My sister--two years older than me--and I both struggled to find an affordable place of our own. The housing market for first-time buyers? Completely shot to hell. For the past 15 years, house prices have skyrocketed, interest rates are through the roof, and mortgage requirements are insanely strict. And that's assuming you can even find an affordable house, because those attract more buyers than honey attracts flies. It's absolutely bonkers.
Strangely enough, things were way better in the higher price ranges, where people looking to upgrade had an advantage--especially if they had a low mortgage rate they could transfer over, a house with high resale value, and declining prices in certain areas. With both of us still living at home, Mom and Dad decided to take the leap and buy a bigger house--one that gave my sister and me more privacy and flexibility.
My sister was ecstatic because the house came with a backyard pool. It was the beginning of March, but the idea just made her all excited. I, on the other hand, was thrilled about the basement. You see, I'm a bit of a chemistry nerd. I work at a chemistry company, but they don't give me much hands-on lab work, so I wanted to do my own experiments. Mom and Dad gave me a dedicated space in the basement where I could set up my chemistry gear--as long as I wasn't doing anything too risky, explosive, or otherwise life-threatening.
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea: a fat-burning compound designed for transdermal absorption. Just rub it onto your skin, and it would ramp up fat burning in that specific area. If it worked, it would be like targeted weight loss--something diet and exercise alone couldn't do.
So, I started developing a topical formula that would increase thermogenesis (body heat production) to accelerate fat burning. I needed skin-permeable compounds to ensure proper absorption and ingredients that could stimulate metabolism and fat breakdown. My formula included:
• Capsaicin extracts (from chili peppers) to boost heat production,
• Methylxanthines (like caffeine and theobromine) to stimulate fat metabolism,
• L-carnitine esters to help transport fatty acids for energy,
• Transdermal carriers like ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to enhance absorption,
• Plant extracts (such as maca root, muira puama, and ginger) to further boost metabolism.
• Propylene Glycol to keep the substance "stable" and prevent the ethanol from evaporating
• Some thickening agents like carbomer, xanthan gum and lecithin to give it a gel-like or creamy substance
Later, I added aloe vera and glycerin to soothe the skin and prevent excessive dryness or evaporation.
Of course, working from home meant I didn't have access to proper lab disposal systems. Besides, all the ingredients were safe on their own, and I wasn't exactly cooking up TNT down here. At worst, it wouldn't work--but hey, that's science. A little rinse down the drain, and everything would be fine. It's just natural or water dissolvable ingredients, after all...
The first few attempts were... let's just say, inconsistent. Some batches barely did anything, while others made the skin feel like it was on fire. Not in a good way.
I tested it on myself at first, applying a thin layer to my stomach, arms, even my thighs--anywhere fat tends to stick around. Sometimes I felt a bit of warmth, other times nothing at all. No miracle six-pack overnight, but after a few tweaks, I did notice something: a faint, lingering heat that seemed to last longer with each new batch.
Encouraged, I roped in a few colleagues and friends. The results? Mixed, but promising. A couple of them swore they felt a warming effect that wasn't just placebo, while another said his skin looked tighter after using it for a few days. One guy even claimed he lost a centimeter around his waist--not dramatic, but measurable. On the flip side, some testers just ended up with irritated skin. One poor guy complained about an unbearable burning sensation after applying it post-shaving. (Oops! But how was I supposed to know he shaves his chest?)
Still, this was progress. The effects weren't earth-shattering, but they were real. It wasn't just wishful thinking. With every tweak, I inched closer to something that actually worked--just not quite as I intended.
It was now early June, and finally, the weather was warm enough to actually use the pool. While my big sister and parents were frequenting the pool almost daily, I was still holed up in my basement, obsessing over my fat-burning lotion--or gel, or whatever substance it was turning into. I'd been at it for the past three months, working on it in my spare time outside of work, and while I wouldn't exactly call it a breakthrough, the progress was enough to keep me going. Sure, I'd lost a few magnetic stirring rods along the way--what I'd jokingly called "casualties of war" after they probably ended up in the trash--but I hadn't given it much thought. I was too focused on perfecting my formula.
I'd noticed that, as the weather warmed up, people seemed... friendlier? My sister, who was usually a bit lazy about chores and often got an earful from mom, was more cooperative than usual. Not that she did her chores now, just...no frustrating discussions or comments. Mom and dad, too, seemed to be getting along better--less arguing, less tension. It was like the sunshine had put everyone in a better mood. Or maybe it was just the fact that we had a pool now. Who knew? Whatever it was, it made the house feel a lot more relaxed.
We'd dress more "summerly". Sweaters were stored in cabinets, pants became shorts, shirts became tops. My sister was -- as was to be expected -- dressed the skimpiest. I guess that a girl in her early twenties is expected to worry about those things. Had it changed from last summer? Maybe, but I couldn't recall. I didn't think she went shopping for new clothes a lot, at least. One thing for sure, I had never registered that my sister often didn't wear a bra on such warm days. Was that a change in her, or did I just start to imagine these things? Were it my young-adult hormones acting up which caused me to....see this?
A couple of days later I was walking towards my basement. I stopped in the kitchen for a drink and looked outside. My sister -- dressed in a skirt and top -- leaned forward and pushed her skirt down in a slow and seductive way. When the little fabric was around her ankles, she stepped out of it, bent forward again and picked up the little piece of cloth. She then stretched, and in a slow but smooth motion, she pulled the top right over her head. She was wearing her bikini, but in my mind, this looked so....seductive. Why the hell was I making this sexual in my mind?!
Another time -- shortly after -- she had one of those water mist spray bottles to help her cool down. She sprayed the watery bubbles on her face and on her chest, but in the sunny light, it glistened beautifully. I just stared at her tits for a moment as they glistened, before snapping out of it. Why was I doing this?!
