#( 3 because Rio still needs bribing. )

[chloromanci]

Intentionally leaving location out of his about. 1 because it makes writing easier and I can adapt to my partners' universes as we write. 2 because his background is being edited anyway. Decade's worth of lore and some of it needs updating.

[missmaxime]

HOW DOES THE LAUNDERING SCHEME WORK?

In 4x14 Dave and Phoebe explained to the girls how Nick and Rio’s system works. Which left the girls looking like:

And maybe some of you too.

Dave already gives the TL;DR explanation. What starts with street crime like drug dealings, petty theft and carjacking, moves up to counterfeiting and extortion. From there it goes to washing, laundering and contracts. Those contracts come from shell companies Nick owns, that get distributed to the legit companies to realize projects he gets approved by the city council. Easy enough right? 1. Stripper Heel: Street crime: Petty theft, drug deals, carjacking. 2. Cutlet: Counterfeit and washing through Sweet P’s. 3. Bills: Counterfeit Canadian money goes to Canada, and comes back clean (Dave uses a physical bill, but that doesn’t have to be the case.) 4. Nipple pasties: Laundering through companies like construction, electrics, materials. So the IRS wont drop by and ask any questions. 5. The Banker: Additional money comes in through those companies paying a monthly fee for protection. - This is where Rio’s work stops and Nick’s begins - 6. Body glitter and thongs: Laundering from point 4 happens because those companies get contracts from shell companies which are owned by Nick (or likely a patsy). 7. These shell companies are hired by the city for projects Nick gets approved. With these projects Nick can make money by undervaluing the construction, or he can bribe someone (say, a politician – likely if he intends to move up his political career) by overvaluing the project. Let’s break that down: 1. Street crimes, drug deals, carjacking, etc. We know Rio deals pills aside from the counterfeit business. Does he still do that? Ehh, lets just assume he does. Maybe he has some other shady businesses running too, we don’t know. Point is, this is the stage where money and goods come in that are needed for the girls to create the counterfeit. For the American money this is the source for the one dollar bills the girls mushed up to create the bigger bills. For the Canadian money this cash is likely used to pay legit suppliers under the table that legally place larger orders than they need for bleach, nail polish, and whatever else they need to make those bills.

2. Counterfeiting and washing through Sweet P’s. These are two different things that happen in the same physical place. We know that the girls use the back room to create counterfeit, I don’t think any of us need any explanation for that. Supplies are delivered by Rio and his boys, the girls create the counterfeit, and they exchange these and their cuts on set times during their drops. And, finally, finally, bless us all, the girls own a service-based business. Unlike Boland Motors and Boland Bubbles, that work with buying in goods and selling those directly to customers – Sweet P’s delivers a service to a customer. The big difference is that in both BM and BB there is a physical trail for law enforcement to follow (cars and hot tubs), while in Sweet P’s one cannot suddenly uncover a fake lap dance, because those are obviously intangible. There’s a reason a lot of real life washing goes through massage salons, barbers, phone repair stores, tanning salons, car repair shops – service-based with lots of cash payments. Those stores should be legit, because they act like a front. Sweet P’s is a legit business; it has employees, taxes are paid, all the works. But because it delivers a service there’s a few loop holes, I’ll get back to that in a sec. Because, what is the money that they are washing and how do they do it? First of all, it’s not the counterfeit Canadian money. But The Banker receives a lot of unexplainable money every month from extortion, money that one can’t deposit on a bank account, because what will the IRS think of that? In comes a business like Sweet P’s. One that can easily say that on a night they had 10 private rooms booked, even if in reality it was only five. It’s all paid in cash, so there’s no trace. So now the dirty crime money sits all white and clean on Sweet P’s bank account. That’s of no use to Nick as it is, because he can’t hire Sweet P’s to get back his money, that’s the opposite cashflow that he wants. In this case Sweet P’s will need to get a contract from one of Nick’s shell companies from point 6, so they pay him the money. Judging by Dave’s examples these shell companies are likely building constructors, so in theory the girls would “hire” one of those to “remodel” the bathroom. But the construction never happens, only they still pay the bill. Washing can obviously not go through Sweet P’s alone, I can imagine Nick and Rio manage a lot of different businesses that work through a similar construction. 3. Counterfeit Canadian money goes to Canada, and comes back clean. Okay, so we’ve seen one way this goes down: The girls drive the money over the border themselves, delivering (or, well, intending to) it to some kinds of middle-man over there. For the sake of that episode it looks like a lot of trouble, but I can imagine if you have customs officer in your pocket it will go a whole lot easier. Lets not pretend there’s no one working there that could use a bit of extra cash to let them pass without a search. We know how Rio had the American cash washed from how it went at Fine & Frugal. His boys delivered Boomer with a bag of fake cash (and a fee for Boomer himself for his troubles), and he switched out the real cash that came in for fake cash. The fake cash goes to the bank, the real cash goes back to Rio. It’s a swap, easy as that. Whoever receives the counterfeit from the girls must run a similar scheme in Canada, so the fake cash becomes real cash. Now we made real Canadian money, but it’s still across the border, so how does it come back? There’s three ways the money can come back: cash, digital or exchanged for materials. If it’s cash the legit Canadian money must be exchanged for legit American money. Which, honestly, sounds like a lot of labor. I doubt this is how it comes back because it takes a lot of time, people, various exchange points, and is the most liable from all the options. If it’s digital Nick must have shell companies and/or legit companies based in Canada to hire his American shell companies so they can digitally transfer the money. The cash will get washed like the example I gave for Sweet P’s, wiring that cash ‘legally’ to the Canadian companies account. So they can safely pay the contract they have with the American shell company. If it’s goods I can imagine Nick uses his shell companies, or more likely legit companies. For example, if Nick owns a tile-store in America, and washes trough a Kitchen & Bathroom store in Canada – he can have the latter overpay the former (The worth of the tiles he sends is below the worth on the contract) so the cash flows back to him. But! There’s also another option. If he buys property in Canada with cash, and resells that for digital money, it can flow back to the shell company too. And if he doesn’t need the money right away he could buy property in cash, rent it out, and wash the money like that – this even creates a steady cash flow. !! 5. The Banker: Additional money comes in through those companies paying a monthly fee for protection. I’ll tackle this point first before I start 4, 6 and 7. So, from the episode The Banker we can get a good impression what kind of businesses pay for protection. Many if not all are warehouses, looking like they are companies like in point 4 (see below). Or, like the one Penny’s mom owns, an electrical company. All kinds of companies Nick’s shell companies might use for various projects (point 6). Another thing that might be going on is that these companies are involved with other parts of the crime system. Like Boland Motors wasn’t just a way to launder money, but they also received the cars with the drugs. Paying the protection secures the warehouse from retaliating from law enforcement or other gangs that might try to steal this (both Nick and Rio can put their network on that). And secures them contracts for doing work tied to the City. 4. Laundering through companies like construction, electrics, materials. So the IRS won’t drop by and ask any questions. 6. Body glitter and thongs: Laundering from point 4 happens because those companies get contracts from shell companies* which are owned by Nick (or likely a patsy). 7. These shell companies are hired by the city for projects Nick gets approved. With these projects Nick can make money by undervaluing the construction, or he can bribe someone (say, a politician – likely if he intends to move up his political career) by overvaluing the project. Point 4, 6 and 7 are very closely connected, so I will try to explain this for the outcome of Nick earning money himself. For example, say Nick proposes a new project to the council: Building a new school. (He needs at least four votes in favor, including his own. Having Beth on the council obviously increases his chances of getting a project through, because he assumes she’ll sway towards his choices.) If the project gets a go the City of Detroit will need to hire a company to do the building plans and construction – Nick will make it happen that this goes through his shell company. And the shell company will hand out contracts to the companies listed under point 4. From what we know from Dave’s examples these companies are all ties to construction: electrics, plumbing, materials, and so on. As long as Nick is on the council getting his projects, these businesses have a work guarantee – it’s another reason they pay The Banker. How does Nick make money from that? His shell company will have to present the City with a quotation for the work (before the vote). Lets say this school would cost 30 million to built if it was legit. But that’s not what the shell company will say, they will say it costs 35 million. While 30 million from the city will flow back to all the contracted legit businesses, 5 million will stay with the shell company. Although, it won’t exactly stay there. Nick will have ways to move the money around, invest it, bounce between money mules etc. until it will get lost or find its way back to another shell company. What matters is that he’s using this whole system to rob the city to fund his own career (which, if he has the ambition to maybe become senator or more, which I think is a dead given, he will need a lot of money for in terms of campaigning and whatnot).

Any questions?  

[harpersplay]

4x14 Thoughts

I touched on this before, but context fucking matters. Even though it erased Annie's class & Ruby's race while using Beth's momness and whiteness as a shield, the speech in 1x02 works because it's life and death. It works because these women have just been thrown into this scary world and Beth makes a desperate but savvy (she picks up on Rio being more than just a gangbanger and appeals to his business side) plea. She uses what she can (Annie has never brought orange slices to any game ever, let's be real) and saves the day. And yet we see how terrified she was even after it worked. IT WAS AN UNREAL SITUATION THAT FELT REAL. Beth's recent "boss bitch" moments do not work because it's just her fully leaning into the smug entitled white lady role. I feel like too many fans ignore 2x13-3x02. The threat of Rio (and the FBI) was GONE as far as Beth knew. But she decided to do crime. Ruby was stealing from her workplace. Beth was putting Dorothy and Lucy at legal risk by using her store and her work, respectively, to commit crimes without telling them. That's who Beth is. So reframing her actions in S3 & S4 as simply reactions to evil Rio trying to ruin her life not only removes Beth's agency. It is also hollow. Because Beth has zero problem with crime—stealing Gayle's business, bribing a city official, hiring a hitman, setting up an innocent man to be a murderer, making Dean "sell" a hot tub to Mick, selling counterfeit purses, blackmailing men into buying those purses. Beth has a problem with not getting her way. And that's not enjoyable to watch. This is not me saying Beth has to be likeable as in a "good" person. But she has to be likeable to watch. Mary Pat is a total weirdo with very questionable morality, but she's enjoyable to watch. Vance is fucking creepy as shit, but he's enjoyable to watch. And while the show gave both those characters some dimension, it never portrayed them as characters we should unabashedly cheer for. That's not how they write Beth. They still—four fucking seasons in—want us to see her as a mom just trying to survive. But that's not the story plotwise that they have chosen to write. And the fact that Beth's "wins" are almost always at the expense of other women or POC is an added gross factor.

The show needs to make up it's mind about the monetary situation. Either things are dire and they are saving every penny to "escape" to Nevada. Or they have enough money to refurbish Sweet P's and buy Kenny an iPad.

Detroit city council is by district. Why do they keep referencing Ward 5?

Nice of the show to have Dave & Phoebe literally walk thru the situation. Super FUN! that the women who have been in this for years (per date revealed in 4x13) still don't understand how it works. The only way I like this scene is if it is a meta commentary about how the majority of the show stans have never understood how any of the crime aspects work 🧐 And I see that the show is yet again ignoring Turner's whiteboard and everything else implied about Rio's business dealings in S1.

Phoebe's no Turner, but I've never disliked her. She was really good in this episode, but the Phoebe/Beth stuff from stans is annoying. Why are people so into ships where Beth is awful to the other person and yet the other person is willing to risk things for Beth? Wait...I think I answered my own question.

So much wasted time on these MRA guys. I guess they don't need to be ~mysterious~ and I love (I don't) the casual misogyny in all their scenes. Preemptive GTFOH: I know—believe me, more than I want to—that men like this exist. I know it is realistic. But, again, as I mentioned before, the show is more than happy to ignore all types of realism to make the story they want to tell work. So don't tell me that this is simply a reflection of society. Jenna & Co are choosing to write this storyline in this way and she thinks it is fun and comedic.

The show is about the 3 women and anyone asking for more screen time for Rio is a misogynist. One minute spent on Annie's new shitty white male love interest popping her pimple = crickets.

The show is about the 3 women and anyone asking for more screen time for Rio is a misogynist. Dean having the reasonable response to Beth running for city council while she dismisses his legitimate concerns = crickets.

And, btw, Denise doesn't need secret insider information. Even if Dean's police records are sealed—why tho?—the two extremely visible daytime raids on the family businesses would have been on the news. And—gag!—Beth's visit to Denise was hella stupid. Denise is not a criminal, like the girls were in S1, so she has no narrative reason not to call the cops on Beth & her "thug." It was a shallow parallel and just another example of Beth needing a man to handle things for her.

I mentioned in my 4x13 thoughts about how the Sweet P's "fun and empowering...unlikely feminist statement" is bullshit. The girls, specifically Ruby, spent a lot of time judging the dancers. Beth straight up mocked Krystal's voice. They didn't care about implicating them in crime or costing them their jobs when they set up Gene to take the fall for the money laundering. They only "care" now because they need them.

Annie & Nancy's scene would have been nicer if Annie didn't imply that Greg(g)'s cheating was Nancy's failure. Again, they could have had them talk about the cheating and difficulty that Nancy went through as an example of a hardship she overcame. But they CHOSE to have Nancy explicitly frame the business disaster as a personal failing. So having Annie respond with the infidelity doesn't come across as tough love. It comes across as needlessly callous and victim-blaming.

This is long already, so I'm not even going to get into the Beth & Rio conversation at Sweet P's.

Ugh, Rio & Nick. So fucking dumb. Where was Nick before all of this? Why is he flexing his muscle now? With what we've gotten of his characterisation & attitude, are we to believe that this is the first time in 20 years that Rio & Nick have clashed? I would think that he would have been very concerned and involved when Rio drew the attention of the FBI. But Nick was nowhere to be found. (Because these writers don't understand the difference between retconning and world expansion.) Although I did get a chuckle when Nick said, "You think you'd have any of this?" while gesturing to Rio's usually empty bar.

Yet again, no cameras in an area that would most likely have cameras. And white woman Beth implicating gangs (which to cops = Black & brown youth) with her "broken windows theory" scare tactic is disgusting.

Caribbean flair and Mahalo. I'm so goddamn exhausted at this point.

Hello, Random Bitch Wife. FUN!

Hey, speaking of context matters....that entire last scene Beth is actively working with Phoebe & Dave to send Rio to prison. Romance!!!

[pynkhues]

Say Dean did give her the necklace. Out of all the horrendous things he’s done to her, why would she decide to wear it tho?

Well, assuming that he is the one to give her the new necklace, which Istrongly suspect he is (although I’ve been wrong before!), I think there are afew reasons she’d wear it. And hey! I’ve had five or six asks since 2.08about Beth and Dean’s relationship, history and age gap, which I had a fewdrafts of, so I’m so sorry! I’m going to highjack your ask to combine/answerthem all! Hope that’s okay. 

Putting all myheadcanons and theories aside (at least for the first half of this post haha),let’s just talk about what canon has established about Beth and Dean and theirrelationship over the last 18 episodes. 

This is like, verylong (seriously 2,800 words), haha, so I’m putting it under a cut to save all your feeds. 

The Marks’ Family ValuesWhile 2.08 clarified a few things about the way Beth, Ruby and Annie wereraised, there’s still a lot that we don’t really know, so let’s look at what wedo know: 

1. Beth as a youngteenager crashed her mother’s car out the front of Ruby’s house with her kidsister in the passenger seat because there was no food in the house, and theirmother wasn’t getting out of bed. The implication, from Annie’sdialogue “She just really likes it there” is that this is not a new thing.(2.08)

2. Annie was areckless kid and had a broken arm during a time it’s implied she and Beth were neglected.(2.08)

3. “You knowwhat my mama used to say? You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” – Beth(2.01)

4. Beth played pianofor six years after her parents dropped $$s on it, despite changing her mindand wanting to play violin, which on its own I think can be written off as generalchildish indecisiveness, buuuut I think means a little more than that in thecontext of everything else. (1.05)

5. Beth worked heronly legitimate job in highschool at the Dairy Queen. (1.03)

5. Annie used to gethigh and was sexually active in highschool, and had gossip/rumours spread abouther. Their mother came into the school to address it and, it’s implied, madethe situation a lot worse, causing Annie not want to do the same to Sadie with Sadie’sbullies. (1.04)

6. Then Annie gotpregnant in highschool. (mentioned multiple times)

7. Beth has alwaysbeen the one that Annie has called to bail her out of trouble (mentioned a fewtimes).

9. Beth had postpartumdepression with at least one of her children. (2.05)

The Boland Timeline

While we haven’t gottenconfirmed ages of the characters, we do know that Dean is, at the very least, ayear older than Beth, although I think it’s more likely around three yearsgiven the way it’s framed in the episode. SO. 

1. Beth meets Dean atschool when she’s either a freshman, sophomore or junior. He’s a senior. It’sat a point in time where we know her mother is bedridden and Beth spends a lotof time looking after Annie (she even took Annie to Ruby’s father’s funeral,which I think says a lot as to how much Beth – and by proxy Ruby – were lookingafter Annie). (2.08)

2. Beth and Dean havebeen married for 20 years during S1, so that puts them likely at gettingmarried when Beth is somewhere between the age of 20-22. (mentioned multipletimes)

3. Somewhere in thistime period, Dean takes over Boland Motors from his father (one of the photosin the screensaver Dean’s looking at in 2.04 looks like it’s from a grandre-opening, and Beth’s holding a baby boy, so it looks like this could bearound the time Kenny or Danny is born) and Beth becomes a stay-at-home motherand a housewife. Dean also has full control of their finances, and Beth is onan allowance that he also controls. 

4. Kenny has hiseleventh birthday in S1, so Beth would’ve been in her late twenties when shehad him. 

5. We don’t know theage gap between the rest of the kids (and in fact, those age gaps have obviouslychanged between S1 and S2 lol) but it looks like Jane is now the youngest, notEmma, and that Beth and Dean hadn’t had sex in the two years before gettingpregnant with Jane, and then that they hadn’t had sex since she was born until2.06, which seems to be about five or six years. (2.05 / 1.05)

6. Beth had postpartumdepression after at least Emma (it was the specific given reason as to why theyhadn’t had sex in the two years before getting pregnant with Jane), although Ithink the implication is that it was with more of the kids than just her.

7. Somewhere in allof this, Dean had multiple affairs. He says four, but the implication fromAmber is that it’s more than that, and then I think Beth basically confirmsthat when she says “Dean’s slept with half of Detroit” later in the episode.Plus Dean being a pathological liar isn’t exactly a secret. (2.05)

8. Beth finds out hesleeps with Amber in 1.01 and that he’s mortgaged their house three times andthat their savings are gone. She kicks him out, takes control of theirfinances, and robs Fine & Frugal. 

9. Dean tries to winher back a few times - first by appealing to her pragmatism (and I’ll beexpanding on this shortly) - by talking about how they’ll both be worse offfinancially if they separate - before telling her that she’s the love of hislife, then by showing up unannounced to mow the backyard (a traditionally malehousehold job), then by using Kenny’s birthday wish that they were backtogether to try and guilt her (another point I’ll be expanding on shortly!)

10. Cut to Kenny’sbirthday party. He implies Beth’s having an affair with Rio (lols for so manyreasons), they fight, Beth insinuates that she’ll be filing for divorce soon(”You’re still my wife” “Yeah, I’ve gotta get on that.”) and Dean drops TheCancer Lie. Beth is obviously upset, and lets him move back in, but he’ssleeping in Kenny’s room. (1.04)

11. Dean doubles down on the cancer lie by bribing a doctor to tell Bethhe has prostate cancer, but he also covers for her when Turnerfinds the Boland Motors car the girls stole from the lot. He then confronts herabout it in a very paternalistic way (”Why don’t you get a job?” “Sit down!”“These people prey on good, innocent people” “I’m sorry I yelled at you, buteverything’s going to be fine. I’ll take care of you.”). Beth plays along inthe moment, but Dean changes the locks without telling her (and also doesn’thelp her bring the grocery bags in which is sooo telling), reveals he’sswitched hours with a guy at work to be around to ‘protect’ her, and Bethfinally stands up for herself “You have no idea what I’ve done or even who Iam”. (1.06)

12. Dean asks her ifshe’s doing it for the kids. She says yes, and he says it’s all he needs toknow. It genuinely seems to comfort her in the moment. It’s one of their fewnice scenes and I think shows what they were like when they were at their verybest. (1.07)

13. Rio shuts down,Beth is back on an allowance. She tries to get a loan, but their credit hasn’trebounded enough and they still have too much debt. Dean solves the problem bymoving the botox via the doctor he bribed. Dean won’t tell Beth how he did it,but she’s grateful enough to end up coming clean about what she does for Rio.They have their second nice moment. “You don’t deserve anything I did toyou.” + “I think you’re incredible.” (1.08)

14. Dean obviouslyfeels like he and Beth are getting back on track, and is annoyed that Annie’sliving with them temporarily. He builds Beth a craft table with hiddencompartments to hide her fake cash! (1.09)

15. Dean tries toorganise something for their anniversary, which Beth doesn’t agree to rightaway, but does later in the episode when he tries to help her after realisingshit’s going down in the crime world. Dean gets into a car accident whilechecking out another woman, Beth finds out he lied about the cancer (like thatgrenade was never going to blow, Deansy), he came home, Rio shoots him to getback at Beth, but not before revealing a certain degree of intimacy and trustbetween the two of them, which Dean clocks instantly. (1.10 / 2.01)

Then Season 2happens, haha.

So let’s talk about Beth & Dean

I’ve said it a fewtimes before, but when it comes to Beth, we’re ultimately watching somebody whohas been disempowered and disenfranchised for a really, really long time tryingto reclaim a sense of identity and control over her life. Even before 2.08, wewere looking at that through the sense of her marriage to Dean where she had noreal independence. Her entire life was dictated by decisions that he made forthem, personally, professional and financially, and a lot of the first half of Season1 was devoted to her realising exactly how many of those decisions had been bad ones. As the series went on, she reallydid start to gain a sense of financial independence (which is incredibly important)as well as a sense of her own identity and agency, only for that to becompletely crippled again across that four episode arc - 1.09 through to 2.02 –firstly by thinking Rio had played her for a fool (the empty truck), then Rio firingher, then realising that Dean hadplayed her for a fool again (thecancer lie), and then her plot to put Rio away falling apart, Dean being shot,and her realising that she was newly indebted to both of them.

I think what 2.08contextualised was that Beth has never really been allowed to explore who sheis, because there’s always been somebody she’s had to look after. She’s alwayshad dependents and she has lived a life of constant compromise, making her incrediblypragmatic and sacrificing of her own needs and wants. The episode establishedthat Beth spent most if not all of her adolescence caring for Annie and theirmother, married young, and then spent her entire young adult life looking afterDean and their four children.

Likely the appeal ofDean was that he was older, gave her attention in a way that seemed to ‘see’ herat a time where her needs were neglected at home, and likely popular – he’s goofyand fun, as the show’s establishedmultiple times, which I think would be more likeable at that teenage age, and Ithink he probably appealed to Beth as a way out of a troubling home situation.At the end of the day, the show has established pretty firmly that Beth is, whenit comes to her and her own, a survivor. And when I say survivor, I don’t meanthe badass, action heroine sort of survivor - I mean the desperate, do-what-she-has-tosort of survivor. She has an uncanny ability to lie and perform to get herselfout of situations, and also a tendency to sacrifice her own happiness for thoseshe loves. I think when it came to Dean, for a very long time, Beth sacrificedpower and control for a security and safety that she hadn’t had growing up,first for herself (and likely in part for Annie too), and then for her fourchildren.

And I think Dean, priorto the start of the series, had never truly been challenged on any of thecontrol that he wrought over their lives. He’s your classic embodiment of whitemale privilege, and I think he has all the baggage that comes with that,including a firm belief in gender roles, a heady sense of entitlement, and asubconscious expectation that things will usually work in his favour. The factthat he started dating Beth when she was so young, that he inherited BolandMotors from his father, and the fact that he blames Beth’s postpartum depressionfor his affairs too I think drasticallyemphasises that. We talk a lot about the power play between Beth and Rio, butBeth and Dean, since 1.01, have been in a power play of their own – Beth in herdesire to break out of their traditional roles, to ‘steer the ship’, and toreally put her family in a more secure position in life (something she realisedDean was incapable of doing), and Dean in his desire to keep them in their traditional roles, to ‘steer the ship’, and tokeep the status quo (I mean, hell, the fact that he was checking out anotherwoman on his way to his anniversary dinner with Beth in 1.10 says a lot about exactly how little he wants things tochange).

In what is typical ofpeople who are nurturers/carers or have been forced into nurturer/carerpositions in their life, Beth also seems to feel guilt to a disproportionatedegree, and in a way that often seems to cancel out any other emotion,including her anger. This is established pretty early in season one in smallways - her snipping with Annie then immediately back pedalling when sherealises Annie might lose custody of Sadie, with not being able to throw Kennythe birthday party he wants, with her telling Dean about what she does for Rioafter Dean offloads the botox, and then reiterated in big ways this season -nursing Dean after he’s been shot, crawling into bed with Kenny after he gotcaught binge eating at school, going above and beyond to get the dubby backafter Jane feels neglected, I’d even argue that the whole situation with MaryPat has partially been fuelled by guilt for putting Mary Pat in that situationin the first place when she’s a widow with four young children.

And I think Dean knows this! He has guilted her so much across the course of this show, often in a way to deflectfrom his own shortcomings or to ultimately playher. He gaslights her all the time,and she often doesn’t even realise it, which demonstrates, to me at least, howoften he’s done it over the course of their 20+ year relationship. The wholething about the cancer lie in the first place was to back her into a corner,which he succeeded in doing. He guilted her about being at Boland Motors andaway from the kids. When Jane went missing, he immediately blamed her and guilted her for her involvement with Rio(instead of………you know……….looking for his daughter), in 2.08, he guilted Beth for checking on her moneybefore untying him after he’d tried to organise a hit on her partner and gottenher robbed blind in the process.

And when the guilt and the manipulation stopped working, he did thething he knew she couldn’t ignore (and that would hurt her the most) which istake the children. Beth is, like I said earlier, a survivor and a sacrificer whenit comes to her and her own. There’s no way she won’t give up everything togive those children what she didn’t have – a mother who she could rely on. I thinkDean’s ultimatum won’t just be about them either. I could be wrong, but I thinkhe’s going to tell her that they have to try again as a couple, and I thinkthat’s what that necklace is going to be about (seriously though, if he givesit to her as a part of the ultimatum, everything about it symbolically is acollar), and she’ll put it on for her children, and I think it’s all honestlygoing to push her over the edge in a really big way before the season’s over.

I’ve mentioned this in other posts, but I think Beth fully was intendingto leave Dean before the cancer lie, but then she needed to care for him(again, a manipulation I think Dean knew would work because of Beth’s historycaring for her mother and Annie), and then the shooting (same reason, plus theadded bonus of her having caused it). Since then, I think she has almostcompletely emotionally divorced him – having sex with Rio, taking over BM,checking on the money first, not letting him back into her bed – is all verytelling of this, and I think she had likely had her pragmatic hat on and waswaiting until she could feasibly balance all the pieces in her life on her ownbefore filing for divorce. Of course, that’s now blown up with Dean holding thechildren essentially hostage.

And look, do I thinkDean loves Beth? I do actually, in his own way. Do I think Beth loves Dean? Ithink she did, but like she said to Ruby – Dean’s not a soulmate for her, oreven a partner. Beth and Dean should’ve maybe briefly dated in highschool andthen broken up, but they’re both in too deep now, and I don’t think anythingshort of a bullet or an arrest is going to easily disentangle them.

[artificialqueens]

Run My Mouth (Monet x Monique)- Ortega

a/n: i actively refuse to type the word Momo into existence bc i refuse to associate that fucking horrendous face with these cute af idiots. this is my entry to the fic challenge bc someone wanted Monet x Monique and i wanted out of the Branjie emotion pit! this is filling the cliches 3 (enemies to lovers) and 7 (A has a sexy dream about B) and also is of course a lesbian au bc that seems to be the only currency i deal in. it’s also set within the Just The Game We’re In universe if anyone’s interested, and is also probably horrendously ooc. christ i’m good at selling my fics!! credit where credit’s due, the “holy trinity of why” was stolen from The Thick Of It, the song on Monique’s insta story is Own It by Ella Mai, and “panini head” is stolen from Gordon Ramsay. hope u all enjoy!

Summary: Guardian journalist Monet X Change arrives at the Ministry of Defence to run a piece on Shea Coulee. She didn’t expect to be distracted by a bad-tempered band 1 comms girl who seems intent on driving Monet to distraction entirely through sarcastic remarks, tattoos and acrylic nails.  

***

Journalism. What did it all actually mean? When it came down to it, all it was was writing about stuff that happened in the world. All it was was retelling a story. But then nobody ever really seemed to view it that way, Monet thought to herself, as she scuffed one high heel against the rough, sandpaper-like carpet of the lobby and continued to wait.

It was never as simple as just writing, though. Fuck, if that was all journalism was then how many horrific atrocities could have been avoided just through the lack of coverage and platforming alone? There was always an agenda to push despite Monet’s personal feelings on the situation, and she always just had to put up and shut up. For example, today. What Monet really should have been writing about was the Ministry of Defence’s catastrophic overspend, but someone high up in the party (probably Bianca Del Rio, Monet reasoned) had made some sort of deal with Bob to avoid excessive coverage of it. This surprised Monet as, before she’d started working at The Guardian, Bob had been part of Phi Phi O’Hara’s party as their press secretary. Still, even if Monet didn’t know the finer details of how politics worked she knew what a threat or a bribe looked like, so instead of writing about anything juicy or remotely interesting she was here, in the offices of the MOD, waiting on Shea Coulee. Bob had sent Monet out to do some private life piece, some sort of day-in-the-life of a department minister thing that was set to last for a fortnight. Shea would hate it as it meant Monet would be exposed to all sorts of potential party fuck-ups. Monet would hate it because it was a bunch of writing which was of absolutely no consequence. The Guardian’s readers would hate it because it was an article attempting to humanise a politician, and Monet knew people hated those, so there it was. The hat trick of fuck.

She waited dispassionately in the lobby, her heels swinging and scuffing the carpet with every passing second. She didn’t know how long she’d been doing it, or how many times, but there suddenly came a voice from one end of the corridor.

“‘Scuse me, ma'am.”

She didn’t turn around at first. In all honesty, Monet’s ego meant that she thought that anyone in the building would be addressing her by her last name, with a Ms. in front of it. So she kept swinging and scuffing.

The sound of heels came down the corridor. “Ma'am!”

Monet whipped her head around, slightly startled at the louder sound. She was met with a girl- early twenties, she would guess, in a smart black pencil skirt and suit jacket combination with a bright white shirt underneath. Her black hair was pinned up in a neat bun with a few strands helping her fringe frame her face, which was currently set into a scowl. Monet initially thought the girl was there to take her to Shea, however seeing the tray of coffees she was carrying made her second-guess. She frowned up at her from her position on the small sofa-lounger-thing she had been perched on. Monet’s back was already up and she hadn’t even said two words to her.

“Yes?”

The girl’s scowl deepened. “Are you aware that this is a ministerial department?”

Monet bit back a laugh. “Yes.”

“So you know that if you’re waiting here, you can’t sit and wear the carpet out like a pacing bear in a zoo, correct?” a smile finally came over the girl’s face, albeit a fake one. Monet briefly noted her eye makeup- bright and extravagant, a bit much for a day at work but still pretty and expertly applied. She decided to return the fake smile.

“Well thank you so much for that advice! I’m always really keen for pointers on office decorum by girls that look like their makeup was done by a blind toddler playing with dried up poster paints. Now,” Monet sighed lazily, pleased at the way the girl’s jaw had visibly dropped. “can you please make yourself useful and find me somebody that works for Shea Coulee? Because I’ve been waiting here a while.”

The other girl’s face was stony as she addressed her. “I work for Shea Coulee.”

Monet’s heart bunjee-jumped into the pit of her stomach. Shit. Okay, fuck, she didn’t need to panic. She was still holding the coffee tray, so that clearly didn’t indicate a senior position. The other girl’s face was set into a shit-eating smile, clearly happy to have scared her. This only served to rile Monet further. “Well, could you please check that she’s ready to see me? I’m Monet Change, I’m from The Guardian. I’m doing a piece with Ms. Coulee.”

The other girl narrowed her eyes in distaste. Monet noticed that they were deep brown, making them seem huge. “You got an ID?”

Monet rolled her eyes. Briefly, she cast an eye to the girl’s hand. “Are the office coffees not getting cold, tea girl?”

The girl looked briefly as if she’d been slapped in the face. Monet snorted. This was fun. She watched as the girl looked nervously down the corridor, then at the drinks in her hand. Monet almost felt sorry for her, until the girl frowned at her again.

“We’re living under a severe and constant terror threat, Ms. Change, and precautions are precautions,” she pouted, her face like vinegar. She held her hand out and Monet cast an eye over a set of neon green acrylic nails. With a small jump to her heart, she noticed that the nails on her index and middle finger were cut shorter than the others. She looked up at the girl and caught her eye. Another fake smile came her way. “ID.”

“Well how should I know you even work for Shea Coulee? Where’s your ID?” Monet answered back, taking far too much delight in the way the other girl pouted before taking her free hand and sticking her middle finger up in Monet’s face.

“There’s my ID, bitch! Do you want me to go get Ms. Coulee or not?”

“Monique, what the hell are you doing?” came a sudden voice from up the corridor, making the girl jump. A little splash of coffee jumped out from under the lid and landed on her wrist, and Monet didn’t miss the way she hissed a little through her teeth. She felt bad. Turning her eyes up the corridor, Monet saw who the voice was coming from- real and in-person Shea Coulee, with her neat dreads cascading down her shoulders and back and over her red shift dress. She radiated power, and Monet felt suddenly intimidated. The girl opened her mouth to speak, but Shea simply raised a hand and gave a light shake of her head. “I think you’d better get back to the office, don’t you? I don’t think any of us ordered an iced latte.”

The girl nodded sharply and walked briskly down the corridor, but not before she gave one final look to Monet that was mixed with anger, annoyance, and something else she couldn’t quite decipher.  

“Ms. Change, isn’t it?” Shea turned back to Monet and held out her hand, smiling as she took it to shake. “Pleased to meet you, I’m excited to be working with you. I have to apologise for Monique’s behaviour, she’s a complete hothead and she shouldn’t even have been interacting with you.”

Monique. It was a nice name.

Monet picked up her bag as Shea began walking down the corridor, quickening her pace to follow her which was tricky in her heels. “So uh, she’s not one of your advisors?”

Shea snorted a laugh. “Please. She’s a junior civil servant. You’ll meet my advisors, they’re just in the office.”

Monet thought for a moment. “So I don’t really need to interact with Monique at all during my time here then?”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about that. You’re not going to be in with the little people,” Shea dismissed her with a wave of her hand as she walked into the bright and airy office space.

Good. It was good that she wasn’t going to be seeing Monique. Following Shea through to her office, Monet’s eyes scanned the room and somehow came to rest on Monique’s brown ones. Monique blinked once in surprise, then gave Monet a nasty look.

She was a total bitch, anyway.

***

Day five, and the end of week one. Monet would be lying if she said the whole thing was as boring as she’d thought it would be. Sure, the actual writing itself was boring. It turned out that a private life piece on Shea Coulee at work unsurprisingly consisted of Shea Coulee doing lots of work. Monet had met her advisors, Asia and Vixen, and they were nice enough girls but they were there to work too. So in lieu of anything interesting to do, Monet had had to invent her own fun.

Which consisted of annoying Monique.

It hadn’t started out like that, Monet always defended herself internally. She’d tried to make amends with her on the first day- stopped by her desk on the way out and asked her how her wrist was, but all she was met with was a wordless sneer. The next day, Monet had made a point of saying good morning to her, again met with no reply. She’d then complimented her hair when she came to Shea’s office to ask about a press release, but the only reply Monet got was a flip of it. So after that, the gloves were off. Monique had had three strikes, and now the bitch was out.

Monet could have just ignored Monique. That would have been the mature thing to do. But something about the girl had got under her skin and niggled away at her, like an annoying splinter. Plus Monet was competitive, and there was a need to get even.

On Tuesday, Monet got teas and coffees for the whole comms team apart from Monique. She didn’t miss the widening of Monique’s eyes then the disappointed pout that followed when she realised there was nothing for her. It made Monet’s skin prickle in satisfaction.

On Wednesday, Monet came into the department and walked up to Monique’s desk. She made sure Monique had locked eyes with her, made to smile at her, then fixed her eyes very pointedly on her cheek and frowned deeply, feigning concern as she walked away. She cast a glance at Monique over her shoulder as she walked away, who was furiously checking her reflection in her phone screen.

Yesterday, they had both been in the kitchen together. Monet had been grabbing a fork for her lunch when Monique had walked in, her eyes darkening upon seeing Monet. Monet felt a slight curl in her stomach when the other girl brushed past her and reached for a teabag, a rich, woody scent clinging to her like the black dress she was wearing.

“Morning, Monique,” Monet smiled, leaning against the countertop and smiling. “Hey, how are Cerberus and Hades this morning?”

Monique cast her a glare. She spoke after a beat of silence. “I don’t follow.”

“Guardians of the underworld?” Monet elaborated, receiving a tight smile in return.

“Oh, cute. Contemporary reference,” Monique bit back, reaching up to take a mug from a cupboard. “Should you not be, you know. Writing? Like an actual journalist? Are you an actual journalist or just a child pretending to be a journalist?”

“As opposed to you, who’s a child pretending to be…an adult?” Monet blinked, delighting in the way Monique visibly tensed up.

“Jesus, I can’t wait til you leave,” she muttered, Monet able to hear the eye roll in her voice. She gave a chuckle.

“Well get used to me, princess, because I’m here til next Friday,” Monet beamed at Monique as she turned around, her gaze frosty and making Monet shiver a little.

“I’m not your princess,” she said, her voice low and dark and giving Monet a small heart palpitation. With a sudden flashback to their Monday meeting, Monet remembered the nails on Monique’s right hand. A shiver ran down her spine.

“No, you’re right,” Monet said, dropping the pitch of her voice to match Monique’s. She took a step forward, closing the space between them. “You’re a little brat.”

Monique’s eyes bored into hers. There seemed to be something hanging in the air. After what could have been seconds or minutes, Monique scrunched up her face and spun around on her heel, leaving Monet on her own in the kitchen.

Monet had gone home and replayed their little confrontation in her head on repeat. It especially taunted her just before she was about to fall asleep, when she was lying in bed in the darkness with a dull throb between her legs that she tried her best to ignore. Monique was attractive, that was just a fact. She had a beautiful face and a little tiny waist and the most amazing legs, and when she wore short sleeved tops Monet could see the tattoos that went all the way up her arms, and she’d always been into tattoos. But Monique was also a total dick. So why was that so hot to her?

Monet found herself turning over in bed, switching the light on, grabbing her phone and typing xvideos into her search bar.

The next day everything seemed to be even more charged between the two girls, although that could have been Monet’s imagination. From the moment she walked into the department she had felt Monique’s eyes on her like a trained sniper, a blush hitting her cheeks that stayed there for most of the morning to the extent that Shea had asked her if she was feeling alright. Monet could hardly concentrate on the departmental she was sat in and was glad of the recorder she’d utilised to catch the meeting, because the only thought that seemed to run through her head was how do I get her alone again?

It turned out she didn’t have to wait very long. Monet was taking a phone call from Bob and she’d ducked into one of the small stationary cupboards to talk to her when Monique came in halfway through, her face curling up when she saw her. Monet’s heart gave a leap and, finding an excuse to finish the phone call earlier than needed, she pocketed her phone and turned to the other girl.

“Looking for some relevance?” Monet asked as she watched Monique bend down and open a cardboard box. The other girl narrowed her eyes at her as she stood up.

“Leave me alone, Monet. I’m serious,” she snapped, Monet crossing her legs together where she stood. Fuck, she could be bossed about like this all day.

“Oh, we on first name terms now? I’m a guest in your department, you should be addressing me properly,” Monet folded her arms and leaned back against the shelves behind her. Monique snorted and quirked a smile.

“Of course, Ma'am. I’m so sorry! Would you prefer Bitch, or Ms. Bitch?” she smiled sweetly. Monet couldn’t help but run her tongue over her bottom lip and then bite it softly, and she didn’t miss the way Monique’s eyes darted to it or the way her stare faltered.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be throwing around that word so casually, Monique, especially since I’m working with your boss.”

“Why are you doing this?!”

Monet exhaled. “Because I’m bored, it’s funny, and I hate you. There you go. The holy trinity of why.”

Then Monet got a shock as Monique suddenly took a step towards her, closing the gap between them in the already tiny cupboard, and if Monet leaned forward she would be able to feel Monique’s body against hers. Her eyes were dark as she scowled at her. “You think you can just walk into this department with your perfect hair and your perfect outfits and your perfect body and just talk shit to everyone after a week?”

Monet held back a gasp as Monique’s expression faltered, almost as if she’d given something away that she shouldn’t have. Her heart gave a jump. She’d really just said all that? Monet touched her caramel curls self-consciously. She looked at Monique from under her lashes. “I don’t talk shit to everyone, just you.”

Monique’s harsh stare was back. “Well you better stop.”

“Or what?”

“I’ll do something I regret,” Monique hissed. Monet blinked. It was so hard to read the situation. She couldn’t tell if Monique was genuinely threatening her, but she seemed to have got closer because Monet could feel the heat of her body just millimetres away from her own. She swallowed thickly. Just then she noticed Monique’s eyes dart quickly from her eyes to her lips and back up again. It made her decision for her.

“Dare you, princess.”

Quicker than Monet could blink, Monique had suddenly closed the minute gap between them, pressed her body up against Monet’s own, and was kissing her with more passion than she’d ever been kissed with before in her life. It was as if Monique’s lips were made of fire, and Monet moaned as she felt her hands tear roughly through her hair. Monet was so stunned that she was almost unable to kiss back, until she felt Monique suck gently on her tongue and lust flood through her whole body. Monet brought her hands, which had been resting on Monique’s waist, up to cup her jaw. Monique noticed the movement and Monet’s heart thudded quickly as she felt Monique take one of her hands in hers, lace their fingers together, and move it from her face down to-

“Monique! You still in there? I found a bunch of staples in the top drawer of- oh,” came a voice- one of the other comms girls, Monet recognised. With a speed that she didn’t think it was possible to move at, she leapt back from the other girl and thanked God that the comms girl on the other side of the door’s entry to the cupboard had been stopped by a huge box full of spiral-bound notebooks that Monique had moved to get better access to what she was looking for.

Monique ran her tongue over her lips and cast her eyes to the floor as she spoke. “Oh, thanks Vanessa! I’ll be out in two seconds, just need a couple more things.”

Monet hadn’t realised she was holding her breath until she released it when she heard the girl walking away down the corridor. Keeping her face neutral, she looked at Monique whose cheeks were dark pink and her eyes embarrassed.

“I should, uh,” Monet began, moving to the door in an effort to ease the awkward tension that had been created.

“Yeah, sure,” Monique nodded furiously, rubbing her forehead with one hand and averting her gaze. Without a second glance, Monet was out the cupboard and walking briskly up the corridor and back onto the meeting room she’d left when she originally took the phone call. Sitting back down in her seat, she was pleased that Shea was already talking so that nobody needed to acknowledge her arrival.

Just when she thought she was off the hook, Asia turned to her and murmured. “Girl, where the fuck did you take that phone call? A hedge?”

She declined to reply.

***

Monet walked into the department on Monday with a cocktail mixer of excitement, nerves, trepidation and readiness being shaken up in her stomach. Her mind had been a complete mess all throughout the rest of Friday, and Monique seemed to have been good at avoiding her because she hadn’t seen her at all for the rest of the day. So Monet had gone home at the end of the day with her head in a spin, her hair still a complete mess, and a burning need to be absolutely railed. She wasn’t able to stop herself from scrolling instagram when she was alone in her flat with a glass of wine, and her fingers were typing in Monique’s full name (which hung on the nametag around her neck each day) before she could stop herself. She found her instantly, and a guilty feeling built in Monet’s stomach as she found herself looking through the girl’s page, gorgeous selfie after gorgeous selfie making her stomach flip over and her palms grow hot. Suddenly, she saw the circle around Monique’s profile picture turn pink. Her thumb hovered over it, unsure if she wanted to graduate to full-blown instagram stalker creep status. Well, she’d come this far.

A mirror selfie of Monique filled the screen, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders and out of the ponytail it had been in earlier. She was smiling, and Monet found herself wishing she had that smile directed at her more often. With a pang she noticed that the wine in Monique’s glass was red, matching the crimson liquid in her own glass. As if she was afraid of being caught, Monet tapped off the story and buried her phone underneath one of her couch cushions.  

On Saturday, Monet met with her friend Bri for coffee, which was probably a good thing as it would serve to distract Monet from the dream she’d had last night of Monique, perched up on her desk in a black lace bodysuit and high heels talking in extremely explicit detail about what she wanted Monet to do to her. Meeting with Bri would stop her from lying in bed in her own filth masturbating herself into oblivion and obsessively checking Monique’s instagram like a complete loser. On the other hand, all Bri seemed to want to talk about was some French politician she’d slept with whilst she was over there as a correspondent for the BBC during the European Parliamentary elections, and it wasn’t really helping.

“…and like, I’d never really been one for strapons before- because, hello, big dicks usually aren’t really the selling point of lesbianism- but Jesus Christ, Monet, I swear I saw God. In fact, I fucked God. God was her. Hey, panini head, are you even listening to me?”

Monet blinked twice as she tuned back into the conversation. Her friend was staring at her intently, her blonde hair slightly all over the place with how animatedly she’d been telling the story. Not too far away from their table a family of four looked on, horrified.

“Oh my God, Cracker, it’s ten in the morning,” Monet rolled her eyes, utilising the nickname she sometimes hit out with for her friend (“Because I’m thin, white and salty?” “No, because it doesn’t take much for you to snap.“).

“So?! You can’t put a time limit on fucking a hot girl.”

“No, but you can put a volume limit,” Monet raised her eyebrows, as a Dad with a pram walked into the cafe. Bri rolled her eyes.

“Jesus, would you stop being such a prude? You need to get laid,” she sighed, then narrowed her eyes as she saw Monet shift in her seat and cross her legs, the memory of her stationary cupboard encounter flooding back into her head like a tsunami. “Unless you already have…? Monet?”

Monet took a sip of her coffee. She put it back on the saucer and tried to ignore Bri’s piercing eyes. “What?”

Bri jumped back in her seat and almost knocked a tray of tea out of the hands of a woman passing behind her. “Oh my God. You’re not telling me something. Tell me. Tell me now, or I go into more detail about my night with Aquaria Palandrani at double the volume I was using before.”

“How can it get more detailed?!” Monet cried in dismay, then frowned. “Whatever, I don’t want to know. Ugh, there’s nothing to tell, honestly.”

Bri leaned forward in her seat expectantly. Monet rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Look, it’s honestly nothing! It’s just this girl-”

“A-HA! That’s not nothing! That’s a girl!” Bri gasped, excited. “More details, please.”

“You know I’m doing that piece on Shea Coulee for Bob? She works for her department, she’s a comms girl. We didn’t really see eye to eye at first…I mean, I guess we still don’t. But she’s fucking beautiful, and her attitude’s just really hot, you know? Even though it’s meant to make me not like her.”

“Ooh, hate fucking,” Bri gave her eyebrows a little wiggle, causing Monet to slap her on the arm.

“Shut up! I’m trying to get her to like me first.”

“Don’t. Hate fucking’s the best. Did I ever tell you about-”

Monet tuned out again, her mind now occupied by Monique now that she’d been talking about her. She wondered how she would play things on Monday, and how Monique would approach things with her. Even though she would be happy if Monique had had a personality transplant towards her, there was a small part of her that couldn’t help but long for one of her sarcastic clapbacks that drove her absolutely insane.

That night as she tried to write up things for her article, Monet couldn’t help but feel her phone in her jean pocket like an itch she had to scratch. Giving in, she opened up instagram and made her way to Monique’s page again, top in her search history. She saw a new post on her story and her heart gave a thud. Tapping, she was admittedly disappointed to see a song’s cover art pop up on the screen. She was about to tap off again when two emojis caught her eye, with a completely undeniable double entendre- tongue and squirt. The small clip of the song rang out in Monet’s living room before she could even adjust her volume.

“I put the na-na in naughty

Begging for it, got you on your knees

Didn’t make it to the bedroom, but we can do it there too

Whatever’s your fa-”  

“Oh my God, fuck off,” Monet yelped involuntarily, throwing her phone out of her hands so that it landed on the sofa cushion beside her. She didn’t know how the hell to interpret that, or if it was even about her, but all she knew was that she was more confused than ever.

***

Monet took a deep breath before she stepped into the offices on Monday morning, straightening her spine and walking in confidently, despite the fact she felt as if her legs were made of jelly. On her way into Shea’s office she passed by the desk that hadn’t been far from her mind all weekend (footage from her dream flashing through her head as she walked past) and out came the simple phrase that she’d rehearsed saying for hours.

“Good morning, Monique,” she said quickly, catching the other girl’s surprised eyes before sweeping past her desk and going straight into the Minister’s room, not giving the other girl a single chance to respond. Her heart beat rapidly all morning as she sat through meeting after meeting, a small triumphant smile on her face.

At quarter past twelve, Monet made her way to the elevators, ready to head out to grab some lunch. She cast her glance to Monique’s desk hopefully, only to find it empty. Her disappointment was short-lived, however, when she walked into the lift and heard the click-clack of high heels running to catch the it before it left. Monet pressed the button to hold it and her stomach flipped over when Monique, wearing a black, calf-length bodycon dress, ran into the lift beside her. She shot Monet a quick glance, then looked up to the ceiling and avoided her gaze. The lift doors closed and it began its journey down the many, many floors towards the lobby.

“Thanks,” Monique said, after a few beats of silence. Monet cleared her throat.

“No worries.”

There was another pause. Monet couldn’t tell where it was going, if anywhere, and the awkward atmosphere built. She tossed some of her honey curls out of the collar of her shirt and rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed.

“So, uh,” Monique spoke up, inspecting her nails. “You have a nice weekend checking up on me?”

Monet felt as if someone had poured a freezing cold bucket of water over her head. She wished she could control the horror that was almost definitely slapped across her face. “What?!”

Monique gave a small smile. “It’s okay, Monet, I know I look good. The least you could’ve done is shoot me a follow, you know?”

Monet wanted the bottom of the elevator to drop off so she could fall directly down the lift shaft.

“I wasn’t…oh my God,” she trailed off, realising there was no way she could explain her way out of this one. She placed both her hands on her face, covering her eyes. “How did you-”

“You know it tells you who views your stories, right?” Monique’s voice came, a slight laugh to it that served to make Monet feel both more and less embarrassed. “Hey. Don’t worry about it. Happens to the best of us.”

Monet couldn’t muster a reply. She didn’t even think she could take her hands off her eyes.

“I mean, I gotta admit. I had a lil’ sneak on yours too,” the other girl said quietly, causing Monet to finally take her hands off her eyes and look at Monique who was leaning lazily against the bar on the lift. “You look like a snack when you’re not in those work clothes, girl.”

Ohhh, shit.

Monet tossed her hair over her shoulder and smirked at Monique. The conversation was finally going down the route she wanted, and she found herself squeezing her thighs together in anticipation. “I don’t know, baby, you seemed pretty keen on me when I was in them too.”

She watched as Monique laughed, looked up at the ceiling again, and shook her head. “That was a necessary step I had to take to stop you running your fuckin’ mouth, and it worked.”

Monet tilted her head as Monique finally made eye contact with her. She bit her lip and shrugged. “Can’t have worked that well, ‘cause I’m still talking.”

Monique smiled smugly, taking a single step towards her. “And what?”

Monet blinked, taken aback. “Well. Maybe you need to shut me up again.”

Monique twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. “Is this a big, powerful, high-up Guardian journalist begging a Band 1 Civil Servant to make out with her in an elevator?”

“Oh, Jesus,” Monet laughed, feeling the heat between her legs build up as Monique came to a stop beside her, deliberately standing a little too close. “You’re a bitch. Fuck, no, I’m not begging.”

“Mm, you wanna beg me so bad,” Monique smiled teasingly, and Monet had never wanted a lift to break down more in her life. Turning quickly so that she had one arm on either side of Monique and effectively trapping her, Monet saw a quick, wicked flash in the other girl’s eye as she leant in and dropped her voice.

“I bet I could make you beg me to do a lot of things.”

Monique flashed her a look from under her lashes. “Like what?”

The lift suddenly stopped and the doors slid open, making Monet flinch and Monique jump beside her. To her relief, nobody was waiting to walk in and she couldn’t help but laugh, the other girl rapidly joining in. After a few seconds, Monet realised they had to get out of the elevator and so she reluctantly walked out, Monique following behind her. Now that the moment had been shattered, it was back to being slightly awkward, but Monet really didn’t want to lose what they’d just created. She found herself stopping abruptly, turning around to face Monique who had stopped beside her and was gazing at her hopefully.

“Hey. Do you want to grab lunch just now?” she asked, her heart soaring as she saw Monique’s smile grow wider and more beautiful.

“Sure,” she beamed, Monet smiling back and feeling like a total lovesick idiot.

They started walking again. “Where do you wanna go?”  

Monique ran her tongue over her teeth and shrugged. “Well…my flat’s five minutes away and my flatmate isn’t home.”

Without missing a beat, Monet took Monique’s hand and led her out of the building, part of her hoping she would be able to shut Monique up and part of her really not wanting to.

[katahnisharma]

soph’s 2k blurb/sleepover celebration week 💥

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content- intriguing | pretty! | i am a believer | wow you have mad skills | DIANA PRINCE

overall- keep me posted | cute! | SO CUTE | can you come redo my blog for me? | TOM HOLLAND

following?- not yet sorry! | not my fandoms but gorgeous blog | i am now! | of course forever my lovely ♥

✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦

era: renaissance / french new wave / romanticism / psychedelic / raphaelite

artist: picasso / degas / van gogh / kahlo / klimt

writer: edgar allen poe / mary shelley / sylvia plath / lord byron / jane austen / f. scott fitzgerald

historical era: victorian / roaring twenties / forties noir / swinging 60s / nineties

filmmaker: sofia coppola / quentin tarantino / david lynch / jane campioncity: paris / london / barcelona / edinburgh / rome / tokyo

god: persephone / hermes / aphrodite / achilles / hera / artemis hp family: potter / black / weasley / malfoy / lovegood /

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flower: rose | sunflower | poppy | lily | baby’s breath color: gold | silver | ivory | rose | obsidian season: spring | summer | autumn | winter city: paris | rome | new york | tokyo | dubai | marrakesh | rio de janeiro | los angeles house: gryffindor | ravenclaw | hufflepuff | slytherin wand core: dragon heartstring | unicorn hair | phoenix feather patronus: otter | deer | wolf | dog | hawk | mouse | cat | lion | owl | dolphin school: hogwarts | beauxbatons | durmstrang | ilvermorny | mahoutokoro | castelobruxo

✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦✦✧✦

group: avengers | x-men | shield | guardians | revengers

original avenger: steve | tony | bruce | natasha | clint | thor

guardian: peter | rocket | groot | gamora | drax | mantis

phase: phase one | phase two | phase three

avengers movie: avengers | age of ultron | infinity war | endgame

come talk to me about anything! ask me questions! there are some examples here and here 👄

send in your tumblr crush anonymously and i’ll tag them 💌

send me a 💕 for a shoutout to your favorite blogger

send me a 😊 for a shoutout to your favorite fic writer

send me a fic and I’ll read it, reblog it, and give feedback! (it can be your own!!)

ask me about my stories, I love feedback!

make me choose//fmk//top 5//would you rather//cast my mutuals as

send me your favorite fic of mine

rate my fic on a scale of 1-10

send me a 💃🏻 and I’ll post a random reaction meme from my camera roll

send me a 🦄 and an actress/actor and I’ll make a moodboard fan casting them! or I can make you a moodboard like what I’ve made here!

send me a 🕷 + your name for a name playlist

send me a 🍿 for a blog compliment

everything will be tagged under #sophs2kcelebration ♥️

if you can reblog this that would be great to get the word out :)

AND NOW A GOOD OLD MUTUAL APPRECIATION PART BC ILY GUYS

you guys are the best and sweetest people on here, and even if we’ve never talked or haven’t talked in a while, I love you all and wanna shout you out ☀️

@spiderboytotherescue @keepmeholland @kindparker @hollanderheart@loverholland @bvcks @marvellousparkerpeter @pparkerwrites@plushparker @sunsetspidey @pvterpvrker @thotsterfield@peterporkerpete @peterrparkers @parkerpuffwrites @afterglowparker@chalknpolish @fanficparker @gennndry @highroadsteve @retroparkers@hollandsosterfield @peterplanet @natasharomanovs @neverlandparker@peterstrainingwheels @peggycaerter @summernykole @tomhollandeu@hey-its-grey @chinupdarling @h-osterfield @underoos-shield@stuckonspidey @tomshufflepuff @redhoodparker @okaytcny @cosmicdaya@jacobsbatalon @sweetenshawn @hollandsbaby @loverparker @spidey-webbs @mandatheredpanda @sun-flowerparker @mcuspidey@peterparkerscamera @paradoxparker @gab-spidey @spidermanholland@aw-hawkeye @spideypeach @highkey-holland @girlinthe-chair @quaxon-holland @spxderbarnes @stealth-spiderr @hazownsmyass @cutesparker@parkerpetre @hazsterfield @uglypastels @galaxy-parker @nnatasha@screamholland @stephie-senpai @sweethosterfield @spiderman-n@quxntumvandyne @hedwigthelegend @milesgmorales @spdys@bringmethehorizonandpizza @softscottlang @gigglyparker @bucktonys@hollanderwritings @bi-writes @rachramblesstuff @hollandandi @natalia-rushman @parkerstan @lovelyosterfield @lovelyh0lland @thepenisparker@tomhollanders2013 @printedpeterparker @parkeret @kenocbi@saintlavrents @andwhatdostarsdobest @tonystark-mcu @hollandlovely@nobledoritoman @zndcya @marvelous-maddi @starksparker@starsholland @celestialparker @peterparklr @rvmanova @toms-gf@darlingtholland @peachyhollands @sunshinehollandd@sunshineandparker @peachy-plant-p0ts @quitetommy @lilyholland@stormyholland​ @stardustparker​ @spideyflicker​ @hollandroos​ @ppaarker​ @nasa-parker​ @emistrash​ @stardustpadme​ @beautiful-holland​ @underoossss​ @underoosstark​ @jupiterparker​ @spidcyson​ @spidermanfarfromhcme​ @stormyparker​ @penisprkr​ @spiderboythomas​ @thwiparkers​ @thwippeter​ @toms-order​ @petersbenjamin​ @christhayley​ @blissfulparker​ @spideykisses​ @lokiislowkeyhot​ @grandmascottlang​ @peeterparkr​ @darlintom​ @curlytoms​ @reysky-walker​ @cutiehollands​ @slightlyalwaysconfused​ @starkravingparker​ AND EVERYONE I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO TAG THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU BUT ILY ALL SOOOO MUCH

AND NOW FOR THE LAST PART…….

To my BFF Aub @tommyparkerr​,

Oh my god, what would I do without you?? I literally can’t even remember when we met because it feels like we’ve known each other for a lifetime. You are always there for me, in good times and bad, always ready to talk even though you’re super busy. You beta all my writing, even when you’re sick, and give me the best feedback ever. You’re so kind, generous, smart, and beautiful inside out. I wish I could have come to see you this summer, but everything just got in the way cry cry. But I could never see you and still feel like we’re together in spirit, you’re just that amazing! So here’s to almost two years of friendship, I’m so lucky to have you and definitely don’t deserve you. God gave me a good one, so I know I must be doing something right. You’re going to do great things and I can’t wait to watch <3

I LOVE YOU LIKE SO MUCH LIKE 3247 BILLION TIMES OVER

Soph, your twin for life

okay now I’m done haha love you all and thank you for 2k!!!

[olympictickets]

Olympic Hospitality: Tokyo’s rough road to Olympic 2020 Games

The Shinjuku neighborhood bustles at midday, its streets filled with tourists and shoppers and subway riders emerging from an underground station. Everyone goes about their business, paying no mind to the immense construction site in their midst.

Olympic 2020 fans from all over the world are invited to book Olympic 2020 tickets from our online platforms for Olympic Tickets. Olympic Hospitality admirers can book Olympic Hospitality from our ticketing marketplace exclusively on discounted prices.

Not so long ago, the new Olympic Stadium a centerpiece for the upcoming Summer Games was a lightning rod for criticism in this city, with residents pushing back against its original, $2-billion versions.

The first design was scrapped and replaced by one about half the price. It was part of an overall effort to control rising costs that had organizers and the government combining to spend an estimated $30 billion.

“We have been able to cut the budget,” Masa Takaya, a spokesman, said during a meeting at organizing committee headquarters last week. “We can say that Tokyo has been doing its best to deliver the Games in a sustainable way.”

Now, with the opening ceremony scheduled for a year from Wednesday, Tokyo Olympic can point to good news as fans clamor for tickets and corporations pledge billions of dollars in sponsorships.

At the stadium site, the clanging of heavy machinery is merely an echo from somewhere inside. Workers have finished the exterior, installing wooden slats and greenery meant to evoke the serenity of a traditional Japanese temple. But some Olympic scholars continue to wonder about these Games.

“They have tried to scale back in a bunch of ways,” said Victor Matheson, a sports economist at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. “We’re still looking at unofficial costs which would make this the second-most-expensive Olympics in history.”

 Timing is part of the issue. When the International Olympic Committee selected Tokyo in 2013, its members had a reputation for choosing cities that promised to spend the most. This tendency scared away some potential hosts. It didn’t help when Russia poured an estimated $51 billion into the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

 As Matheson noted: “Fifty-one billion makes it hard for the IOC to sell the Olympics to anyone.”

Later that year, the IOC passed Agenda 2020, the first step in a campaign to make hosting more affordable, in part by encouraging the use of existing venues. Leaders referred to this as the “New Norm.”

Paris and Los Angeles reacted by submitting relatively economical bids that were chosen for the next two Summer Games, but the shift came a bit late for Tokyo, which was facing criticism back home. 

Agenda 2020 “certainly accelerated” a decision by organizers and the national government to review their master plan, Takaya said.

The national stadium drew most of the attention as officials dumped British architect Zaha Hadid’s lavish design some complained that it looked like a giant turtle — in favor of a more modest proposal from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was estimated to cost $1.2 billion. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the change as a legacy which the next generation can be proud of.

Organizers cut costs in other ways, shifting events such as basketball and equestrian to existing venues, including some that dated back to the 1964 Summer Games. All of this moved Tokyo closer in line with new IOC policies; among the 43 venues required, eight would be new, 10 would be temporary and 25 would be existing.

Two expensive projects were preserved. In addition to the stadium, organizers continued to build a sprawling athletes village at the edge of Tokyo Bay, where crews now scramble around the skeletons of high-rise buildings in the stultifying heat.

At the nearby Tokyo Olympic headquarters, two life-sized plush figures official mascots Miraitowa and Some sit on chairs in the lobby. With reports estimating overall spending by organizers and various government entities at $25 billion or more, Takaya expresses satisfaction with what his committee has done for its portion.

“We feel that with Agenda Olympic 2020, our venue master plan has certainly become more refined,” he said. “It is able to meet the public needs, the needs of this generation.”

Paris has estimated it can stage the 2024 Summer Games for about $8 billion in private and public money, though that number is expected to rise. L.A. 2028’s latest budget projection is about $7 billion, with organizers predicting they can generate enough revenue to cover all costs. Given these numbers, Matheson isn’t overly enthusiastic about Tokyo.

“It’s hard for me to lavish much praise on $25 billion,” the economist said. “It’s like an arsonist who says, yes, I set fire to the house, but then I called the fire department and saved one bedroom.”

Back in 2013, during the bid phase, the Japanese forecast expenses at $7 billion. Since then, cost overruns have been accompanied by significant missteps. Around the time officials were switching stadium designs, they had to nix the official logo because it too closely resembled one used by a Belgian theater. Then the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Tsunekazu Takeda agreed to step down amid allegations that bribes were paid to secure the bid.

Even more troubling, a human rights organization reported that workers many of them foreigners brought into the country under a program that affords them less protection than it does Japanese citizens were being subjected to long hours and dangerous conditions at venue construction sites.

“The truth is, these are all ingrained Olympic problems,” said Jules Boykoff, a Pacific (Ore.) University political science professor who studied similar issues surrounding the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “We’re seeing them play out in Japan.”

Despite the high-profile controversies, Takaya says the Games remain “on track.” He also dismisses budget criticisms by invoking the curious math of the Olympic movement, which divides costs and shifts them around.

Organizing committees usually focus on the operating budget the price of running events day-to-day and wash their hands of the billions that governments spend on infrastructures such as stadiums, roadways, and hotels, which ends up on a different ledger.

Tokyo Olympic takes responsibility for $5.6 billion in operational expenses, but not for the $20 billion or so that will be spent by the national and local governments. Officials also insist that Japan needed much of the infrastructure spurred by the Games.

The athlete’s village will be converted to apartments and condominiums in a city of 9.2 million. The stadium replaces an aging facility that had grown obsolete; for example, it no longer met the standards to host a track world championship. None of these arguments mollify critics, who note that no matter how the accounting plays out, taxpayers will foot much of the bill.

“I feel like I know the history of the Games too well,” Boykoff said. “We should always be highly skeptical.”

Cicadas sing from the trees surrounding Yumenoshima Park the site of Tokyo’s new archery venue — their thrum making a humid morning feel a little heavier. Half of the new Tokyo Olympic venues are complete, so organizers have begun to hold test events; an international field of archers competed here last week.

“This venue is incredible,” said Brady Ellison, a world champion from the U.S. “When we went out the other night in our team gear, walking through the train station, people were saying, ‘Go USA,’ and taking pictures with us.”

Budget issues notwithstanding, the buzz here is palpable. Tokyo Olympic new logo a blue, checkered circle is plastered across the city on taxi cabs and in storefront windows. Merchandise shops are reportedly doing good business and, even in a rural prefecture 180 miles north, colorful banners fly beside the highway.

“Whenever we see the Olympics, every two years, we always see big, big excitement from the general public,” Takaya said. “The TV audience rating is extremely high compared to other parts of the world.”

This passion has translated into more than $3 billion in domestic sponsorships, three times the previous record of $1.1 billion set by London for the 2012 Summer Games. IOC executive John Coates called it “an amazing amount of money.

When organizers held a lottery last month, 7.5 million people registered for the chance to buy 3.2 million tickets. With so many fans turned away, a second and perhaps third public sale is in the works. So it remains to be seen how these Olympic will be viewed, not just during next summer’s competition but in the long run, after the cheering has subsided and Japan is left holding the tab. Critics are dubious. Japanese officials are doggedly optimistic.

“People are absolutely passionate about having the Games next year,” Takaya said. “This is a very exciting time.”

Olympic 2020 enthusiasts can get Olympics Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. OlympicTickets2020.com is the most consistent way to book Olympic Packages.

[catescher]

All Hallows Writing

I was tagged by @jennamoreci. Not by name, but as someone who is a writer and who wants to participate. Thank you for that and I hope you have a lovely day <3

Here’s the original post.

Just as a summary, here are the rules:

#1 – Provide a BRIEF description of your novel before starting.

#2 – Don’t use the same character for more than 3 answers.

So, let’s get started, shall we?

The Description:

Fainthaven, 1844:

Ariel Rapp is a mercenary.

With swords, guns and (a bit of) magic she takes on every job she can get her hands on, after all someone who tends to go through horses and ammo faster than some go through underwear needs the cash. And so she takes on a well-paid job a her friend Thomas wrote her about: Guarding an evening party and an exhibition of magical artifacts from a dark cult. As the cult attacks, the dark demon inside of her manifests itself, causing the authorites to lay the blame in the deaths of so many people on Ariel. Only a deal with Oswin can save her from execution: Help him find the murderer of his cousin. She accepts, not knowing that this would make her face decisions and beings far worse than her own demon - and above all the question:

Who is Ariel Rapp really?

The Questions:

1) It’s Halloween night! What is your protagonist dressed up as?  

Ariel is not the type who dresses up that much. But I think she would make an exception for that particular holiday - after all, booze and sweets are a very good motivator for her. Or bribe, depending on the occassion. I think she would wear something she doesn’t get to wear otherwise - sexy/hot witch or a really, really pompous evening gown with tiara and all that jazz.

Who in your cast refuses to dress up and shows up at the Halloween party without a costume?  

Thomas. He’s not stuck-up or anything, he just doesn’t see the need of doing so. The need of a costume, that is, not dressing up. A new(ish) suit suits him much better than some costume.

Which character wears the most outrageous costume, and what would it be?  

I’m going to nominate Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Cynthia van Gulden, Protector of the Sea of Gloom, Queen of the Silver Isles and the Outer Reach, and Lady of Gulden. Why? Because Her Majesty is a party girl, despite being in her fifties. She would dress as an angel - lots of silver and feathers (and big ass wings!) and enough diamonds to feed a small village for months - with a plunging neckline and a short skirt looking like a tonlet with overknee boots. Overall, an outfit that wouldn’t be much out of place in a Rio de Janeiro carnival procession.

On Halloween, werewolves, vampires, and zombies are on the prowl. Which of your characters gets caught in their clutches, and which creature do they subsequently turn into?  

Jefferson would be caught. He is a carriage driver, so he is out at night. Alone. And with no way of fighting back... Well, he’d be screwed. Zombies wouldn’t get him (he’s a surprisingly fast runner and he has horses, so...) but I can imagine him ending up as the snack of a werewolf or vampire.

Who wins the contest for best costume?  

Cynthia, again. I already described her costume, so I give a few more reasons besides that. Among the reasons she would win, is because of sycophants (because, hell, she is the frigging Empress) and on the other hand because she is a genuinly good person - you know what would happen with those diamonds? They would be sold (for an even higher price because she wore it!) and then she would use the money for charity, new schools, feeding the poor and things like that.

Who hands out toothbrushes to the trick and treaters?

Can I use two characters? One would be Asa. He’s a dark elf, and a doctor, so he is kinda obligated. He would still hand out sweets, but mostly “healthier” snacks - dried apples or small honey cakes. Also, Kavi, because he has that whole grandfatherly thing going for him. He would hand out toothbrushes but also chocolate and other really sweet stuff as well as tell them to brush their teeth afterward. Grampa here dealt with too many kids with tooth pain in his time.

Which two of your characters decide to pair up and do an angel/devil costume together?

One is described above: Cynthia is the angel. And the devil would be His Undead Majesty, Rórdán Halloran. He’s the kind of guy who would dress up in a stereotypically devil costume - red tail, red horns, red suit, goatee, dying his hair black and a pitchfork. But even with his most devilish smile he would probably look pretty bland compared to Cynthia and her angel glitter - so she would probably try to get him to wear something more outrageously much to his chagrin.

Someone is too scared to even attend the Halloween party. Who is it?

No one I could think of. Most of my characters are ceritfied badasses one way or another, faced things most people could not imagine (even in their world!), so not even Jefferson would stay away. 

If I can take my pick from deleted characters, I would pick Diana. She’s a shy orphan girl who was traumatized by her parents being eaten by a werewolf and was put through the wringer at the orphanage she stayed at. She definitely wouldn’t have fun at a party.

Who overdoses on Halloween candy and ends up sick?

Ariel. She has a serious sweet tooth. And you know what she would do when she feels only a tiny bit better? Start all over again.

Which character is most likely to place a curse/hex on someone and who would they curse?

Oh... That’s a good one. There are multiple possibilities but I think Rórdán would hex Cyrus, Cynthia’s son and heir to the throne. Rórdán doesn’t like him and think he is an arrogant, self-important prick while Cyrus thinks he is something better and doesn’t have to listen to Rórdán at all. Rórdán would use a curse that is just nasty and not lethal.

On a more humourous note, Ariel would probably try to prank Thomas with a hex, only she would fail because her magic isn’t that hot and because she is drunk enough to even think of trying it. Because she is drunk, the hex would backfire and she would walk around looking hideously until Thomas helps her to undo the curse - after he and everyone else had a laugh at her expanse.

Tag Time

My writing buddies are not on tumblr, so I can’t anyone by name, so instead it’s going to be everyone who wants to participate. 

[jirachio]

Tagged by @littledemondani! I tried to think of 10 interesting things I hadn’t said before but it took so long to think about that I ended up forgetting. Oops.

1. I save all the postcards and cards I get. Almost all of them are from my Grandma.

2. I technically have two half-sisters as well but I always tell people I only have two brothers

3. I am currently sick :( I hope I get better soon

4. I really like reading webcomics. Most of them have really good stories

5. I was planning on making some edits but then I was sick and all I want to do is sleep.

6. Whenever I’m sick I eat top ramen. I add a spoonful of honey when I have a sore throat. It’s probably not the best thing to eat while sick but it makes me feel better.

7. My best friend says I have a talent for poetry. I think I’m bad at it. Who could be right???

8. People think I’m a heavy sleeper which is sometimes true, but sometimes I just keep my eyes closed and hope the person who tried to wake me up goes away. 

9. My mom can only track her family to her great-grandparents. For some reason they refused to tell their children anything about their family so all we know for sure is they came from Mexico. No one seems interested in finding out more.

10. My dad had a cousin who managed to track their family lineage to like the 1800s. She’s disappeared and no one can find her so we don’t know if she ever went further back. I’d like to try to figure out how far back my dad’s and mom’s families go someday.

It’s kinda late and I’m tired so tagging whoever comes to mind first:

@livinglike-itssummer, @fangirlingtodeath513, @amaranthinecastiel, @devsfan55, @punkocelot

I know more people than this but I can’t remember their names so I’m going to sleep (ノ・∀・)ノ

[for-gold-and-glory]

Weekly Events for Sept 2nd - Sept 8th

Here are some events G&G Members will be involved in during the week. Or just events that I think are really cool and you should definitely go to. If you’re interested in joining these events just show up or send a message to Aegir, Lirilith, or Aedwen Or join our discord: https://discord.gg/dCRSWTx

Monday -  World of Light: The Definition of Insanity Pt 2 @ 8:00pm EST - Il Mheg Tuesday- Happy Gyuki Healing Clinic @ 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST - Shirogane W10, P25 Wednesday- Bountiful Chest Tavern @ 9:00pm - 11:00pm EST - Goblet W6, P5 Thursday - World of Light: The Definition of Insanity Pt 3 @ 8:00pm EST - Il Mheg Instance 2 Friday - Ceruleum-1 Magitek Racing League: The La Noscea Invitational @ 8:30pm EST -  Moraby Drydocks Saturday - World of Light : The Quest for Forbidden Knowledge @ 3:00pm EST - Cabinent of Curosity, the Crystarium - Instance 1 Sunday - A Lion Among Men @ 4:00pm EST @ TBA Sunday -  World of Light: The Return of Heroes @ 8:30pm EST - The Wandering Stairs Crystarium, Instance 1

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Monday -  World of Light: The Definition of Insanity Pt 2 @ 8:00pm EST - Il Mheg - Having dispelled the fae runes obscuring the Jotunn Fortress, the Sinners proceed further into Il Mheg, into a territory even their guides had never stepped foot in. The castle of the the Jotunn Thiassi is set with traps and mysteries, hardly a warm welcome for guests bearing gifts, but what choice do they? Time is running out for Rio, Seth, and Lorna. Notes: This plot will replace the G&G weekly for the time being. Handle the time bubble as you want! ICly, the entire plot takes place over the first half of the summer. This will lead us into the First for additional RP. Everyone is welcome to join at any point. Alts/test characters welcome. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Adventure GM: Aegir Tuesday- Happy Gyuki Healing Clinic @ 8:00pm - 11:00pm EST - Shirogane W10, P25 https://for-gold-and-glory.tumblr.com/post/187473028215/fustuarium-balmung-happy-gyuki-healing-clinic -The Happy Gyuki Healing Clinic is a free clinic sponsored by the Garlean embassy, held in the friendly and neutral location of Shirogane. Because the Empire cares about you.Our team of imperially trained medicus offer the latest in cutting edge medical assistance both surgical and aetherial for all of our patience needs. Your privacy and comfort is our greatest concern, though we do ask for some basic information regarding your medical history and identity, you can be assured that your answers are absolutely confidential. Feel comforted and reassured by our 24-hour staff of armed security guard whose sole purpose is to ensure you safety and please be prepared to relinquish all weapons at the security checkpoint at the entrance. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Medical RP GM: Aegir Wednesday- Bountiful Chest Tavern @ 9:00pm - 11:00pm EST - Goblet W6, P5 https://for-gold-and-glory.tumblr.com/post/187472041740/balmung-bountiful-chest-tavern-september-4th -  Welcome to the Bountiful Chest, the Gold and Glory Adventuring Company’s premier restaurant and lounge! Situated in the Goblet, we are just around the bend from prosperous Ul'dah, and situated to serve not only the most humble of adventurers, but the most illustrious and prosperous of the elite!Originally a hunter’s tavern, the Monetarist brothers Anthony and Maximillian Crawford have transformed this once-humble establishment into a glittering jewel to mirror their beloved Ul'dah. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Tavern GM: Lepus Hominem Thursday - World of Light: The Definition of Insanity Pt 3 @ 8:00pm EST - Il Mheg Instance 2 - Time’s up!  The Sinners have reached the throne room of the Jotunn fae and begin an audience with him. But it would seem they were too late. Rio, Lorna, and Seth are suffering the final effects of the curse. But they have the Golden Apples. Will that be enough to save them? Meanwhile, things are staring to heat up back at the Crystarium... Notes: This plot will replace the G&G weekly for the time being. Handle the time bubble as you want! ICly, the entire plot takes place over the first half of the summer. This will lead us into the First for additional RP. Everyone is welcome to join at any point. Alts/test characters welcome. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Adventure GM: Aegir Friday - Ceruleum-1 Magitek Racing League: The La Noscea Invitational @ 8:30pm EST -  Moraby Drydocks https://for-gold-and-glory.tumblr.com/post/187017482085/sylastair-ceruleum-1-magitek-racing-league-the -  The La Noscea Invitational is the first pre-lim racing event of the season, gathering racers and mechanics from each of the Ceruleum-1 league’s teams. The La Noscea Invitational is known for its risky course design, with wild turns near high cliffs and wild goobbues who are not fond of racing at all! Status: Open RP, please check the link! Type: Tournament GM: Sylastair Saturday - World of Light -  The Quest for Forbidden Knowledge Pt 2@ 3:00pm EST - Cabinent of Curosity, the Crystarium - Instance 1 - Armed with a marvelous bribe, the Sinners enter the Cabinet of Curosity and offer to trade the Professors collection for a glimpse of the Book of Shadows, however the book may not be what they’re really looking for. And there might be some shadows in the basement of the Cabinet that the Sinners even darker than the secrets inside the book they seek. Notes: This plot will replace the G&G weekly for the time being. Handle the time bubble as you want! ICly, the entire plot takes place over the first half of the summer. This will lead us into the First for additional RP. Everyone is welcome to join at any point. Alts/test characters welcome. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Adventure GM: Aegir Sunday - A Lion Among Men @ 4:00pm EST @ TBA https://fustuarium.tumblr.com - With the successful start of the S.T.E.L.L.A. initiative, Castrum Aquilonis has seen increased activity, its taskforce sent far and wide in the service of the Empire’s best interests. Still, no soldier is made of steel, and respite is needed even in the busiest and most trying of times. The brave officers of the IIIrd Legion are no exception to this.With their esteemed Tribunus, Leonis sas Kathrana, reaching his 40 years of dedicated service in the Empire's name, a banquet is being thrown in his honor. For this occasion, loyal men and women of the Empire are cordially invited to partake of the celebration, that all may appreciate a brief solace from the current war. Note: This event will act as a prelude to the next S.T.E.L.L.A. plot! Status: Open to loyal imperials! Type: Social GM: Rafailleur Sangmarche Sunday -  World of Light: The Return of Heroes @ 8:30pm EST - The Wandering Stairs Crystarium, Instance 1 - Returning to the Crystarium, the Sinners discuss what they’ve learned in their recent travels and once again go over their goals. The missing members of their parties. The Jotunn’s whos magic brought them here. The plague of Light. And the presence of Delta that torments them. But it would seem there are problems even bigger than their own. A village under attack... a churning skies... Notes: This plot will replace the G&G weekly for the time being. Handle the time bubble as you want! ICly, the entire plot takes place over the first half of the summer. This will lead us into the First for additional RP. Everyone is welcome to join at any point. Alts/test characters welcome. Status: Open RP, please join us! Type: Adventure GM: Aegir

[dangerouscrusadefire-blog]

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

"My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://insureinfo.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

RELATED QUESTIONS: 

Recommendations of car insurance for someone who is an experienced driver but it is their first cover?

My husband has held a driving licence for 10 years. We don't own a car and never have done as we couldn't afford it but fortunately we lived in London so we had good use of public transport. Over this time we have rented a car numerous times and have driven all over England up and down motorways and country roads plus on all our annual holidays abroad. In addition, we have loan of a car for 7 months every year of a family member who goes abroad for the winter (and are on their insurance). We've just moved out of London and have now bought a car but when we've got quotes for insurance (looking at direct quotes as well as websites as via GoCompare) they are expensive ranging from 715 - 1695! When we called up a few insurers to find out why it is this high, they say it's because it's the first insurance he has had and it looks like he's an inexperienced driver. They say that they need proof of his experience to be able to bring the premiums down however when we say we have proof of him being on the family member's insurance as well as being able to show previous car hire rentals they won't accept this. I was wondering if anyone had any advice or know of any insurance companies they'd recommend for situations like this. Many thanks.""

Who has the cheapest auto insurance in California?

I have a second car that has been inop and I want to sell. I only need insurance for about a month.

How much is a teen's car insurance per month?

I am planning to get a 2004 Lexus is300. I know because it is a luxury car, the insurance will be a little higher, but the car is 10 years old...I am recently licensed, a female, and I have a 4.0 gpa so I know I will have some discounts. I will be turning 18 in 6 months but will only be having my license for less than a year. So if any other teen, parent, or car insurance agent knows how much a teen's car insurance would be for a 10 year old luxury car (specifially Lexus), please help me out by letting me know!""

Can someone help me with an insurance question?

new driver no insurance live in ca, 20yrs old, i am considering of buying kia rio my monthly car payment will be around $169. can u give me an estimate of how much my insurance will be.""

Need help finding affordable health insurance for a 1 year old baby boy in Nebraksa or Iowa?

Please help

Car insurance price comparison?

I'm 17 and possibly getting my own car, but my parents are concerned about the price difference between getting added on as a driver to one of their cars and being a sole driver on my own. We use geico, and i would be getting a used 1998 honda civic. message me if more information will help""

Cheapest car insurance in Florida?

I need the cheapest car insurance possible for my husband who rarely if EVER drives. His license is suspended, so I drive everywhere (except an extreme emergency), but since we are married, Geico insists we pay for both to be insured. Anyone get around this or find a great insurance company that could get me some reasonable rates in FL?""

Can I find a good Texas Health Insurance Agent Online?

I am looking for a good agent that will look out for me an my situation. Not just sell me the plan that will make him the most commission. I recently bought health insurance from Reserve National of Oklahoma and I foud out because I paid my premiums by the year my agent made big bucks. I also found out they are not major medical insurance. I want an agent that will look out for me and show me all the different options. I am 55 my wife is 53 and we are in good hape and take no medications. We are looking for Texas Major Medical Catastrophic Health Insurance. I would like to hear from people with expereience and not a bunch of agents. So if you're an agent please don't bother to respond.

Best Ways to Reduce Car Insurance?

I found this article on ForbesAutos.com about best ways to reduce my car insurance. Is this true? http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/toptens/ten-ways-to-lower-your-car-insurance.html?partner=yahooa

Suggestions on how to lower my car insurance?

I drive a 1.8 TurboDiesel Ford Escort from 1995, worth about 500-750. I'm looking to renew my car insurance and the best quote I can get from price comparison sites and Direct Line is over 650! This is at the age now of 27 having driven for 3 years without tickets, accidents or claims. On my 1st year I paid under 400 for insurance. I know insurance is going up but this is excessive - anyone have suggestions on ways to knock this down other than ringing them all up, or other insurers not on the comparison sites?""

I'm under 18 do i need insurance after i get my license?

I live in FL But i don't have a car. am i insured under my parents or do they need to pay for me when i get it.

Will my children from a previous relationship get my husbands insurance?

basically myself and my 2 children were on food and medical assistance and i am now off it, i will be starting to get new insurance through my husbands work and so will our child in common...but i have 2 children from a previous relationship. im not sure if they will need to have my insurance or if they will still qualify for the government medicaid since there father pays child support.""

Where can I add my name to health insurance waiting list and what are average waiting times?

In our state we imposed rent controls 10 years ago to help the poor with more affordable housing, and apartments available for rent disappeared from the market for some mysterious reason. I spent 6 years on a waiting list and still my turn never came. To tell you the truth almost all vacancies are filled either through bribes or nepotism. One week ago our Governor imposed price controls on health care insurance premiums to help the poor with more affordable health care, and policies available for purchases disappeared from the market for some mysterious reason.""

Will conservatives send back the refund on their health insurance to protest the Affordable Care Act?

Americans all across the country are receiving refunds from their health insurance providers (mine was $166). Included with the checks are letters explaining that the refund is the result of the Affordable Care Act. The Act requires health insurance companies to spend at least 80% of every dollar received on actual health care (I.e. not on administrative costs or CEO salary). Companies who fall below that cutoff must refund the difference to their policy holders. Will conservatives who receive such a refund send it back to protest the Act?

WHERE CAN I FIND THE CHEAPEST AUTO INSURANCE WITH A DUI ON MY RECORD?

I GOT A DUI A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND I AM ABLE TO GET MY LICENSE BACK LATER THIS MONTH. WHO HAS THE CHEAPEST INSURANCE? I LIVE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THANKS

How do I find health insurance for myself as an individual?

I am currently a sophomore in college, and I really hate student insurance, as it covers and pays for almost nothing, and doesn't include dental. Where do I go if i need to get a different provider?""

How much would a car insurance agent in alberta be expected to make?

How much would a car insurance agent in alberta be expected to make?

What kind of car insurance for a adapted van?

Ok I have a 1993 Dodge Caravan. I am disabled so it has a ramp that is let out and brought back in. It has disabled hand controls and a drivers seat that raises and lowers and turns around.. just a bit more than your average seat does now-a-days.. this van was adapted when it was made.. so i have no receipts on the modifications or anything.. i could get an estimate from a local store that deals in strictly handicapped equipment.. how do i properly insure this van? I need to make sure that if it is ever totaled that i dont get just blue book. since i have to have a adapted van (i live in a rural area and there is no dependable handicapped public transportation) i have the permanent general insurance now, with a $1000 on the custom equipment. but i worry thats not enough or maybe even doesnt cover my handicap adaptions. the agent with them was snappy, rude, and didnt know anything.. ugh! what company should i go to? what do i need to have in my policy? help! i keep getting all this bad advice from the insurance companies because no one knows what to do!!!""

""Can I get a refund of life insurance premiums I paid? I set up a $100,000.00 life insurance policy?

August 2009. Monthly premiums were deducted automatically from my checking account. recently I had to change my checking account number because someone got access to my banking info. and made unauthorized deductions. This in turn caused my monthly insurance premiums from getting paid. The insurance Co. requested a substantial fee to reinstate my policy I cannot afford this fee can I get a refund of premiums paid and cancell the policy?

""Car insurance, Help!?""

I crashed my car into another car, both card sustained minimal damage, I just payed for my car to be fixed without consulting my insurance, is this illegal? And furthermore could I settle a money agreement with the guy I crashed into? is this all legal? Also if the guy decided to go through insurance would someone come inspect my car or inspect his... Basically what would the whole procedure be? I haven't contacted him yet""

Where can I find affordable but a very good individual vision insurance plan?

I've check out VSP but I'm not sure if it's the best and only choice out there for me. I also live in Pennsylvania if that helps out any.

I need to know if there is any College to learn Insurance in the World.?

any Insurance Instituet or College in the World

Is it possible to get heath insurance in the US w/ a pre-existing condition I was born with?

I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and we get free heath care. But I'm moving to California for school in a little while, and I have a few questions about heath insurance. I was born w/ a serious heart condition that required several surgeries and will probably require even more in the future. Is it possible for me to get heath insurance w/ a pre-existing heath condition like that?""

How much would it be to give birth in California without insurance?

I live in the sf bay area and I work under the table... I don't have insurance, but I do have a membership at Kaiser Permanente because of my parents before I got married... I'd also like to know how much are sonograms and things that fall in check ups... Thank you""

How does a Deductible on car insurance work?

Is it a good idea to have one on my car insurance ? And if i have one will my payments go up each month?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

Double dipping auto insurance in Texas?

My car was hit by another driver, his fault. My auto insurance company paid for my car to get repaired and the at fault drivers' insurance cut me a check after wards. Now my auto insurance company says I owe them due to double dipping. What can I do about this situation?""

Does anybody know where i can get very cheap car insurance?

i am a 17 year old driving who own a Tax Exempt Landrover. I have been quoted 3000 just about everywhere. I know that this should not be the price for a car made in 1972. could anybody help?

Can a sprinter Van/Cargo Van converted qualify for RV insurance?

My understanding is that RV motorhome insurance is cheaper than that of a car. What if i own a sprinter van and i convert it into a motorhome, can it qualify for RV insurance? I have zero knowledge in this stuff so bear with me.""

Looking for car insurance in Michigan?

im 19 years old and me and my girlfriend are looking for an apartment together and we need car insurance. i looked around and cheapest i could find is about $200 for plpd. where should i look? is there any chance i can get it around 100?

Where can I get affordable health insurance?

I am a full time college student, and my school offers insurance, but it is expensive. I need basic health care to cover doctors visits, specialist visits, and x rays. The main reason I need coverage is that my back is messed up from a car accident about a year and a half ago and I can't take the pain anymore. I went to my states website and the insurance they offer is currently not accepting applications. I have looked at tons of sites online, but so far am having no luck. Any advice would be appreciated.""

What is the cheapest way to get insured on a Ford Fiesta 1.2 for an 18 year old?

Hey, I just passed my driving test and the trouble is insurance :( I've found the perfect car for me which is a Ford fiesta 1.25 studio, 2006 model which has done 49000 miles and is valued at 3800 pounds. The insurance is nearly triple the amount of the car which is something I simply cannot pay. I was considering coverbox or insure the box but I'm not too sure. I've been researching online for a good few months now and all price comparison websites and insurers' websites seem to be suggesting the same price. So please if you know how to get cheap car insurance for a 18 male who has 0 months no claims, I would appreciate your help :)""

What kind of insurance can I get on just personal property?

My mom owns an old mobile home that she can't get insured. We are wanting her to get insurance on her personal possessions though just in case but I can't find an insurance policy for her. We live in Oklahoma. I know she can't get a renters policy because she owns the home. Any suggestions are appreciated.

""How to find old life insurance policies in vermont, montpelier?

one million dollar life insurance policies

Can I get Car Insurance in Texas without a D-License?

Can I get car insurance without a license. I'm located in Texas. Is there ways around to do it?

Can a part time student get health insurance at a discount?

I am 30 years old, diabetic, currently living in South Korea as an English teacher. I am considering returning to America, becoming a part time student, and getting a part time job teaching ESL in California. Can I get discounted insurance at age 30 for being a part time student?""

What are california's car insurance laws?

Im a new driver and was wondering if its a type of insurance i need. I only have Liability on my car nothing else am i ok if i get pulled over and asked for proof of insurance??

Is there a list of rankings of top car insurance companies? What is a good car insurance company?

I'm shopping for car insurance and want to look for reviews of all the major companies out there. I want competitive prices, but good customer service is top priority, such as not trying to find a way out of paying me if I have an accident and not raising my rates without my knowledge like some companies are rumored to do.""

Cheapest auto insurance for a teen?

im 18, got a used car, and now need insurance to drive it. my family has AAA auto and if im added to that ill be paying 2k a year. i also work at target and might get a discount on metlife or travelers but i cant get quotes online and also think it wount beat the adding on plan. is there any good autoinsurance or should i just be added on parents?""

My car insurance in RI?

I have car insurance in Rhode Island and my son lives with me. When I went to lower my coverage I found that my son had been included in the policy as a driver. I do not let him drive my car at all and they said that since he is licensed and living with me he is automatically included in the policy. This sounded to me as so much hogwash and I hope that someone can fill me in on this weird rule.

Car Insurance question reguarding the color of the car?

I wanted to know if buying a red or black car will make you car insurance go up? or will it make it higher? Im looking in to buying a red car and lots of people are tell me that if i buy a red car that my insurance will go up. Is this true? like what it the percentage of this? Can some one explain this theory to me?

Who has the cheapest auto insurance policies in Pennsylvania?

I'm purchasing a '97 GTI VR6. I don't have insurance, because I currently own no other vehicles. What would everyone recommend as far as a decent and affordable auto insurance policy? I'm 19 years old. No accidents and no tickets of any sort. Thanks in advance!""

Car insurance changes depending where you live?

My sister has had a car for awhile now that was given to her by a family member, and she had her insurance and all set up and she was fine. We moved pretty much across the street but when you cross this street you live in a different town, the borders are in the middle of the road. So she called to change her address and they charged her 30 some odd dollars cause apparently the costs of living in this down is higher on your car insurance, so can anyone please explain to me why this is? Why would moving from one town to another, [across a road] take any effect on car insurance?""

I need cheap car insurance!!?

i am 18, i have a 1990 accord worth about 1700, and ive been driving for 4 months now, no tickets or problems, i need some cheap car insurance since my dad wont insure me with his company.... i just need some cheap *** company, i dont really care if they dont really cover well. i live in California, in the southbay. is there any cheap insurance such as those little cheap looking stores you would see around your city?? the ones that have banners that say they offer insurance as low as 22 a month??....have in mind that i just need something so i can drive since i need it by law.""

Classic car insurance?

I am looking at buying a classic car but i don't know where is best for classic car insurance.

In Michigan do you need to keep full coverage on your motorcycle even if it is in storage when you have loan?

You get your full coverage on the motorcycle when you purchase it but winter comes and you have the insurance company reduce it to storage insurance. Can you do that and if you can is the insurance company required to let the title holder know of the insurance coverage change?

Car Insurance Fine costs driving without insurance on one car but had 3rd party on another?

Being a bit stupid I didnt relise I had to inform my insurance company that I changed cars and was stopped by the police for no insurance even though they proved that I had insurance on my previous vehicle 3rd party whic

Car insurance question!?

Sorry of his sounds dumb, but I'm 15 and want to get a car. When a kid gets his or her liscense does the insure cost more or the same if they have their own car or not? Let's say kid a has a liscense but no car so she uses her parents car every once in a while. Kid b has her own car. Which insurance would cost more or would hey be the same? (just assume they both had he same exact car and grades)""

Does my liability insurance cover my new car ?

I'll buy an used car from San Francisco, CA. I'd like to drive it to Los Angeles CA (in same day) and then wanna do all the paper works in LA..Does my current AAA liability insurance cover this trip?""

""Insurance,if I buy a car and get my dad to registered keeper and owner and he insures it wi me as main driver?""

Is this legal their is a space on go compare ask n who the main driver would be ive got dr10 ins10 twice lc20 All from 2008 so cheapest quote is 5k. My dad also has his car too with 8 yrs no claims so idea is to insure my car registered in his name with the 8 yrs no claim s wi me as main driver and insure his car without no claims bonus got a quote on go compare 1000 for my car wr dad as registered keeper me as main driver and he would have to pay on his own car with no claims bonus not on should still b cheaper than , ,5k help!""

Cheapest auto insurance rates?

i dont care what is covered and whats not, i don't care if i have a damn five thousand dollar deductible, i just want to be legal! How can this government mandate that we all must purchase insurance with some ty[e of non-inflated public option. Please answer the first question, and not the second...""

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

How does health insurance work?

and a family doctor? like if i went to a checkup insurance pays for me what does that mean

How much would insurance for three months cost?

I'm in a sport, wrestling, and i need insurance for at least three months soon. If you know how much insurance like that costs for a company like choc, that would be great because that's where I got it from last time, also i prefer it to be cheap""

What insurance company insures Bugatti Veyrons?

I bought a bugatti about 2 months ago and everytime I get pulled over by the cops i get a ticket for no insurance and I can't find a company that covera my cars! Help please

How to get young drivers car insurance down?!... HELP :(?

Hey, Im 19 and passed my test in july. Ive finally saved up enough to buy my first car and im looking at buying something around 1000-2000. Only thing im struggling with now is finding affordable car insurance. The cheapest ive been quoted is 2,500 a year, but im hoping to get it cheaper! Anyone any tips on how to get it down? .. would it work out cheaper if i went on my mums policy when she renews it later this month or would that not make any difference. Arggh this is so stressful!""

Question about health insurance?

My fiance got a job that has health benefits but I dont have health benefits, so how can I get onto my fiance health insurance and how much would it cost??....""

I need help with car insurance !?

i am a young driver and i am am hoping to go on my mothers insurance but only for 3 or 4 months as i am going uni soon, i wanted to know how flexible it is to go on her insurance and them remove my self, what are the financial implications this may cause ? i already know it may cause the premium to increase but will this premium decrease back to her existing premium once i am taken off the insurance ? i would also like to pay monthly while i am on the insurance as i am likely to be quoted 1000+ for the year! so after 3 months payment i will take my self off- if this is possible once i am taken off the insurance will my mums premium go back down as she currently only pays 350 for the year please help i know this sound complicated but i will be grateful for any feedback""

What retro car do you recommend for a high school aged driver?

im learning to drive soon and im a person who likes retro stuff so my car has to be around the 60s, 70s, or early 80s. my parents gave me a limit of $12,000 but it'll be okay if it's a bit more since i'll be having a job also. im gonna be a beginning driver and im a girl so the car has to be very safe. btw, do you happen to know how much insurance is gonna cost in southern california for a young driver like me?""

Does ca auto insurance cover motorcycles?

Like, as long as you have some form of insurance is it okay whether it is for cars or motorcycles? I have auto insurance for my car, do i need seperate insurance for a motorcycle?""

Car insurance estimate for a 18 year old?

Does anyone have an idea of what car insurance would cost for a 18 year old insuring a '92 Isuzu Rodeo? I've gotten one speeding ticket (10km over) in the past year. And I don't have a specific insurance company I'm asking about, just in general. Thank you!""

I NEED HEALTH INSURANCE FAST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

i'm a 19yr old female, in california. i work part time at a retail store...i think i may have asthma, and i need to get to a dermatologist fast, cuz of my acne problem...nothing seems to be helping me...not even proactiv. but i don't have any health insurance!!! plz help me!!! i need to go to the doctors fast, cuz i have suffered an asthma attack recently and it completely freaked me out cuz i couldn't breathe...and my acne is getting worse. other than that, i think i'm fairly healthy...i'm 5'7, and weigh 140 pounds.... plz help me!!!!!!!!!! i need like the most affordable health insurance out there!!!""

""Car insurance help quick, Best answer will be Given!?""

Okay say i set up my car insurance at like 12:00 in the afternoon on a sunday, how long until om covered, straight away, Few days? or.. Please help!""

How much is it going to cost me a year for car insurance?

i will be 16 in august my car is a chevy cavalier im not sure of the year does anyone know how much it would cost a year for car insurance ?

Which insurance companies will let me drive other cars whilst fully comp at 21?

Which insurance companies will let me drive other cars whilst fully comp at 21?

Life insurance for 18 year old?

My daughter will be 18 this year & she wants to know if she needs life insurance. She lives at home with us,is in 6th form at school (UK) & has no responsibilites like mortgage etc.She has a Saturday job so does work. It doesn't sound like she does, but my husband & I are not sure. Any advice? Thanks.""

Who offers the cheapest auto insurance?

Who offers the cheapest auto insurance?

Is $$ 785.00 a year to much for Full-Coverage car Insurance ?

It's A.A.A. Insurance. My Honda car is 10 years old. With just 84,500 miles on it. --------------------------- (Such Low Milage cause I only drive 450 miles to 500 miles per month.)""

How much auto insurance do I need?

How much auto insurance should I get for a 1999 Ford Escort that is already paid for. I have insurance now but it is 660 dollars a year and that sounds like way too much for an 11-year-old car.

What is the difference between PIP and Medical Coverage?

I am trying to educate myself on how car insurance works and I found these 2 different kinds of coverage, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and regular Medical Coverage. The way I have seen them both defined is almost identical. What are the differences between these 2, can you get them both, and if so what benefits would having both policies have? Thanks!""

How does car insurance work?

Okay, I'm 17 and I'm getting my first car this summer, maybe June. Thing is, I am only going to have my car from this June until March or April of 2009. The reason for that is that I'm moving to Mexico on one of those months. I would actually have liked not to buy my car now but I'm going to have to because where I live, there's absolutely no public transportation. (I live in the northern part of Texas.) I graduate high school in a couple of weeks and need to get to and from work. Up to now I had been working but work was pretty close and my aunt (which I live with) gave me rides. She's getting a job now too so I can't really be dependant on any one and I don't want to at all either. My big question here is... when I get my car, does car insurance come with a contract or something? I won't be here for a year so if it does, what's the minimum plan available? I will also be with my aunt's insurance so I will be included in their plan or however that works..""

Car insurance?

My auto insurance has expired and I'm kinda looking for a new car insurance. I can extend the previous car insurance, but I just want to know about other car insurances as well so that I can make a good choice. I took a look at many car insurance company websites, but it seemed like I need to put all my personal information (not only about my car and my email address but also my home address, phone# etc) to get a quote. I'm worried that maybe they would send me all kinds of junk mail kinda stuff to my house if I put my address on the form to get a quote. Do you know any good ways of getting a quote without telling them my personal info? Any recommendation which car insurance company is good? Btw I've never got into any car accidents so I just need a cheap auto insurance. I drive '83 caddi.""

I need a cheap insurance company.?

My friends problem: Well my mom decides that im not going under her insurance today, meaning I have 4 days to find a cheap insurance company and get my car insured. If anyone could tell me what they drive and how much they pay and what company it would be greatly appreciated.""

Will a B average my freshman year apply to an auto insurance discount?

I had a 3.2 last year (my freshman) year, and as of now I have about a 2.5. I'll be getting my car soon, so if I can't bring it up by then, will they accept last year's GPA so I can get a 10% discount?""

Insurance and mental health treatment?

I work for the state of Texas and sign up for health select insurance will it cover MHMR treatment for depression?

Can you get your Lexis-Nexis insurance score?

I recently got a quote for auto insurance, and the company said they used Lexis-Nexis insurance score - am I entitled to get a copy of this report for free? If anything on it is wrong, can I have it changed?""

Is This Right? (Retinal Detachment/Cataract/Lens/Insur... Question)?

Let me make a very long story short and get right to the questions. I have moved across the United States by myself at the age of 20 with no insurance covered by my parents, nor will they ever if they could. I had a retinal detachment in my left eye. Paid out of pocket for an eye doctor appointment, he freaked out and told me to go straight to the emergency room for emergency surgery since my entire retina was detached. After my surgery, half unconscious too, a social worker got assigned to me because I was under 21 and legally dependent on the state. So the state paid for my surgery. I had a 2nd one too because the first failed. During my 2nd surgery I had cataracts in my eye so they removed the natural lens. And they never replaced the natural lens since they feared the retina may detach again like the first time. But it stay together and I turned 21. So therefore, legally independent by the state. My check up appointment was after my birthday which the front desk of the eye section declared I must pay $80 for every check up visit, which they wanted me to come in every other week. And if I did not pay, I could not go in. Due to my 6 months of surgeries and recover time I had no money, and was not working. I live with my in-laws, and they were taking care of me, but they are certainly not going to pay my medical bills. So here I am now, age 22 and I have been working for about a year. My job does not offer health insurance until you worked for a year, and even then, there is a certain month you can sign up. I have been walking around for over a year without a natural lens, or ANY lens in my left eye. This is in no way like being blind. My doctor had told me that if I got my license and drove, if ever in an accident, I would get in serious trouble because you are not supposed to drive this way. Not that I do, I cannot see correctly so it is wicked dangerous. Having no lens in one eyes messes with your other eye. Hard to explain unless you have literally had this situation before. Sunlight glares into my bad eye, then into my good eye. Same with darkness or bright lights in general. I am actually very blind at night because of this. This is literally ruining my life. I have no money to pay for insurance, or the surgery which can be easily be 10,000 dollars. Is this legal for a county hospital to do? I have never heard of anyone in my situation. Even the thousands of times I have googled and searched. Never heard of anyone in my shoes. What are my rights here? Is there some way I can fight this? Where is my justice? This is holding me back so badly in life. Please someone with real help and not a crappy site they copy and pasted, help! I need some real human help!!""

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

How expensive can i expect the car insurance for this car to be?

Car insurance for a 27 year old with 3 years driving experience( that i can prove xD) on a brand new Porsche Boxster S

How much would i have to pay for insurance driving a small ninja 250r? I'm only a teen...but i love bikes.?

Im a 16 year old guy who will soon get his drivers license, but quite frankly im not too thrilled about being able to drive. I love driving and all, but i really enjoy riding a bike. I used to ride motocross too. I had a kx100 until my parents had to sell them because of their divorce. I used to ride with my dad on his ninja zx11, and i had the best time on it. He always told me insurance would be sky high for someone my age if i were to have, say, a cbr 600f4 or something similar( i dont want a 1000, not now). He then told me a good first bike would be a 250 ninja or cbr. I thought they were kinda gay at first, but considering insurance and such i really am considering it. But first, i need to get some quotes...give me an average please i dont know what insurance my parents are on.""

Changing Insurance Carriers (auto)??

Hi! I've been insured with a well known company for 8-9 years. I have a clean driving record, and need to cut some costs. The gecko got to me! I recently got some new quotes, which are cheaper than my present carrier. I called my company and they will not lower their rate, so I'm thinking about changing to another company. Is there any loyalty factor at all, or should I just go ahead and change carriers? I was careful to be sure that the bids I got were for policies that exactly match what I have now...but I'm afraid of starting new, I guess. And, is there anything else I need to be concerned about? What do you think?""

Car insurance? Who is covered? Who is responsible?

Okay I had a question about car insurance... I am on my grandfather's car insurance plan- I live with my boyfriend. I believe I am the only one insured to drive the car....My boyfriend's mother and step-father don't have a car right now and often times ask to borrow my car- I've been letting them until it was brought to my attention that they may not be covered in that car? Does this mean I would be responsible for anything that happened? Or would they? If another car was at fault for the accident what would happen? Anyone know how this works?

Do you need insurance to register a car under your name?

Im a bout to buy a used car but im curious to know if you need insurance before the dmv can register the car under your name? thanks alot for taking the time to help me out, its all appreciated""

What companies offer dental insurance in california?

What companies offer dental insurance in california?

What happens if you get in a accident with no insurance?

I got in an accident today. It wasn't my car it was my moms, I gave the cop my license, registration, and insurance. However, I didn't know that the insurance was lapsed. It hadn't been paid. There wasn't any damage to the lady's car, and minimal damage to mine. Me and the women were getting ready to take off, but a cop came up, and said that because it was a main road, that we needed to fill out an accident report. She isn't gonna call her insurance company, but if she does, and they find out there wasn't insurance, are there fines to pay, do they take the car? I know I'll have to pay for whatever damages she may have on her car out of my pocket.""

Is it true that red cars cost more to insure?

I live in Oregon if that makes a difference.

Where can i buy cheap insurance for 13 years olds in Atlanta?

I Have a 13yr old and i need to get Cheap insurance for him to play.

""Would insurance be more expensive for a Nissan Sentra, or a Ford Fiesta?""

I live in Pa, either car I get will be financed. I got an offer for the Sentra for 72 Months for $275 a month, and the lowest car insurance for that would be $180 so far for that. I did not yet go out to look for a Ford Fiesta, but from what I hear they are less expensive on car insurance. I aparently have til Monday to give the Dealers my decision before the deal drops which I highly doubt , I think they were just telling me that to pressure me into making a quicker decision/mistake. Please give me your advise. Can they really only give me a certain amout of time for the offer? They claimed it had to do with other customers possibly taking any of the money toward loans from the banks... I am new at this stuff and what is more expensive to have insurance on?""

How much would insurance be for a first time driver thats 19?

im gonna buy a brand new 2012 volkswagen gli thats 25k and its my first car and was wondering what would the insurace cost monthly for me

I wrecked my motorcycle with no insurance in fl help?

So a year ago i wrecked my motorcycle, crashing into another car. I did not have insurance or a motorcycle Endorsement. I live in fl so im kind of familiar with the not at fault law. However the insurance company from the other party has sent a bill for 9k an request i pay it. Some people are telling me to ignore it an others are telling me to pay. Need help would be thankful. Im trying to be a firefighter paramedic an i do not want this to kill my chances. Thank you""

GTP vs Camaro Insurance?

Hey guys, Looking at a 95 Z28 Lt1 Camaro or a 01 Pontiac GTP, Which one would have the cheapest insurance? If you own one what are you paying?""

""Cheapest method for car insurance for 17 year old male, UK?""

hy guys, im 16 at the moment, and 17 in november and desperate to pass my driving test ASAP, which is the cheapest way to go about car insurance? ive heard vans insurence is cheaper? or going on parents insurance? im looking to get my own car, not to share my parents. please help me out guys! thanks x""

Do I need insurance to drive someone elses car?

I just got my license 2 days ago, I don't own a car so I was wondering if I can drive my moms friends car? He has insurance, but do I need insurance to drive that car? I don't have any insurance what so ever. But even though, is it still ok to drive someone elses car?""

""I am in the militarty and moved to another state, can I have my car insurance from my home state?

I am a resident of and my vehicle is registered in South Carolina and I am stationed in California. California's insurance is way higher than SCs. I would like to carry insurance from SC on my vehicle.

How much is motorcycle insurance?

For an 18 year old male with a streetbike, how much would insurance cost. I am just looking for a range because I plan to get a bike in the future and want to be prepared.""

Good cheap nice looking car for a 16 year old and easy to insure?

Good cheap nice looking car for a 16 year old and easy to insure?

What one would be cheaper for insurance and do you own a sports car if so how much on insurance is it for yo?

When I turn 16 I was thinking of getting a sports car and I was wondering what one would be cheaper for insurance would it be a 2004 mustang or a 2002 camaro or a 1974 challenger I live in nebraska in a small town we have the money to own one but I want to know what would be cheaper and how much it would cost yearly or monthly and If you own a sports car what kind and how much do you pay monthly

Can I move my car insurance now?

I am currently insuring my car with direct line and they are charging me 47 per month however I have just noticed that when i do an online quote with them- exactly the same cover as what I have its priced at 23 per month. Can I move my car insurance to a different company now or do I have to wait for the renewal date? If not why are they charging me so much more than their online quote? Also the cheeky gits charged me 60 to renew my address with them when i moved house....surely that can't be right??

I do not have any health insurance. Where can I find a psychiatrist to talk to in VA that is affordable?

I do not have any health insurance. Where can I find a psychiatrist to talk to in VA that is affordable?

Car Insurance Question?

I am a little under 15 and a half years old and my dad has debated and almost bought a lot of cars for me, from ford f650's to 1965 or higher mustangs and jaguars. but so far we have thought that the car that would be good for my first car would be a 1994 Ford Mustang with a V8 with 30k miles0. which is perfect because that was the year i was born. So my question is that since its a sports car and its V8 about how much would my insurance be when i could start driving by myself?/ insurance for the other kinds of cars/trucks?""

When do I need to get insurance when purchasing a car?

I'm going shopping this weekend for a new(used) car. I have current insurance on my car right now. If I end up getting a car this weekend can I wait until Monday to get insurance, or do I have to do it that day? I'm in California by the way. I asked the loan officer and she said something about me having 10 days to get it, but I've been reading otherwise. Thanks!""

Is Geico a good insurance company?

Is Geico a good insurance company?

When looking for car insurance..do I need a car to find car insurance?

I am planning on buying a cheap used car. I dont have it yet so I dont know the make and model yet. Also..is it better to say I got my license at 16? or at 22? Why do they ask all this? What is a good price for car insurance for a 22 yr old full time college student with a 2.98 gpa, im also a part time worker. i only make around 400 bucks a month. Can even afford it?""

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

My employer only pays for some of my health insurance. Am I allowed to deduct the remaining that I pay on my taxes?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/couple-questions-cars-insurance-brandon-carter/"

[missmaxime]

Thoughts on the Death flashbacks: Having rewatched the episode again I really do feel like these flashbacks are a lead-in to the end of Beth and Dean’s relationship. I think it’s important to note when the three flashbacks are placed in the episode: right before and or after we focus solely on Beth, like she is reminiscing these three moments in time with him. Times she has fond memories of for good reasons, but at the same time show us the cracks in their relationship that we still see now. What are these pivotal moments? - Beth meets Dean for the first time - Dean asks Beth to prom - Dean meets Beth in the hospital on Prom Night #1 Lead-in to this flashback is the moment just seconds before Beth meets Dean while he’s in jail. Everything between them is at an absolute low, there’s even physically a wall between them. I’m not surprised they counter their burned out relationship by the exact moment it once ignited. Beth tries to remind herself in this episode about the good moments, but I think it’s also very telling those are moment from the first months of when they met – and not, say, when they got their first apartment, or had their first baby, or got married. In the flashback Dean strikes up conversation with Beth while his buddies start a food fight at the diner (Dairy Queen) she works at – perhaps even with an ulterior motive of distracting her while they wreak havoc. He does so by asking for a refill for something ridiculous, because if you’re not Ikea who gives refills for ice cream? But he’s got her attention. And if that attention was genuinely geared towards wooing her he could even have gone the corny way of complimenting her eyes, or her bright smile – but he chooses to focus on the fact that she’s a cheerleader.

This gets interrupted by his friends getting into the food fight, and Beth calls out for him to say something to his friends. In answer he joins into the fight and runs off with said friends, leaving Beth to clean the mess. A little later he returns (and with this, he also doesn’t lose face with his friends) to charm her with an apology and helping her out to clean the mess him and his friends made. Which, as we know, has been a recurring theme between them way into the future. (Not to fangirl out to much about this, but I’m living for the fact that Dean calls her Elizabeth at first, but when she correct him to Beth he goes with that. While Rio called her Elizabeth from the start, and she never corrected him on that.) It’s not hard to see why Beth falls for Dean here, even if we can see the patterns because we know the Beth and Dean from decades later. He’s handsome, witty, popular, the quarterback – and he’s interested in her. Sees her. While he’s the one who made the mess, he cleans it up, telling her that ‘he’s got it’. Something he can do now with spilled food, but we know he can’t when messes become grown-up messes. After the flashback we’re back in the jail, looking at Beth’s reflection in the glass as she stares at herself before Dean takes place in front of her. He’s understandably hurt and upset her actions got him there (and even more because she admits Rio was a part of the scheme all along). Even her voicing a desperate ‘I love you’ doesn’t make him stay, he’s done with her. She says she’ll ‘Fix it’ like Dean promised her in the flashback, but he’s not having it. In the final shot we zoom out, framing Beth with darkness – counter to the flashback where we zoom in on her smiling face. #2 Leading up to the second flashback Phoebe questions Dean, and tries to bribe him with some packs of ramen to tempt him into selling out Beth. She talks about the cheerleader she used to be friends with in high school, and how she got tossed aside when the girl didn’t have any use for her anymore when her Fake ID got taken away. Phoebe talks about how the girl is like Beth, using people and tossing them aside when they’re tired of them – Dean knows very well that’s not Beth at all, not in the context of him at least. In the flashback Dean comes to Beth’s house, where we learn he’s been leaving her a lot of messages. This is 1991 so we’re on analog phone time, not giving Beth an opportunity to see some caller ID, so if she doesn’t want to talk to Dean I don’t feel like it’s weird that Annie answered the phone to hear who’s calling. Annie’s obviously not a fan of him, but we don’t know whether that is because they’ve had some sort of fight or whether she doesn’t like the idea of Beth having a boyfriend altogether. I think this flashback really shows how both Dean and Beth are people who are very image-focused people, albeit for different reasons. Dean arrives in a flashy red sportscar to enhance his popular quarterback persona, Beth chooses to have the conversation outside to shield the outside world from the dire situation on the inside. Again Dean focuses on how Beth is not there for him. He called her five times, but doesn’t ask if she has something going on, or if she’s studying hard for a test, or if any of her friends are in trouble. He states that ‘she hasn’t been to any of the games’ – HIS games, not even shifting it to ‘I didn’t see you with your squad’. It’s all about him. His ‘I thought we were cool?’ entices her to come up with an excuse, doubling down with a ‘I don’t want to be a dick’, even if he clearly already is. Annie steps out of the house, visibly sporting yet another injury (she had her arm in a cast in the 2x08 flashback) and asks Beth about their mom’s meds. Two things Dean could just ask about, even if it’s just a flippant ‘oh, is your mom sick?’ or ‘did that monster hurt herself?’ because both could be explanations on why Beth hasn’t called him back. Yet he ignores all this and goes back to making her feel bad by putting the blame on him, casually working in the ‘oh I was going to ask you to prom?’ in a way like don’t bother if you’re not interested. It’s so unromantic the way he drops this, yet Beth latches on immediately because it’s a chance to do some normal teen stuff for a change and who can blame her if her days are spend taking care of her mom, raising her sister, going to school in the day and working a job in the evening. It’s a tactic Dean keeps using on her as an adult. Scene that comes to mind is that Dean already packed his bag, admits that he cheated on Beth with Gayle, and she’s like - fine, maybe don’t leave. Back in the jail Beth waits for him, but Dean has left a clear message that he doesn’t want to see her. #3 First we watch the girls wait for Eric to get arrested, but we all know how disastrous that ends. Her plan to frame Dean’s friend for her wrongdoings falls through, she failed him. Which piles onto the guilt that Dean’s in jail in the first place. It’s then she searches her brain for a moment when he was there for her, when she truly started feeling that he was going to be her rock. Beth’s waiting in the hospital, she’s not panicked or worried, rather annoyed and tired like this is yet the millionth time she’s here because her mother needed her stomach pumped. We still don’t know for sure what’s going on with the mom, but from 2x08 we know she spends lots of time laying in bed and needs meds, the stomach pumping indicates overuse of a drug (most common alcohol) – I’m leaning to depression combined with substance abuse – but we don’t know for sure. We also learn that the dad is not in the picture, or no one to rely on in the very least. It’s just Beth and Annie. Dean bribed Annie to tell him where Beth is – it’s prom night and he came to pick her up to go to the dance. Now there’s more than one way to read this scene. The first way is that Dean is genuinely concerned about this whole ordeal and he wants to be there for Beth, which is definitely the way young Beth must read into this. Another part of me thinks there’s some self-interest from Dean mixed in as well. If he didn’t go to Beth, he’d go to the prom, dateless – embarrassing for our quarterback star. But helping out your girlfriend with her sick mom is a great excuse to avoid that situation. We know how upset Dean got about being wifeless at the Spa Competition, Beth’s an asset to his image, her not being there breaks his image down. And I’m not saying he’s not interested in her, but from all the conversations we’ve seen them have in the flashbacks none of it really revolves around how Beth is doing. From the start their relationship has been around transactions. Image, deeds, quid pro quo. Even if you can read the ‘do you want anything from the vending machine?’ and the ‘your sister took all my money’ as something fun, it’s yet another reminder that he paid for her time. That she owes him, even if she really appreciates him being there for her. Back to Beth in the car with Eric and the girls, where our girl looks more than unhappy. Like Dean paid Annie to see her, she’s paying Eric to see Dean. Granted the stakes are immensely higher, but the juvenile situation carries on into the presence. While Eric comes up with even more terrible plans Beth’s getting increasingly emotional – which still could be interpreted many ways but I think she realizes that the normal from back then, the happiness Dean provided to her, it’s never coming back – plans executed correctly or not. Dean might still be that guy, but she’s not that girl anymore. Eric talks about how he’s invisible, and how that changed when Dean became his colleague. How beforehand no one saw him as him, but Dean made him feel like he was part of the work crew, called him by his name – it made him feel seen, made him feel like a real person. And that’s of course exactly what young Beth was feeling – she didn’t feel like a real person because no one saw her as Beth the teenage girl. She’s a caretaker for her mom, a mother figure to Annie – a cheerleader to Dean. But in the memory she can recognize that he made her feel like a real person. Eric proposes that ‘They don’t make ‘em like Dean Boland anymore’. And they don’t for him. But Beth also knows that the feeling wears off, that at some point Dean Boland won’t like you anymore when you don’t play the part he signed on for. Eric’s giving up everything to be a loyal friend, like Beth has for over two decades to be his loyal wife. And while she’s technically still his wife, she’s not loyal like she used to be – not financially, physically or emotionally. She doesn’t need Dean anymore to make her feel like a real person. She’s her own real person. --- Beth comes home to Fitzpatrick lounging in her kitchen like he belongs there, helping himself to a cup of tea. Our girl is already on edge what with the father of her kids possibly spending years behind bars, her plans miserably failing, and now this douche want even more of her time. She’s done playing a part to get what she needs, so she goes right to the point. Fitz touches on that she wants more out of her life, which is true. Unfortunately for him Beth has come to the point that no man – not like Dean did in the flashbacks – will do that for her anymore. She’s the one steering the ship, not some guy anymore. But while all these flashbacks Beth is experiencing might put some things in a different light to her, it doesn’t scrub away what Dean made her feel. Because he is the father of her kids, they are what will forever link them together, the connection they both care about deeply regardless of whatever troubled feelings they have towards each other. She might not be a true wife to him anymore, but they are parents to the same children. Her dad wasn’t there for her, but there’s no reason why Dean can’t be there for his kids. ---- So all in all I actually really liked seeing the flashbacks, especially because we experience them through Beth, and how they parallel with the now. In the final scene we see Phoebe looking at the perfect Boland family picture, the perfect image that they both crafted together. But hidden on the backside are the lies and the deceit, yet also Beth telling Dean how to take care of said family. Because she knows she can’t trust him to take care of it, unlike when they were teens and when she’d like to believe he could. Their real personas are on the table, and they don’t like each other anymore, can’t trust each other anymore. To me the final scenes read like the only thing they can still be: parents. I have no doubt they both love their kids, and those four humans will always bind them together, regardless of their relationship status. Beth is giving Dean the only genuine thing she can: her trust as a mutual parent, and the opportunity to enjoy the love of their kids. But it’s laced with melancholy, this is what’s left in the ruins, these four good things. Everything else is gone, and I think they both realize this. 

[harpersplay]

4x12 Thoughts

You wouldn’t have to remind the audience that Annie & Beth are sisters if you threaded that throughout all the episodes and not only when you need it for DRAMA. Same with Ben & Beth interacting for the first time. Subtle.

Even with no Kevin in the episode, I appreciate the show’s commitment to mocking people experiencing homelessness. TWICE.

They are literally just having Rio repeat exact lines; like can’t even be bothered with his few sentences of dialogue.

The way that Dean & Beth use food with their children is so disturbing. Also, hilarious that they point out Beth is “raising 4 children” right before we only see the 3 that still exist. Plus, how the fuck do you brush your teeth while eating a sundae?

Why is Vance privy to these conversations!?!?!?! Why is he saying, “give us something we can use?” Did I miss that Vance is also his lawyer? SO MUCH FUCKING MISOGYNY IN THE TEXT THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT!

And for that anon who thought I was being contradictory about Dean & the show’s portrayal, look at this scene. Dean is shown to be reluctantly going along with Vance & Z. He is conflicted about turning on Beth. Because Dean’s still trying to save his marriage. Because Dean’s a “good guy” who is only reacting to being pushed to the brink by his awful bitch of a wife. THAT IS THE SHOW PORTRAYING DEAN IN NOT A POOR LIGHT. And at the expense of Beth’s character.

I have zero interest in Annie/Mick so all of that was whatever for me. Annie was being held in the freezer of the mini-mart, so why did she think the cashier wasn’t friendly to Mick and his criminal acts?

Nick calling Beth’s bluff was good. But it’s also just another instance of the show having the women bailed out (or attempted to be bailed out) by a man.

Talked about Nick & Rio here and here.

I HATE everything about Dean & Stan. I’ve hated it since the synopsis came out talking about their alliance. And I believe that Stan & Dean play fantasy football together as much as I believe that fortysomething Beth would go to a Beyonce concert. But it was interesting that Stan asked, “what’s their angle?” It has two meanings. The one Dean answered: what’s their angle to help you with your legal problems? And the one Dean didn’t: what’s their angle as in what’s in it for them to help you? And of course of course of course the show acts like Stan would get an ankle monitor too. Fuck off. He would be thrown in jail so fast.

More total dumbness for a scene/twist/moment. Anya knows who Ruby is. Why wouldn’t she tell that they are selling counterfeit bags? She is also in real estate. It would be to her advantage to report a building inspector that takes bribes. The women didn’t have to tell her the bag was fake or be there when Terry inspected. But instead of having them be smart, they give them these moments. And for what? To show the women “winning” over a woman who didn’t do anything wrong. Like Dorothy, she was just in the girls’ way, and to them that justifies fucking them over.

Ruby not saying anything to Beth’s “no boy’s gonna to break us up” was fucking bullshit. Beth crucified Ruby for even *considering* saving her family in S2. You know, when Stan was only in jeopardy because he stole the pencap that implicated Beth. And which Beth found out about because Ruby told her because she felt bad about it. Unlike Beth who only feigns contrition when she gets caught and who lies to Annie & Ruby all the time. So get the fuck out of here with this retcon nonsense. Ruby has been so biased during this entire Beth vs Stan shitshow and it’s only because Jenna & Co think men vs women is a clever theme, so they are doing it to all the relationships even if it doesn’t make sense.

[leffjuong-blog]

Unexpected Turbulence

This leg of the trip was going to be my first actual solo part of the trip. One with no friends and almost zero ability for myself to speak the local tongue. That is...until my parents decided to take a vacation to Vietnam around the same time and end just a few miles away from where I was going to stay. 

In Da Nang I tried getting through customs and things immediately went wrong. When I presented my E-Visa as a PDF on my phone the guy checking it immediately grabbed it from my hands and started walking back to where security was. Reluctantly following him I approached the group and they asked if I spoke Vietnamese but I just shook my head. You couldn’t convey a stronger look of apathy that these guys did once they found out I don’t speak Vietnamese.  I got the phone back and zoomed in on the E-Visa to a dude who appeared to be in charge came and but he just took my phone out of my hands again, this time rather forcefully. 

Aw crap. 

At this point I saw a few options playing out:

1) These guys take my phone, deny I ever had a Visa, and bribe me to get it back. 

2) They install some shit on my phone a la Mr.Robot and hack it for some unknown reason watching my every move.

3) I chill the fuck out and just let them do whatever it is they’re doing behind closed doors because I have a legit visa... right?

“Be careful in Vietnam, people are out to steal your money, rob you, and take advantage of you. It’s dangerous and you should not be travelling alone there.” 

The advice from my parents echoed endlessly in my head making option chill-the-fuck-out a bit harder to maintain as these guys pretty much didn’t seem to give a shit if I made it through or not. I check my clock and saw that 10 minutes went by. Then another 5. Then another 10. 

A man slowly opens the door from the mysterious room of potential-fuck-your-trip-up and hands me back my phone along with a printed version of my E-Visa. 

At this point I was doing my best to hold the literal brick in my pants and calmly walked back into the queue, this time making it through.

---

Now that my traumatic entry into Vietnam was over I can talk about the awesome stuff I got to experience. The city of Da Nang seemed very much like a hollowed out version of Ho Chi Minh City. Vast swathes of land between buildings housed skeletons of the future hotels that would soon entice more tourists solidifying Da Nang as THE resort town. On the beach I was literally one of just a handful of people lounging about and it was awesome. I was lucky to have the ‘private beach’ experience in such a beautiful place.

A seat under one of these umbrellas as 40,000 Dong which is just shy of $2 US.

The beach view reminded be a bit of the shores back in Rio De Janeiro. Except it lacked polluted waters, mass amount of foot traffic, and persistent salesmen slinging caiparinhas in your face (OK the last part makes 100% sense but they actually sell them at almost every bar here). My trip to Vietnam was meant to be 100% relaxation and recovery and if you look at the picture above I had all the space and time to do it.

Life is good, drinks are cheap, and although there’s not much to see in terms of eye candy I finally had the time to chill on my own terms. I hit the recliner on the chair and lean back with Mai Tai in one hand. As my head hits the cushion the table begins to vibrate. Who the heck is calling?

“Hello Jep? This is Dad. Where you at now boy?”

Don’t get me wrong. I love my parents. They’re super sweet and baby the crap out of me more times than I’d like to admit. But when you travel solo... well, you want it to be solo. You want to get lost a little. Find your way, make friends with locals, and potentially get detained at the airport because of VISA problems. Fearing for their eldest child’s safety they wanted to be within cab rides distance of me wherever I went and I had to keep reminding them that I took this trip to be on my own. It was then that I had a jarring thought.  Damn I’m being a shit son. How often am I really going to be able to take a trip with them anywhere during my life. They came out all this way to make sure I was OK and here I was attempting to avoid them like the plague. Letting my ego slide back for a bit I re-envisioned this as a trip to spend some quality time with Mom and Pop. 

On the last day in Da Nang I actually had a great talk with my dad. I brought up an idea I had with finding a way to make a business or foundation that can somehow help the people here. He argued vehemently that this was a terrible idea and that he absolutely did not approve. Fighting back I said that this was something very possible in this day and age. If I believe in the purpose there was a way. Prodding his reasoning in the argument he eventually told me he was scared shitless that I might literally get killed. The desperation in his voice caught my attention and it was then that I noticed how wide his eyes were. He was genuinely concerned that interfering in these sorts of things would lead to me disappearing. 

My dad lived during the days of the Vietnam war. He lost a brother, smuggled his family onto a overcrowded boat full of refugees, was raided by pirates, stranded on an island, and eventually rescued by a Mormons that adopted his entire family into their home in Salt Lake City. He relayed to me the fear he experienced during that time and even though he left out a lot of details it was obvious that he still carries these demons with him. 

I explained to him that those days were over. We live in a society now where technology has a greater reach and impact that has the ability to transcend governments. Never before could you do so much from the palm of your hands. In a show of bravado I explained to him how I have always been able to accomplish the things I felt passionately about. Becoming my city’s ambassador to Japan, raising a fraternity from the ground up into the top chapter within 3 years, and completely flipping my career 180 degrees from healthcare into tech, my voice was literally shaking from my own personal pride in these accomplishments. 

Dad definitely took notice. He said he was proud to know that I feel that way when I put my heart into things and that it made him think that he did one thing right to have raised a son with that level of conviction. The trembling breaths settled and the twitching in my hands evaporated. For the first time in my life I was finally able to really connect with my Dad.This was huge for me. 

Learning 4 languages in a broken fashion growing up we were never able to fully express our feelings to each other. Between the broken English-Village dialect and occasional Mandarin was a void where words fell short of their intended targets. Growing up I wanted to close that gap. But cultural differences and life as a first generation Asian American wedged more obstacles in between. I let this slip and forgot why I even wanted it in the first place. 

Interestingly enough, all it needed was two banh mi, a coconut, and 30 minutes with my Dad on a random street in the Vietnam. 

We flew out of Da Nang hours later. Leaving the city I realized I gave up some of the rest and relaxation I wanted but knew that I was coming back with something I didn’t think I’d be able to feel. I found the bridge over my gap and I’ll never lose sight of it again. 

[newstfionline]

Brazil’s Leaders See Way Out of Scandal: Amnesty

By Simon Romero, NY Times, March 15, 2017

RIO DE JANEIRO--The president is accused of running on a ticket that got millions of dollars in illegal donations. One of his closest allies in the Senate is, too. The same goes for some of their bitter enemies in Congress, creating a widening sense of panic across Brazil’s political establishment.

Now, with new revelations into illegal campaign donations continuing to drop, lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum in Brazil have come up with a plan.

They are scrambling to give themselves amnesty.

Politicians who often spend their time jousting with one another are frantically trying to advance legislation this week to shield lawmakers from jail time.

“We have a saying in Brazil: ‘When the jungle is in flames, the beasts unite,’ “ said Gil Castello Branco, the director of Contas Abertas, a watchdog group that tracks political corruption. “Well, the fire has been lit, and all these politicians want to do is save their own skin.”

The sprawling investigation into corruption around the national oil company, Petrobras, is entering an explosive new phase. Testimony by executives at one of the oil company’s largest contractors, Odebrecht, details hundreds of millions of dollars in under-the-table contributions to Brazilian politicians.

This week, Brazil’s prosecutor general requested new investigations into dozens of politicians based on plea-bargain testimony from executives at Odebrecht, a construction giant that was a major donor of illicit campaign funds.

The push for amnesty by lawmakers has set off widespread anger here in Brazil, a country with a long tradition of allowing corrupt politicians to remain in power.

But as Brazil reels from a protracted economic crisis and the turmoil left over from the ouster of President Dilma Rousseff last year, some politicians argue that amnesty is in the national interest.

With dozens of business moguls and politicians already going to jail for corruption, the nation still healing from Ms. Rousseff’s impeachment and removal, and the economy trying to make a comeback, the amnesty is needed, they argue, to prevent further upheaval.

One of Brazil’s most powerful politicians, Aécio Neves, a senator from the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party and the runner-up in the 2014 presidential election, argued that accepting campaign funds, even if illegal, should be considered distinct from the corruption that has jolted the nation.

“A guy who took money at Petrobras isn’t the same as someone who took a hundred bucks to get elected,” Mr. Neves was quoted as saying at a dinner this month at Piantella, a restaurant in the capital frequented by elite politicians.

“Are we going to offer an opening for some savior of the homeland?” Mr. Neves asked, according to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, referring to the potential for widespread disgust over corruption to bolster anti-establishment candidates ahead of next year’s presidential election.

“No, we need to salvage politics,” the senator said.

He did not mention that an Odebrecht executive recently testified that Mr. Neves had requested about $3 million in illegal campaign donations for his party, which anchors the coalition of Michel Temer, the embattled president.

The political dread over such testimony is casting attention on a practice known in Brazil as “caixa dois,” a so-called second cash register of financing that is undeclared to tax authorities. It can be used for political campaigns or receiving bribes, or as a slush fund encompassing a range of illicit activities.

Brazilian law allows for fines and jail sentences of up to five years for illegal campaign financing, though in practice few politicians go to prison for such crimes. Even so, with the exception of leaders from relatively small parties, the push for amnesty is uniting influential figures from across the spectrum. (Amnesty is not under discussion for crimes like bribery, embezzlement or money laundering.)

“Unfortunately, under-the-table campaign financing is historical and cultural, but doesn’t always shelter the practice of corruption,” said José Eduardo Cardozo, a former justice minister from the leftist Workers’ Party who defended Ms. Rousseff at her impeachment proceedings.

Other political figures, including a respected former president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, have expressed support for differentiating between illegal campaign financing and other types of crimes.

Still, others insist that existing campaign laws should remain intact and be fully enforced.

Carlos Ayres Britto, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, called illegal campaign financing “an attack on the Constitution,” contending in an interview with the newspaper O Globo that efforts by lawmakers to grant themselves amnesty amount to “a denial of the rule of law.”

Some Brazilians found the amnesty push especially revolting because this is not the first time Congress has tried to retroactively make illegal campaign financing legal. Lawmakers sought to do so in November, only to abandon the proposal in the face of a public outcry.

“I see what’s going on. I’m not a fool,” said José Francisco da Silva, 78, a retired painter of automobiles. “Of course they’ll all get amnesty. Brazil only has thieves.”

With the resurrection of the measure this month, legal scholars point out that one beneficiary could be the president, Mr. Temer, who has dismal approval ratings. Thousands protested on Wednesday in cities around Brazil against Mr. Temer’s efforts to cut pension benefits.

He ran on the same ticket as Ms. Rousseff and was her vice president before maneuvering to oust her. Now he is embroiled in a case in which he and Ms. Rousseff face accusations of receiving illegal financing in their 2014 campaign.

Mr. Temer could be ousted if the electoral court hearing the case rules against him. While Odebrecht’s former chief executive has said the company gave about $50 million to their campaign, Mr. Temer and Ms. Rousseff say they are innocent of wrongdoing.

At the same time, tempers are flaring over reports that judges on the electoral court are brokering a deal to delay a ruling on the case or rule in Mr. Temer’s favor, effectively allowing him to remain president through 2018 despite a growing body of testimony laying out violations of campaign finance laws.

Ms. Rousseff was ousted on different charges: that she manipulated the budget to disguise economic problems. Now, supporters of Mr. Temer, including some who backed the impeachment of Ms. Rousseff, say he should be allowed to stay in office to avoid further upheaval as his administration tries to restore economic growth.