#biohazard cleaning hot springs

[nanabrainrot]

I Live and I Lose

Based on an ask about the reaction of HMMC at Lalo’s passing.

Summary: Devote a lifetime to a man and have it vanish in a day.

Warnings! Suicidal thoughts, abusive relationship dynamic. 

ANGST Husband!Lalo/Wife!Reader

WC: 1411

A smile on the face and a ringing of the ears. It was like running to freedom on hot coals and then shattered glass barefoot for a mile. It was like the adrenaline rush of skydiving and the pain of falling into a field of cacti. It was like you were yourself again but not.

When you were younger and he died then, you would have jumped for joy. Cry tears of liquid gold and spring into the local creek, giggling and kicking like a girl again. But after twenty-four years? After two decades what use was rejoicing?

The look on his face is all grim and depressed, a symptom of the sincerity of his news: “Lalo died – passed away. We’ll bring you back to his hacienda after we bury him.” The beginning of the marriage was so painful, the two years locked away until you hit twenty were scorching and agonizing. The one-bedroom ranch and the little kitchen always seemed so hot; it was a cute cottage looking back but then it felt like a prison cell.

In the backseat of a car, you only say the same thing always said: “Yes,” “No,” or “Okay.” There is no point in negotiating with his cousins, their serious faces plastered in something different than indifference. The muscles are tense in Marco and Leonel, meaning they were putting on a brave face. Salamanca blood was like no other blood and to see it spilt or know it was gone forever was a grim experience that was expected given the line of work but not commonplace. They do look sad, you think. They never really do anything other than bored.

To think the kindness extended to you was not a comfort. In twenty-four years, you were known by your first name. Your whole identity diluted to “Lalo’s wife,” every talent and aspiration wrung like a rag by him and yet it hurt with everything that he wasn’t there. The resentment faded, somewhere along the fifth year, when papa’s farm was bustling and green and he looked content only because you looked content.

Happiness is a choice, surely. You can still smell him. The stupid house that is his but isn’t his that you no less slaved over because it was for him at the end of the day. The ludicrous concept of scrubbing counters with vinegar, cleaning the toilet, mopping the floor, sweeping the hallway, washing and folding and drying and steaming his expensive clothes that he got to choose and painstakingly wearing a sundress day after day – it feels like being thirsty and your first drink of water is piss.

You don’t hate Lalo. You don’t think there’s a point; hatred is a choice too.

What did you get from hating him now, after all was said and done? The Salamancas could have shot you like a dog, Lalo’s dumb and deaf wife who was one ring away from being an in-home maid, chef, and slut. But Marco and Leonel stared at you, back on the sofa, with your wide eyes unmoving. Blinking slowly. Open. Shut. Slowly. Dark for a moment. Open again. There he is, Marco, dark eyes and the fuzz on his chin with that harsh brow. Shut. Slowly. Dark for a moment. Oh, Leonel, with his sharp jaw and tense lips.

Shut.

Slowly.

Dark for a moment.

Eduardo. That day, back in June so many years ago, was like hell on earth. It was like stepping into a biohazardous chamber and being patient zero with a disease that would never leave you. But he was your husband. He got more handsome with age, something that made you thankful you didn’t jump into a ravine when you were young, because he looked and acted so mean when you were 18. That boyish immature cruelty that all teenagers had when he married you to lock you up as if he were buying a backyard bred puppy to keep on a chain all day.

Open. Slowly. No tears, but an, “Okay.” Marco and Leonel seem to understand you more than anyone. More than Tuco or Hector could, who were just as harsh in their own ways. At least Tuco had so much emotion you could see pity in his face. Hector might just slap your shoulder in that comforting old man way. But they saw the world as you did: wordlessly.

You wondered often if they didn’t speak by choice or it was squeezed out of them like Lalo did to you.

But the backseat is a different feeling, a new one. Lalo makes you sit front seat, hand tight on your thigh with a vice grip. Sometimes he would rub his thumb consolingly, like petting a pup. The first few times he took you for a ride it felt like being cornered, stuck in the moving mass of metal that he loved so much. Cried the first few car rides, around age 19, twenty-three years ago. There’s no hand on you, for once.

“Leonel, Marco,” you murmur, from the back. It hurts. It hurts in the heart, in the head, at the thigh, and in the hands. It feels like withdrawal, like Tuco when he was younger when he showed up at the hacienda with his head all in sorts. Twitchy. Like you need something that’s bad for you.

“What now?” it cracks, your voice. Ah, sounding like a wounded dog. A whining one expecting to be hit. Marco’s eyes tilt to you in the rearview, without pity that you can detect, but acknowledgement. Silence. Wrong crowd to ask, you thought. Wringing the manicured hands that still say “LALO” and the huge ring that feels like it’s burning your skin. What now?

After twenty-four years, he had denied you an education, socialization, companionship, autonomy, and opportunity and you fucking miss him. Because he loved you. He loved you in the wrong way, in a harsh way, but undeniably there was something like love. Why else would he keep you if he didn’t love you?

He could have swapped you out for a newer model, like one of the girls at Eladio’s parties, but no. Even as a gray or two popped up, even as the little crow lines formed at the eye or a little line between the brows, he stayed. He loved you so much he locked you up? Locked you away for two years away from anyone? Loved you so much he wrung any other words from you that weren’t “yes” or “no” or “okay.” To be seen and not heard for longer than some lifetimes made your stomach churn.

You miss him. You want him right now.

You want his hands on your thigh, the sureness of his movements. He wrung every ounce of self-confidence from you and had the nerve to not be bulletproof in the process; it occurs you aren’t bulletproof either. One bullet should be enough, some people survive attempts though you wonder about. It would suck to lose your mandible or be bound to a bed like Hector.

Oh.

“Marco, can you drive to see Hector? At the Casa Tranquila?”

 It’s so miserable. To be here, or be alive. It’s grim, almost aggravating these old people lived past fourty meanwhile Lalo has to be buried. Aggravating you had to live to fourty. It’s depressing, miserable, horrid, detestable, but human. Hector’s face, old with age, all white hairs and freckles with his lips doing that pursing, screwed up in misery as he rings that bell, pathetic and hurt. Lalo died. Tuco is in jail. Marco and Leonel don’t speak. The last one who visits him is the silent wife of his dead nephew, the girl who never spoke who grew into a woman who never spoke. But today, you don’t doodle.

Your watery little eyes blinking. You never fucking knew what to say, other than you and those silent boys telling him Lalo died. It’s agonizing, the feeling of loss. A nephew, a cousin, and husband. A quiet feeling.

“Tio Hector?” you murmur, feeling stupid, “can I take care of you away from Casa Tranquila? Go through this together?”

 It’s a feeling, grim and soul-crushing. The dark, dimly lit room with the television with some telenovela on. His skinny body in the chair and your frame sunken into the chairs, staring, but together. The moments alone, without him, without Hector, drive a sinking feeling in your belly. This is okay for now. Just for the moment.

- 

AUTHOR NOTES: In Breaking Bad, Tuco is the one caring for Hector but before Tuco gets out of jail HMMC cares for him because she knows Lalo loved him. She also secretly misses the dependence and feeling of being ‘needed’ so to say. She never got to go to school and never had a job so it’s difficult for her to be able to get back out there. Her reaction is initially conflicting but also the urge to end it because she has no idea where to go from there. But Hector in his chair comes to mind so in Breaking Bad, she likely would make a cameo taking care of Hector. Her dream is to go to school so she can work at Casa Tranquila but getting the papers are too much. Her and Tuco help with Hector and it’s kind of sweet brotherly dynamic he has with her <3 

[artwithoutblood]

i would say yes! there are pollution issues caused from the city of dis above

Well that certainly limits the romantic bubble baths… I bet homie drinks bottled water and wine, wears perfume, and uses a lot of talcum powder as dry shampoo in his hair. Maybe even bathes with oil and scrapers as the Romans did. Maybe I need to elope with Kayn and enjoy his hot springs instead.

But… while Dorian probably already does some or all of this water cleaning I’m thinking about how to automate it or do it on a bigger more efficient scale. 

Imagine if Aeron made beautiful marble sculptures of trees that were hollow in the middle, and the branches funnelled rainwater down the centre through layers of gravel, sand and charcoal. Like the ancient sand filtration columns, cleaning and storing large volumes of water passively. 

Or Dorian’s cathedral could have gargoyles on the back that spout the roof runoff through filters into water tanks for treatment. The falling of the water would aerate it too, against anaerobic bacteria. The tank also allows sediments to fall to the bottom, the water to be flocculated with iron or alum, and all the resulting coagulated junk to sink to the bottom.

Actually none of it should be marble though. Filtering water through ash can make it extremely alkaline (doing that with wood ash makes lye) and if it was acid rain from the smog… either would quickly erode the soft marble. I wonder how the cathedral and gravestones resist damage. 

Better alternatives would be metal, resistant asphalt concrete, or a more resistant stone. There is also the Roman concrete that ‘self heals’ by recrystallising to resist erosion. But that requires the inclusion of quicklime which may leach excessive minerals like calcium into the water and raise the pH. 

However if the water is acidic (low pH) that may help buffer and impurities can be addressed later?

Dorian totally knows about aqueducts, which slow the movement of water to let crud settle out, aerate it, keep it moving to avoid stagnation.

However the lead levels in Roman aqueducts were so incredibly high compared with non-aqueduct water. Maybe it doesn’t matter if you’re a demon or dead but it’s not good. Perhaps this explains Dorian’s emotionality and mood swings if this is what he’s doing and can be somewhat affected.

However this contamination was due to lining them with sheets of lead, and as lead was known to be dangerous clay pipes were preferred.

All this stuff is mostly for physical impurities and maybe charcoal removes some of the other chemicals but not all.

Distillation is very energy intensive, time consuming and would be bulky in equipment but Dorian does at least have eternal fire available and space for tanks.

It removes salinity, minerals and heavy metals but not things with lower boiling points than water ie oil, alcohol or petroleum. Boiling and recollecting the condensation was done to seawater by the ancient Greeks. However heating some of the contaminants can create dangerous compounds.

Reverse osmosis is possible with very old tech (pigs bladder in the 1700s) but hard to do on a large scale with a low tech setting and flesh won’t stay usable for long. Frequent replacement, inadequate size or strength, biohazard.

Disinfection is possible with iodine or chlorine (sunlight too but there’s little in Heresy and no electricity for ultraviolet lights unless a generator is made). pH can be fixed by buffer chemicals.

All of this is in the wrong order and has glaring issues but I am trying to apply ancient water purification methods and environmental engineering to Hell!

i saw this at work and blew up so sorry for the late answer.

Imagine if Aeron made beautiful marble sculptures of trees that were hollow in the middle, and the branches funnelled rainwater down the centre through layers of gravel, sand and charcoal. Like the ancient sand filtration columns, cleaning and storing large volumes of water passively. 

he probably did. by accident.

Dorian totally knows about aqueducts, which slow the movement of water to let crud settle out, aerate it, keep it moving to avoid stagnation. However the lead levels in Roman aqueducts were so incredibly high compared with non-aqueduct water. Maybe it doesn’t matter if you’re a demon or dead but it’s not good. Perhaps this explains Dorian’s emotionality and mood swings if this is what he’s doing and can be somewhat affected. However this contamination was due to lining them with sheets of lead, and as lead was known to be dangerous clay pipes were preferred.

you know this guy is lead poisoned. maybe that's why his hair is falling out and isn't as poofy as it was once before. and why he can't ejaculate? that's a joke.

maybe what the church is made out of does not matter. maybe it resists damage. is made of something that looks like marble but is not. he doesn't remember how it got there. but he remembers...making it?

i know he makes noise complaints to the city of dis, because despite it being usually quiet, he does hear it sometimes, very late in the "night."

but hell has no day, has no night, it has eternity.

[screampied]

hey hey !!

how are you vaygus ? personally, my day just started so, my objectives for 2day is to finish most of my hc and one shots/drabbles rotting in my drafts 😞😞😞

question 😋: do you have a wishlist?

by wishlist it can be clothes, food, furnitures etccc

personally i even have a special drawer in my notes named “thoughts” were i write all stuff i will HOPEFULLY buy one day (when money will show up🥰)

and one of em are games omlllll

like Re ofc, let’s play are good but real life experience is gooder 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼(expect biohazard i can’t die yet), and a playstation 5, or a switch.

about switch, my friend maybe s’ gonna lend me her switch because she want me to test “zelda”

i heard a few things about it and the visuals are just so beautiful i hope to try one day !

i remember yesterday when me and my frens were talking about our childhood and nintedo ds and how i was the only one who didn’t have any (strict parents obliges 😞😞) but a girl one day lend me her ds and i played E-shop games all weeknd 😋😋(was the only video game experience i had in my entire life till now)

but THE game i dream of every day and night is Detroit Become Human. Omllll this work of art

if i get one day to play this game on computer, tv or whateva i’ll jump of a building of happiness

omggg sorry vaygus i wrote a whole essay (i even have more to say but i better shut the f up)

have a good day !

-🌟

HIIIIIIII MY LUV

i’m good !! i was quite productive today :) did lots of cleaning n stuff and i was writing a nanami request but i’m currently doing my hair 🌞🌞🌞

i hope u got ur stuff done !! or at least a good amount of progress on it 🤞honestly real, i have ab 20+ drafts rotting currently atm.

oooo a wishlist? hmmm. honestly not really. i do need to get a new bass guitar soon (i play bass) and i’m saving up for this pretty one i stumbled upon, she’s so hot. for other stuff, maybe some things to decorate my room + vinyls since i collect vinyls, some clothes for the spring time, and probably some manga. aw that’s cute !! <3 i hope u get everything u need pookies

real 🕺 some lets plays r kinda boring ngl, i find it more fun to actually play the game (unless they’re one of my fav youtubers ill watch them all day)

ZELDAAAA. such a goated game, lmk how u like it !!! yessss the graphics is so gorgeous, quite breathtaking xo

and you’re good !! i always adore u stopping by in my inbox starry bae <3

[full-of-jams]

Tangsuyuk Love

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Summary: College student Jungkook passes cute notes with a customer who always orders take-out tangsuyuk at his part-time job. Meanwhile he’s trying not to miserably fail his Math class, while hiding his ever-growing crush on you.

Genre: college au, f2l, fluff, smut, one shot, did I mention FLUFF?

Warnings: mild swearing, sexual content, hold your heart palpitations!

Word Count: 11.5k

A/N: I wanted to write something light and sweet before I continued with Good Riddance. It will be easy, she said. It will be fun, she said. It will be quick, she said. Ha. haha. ha. ha. Ignore my pain. Enjoy!

°°°°°°°

[09/04 18:34 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY] 1 Tangsuyuk (large) 1 Jjamppong 2 Kimchi Mandu ---------------- Note: Without pineapple! Please make the jjamppong extra spicy, my boyfriend just broke up with me T-T

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (large) -- 20,000 1 Jjamppong -- 5,000 2 Kimchi Mandu -- 6,000 1 Soju -- 0

Total: 31,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: Service! Nothing’s better than the fresh taste of soju to lighten a heavy heart :) Cheer up LatteIsHorse-Nim!

Paper Note: JK-nim, thanks for the soju. It sweetened my bitter night. This is Tokki, please give him a loving new home! TT-TT

Jungkook was fucking terrified of you. If it weren’t for the fact that he was close to failing Statistical Analysis, he would’ve considered faking a stomach flu and making a beeline straight out of the library.

“If you have a box containing 3 white, 4 red and 5 black balls what is the probability that you will draw a white ball on your first draw and a black ball on your second draw?” you asked again through gritted teeth.

You looked up at Jungkook and were met by an empty stare. Usually you enjoyed tutoring your fellow classmate. He was a smart and funny guy, maybe a bit awkward at times, but always trying his best. Today every little thing grated on your nerves. It took you every ounce of energy to get out of bed and look like a presentable human being this morning. You really didn’t want to sit here for another hour if the boy was just going to stare at you like a petrified statue. “It’s really not that difficult. You just have to apply conditional probability.”

Jungkook let out a frustrated huff and pulled at his hair, “I really don’t know, this doesn’t make any sense! Why do I even need this stuff for my major? Who cares if I pull out a white ball or a black ball first? It’s not like I’m planning on becoming Houdini!”

Sometimes you pitied him, but who on Earth had an irrational fear of Gauss distributions and probability?! They were beautiful, harmless, abstract concepts of life. Your sympathy was muffled by a thrumming headache. All the late-night crying already had you chugging water and slapping ice cubes on your face at breakfast. Right now you just wanted to go home, change into your pjs, order some tangsuyuk and binge watch Boys Over Flowers. The cringy acting and Go Jun Pyo’s luscious locks were the only things that made your miserable life feel a bit less pathetic at the moment. “Jungkook, we went over this last time. Just apply the damn formula,” you snapped.

“Why are you being so scary today?” he asked wide-eyed and apprehensive.

You took a deep breath, rubbed your temples and tried to calm your inner turmoil. It wasn’t his fault; you were just in a really shitty mood. “I’m sorry. It’s not my day today. Is it okay if we rain check? I promise I’ll make it up to you next week.”

Jungkook wasn’t used to seeing you this distraught. He wracked his brain on how to lift your spirit. “Hey, do you want to hear this math joke my friend Jin told me the other day? What do you call an angle that is adorable?”

The boy scrunched his nose adorably and waited for your response. He was really handsome, you noticed that back when you two first met. Back then you just didn’t have a reason to care. Back then you still had a boyfriend.

“I don’t know, tell me,” you answered.

“Acute angle!” he said with a timid smile.

Despite your foul mood you had to snort at his joke.

Jungkook’s smile grew wider. It wasn’t a full laugh, but at least your frown disappeared. He discovered early on that you had a soft spot for bad math puns.

Although he absolutely detested Statistical Analysis, he has come to enjoy your study sessions over the past couple of weeks. The TA of his class, Namjoon, was a close friend of Jungkook’s and a sunbae of yours. Once he discovered that his favorite dongsaeng was abysmal at reading a z-score table, he immediately referred him to you.

At first Jungkook was very reluctant to accept any help. He was a mechanical engineer for fuck’s sake! He calculated distributed load across uneven surfaces and directional derivatives all the time!

His inner protests died down during your first session when you unwittingly asked him if he was constipated while he tried to calculate the standard deviation. During your second session he noticed you liked to doodle small geometric and fractal comics on his work sheets whenever he was solving a problem.

‘What did the triangle say to the circle?’ ‘You’re pointless!’

By the time your third session rolled around he still hated statistics, but it was too late and he’d developed a hopeless crush on you. Your monologues about dead mathematicians and the beauty of an infinite series were oddly captivating. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone who was so passionate and animated about anything in all his life.

“Is everything okay?” Jungkook asked carefully. You seemed tired and a bit wary. “I-I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel like it. Sorry, it’s none of my business,” he immediately added.

You smiled at his flustered state. Jungkook’s heart stumbled when your smile turned sad and you said, “No not really, but I’m sure I’ll be fine sooner or later.”

[13/04 19:12 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

1 Tangsuyuk (large) 1 Jjajangmyeon 1 Jjajangbap ---------------- Note: JK-nim! Omg your tangsuyuk is the best! I could drown in that sauce! How is Tokki doing?

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (large) -- 20,000 1 Jjajangmyeon -- 4,500 1 Jjajangbap -- 5,500

Total: 30,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: LatteIsHorse-nim! Little Tokki is doing well and bravely guarding our store! Don’t drown, but here’s some extra sauce for you to enjoy. I asked for it to be without pineapple. Hwaiting!

“Yah! Why does it smell like rotten take-out in your bedroom?” Jisoo asked.

Scowling has become your new go-to expression. “Too soon. Just let me wallow in my self-pity and sorrow.”

If you didn’t know any better you would’ve thought your friend was playing ‘The Floor Is Lava’ considering how gingerly she walked across your room. Safely on the other side, she ripped open a window to let some much needed fresh air in. 

“I think you’re going to be wallowing in mold and fungus instead,” Jisoo commented with disgust. “Wallow all you want, I’m here to support you, girl. But I can’t allow you to turn your place into a biohazard zone. Isn’t your sister bothered by this?”

“My sister doesn’t care; our rooms are off limits to each other. As long as we both keep the common area clean, she won’t complain,” you said.

Jisoo sat down on your bed and patted the empty spot next to her. She immediately retracted her hand. “Eww, is that tangsuyuk sauce on your sheets?” she asked, completely appalled.

You shrugged and thumped onto your bed.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” she asked, trying to suppress a shudder.

“It’s Monday night. What plans could I possibly have?”

“We’re in college! Weekdays, weekends, they’re all the same!” your friend exclaimed. She looked at your sprawled-out figure. “I told you from the very beginning he wasn’t good for you. I know it doesn’t feel like this right now, but you’re lucky he’s out of your life. I really can’t watch you torture yourself over a jerk like him. Let’s go out to Hongdae!”

“I can’t go out. I already have plans.”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t have any plans?”

“I lied. I have a date.”

Jisoo paused for a second, unsure how to respond. “Really? With whom?”

“Gong Yoo. We promised to kiss each other on first snowfall,” you responded listlessly.

“Yah!” Jisoo yelled and smacked your butt.

“Oww! What was that for?” you cried in surprise, rubbing the tender spot.

“Re-watching Goblin is not a date! You scared me for a second,” Jisoo said.

“How is it not a date? I meet a hot oppa, multiple hot oppas, we have dinner together, I giggle and blush and at the end of the night I get kissed to sleep.” You sat up and gave your friend a weary look. “I really don’t want to go out right now, but also don’t want to be on my own. Can’t we just stay in and watch a drama?” you asked with the saddest face you could muster.

Jisoo wanted to argue, but she couldn’t resist your pout. “Fine. But first you change your bedsheets, I’m not gonna sit in moldy tangsuyuk sauce all night. And I get to choose the drama.”

“Call!”

[16/04 17:58 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

1 Tangsuyuk (small) 1 Kimchi Kimbap 1 Beef Kimbap  ---------------- Note: JK-nim thanks for the extra sauce! It was delicious. Are you a dipper or a pourer?

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (small) -- 13,000 1 Kimchi Kimbap -- 2,500 1 Beef Kimbap -- 2,500 1 Soup -- 0

Total: 18,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: LatteIsHorse-nim! Personally, I’m a dipper, but I don’t discriminate! I added some broth as service for you. It’s chilly tonight. Don’t catch a cold!

Paper Note: JK-nim, let’s be friends? I’m also a dipper! Did you know that butterflies can’t fly when they’re cold? Here is one that I folded, sending back my warmest thoughts to you on this frosty spring night.

The first thing that caught your eye was Jungkook who was patiently waiting at the library entrance. Despite the steaming goods in his hands, his entire body was shivering. The temperature suddenly dropped last night, but he couldn’t be bothered to dig up his padded jacket when he left the house this morning.

Before you could even greet him, he shoved a hot milk tea towards you and mumbled, “Here, it’s cold today so I thought you could use something warm.”

You were surprised by this sweet gesture. “Thanks,” you reached for it and examined the drink in your hand, ”How did you know I like black milk tea?”

He ducked his head and mumbled something into himself.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

Jungkook lifted his head. His cheeks and nose were a lovely wash of pink from the cold. “You mentioned once that you’re an OG milk tea drinker, so I just guessed” he repeated again, louder. “I saw this bungeoppang cart on the way here. We can share them while studying?” he said, holding up a small paper bag.

Your heart warmed and for the first time in weeks your face split into big smile, “Sure, I love bungeoppang! We’re not allowed to eat inside the library. So how about we eat everything first before they get cold and then go in?”

The both of you took a seat on a bench. By now Jungkook definitely regretted being too lazy to find his jacket this morning, but he was determined not to let it show. He passed the bag full of bungeoppangs to you.

You happily reached for one of the fish-shaped pastries and started munching on it. Your face crinkled, steam came out of your mouth. Jungkook’s heart skipped as he watched you in fascination. Your cheeks were flushed. A sudden instinct to stroke your rosy skin overcame him. Instead he reached for a bungeoppang and took a careful bite. “Are you feeling better today?”

“A little bit,” you said between bites, “I’m really sorry about last time. I feel bad now. I ditched you and now you’re treating me to snacks.” You went on and stabbed your straw through your milk tea. “I should be the one treating you instead.”

“I like to treat you,” Jungkook said, mesmerized by the way your lips moved against the straw. He suddenly realized what he was doing and cleared his throat, “A happy teacher is a good teacher! You’re already spending your time tutoring me.”

A laugh slipped out of you, “Jungkook, you’re paying me for your lessons. But it’s okay, this bungeoppang and tea definitely hits the spot, so I’ll accept it with a grateful heart. What are you drinking?”

Jungkook looked down on his drink and gave it a shake, the black pearls swirled around buoyantly. “Banana milk tea, I prefer sweet drinks.”

You leaned back against the bench and looked up at the clear blue sky. “Sweet things are the best combat against the bitter taste of life,” you sighed. You closed your eyes and soaked in the crisp air. Jungkook felt your melancholy, he could warm your body, but he didn’t know how to warm your heart.  

“Sorry that I’m bothering you with my personal stuff. It’s just that I had a really bad breakup recently. I shouldn’t let it affect our lessons,” you said with a wistful smile as you lifted your head again.

The boy next to you remained silent. You turned and saw a contemplative look on his face. “It’s alright, everyone can have a bad day,” he finally said, “You don’t have to pretend to be okay when you’re not. If you’re never angry or sad, you won’t know when you’re happy.”

His words stunned you. Has Jungkook always been this thoughtful? You turned away from his gaze and looked down at the pastry in your hand. “They’re rhombus shaped,” you muttered in an attempt of distraction and showed your bungeoppang to Jungkook. “The fish scales,” you added when he looked confused.

“Ah yeah, the scales. It’s actually erroneous since most of the bungeoppangs depict a ganoid scale structure when in fact carps have cycloid scales to allow for a greater flexibility,” Jungkook explained.

A blank look appeared on your face. Probably the same blank look he had whenever you tried to explain the Bayes’ theorem to him. He let out an awkward laugh, “We studied the mechanics of fish scale structures in Material Science. You can correlate the flexibility of a scaled surface depending on its underlying geometric structure and material. It’s pretty cool stuff.”

“I can’t believe you can geek out about the geometry of fish scales, but don’t know how to define your probability population,” you snorted in disbelief. 

“Hey, when will I ever need to calculate the probability of two people with the same birthday in a room? I just have a hard time learning stuff I never have to apply,” he said defensively.

Then you suddenly had an idea. “Tell you what, how about this? If you pass your statistics final, I’ll treat you to the best Chinese take-out in town! You can order whatever you want!”

Jungkook didn’t want to dampen your excitement by telling you that his part-time job already allowed him to eat as much Chinese take-out as he wanted. “Okay, but don’t complain when you go broke. My record was five jjajangmyeon and two tangsuyuk in one sitting.”

You batted away his challenge. “First you have to pass your finals,” you teased.

“I’ll pass,” Jungkook said.

You smiled at his cute determination. “Then it’s a date.”

Jungkook beamed back at you. “It’s a date.”

[05/05 18:21 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

1 Tangsuyuk (large) 2 Pork Mandu 1 Tteokkguk 1 Jjajangmyeon 1 Tteokkbokki ---------------- Note: No pineapple plz. JK-nim! Happy Children’s Day! For this special occasion I’ve decided to order all of my childhood favorites. Life is too short to eat bad food. I hope today you treat yourself to something delicious as well!

“Yah! JK! Your girlfriend placed an order again!” Yugyeom yelled across the store.

A mop of black hair peaked out from the back of the shop. “She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just a regular,” Jungkook yelled back.

“A regular you flirt with,” Yugyeom snickered, “I saw all the notes you left her in the system. ‘Don’t catch a cold!’, ‘Hwaiting!’ Don’t tell me that’s not your lame attempt at flirting.”

Suddenly an angry Yoongi stomped out of the kitchen. “Keep it down boys, we have guests here.”

Jungkook went up to the register and printed out the online order. “Hyung, can you make a large tangsuyuk without pineapple?”

“It’s a national holiday, there’s like two people here tonight,” Yugyeom muttered under his breath.

“What did you say, Yugyeom?”

“Nothing, hyung!”

Yoongi snatched the order out of Jungkook’s hand and gave both boys another irritated glance before he headed back into the kitchen.

“Hey JK,” Yugyeom said in a lower voice as he moved next to his friend, “aren’t you ever curious how LatteIsHorse is like? I mean, she must have some sense of humor judging by her username.”

“Sometimes. Don’t you ever wonder how our regulars are like? But it’s not like I’m ever gonna meet them or know it’s them when they come into the store,” Jungkook said with a shrug.

“You could though. Mingyu’s out on delivery, Eunwoo’s off so we have a free bike. The store is dead tonight. You could go deliver the order and have a look,” Yugyeom spurred him on.

Jungkook considered his friend’s suggestion. Every time he opened his locker a little origami bunny and butterfly stared back at him and brightened his day. It was true, he was curious how LatteIsHorse was like. “Okay I’ll go, but don’t pretend you’re doing me a favor. You just don’t want to do delivery tonight.”

<Ding Dong>

A pretty girl in a Yonsei hoodie and shorts opened the door. She somehow looked familiar, but Jungkook couldn’t place from where. Maybe he met her on campus before.

“Delivery from Golden Bang,” Jungkook said, holding up his metal box.

“Ah great! I’m starving!” the girl said.

Jungkook started unloading the box and handed the dishes to the girl. Once he was done, he lingered awkwardly in the doorway. The girl gave him a curious look, clearly wondering why he wasn’t leaving. Jungkook gathered his courage and said, “I’m JK by the way.”

What followed was a beat of silence. Jungkook could feel his ears burn.

“Err, it’s nice to meet you, I guess? Is there anything else you need?” the girl asked after the painful pause. “Ah got it! Just a sec!” She ran into the apartment and came back with her wallet. “Here’s a tip, we’ll put the dishes back outside for pick up,” she said as she scrunched a bill into Jungkook’s hand, “Thanks for your hard work. Happy holiday!” And then she shut the door right into his face.

What just happened? Jungkook was stupefied. After an eternity he finally moved and mechanically pulled out his phone. He checked the delivery order on his app. LatteIsHorse – this was the address. She didn’t recognize him. Why was he so naive to believe that she would remember him? All he wanted in that moment was for the ground to open and swallow him up.

“Dinner’s here,” your sister said as you came out of the shower. “Did you order banana milk?”

“No? Why?” you joined her at the dinner table and started rummaging through the dishes. “Where’s the receipt?”

“I threw it in the trash,” she said. When she saw you opening up the trash can and fishing for it, she added, “Gross! What are you doing? Why do you need it?”

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (large) -- 20,000 2 Pork Mandu -- 6,000 1 Tteokkguk -- 4,500 1 Jjajangmyeon -- 4,500 1 Tteokkbokki -- 3,000

Total: 38,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: LatteIsHorse-nim! Happy Children’s Day to you too! I added my favorite childhood drink, banana milk! I hope it brings back as many happy childhood memories for you as it does for me.

There, sitting on the table, was a small bottle of banana milk. A smile spread across your face. “I need to file it away for tax purposes.”

Your sister looked at you like you were crazy. “Let’s eat already, I’m starving. Wash your hands.”

[14/05 16:55 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [TAKE AWAY]

1 Tangsuyuk (small) 1 Jjajangbap ---------------- Note: JK-nim, hope you’re doing well. I’m in the area today, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello in person! Is it weird that I feel a bit nervous?

The restaurant door wasn’t going to open itself. The past 15 minutes of you standing in front of it has proven that. You had some errands to run in Hongdae after school and decided on a whim to place a pickup order at your favorite take-out place. 

Why was it so difficult to enter a restaurant? If you steeled your nerves any more, they’d probably break from how brittle they’ve become. You just had to open that damn door.

Sometimes you wondered if you liked that place more because of its great tangsuyuk or because of JK’s little notes which always managed to put a smile on your face.

One thing was for sure, you weren’t stalling because of the tangsuyuk.

“Welcome to Golden Bang!” a bright male voice rang across the restaurant as you passed through the door.

You walked up to the register and sneaked a peek at the boy’s name tag, ‘Yugyeom’. You felt a slight twinge of disappointment.

“I’m here to pick up my order? LatteIsHorse?” you asked tentatively.

A sign of recognition flashed across Yugyeom’s face. “Of course, your order’s ready! I’ll just bag it up for you,” he said cheerfully. He walked away and quickly came back with a white plastic bag full of food. Then he printed out your receipt and handed both to you.

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: YG ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (small) -- 13,000 1 Jjajangbap -- 5,500

Total: 18,500 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

You looked around the restaurant, it was empty since dinnertime was still a while away. You wondered if Yugyeom was managing the store alone right now. At least the cook must be in. “Your tangsuyuk is really delicious. It’s probably my favorite.”

Yugyeom gave you a big smile, “Happy to hear that you enjoy our food so much. The tangsuyuk is our chef’s family recipe. It’s one of our most popular menu items!”

You wringed your hands and finally decided to bite the bullet and straight out ask, “Is JK here? He usually takes my orders when I order delivery, so I just wanted to say hi.”

“JK’s shift doesn’t start until 6, so he should be here in about half an hour. If you want, I can relay a message,” he said with a knowing smile, “Or you can also take a seat and wait for him. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to meet you.”

No way you were going to sit here for half an hour and wait up for a stranger. “Ah no, that’s alright. If you could just say hi from me, that’d be great,” you quickly replied with a flush. JK would probably think you’re a creepy stalker.

“Sure, can do! Enjoy your day!” Yugyeom said merrily as you walked out the store.

A feeling of both relief and sadness passed through you. You slowly walked down the busy streets of Hongdae as you reprimanded yourself for being so stupid. What were you going to say to JK anyway if you met him? Thanks for being nice to me? You’re the reason I don’t burst into tears every single night? You’re the reason why I don’t feel completely alone when I’m sobbing into my food over Song Joong Ki’s acting? Thanks for making me gain 3 kilos in the last month?

Whatever you said, it would’ve only made you sound pathetic.

A crippling wave of desperation suddenly washed over you and rooted you in your tracks. A single tear rolled down your face. Then another. You dropped down into a crouch and started to bawl. You couldn’t fathom how you’ve reached this all-time low in your life. Why did you feel so incredibly sad about being stood up by a stranger? Especially when that stranger didn’t even know you were coming?

“Y/N?” an alarmed voice asked. You looked up when you felt a soft shake against your shoulder.

Through your tear-blurred eyes you recognized Jungkook’s face. He crouched down next to you and asked, “Is everything okay? Are you hurt?”

You shook your head and tried to wipe away your tears. It was a useless attempt as they kept on streaming down your face.

Jungkook hesitantly pushed your hair out of your face and asked, “Do you want to go somewhere else so you can tell me what happened?”

You gave him an imperceptible nod.

His hand gently moved down to your arm, afraid that you were going to push him away. With a steady grip he slowly helped you back onto your feet. Then he slid his hand through yours and led you down the hustle and bustle of Hongdae until you ended up in front of a convenience store located in one of the quieter residential side streets. He sat you down in a plastic chair and told you to wait. After a while he came back with a packet of tissues, a bottle of water and two red bean popsicles.

You gratefully took the tissues and loudly blew your nose. A small part of your brain told you to act more ladylike, especially in front of Jungkook, but the bigger part didn’t really care and just wanted to drag you back down into the pits of loneliness. A strangled sound came out of your mouth as you started to hiccup, making you sound like a drowning cat.

You expected Jungkook to laugh at your weird orchestra of emotions. Even you found it absurd and would’ve laughed if you weren’t already crying and hiccupping at the same time. But all he did was quietly open the water bottle and hand it to you.  

As soon as you lifted the bottle to your mouth another hiccup made you almost spill the water on yourself. You held your breath for a few seconds and then took a careful sip. It seemed to work. You took a bigger sip, when another hiccup racked your body and you squeezed water all over your face.

There was a bewildering moment of shock, then you started to laugh deliriously. Forget before, this was your lowest point in life. This was so pathetic that it was hilarious again. Your laughter garbled whenever you hiccupped, only causing you to laugh even harder. You would’ve continued laughing for another long minute if you weren’t choking for air.

A small smile played around Jungkook’s mouth. He took another tissue and started wiping down your face. You hiccupped under his touch. He must think you’re a nutcase.

“I have a question. We have to do some statistical testing in my Quality Management class. What would a hypothesis look like if I wanted to analyze any deviation in a spare parts production line due to temperature conditions?” Jungkook asked.

Did he really forget hypothesis testing already? He finally managed to get it after four sessions! You frowned slightly. “You could set up a null hypothesis stating that a variation in temperature does not significantly impact the parameter of measurement in your production line. Jungkook did you seriously forget this?!” you said indignantly.

Jungkook gave you a playful laugh, “No, I think you drilled it so hard into my brain, I could probably recite all variables of the standard deviation formula if you woke me up in the middle of the night. Your hiccups stopped though.”

They did.

Embarrassment set in as you realized your predicament. Maybe your hormones were going crazy, maybe you were going crazy. You were getting whiplash from the emotional roller coaster you were on. In an attempt to hide your disgrace, you picked up another tissue and wiped away the remaining water, snot and tears.

There was tangible awkwardness in the air.

“I hope you like red bean,” Jungkook said shyly as he unwrapped a popsicle, “Red bean is my favorite. My friends keep on calling me old fashioned, but it just reminds me of the time when my mom used to buy me these after taekwondo class. I think I liked the popsicles more than I liked going to class.” He sighed in reverie and held up the popsicle for you.

You stared at his hand. You remembered how it felt against yours just a few moments ago. Firm, warm and steady. Then you looked up at Jungkook. He hid it well, but you could tell that there was concern behind his encouraging smile.

“This is so embarrassing,” you said as you accepted the popsicle and turned your head away from him, “I don’t know what is wrong with me right now. I’m usually not like this.”

“Did something happen earlier?” Jungkook asked cautiously as he unwrapped his own popsicle and took a bite out of it.

Did something happen earlier? Why did you cry? Where you really crying just because you didn’t meet JK?

“No,” you said and slowly shook your head, “I don’t know. I just suddenly felt overwhelmed.”

Jungkook hesitated before he asked, “Are you sad because of your breakup?”

Were you sad because of your ex-boyfriend?

“I don’t think so. In the beginning when we broke up I was devastated, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore,” you said more to yourself than to Jungkook. “Everyone told me I was lucky to be rid of him. I really didn’t understand why. But I think it’s becoming clearer now. Maybe it’s not sadness. Maybe it’s fear. I think I just feel lost. I don’t know who I am anymore. Maybe it scares me to know that I was able to lose myself and I don’t know if I can find a way back.”

Before you knew it, you spilled your heart, your deepest and darkest fears to Jungkook. You barely knew this boy, yet it still felt oddly comforting. He remained quiet and listened.

“I wanted to meet someone today, but they weren’t there,” you continued, “I think in that moment I just realized how utterly lost I was on my own.”

Jungkook searched for the appropriate words. How do you respond to someone’s most vulnerable thoughts? “I mean you know what they say. It’s not about how much you’ve lost, it’s about how much you have left.”

He peeked at you to check if it worked.

“Jungkook, did you just quote Iron Man at me?” you asked incredulously before a giggle slipped from your lips.

You noticed how his cheeks dimpled when he gave you an embarrassed laugh, “Sorry, I was trying to say something that would cheer you up. I’m probably not doing a very good job.”

In that second you realized how kind-hearted Jungkook actually was. Your heart squeezed. “Don’t say that. Thanks for listening to my problems. And thanks for the red bean popsicle. I also ate this a lot in my childhood. Mainly because my sister hated them. She always used to steal my ice cream out of the freezer so at some point I asked my parents to only buy me red bean popsicles. She never touched those,” you reminisced.

Jungkook laughed at your story, “Your sister sounds like a piece of work.”

“We used to fight a lot, we used to never get along,” you became thoughtful, “At some point that stopped. I think we just grew up and grew to understand and accept our differences. She doesn’t steal my food anymore. I don’t steal her clothes anymore. We may not always agree, but we respect each other’s decisions.”

“You know, for someone who just said she feels lost, you sound pretty self-reflected right now,” Jungkook mused, “Maybe you need to do the same as you did with your sister. Understand yourself and accept the differences of your past and present.”

You paused at this. He was right. You were so desperately trying to fend off these negative emotions that you never took the time to actually think. You were chasing an image that never existed. Not in the past nor in the present.

“You’re surprisingly good at giving advice. Thanks, Jungkook,” you said.

“Surprisingly? What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, offended. The glint in his eyes gave his teasing away.

Laughter pealed from you. Jungkook was captivated by the sound. He drank in the way your eyes creased with mirth and followed your fingers as they brushed back your hair.

Jungkook’s phone vibrated. “Oh shit!”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I was actually on my way to work and my boss is asking me where I am,” he said as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

Jungkook startled when you suddenly jumped up. “Then you should get to work! You should’ve said something sooner. I’m so sorry for keeping you here!”

“No, it’s really fine. I’ve done enough overtime. He won’t complain if I’m a few minutes late,” he said, “Are you feeling better?”

You ignored his question and pushed against his shoulders to get him out of the chair. “Go to work, Jungkook. I’ll be fine, your red bean popsicle did wonders,” you responded placatively.

When he still didn’t move, you grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the main street. Jungkook’s skin scorched under your touch. “Go to work, Jungkook,” you said again with more emphasis.

“Are you sure…?” he asked, unwilling to let you out of his sight before he knew you weren’t just going cry again at the next street corner.

“I won’t burst into tears,” you said as if reading his mind. “You were right, I need to reconcile with myself. So I’ll go home, enjoy my dinner and think about who I am and who I want to be. And you,” you said giving him another gentle shove, “need to go to work.”

Jungkook saw the stubborn look on your face. He wondered if you realized you were using your teaching voice right now. You weren’t going to take no for an answer. “Okay fine, text me when you get home?”

You waved away his concerns. “Sure. Go already,” you said with a big reassuring smile. “See you tomorrow at school!” you added before you turned around and walked away.

“You’re late,” Yugyeom said as soon as Jungkook entered the store.

Jungkook gave Yugyeom a sheepish look and only muttered, “Yeah sorry, something came up on my way here.” Then he rushed past him to the back of the restaurant and changed into his uniform.

Once he came back out he noticed Yugyeom throwing him strange looks.

“What?”

“Your girlfriend says hi,” Yugyeom said with a hint of amusement.

“Who?”

Yugyeom gave Jungkook a meaningful look, “LatteIsHorse. She ordered pick up. I think she was hoping to meet you. She’s cute. She looks like she’s probably a college student around here.”

“I know,” was all Jungkook replied.

Yugyeom’s eyes bulged in curiosity, “You know? You know she’s cute or you know she’s a student? You never told me what actually happened that night!”

Jungkook gave him a tired look and said, “She didn’t recognize me. She wore a Yonsei hoodie, so I guess she goes there. Nothing else happened.”

“Hmm, that’s weird. She was asking for you today, so she definitely knows your name,” Yugyeom said.

“Who knows, maybe she was having a lot on her plate that day,” Jungkook said with a shrug. He wondered where you lived and if you already got home safely. “Why are you obsessing over this so much?”

“Man, do you know how painful it is to watch your sorry attempts at flirting? I’m just trying to help you out, mate,” Yugyeom quipped.

“I wasn’t flirting! I was just trying cheer someone up who was obviously feeling down! It’s called being a decent human being,” Jungkook exclaimed.

Yugyeom gave him the side eye, “Yeah, that’s still not gonna get you laid.”

[19/05 18:47 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

1 Tangsuyuk (small) 1 Bibimbap ---------------- Note: JK-nim, I visited you at the store last week, but you weren’t there. TT-TT I hope you don’t think I’m weird, I just really like talking to you. You always manage to put a smile on my face when I’m having a hard day. We’re still friends, right?

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (small) -- 13,000 1 Bibimbap -- 5,000

Total: 18,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: LatteIsHorse-nim! I’m sad that I missed your visit to our store. I’ll try harder the next time! I added some extra bulgogi to make up for it. :) Of course we’re still friends. I don’t wish any hard days upon you, but I’m glad to hear that my words have a healing effect. In case you ever need a friend to talk to, feel free to talk to me. 010-1234-5678.

The study sessions with Jungkook continued per usual. He still struggled and had frustrated outbursts from time to time, especially when you forced him to revise probability distributions. When you finally reached regression analysis, things became easier.

Although your sessions remained the same, something in your dynamic changed. The both of you became looser and more playful around each other. He wouldn’t clamp up anymore and you felt more at ease around him. You became friends. He never once mentioned that disasterous afternoon.

At home, on the evening of the incident, you shot Jungkook a text and slumped down on the couch. Your sister was out that night, so it was just you in the apartment. Normally, the eerie quiet would’ve unsettled you and you would’ve distracted yourself from your deafening thoughts. But that night you just let them scream, yell and tear at you.

It was an excruciating process, but in the end your head was clearer, your heart calmer. You still weren’t quite there yet, but at least you made a first step out of the endless pit of desperation.

There were other things you noticed about yourself. Gradually you realized you didn’t mind being on your own anymore. You rediscovered your love for drawing and created you own mandala art. You also learned to code your own website and now had a clickable version of your cv on the go. Although you made time for yourself, you weren’t a hermit. You went out for drinks with Jisoo and soon asked Namjoon to take you along to your university’s Math Club. There you met a lot of familiar faces that you’ve encountered in class but never talked to. With them you spent animated evenings discussing stimulating math problems and exchanging incredibly bad math puns.

You also started noticing things about Jungkook. He wasn’t as timid and shy as you initially thought. Once he got over his awkwardness, he turned out to be quite a cheeky and goofy guy. He teased you or told you silly jokes whenever you were on a break. Despite his obvious aversion for statistics, he still took your lessons very seriously. Diligently listening to your explanations and trying to solve the problems to the best of his abilities. His study-mode showed you other sides of him. The cute pout he had whenever he tried to hide his confusion. Or the two little ridges which formed between his eyes whenever he was concentrated and deep in thought. More often than not you fought the urge to smooth them out with your touch or even better, with a kiss.

“Is something wrong?” Jungkook asked when he caught you staring.

“No,” you quickly said, “I was just thinking that you don’t seem to have much trouble with regression analysis.”

“I don’t know, the relationship between the variables just makes much more sense,” Jungkook said.

You looked at him and considered, “Hmm, maybe you don’t need my tutoring anymore?”

Brief dismay crossed Jungkook’s face. “My finals are in three weeks. I think I’d still prefer if you helped me revise the earlier chapters,” he said, “Unless you need more time to study for your own finals.”

Being in college meant that you were always in dire need of more time. That constant nagging voice in the back of your head telling you to study was an occupational disease. But you didn’t have to kid yourself, those four hours a week spent on Jungkook weren’t going to make or break your grade. Besides, you enjoyed spending time with him. You wondered if he felt the same.

“It’s alright, I’ll help you revise. Just don’t embarrass me on your finals. I don’t want Namjoon to tell me afterwards that you didn’t manage to calculate the mean of the population or worse, read the scoring table upside down,” you teased him light-heartedly.

Jungkook’s ears turned bright red. “That happened once!” he said, “How long are you going to hold that over my head?”

You laughed at his indignation. “Don’t forget, you’ll get endless tangsuyuk if you pass.”

[26/05 20:09 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

1 Tangsuyuk (small) 1 Jjamppong ---------------- Note: JK-nim, I’d like to get the advice of a friend. There’s this kind, sweet boy that I really like. I would like to tell him how I feel, but he’s seen me in my lowest and ugliest moments. Maybe he’ll think I’m just baggage? I guess I’m afraid of his rejection.

Golden Bang 7 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Seogyo-dong

Server: JK ------------------- TO GO

1 Tangsuyuk (small) -- 13,000 1 Jjamppong -- 5,000 1 Soju -- 0

Total: 18,000 -------------------- Thanks for ordering at Golden Bang! Have a golden day!

Note: LatteIsHorse-nim! It’s only human to fear rejection. I can completely understand. I also have someone I really like. She’s really pretty, smart and funny. Spending time with her makes me really happy, but I never managed to tell her. Maybe we should both gather our courage and cheer each other on? I’m not saying that drunken confessions are the way to go but consider this soju a symbolism for (liquid) courage.

Paper Note: This is a flexagon. Whenever you need a word of encouragement give it a flip!

Jungkook examined the hexagonal origami in his hands. On the outside it read ‘Flip Me!’

He gave the flexagon a flip. ‘JK you’re the best!’ And another. ‘The world needs more people like you!’ And another. ‘Don’t forget that LatteIsHorse is always rooting for you!’ And another. ‘Aja, aja, hwaiting!’ And another. ‘Thank you for being my friend!’

Jisoo barged into you room and flopped onto your bed. ‘Ahhh! I’m so glad you finally cleaned in here. Seriously, if I find another rancid noodle stuck to my clothes, I’ll call in a hazmat team.”

“I don’t know why you’re complaining so much. It’s not even your room,” you said.

“Hey, where are you ever going to find a friend like me?”

Your friend sacrificed many a night away from college parties to binge watch handsome oppas sweep equally beautiful unnies off their feet with you. And she wasn’t shy telling you that.

“Let’s go out tonight,” Jisoo suggested. She rolled back onto her feet and started walking around, inspecting your cleaning job.

“Our finals start in two weeks; I really don’t want to spend my weekend nursing a hangover.”

“I’m not saying you have to get wasted. Tonight is the Pre-Game Night. We have to go!” Jisoo demanded.

The Final’s Pre-Game Night was a campus-wide tradition. Every semester on the Friday a week before finals huge parties were thrown to signal the beginning of the end. It was like a dare – were you confident enough to get completely drunk and still hope to pass your finals? Naturally everybody on campus joined in and drank.

“Not getting wasted at a Pre-Game party? That’s like saying you’ve decided you don’t need to breathe. I really don’t think…”

“What’s this?” Jisoo suddenly interrupted. “LatteIsHorse-nim! Personally, I’m a dipper, but I don’t discriminate! I added some broth as service for you. It’s chilly tonight. Don’t catch a cold!” she read aloud, “LatteIsHorse-nim! Happy Children’s Day to you too! I added my favorite childhood drink, banana milk! I hope it brings back as many happy childhood memories for you as it does for me.”

You flung yourself across the room and almost tripped over your own feet trying to rip the receipts out of Jisoo’s hands.

“Oh. My. God. Is your take-out guy flirting with you?!” she asked.

“No! He’s just a friend. We send encouraging notes to each other,” you tried to explain.

Jisoo threw her hands in the air. “Okay that’s it! We’re going to the Pre-Game party, whether you want or not. You can’t tell me that the only flirting interaction you have is with a stranger who delivers you tangsuyuk!”

The place Jisoo picked out was ram packed and buzzing with energy. It was an open dorm party; all the common rooms were transformed into dancefloors. Different types of music played from each corner of the building. Crates of alcohol were stacked against the walls.

The both of you grabbed a beer and made your way through the crowd.

“You’re going to have fun tonight, alright?”

“I don’t think this works that way,” you laughed.

“Then put some effort into it. We look way too cute for it to go to waste,” she said as you roamed around the floors and explored the different areas. You looked down on your dress. It was a pretty warm night; you had opted for a flowy summer dress with a blush pink floral pattern. Jisoo was right, it was cute.

You discovered a familiar face at the edge of the crowd. “Sunbae!” you said.

Namjoon turned around gave you a surprised smile. “Y/N! Out of all the places on campus, we meet each other here tonight. What are the chances?”

He was surrounded by a group of friends, you spotted Jungkook right behind him. The boy gave you an excited wave. A slow smile spread across your face. “I don’t know, but why don’t we ask Jungkook to calculate it for you?”

Namjoon let out a hearty laugh while Jungkook groaned in exasperation.

“Do you see what I have to put up with every week, hyung?”

“Didn’t you just say it’s the best thing that happened to you?” Namjoon taunted, “You have some nerve showing up in front of me tonight. You better ace your SA finals. Do you know how many favors I had to pull to get Y/N to tutor you?”

“What do you expect me to do?” Jungkook sputtered, “Go home and lock myself up on Pre-Game Night?”

If it weren’t for Jisoo you would’ve done just that. Speaking of Jisoo, your friend cleared her throat and gave you a painful nudge in the side.

“Ah yes, uhm, Jisoo you already know Namjoon. This is Jungkook. You know, the guy I’m tutoring.”

Jungkook gave her a small wave.

Jisoo didn’t even try to hide her amazement. “This is Jungkook? But you’re like wayyy cute!” She turned to you and added still loud enough for everyone to hear, “Why didn’t you tell me he was cute?!”

The embarrassment was obvious on Jungkook’s face. You could tell that Namjoon was getting a rush out of his dongsaeng’s reaction and before he could provoke him any further you decided to jump in.

“Who wants to go dance?” you asked loudly. You turned around and headed to the dancefloor without waiting for any of them to respond.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were tutoring a hunk?” Jisoo muttered under her breath.

“He’s not a hunk. Don’t call him that.”

“Yeah but he’s hot. You made him sound like he was a nerd.”

“He is a nerd.”

Your friend gave you a glare, “Why are we arguing about this? I know you’re not that oblivious.”

Of course you weren’t oblivious to Jungkook, but you weren’t going to tell Jisoo that.

“Let’s dance.” You grabbed Jisoo’s hand and twirled her around.

Namjoon and his friends joined you on the dancefloor. The mood of the crowd was electric. Music pulsed through your veins. Drinks flowed, shots were downed, people pulled out their best, lamest, craziest dance moves. Everyone celebrated like the world was going to end.

After a while you became hot and needed a new drink. You looked around for Jisoo and saw her grinding up against one of Namjoon’s friends. She’d be busy for a while. You inconspicuously moved away from the group and decided to go get some fresh air.  

“Wait up,” Jungkook said as he appeared next to you, “are you getting something to drink? I’ll join you.”

His dark curls were slightly matted with sweat. His baggy t-shirt clung to his body. You weren’t sure if it was the alcohol or Jisoo’s damn voice whispering into your ear. He was hot.

You circled your arm through his and pulled him through the crowd. His muscles shifted under your touch. You grabbed two drinks from a crate and handed one to Jungkook, your nerves tingled when his hand brushed against yours. The both of you remained in comfortable silence, leisurely walking through the dorm, neither of you in a hurry to get back to your friends. You explored the facility areas, weaving through pounding and quiet parts of the building.

“You look really nice tonight,” he said after a while.

The heels of your shoes echoed against marble floor of the dark hallway. “Thanks, Jisoo raided my closet.”

“She’s really something isn’t she?”

“She’s the best. I’m grateful to have her as my friend.”

Somewhere further down the hallway you made out two figures pressed against the wall, probably trying to find a quiet place of their own.

“You also look nice,” you said to Jungkook.

“I’m wearing the same things I always do,” Jungkook said, his voice turning shy.

You were getting closer to the couple. You could see how the guy was sticking his tongue down the girl’s throat. She seemed to enjoy it from the sounds she was making. Lucky them.

Your next words were definitely fuelled by your tipsy state, “I guess that means you always look nice.” Jungkook missed a step. You had to laugh at his blunder.

The couple in front of you broke apart and looked in your direction. More annoyed about being interrupted rather than embarrassed being caught. You were about to make a funny comment to Jungkook when your heart stopped and you froze.

A string of saliva still clung to the guy’s lips. His eyes widened when he recognized your face in the darkness. “Y/N?”

Your breath hitched and your grip tightened around Jungkook’s arm. He glanced between you and the guy, the situation slowly dawning on him.

“Why did you stop? Who’s that?”, the girl whined.

“No one,” the guy responded as he returned his attention to her and they started making out again.

Jungkook didn’t know if he wanted to puke or punch that guy. A sharp pain in his arm brought him back to his senses. Your nails dug into his skin. He put his hand around yours and loosened your iron grip.

“Let’s go,” he said and quickly pulled you past the couple. You followed him in a daze. He stopped once you were outside of the building, hidden away in a quiet corner.

His hands reached for your face and he lifted your eyes to his. “Breathe.”

You closed your eyes, let out a long breath and let your head fall against the wall behind you. The horrible encounter replayed in your mind. You had to open your eyes again.

There he was right in front of you. Worried Jungkook, kind Jungkook, beautiful Jungkook.

Your hands reached behind his neck and you pulled him a bit closer. You tried to decipher his gaze, it was dark and yearning. Everything was a haze, the alcohol in your blood made you daring.

“Kiss me,” you whispered.

His mouth crashed against yours. Your hands slipped up into his hair and your bodies entwined. You opened your lips and sucked in his hot breath. Your tongues found each other; he groaned at your taste.

He moved one of his hands down your side until he found purchase on your leg and hitched it up against his waist, pressing his body further into you. You let out a moan when his hips ground into yours.

All your senses drowned in Jungkook. You drowned in his scent, you drowned in his touch, you drowned in his heat. You tried to use Jungkook to drown out the grotesque image from before. Suddenly the heat of the moment disappeared, and a cold shower ran down your spine.

You broke away from your breathless kiss and put your hands against Jungkook’s chest to put some distance between you. He gave you a disoriented look.

“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have kissed.”

Jungkook’s eyes grew wide and alarmed. “Did I do something wrong?”

His lips were swollen, his hair was mussed. You wanted nothing more than to pull him back in, but you couldn’t. Not here. Not like this. He deserved better.

You pushed yourself off the wall and gave him a small shove. He immediately let go of you and stepped back. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like this,” was all you said before you ran back into the building.

The next day you woke up to a splitting headache and a heart full of regret. You really needed to talk to Jungkook and explain to him why you ran away the previous night, but you were too much of a coward to pick up your phone and contact him. You decided it was better to talk to him in person at school.

The following week at school you waited for him in the library. Your heart was in your throat. Your prepared speech played in an endless loop in your head.

‘I’m sorry I ran away. I shouldn’t have kissed you in that state. It wasn’t fair to you. You deserve better than that.’

You looked down on your phone to check the time. A message blinked. You opened and read through it. Your heart sank. He wasn’t coming. He wanted to study the last week before finals on his own. He thanked you for your time.

Slowly you got up and packed your bag. You blew it. You wanted to do him right, but you only caused him pain. Thinking back, you realized he gave and gave and gave and all you did was take. He was right to stay away from you. There was no way he’d be happy with someone like you.

The week passed and finals week commenced. You immersed yourself in your exams and tried to get over your heavy heart. You were pretty sure you aced Geometry II, but the Numerical Analysis exam was nothing but a blur.

Although your heart ached, you didn’t fall back into the same dark pit of the past. You didn’t feel lost, you got on with your life. Nobody noticed the Jungkook-sized hole in your heart except for you. You wanted to talk about your feelings, but you didn’t think Jisoo or your sister would understand. They’d probably just tell you to get out there and find a new guy.

Another week passed. You were walking out of your professor’s office, finalizing the details of your summer internship, when you bumped into Namjoon.

“Y/N! What are you doing here? Aren’t you off for summer break yet?” he asked.

“I was just discussing my internship with Prof. Kim,” you said.

“Ah you’re participating in his research program?” Namjoon said, “I heard it’s really interesting, he’s intense though.”

“I think intense is fine for me, I need something to do with my brain. Otherwise I’ll just go crazy,” you said with a smile.

“Speaking of intense, what did you do to that kid?” Namjoon suddenly asked.

You tensed. Did something happen to Jungkook? “What do you mean?”

“Did you brainwash him or something? He got a 98 on his SA final! When I handed him over to you, he was still asking me why the positive and negative z-scores tables had different values,” Namjoon said in awe.

Relief washed through you and your chest filled with pride. “Watch out sunbae, I might be coming for your TA position,” you said with a wink.

At home you sprawled out on the couch. Your sister’s classes ended earlier than yours so now she was away with her friends travelling the countryside. Your mind wandered as you stared up at the ceiling of your quiet apartment. You really wanted to call Jungkook and congratulate him, but you didn’t think you should. He clearly didn’t want to be in contact with you, you hadn’t heard anything from him since his text canceling your study sessions.

A pang of sadness washed through you. It should have been a happy moment for the both of you, you should be eating tangsuyuk together right now. You really wanted to tell someone about your joy and your grief.

Then you suddenly remembered your friend. Your friend who never judged and always had something wise to say. Maybe he would understand the conflicts of your heart. You got up and dug through the receipts on your desk until you found the one with his phone number on it.

You hoped he wouldn’t think you were crazy, but then again, he was the one who offered himself to talk to you any time. You typed in the number and hit call. Your phone dialed when suddenly the number displayed switched to a name. Jungkook.

You quickly hit the cancel button and stared at your phone. Did you accidentally hit Jungkook’s contact? Was your phone broken? This time you typed in the number more carefully and hit call. Again, the display switched to Jungkook’s name. You hit cancel.

Your heart began to race. You opened up Jungkook’s contact and compared it with the number on the receipt.

Holy shit.

JK was Jungkook. Jungkook was JK.

The stranger who cheered you on and made you smile whenever you felt down was Jungkook. You combed through all your receipts and reread them one by one. What was the probability for this to happen? This was so bizarre, but it made so much sense. Jungkook was the kindest person you knew. Why wouldn’t he be kind to a stranger who needed some uplifting words and comforting tangsuyuk?

[13/06 18:20 PM] User: LatteIsHorse ---------------- ORDER [DELIVERY]

3 Tangsuyuk (large) 6 Jjajangmyeon ---------------- Note: JK-nim, I hope you’re doing well! Can I ask you for a strange favor? Would you mind delivering today’s order to me? I would really like to meet you and thank you in person for always being by my side! <3

<Ding Dong>

The doorbell rang. Your heart pounded painfully in your chest. You slowly walked up to the door and opened it.

“Delivery from Golden…,” Jungkook’s voice faltered.

“Hi JK-nim,” you said quietly. You opened the door wider. “Thanks for coming today.”

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” he asked.

You had to smile at his look of utter confusion. “I live here. Come in, you can put the food on the dining table.” You turned around and walked back into the apartment.

Jungkook hesitated before he followed you inside. He moved up to the table and unloaded his box. He tried to steady himself. “You’re LatteIsHorse-nim?” he asked skeptically, “I’ve been here before. Last time someone else opened the door.”

He has visited you before? “Oh, that was probably my sister. I live here with her. She’s out travelling right now.”

“So you’re on your own right now? Why did you order so much food?” he asked. A giant mountain of neatly stacked dishes graced the table.

You came up and pried the metal box out of his hand. Then you moved in front of him and unclasped his bike helmet. He flinched at your sudden closeness.

“To celebrate. Congratulations on passing your Statistical Analysis exam. Namjoon told me you passed in flying colors,” you said in a gentle voice. “I promised you the best Chinese take-out in town, didn’t I?”

Jungkook still looked shell-shocked and simply stared at you.

“I’m sorry about that night at the Pre-Game party. I’m sorry I ran away. I owe you an explanation.”

Jungkook regained his wits and swallowed. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain yourself. I get it, we were drunk. It was a mistake.” He looked down and tried to turn back around.

You grabbed onto his hands before he could move away. “Jungkook, look at me.”

He stopped turning, but his eyes remained on the floor.

You took a deep breath and squeezed his hands. “I really like you. I’ve really liked you for a while now.”

His eyes shot up to your face.

“The reason why I ran away that night was because I felt guilty. I probably would’ve ended up kissing you anyway, but in that moment, I kissed you because I wanted to forget. I didn’t want our first kiss to be like that. I wanted it to be the me who liked you and not the me who tried to drown out her shitty ex-boyfriend. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

There was an unreadable look in his eyes. Your heart fluttered in nervousness. “How long have you known I was JK? How long did you know I had a crush on you?” he asked.

You could feel your blood rushing through your ears, the butterflies in your stomach beat like crazy. “Since today. I was sad because I thought I couldn’t share the promised meal with you. I wanted a friend to talk to, so I thought to call you. You who was always kind to me, even when I wasn’t kind to myself. Isn’t fate strange? We cheered each other on to find each other.” You had to laugh at the irony of it all.

Your hand hesitantly moved up to his face and stroked across his cheek, “I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I made you sad.”

Jungkook melted against your touch. “If I’m never sad, I won’t know when I’m happy.” Then he closed the gap and pressed his lips against yours.

It was a sweet but sad kiss. Filled with happiness and sorrow. Every touch was filled with an ‘I missed you’ or an ‘I’m sorry’.

Jungkook pressed you against the edge of your dining table, he lifted you up and you wrapped your legs around his waist. You both deepened your kiss. Your hands snaked through his hair and pulled him closer into you. Jungkook braced his hands against the table and instinctively ground his hips against your core. You moaned his name at the sensation. The both of you broke apart to catch your breaths, you pulled at his jacket and removed his layers of clothing.

You stilled at the sight of his bare chest. He was truly beautiful. Your fingers traced along his skin and marvelled at its silkiness. Jungkook shuddered under your touch. His hands moved under your shirt and you both lifted it off your head. Then you gripped his hands and slowly led them around your back, urging him to take off your bra. You wriggled out of your jeans and laid yourself completely bare in front of him. Jungkook stopped and stared at you, equally amazed.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Your heart swelled and you pulled him back into a kiss. Both his kisses and his hands left a burning trail down your body. His mouth sucked on the soft skin of your neck while his hands moved across your breast, across your stomach, lower and lower. Wetness gathered between your legs.

“Jungkook,” you sighed. The muscles of his back shifted under your touch.

He released your neck with a loud smack and looked at the artwork he created. He still couldn’t get over how overwhelmingly beautiful you were. Your cheeks flushed, eyes bright and his name at the tip of your tongue. He felt himself strain against his confines.

“Please,” you whimpered. You looked down at his hand and tried to silently command him to touch you.

He kept his eyes trained on your face when his fingers moved lower and slid through your folds. Another moan left your lovely lips. He teased you with his touches, gathering your wetness until he finally pushed down where you wanted him most. Your hands dug into his back, your hips bucked, and you threw your head back in pleasure. He steadied your hips with his other hand and slowly pushed a finger inside of you. Another loud moan echoed through the room.

Jungkook was transfixed by you. He added a second finger and started pushing in and out. Your eyes squeezed shut in pleasure and small breathless pants left your mouth. Jungkook increased the speed of his movement and marvelled at the way you reacted under his touch. Then he moved his mouth to your breast and closed his lips around your nipple. You raked your hands through his hair and arched into him. Your core tightened around his fingers. All your nerves were on fire.

You pulled him away from your breast and guided his mouth back to yours. Your tongue traced his lips and you swallowed his moan. You wanted more, you wanted him closer. His fingers curled and his thumb pressed down on you. Jungkook held you tight as you shuddered and fell apart around him.

He rested his forehead against yours, your breath mingled as you both panted into each other. He slowly removed his hand from you and traced his mouth with his slicked fingers, then he moved them to your lips. Your tongue licked the tips of his fingers. His grip tightened around your waist.

“I want to feel you,” you said.

Jungkook shuddered at your words. “Where is your room?”

“The door behind you.”

Jungkook lifted you off the table, you tightened your legs around him and gave him another kiss. He walked you both to your room and gently laid you down on your bed. He took off his pants, then slowly moved onto the bed and hovered above you.

“Tell me what you want,” he said.

Your fingers caressed his face. “I want you to be happy.”

Another shudder ran through him. “I am happy. What else?”

You traced his eyes, his nose, his lips. “I want to be the one making you happy.”

Jungkook couldn’t contain himself anymore. His heart felt like it was about to explode. He covered your body with his and pressed himself into you. Your eyes rolled back as he entered you slowly. You felt so full you wanted to burst out of your skin. You could feel how the Jungkook-sized whole in your heart filled up again.

He rocked into you and took your breath away. Your nails raked across his back and left red lines against his smooth skin. Jungkook ducked his head into the crook of your neck and moaned against your skin. Every pull dragged pleasure out of you, every push brought you closer together.

You wanted more. Jungkook gave you more.

You wanted him closer. Jungkook pushed deeper into you.

With every moan, Jungkook pushed harder, pushed deeper. He wanted to melt into you. He wanted the lines between you and him to disappear. Your desire was his desire. His pleasure was your pleasure.  

Jungkook could feel you tightening around him. He moved his mouth over yours and gave you an ardent kiss. The light of your desire turned brighter and brighter until it burst apart into a thousand little flames. You cried against his lips and let the heat consume you. Your body pulsed around his and the overwhelming sensation brought him right over the edge with you.

The both of you laid on your bed and clung to each other. Neither of you willing to let the other go. Your pounding chests beat in tandem. Jungkook stroked his hand across your hair and kissed your head.

“I want you to be happy too,” he said.

“I know,” you said as you smiled against his chest, “You make me happy.”

Jungkook pulled you tighter into him and you remained silent for a while. His hand traced lazy patterns against your skin. Your breathing evened out.

“Are you allergic to pineapple?” he suddenly asked.

You looked up at him in surprise. “No. Why?”

“Because you always order tangsuyuk without pineapple.”

“Oh. That’s because my sister hates pineapple.”

Jungkook frowned, you pulled yourself up and kissed the little ridges between his eyes.

“What?” you asked.

“I think the jjajangmyeon is all soggy by now,” he said.

You had to laugh. “Probably, but the tangsuyuk should still taste great.”

Jungkook kissed you with a smile. “You’re right, tangsuyuk always tastes great.”

°°°°°°°

02/05/20

Copyright © 2020 full-of-jams. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, repost or translate without permission.

[softdadcarlos]

Americano 2: Colombian Aroma

Masterlist

Fandom: Resident Evil/Biohazard

Pairing: Jill/Carlos

AU: Coffee shop owner Carlos, police officer Jill

Summary: It’s time for their date. 

Requested by missbristow and tipanot over on AO3 and anon here on Tumblr

Carlos was secretly happy that Jill had told him to meet her at the police station at 6pm. It gave him time close the shop, take down the decorations and have a quick shower at home. And if he was to be completely honest with himself, he was nervous as fuck. He wasn’t actually expecting to be successful. God, he didn’t know what to wear. Was it going to be a casual or formal date? Carlos shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he stared into his open wardrobe. Casual was best for a first date, formal would just make it too awkward. With that in mind, he picked out a long-sleeve grey henley shirt and dark wash slim jeans. Pushing the sleeves up to expose his forearms, he checked himself over in the mirror and nodded in approval. Not to toot his own horn but the choice in shirt did wonders in showing off the results of his time at the gym. Throwing on a leather jacket, he grabbed his keys and headed out.

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Jill stepped out of the police station, wearing a change of clothes she kept stored in her locker just in case something happened to her uniform. She wore a dark green long-sleeved T-shirt that was tucked into high-waisted jeans with a tan trench coat keep her warm in the chill of spring evenings. She spotted Carlos waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a single rose delicately held between his fingers at his side.

“Is that for me or is there another girl you’re waiting for?”

Carlos startled, spinning to face her with wide eyes, “Nope! I mean yes! This is for you…”

His arm shot up, presenting the flower to her which she accepted with a smile. She gave the rose a sniff, enjoying it’s floral aroma, before giving him a once over. He cleaned up nicely.

“So where are we heading hot stuff?” She asked.

He offered her his arm which she gladly took, “I was thinking somewhere not too fancy, save that for when I want to woo you on the third day,” he sent her a playful wink, “so how does bowling sound? I know this great place that has a bar that serves meals. We can play, have a bite to eat, a couple of beers. Nice and chill.”

Jill shot him a lopsided smile, “Perfect.”

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Jill had to admit, she was really enjoying herself. Her and Carlos were tied neck and neck on the final round, winner takes all. So, of course, a wager was made after sharing a platter of fries and burgers with maybe one too many beers in their veins. Winner gets to make a request of the loser. Jill was no loser. She watched as Carlos lined up his shot, appreciating the view as he bowled the weighted ball. And she smirked when his ball guttered for the first time that night. Carlos mumbled curses under his breath, blaming the alcohol for his poor luck.

Jill stood up and picked a ball, taking her time to make sure she aimed it just right before doing her run up and releasing the ball from her grip. It sped down the lane and made contact with the pins, the force knocking them down. Strike.

“Looks like I win Romeo.”

Carlos chuckled, “You sure do, Supercop. So, what’s your prize?”

Her smirk returned, “You’ll see.”

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Like a gentleman, Carlos walked her back to her place, which turned out to be an apartment building not far from his coffee shop, the conversation turning to the topic of his business.

“What made you want to hire those kids?”

Carlos shrugged, “Just passing the kindness paid to me forward. When I was younger I was neck-deep in trouble trying to earn money to keep my mother and I afloat. Sure, my grandparents owned land but they didn’t have the money to do anything with it so they couldn’t help us. One night I broke into a store but I was stupid and didn’t check to see if anyone was in there.”

“Ah, you were a thief.”

“I was more than just a thief back then, bonita. Anyway, turned out the owner was there. An old man called Mikhail. He caught me and literally beat some sense into me. And while I was led there on the floor, he offered me a job.”

“...That’s a strange way of being ‘kind’ Carlos.”

He laughed, shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, “Might not sound it but it was what I needed at the time. Turns out I wasn’t the only troubled kid he took under his wing. Found myself working with a guy named Tyrell, now my finance manager. He paid us more than what most people would. I was able to support my family and save a decent amount of family.”

Jill couldn’t think of a response, she opted for switching the topic, “Am I going to get a kiss goodnight?” She asked playfully.

“Is that your request chica?” She shook her head no. “Then if you’re okay with it, sure.”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want it.”

Carlos placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her head upward, thumb caressing it as he lent down and closed the gap between them. Her lips were just as soft as he had imagined over the past year. The taste of ketchup and beer lingered on them.

He pulled away with a grin, “Is that what you wanted?”

Jill bit her lip, suppressing her own smile, “Hmmm… not quite… I think I’ll make my request now.”

He raised a brow, “Oh?”

She took his hand, walking backwards to the apartment building door as her free hand fished for her keys in her coat pocket, “Show me how you make your Colombian coffee,” she said with a wink.

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A/N: This is the first fic of mine where Jill and Carlos actually kiss xD

I love hearing from you guys! Please tell me what parts you liked!

I do take requests! If you have any feel free to ask for one! But before requesting one please look at my to do list to see if someone has already asked for what you had in mind :) I'm also on twitter @mxbelmounte.

[haus-of-wu]

Get to Know Me

Thanks for the tag @the-sassiest-trixster

Rules: Answer 20 Questions then tag other bloggers you want to get to know better

1. Name: Kylie

2. Nickname: kwu, ky/kai

3. Zodiac sign: Pisces

4. Height: 5′3″

5. Languages: English, Cantonese, enough Mandarin, Spanish

6. Nationality: Chinese/Hong Kong-American (I am not confused, literally one half of the family is from mainland while the other half is from HK)

7. Favourite season: If I didn’t have allergies - Spring. Otherwise fall. TLDR is I like moderate temperatures

8. Favourite flower: ...

9. Favourite scent: "Clean” forest scents. Roses, some fruits 

10. Favourite colour:  Dark jewel tones (ruby, sapphire, emerald), black, navy, violet (dark cool colors...basically)

11. Favourite animals: Penguins?? Cats?

12. Favourite fictional character: ... bruh

13. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee and tea

14. Average hours of sleep: 6.5 hours ?

15. Dog or cat: I like both, but if I were to own one, a cat is just more reasonable given my schedule and lifestyle

16. Number of blankets you sleep with: One floofy comforter during cold months and one light throw blanket during the hot months

17. Dream trip: I was supposed to go to Greece this May...but lol - also would love to return to Japan and HK - and go to Korea for the first time

18. Blog established: I’ve been on this hell of a site since 2011...right m e

19. Followers: This one has 311

20. Random fact: I did color guard...the flag dance thing that goes with marching band...during high school

Tagging: @superwharvelock @leakywaterbottles @backwardswriter @taemovs @biohazard-isaka @sojiane 

[gladio-to-meet-you]

Being sick (ft. the chocobros, Luna, and Nyx)

It's hard not to repeat things for them, but I feel these are decent and diverse enough! I didn't catch any obvious errors when I reread this, so consider it proofread?

I felt like Luna and Nyx fit well enough this time around, if you want me to keep adding them, feel free to drop me a line to say so!

Ignis

This is one prepared man, he would come over with his own medicine and cleaning supplies to disinfect your entire place. You think I'm kidding? He's going to get you fed and dosed with medicine and then it's on. You wouldn't need to do spring cleaning, he did it for you! He's the king of multitasking. While he's got additional meals being cooked for you, he's doing laundry and straightening up the kitchen as he goes, dusting everything he can get his dusting cloth on.

When you're over it and are finally able to leave your bedroom on your own, the state of your place surprises you, it's almost sparkling clean! Of course he had to leave before you got totally better, duty calls, but he did leave a note with instructions on reheating the food and that he made sure you had a clean environment. It's no surprise that Ignis walks away healthy, if not a bit worried over you.

Prompto

He would be all for helping you take care of yourself when sick, but he would have to take precautions. His immune system is the worst of the group, but that's not going to stop him! He would come over all fitted out in a makeshift biohazard suit with too much duct tape, courtesy of Noctis and Gladio, so he could help you while minimizing his exposure, which would send you into a fit of giggles that led to a coughing fit.

His hands would be gloved for most of the visit unless he needed to feel your forehead or couldn't function in them, so handwashing would be pretty constant for him with them off. He'd take time to do a bit of cleaning while you were in and out of sleep, just cleaning up the used tissues and straightening the living room for you. You'd find your place stocked on tissues, trash bags, and hand sanitizer after you were better and he was gone. But he would totally have to be cut out of the biohazard suit by Ignis because Noctis and Gladio were laughing too hard at his struggles. He still somehow winds up sick, curse his immune system!

Noctis

Noctis would mean well, but he doesn't have a lot of experience caring for someone that's sick so he wouldn't be very prepared. He'd come over but end up needing to call Ignis for pointers. After the fourth call, how do I make that soup again?, Ignis would appear at your front door like he was summoned. He would take charge and supervise Noctis as he went about making sure you were hydrated, fed, and comfortable before they'd tackle cleaning and cooking extra for later.

The Prince would be sent out for medicine and tissues while Ignis tended to dinner. He'd look sheepish as he comes back in with numerous bags with different cold & flu medicines and types of tissues, not having known which would be best. At least you'd have more for later! He would end up with some sniffles that he played off as allergies in the end.

Gladio

He's Never Been Sick™️ so he would come in completely unprotected. His arms would be ladened with supplies ranging from tissues to food to different medicines. Don't let his looks fool you, he knows exactly what he's doing, having experience taking care of Iris. He would get you settled into bed or on your couch before making sure you were taking the proper medication(s). From there he'd be all involved and on top of it all, making sure you had something to eat/drink, cleaning up any vomit you may have, making sure you had clean bedsheets and laundry in general.

He wouldn't bat an eye at anything you needed or asked, if you couldn't reach the tissues he'd do you one better and wipe your nose for you, no hesitation. When I said this man has never been sick, I mean it. He doesn't even walk away from this with what you had!

Nyx

He would be a mixture of Gladio and Ignis, except he's just as likely to get sick as anyone. He'd rely on what you have around for cleaning but would bring the food and medicine, knowing you were almost out of both. The whirlwind known as Nyx would make sure you get showered and changed before he's bundling you up in your favorite blanket and depositing you on the couch. Your favorite movie would play as he whipped up a light lunch for you.

From there, he'd make sure you ate and took your medicine on time. He'd dote on you and even go so far as cuddling you when you couldn't sleep, even when you'd protest about passing your sickness on. Your place wouldn't be sparkling clean when he left but there would be a noticeable difference, mostly that your fridge had at least a week's worth of food store in it. He would report to work a couple days later with a tickle in his throat that he'd wave off as a result of the weather changing, when in reality, you had an inkling he caught what you had.

Luna

While she doesn't have a lot of experience caring for sick loved ones, she would make up for that with her enthusiasm. This isn't something she can heal for you, so she does her research. She'll debate which medicine is better, ask for some thoughts from a pharmacist, and come back with both, just to be safe. She'd also grab something for lunch and dinner while out, so she wouldn't have to leave your side again. The food would be stored, you'd get your medicine, and then she'd stay with you, doting on you.

You want a hug because you feel bad? She'll give you the nicest hug! Too hot? You'll be helped into showering to wash off the sweat and then into clean clothes and a lighter blanket would be tucked around you. Feeling down? Laughter is the best medicine! It's not a huge surprise to anyone when she comes back with what you had, but she wouldn't have it any other way. You get to repay her kindness this time around!

[sickficsbypyroyoshi]

Dallas pukes in his own car

Dallas shivered as he stepped out from the warm confines of his car. For a split second, the subzero temperature almost made him forget about the nausea that had been plaguing him for the past hour. He’d read somewhere that being cold can help reduce nausea, but for all he knew it was probably bullshit. It didn’t seem to be doing him much good.

Before he even took two steps, he was hit with a blast of wind almost cold enough to be measured in the Kelvin scale. Thankfully he’d been able to park fairly close to the doors or else he might have frozen to death before he even got to the building.

The plan was to go in, buy some anti nausea medicine and hope it would work. His nausea kept nagging at him and threatening to tip him over the edge, but at the same time it taunted him by staying at exactly the same level. He truly didn’t know if he needed to throw up or not.

The automatic doors parted and Dallas briskly walked inside. He stalked over to the pharmacy area and began scanning the shelves for anything that might help calm his highly unsettled stomach.

Dallas suddenly felt sweltering hot, as if he was sitting in a sauna in the middle of July with his thickest trench coat on. He reached up and wiped a surprising amount of dampness from his forehead. There was no denying it now, this was definitely more than a moderate case of indigestion. The queasy feeling lurking in his stomach began to amplify at an alarming speed, and he moaned audibly. He probably looked like death, but right now he didn’t care what anyone else thought.

He swiped some red cherry flavored anti-emetic syrup off the shelf, hightailed it to the self checkout lanes and stuck his card in the chip reader. Within seconds, his nausea shot up another couple of notches and made him briefly pause. He felt really sick now and debated on wether or not to go to the bathroom just in case. If the nausea got any worse, he’d puke for sure, and he’d welcome it if it meant he’d feel better afterwards. Then again, puking into a toilet that autoflushed every two seconds didn’t sound like his idea of a good time.

Deciding to forgo that plan, he walked out of the store, quickly strode back over to his car and got in. He twisted the barely childproof plastic cap off the bottle and took a swig, grimacing at the taste. It tasted like overtly sweet maraschino cherries drowned in vodka.

Dallas couldn’t help but wonder if the name was a lie because right after he pulled out of the lot and started driving home, he suddenly started to feel worse, not better. Heat waves crashed over him and he felt sicker than ever. His stomach felt like it was being turned over by a pair of clawed hands, and he could feel everything he’d eaten recently swimming around inside of him. The homemade 5 meat lasagna he’d eaten for lunch tasted great going down, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant coming back up. That, combined with the Mongolian beef and sticky rice from last night, would surely result in a putrid puke cocktail.

Even the tiniest jostle in the car’s movement made him feel sicker and come closer to losing it.

He swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. All he had to do was make it a few miles home, or at least find a place to pull over. Unfortunately, he was stuck in traffic on the shoulderless highway, and as an extra fuck you there was a plethora of on hold road construction going on that wouldn’t start up again until spring. Traffic was down to one lane and was moving at a snail’s pace. He couldn’t stop, and there weren’t any turn offs he could take. For the time being he was completely boxed in.

He started to panic a little when he felt acid prick the back of his throat. His house was only two miles away, yet he was losing hope that he’d make it. Normally at this point he’d pull over, throw the door open and shamelessly redecorate the roadside with vomit,  but right now that wasn’t an option due to the stop and go traffic.

Saliva began flooding Dallas’ mouth, and he cursed himself for not getting a plastic bag before he left Wal Mart. He didn’t have any receptacles of any kind.

“Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit!” Keeping his right hand on the wheel, he firmly pressed his left hand over his mouth. He hoped he could keep the puke at bay until he could get off the road, but deep down he knew that simply wasn’t possible. He’d never once in his life been able to hold it back once the urge to puke hit him. Some people could, but not him. If he had to puke, it was going to come out of him one way or another. The depressing reality was that he was about to puke uncontrollably all over his own car.

Dallas gagged into his hand several times and desperately tried to keep it down, but he was fighting a losing battle and knew it was pointless. A copious amount of half digested lasagna was working its way up his throat and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. The pressure in his stomach was too much to take and he gloomily accepted his grim fate.

Fuck everything.

Dallas barely had time to finish that thought before his stomach contracted and he heaved. He felt everything start shooting up his throat and he didn’t even try to swallow it back down. It’d just come right back up again anyways. Repugnant reddish brown vomit gushed between his fingers and dripped onto his coat and pants as he retched again and completely lost control.

He lowered his puke covered hand right as another heave overtook him. He forcefully threw up all over the steering wheel and dashboard, and the impact sent it ricocheting back at him. Being covered in his own repulsive stomach contents only made him heave harder, and he sent another torrent of chunks splashing onto the dashboard. Chunks of Dallas’ partially digested lunch streaked down the dash, thankfully avoiding the vents on their way down to the floor.

Someone honked at him, which made Dallas remember mid heave, Oh yeah. I’m projectile vomiting all over my own car while stuck in a fucking traffic jam. Awesome.

Driving while throwing up wasn’t going to be an easy task, but he had to try. Thankfully the traffic was moving slowly.

He did his best to keep his eyes on the road as he vomited profusely into his lap and all down his front. By now he was absolutely covered in his own puke. The warm acidic substance was quickly soaking into his pants and streaming down every crevice of his leather trench coat. His long black hair was taking damage as well, and it was far too late for him to try to hold it back. Not even his boots could escape the puke bath he was giving himself.

“Why’d I eat so much?” Dallas whined between retches.

He’d puked a lot but he could tell he wasn’t done. He gagged noisily and brought up another voluminous wave that splashed down onto the front of the seat and the floor. The car in front of him stopped again and he hit the breaks right before he puked on himself again.

His eyes were starting to water from puking so much, and a noise that sounded like a strangled sob escaped his abused throat. He just wanted this to end. His stomach cramped painfully and a thick but smaller and lighter colored wave of vomit left his mouth. One more small extremely bitter tasting wave came up before he was left dry heaving. When the dry heaves tapered off, he was able to catch his breath and try to regain his composure.

The remainder of his drive home wasn’t a pleasant one. He still felt terrible, and he was marinading in his own puke. The only upside was that no one would see him like this. His sister was out with her boyfriend, and his parents had taken his younger siblings to see a movie.

Dallas parked in the garage and for a minute all he could do was sit there despite the disgusting state the car was in. He’d managed to coat the entire driver’s side of the car in a copious amount of puke, and if he didn’t feel so godawful he’d be impressed with himself. There was even some on the back side of the mirror. He himself wasn’t in much better shape, as his clothes were now more brown than black. There was puke all over the front of his coat, soaking into his pants, and on his boots. It was all over both of his hands and there were some chunks caught in his hair as well.

Part of him wanted to crawl out of the car and lay down for a nap right there on the concrete floor. He was drained and completely devoid of energy, and moving seemed like a monumental task. Eventually the more rational side of him won out and he slowly stepped out of the vehicle. Rivulets of puke snaked down his coat as he did so. His car was a biohazard zone, but he couldn’t bear the thought of cleaning it. That would have to wait until he felt better.

He sluggishly removed his coat and took his boots off. The T shirt he had on underneath his coat didn’t get nailed as badly, but it would still need to get washed. The clothes could wait though, as his top priority was to get himself cleaned off first. A scalding hot shower followed by a nap was in order, and he hoped that was just what he needed to feel a little better.

[omahajunkdisposal-blog]

Debris Removal Omaha Construction Renovation Debris Haul Away in Omaha NE | Omaha Junk Removal

More information is at: http://www.omahajunkdisposal.com/debris-removal-omaha.html

Omaha Debris Removal Services: Recent renovation creating an overflow of trash and debris near Omaha Nebraska? Omaha Junk Removal can help you remove construction debris! No job is too big or too small--Done right way. Omaha Junk Removal specializes in construction waste disposal & debris removal, including demolition cleanup. Best junk removal and hauling services in Omaha NE! Cost? Free estimates! Call today or send us a quick message for an instant free quote!

DEBRIS REMOVAL OMAHA

We specialize in picking up and removing construction debris, demolition debris, and other types of residential or commercial debris in the Omaha area. We will collect and dispose of construction junk removal in an environmentally safe manner, and our staff is skilled and experienced in working with contractors to remove and dispose of all debris safely and efficiently.

We often are called for OMAHA Debris Removal such as:

·         Construction material removal OMAHA

·         Construction debris hauling OMAHA

·         Demolition debris pickup OMAHA

·         Demolition junk removal OMAHA

·         Building materials removal OMAHA

·         Building materials pickup OMAHA

Whether you are a building owner, homeowner, or contractor, we look forward to meeting all of your debris removal needs. You will find that our expertise and reliability are second to none, and we look forward to being your debris removal partner in OMAHA.

OMAHA WASTE REMOVAL CONTRACTORS

Nothing can get more time consuming than disposing of the waste from your demolition sites. If you are looking for an easy and cost-effective way to haul away your debris, you would need some expert touch. Omaha Junk Removal has been providing the best professional waste removal services along with demolition services since the aftermath of our junk removal business start in 2016. Our company specializes in waste removal and hauling projects including residential rip-outs since then. We, provide you with premium services at affordable rates. Our Cleanup crew will arrive on schedule and will carefully take care of all your unwanted waste materials as quickly as possible.

 So, if you are looking for a waste removal company in Omaha with a long record of successful projects and satisfied customer reviews in waste removal, we are the right company to contact.

NOTE: We do not provide hazardous waste removal services, such as: lead paint removal or biohazard removal. We do not offer full building demolition, wrecking ball demolition, landscape excavation, hazardous waste removal. We specialize as a cost-effective solution for basic demolition, cleanup, garbage removal, dumpster filling, and dumpster rental services

Call us today to book an appointment.

CALL US FOR:

·         Debris Removal Services Omaha

·         Construction Debris Removal Near Me

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·         Junk Removal Omaha

·         Construction Debris Removal Bag

·         Debris Removal Jobs

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·         Debris Removal Omaha NE

 QUICK DEBRIS REMOVAL AFFORDABLE DEBRIS REMOVAL SERVICES NEAR OMAHA

OMAHA JUNK REMOVAL

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. CONTACT US NOW

  CONSTRUCTION SITE CLEAN UP COMPANY OMAHA

Omaha Junk Removal is the company to call for all construction site waste removal in the Omaha area. This includes construction site trash pick up services in Omaha.

Leave it to us to clean up your job site after a construction project. We will also periodically haul away the junk building up during the course of the construction job. No matter how much rubbish is left behind, we can handle it. Our team and trucks can remove all bulk construction site waste so you dont have to.

The photos below show the removal of construction site debris after a renovation in Omaha. The debris left around included such items as wood scraps, sheetrock trimmings, plywood moldings, masonary, cardboard packing material, pallets and plastic shrink wrap. These materials were carted away and sorted to later be separated and recycled properly.

OMAHA CONSTRUCTION SITE WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Omaha Junk Removal is one of the best rated construction site waste collection companies in Omaha. We are the construction debris removal specialist in Omaha NE.

 We not only deal with building construction site clean up, but we also handle commercial renovation site clean up. We will remove renovation scrap materials such as sheetrock scraps, cut off wood scraps, concrete and brick waste and rebar. We will remove scrap pipes, ceiling tiles, light fixtures, wall materials and wood flooring material. Omaha Junk Removal team can also pick up large packing material such as that from large appliances and HVAC units. Wooden crates and skids carted away. Old HVAC units and plumbing can also be carted out. We will haul out all your construction site waste materials.

Omaha Junk Removal team can help tie up loose ends of post construction cleanup, leaving contractors free to move on to new projects. We clean up the interior and exterior of the construction site or property and leave the place broom swept clean. Omaha Junk Removal team takes pride in what we do. So call us for your post construction clean up service.

Contractors, construction companies, home improvement renovators and demolition companies call Omaha Junk Removal team for their waste recycling and on site waste removal services of Omaha. Any excess garbage generated by your construction site can be removed by our team. Major interior design companies use our services to clean up after a large renovation job.

Call Omaha Junk Removal for all your post construction site cleaning needs in Omaha Metro Area.

ONSTRUCTION DEBRIS REMOVAL FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT OMAHA

Another excellent service we provide is construction debris removal before and after you build or renovate your home. By calling Omaha Junk Removal, you will save time, money and energy and your property or yard will be ready to occupy or visit faster. We cater specifically to residential and commercial contractors as well as do-it-yourself builders.

We know how important it is to maintain a clean and organized construction site. Junk materials can lead to safety hazards and upset property owners. By using Omaha Junk Removal, you eliminate the hassle of getting a dumpster permit from your city, paying to rent a dumpster, potentially damaging your driveway or your lawn, and having a truck come more than once. Our junk pick up services will clean up your construction site fully and recycle what we can.

Our trucks are larger than our competitors and our rates are cheaper. Our company also provides maid services and commercial cleaning services to make the process even easier.

Call us now to get a free quote on junk and furniture removal in OMAHA, or click on the link at the right to schedule your appointment. Same day service is available.

We take Just About Everything!

·         Furniture Removal

·         Television Disposal & Recycling

·         Yard Waste Removal

·         Foreclosure Clean Outs

·         Appliance Removal

·         Hot Tub Disposal

·         E-Waste Disposal

·         Trash Removal

·         Mattress Disposal

·         Refrigerator Disposal & Recycling

·         Construction Waste Removal

·         Garbage Removal

YARD DEBRIS REMOVAL OMAHA

If you’ve ever been working out in the yard yourself, you know that you can easily accumulate a lot of yard debris and waste whilst cleaning up. Now getting rid of that pile of yard waste that you collected can be a much bigger headache than actually making the pile. Well, good news, the Omaha Junk Removal Crew can help you with cleaning it all up, and removing all of it. We take away the stress that comes along with trying to remove your yard debris.

We even give you the choice, whether to do it yourself and have the professionals at Omaha Junk Removal to take care of the hauling. Or we take care of everything from start to finish while you sit inside and enjoy your free time, choice is yours. Either way, we’re here to help you.

Whether it is tree limbs that have fallen in the yard, bushes that you have taken out of the ground, or even trimmed back, you always wind up with piles of yard debris. Whatever the situation may be we can take care of all your yard debris removal needs! Don’t worry about where you are located either. The Omaha Junk Removal offer yard debris removal all over! We have branches in Omaha!

·         Yard Clean Ups

·         Fall Cleaning

·         Backyard Junk Clean Ups

·         Leaf Removal

·         Tree Limb Removal

·         Fallen Tree Removal

·         Yard Bush Removal

·         Spring Cleaning

·         Foreclosure Cleanouts

·         Hot Tub Removal

·         Home Junk Removal

·         Residential Removal & Recycling Services

·         Appliance Removal & Recycling

·         Garage Cleaning Service

·         Furniture Removal & Recycling

·         Hot Tub Removal & Recycling

·         Yard Debris Removal & Recycling

·         Commercial Junk Removal

·         Commercial Junk Removal

·         Commercial Removal & Recycling Services

·         Computer Removal & Recycling

·         Property Management Junk Removal

·         Office Appliance Removal

·         Office Furniture Removal

·         Apartment Clean Outs

·         Full Property Clean Outs

·         Full Property Clean Outs

·         Full Property Cleaning & Removal Services

·         Attic Clean Outs

·         Basement Clean Outs

·         Construction Site Clean Up

·         Foreclosure Clean Outs

·         Storage Unit Clean Outs

CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS REMOVAL OMAHA

We responsibly dispose of your construction debris so you don’t have to

Construction Debris Removal

When it comes to building or renovating a structure, construction waste is part of the job. Hauling it away yourself can be a waste of both time and money, that’s why Omaha Junk Removal offer post-construction clearing.

HOW IT WORKS

Here’s how the construction debris removal process works:

We arrive on time for the scheduled appointment.

Show our team members to the construction debris you need them to collect.

Post Construction Cleaning: Recycling

Here are a just a few of the common construction materials that can be recycled:

·         Asphalt

·         Cardboard

·         Concrete

·         Drywall

·         Glass

·         Plastic

·         Scrap metal

·         Wood

·         Post Construction Cleaning: Disposal and Donations

Here are a few examples of some common items that we can either dispose of or donate to charity:

·         Brick

·         Carpet

·         Furniture

·         Roofing tiles

·         Siding

·         Tools

·         Yard Waste Removal

With everything else you have to take care of in your home, it’s easy to let your yard areas go neglected. And there’s much more involved that mowing the grass every so often if you want to make the most of your yard. It also requires cleaning and hauling waste and debris.

Your back porch and yard are perfect places to have parties, barbeques, and other types of outdoor get-togethers. Whenever the weather is nice, instead of people romping around in the house, you can host them outside. During the summer especially, your yard can be a great place for your family and friends to gather.

However, yard waste will not only make your backyard an eyesore, but it also can physically get in the way of pulling off a great outdoor party. The good news is that you don’t have to get rid of it yourself.

Once you decide to outsource your yard waste and outdoor junk hauling, you’ll want to determine which firm is the right one for the job.

And, while you can probably hire some guy with a truck to do the job, that alternative may end up costing you more than you hoped to save.

Fortunately, you can hire the hauling pros at Omaha Junk Removal to get rid of the mess quickly and easily, allowing you to get back to enjoying the season and your rejuvenated property.

Learn more about our yard waste removal services

What is Yard Waste Removal?

Yard waste Pickup - Items we Take

Best Time for Yard Cleanup

Shed Demolition and Removal

Branches, Dirt and Gnomes

Is Yard Waste Dumping Illegal?

Yard Waste Can Include Lawnmowers and Other Tools

Hazardous Waste and Yard Debris Disposal

Cost to hire a yard cleanup service

YARD WASTE FAQS

Yard Waste Removal and Disposal Services

What is Yard Waste Removal?

Most homeowners with any amount of property take time to keep their yard and landscaping looking nice and appealing. This means not only maintenance like mowing lawns, pruning shrubs and trees, trimming plants and flowers, and so on, but also the need for yard waste removal.

 Raking up the lawn trimmings or fall leaves is only half the job! If you aren’t using some of this debris for composting, then it has to be removed and disposed of as you can’t leave it all on your lawn. And most homeowners (and house renters) have organic waste recycling bins, often the green ones, that are provided by their municipal waste management company.

For many residents these are great for their yard waste removal and disposal.

While these bins may be perfectly manageable for small properties or small lawns, what if you have a large property or numbers of shrubs and trees? And what if you’re contemplating a major landscaping project? This can easily mean that your yard waste and debris is more than you can easily dispose of yourself.

This is when professional yard waste removal becomes an option to consider.

YARD WASTE PICKUP - ITEMS WE TAKE

There is a great deal more to yard waste pickup than piles of leaves or trimmings. In fact, there is a whole list of items we take when it comes to yard waste.

At Omaha Junk Removal, we specializing in almost all types of yard debris, including:

·         Branches

·         Clippings

·         Stumps

·         Soil

·         Sod

·         Landscaping Debris

·         Fencing

·         Firewood

·         Lumber

·         Old Timber

·         Plasterboard

·         Frames

·         Windows

·         Shingles

·         Corrugated Iron

Not only are we pros in yard waste disposal, we specialize in all sorts of junk removal including:

·         Appliance Removal

·         Furniture Removal

·         Hot Tub Removal

·         Trash Removal

·         Mattress Disposal

·         Television Disposal & Recycling

·         Refrigerator Disposal & Recycling

·         Construction Waste Removal

·         E-Waste Disposal

·         Foreclosure Cleanouts

·         Garbage Removal

·         Dumpster Rental Alternative

And just about anything else you don't want!

You might have noticed that many of these items may not be what would be considered “yard waste.” However, in the course of spring cleaning, or an extensive landscaping project, other items and materials can be added to the yard waste pile.

In fact, you might have an old shed that needs to be dismantled and gotten rid of, or a fence that you have to replace. Projects like these will normally generate a large amount of waste and debris. And, as you probably already know, much of this type of junk can’t go into your residential waste or recycling bins.

The good news is that, aside from hazardous material, almost everything you need to dispose of can be picked up by a professional junk hauling firm like Omaha Junk Removal.

COMPLETE YARD CLEANING AND REMOVAL SERVICE OMAHA

When it comes to adding value to your home, start with the yard. You can depend on Omaha Junk Removal to handle the yard cleaning. Our experienced professionals can complete your project in no time and within your budget. Not only do we clean your yard for you, but also we haul away the debris.

• Move-in services

• Move-out services

• Yard cleaning

• Debris removal

• Tree trimming

Depend on us for all yard services:

With the help of our experienced professionals, you'll get your yard clean and looking fantastic in no time. You can depend on us for comprehensive service. We're a locally-owned company you can trust for exceptional service. Expect competitive rates for all of our projects.

ROLL-OFF BOX SERVICE FOR CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS REMOVAL OMAHA

We offer a full range of roll-off boxes to meet your needs, whether your project has construction/demolition or mixed trash, we take (almost) everything. Our team is ready to take on the big jobs and can handle your special construction needs.  

Try our new E-Z bag for the small construction projects and clean outs.

Roll-Off Boxes range in size including, 10yd, 20yd, and 30yd.

Competitive seasonal rates are available depending on job size and material type.

Contractor discounts can be earned.

Contact us online or call today for a no-obligation

Simple Debris Removal and Hauling

Hauling debris is a difficult job, which is why so many turn to a tried-and-true waste removal solution: dumpster rentals. Our service provides homeowners, contractors and business owners with a simple means to remove tons of debris at one time. Learn about the types of debris we take below.

SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD TRASH REMOVAL OMAHA

Our residential debris removal solution is simple: fill up the dumpster and we will haul it away for you. Rather than dealing with your debris piece by piece, we give you the ability to dispose of everything at once, saving you both time and money. Call today to get started.

Rent a Dumpster for Residential Trash Removal

Whether you’re moving or simply need to clean out your home, a residential dumpster rental from Omaha Junk Removal is the perfect solution to getting rid of all that unwanted household debris.

Efficient Disposal: Just one dumpster is enough to handle a ton or more of debris.

Quick Turnaround: We can deliver and pickup your dumpster on short notice.

Low-Cost: Our dumpsters include low, flat rates, making budgeting as easy as possible

HOW TO GET RID OF RESIDENTIAL DEBRIS IN OMAHA

Getting rid of household debris is simple with a dumpster rental. All you have to do is open the door, pile in the clutter, and then give us a call when you’re ready for pickup. For easier loading, ensure that larger items, such as furniture and appliances, are disposed of first. This will allow you to remove more household debris as it ensures the full volume of your dumpster is being used.

We accept these common household items in most service areas:

·         Appliances

·         Bottles

·         Clothing

·         Electronics

·         Furniture

·         Toys

·         Cardboard

·         Assorted Refuse

Save Time and Money With Our Residential Debris Removal Services

No matter how much clutter or debris is laying around your home, our debris removal service will reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to clean it all up. We deliver your dumpster as fast as possible, allowing you to get started as soon as you are ready. And once your container is on site, it’s just a matter of loading it up. There’s no high-pressure price haggling over disposing of your old couch or removing the storm debris from your lawn. All you pay is a simple flat rate that covers the cost of disposing of everything you’ve got.

Easily Remove Construction Waste From Your Job Site

Renting a construction debris dumpster is the easiest method of waste removal for any job site. We offer low, flat-rate prices plus fast delivery and pickup on dumpsters to handle construction debris removal for any size job.

CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS DISPOSAL SIMPLIFIED OMAHA

At Omaha Junk Removal, we provide options for construction debris disposal tailored to the needs of your job site.

Get low, flat-rate pricing with no hidden fees.

Choose from a range of dumpster sizes to find the right fit.

Rent multiple dumpsters or request an empty-and-return.

We save you time by getting your order scheduled with just a brief phone call and delivering your dumpster fast. We save you money by charging you a low, flat rate. Most importantly, we save you hassle by making sure that you never wait on hold and that you always speak with a real person who understands your industry.

Find a Dumpster for Any Type of Construction Debris

We can provide construction waste removal for almost any job. Whether you’re working on building construction, renovations, or demolitions, our dumpsters can hold all common construction debris, including:

·         Drywall

·         Siding

·         Shingles

·         Wood

·         Metals

·         Dirt

·         Asphalt

·         Concrete

Get the Right Construction Debris Dumpster for the Job

With Omaha Junk Removal, you can find the right size construction debris dumpster no matter how much debris you’re dealing with. For most construction or demolition jobs, the best choice will be a 30 yard or 40 yard dumpster. These are our largest sizes and hold the equivalent of about nine and twelve pickup truck loads of debris, respectively. We also offer various sizes for smaller residential jobs.

Brick and Concrete Dumpster

We even stock dumpsters specifically for heavy debris like concrete and asphalt, and our dumpsters can be rented fast for time-sensitive jobs like storm debris cleanup. Not sure what size you need? Call today and our knowledgeable staff will help you gauge the best size for your job.

 Service-Omaha

CONTACT: (402) 401 – 7562

SERVICES: Handyman, Home Repair, Installation, Flooring, Assembly, Remodeling, House Renovation, Cabinet Installation, Door and Window Repair, Plumbing Fixture Repair, House Painter, Residential Remodeling, Building Addition, Patio Construction, Concrete Contractor, Foundations Repair, Sidewalk Repair, Driveway Contractor, Flooring, Wood Trim Work

HOURS: Monday to Sunday 6 AM – 11 PM

WEB: www.omahahouseholdservices.com

EMAIL: omahahs@gmail.com

http://www.omahahouseholdservices.com/

 Price Moving Hauling Omaha

CONTACT: (402) 486-3717

SERVICES: Movers & Moving Help & Load Unload Help & Packing Unpacking, Uhaul Rental Truck Driver, In-House Furniture Arrangement, Appliance Moving, Apartment Moving Labor Help, Junk Removal, Piano Moving, Hot Tub Movers, Hauling Services

HOURS: Monday to Sunday 5 AM – 11 PM

WEB: www.moversinomaha.com

http://www.moversinomaha.com/

 Omaha Junk Disposal

CONTACT: (402) 590-8092

SERVICES: Junk Removal & Hauling & Furniture Removal, Couch Removal, House Cleanout, Office Cleanout, Storage Unit Cleanout, Garage Cleanout, Basement Cleanout, Yard Waste Removal, Mattress Removal, Sofa Removal, Hot Tub Removal, TV Removal.

HOURS: Monday to Sunday 6 AM – 11 PM

WEB: www.omahajunkdisposal.com

http://www.omahajunkdisposal.com/

 Omaha Junk Removal

CONTACT: (402) 810-6325

SERVICES: Appliance Removal, Attic Cleanout, Basement Cleanout, Building & Office Furniture Removal, Cleaning Services, Commercial Junk Removal, Construction Debris Removal, Couch Removal, Demolition For Renovation Projects, Estate Cleanout, E-Waste Recycling, Foreclosure Cleanout, Furniture Assembly, Garage Cleanout, Handyman, Labor Services, Loading A Moving Truck, Mattress Disposal, Movers, Moving Appliances And Furniture Around Your Home, Refrigerator Removal, Residential Junk Removal, Scrap Metal Removal, Services For Real Estate Agents, Storage Container Packing, Swingset Assembly And Removal, Television Disposal, Tire Removal, Warehouse Cleanout, Waste Management, Yard Clean-Up, Yard Waste Removal

HOURS: Monday to Sunday 6 AM – 11 PM

WEB: www.junkremovalomahane.com

http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/

SERVICE AREA:

 Downtown Omaha, Central Omaha, Southwest Omaha and Sarpy County (La Vista, Bellevue, Omaha, Papillion, Gretna, Offutt AFB, Springfield) Douglass County (Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn, Boys Town, Valley, Waterloo), Pottawattamie County (Council Bluffs, Avoca, Carson, Carter Lake), Cass County ( Weeping Water, Alvo, Avoca, Cedar Creek, Eagle, Elmwood, Greenwood, Louisville, Manley, Murdock, Murray, Nehawka, Plattsmouth, South Bend, Union) including the communities of Bellevue, Blair, Carter Lake, Elkhorn, Fort Calhoun, Gretna, La Vista, Millard, Omaha, Papillion, Ceresco NE, Ralston, Springfield and Waterloo, NE, Lincoln Nebraska and Council Bluffs, IA. Zip codes: 68007, 68010, 68017, 68022, 68102, 68104, 68105, 68106, 68107, 68108, 68110, 68111, 68112, 68114, 68116, 68117, 68118, 68122, 68124, 68127, 68130, 68131, 68132, 68134, 68135, 68137, 68142, 68144, 68147, 68152, 68154, 68157, 68164, 68178, 68073.

[definitelyyessnakedemons]

tagged by @gingerkyuketsuki

▪️Favorite smell: bacon. (although for non-food scents: lavender)

▪️First job: Retail. Second and third/current have also been retail.

▪️Favorite Pizza: does this mean toppings or like, brand... or what. anyway i don’t eat a lot of pizza.

▪️Birthdate: September 14th.

▪️Favorite dog: Airedale Terrier

▪️Favorite cats: Hairless Rex

▪️Favorite foot attire: I like to go barefoot or as close to it as I can as often as possible. I can’t deal with not being able to feel what I’m stepping on.

▪️Favorite Pastime: does the internet in general count as a hobby? if not, video games

▪️Favorite candy: dark chocolate

▪️Favorite ice cream: idek, I’m the type who will either eat those weird flavors with a millions things in them or just plain vanilla, there is no in-between. XD

▪️Pet Peeves: CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF DAMN IT I AM TIRED OF TRIPPING OVER YOUR SHIT

▪What are you listening to: right this minute, Araki’s cover of the Vocaloid song “Biohazard”

▪️Color of your vehicle: n/a

▪️Color of eyes: blue-gray

▪️Favorite Holiday: Halloween (although let’s be real here, all year is Halloween for me)

▪️Favorite day of week: Tuesday, I guess.

▪️Like to cook: .......... if it can’t be either microwaved or eaten straight out of the package, I don’t have the patience to fix it.

▪️Favorite Fruit: No

▪️Favorite color: I don’t have an absolute favorite, but I really like dark colors... black, dark gray, dark blue, dark green, dark red, dark purple

▪️Favorite Vegetable: No

▪️Do you wear glasses? Yes, unfortunately. I like being able to see more than 6 inches in front of my face.

▪️Favorite season: I hate all of them, the weather gets to extremes of heat and cold in summer and winter and is just wildly erratic switching between hot and cold during spring and fall, it's all terrible.

tagging: idek, @warshipfleet, @zsweber-studios, @bloodnikki anyone else who feels like doing it

(make your own post, do not reblog mine)

[junkfoodvideous-blog]

Desert Hot Springs Crime Scene Cleanup Experts | Suicide Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

New Post has been published on https://crimescenecleanup.company/DesertHotSprings-California-crime-scene-cleanup.html

Desert Hot Springs Crime Scene Cleanup Experts | Suicide Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

Crime Scene Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

The law enforcement have fleed the scene of a crime, but blood is nonetheless there, they advised you get in touch with Enviromax of Desert Hot Springs to ensure that suitable crime scene cleanup in concluded. With EnviroMax Cleaning Solutions you get the optimum good quality you can locate from a business that has expended the previous 10 years helping families clean up after catastrophe scenes like a death. To help with this we deliver a staff of EnviroMAX qualified crime scene cleaners who can get the work completed. Obtain our Tips for what to do when an individual dies and verify our Video library for far more information as we are constantly updating our pages to support you. Our packages for criminal offense scene cleanup jobs are continually becoming posted and you will also find our useful resource library extremely valuable when knowing the different classifications for crime scene cleanup. When you are hit by a biohazard or environmental contamination you have the company referred to as my the Armed forces and Law enforcement when they want assist, contact EnViroMax cleanup options. No make a difference the disasters classifications or crime scene, you can count crime scene cleanup completed by EnviroMax to remedy your crime scene cleanup troubles.

With cleaners who have undergone crime scene cleanup schools in Desert Hot Springs Television exhibits like NCIS deliver a false impression of what happens when blood is at a residence. Many television exhibits and films alike share scenes depicting murdered victims being removed from a crime scene in human body baggage by the Law enforcement. They even often will demonstrate friends collecting collectively with their buckets of cleaning soap and water to cleanup the blood after the dead body is removed. This is much from reality and what really has to be completed to correctly clear up a crime scene; far from what Crime Scene Clean Up Desert Hot Springs must do and has brought on many people to really feel as if they must attempt to do it themselves. It is in fact, this is generally regarded as a extremely dangerous cleanup, and the blood in many cases can be outfitted with diseases and pathogens that could cause damage to the wellness of the person performing the cleaning concerned. To avoid sickness and additional injury is why men and women are counting on Crime scene clean up Desert Hot Springs to be finished by specialists. With huge quantity of portable clean up professionals this elite team of cleaners are not your normal carpet cleaner, they are trained in removing harmful materials like blood and human feces and particles. With a emphasis in protection the crime scene cleanup realize the quantity of issues that can go improper when dealing with a Crime scene clean up in Desert Hot Springs or any variety of cleanup with blood splatter. To make specific this is not a difficulty they work additional hard to guarantee that all basic safety steps are taken for their health sake and the household or other inhabitants of the dwelling.

Crime Sceen Cleanup Services

Death Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

Suicide Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

Blood Cleanup Desert Hot Springs

For in excess of a 10 years, a single hazardous cleaner of crime scene cleanup in Desert Hot Springs has helped set regional Crime scene clean up to near and far municipalities of citizens who are in require. Photographs of Desert Hot Springs Crime scene cleanup present our cleaners functioning in extreme conditions to clean up following grotesque fatal injury and grotesque fatalities that are not straightforward to check out but depict the real nature of a crime scene. Figures from the Doctors and Hospitals in Desert Hot Springs present that infectious diseases are rising and new details hits the news feeds and our facebook feeds each and every day demonstrating us that we are not just concerned any a lot more about HIV but also new strands of Hepatitis, Ebola Virus, MRSA, and even strands of Bird Flu proceed to propogate around the planet. The good news is we do not see as numerous exotic situations in Desert Hot Springs of the United States, but we still have our truthful share of risks. These risks are just some of the numerous causes folks in your local community employ the service of crime scene cleanup to carry out the event. With the capability to carry out the functions of cleaning 24 hrs a working day, we are one of the most focused service centers for crime scene clean up in the United States. Our cleaners are constantly listed here to attempt and aid fix your blood cleaning difficulties, and are leading professionals in decomposed body cleanup. If you are encountering a loss of life clean up and need quick attention in cities near Desert Hot Springs and privacy, we are the crime scene cleaning office for you and our employees are all set to respond to your questions and decontaminate the space concerned in the loss of life or crime.

Crime Scene Cleanup Salaries in United States

We sat down with some leaders in the business community of biohazard restoration which is commonly referred to as crime scene cleanup, to discuss a very important top of salaries and wages. As many of you may of seen with recent news coverage discussing the high wages and salary of some of the professionals in this business. We decided to take a deeper look into this controversial business and see exactly what are the wages like and do they really deserve these high salaries.

First we decided to get on the record with some of the owners of a crime scene cleanup company in Desert Hot Springs California to find out if the wages we are hearing about are accurate. What we discovered will surprise you and may make you want to look for crime scene cleanup jobs in Desert Hot Springs. First, there are a few ways people are paid when they work from crime scene cleanup companies. One is by hourly pay and the average hourly pay is starting at $11 a hour and can easily get as high as $25 a hour with experience. Some people in a company may opt for a crime scene cleanup salary because they are looking for more benefits like health care and home child care. With a salaried position you may have more responsibilities and could be looking at a supervisory position. With a supervisors jobs you could be getting paid a salary anywhere from $40k to start to over $70,000 plus benefits. Although, we should emphasis that the pay for anyone doing crime scene cleanup in Desert Hot Springs California may vary drastically. As many people have pointed out to us, not all companies are the big gorillas in the industry. Small companies just starting out may demand more for less, but they may do other things to keep employees and contractors happy. One company we talked to will even provide small amounts of ownership which can add up over time as a way to really get people interested in employment.

Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5 based on 43 reviews

We Serve Nationwide Cities

Nicholasville, SanDiego, Tampa, Indiana, Toledo, SanMateo, LongBeach, Wooster, RioRancho, Issaquah, JeffersonHills, Glendale, BelAir, RidgefieldPark, Russellville, Elizabethton, Burien, Dover, Rye, Marina, WestAllis, Madison, Mamaroneck, Arlington, Speedway, EaststLouis, Eatontown, Bergenfield, Hilliard, Columbia, Glendale, Pataskala, Coronado,

#crimescenecleanup #deathcleanup #bloodcleanup #suicidecleanup

[omahajunkremovalservices-blog]

Debris Removal Glenwood Construction Renovation Debris Haul Away in Glenwood IA | Omaha Junk Removal

More information:- http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/debris-removal-glenwood-ia.html

Youtube link:- https://youtu.be/hwwzqO1g4gw

Glenwood Debris Removal Services: Recent renovation creating an overflow of trash and debris near Glenwood Iowa? Omaha Junk Removal can help you remove construction debris! No job is too big or too small--Done right way. Omaha Junk Removal specializes in construction waste disposal & debris removal, including demolition cleanup. Best junk removal and hauling services in Glenwood IA! Cost? Free estimates! Call today or send us a quick message for an instant free quote!

DEBRIS REMOVAL GLENWOOD

We specialize in picking up and removing construction debris, demolition debris, and other types of residential or commercial debris in the Glenwood area. We will collect and dispose of construction junk removal in an environmentally safe manner, and our staff is skilled and experienced in working with contractors to remove and dispose of all debris safely and efficiently.

We often are called for GLENWOOD Debris Removal such as:

·         Construction material removal GLENWOOD

·         Construction debris hauling GLENWOOD

·         Demolition debris pickup GLENWOOD

·         Demolition junk removal GLENWOOD

·         Building materials removal GLENWOOD

·         Building materials pickup GLENWOOD

Whether you are a building owner, homeowner, or contractor, we look forward to meeting all of your debris removal needs. You will find that our expertise and reliability are second to none, and we look forward to being your debris removal partner in GLENWOOD.

GLENWOOD WASTE REMOVAL CONTRACTORS

Nothing can get more time consuming than disposing of the waste from your demolition sites. If you are looking for an easy and cost-effective way to haul away your debris, you would need some expert touch. Omaha Junk Removal has been providing the best professional waste removal services along with demolition services since the aftermath of our junk removal business start in 2016. Our company specializes in waste removal and hauling projects including residential rip-outs since then. We, provide you with premium services at affordable rates. Our Cleanup crew will arrive on schedule and will carefully take care of all your unwanted waste materials as quickly as possible.

 So, if you are looking for a waste removal company in Glenwood with a long record of successful projects and satisfied customer reviews in waste removal, we are the right company to contact.

NOTE: We do not provide hazardous waste removal services, such as: lead paint removal or biohazard removal. We do not offer full building demolition, wrecking ball demolition, landscape excavation, hazardous waste removal. We specialize as a cost-effective solution for basic demolition, cleanup, garbage removal, dumpster filling, and dumpster rental services

Call us today to book an appointment.

CALL US FOR:

·         Debris Removal Services Glenwood

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OMAHA JUNK REMOVAL

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Omaha Junk Removal

Best Junk Removal & Hauling Service in Omaha Council Bluffs Lincoln NE!

Omaha NE – Council Bluffs IA – Lincoln NE

CALL (402) 590-8092 JUNK REMOVAL: http://www.omahajunkdisposal.com/

CALL (402) 810-6325 JUNK REMOVAL 2: http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/

CALL (402) 810-6325 HAULING: http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/

CALL (402) 590-8090 JUNK REMOVAL LINCOLN: http://www.lnkjunkremoval.com

CALL (402) 486-3717 MOVING: http://www.moversinomaha.com/

CALL (402) 575-9272 CLEANING 1:  http://www.maidserviceomaha.com/

CALL (402) 810-6320 CLEANING 2: http://www.greencleaningomaha.com/

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Monday to Sunday (5 am -11:30 pm)

WEBSITE: http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/

http://www.junkremovalomahane.com/

 SERVICES:

·         Appliance Removal Service

·         Cleaning Services (Home Office Apartment)

·         Construction Waste Removal

·         Couch Sofa Sectional Chair Removal Service

·         Deck Removal Service

·         Foreclosure Cleanouts

·         Freezer Refrigerator Removal Service

·         Furniture Removal Service

·         Garage Cleanout Service

·         Garbage Trash Waste Removal

·         Handyman Services (Commercial Residential)

·         Hauling Service

·         Hot Tub Spa Bathtub Removal

·         House Office Property Cleanout Service

·         Junk Removal Service

·         Mattress And Box Spring Removal Service

·         Movers Moving Labor Packing Unpacking

·         Television Disposal

·         Tv Monitor Projection Tv Console Tv Removal

·         Washer Dryer Ac Water Heather Removal

·         Yard Waste Tree Brush Removal Service

  SERVICE AREA:

 Downtown Omaha, Central Omaha, Southwest Omaha and Sarpy County (La Vista, Bellevue, Omaha, Papillion, Gretna, Offutt AFB, Springfield) Douglass County (Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn, Boys Town, Valley, Waterloo), Pottawattamie County (Council Bluffs, Avoca, Carson, Carter Lake), Cass County ( Weeping Water, Alvo, Avoca, Cedar Creek, Eagle, Elmwood, Greenwood, Louisville, Manley, Murdock, Murray, Nehawka, Plattsmouth, South Bend, Union) including the communities of Bellevue, Blair, Carter Lake, Elkhorn, Fort Calhoun, Gretna, La Vista, Millard, Omaha, Papillion, Ceresco NE, Ralston, Springfield and Waterloo, NE, Lincoln Nebraska and Council Bluffs, IA. Zip codes: 68007, 68010, 68017, 68022, 68102, 68104, 68105, 68106, 68107, 68108, 68110, 68111, 68112, 68114, 68116, 68117, 68118, 68122, 68124, 68127, 68130, 68131, 68132, 68134, 68135, 68137, 68142, 68144, 68147, 68152, 68154, 68157, 68164, 68178, 6807

[venessaangel64-blog]

Coupon Promo for The Woods BioHazard Green Camouflage King 8pc Premium Luxury Comforter, Sheet, Pillowcases, and Bed Skirt Set by Regal Comfort Camo Bedding Set For Hunters Cabin or Rustic Lodge Teens Boys and Girls With Best Promo

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[realestate63141]

We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest)

jmsilva/iStock; Zview/iStock

Life in a big city can often seem downright hazardous to your health. There are overly aggressive drivers, reckless bicyclists, ill-tempered hot dog vendors, and pedestrians more engrossed in their Tinder accounts than the oncoming traffic—and that’s just when you’re trying to cross the street. Try fighting over the only-available taxi, the best bar stools during the NBA finals, or the last pair of Louboutins on sale in your size.

But most perilous of all might just be the environment itself.

That air you’re sucking in? It’s thick with exhaust fumes, secondhand smoke, and whatever’s being cooked up in that sketchy warehouse around the corner. Want to ease your scratchy throat with a cool drink of water from the nearby fountain? Watch out, it might contain lead!

Pollution has long been as integral to American urban life as slow-walking tourists, besuited executives, and trendy restaurants. But here’s the good news: There are metropolitan areas where you can enjoy the benefits of city life and breathe freely (and safely) while you do it.

Our data team crunched some numbers to find just where those urban Edens might be, and then donned biohazard gear to determine their most soiled siblings. A pattern soon emerged: The cleanest cities are typically set amid agricultural communities, with a national forest or natural reserve nearby. Meanwhile, the most polluted cities are former industrial hubs in the Rust Belt and along the Gulf of Mexico.

Overall, though, pollution in the U.S. has declined quite a bit in recent years. The nation’s industrial facilities released 25% less toxic chemicals in 2015 than in 2005, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Give the credit to green chemistry, improved waste management, and fewer industrial facilities, says EPA spokesman Robert Daguillard.

“Air quality has gotten much better because of preventions that were put into place under the 1970 Clean Air Act,” says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of the American Lung Association. The federal law was designed to limit air pollution.

And the impact is being felt. Los Angeles, once the American poster child for smog, still has some of the nation’s worst air quality, but it’s been steadily improving for decades. There were only six clear L.A. days (where air pollution poses little risk) in 1980, according to the EPA. Last year there were 65.

Despite the improvements, about half of Americans still live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, Nolen notes.

Los Angeles in 1956 (left) and 2017

Left: American Stock/Getty Images; right: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

To find the big cities where the air is pristine and the water safe to drink—and the ones where they aren’t—we ranked the 150 largest metros by the following criteria:

Toxic chemicals released from factories*

Greenhouse gas emissions per square mile

Number of Superfund sites per square mile

Air quality, measured by the number of clear days in a year

Water quality, measured by contaminants like lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, and more

Ready? Take a deep breath: Here’s what we learned about the nation’s least and most polluted cities.

Florida leads the way Vibrant (and clean) community in Naples, FL

Anne Rippy/Getty Images

The Sunshine State might be best known for its oranges, brilliantly clothed retirees, and propensity for swing votes, but it also leads the country in air quality. With sea winds sweeping over the mostly flat terrain from both its east and west coasts, noxious emissions tend to be blown away. And there aren’t that many to start with: Florida has never been a heavy industrial state. The mainstays of the state’s economy—tourism, agriculture, and international trade—are all relatively light in pollution.

The cleanest city in our analysis, Naples, in southwest Florida, is famous as an ecotourism destination. Surrounded by natural reserves like the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, it also has one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.

“Collier County [which includes Naples] has more acres of protected lands than any other county in Florida,” says Renee Wilson, spokeswoman for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. “This is mostly due to the wetland characteristic of the Everglades … 110,000 acres of protected sanctuary.”

Tucked in Central Florida’s horse country, Ocala (No. 3) is home to a national forest with the world’s largest sand pine tree habitat—a glorious 673 square miles of vegetation, absorbing carbon dioxide in the air and pumping out fresh oxygen. Not enough for you? Check out the crystal-clear water of Silver Springs, best known for its star turn in the (many) underwater fight scenes of the classic Sean Connery–era James Bond movie “Thunderball.”

Oregon, the green state Solar panel array outside a Willamette Valley winery, near Salem, OR.

George Rose/Getty Images

Just outside Salem in northwest Oregon, Illahe Vineyard is committed to making wine without electricity or fossil fuels. The grapes are hand-picked and hauled to the winery by a team of horses instead of machines. Winemakers then take turns pedaling a bike to pump grapes into wine barrels.

That’s eco-conscious Salem (No. 2) for you—and Oregon as a whole. Last year, the state became the first in the nation to pass a law to phase out coal completely, requiring its largest utilities to supply at least half of their electricity from renewable resources, like wind and solar, by 2040.

Salem residents are crazy about their bikes, pushing the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work 40% higher than the national average. With fewer cars hitting the roads, Salem didn’t have a single day with bad air last year, according to the EPA’s air quality index.

Oregon is famed for its craft beer, and anyone who enjoys a refreshing pint or three of pale ale should give credit where credit is due: the state’s clean (and tasty) water. Eugene’s (No. 7) water supplies come from the McKenzie River, which originates deep in the Willamette National Forest.

“We here in Eugene are lucky enough that the McKenzie River is pretty much ideal for making beer,” boasts Dan Russo from Oakshire Brewing.

Two Californias: Agricultural vs. industrial The city of Santa Rosa doesn’t produce a ton of toxic chemicals (literally).

George Rose/Getty Images

While Southern California has a lousy rep when it comes to pollution, two agricultural communities in Northern California are exactly the opposite.

Salinas (No. 10), which bills itself as the “Salad Bowl of the World” (you can’t make this up, folks), grows roughly 70% of the nation’s lettuce. Nobel Prize–winning author John Steinbeck grew up here, and wrote lyrically about the region’s golden beauty in his 1952 novel, “East of Eden.”

More than a half-century later, Salinas Valley is still agricultural. Low industrial and traffic emissions, and openness to the sea, keep its air among the cleanest in the nation. It’s one of a handful of cities that have a low concentration of all major categories of harmful air pollutants.

Drive 50 miles north of San Francisco, and you enter a different world: Wine country, redwood forests, farms, and rivers are all part of the landscape of Santa Rosa (No. 5). Pollutants there are virtually nonexistent—the whole metro produced 121.2 pounds of toxic chemicals in 2015. To put it into perspective, the New York metro produced 630,000 times more.

OK, let’s go to the dirty side:

Rust Belt pollution renaissance Scenic Philadelphia, PA

Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

The Rust Belt has retired numerous coal-fired plants and made major efforts to clean up its air in the past three decades, but new environmental challenges have emerged: Pennsylvania has become the new hot spot for natural gas and oil production, along with all the toxic output that comes from it. The worst polluter in the country is Philadelphia, where a whopping 13.4 million pounds of poisonous chemicals were released in 2015 by oil refineries, shipyards, and auto manufacturers, the EPA reported.

The situation is most dire in Southwest Philly, where crude-oil trains chug through like clockwork. They’re sometimes called “bomb trains,” because the oil has an unwelcome tendency to occasionally catch fire and explode. Plumes of white smoke from oil refineries can be seen and sniffed from most residents’ backyards. The smoke isn’t always white, either—it was pink when a boiler exploded at the Veolia steam energy plant last year and black when fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery the year before.

Almost half of Philadelphia children living in poverty have asthma, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

“There are little lungs that are still developing that are taking in lots of toxic air. [They] are particularly susceptible to these pollutants,” says Philly resident Christine Dolle with Moms Clean Air Force, a national community of parents working to combat air pollution. “As a parent, I wouldn’t want my kids swinging on the swing 20 feet from [crude-oil train]. Would you?”

The Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Dead Zone’ A refinery in Houston, TX

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Gulf of Mexico has accumulated waste from oil drilling and farmland pollution brought down the Mississippi River. Agricultural and sewage-plant runoff has also triggered algae blooms that block oxygen in the air from reaching the water, smothering marine life. A low-oxygen area known as the Dead Zone has grown to the size of Connecticut.

Even though chemical releases in the area are down 15% in the past decade, oil boomtowns like Houston (No. 3) and New Orleans (No. 6) are still suffering irreversible damage from toxic oil refining processes. In East Houston’s adjacent neighborhoods of Harrisburg and Manchester, low-income residents are struggling just to breathe.

Juan Parras, an advocate for environmental justice, notes that chemical plants are just one fence away from residential homes in the community. Manchester has more than 10 plants, including two oil refineries, and a synthetic rubber plant.

Like many residents of Manchester, Yudith Nieto, a 28-year-old teacher, grew up with asthma. Whenever she got a cold, it would last months because the air was so bad. Since she’s moved away from the neighborhood, her health has improved, she says.

Due to long-term exposure to chemicals, Manchester residents have a 24% to 30% higher cancer risk when compared with upscale west Houston communities, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science charity.

“Those people who want to leave feel stuck,” Nieto says. “Nobody wants to buy their homes.”

Not-so-squeaky-clean Salt Lake City Blue skies and blue pools at a copper refinery in Utah.

JodiJacobson/Getty Images

Salt Lake City (No. 8) may appear to be a center of clean living (thanks, Mormons!) and pristine wilderness (thanks, snow-capped mountains!), but as it turns out, those picturesque peaks are actually bad for air quality. Cold air gets stuck between the mountains, trapping the toxic emissions from cars and industry. In the winter, Salt Lake City can be shrouded in smog for weeks in a row. Last year, the city barely saw clear air for half the year, according to the EPA.

West of Salt Lake City, Kennecott Utah Copper has the largest open copper mine in the world. Its power plant, smelter, and refinery released more than 200 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil in 2015, according to EPA data.

But everyday human activity is responsible for much of the air’s contamination.

“The problem is automobiles, trucks, transportation that account for 50% of air pollution. … We are all part of it, we all pollute,” says Ted Wilson, a former mayor of Salt Lake City and director of Utah Clean Air Partnership.

* Toxic chemicals from factories were measured by total released amount per square mile and a calculated score that indicates the exposure and toxicity of those chemicals. The score used the EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators, which take into account the amount of toxic chemicals released, each chemical’s relative toxicity, and potential human exposure.

Data source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Program, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, Toxics Release Inventory Program, Air Quality Index, National Water Quality Monitoring Council

The post We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest) appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2l30pRC

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We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest)

jmsilva/iStock; Zview/iStock

Life in a big city can often seem downright hazardous to your health. There are overly aggressive drivers, reckless bicyclists, ill-tempered hot dog vendors, and pedestrians more engrossed in their Tinder accounts than the oncoming traffic—and that’s just when you’re trying to cross the street. Try fighting over the only-available taxi, the best bar stools during the NBA finals, or the last pair of Louboutins on sale in your size.

But most perilous of all might just be the environment itself.

That air you’re sucking in? It’s thick with exhaust fumes, secondhand smoke, and whatever’s being cooked up in that sketchy warehouse around the corner. Want to ease your scratchy throat with a cool drink of water from the nearby fountain? Watch out, it might contain lead!

Pollution has long been as integral to American urban life as slow-walking tourists, besuited executives, and trendy restaurants. But here’s the good news: There are metropolitan areas where you can enjoy the benefits of city life and breathe freely (and safely) while you do it.

Our data team crunched some numbers to find just where those urban Edens might be, and then donned biohazard gear to determine their most soiled siblings. A pattern soon emerged: The cleanest cities are typically set amid agricultural communities, with a national forest or natural reserve nearby. Meanwhile, the most polluted cities are former industrial hubs in the Rust Belt and along the Gulf of Mexico.

Overall, though, pollution in the U.S. has declined quite a bit in recent years. The nation’s industrial facilities released 25% less toxic chemicals in 2015 than in 2005, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Give the credit to green chemistry, improved waste management, and fewer industrial facilities, says EPA spokesman Robert Daguillard.

“Air quality has gotten much better because of preventions that were put into place under the 1970 Clean Air Act,” says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of the American Lung Association. The federal law was designed to limit air pollution.

And the impact is being felt. Los Angeles, once the American poster child for smog, still has some of the nation’s worst air quality, but it’s been steadily improving for decades. There were only six clear L.A. days (where air pollution poses little risk) in 1980, according to the EPA. Last year there were 65.

Despite the improvements, about half of Americans still live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, Nolen notes.

Los Angeles in 1956 (left) and 2017

Left: American Stock/Getty Images; right: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

To find the big cities where the air is pristine and the water safe to drink—and the ones where they aren’t—we ranked the 150 largest metros by the following criteria:

Toxic chemicals released from factories*

Greenhouse gas emissions per square mile

Number of Superfund sites per square mile

Air quality, measured by the number of clear days in a year

Water quality, measured by contaminants like lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, and more

Ready? Take a deep breath: Here’s what we learned about the nation’s least and most polluted cities.

Florida leads the way Vibrant (and clean) community in Naples, FL

Anne Rippy/Getty Images

The Sunshine State might be best known for its oranges, brilliantly clothed retirees, and propensity for swing votes, but it also leads the country in air quality. With sea winds sweeping over the mostly flat terrain from both its east and west coasts, noxious emissions tend to be blown away. And there aren’t that many to start with: Florida has never been a heavy industrial state. The mainstays of the state’s economy—tourism, agriculture, and international trade—are all relatively light in pollution.

The cleanest city in our analysis, Naples, in southwest Florida, is famous as an ecotourism destination. Surrounded by natural reserves like the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, it also has one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.

“Collier County [which includes Naples] has more acres of protected lands than any other county in Florida,” says Renee Wilson, spokeswoman for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. “This is mostly due to the wetland characteristic of the Everglades … 110,000 acres of protected sanctuary.”

Tucked in Central Florida’s horse country, Ocala (No. 3) is home to a national forest with the world’s largest sand pine tree habitat—a glorious 673 square miles of vegetation, absorbing carbon dioxide in the air and pumping out fresh oxygen. Not enough for you? Check out the crystal-clear water of Silver Springs, best known for its star turn in the (many) underwater fight scenes of the classic Sean Connery–era James Bond movie “Thunderball.”

Oregon, the green state Solar panel array outside a Willamette Valley winery, near Salem, OR.

George Rose/Getty Images

Just outside Salem in northwest Oregon, Illahe Vineyard is committed to making wine without electricity or fossil fuels. The grapes are hand-picked and hauled to the winery by a team of horses instead of machines. Winemakers then take turns pedaling a bike to pump grapes into wine barrels.

That’s eco-conscious Salem (No. 2) for you—and Oregon as a whole. Last year, the state became the first in the nation to pass a law to phase out coal completely, requiring its largest utilities to supply at least half of their electricity from renewable resources, like wind and solar, by 2040.

Salem residents are crazy about their bikes, pushing the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work 40% higher than the national average. With fewer cars hitting the roads, Salem didn’t have a single day with bad air last year, according to the EPA’s air quality index.

Oregon is famed for its craft beer, and anyone who enjoys a refreshing pint or three of pale ale should give credit where credit is due: the state’s clean (and tasty) water. Eugene’s (No. 7) water supplies come from the McKenzie River, which originates deep in the Willamette National Forest.

“We here in Eugene are lucky enough that the McKenzie River is pretty much ideal for making beer,” boasts Dan Russo from Oakshire Brewing.

Two Californias: Agricultural vs. industrial The city of Santa Rosa doesn’t produce a ton of toxic chemicals (literally).

George Rose/Getty Images

While Southern California has a lousy rep when it comes to pollution, two agricultural communities in Northern California are exactly the opposite.

Salinas (No. 10), which bills itself as the “Salad Bowl of the World” (you can’t make this up, folks), grows roughly 70% of the nation’s lettuce. Nobel Prize–winning author John Steinbeck grew up here, and wrote lyrically about the region’s golden beauty in his 1952 novel, “East of Eden.”

More than a half-century later, Salinas Valley is still agricultural. Low industrial and traffic emissions, and openness to the sea, keep its air among the cleanest in the nation. It’s one of a handful of cities that have a low concentration of all major categories of harmful air pollutants.

Drive 50 miles north of San Francisco, and you enter a different world: Wine country, redwood forests, farms, and rivers are all part of the landscape of Santa Rosa (No. 5). Pollutants there are virtually nonexistent—the whole metro produced 121.2 pounds of toxic chemicals in 2015. To put it into perspective, the New York metro produced 630,000 times more.

OK, let’s go to the dirty side:

Rust Belt pollution renaissance Scenic Philadelphia, PA

Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

The Rust Belt has retired numerous coal-fired plants and made major efforts to clean up its air in the past three decades, but new environmental challenges have emerged: Pennsylvania has become the new hot spot for natural gas and oil production, along with all the toxic output that comes from it. The worst polluter in the country is Philadelphia, where a whopping 13.4 million pounds of poisonous chemicals were released in 2015 by oil refineries, shipyards, and auto manufacturers, the EPA reported.

The situation is most dire in Southwest Philly, where crude-oil trains chug through like clockwork. They’re sometimes called “bomb trains,” because the oil has an unwelcome tendency to occasionally catch fire and explode. Plumes of white smoke from oil refineries can be seen and sniffed from most residents’ backyards. The smoke isn’t always white, either—it was pink when a boiler exploded at the Veolia steam energy plant last year and black when fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery the year before.

Almost half of Philadelphia children living in poverty have asthma, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

“There are little lungs that are still developing that are taking in lots of toxic air. [They] are particularly susceptible to these pollutants,” says Philly resident Christine Dolle with Moms Clean Air Force, a national community of parents working to combat air pollution. “As a parent, I wouldn’t want my kids swinging on the swing 20 feet from [crude-oil train]. Would you?”

The Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Dead Zone’ A refinery in Houston, TX

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Gulf of Mexico has accumulated waste from oil drilling and farmland pollution brought down the Mississippi River. Agricultural and sewage-plant runoff has also triggered algae blooms that block oxygen in the air from reaching the water, smothering marine life. A low-oxygen area known as the Dead Zone has grown to the size of Connecticut.

Even though chemical releases in the area are down 15% in the past decade, oil boomtowns like Houston (No. 3) and New Orleans (No. 6) are still suffering irreversible damage from toxic oil refining processes. In East Houston’s adjacent neighborhoods of Harrisburg and Manchester, low-income residents are struggling just to breathe.

Juan Parras, an advocate for environmental justice, notes that chemical plants are just one fence away from residential homes in the community. Manchester has more than 10 plants, including two oil refineries, and a synthetic rubber plant.

Like many residents of Manchester, Yudith Nieto, a 28-year-old teacher, grew up with asthma. Whenever she got a cold, it would last months because the air was so bad. Since she’s moved away from the neighborhood, her health has improved, she says.

Due to long-term exposure to chemicals, Manchester residents have a 24% to 30% higher cancer risk when compared with upscale west Houston communities, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science charity.

“Those people who want to leave feel stuck,” Nieto says. “Nobody wants to buy their homes.”

Not-so-squeaky-clean Salt Lake City Blue skies and blue pools at a copper refinery in Utah.

JodiJacobson/Getty Images

Salt Lake City (No. 8) may appear to be a center of clean living (thanks, Mormons!) and pristine wilderness (thanks, snow-capped mountains!), but as it turns out, those picturesque peaks are actually bad for air quality. Cold air gets stuck between the mountains, trapping the toxic emissions from cars and industry. In the winter, Salt Lake City can be shrouded in smog for weeks in a row. Last year, the city barely saw clear air for half the year, according to the EPA.

West of Salt Lake City, Kennecott Utah Copper has the largest open copper mine in the world. Its power plant, smelter, and refinery released more than 200 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil in 2015, according to EPA data.

But everyday human activity is responsible for much of the air’s contamination.

“The problem is automobiles, trucks, transportation that account for 50% of air pollution. … We are all part of it, we all pollute,” says Ted Wilson, a former mayor of Salt Lake City and director of Utah Clean Air Partnership.

* Toxic chemicals from factories were measured by total released amount per square mile and a calculated score that indicates the exposure and toxicity of those chemicals. The score used the EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators, which take into account the amount of toxic chemicals released, each chemical’s relative toxicity, and potential human exposure.

Data source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Program, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, Toxics Release Inventory Program, Air Quality Index, National Water Quality Monitoring Council

The post We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest) appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2l30pRC

[realtor10036]

We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest)

jmsilva/iStock; Zview/iStock

Life in a big city can often seem downright hazardous to your health. There are overly aggressive drivers, reckless bicyclists, ill-tempered hot dog vendors, and pedestrians more engrossed in their Tinder accounts than the oncoming traffic—and that’s just when you’re trying to cross the street. Try fighting over the only-available taxi, the best bar stools during the NBA finals, or the last pair of Louboutins on sale in your size.

But most perilous of all might just be the environment itself.

That air you’re sucking in? It’s thick with exhaust fumes, secondhand smoke, and whatever’s being cooked up in that sketchy warehouse around the corner. Want to ease your scratchy throat with a cool drink of water from the nearby fountain? Watch out, it might contain lead!

Pollution has long been as integral to American urban life as slow-walking tourists, besuited executives, and trendy restaurants. But here’s the good news: There are metropolitan areas where you can enjoy the benefits of city life and breathe freely (and safely) while you do it.

Our data team crunched some numbers to find just where those urban Edens might be, and then donned biohazard gear to determine their most soiled siblings. A pattern soon emerged: The cleanest cities are typically set amid agricultural communities, with a national forest or natural reserve nearby. Meanwhile, the most polluted cities are former industrial hubs in the Rust Belt and along the Gulf of Mexico.

Overall, though, pollution in the U.S. has declined quite a bit in recent years. The nation’s industrial facilities released 25% less toxic chemicals in 2015 than in 2005, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Give the credit to green chemistry, improved waste management, and fewer industrial facilities, says EPA spokesman Robert Daguillard.

“Air quality has gotten much better because of preventions that were put into place under the 1970 Clean Air Act,” says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of the American Lung Association. The federal law was designed to limit air pollution.

And the impact is being felt. Los Angeles, once the American poster child for smog, still has some of the nation’s worst air quality, but it’s been steadily improving for decades. There were only six clear L.A. days (where air pollution poses little risk) in 1980, according to the EPA. Last year there were 65.

Despite the improvements, about half of Americans still live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, Nolen notes.

Los Angeles in 1956 (left) and 2017

Left: American Stock/Getty Images; right: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

To find the big cities where the air is pristine and the water safe to drink—and the ones where they aren’t—we ranked the 150 largest metros by the following criteria:

Toxic chemicals released from factories*

Greenhouse gas emissions per square mile

Number of Superfund sites per square mile

Air quality, measured by the number of clear days in a year

Water quality, measured by contaminants like lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, and more

Ready? Take a deep breath: Here’s what we learned about the nation’s least and most polluted cities.

Florida leads the way Vibrant (and clean) community in Naples, FL

Anne Rippy/Getty Images

The Sunshine State might be best known for its oranges, brilliantly clothed retirees, and propensity for swing votes, but it also leads the country in air quality. With sea winds sweeping over the mostly flat terrain from both its east and west coasts, noxious emissions tend to be blown away. And there aren’t that many to start with: Florida has never been a heavy industrial state. The mainstays of the state’s economy—tourism, agriculture, and international trade—are all relatively light in pollution.

The cleanest city in our analysis, Naples, in southwest Florida, is famous as an ecotourism destination. Surrounded by natural reserves like the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, it also has one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.

“Collier County [which includes Naples] has more acres of protected lands than any other county in Florida,” says Renee Wilson, spokeswoman for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. “This is mostly due to the wetland characteristic of the Everglades … 110,000 acres of protected sanctuary.”

Tucked in Central Florida’s horse country, Ocala (No. 3) is home to a national forest with the world’s largest sand pine tree habitat—a glorious 673 square miles of vegetation, absorbing carbon dioxide in the air and pumping out fresh oxygen. Not enough for you? Check out the crystal-clear water of Silver Springs, best known for its star turn in the (many) underwater fight scenes of the classic Sean Connery–era James Bond movie “Thunderball.”

Oregon, the green state Solar panel array outside a Willamette Valley winery, near Salem, OR.

George Rose/Getty Images

Just outside Salem in northwest Oregon, Illahe Vineyard is committed to making wine without electricity or fossil fuels. The grapes are hand-picked and hauled to the winery by a team of horses instead of machines. Winemakers then take turns pedaling a bike to pump grapes into wine barrels.

That’s eco-conscious Salem (No. 2) for you—and Oregon as a whole. Last year, the state became the first in the nation to pass a law to phase out coal completely, requiring its largest utilities to supply at least half of their electricity from renewable resources, like wind and solar, by 2040.

Salem residents are crazy about their bikes, pushing the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work 40% higher than the national average. With fewer cars hitting the roads, Salem didn’t have a single day with bad air last year, according to the EPA’s air quality index.

Oregon is famed for its craft beer, and anyone who enjoys a refreshing pint or three of pale ale should give credit where credit is due: the state’s clean (and tasty) water. Eugene’s (No. 7) water supplies come from the McKenzie River, which originates deep in the Willamette National Forest.

“We here in Eugene are lucky enough that the McKenzie River is pretty much ideal for making beer,” boasts Dan Russo from Oakshire Brewing.

Two Californias: Agricultural vs. industrial The city of Santa Rosa doesn’t produce a ton of toxic chemicals (literally).

George Rose/Getty Images

While Southern California has a lousy rep when it comes to pollution, two agricultural communities in Northern California are exactly the opposite.

Salinas (No. 10), which bills itself as the “Salad Bowl of the World” (you can’t make this up, folks), grows roughly 70% of the nation’s lettuce. Nobel Prize–winning author John Steinbeck grew up here, and wrote lyrically about the region’s golden beauty in his 1952 novel, “East of Eden.”

More than a half-century later, Salinas Valley is still agricultural. Low industrial and traffic emissions, and openness to the sea, keep its air among the cleanest in the nation. It’s one of a handful of cities that have a low concentration of all major categories of harmful air pollutants.

Drive 50 miles north of San Francisco, and you enter a different world: Wine country, redwood forests, farms, and rivers are all part of the landscape of Santa Rosa (No. 5). Pollutants there are virtually nonexistent—the whole metro produced 121.2 pounds of toxic chemicals in 2015. To put it into perspective, the New York metro produced 630,000 times more.

OK, let’s go to the dirty side:

Rust Belt pollution renaissance Scenic Philadelphia, PA

Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

The Rust Belt has retired numerous coal-fired plants and made major efforts to clean up its air in the past three decades, but new environmental challenges have emerged: Pennsylvania has become the new hot spot for natural gas and oil production, along with all the toxic output that comes from it. The worst polluter in the country is Philadelphia, where a whopping 13.4 million pounds of poisonous chemicals were released in 2015 by oil refineries, shipyards, and auto manufacturers, the EPA reported.

The situation is most dire in Southwest Philly, where crude-oil trains chug through like clockwork. They’re sometimes called “bomb trains,” because the oil has an unwelcome tendency to occasionally catch fire and explode. Plumes of white smoke from oil refineries can be seen and sniffed from most residents’ backyards. The smoke isn’t always white, either—it was pink when a boiler exploded at the Veolia steam energy plant last year and black when fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery the year before.

Almost half of Philadelphia children living in poverty have asthma, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

“There are little lungs that are still developing that are taking in lots of toxic air. [They] are particularly susceptible to these pollutants,” says Philly resident Christine Dolle with Moms Clean Air Force, a national community of parents working to combat air pollution. “As a parent, I wouldn’t want my kids swinging on the swing 20 feet from [crude-oil train]. Would you?”

The Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Dead Zone’ A refinery in Houston, TX

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Gulf of Mexico has accumulated waste from oil drilling and farmland pollution brought down the Mississippi River. Agricultural and sewage-plant runoff has also triggered algae blooms that block oxygen in the air from reaching the water, smothering marine life. A low-oxygen area known as the Dead Zone has grown to the size of Connecticut.

Even though chemical releases in the area are down 15% in the past decade, oil boomtowns like Houston (No. 3) and New Orleans (No. 6) are still suffering irreversible damage from toxic oil refining processes. In East Houston’s adjacent neighborhoods of Harrisburg and Manchester, low-income residents are struggling just to breathe.

Juan Parras, an advocate for environmental justice, notes that chemical plants are just one fence away from residential homes in the community. Manchester has more than 10 plants, including two oil refineries, and a synthetic rubber plant.

Like many residents of Manchester, Yudith Nieto, a 28-year-old teacher, grew up with asthma. Whenever she got a cold, it would last months because the air was so bad. Since she’s moved away from the neighborhood, her health has improved, she says.

Due to long-term exposure to chemicals, Manchester residents have a 24% to 30% higher cancer risk when compared with upscale west Houston communities, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science charity.

“Those people who want to leave feel stuck,” Nieto says. “Nobody wants to buy their homes.”

Not-so-squeaky-clean Salt Lake City Blue skies and blue pools at a copper refinery in Utah.

JodiJacobson/Getty Images

Salt Lake City (No. 8) may appear to be a center of clean living (thanks, Mormons!) and pristine wilderness (thanks, snow-capped mountains!), but as it turns out, those picturesque peaks are actually bad for air quality. Cold air gets stuck between the mountains, trapping the toxic emissions from cars and industry. In the winter, Salt Lake City can be shrouded in smog for weeks in a row. Last year, the city barely saw clear air for half the year, according to the EPA.

West of Salt Lake City, Kennecott Utah Copper has the largest open copper mine in the world. Its power plant, smelter, and refinery released more than 200 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil in 2015, according to EPA data.

But everyday human activity is responsible for much of the air’s contamination.

“The problem is automobiles, trucks, transportation that account for 50% of air pollution. … We are all part of it, we all pollute,” says Ted Wilson, a former mayor of Salt Lake City and director of Utah Clean Air Partnership.

* Toxic chemicals from factories were measured by total released amount per square mile and a calculated score that indicates the exposure and toxicity of those chemicals. The score used the EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators, which take into account the amount of toxic chemicals released, each chemical’s relative toxicity, and potential human exposure.

Data source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Program, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, Toxics Release Inventory Program, Air Quality Index, National Water Quality Monitoring Council

The post We Come Clean About the Least Polluted U.S. Cities (and the Dirtiest) appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2l30pRC