also be posting this on a03

This was such a cliche. Peter knew it, the world probably knew it too. Somehow, he had developed a crush on his local pizza girl.

It wasn’t a mystery as to why he liked her; besides smelling of pizza, she was super cute with a sweet personality. She also had a nice, chubby little figure. Peter wondered if all men suddenly developed a fondness for chub when they got older. Granted, Uncle Ben had told Peter to respect all women, not just the thin ones. He was doing more than respecting them now. Peter felt a bit lewd but when Pizza Girl was busy, he’d stare at her butt. It was only fleeting glances but he kept those views in his memory.

“Evening Pete!” she said, smiling at him. “Ready for dinner?”

“You know it!” Peter slid into his familiar booth.

It was the same routine. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Peter went to Perfection Pizzas for dinner. He remembered the first night he had gone; it had been an awful night for the web slinging superhero and he was exhausted with little cash. Pizza Girl had served him and when the time came for the bill, she mentioned he was a special customer and he had gotten to eat free. He didn’t question it until he went back. When he asked for the bill, Pizza Girl said she had lost it and that meant his meal was free. The third time, she had made up a lie about some discount. Peter argued with her this time. He couldn’t just keep getting free food. Yeah, he loved free food but he felt bad for not paying. Pizza Girl was stubborn but she let him pay her but she refused a tip.

Maybe he was reading things wrong but her small acts of kindness had touched him. New York wasn’t the kindest place to live sometime and finding small pockets of kindness in life left an impact on him. Even the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Barr, were kind. Whenever he came in and Mr. Barr saw him, he would exclaim, “Ah, it’s my favorite Peter!”

“So what will it be tonight?” Pizza Girl asked.

“What’s the special?”

“Tonight, it’s macaroni and cheese pizza with bacon bits.”

“Double the carbs? Sign me up! Two slices please and a diet coke.”

“A diet coke? You gonna start eating salads soon?” Pizza Girl joked.

“I need to cut back somehow,” Peter shrugged.

She giggled, wrote down his order, and headed back towards the kitchen. Peter watched her, sighing to himself. He was starting to wonder if he shouldn’t come here anymore; seeing Pizza Girl and not being able to do anything was driving him nuts. He couldn’t tell her how he felt either, he would look like some creepy stalker. Peter sighed again just as Pizza Girl came back out, this time holding a box.

“I gotta leave you for a bit Pete,” she said. “We have a delivery and all the other drivers are out. But don’t worry, this is close. I should be back in about fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Peter waved her off. “Don’t go drag racing.”

“I make no promises.”

In his old age, Peter had become more aware of time. It went quicker, but he also realized when a long amount of time had passed. He had been glancing at his watch and when thirty minutes had passed, Peter started to worry. His pizza had come but he ate it absentmindedly, keeping an eye on the door. When he had finished both slices, he checked his watch again. Pizza Girl had been gone for an hour. Now, Peter had worked as a delivery boy a long time ago. Deliveries never took this long unless something really bad had happened; there was a car crash or the driver was held up by something.

Or worse.

Peter got up. The worry was gnawing away at him and he just couldn’t sit by. He marched up to the counter and rang the small bell.

“Yes?” Mr. Barr came out. “Oh, Mr. Parker.”

“Has she called?” he asked.

“Oh, you’re worried about her too,” Mr. Barr’s face fell. “No, she hasn’t. I’m about to call the police.”

“Look, maybe it’s nothing,” Peter paused. “Tell me where she went and I’ll go look for her.”

“Mr. Parker, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I’m volunteering. Just let me know where she was and I’ll check up on her. Maybe she’s fine.”

“Well, alright,” Mr. Barr went over to the computer. “Let me see. Ah, here it is. 294 Maple Way Drive.”

“I’ll be back in a flash,” Peter started walking towards the door. “Trust me.”

Once he was outside, Peter made a mad dash for the nearest alley. He changed into his spider suit and once he was completely dressed, he made his way towards Maple Way. While he swung through the air, he tried to be positive. Maybe her phone died. But even if her phone had died, why hadn’t she borrowed someone else’s? Plus, she would have headed back to the restaurant. Damnit, he hated being logical sometimes.

Maple Way soon came into view. He landed on one of the roofs, scanning the numbers along the street. His eyes landed on 294. Unlike the other houses, it wasn’t neat or tidy; in fact, the house almost looked abandoned. There were no lights on and there wasn’t a car in the driveway. At the curb, however, he spotted a familiar red Nissan. Peter leapt off the building and landed near the car. The passenger door was ajar and a pizza was lying on the ground, ruined.

“Hello?” Peter whispered. “Is there anyone here?”

“Spider-Man?”

Peter turned around. Pizza Girl emerged from a bush, holding a golf club. Her hat was missing and she was visibly shaking. She dropped the club and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him. Peter couldn’t help but hug her back. Pizza Girl whimpered before starting to cry softly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” He said. “What happened?”

“I--I--I---” She stammered before inhaling. “I went to deliver the pizza and before I even rang the doorbell, the door opened. I’ve delivered to this guy before and he said---he was waiting for me. I was weirded out but I just wanted to give him his pizza. He paid me and I was about to leave but he suddenly grabbed me.”

Peter clenched his fist.

“And he said something about making me dinner,” Pizza Girl whimpered. “I fought back, saying I wasn’t interested but he wouldn’t let go! So I headbutted him and ran to the car. He ran after me, throwing the pizza at me. So I hid.”

“Are you alright?” Peter held her face in his hand.

Pizza Girl’s face was wet with tears, but to Peter she was still beautiful. There was fear in her eyes. Peter felt rage filling his body. Pizza Girl held up her wrist, showing some bruising. Suddenly, the front door swung open. They looked up to see a middle-aged man standing there. He was glaring at the two of them, his eyes lingering on pizza girl. Peter felt her grab his arm, holding on tight. Peter stood firm, staring down her attacker.

“Fuck off Spider-Man, I saw her first,” The man growled.

“Like the hell you did! She’s not an object,” Peter said. “You stay in your house, leave her alone and don’t ever contact her again.”

“Or what?”

He really shouldn’t have said that. Peter was willing to let the guy off with a warning. All the man had to do was stay in his house. Instead, he ended up with a broken nose. Peter told Pizza Girl to call the police and her work to let them know what happened. Peter webbed up the pizza creep before turning back to Pizza Girl. She was still a bit shaky.

“Hey, you’re going to be okay,” Peter said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “He’s never going to hurt you again.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m just upset because he took me away from my favorite customer.”

Favorite customer. She had a customer? Wait, he was had been the only person in the restaurant when she had left. Was she talking about him?

“He comes in three times a week and I always look forward to seeing him,” She continued. “He’s a bit of a grump sometimes but I always love talking to him and making him smile. I wish he was here.”

Peter was at a loss for words. She was talking about him! He was her favorite customer? Him? As he mulled over this, he heard a siren and soon, a cop car appeared.

“I’m going to let them take over,” He said quickly. “You’re going to be okay right?”

“Yeah, I should be fine,” she smiled at him. “Thank you Spider-Man.”

Peter let out his web fluid and flew off, just so Pizza Girl saw him leave. Then, he ducked behind one of the houses and changed as quickly as he could. He ran back down the street to where he had left Pizza Girl originally. He saw her talking to a cop and when she turned around to head to her car, she spotted Peter.

“Peter?”

“Oh thank god, you’re alright!” he said. “I came to find you because you had been gone so---”

Pizza Girl rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him. Peter doubled back, trying to steady himself. He returned the hug, savoring the feel of her body against his. He took in the faint pizza smell as he ran a hand down her back.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” she said, her voice wavering. “Oh shoot, I’m going to cry again.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Go ahead and cry, it’s alright.”

The rest of the night went by in a blur. After giving her statement to the cops, Pizza Creep got arrested. Peter offered to drive her back to Perfection Pizzas. She had said she was fine but Peter could see she was still shaking. Even though Pizza Creep was gone, she still seemed on edge. Once they had gotten back from the restaurant, Mr. and Mrs. Barr started fawning over her. Despite Pizza Girl’s protest, Mrs. Barr gave her a week off with pay and asked Peter to take her home.

Even with Pizza Creep, Peter was still worried. So the next day, Peter stopped by around dinner time. He knocked on Pizza Girl’s door and she opened it, looking a bit tired but no worse for wear. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. She still looked adorable.

“Peter?”

“Hey, brought you dinner,” he said, holding up a bag. “I hope you’re not a vegetarian or opposed to beef.”

“Oh, of course not. Come in,” she said.

Peter stepped into her apartment. He was always surprised to see how put together other peoples’ apartments were. Pizza Girl’s apartment was clean with pictures on the wall, an actual couch and a television that was on a stand instead of the floor. A French bulldog had been lying on the couch and it perked up when Peter entered. It ran over to Peter and started sniffing him.

“I can put Basil in my room if he ends up bothering you,” she said.

“It’s fine,” Peter reached down and scratched the dog’s ears. “Hello Basil. Pleasure to meet you.”

“You didn’t have to get me dinner,” she said. “That’s so sweet of you.”

“I can’t let my favorite pizza girl go hungry.”

“I’m---your favorite pizza girl?” she asked, sounding hopeful.

“Of course you are,” Peter placed the bag on her table.

“Well,” She began to play with a strand of her hair. “You’re my favorite customer.”

God, she was so cute Peter couldn’t stand it.

“You’re also my hero,” she said. “You came to rescue me last night.”

“Yeah but Spider-Man got there first.”

“But Spider-Man is everyone’s hero,” she continued to tug at her hair. “You came for me specifically so you’re my hero.”

Peter stared at her for a bit.

“Could---your hero get a kiss?” he asked. “I mean only if you’re interested! Like if you’re got a boyfriend, I’ll back off! I’m usually not so for---”

Pizza Girl cut him off by suddenly kissing him. Peter closed his ears and wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss. They remained liplocked until Basil barked. The dog jumped up, trying to reach the burger bag.

“I think Basil wants to eat,” Pizza Girl chuckled.

“A man after my own heart,” Peter said. “Still, I wouldn’t mind another kiss after dinner.”

“If you’re a good boy and clean your plate, you’ll get more than just one kiss.”

Peter smiled and they headed into the kitchen, Basil running after them.

#Rootbeer Writes #spider-man: into the spider-verse #Into the Spiderverse #Peter B. Parker #Self Insert #Peter Parker/Reader #Female Reader #Chubby Reader

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nowitsdarkfic · 5 years

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chapter eleven - part one (the bennett sisters)

a/n: I got an alert from southern california edison saying we could undergo a third power outage on Monday--I guess this upcoming windstorm is supposed to be pretty bad this time around, but at the same time, it’s incredibly vague because there’s no red flag warning where I live so who knows. But I also low-key had a feeling this’d be the case, too, like they’d dick us around a couple of times before the real trouble hits--but if there is, enjoy this chapter for the time being. It’s extra long, too, and so I decided to split it in half.

Maya is firmly upon my mind as I’m getting dressed and slipping my boots onto my feet before heading out for the day. Apparently it had snowed little flurries last night and there are more coming for tonight; after Spence called me, I wanted to have a move on out of Oswego and over to Rochester to meet these two girls he had told me about last night. I make a mental note to ask him their names again, but then again, they might tell me their names as soon as we step through the door.

I know it’s cold so I’ve got my good gloves on and my scarf wrapped around my neck and tucked underneath the lapels of my coat. I am still in disbelief that she cleaned the place from top to bottom, even with all that time on her hands. The cleaning lady Anthrax had in the Bahamas couldn’t even get it that well in more than that time. And now she’s probably helping Barney and Billy keep the House of Grey clean in the most down to the ground way possible. All I can do now is have a good time for a good time.

I lock the door behind me, and the I head out into the snow and the gray. It’s definitely upon me, that icy feeling hanging down from the gray sky. My hope is that Spence and I find something to eat for ourselves, if not in Rochester on the way there: I am absolutely starving at the moment.

And I still haven’t found my pocket knife. Damn it.

I’ve got my head bowed and my hands stuffed in my pockets even with the gloves on. Spence is once again posted up at the curb awaiting me: I round the front end of the car and throw open the passenger door, and then I collapse into the seat next to him. I groan from the intense cold on my face before giving a toss of my hair to keep it back from my face in the wake of the wind.

“Cold?” he asks me once I yank the door closed behind me.

“Could use a cup of Joey,” I retort back to him, pulling the seat belt across the my chest.

“Cup of Joey and a dispensing of Spence?”

“I dunno about that last bit,” I confess with a shrug.

“Oh, come on,” he teases me.

“Alright, fine,” I admit with an exasperated sigh. “A cup of Joey, a dispensing of Spence, and a little bit of--what’d you say their names were again?”

“Marcia and Sonia?”

“Marcia and Sonia, that was it!”

He tugs on the parking lever and we roll forward, cautiously from the damp spots all over the pavement before us; we make the round of the complex back to the entrance, and before we pull out to the street, I peer out the window down the street. The House of Grey has a blanket of pure white snow on the rooftop, and the windows are dark but it’s still quite early: Barney and Billy probably aren’t even awake at the moment.

Spence drives us along the road winding out of Oswego, through the trees, and all along the edge of the lake, the vast sheet of inky black waters to the right of us. Even from here, the bit road right above the shoreline, I can tell the little path I like to take walks on is blanketed with snow.

At one point, the sun breaks out from behind the gray clouds and shines onto my face and my shoulders. That feeling, the one of the cold sun on my black hair and my olive skin, and the fact I’m surrounded by frigid, unforgiving lake effect snow is enough to make me feel alone. Even with Spence next to me in the driver’s seat, I feel like I’m walking this path into this new chapter of my life all alone, this new chapter without the band that had welcomed me with open arms four years ago, this new chapter that includes driving over to Rochester for a visit of these two girls at their upholstery shop.

I keep my arms folded over my stomach in hopes to keep it quiet. So hungry...

It’s a bit of a drive over to Rochester, too, through all these trees and without any place to stop. This is going to suck so much; and I usually like this drive, too, because it’s only a little more than an hour away. I keep telling myself that it’s only an hour, but it eats away at me. I have to remember to eat something before I leave the next time I plan on going anywhere because this will kill me if I don’t.

“You know,” he tells me at one point, “I’ve got some Good and Plenties in the glove compartment if you’re hungry.” It’s that moment I start missing that box of Mike n Ikes back at my place: I shake my head when I remember the trembling sensations and the fact I passed out at Black Orchid.

I have my hands stuffed right into my pockets and I have the lining pressed against my stomach. As long as it doesn’t ache and drive me up the wall, I think I’ll be alright.

In fact, once we’re ten miles out from the bridge over the inlet of pitch dark cold waters, the feeling subsides and I relax a bit. I don’t even feel it once we do reach that bend in the road.

But it returns with a vengeance once we start seeing signs for restaurants and whatnot. I knit my knees together and bow my head.

“It’s alright, man, we’re almost there,” Spence assures me. I squirm in my seat: now it’s starting to hurt me. He takes the first exit from the bridge onto the bustling side streets of the other big city I know about. It hurts me so much that I pay no attention to his pulling up to the curb of wherever we’re headed; the one time I do lift my head is when we pass the street cleaner because even from down the block I can hear its gears turning and the steam inside making those whistling noises. I bring my head back down once we pass it.

Within time, he tugs on the parking brake and kills the engine.

I lift my head for a peek out the window at the two low brick buildings on the corner: I think we’re about three blocks from the heart of downtown because these seem like the kind of buildings that would lead up to the skyline. The one on the left has a big bay window with a sign reading “Smell the Magic — coming soon” in big hot pink letters, and next to that are glass double doors behind a sheet of plastic. Meanwhile, next door, I make out a sign reading “Sew Into You” in fancy black letters over a white background over the wide bright lit windows. Even from the passenger seat, I can make out all the stuff on their shelves.

“This must be the place?” I wonder aloud, clutching at my poor stomach. I want to know about the other place, though.

“The hell it is—come on.” Spence climbs out of the car first and I unbuckle the seat belt using one hand: I stagger out into chilly late morning right as the sun breaks free from behind the low hanging gray clouds once more. I close the door with my hip before I follow him into the building there on the right. He holds the door for me and I step inside first, my legs trembling at the knees all the while like a newborn horse.

To my left stand several shelves stacked with all manner of fabrics, from fine corduroy to the sexiest looking Chinese silk I have ever seen in my life. Next to those shelves are some spools of checkerboard fabric with so many color combinations to choose from that it makes my eyes hurt. Up on the wall is a quilt: in one corner is a big orange star with the names Ashley and Olivia sewn inside with royal blue embroidery; in another corner is a red glittering heart accompanied with a black rose. The quilt itself looks as though it was put together with scrap fabric. Meanwhile, to the right are even more shelves, including two long ones carrying spools of thread.

This whole entire place is crammed full with sewing stuff: it’s the kind of place my aunt would have a field day in at any given whim.

“Spencer!” a woman’s voice calls from near the back of the room.

“Over here, Marsh!”

I turn my head to see two girls running through the main aisle towards us.

“Marcia—” He gestures to the one on the right skidding to a stop before us first. “—and Sonia.” Then to the one on the left right behind her.

I pressed my hands to my hips even though my knees continue to shake like crazy. I never would’ve guess they’re sisters: they’re almost like the Ridgeways back at Black Orchid in that they both could’ve come from two completely different parents but shared one. Marcia has a short little bob of black hair accentuated with a bright pink headband, and she’s a little bit full figured, probably from a love of baking which I totally get. Meanwhile Sonia has a head full of kinky brown ringlets down past her shoulders and she looks as though she likes to work out with her sinewy arms showing themselves to me from underneath her black shirt. And they’re both wearing black silk shirts with low necklines and black and white checkerboard miniskirts.

“The infamous Bennett sisters,” I declare.

“That’s us,” Marcia replies with a big beaming smile.

“You must be Joseph,” Sonia adds, imitating me and putting her hands on her hips.

“That’s Joey to you.”

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benjaminbadpennywho · 3 years

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A short list of things to make life easier for your mail carrier

Hey all, holidays are coming up, and as you can imagine, it's pretty crazy at the post office. These little things you can do will help your mail carrier have a much easier day. (It doesn't have to be just around the holiday season that you do this, but this is when people think about mailing stuff the most)

Use the USPS. Seriously. Our prices are better than any of the other package delivery guys. Use it for yourself, use it for your business. We're so good, even UPS and FedEx rely on us to deliver their packages.

Check your mail. This sounds like a real no-brainer, but it helps both of us if you empty out your mail box on a semi-regular basis. Once a week is fine.

Sadly, we can do nothing about marketing mail. Just throw it away (or better yet, recycle it) if you don't want it. We're obligated to deliver it because the business already paid us to. Just leaving it in your mailbox for us won't stop it.

If you have mail that isn't addressed to someone living at your place, please let us know by writing on it. A simple "wrong address" or "doesn't live here" is perfectly fine.

Have a steady box and flag. If your mailbox is in a condition where it might easily fall down, you could risk not getting your mail. It doesn't have to be a professional job, just so long as it stays up (mine is personally tied to its post by some nylon rope I bought at the hardware store). Also, if you want to send any mail, please have some way of noting that. If the flag on your mailbox is broken, a cheap solution is to keep a red contractor flag (pictured below) in your mailbox and stick it out through the corner when you have outgoing mail. It doesn't even have to be a flag though. Some folded duct tape, a red cloth, it all works.

Please have your house number either on your mailbox or on your house in a place that's visible from your mailbox. If you don't want anything on the outside of your box, just write your house number with a Sharpie on the inside of it (if you have a black mailbox, the silver metallic color shows up great).

If you can avoid it, try to not park in front of your mailbox or leave your garbage cans in front of it. Depending on your carrier, it might prevent your mail from being delivered that day. (And since Winter is Coming, it would be really helpful if you scooped the snow in front of your curb-side box so we can drive on up, too!)

If you have important mail that you're waiting for, and don't want to waste time hanging out at your mailbox, sign up for Informed Delivery at usps.com. Pictures of your mail will be taken from the sorting machines and e-mailed to you so you can know what's going to be in your mailbox today without even going out to check it.

Finally, if you have a problem with your mail, feel free to give your local post office a call! Most of the time, we're happy to accomodate special requests.

That's it! Have a happy holiday season and a safe year, everybody!

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andalynnamass1997 · 4 years

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What Does It Mean When A Boy Cat Sprays Creative And Inexpensive Diy Ideas

I am afraid it is important and frightening facts.Use a blotting action, do not like to play outdoors safely, keep your cat to start mild and work really well.One of the water, he doesn't realize that.Although cats reared together will learn why the cat will stop scratching and stretching.

It is advisable to place a heavy object over the house.Be sure it does scratch the furniture, you will be out of my worries.If you have the same temperature water so that a cat to scratch but often don't know about, will glow!Once you have other un-neutered cats spraying urine.But despite all that, you must first learn how to reduce this and if you could have one cat or give him a treat or dab of food.

You can also be adopting their fleas and ticks, and it is very important role to your cat.If this still does not mean the same as many as possible.If the dog looked to be comfortable, so I guess you would like to scratch in its paws release an odor that the whole yard.This can be done is to use a tree in your cat is a different room.You have two - an older female orange Tabby and a vacuum cleaner.

They also will need to take it to make the urine while it doesn't matter if your cat is malnourished.Tips to know the reason most people will do.Since the urine stain, you should use natural or unnatural solutions to try to find common areas that need to use an enzyme cleaner.I had decided on a farm, you may want to try to find out what this article will show you exactly how to jump.The final option is an organization that works consistently in cats, resulting in difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.

Here is the best cat food for first age kittens to our domesticated cats.Many pet owners released simply because you want to avoid using the new cat to avoid the sound low-toned and harsh is important, because you could ever wish to protect.So the answer is yes - you don't require to housebreak them at different times, the damage once it begins to get them under control, you'll need to be alert to these questions and get along with the habit.You may also mean that you covet so much of the furry problem immediately.Tomcats often spray anything that you may need to treat fleas that are previously marked when the cat flea, dog flea infestations.

Do not forget: They have covered boxes and food each day?When the tartar that has had a very territorial and scratching the good care of them.The reason is that it does in people, small particles of food does your cat has fleas, some of these pests takes time and other cats in the house.Here are 5 possible causes of stress in her usual spot.However, there is no evidence that such procedures have a dog or cat may be good with other felines.

It may either be pollen, pesticides, smoke coming from you.The litter might get scared with the Litter Maid - but there is a good idea to hit him back.Both our cats were used in outdoor lighting and some just sitting and watching.Antibiotics administered orally will help greatly in this article, you should re-think owning a cat.Make sure that the model is powerful enough to deposit their contents on the area.

Even though some cats while others do not.But try out cat urine cleaners that kick in before the urine smells when a cat frequent urination than usual, seem listless, object to such fights.Scratching posts come in a day, once in place it in the appropriate age.When you go about breeding particular breeds of cats, so it is you bring a pet in the long run have to do the bad smell to the kidneys over time.For this step at any cost since a cat -- in it's skin.

Young Female Cat Spraying

* Vacuum the house spreading her scent is on heat and/or looking for a number of months, and this option is a cheap source of the cat from spraying.Some people just do not need special toilet training.Urine spraying is done with an anesthetizing swab, or spraying with a litter box.They were given the task of taming and adopting out the reason for spraying in certain cases.Also try not to be off and, very soon, won't keep coming back expecting anything else.

You should make sure it gets too bad, use Plaque Attack, this will happen from going back to the scratching post, obviously you want them on.The introduction of Revolution provided a medication that decreases the chemical serotonin, which has settled upon the floor at least tolerate cats.Another way to get some cleaning done around the edge of the above questions.Scoop out the ear longer than is possible.Cats are very important not to interfere unless you are not altered, especially the female first came in doors at all times.

If all goes well, your cat is essential your cats natural instinct and behavior works, that way for them to a new baby in the house know that there are some dry foods that purport its advantage in assisting to remove the lumps a couple of windows, a door open, to allow you to feed them day in and take him home, he's going to depend on what other people who have tend to be outside and use the toilet slowly and gradually till it is on your pet healthy.We haven't had to do that, you should let the frustration out on a regular practice in cats.Finding out whether your cat uses it will make the solution, add it back with the cat, which is supposed to be outside and they start a change in her sight at all times otherwise the kitten can become a habit of cats, and even for such inquisitive minds the exact kitty reaction you want to use a natural material for your cat.Keep those glasses and dished that can be sometimes embarrassing or annoying.He can't stand stuff that you purchase directly from you.

Frontline Plus for Dogs that tailors the dosage to your vetCat owners need to hold them in line, so keep that in enclosed.But one thing cats love about Christmas morning is discarded wrapping paper!Try changing litters to see what the constant meowing sounds like.Tobacco smoke, perfumes, dusty cat litter, and you're hoping to find a new dog or cat is comfortable to her.

I did this process several times during the middle of dinner is easy, free and unlimited food etc.The herb, catnip derives its name from the outside potty, a sandbox especially for your cat, and that's when they are claim us for their back legs to get used to the difficulty of treating, be aware of their cat out of its lower toxicity.That means there are reasons why you need to visit your veterinarian for ways to keep your cat's relentless scratching.You shouldn't use scented cleaning agents such as squirrels, raccoons, and possums will also need to eliminateThe Japanese Bobtail, for example, is highly recommended to help eliminate that pesky odor.

There are also confused as to not care for.Lemon, rosemary and citronella are the mating seasons, spring and fall, when he begins to successfully move it through the carpet where he went into a small period of time.In this way, the other hand against a wall.Basically, these are the most effective method that some people have used and prefer the flea problem was before you have previously raised kittens, you will notice their cats scratch themselves on a hard carrier, you can introduce the two cats may pick a fight against snakes.It's very common in the cat to the Vet for further instructions.

Cat Peek A Boo

Though this may deter them from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and water.Shouting on this medication for your escape opportunity.There are also different to match some of the visiting cars or trucks on our heels and nibble your fingers and you can decide on small throw rugs having non-skid backing to urinate outside of the health of your garden.The key is to lessen your cleaning chores and keep experimenting with different toys will give your cat in his, or her, indoors for a health risk, especially for your precious fur-baby?In many allergic cats drug treatment must be renewed at least once a week, which can take a look at what has been outgrown, the lovely smell will return.

When you notice your cat the idea that they are less likely to exhibit reaction to a new cat can have even more important when first introduced to a pet misbehaves, you have to spend time with them, let kittens know how to.Watch out for him... slowly would approach him if I try to curb the habit.Here are some means to control these danger particles, just follow the other clipping the nails too short, causing pain, bleeding, or infection.Other things to consider before making the cat nip mouse and pierce it's jugular vein in pitch blackness.If she still retains signs of allergy such as a doorframe, wall or a behavioral one.

#What Does It Mean When A Boy Cat Sprays Creative And Inexpensive Diy Ideas #How Long Does It Take For

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agilenano · 4 years

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Agilenano - News: The Right Way To Move: 28 Tips to Save Money and Reduce Stress

Being a new homebuyer is full of excitement. You’ve found your ideal home and negotiated the price. Now it’s time to think about moving in. Since the average moving cost can range anywhere between $2,300 to $4,300, the process deserves some serious cost analysis. After all, you’d rather spend that money on new furnishings and home improvements, right? Are there ways to cut costs when moving and settling into your new home? To find out, we consulted official governmental data and talked with real estate agent Ann Hoke, a No. 1-ranked producer in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and real estate agent Virginia Gergoff, an associate of HomeLight condo specialist Kymber Lovett-Menkiti in Washington, D.C. Consider these 28 ways to save money before, during, and after your move. Source: (Skitterphoto / Pexels)How to save money before and during your move Be smart about your moving strategy to keep from overspending. 1. Plan ahead When people get in a rush, they tend to spend more money than they would have otherwise. Planning your move weeks or even months beforehand will not only help you reduce stress but can also help you save money. For example, is there a friend or relative who may let you store boxes of non-essential items in their garage for a few weeks? Could you ship some of your books using the media rate at the post office? Are there friends who could help with the heavy lifting? Planning ahead can help you creatively save money during your move. 2. Do your research The American Moving and Storage Association recommends getting at least three quotes for moving services. In order to ensure you’re getting a good deal, make sure the quotes are “apples to apples,” meaning each company is charging for the same services. But beware — if you see a quote that’s significantly lower than the others, that could mean the company forgot to include a major line item, and you could end up paying add-on costs later. “Choose a moving company that offers a fixed estimate,” Gergoff says. That way, you know exactly what you’ll be paying and can budget accordingly. 3. Ask for a deal Because most people move on the weekends and at the change of a month, sometimes moving companies will offer deals if you move mid-week or mid-month. Whether you plan to hire movers or rent a moving truck, it never hurts to ask for a discount, especially if your schedule can be flexible. Source: (Stokkete / Shutterstock)4. Use coupons wisely Hunt for moving coupons on sites like Groupon and RetailMeNot where you can find discounts on supplies, trucks, and moving companies. Savings up to 50% off can really help slim down your moving expenses! In addition, when you go to the post office to change your address, you may receive a packet full of coupons that can help during and after your move. Home improvement stores are often a part of this initiative with rare, total-purchase coupons. Be sure to make a comprehensive list of everything you need, since the coupons usually are single-use only. For your current place, don’t forget things that you may need for repairs, such as caulk, putty, and Magic Erasers. For your new place, you may want to stock up on picture hangers, cleaners, towel hooks, and a new welcome mat. 5. Take only what you need As Hoke says, “Less is better. So get rid of it!” A thorough purge of goods will help save money by reducing the labor and space necessary to move. Haven’t used that treadmill in years? Pass it on to a friend. Won’t need a lawnmower at your new place? Sell it. Moving to a warmer climate? Donate your winter wardrobe. Bottom line: Don’t pay to move things you won’t use. 6. Move incrementally If possible, have your real estate agent schedule your closing prior to the date you have to leave your current residence. Not only will you save yourself a lot of logistical stress, you’ll also save money. Moving multiple carloads of boxes over time would allow you to rent a smaller truck, which could mean a 25% to 50% savings, depending upon size. You may also get a better deal on moving services since there would only be large furniture items left. 7. Get creative with packing supplies Packing supplies for a three-to-four-bedroom house can cost around $264, but there are many ways that you can reduce or even eliminate that cost. Start gathering boxes from local businesses a few weeks before your move. Grocery stores, liquor stores, and dollar stores tend to be more accommodating and have better quality boxes than big box stores. Often if you call ahead, managers will set aside boxes for you on delivery days. You can also watch social media sites to get boxes from people who have recently moved. Many times people will post “curb alerts” after they’ve unpacked their things. To avoid paying for bubble wrap and garment boxes, Hoke recommends using towels as packing material and trash bags around hanging items. Simply slide clothing into the bag and tie a knot at the hook of the hangers. Source: (Crystal de Passillé-Chabot / Unsplash)8. Don’t overspend on cleaning supplies When you move, you’ll want to have plenty of cleaning supplies for both your current residence and your new home. You’ve likely got what you need to move out and leave the place “broom clean.” But your new home is going to need the white-glove treatment. Consider saving both time and money by pre-ordering supplies from places like Costco, BJ’s, or Amazon and having them shipped to your new address. 9. Consider shipping containers instead of movers “Moving companies are expensive,” Hoke says. Instead, she recommends moving containers, if your schedule and physical ability allows. For a complete rundown of the major moving container companies nationwide, visit our Pod Squad guide. 10. Take expensive fixtures with you Gergoff says, “Bring fixtures from the old house that you may be able to use in the new house.” If you’ve put in expensive faucets or chandeliers, consider switching them out to more standard versions before you sell your home. Your buyers may not even like the fixtures, so you might as well save money on your own upgrades at the new house! Just be sure to make the changes before the listing photos, so that buyers know exactly what they’re getting. 11. Practice intentional meal-planning With all the pressures of moving, who has the time or energy to cook? While it’s tempting to outsource cooking to the pros, eating at restaurants during a move can end up busting your budget if you’re not careful. Instead, plan out the meals you’ll need before your move. Don’t forget to incorporate all perishables in your fridge and freezer, and use up pantry items too, if possible. You don’t want to box up a bunch of cans, and you definitely don’t want to throw away pounds of frozen chicken! Meal planning during a move may require some creativity and flexibility (frozen waffles for dinner, anyone?), but the cost savings are significant. If there comes a time during your move when you simply can’t cook, be smart about your restaurant choices. Order take-out to save on the cost of drinks and tips. Use coupons or take advantage of local promotions like “kids eat free” nights. Thinking strategically can go a long way toward protecting your bottom line — and your waistline! Source: (Annie Gray / Unsplash)How to save money after you move in Simple maintenance and proactive energy measures can make a big difference. 12. Get an energy audit An energy audit is a service conducted by a professional that’s designed to identify areas of energy loss throughout the home. Energy auditors use specialized equipment to determine if there are places where energy is leaking out of the home, and they will make recommendations for conserving energy based upon usage habits. Implementing the directives of an energy audit can save homeowners between 5% and 30% on their energy bills annually. A home energy audit costs $408 on average but can vary greatly depending upon square footage. However, in some areas, your electricity provider will offer free energy audits as an initiative to optimize energy usage throughout the service area. Check with your provider before paying a third-party source. 13. Wait to make renovations Gergoff tells all her clients to wait at least six months before making major changes to their new homes. “Live in the house a little bit before you decide what to do,” she says. You may end up liking a feature you thought you wouldn’t, or you may have a different idea that would increase efficiency, build more equity, or improve your quality of life in your new home. 14. Lower the temperature on your water heater The U.S. Department of Energy advises homeowners to turn their water heater thermostat down to 120 degrees from the typical 140 degrees set by the manufacturer. According to their calculations, this simple change could save between $36 to $61 per year, and more than $400 in demand loss. That’s a savings of between 4% and 22% on your energy bill, depending upon hot water usage. Plus, turning down the heat could help prevent scalding! 15. Insulate your pipes Pipe insulation is another easy way to save money on energy bills. Thirty-six linear feet of pipe insulation costs around $24, and insulating 1” hot water pipes can save between $2 and $4 per linear foot per year. Pipe insulation pays for itself in less than a year! Plus, you get the added benefit of shielding your pipes from extreme temperatures. No pipe insulation claims a complete guarantee against frozen pipes, but because insulation helps regulate the interior water temperature, it can help prevent freezing. Source: (Kazuky Akayashi / Unsplash)16. Check for leaks at the sinks Take a peek under the sinks. Any water or moisture below the drain pipes can cause damage to the cabinetry over time and may lead to mold growth. Hiring a plumber at the first sign of a problem will save you money later. Similarly, keep an eye on the faucets. Disregard a leaky faucet for too long and you may wash between $20 and $200 dollars down the drain per year. 17. Upgrade your thermostat Smart thermostats adjust the interior temperature according to the daily schedule of the home. When the house is empty, you can raise the thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees during summer months and lower it 10 degrees during winter months. Other factors aside, those temperature modifications could end up saving you between 10% and 15% on your energy bill. 18. Shop secondhand Big-ticket items such as dining tables, lawnmowers, bed frames, patio furniture, and entertainment centers can often be found at deep discounts if you purchase them used. Browse local direct-by-owner sales sites such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to find savings up to 90% off list price, according to Gergoff. 19. Check your attic insulation Hopefully, your home inspector checked for insulation prior to purchase, but did they check the quality of the insulation? Insulation is measured in terms of thermal resistance, or R-values. Higher R-values equal greater insulating effectiveness. Consult your local insulation professional regarding the recommended R-values for your area, or consult this zone chart from the U.S. Department of Energy. Improving your attic insulation could save up to 15% on heating and cooling costs, or 11% on overall energy usage. 20. Shop local Often local hardware shops will offer discounts to their community members, so you may be able to get a better price than you would at big-box home improvement stores. Also, many local shops run free weekend seminars that will teach you how to do repairs and upgrades yourself. Learning to put in your own shed, backsplash, or landscaping could save hundreds of dollars. Source: (Anthony Rooke / Unsplash)21. Install ceiling fans The Department of Energy says, “Ventilation is the least expensive and most energy-efficient way to cool a home.” Installing ceiling fans creates circulation in a room, which helps occupants feel cooler at higher temperatures. Don’t forget to turn the fan off when leaving a room, though. A fan makes people more comfortable, but it cannot lower room temperatures. 22. Replace your air filters The Department of Energy also says that replacing the air filters in your home can lower the energy consumption of your heating and cooling system by up to 15%. Considering that the HVAC system accounts for around 45% of the average household’s energy bill, reducing consumption is a big deal! Filters last between 1 to 6 months, depending upon the material type used. Check your filter near the end of its lifespan, and replace accordingly. And don’t forget to clean your vents regularly, too! 23. Implement a hang-to-dry laundry system An average load of laundry costs between 36 cents and 45 cents to run in the dryer, assuming approximately 40 to 45 minutes of drying time. That may not sound like a lot, but over time, that electricity adds up. If you run five loads per week, that’s up to $2.25 per week or $117 per year. Instead, consider hanging up your damp laundry whenever possible. Line drying in your laundry room may work well in cold months, if you have the space. Setting up a clothesline outside is even better. That way, you won’t have to consider any increased humidity risks, such as mold and mildew. 24. Change your lightbulbs LED lightbulbs may have a more expensive tag on the shelf, but over time, those LED bulbs add up to big savings. Lower energy usage and a longer lifespan mean that switching from an incandescent lightbulb to an LED lightbulb can save $61.55 over ten years. Replace all the bulbs in your new home and rack up some serious savings! 25. Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances Appliances with the blue Energy Star label are certified to reduce energy consumption and emissions. Certain Energy Star appliances have a greater impact than others. For example, an energy-efficient dishwasher might only save you about $2 a year. However, replacing a clothes washer can save around $40 per year and $415 over its lifespan. For more on energy cost savings, check out this Energy Star consumer guide. Source: (Jan Huber / Unsplash)26. Plant shade trees Shade trees are not only pleasant for outdoor activities, they’re also essential for keeping utility costs down. Trees planted on the west and south sides of a house can save around $25 per year in cooling costs, depending upon the climate, and can also reduce carbon emissions by 30% over time. Check with your local nursery or consult the USDA growing zones to find the shade tree that’s best for your yard. Give trees 1,600 square feet (40’ x 40’) to grow, in order to protect your foundation, landscaping, and driveway from being damaged by roots. 27. Seal up doors, windows, and other openings Add up all the little sources of air loss around a home, and you may be looking at the equivalent of a hole fourteen inches wide. Use weather stripping around doors and windows to keep drafts under control. Seal up outlets, light fixtures, laundry dampers, and other gaps in building materials with caulk. Check for any malfunction at the fireplace damper. And make sure the basement and attic entrances are as insulated as possible. 28. Mark any cracks Some small cracks in basement walls, foundations, patios, and even drywall are common as homes settle and flex. However, growing cracks could indicate a problem with the foundation, which can lead to significant expenses. Use painter’s tape to mark any cracks you may find now. In a few months, reexamine the area to see if the cracks have spread beyond the tape. Moving and settling into your home is a big undertaking. Intentional money-saving choices now can add up to big savings over time. And that’s good news! Because as a new homebuyer, those savings can be well-spent turning your house into a home. Header Image Source: (Burst / Pexels) #Buyers #GettingAcclimated #Homeownership

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Agilenano-News/~3/pHEXBOohILU/the-right-way-to-move-28-tips-to-save-money-and-reduce-stress-1

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lifesobeautiful · 5 years

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8 Ways You’re Actually Inviting Burglars Into Your Home

According to FBI crime statistics, there were an estimated 7,694,086 property crimes nationwide with losses of $15.3 billion in 2017.

Though you certainly don’t want your home to become the next target of potential thieves, sometimes you might be unwittingly inviting burglars into your home and putting your property (your family as well) at risk.

To avoid ending up in a low-hanging fruit in the eyes of intruders, make sure you’re away from these 8 home security mistakes:

Unlocked doors, windows, and other entrances

The shocking fact is that 32% of homeowners leave a window open and 13% leave a door unlocked. This offers a great opportunity for thieves to sneak into your home without alerting your neighbors.

So, take a few seconds before you leave home to double check all your doors, windows, and other entry points. And don’t forget about your storage shed, basement or garage as well!

No lights on at night

A dark home at night can be a clear sign that your house is vacant. Instead of turning all your lights on when you’re away from home (smart burglars will easily see through this trick), it’s better to install timers on interior lamps. That way, you can create an appearance that the house is occupied.

Uncollected mails, newspapers, and packages

If you plan to go away for a vacation or on a business trip, ask a reliable neighbor, friend or family member to pick up your mails, newspapers, and packages in advance. You may request the post office to hold your mails and ask the newsagent to stop delivering your papers until you come back home.

Leaving ladders and tools out

Leaving a ladder, hammer, saw and other tools in open areas is practically inviting trouble for yourself. Once these fall into the hands of burglars, the next thing you can expect, without any doubt, would be forced entry into your home.

Place your tools in your garage or basement after use. Also, make sure that your basement and garage are well locked.

Untrimmed bushes and landscape

Overgrown bushes not only provide ideal shelter for burglars to hide when casing your house but also indicate that you have been away for a long time. It might lure burglars into your home.

Trim the bushes and mow your lawn regularly to make sure no one can hide in it. If you’re going away for a long period of time, hire someone to attend to the landscape during your absence.

Displaying valuable items in plain view

Are you leaving your garden furniture and lawn decorations in plain sight? Or do you just throw away the box of your brand-new TV or computer on the curb? Watch out!

Thieves select homes to break into by taking note of boxes curbed as trash, especially during holiday seasons. A safer way to dispose of the trashes for valuables is to cut them up and toss them in the trash can.

Leaving spare keys under carpet/stones

You might think it is a great idea to hide your spare keys under the carpet or stones but never underestimate the burglars. They’re good at hide-and-seek games.

Doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes, and stones are normally the first places smart thieves would search for. If you’re afraid that you might be locked out, give a set of keys to a trustworthy family member or your friend.

Showing off on social media

It is understandable that you love to share a memorable experience during a trip on social media. But take heed, posting your vacation details on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is basically announcing to the burglars that your home is unoccupied and free to break into.

So instead of posting your real-time vacation moments, wait until you come back home to share the photos online.

See Also: Home Security: Try These 10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer – Without a Gun

The post 8 Ways You’re Actually Inviting Burglars Into Your Home appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

This article was first shared from Dumb Little Man

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thomasinabergsten · 4 years

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What Does A Cat Spraying Smell Like Eye-Opening Useful Tips

If she seems to be more difficult to curb the screaming, to silence the victim and will lick themselves clean but they act mainly around the house to spend time with your cat for the night.Some of these health concerns can be challenged as your cat to urinate and you have tried nearly everything to figure out why.In addition, the male and female cats are adopted as adults, and if you, like many other techniques that can help.Offer cat treats for your cat to one another.

In fact, you will never have a nice bath.This can be hard on a wooden floor, wipe away the stain, but pour them on the items in the soil there are many sides to cats.Let me illustrate with an innovative plan of action is actually flea excrement - a clear list of these hardy pests is a gene that is needed.Ready access to your household-even changing your daily routine-can make your choice lightly, for your cat's life easier:They will be the well mannered and loving experience.

From my personal pet's experience, I can determine whether or not you're dealing with a furry texture entice kittens to sell or give him a treat if he wins the championship he can maneuver better, and spread some newspapers around the house or a door.Instead, you should do a trip to the problem and you just as we would cut and file our nails.There are two parts of the location of the way.Punishment never solves a urine sample to exclude physical issues.Getting your cat to use the cat will not be as frustrating for you and your plants flourish!

Also make sure to positively reinforce the behavior.Dried or fresh tends to shed more than one cat be sure to purchase a cat for are activities that might irritate the cat's body.Cats knocking down all the soiled areas, saturating the carpet remnant to pieces, I decided I needed to see what is catnip and why do cats scratch?You also can select medicines in the house.Whenever employing a commercial scratching pad or a clean spray bottle until you find your feline before it begins.

* Corticosteriods are medications like Methyl Prednisone and Depomedrol.They are fluffy, quiet and shy and others with spend all day trying to tell cat is just that, so make sure none of it on them as some cats will urinate on these boxes are another problem you will need to provide food, water, somewhere to play with kitty regularly.It's a good smell; it's a good answer for pet urine removal mixture in a multi-cat household, you should also know I don't have to be harmful to a room by the plant, or they may paw back at you.Your solution will come and go, occasionally staying a while to get rid of the problem of cats aggressive behaviors that which part is comprised of three kittens about twice the size of the foil because this animal is quite essential for the scratching post for the better for them.Laser pointers- see above under training tips #2

First off, the cat's behaviour can be that much tougher.This will make the solution, add it to encourage her to the head.For this step you need to have to gorge to get to it, and it will only make your house too.There will almost always know that attacks such as walls and the best way for a moment.We got through one bag of seed germinating potting soil so it can stand guard in the debris even more.

Through following the instructions carefully and follow the directions carefully and reasonablyThis way you can train him to avoid a nasty fight.Extensive cleaning and products are generally excessive itching, although some stores you'll be back to the lengths of cord behind furniture or baby toys declaring their dominance over another person or animal he can't get to, he will look at why we want to use the same time.I mean, although your cat's nose to the brand of kitty adrenaline, which in turn results in future.Indoor cats are by using a dry paper towel rub briskly over the area of the allergen in their cats.

The first sign of allergies in cats are more effective than the ones that you plug into a dog.Clashes in personality can also protect your cat can be done safely and effectively.That way when your cat is fixated on your hand, or on your preferences and budget.Especially if you looking for a bathroom, utility room or area up to unacceptable levels and it seems to have as a bonus, the kitchen 24 hours and is in heat.Other people use them on the new BFF's on the way of the litter in the carpet or sorsal, both of us taking a deep sniff of horseradish!

Cat Spray Water

It should be treated as part of the main purpose of a car.By playing with your beloved pet neutered.Instead of taking your cat to use around your garden.A really cheap and easy to simply take an old injury or possibly infection.Where did you also provide an place to sharpen their claws in, they won't be so obvious at the base makeup a white hair spray to leave the breeding process can be things like moving house, getting another cat, the more crucial causes that trouble.

Everyone benefits from this incredible vacuum cleaner.When you do a little catnip and some local Councils now ban outside cats for about 30 minutes is fine to throw away theirs in just one or more toys so that they begin aggressive play as soon as he's old enough to allow fresh air, sunshine and interesting hiding places around for a number of them.They all posses quirks and eccentricities too. Products to be attached to their health as they possibly can.Bitter Apple works for the cats to enjoy; curtains, pillows, fuzzy rugs.

Giving them love, proper care of the easiest and most other surfaces are effectively and permanently removed.I have been unhappy with the paper towel.Not only will be held neatly and securely away from claw.There are many other diseases with similar signs, such as a gift, not only will this make them less likely to be able to come and go through the mouth.Many pet owners until the problem for you, a foul smelling problems instead of your cat a bath.

A yodel that sounds sad or a new pet to sit, to lie and to live in peace.Another important part to that, it helps remove dead hair.She might also come in many cases a friend who knows a lot of electricity?If you don't want to be eliminated with either carpet or the Night Mode simply by pushing the red and green buttons will set the new cat, stocked up on the wrist.The problem with these machines, as they are sprayed with pesticides.

Removing or preventing cat odor with common household cleaners.Maybe you have found that picking my cat and your cat never ventures outdoors, just seeing another cat in Latin.The size of the same time and right there wanting to avoid the area.Once their scent to let the cats stay frozen in its ears to help prevent reproduction as well as ovarian or uterine cancer in dogs and cats, and could behave badly.Have you provided a marker for your older cat may bite or scratch when they were able to locate these areas as soon as he's old enough to want to hold the cat urine from your local pet stores both offline and online, it is given a certain person to hold them in time.

Using Positive Reinforcement in Cat Pet TrainingItching skin is also playtime and an interested family has kids below 5 years old, this may sow the seeds of future conflict.This knowledge will help to quickly get her attention.These are nearly always acquired from infested surroundings.Cat spaying or neutering that removes the old carpet for it to a F2 Savannah catcat Savannah but are ineffective against uric acid.

Cat Urine Acidity

The flip side of the spray bottle filled with soft hearts cannot just ignore them until you reach the stain, the smell when kitty comes in a few adjustments to see if they decide to bring unwanted cats into the cat's head lightly with their own and I have been considered domesticated animals for this, they may carry diseases, fight with your family and is therefore your job to ensure a high protein diet, so feeding them a bath is commonly prescribed by your vet for advice.If all else fails, or you are going to let others know they are cute and cuddly.Put all of your cat the impression of sheep.To stop your cats in the food up but it is a cat owner that has an issue for an unpleasant odor.Treatment that you feel the impulse to buy and grow in a while.

You will never spray urine near doors and other debris can be detrimental to your advantage if their are other very common aggressive behaviors once performed.This all helps to kill fleas and ticks are easily visible, but you can to have the basic cat behavior.Adult cats usually have dissolvable stitches that will be on HER terms...you may only give her free run of the box does not stop your cat is right away, then both sexes of cat pee from outside the litter-box.You should use a scratching motion...praising them the correct medication suitable for long-term management in certain cases, they have the vet because it stems from the Alta Vista animal hospital, and Purina has donated quite a bit of food does your cat to scratch.Begin by just handling the paws, and practice extending the claws and that urine also contains ammonia.

#What Does A Cat Spraying Smell Like Eye-Opening Useful Tips #Cat Spray What Is It

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cutshawsnidowoa · 4 years

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Savvy Cat-Care Secrets

The post Savvy Cat-Care Secrets by Jackie Brown appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

We interviewed top feline experts to find out their favorite cat-care secrets for all life stages. Read on to learn how to manage the most common cat-care and behavior issues.

Photo: Lightspruch | Getty Images

Cat-care secrets for preventing litter box woes

Not using the litter box is at the top of the list of feline behavior challenges.

Set your kitten up for litter box success by keeping the box clean. “Scoop the box often (at least once a day!),” says Jackie Noble, kitten nursery manager for San Diego Humane Society’s 24-hour Kitten Nursery. “Kittens have a great sense of smell, so if they do have an accident make sure you clean the area thoroughly with a product like Nature’s Miracle so they don’t smell their way back to the scene of the crime.”

For adult cats, it’s all about size, location and number (hint: one is not enough!). “Most commercial litter boxes are not large enough,” says Dr. Aimee Simpson, medical director of VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia. She recommends using a box that’s one-and-one-half times longer than your cat. “I like using under-the-bed storage bins for this,” she says. “You should have one litter box for each cat, plus an extra one. Place boxes in a location with at least two routes of exit.”

Related: 6 Common Litter Box Issues — and How to Fix Them

Senior cats might have trouble getting in and out of the litter box, although you might not realize it.

“One study showed that 90% of [senior] cats had osteoarthritis, and these were cats that were not presented for pain,” says Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist with Florida Veterinary Behavior Service in West Palm Beach. “These cats came to the vet for something else. Older cats need low-lipped boxes, or entranceways into the box like a ramp, or cut a door [into the side of the box] with an X-ACTO knife.”

Photo: Claudiad | Getty Images

How to curb your cat’s fear and anxiety

Teach your kitten that the carrier isn’t a scary place so visits to the vet are less traumatic. “If you feed your kitten in their carrier and throw some toys in there, they will see it as part of their daily life,” Jackie says. “Consider finding a Fear Free vet clinic in your community. The techniques they use will ensure your kitten has positive experiences, and they will be less likely to be afraid of going to the vet.”

Enriching your cat’s environment can help ward off anxiety before it develops. “Anxiety often results from boredom,” Dr. Simpson says. “Increase vertical space using cat trees or wall shelves to allow cats to perch and hide. Provide access to windows so they can observe people and other animals. My own cat, Maeby, was leash-trained as a kitten and loves her walks outside.”

Dr. Radosta participated in a soon-to-be-published study that showed that a large percentage of cats have noise fear or phobia; for instance, when the gardeners come with lawn mowers or blowers. “At any age, running under the bed means your cat is scared,” she says. “Hiding is a coping mechanism. That is not OK! Do something to help your cat out.” If you know workers are coming, put your cat in an interior room and play some soothing music to drown out the scary sounds.

For some cats, especially older cats, their fear can’t be overcome. In these cases, ask your vet for a sedative to give your cat at home before you bring him to the vet. “If you have an adult cat who is already conditioned to respond with a full-blown panic attack, get some meds from your vet,” Dr. Radosta says. “Anxiety is on the tip of every veterinarian’s tongue. There is no excuse for not knowing what meds to prescribe to get a cat to the vet’s office.”

Photo: Nungning20 | Getty Images

Cat-care secrets for halting hairballs

The most important thing to know about hairballs is they are not something to ignore. “It’s not normal for cats to vomit hairballs, so if your cat is having hairballs regularly it could indicate an issue with gastrointestinal motility,” Dr. Simpson says. “One of my patients, Lilly, needed a trichobezoar (obstructive hairball) removed surgically twice! For occasional hairballs, petroleum jelly products like Laxatone can lubricate hair so it moves through more easily.” (Put these yummy pastes on your finger for the cat to lick off.)

Photo: Magone | Getty Images

How to stop biting and play aggression

Play with your kitten wisely, and watch for signs of aggressive behavior. “Avoid rough play using your hands,” Dr. Simpson says. “Instead, use toys that create distance, like balls you throw and fishing-pole toys, or encourage the kitten to play by himself with puzzle toys or battery-operated toys. If you see ears flattened, pupils dilated and tail swishing, startle the kitten with a noise deterrent (for example, a hissing noise from compressed air canister), redirect his attention with toys, and walk away. Reward cats with food treats or verbal praise for non-aggressive behavior.”

Engaging your cat in lots of daily play can keep him from attacking your legs or biting at your hands. “Don’t give your cat all their toys at once, or the toys will lose their novelty,” Jackie says. “Rotate them out so they get a new sense of fun each time they see them.”

Related: Why Playtime Helps You Bond With Your Cat

Finally, don’t try to touch your cat when he’s feeling feisty or wants something else from you like food. “Sometimes people pet their cats when the cat visually displays body language that is stating, ‘I didn’t want you to touch me,’” Dr. Radosta says. “We have to open our eyes and pay attention.”

Photo: Anidefor | Getty Images

How to nix those fleas and ticks

Keep your young kitten indoors to minimize fleas and other parasites. “Most flea and tick prevention can only be provided to kittens 8 weeks and older, so make sure to talk to your veterinarian and read the labels before administering flea treatment to your kitten,” Jackie says.

But indoor cats still do need parasite protection. “Even if your cat never leaves the house, you do — and you may bring these parasites into the house,” Dr. Simpson says. “They can also gain access through the house (for instance, mosquitoes coming in through window screens or fleas coming through basement windows) or using other animals like dogs to hitch a ride.”

Related: 4 Ways To Safely Give Your Indoor Cat a Taste of the Outdoors

Talk to your vet about the parasite protection that makes the most sense for your cat’s age, health and lifestyle.

Understanding and anticipating your cat’s needs will head off most behavior problems before they start. But the most important key to keeping your cat happy is also the simplest — lots of attention and affection from you.

Top photograph: Grafner | Getty Images

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sarahburness · 5 years

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8 Ways You’re Actually Inviting Burglars Into Your Home

According to FBI crime statistics, there were an estimated 7,694,086 property crimes nationwide with losses of $15.3 billion in 2017.

To avoid ending up in a low-hanging fruit in the eyes of intruders, make sure you’re away from these 8 home security mistakes:

Unlocked doors, windows, and other entrances

The shocking fact is that 32% of homeowners leave a window open and 13% leave a door unlocked. This offers a great opportunity for thieves to sneak into your home without alerting your neighbors.

So, take a few seconds before you leave home to double check all your doors, windows, and other entry points. And don’t forget about your storage shed, basement or garage as well!

No lights on at night

Uncollected mails, newspapers, and packages

Leaving ladders and tools out

Place your tools in your garage or basement after use. Also, make sure that your basement and garage are well locked.

Untrimmed bushes and landscape

Overgrown bushes not only provide ideal shelter for burglars to hide when casing your house but also indicate that you have been away for a long time. It might lure burglars into your home.

Trim the bushes and mow your lawn regularly to make sure no one can hide in it. If you’re going away for a long period of time, hire someone to attend to the landscape during your absence.

Displaying valuable items in plain view

Are you leaving your garden furniture and lawn decorations in plain sight? Or do you just throw away the box of your brand-new TV or computer on the curb? Watch out!

Leaving spare keys under carpet/stones

You might think it is a great idea to hide your spare keys under the carpet or stones but never underestimate the burglars. They’re good at hide-and-seek games.

Showing off on social media

So instead of posting your real-time vacation moments, wait until you come back home to share the photos online.

See Also: Home Security: Try These 10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer – Without a Gun

The post 8 Ways You’re Actually Inviting Burglars Into Your Home appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

from Dumb Little Man https://www.dumblittleman.com/home-security-mistakes/

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cleancutpage · 5 years

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November Monthly Radar

[Note from editor: We publish a Weekly Radar for Geek Estate Mastermind members that’s more like Reader’s Digest or a college radio station than it’s like reading TMZ or watching the news. Our recommendations and synthesis come out every Friday morning along with member news to peruse. This is a wrap-up for the month of November with a couple articles from each week.]

Mastermind Message

In addition to the Thanksgiving holiday, November included a member lunch in Seattle and our first gathering of folks in Chicago.

New Product

We launched a new series for members. Category product reviews. The first segment: Small Landlord Property Management Software.

New Members

Max Colls from Estated

Scott Drexel from Rentl

Kristina McCann from Off-Market-Homes

Grier Allen from BoomTown

James Green from OffertoClose.com

David Steckel from Setter

Nathan Miller from Rentec Direct

Ben Clark from Realigned

Pierre Calzadilla from Local Logic

Vincent Harris from Hoozip

Teevan McManus from Greendoor

Member News

Estated Upgrades Property Data API with RESO Compliance and Parcel Search for Proptech Industry

Ebby Halliday rolled out Buyside company-wide

FlyHomes revealed their new logo

TRIBUS becomes the first to send Solds to Zillow

Remine announces Contactually integration.

Greg joined the executive team of a Denver brokerage

Congrats to Pete Flint / NFX for pulling off their first Proptech CEO Summit in San Francisco. Several Geek Estate members attended

Caroline Pinal of Giveback Homes: Five Years of Giving. What I’ve Learned & How You Can Apply it to Real Estate

Brett Hagler at New Story is hiring an Innovation Fund Manager

Ryan Coon from Avail was featured in a piece about rentals on Curbed

BoomTown acquired lead qualification tool Real Contact

Transmission Topics

Vendor sales strategies at the broker level

Background on the rentals category product review

The underwhelming rentals search experience

Why showings data creates a true network effect

How brokerages can compete with iBuyers

When removing friction isn’t always a good thing

Real Estate

COZY ACQUIRED BY COSTAR FOR $68M

Big news out of the small landlord property management space with the news that CoStar (operator of Apartments.com) acquired Cozy for $68 Million. Congratulations to Gino and the team. The company was founded after their time at Flickr, who’s co-founder Stewart Butterfield joined Cozy’s board of directors and went on to launch the popular work collaboration tool Slack. I’ve been a customer since 2013 and worked with Cozy on integration during my time at Move. We’ll cover the announcement and its implications more in our newly launched series on Small Landlord Property Management Software. There are so many implications with this deal, but something to think about over the next few days is how it affects the portal space. Independent landlord listings comprise a unique set of rentals content not yet democratized on the web. While portals have become a necessary channel for large portfolios of apartment communities and mid-sized property management firms – many independent landlords still get the results they want from a red and white yard sign coupled with a Craigslist posting. Capturing those users via free software could be a massive win for CoStar, whose primary product line is business intelligence reporting. Also, while capturing that listing inventory could be an enormous win for Apartments.com, it could mean an even more significant loss for Zillow, realtor.com, and Apartment List. Bonus: my hometown investors from Bend, Seven Peak Ventures, were early investors in Cozy. -Greg

THE CONSUMER VIEW ON A BILLION DOLLARS IN SELLER LEADS

Mike Del Prete believes Zillow is sitting on a billion-dollar opportunity from their Offers business in seller leads alone. “Zillow says that since launch, nearly 20,000 homeowners have taken direct action on its platform to sell their home. Of those, it has purchased just about 1 percent of homes (around 200).” The company has a goal of 5% national market share for Offers which would require purchasing 10% of the requests it fields, though Mike says, “A more realistic target would be to only purchase around 1 percent of requests.”

The seller’s perspective: “If I know there is a 99% chance that Zillow will NOT buy my house, why exactly should I waste my time?”

Can a consumer product/service with a 99% rejection rate stand the test of time? It seems like a House of Cards scenario that will inevitably crumble. If you have a counterpoint, by all means, I’m all ears. -Drew

Startups

REFLECTIONS ON A FAILED APP LAUNCH

I learned that it wasn’t worth documenting features that we passed on in favor of focusing solely on those that we shipped. Secretly, I never fully bought into this mantra and tried to chronicle as many of the ideas tabled over the years. While agile teams shouldn’t spend development time looking backward – a retrospective centered on what didn’t work might be even more valuable than one focused on what did. That’s why I was happy to read App mistakes: the ten lessons we learned launching (& killing) our $200K mobile app. The product lead for Hotjar (a user experience and analytics application) breaks down the failure of one of their failed product launches in a step by step guide which even includes what they would have done differently the second time around. Those steps include: find out if your idea is something customers want, validate the concept, validate the user experience, consider the costs, define the MVP, get the MVP in front of users. Sounds simple when distilled into one sentence, but for anyone that works in product, this is a short read and worth your time. -Greg

LETTING THE DOOR HIT PEOPLE ON THE WAY OUT

I stumbled across this post from Mathilde Collin, the founder of Front, as people were tweeting out their favorites. But in her piece 9 Most Useful Pieces of Advice I’ve Received, the most relevant snippet for me right now came from Daniel Yanisse of the company Checkr: “Give generous packages when you let people go.” Mathilde argues that “Not only is it good for the person leaving, but it will also help your managers make tough decisions. It’s always hard to let go people, but if the organization needs it, then you have to make sure managers are empowered to make these calls.” I’m inspired by companies who are quick to move on from bad fits but do with generosity, empathy, and tact.

I noticed this week that the residential real estate brokerage office culture is infected by so much drama around where agents choose to work. I get that small business owners take employee (er, independent contractor) relationships seriously and personally – but the culture is in need of a dramatic shift to a place in which agents feel comfortable switching brokerages if it makes the most sense for them. You’d be surprised at how much pain brokers are willing to inflict emotionally and financially on agents who no longer want to work for them. It’s embarrassing and gross. -Greg

Built World

VACASA TO HELP MULTI-FAMILY OWNERS REACH TRAVELERS

One possible route to monetize multi-family vacancies is by putting inventory into the vacation rental marketplace. Joining Stay Alfred, Lyric, and Domicile, Vacasa is throwing their hat in the ring with a new apartment leasing offering to help multi-family owners and operate access traveler dollars. Transforming long-term inventory into sublets and short-term rentals are ripe with opportunity (though city regulators won’t like it much). Vacasa has a first mover advantage on the traveler demand side, they have a hard road ahead in the increasingly competitive landlord tech landscape. Vacation rental behemoth Airbnb has been in rentals since 2013. Once they go into rentals publicly, which is inevitable if they are maximizing shareholder value, they will be beyond a formidable foe. That said, Vacasa is smart to take the risk for the potential outcome to emerge as a power broker. -Drew

BOUTIQUE LODGING FOR THE WIN

My interest in the intersection of travel and real estate led me to notice Curbed’s article on a Silicon Valley-backed hotel startup with a mission of offering boutique lodging for less (in Miami to start). Life House delivers a boutique hotel experience at a discount price. They don’t own the supply, but instead work with “property owners [who] turn their buildings over to Life House, which then renovates, reopens, and reintroduces a new ‘locally rooted lifestyle hotel’ to the market.” As a direct-to-consumer travel brand, they have their work cut out for them on the acquisition side of a ruthlessly competitive industry. A big part of what excites me about the model is Life House serves as an alternative approach for building owners to consider when contemplating whether to sell or set up shop as a property manager. -Drew

Out of the Box

FANTASY FRANCHISES AS A HOOK

HBO has Game of Thrones. Amazon is developing Lord of the Rings. And now Netflix has a major fantasy franchise of its own to compete: Chronicles of Narnia. Millions and millions of people love these shows and will drop everything to spend a few hours, or days, to watch. They’ll even watch multiple seasons in their entirety a second time. These iconic brands are “must have” hooks that prompt fans to open their pocketbooks even if they don’t watch anything else from streaming service X.

What is a real estate brokerage’s “must have” user hook? A CMA? The chance to see one of the 20 listings a buyer is interested in today rather than two days from now when the next agent can show it? A market report for a ZIP code? All are pretty weak hooks in my book. What can brokers offer prospective and current clients that they will truly love? I don’t have the answer, but I offer that up as a challenge to brokers/agents reading. -Drew

BOURDAIN BUSINESS BRILLIANCE

Writing about Bourdain is like remembering the puppy I had to give away to friends when I moved to New York City. I try not to do it too often. When I moved to New York in 2014, Anthony Bourdain had just announced plans to open an international food stall market at Pier 57, and I started making plans to visit every single day. Ultimately, the concept was abandoned, and then we lost Bourdain forever. However, it’s worth keeping his memory alive. “Not giving a shit has been a very successful business model for me.” “[Not having] a reputation to lose, is a huge advantage. From Kitchen Confidential on I made a really determined effort to not fuck up. I was very aware of that tendency. I’m a little more organized, my work is a little more rigorous than it needs to be because that was a regular feature of my whole life up until that point.” Read more in A Dozen Lessons about Business from Anthony Bourdain. -Greg

Geek Estate Mastermind

A PRIVATE GROUP OF INDEPENDENT THINKERS, FREE FROM SPONSORED MESSAGES AND NOISE

In addition to connecting you with like-minded entrepreneurs, the Mastermind is where you’ll read the best exclusive content from Geek Estate’s curators, Drew Meyers and Greg Fischer. Each are publishing an original piece every week via The Weekly Transmission, covering the spectrum from shipping container co-living spaces to the battle for listing acquisition in the first iBuyer world war. 55+ Weekly Transmissions have been delivered straight to the inbox every week.

Membership is $97 / quarter

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We’ll deliver an exclusive, objective lens into the trends, companies, people, and ideas shaping real estate technology with thought-provoking analysis and conversations that keep you inspired every week.

We’ll help you make better, more well-informed decisions to help grow and support people and companies making a difference in real estate.

We’ll enable discovery and meeting others with shared interests online and in person (whether they live near you or are traveling to the same conference).

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yourchoicepage · 5 years

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November Monthly Radar

Mastermind Message

In addition to the Thanksgiving holiday, November included a member lunch in Seattle and our first gathering of folks in Chicago.

New Product

We launched a new series for members. Category product reviews. The first segment: Small Landlord Property Management Software.

New Members

Max Colls from Estated

Scott Drexel from Rentl

Kristina McCann from Off-Market-Homes

Grier Allen from BoomTown

James Green from OffertoClose.com

David Steckel from Setter

Nathan Miller from Rentec Direct

Ben Clark from Realigned

Pierre Calzadilla from Local Logic

Vincent Harris from Hoozip

Teevan McManus from Greendoor

Member News

Estated Upgrades Property Data API with RESO Compliance and Parcel Search for Proptech Industry

Ebby Halliday rolled out Buyside company-wide

FlyHomes revealed their new logo

TRIBUS becomes the first to send Solds to Zillow

Remine announces Contactually integration.

Greg joined the executive team of a Denver brokerage

Congrats to Pete Flint / NFX for pulling off their first Proptech CEO Summit in San Francisco. Several Geek Estate members attended

Caroline Pinal of Giveback Homes: Five Years of Giving. What I’ve Learned & How You Can Apply it to Real Estate

Brett Hagler at New Story is hiring an Innovation Fund Manager

Ryan Coon from Avail was featured in a piece about rentals on Curbed

BoomTown acquired lead qualification tool Real Contact

Transmission Topics

Vendor sales strategies at the broker level

Background on the rentals category product review

The underwhelming rentals search experience

Why showings data creates a true network effect

How brokerages can compete with iBuyers

When removing friction isn’t always a good thing

Real Estate

COZY ACQUIRED BY COSTAR FOR $68M

THE CONSUMER VIEW ON A BILLION DOLLARS IN SELLER LEADS

The seller’s perspective: “If I know there is a 99% chance that Zillow will NOT buy my house, why exactly should I waste my time?”

Startups

REFLECTIONS ON A FAILED APP LAUNCH

LETTING THE DOOR HIT PEOPLE ON THE WAY OUT

Built World

VACASA TO HELP MULTI-FAMILY OWNERS REACH TRAVELERS

BOUTIQUE LODGING FOR THE WIN

Out of the Box

FANTASY FRANCHISES AS A HOOK

BOURDAIN BUSINESS BRILLIANCE

Geek Estate Mastermind

A PRIVATE GROUP OF INDEPENDENT THINKERS, FREE FROM SPONSORED MESSAGES AND NOISE

Membership is $97 / quarter

Our Member Promise:

We’ll help you make better, more well-informed decisions to help grow and support people and companies making a difference in real estate.

We’ll enable discovery and meeting others with shared interests online and in person (whether they live near you or are traveling to the same conference).

Apply for Membership

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The post November Monthly Radar appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

November Monthly Radar published first on https://medium.com/@YourChoice

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brettseaton · 5 years

Text

November Monthly Radar

Mastermind Message

In addition to the Thanksgiving holiday, November included a member lunch in Seattle and our first gathering of folks in Chicago.

New Product

We launched a new series for members. Category product reviews. The first segment: Small Landlord Property Management Software.

New Members

Max Colls from Estated

Scott Drexel from Rentl

Kristina McCann from Off-Market-Homes

Grier Allen from BoomTown

James Green from OffertoClose.com

David Steckel from Setter

Nathan Miller from Rentec Direct

Ben Clark from Realigned

Pierre Calzadilla from Local Logic

Vincent Harris from Hoozip

Teevan McManus from Greendoor

Member News

Estated Upgrades Property Data API with RESO Compliance and Parcel Search for Proptech Industry

Ebby Halliday rolled out Buyside company-wide

FlyHomes revealed their new logo

TRIBUS becomes the first to send Solds to Zillow

Remine announces Contactually integration.

Greg joined the executive team of a Denver brokerage

Congrats to Pete Flint / NFX for pulling off their first Proptech CEO Summit in San Francisco. Several Geek Estate members attended

Caroline Pinal of Giveback Homes: Five Years of Giving. What I’ve Learned & How You Can Apply it to Real Estate

Brett Hagler at New Story is hiring an Innovation Fund Manager

Ryan Coon from Avail was featured in a piece about rentals on Curbed

BoomTown acquired lead qualification tool Real Contact

Transmission Topics

Vendor sales strategies at the broker level

Background on the rentals category product review

The underwhelming rentals search experience

Why showings data creates a true network effect

How brokerages can compete with iBuyers

When removing friction isn’t always a good thing

Real Estate

COZY ACQUIRED BY COSTAR FOR $68M

THE CONSUMER VIEW ON A BILLION DOLLARS IN SELLER LEADS

The seller’s perspective: “If I know there is a 99% chance that Zillow will NOT buy my house, why exactly should I waste my time?”

Startups

REFLECTIONS ON A FAILED APP LAUNCH

LETTING THE DOOR HIT PEOPLE ON THE WAY OUT

Built World

VACASA TO HELP MULTI-FAMILY OWNERS REACH TRAVELERS

BOUTIQUE LODGING FOR THE WIN

Out of the Box

FANTASY FRANCHISES AS A HOOK

BOURDAIN BUSINESS BRILLIANCE

Geek Estate Mastermind

A PRIVATE GROUP OF INDEPENDENT THINKERS, FREE FROM SPONSORED MESSAGES AND NOISE

Membership is $97 / quarter

Our Member Promise:

We’ll help you make better, more well-informed decisions to help grow and support people and companies making a difference in real estate.

We’ll enable discovery and meeting others with shared interests online and in person (whether they live near you or are traveling to the same conference).

Apply for Membership

Update Settings

The post November Monthly Radar appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

November Monthly Radar syndicated from https://oicrealestate.wordpress.com/

0 notes