#and caught myself an UGLY penalty

[webcharm]

starter call.

[abominationvault]

Session 6 Sat 29 Jul 2023

We were looking for lighthouse ghosts, or something? The DM reminds us of our objective… We were asked to investigate the glowing lighthouse. The ruins are considered haunted by the locals. But we haven’t gone into a lighthouse, as of yet. We’ve been in an outpost, a guard tower, a river, and some other ruins, and Skabb has been in a frog, but no lighthouses.

Joto recaps last session for a Hero Point - we killed some flies, opened some doors, Joto fell down a ten foot hole and did some murdering, badly, Hartvig had a lie down, Nadia did a people’s elbow, and there was mention of something called ‘Bitey-Bitey’ which looks like a camel spider. Also Skabb tried to cut someone’s throat with a sickle. Grabby-Cat deciphered some goblin scrawl, and Sprocket has a new accent and was sparkling.

So, do we want to guess who has the disease? We think not Joto as he’s fully deflead and dewormed. Sprocket does have it though. He has come up in ugly, blistery pock-marks. He has fly pox! He is enfeebled 1 - minus 1 penalty to Strength based checks.

Actually it turns out Joto does have it - and so does Nadia. We have to pass two checks in a row to reduce it by one stage. Healer’s Tools have a trait called treat disease, so we might be able to use that. It does take eight hours…

Joto’s main concern is having to wear a cone of shame. We are told that we are in the earliest stages, and it can very much get worse; the good news is, it’s not fatal.

Sprocket, in a Danny Glover accent - “I squeeze myself and stuff comes out.”

Fortunately fly pox doesn’t affect our charisma, so it won’t hamper our negotiations with Boss Skrawng.

He’s up to something, because there’s a map of Otari scrawled in the sand on the floor of the throne room. Joto strides confidently into the room, sweeping up Sprocket as he goes. The mitflits looks between them and their boss; they look on edge. The throne itself looks like it could break at any time - mitflits are doing constant, on-the-fly repairs to the thing. There are mitflit nests here and there; these are particularly disgusting.

“Show Joto the Great and his party more respect, little man. Show us what you want," Joto demands.

Skrawng wants to know why we’re here, when he hasn’t done anything yet?

"We were set upon by your people and your horrible maggots!"

So you didn’t come here to stop my genius plan, Skrawng asks?

Joto looks at the map and asks what genius plan.

No genius plan at all, says Skrawng, and scrubs out the map with his trident.

Joto offers to help enact this mysterious plan. He makes a Diplomacy check with assistance from Sprocket. Sprocket rolls a Crit success, adding two to Joto’s roll - 11, for 13 total.

"You're not with stinky humans from Otari?"

... No, none of us are stinky humans.

Boss S. has the mitflits bring stools. “Take a seat.”

Sprocket complains his stool is too big; a mitflit strides up to him and picks him up by the head, stamps on his stool until it's a smaller pile of rubble, and plonks him back down.

“We lived below ground. Happy there. Then come evil mushroom eye people from below, drove us out. We are going to take over Otari, but want revenge on mushrooms eye people first," Skrawng explains.

Joto wants to know what the mushroom eye people are; he has no idea, and neither does Sprocket.

“You deal with mushroom eye people, we reward you with big pile shiny gems.”

Sounds good to us. Wait - Joto wants to negotiate terms a bit more. Boss S. looks disappointed, like a kid being sneaky and got caught out.

Would Boss S. be happy with that and go back and live down below? Not take over Otari?

Boss S. says they prefer it down there. Gross up here. If we get rid of mushroom eye people, they will go and live underground again. Abandon the plan to take over Otari.

Okay. We will agree to your terms. Do we have writing materials, Boss. S. asks? He wants to draw us a map. Sprocket goes to find drawing materials, and Boss S. starts scrawling. He points north of the room we’re in, and says there’s a “Nasty giant stinger”. They have trapped it, but he warns us to be careful.

There are also ghosties, and a swamp dragon in the bog. Skinny, sneaky humans came on a boat. Went to swamp dragon’s lair; he thinks she ate them all alive. Boss S. hands us the map:

Across the bridge on the bottom part, there are folk houses. Other buildings; he doesn’t go there and can’t tell us about them. The thing with the teeth at the bottom is the swamp dragon. If we’re sneaky, we can avoid her as she’s away quite a lot.

Did he say anything about the lighthouse, Hartvig asks them when they come back.

We ask about the glow - Boss S. eyes go big and he shakes his head. Creepiest haunting of them all; he thinks it’s a really big ghost. He seems to be telling the truth - at least, his fear is genuine; but knowing what we know about mitflits, they’re scared of their own shadows.

We are all tired; Boss S. offers to let us sleep in their nests. Mmmmmm no thank you.

Skabb leans around the corner to tell us she refuses to sleep in a mitflit nest. Boss S. spots her and asks Sprocket: “That your wife?”

“… Yes.”

“I buy her?”

“She’s not for sale.”

“You change your mind, I give you shiny gems,” says Boss Skrawng, presumably while waggling his eyebrows.

We pile back into the room with the pit, and those of us with armour remove it to sleep. Some of those people have clothes underneath; some do not.

Luna reverse picks (ie. locks) the doors and we all climb into the pit. Hartvig, against his better judgement, lets the grubby goblin look at his wounds. Sprocket wanders over and asks what all the red stuff coming out of him is. Skabb only just fails the check, and sticks her thumb in the wound.

“My spleen!”

Skabb turns her attention to the diseased - Joto, Sprocket and Nadia. Joto wants to heal himself, like Rambo.

Augustus and Grabby Cat take watches. At one point the double doors shake - the mitflits on the other side are investigating, but leave us alone once they realise the doors are locked. We all get a hit point back; Hartvig genuinely relishes his.

Skabb has another go at healing Hartvig and is successful this time, for 12 hp.

Luna has previous experience with giant scorpions - she knows they can see in the dark, and they have tremor sense. They can feel you moving through the ground. They are poisonous, and they lie in wait for things and strike from stealth. (They get an attack of opportunity.)

We all have a think about the mushroom eye people; Nadia thinks they could be something called a Morlock. They are not undead, but are a type of humanoid. Pasty, live underground, have big bulbous white spherical boggly eyes. She knows that they suffer from night blindness. Bright light blinds them. They are drawn to technology and devices, and like to tinker with them. Skabb has the Light cantrip, so she prepares that.

With Skabb’s help, Nadia shakes off the fly pox. Sprocket, with no help from Hartvig, remains sick but does not get worse. Joto helps himself and rolls two natural 1’s; this means that he is at Stage 3 of his fly pox infection, and is Enfeebled 2. His weeping sores are starting to mat his fur together. The pustules are bigger, redder and itchier. He just looks sort of wet. Poor little guy.

Skabb tries to help Joto, but rolls another natural 1 for him; it’s really not his day. He takes 6 damage from Skabb’s ‘help’, and Skabb runs to hide behind Nadia. Sprocket waddles over to tell him, “I think that means she likes you.” Joto vomits blood on him.

Skabb casts Heal on Joto, but sneaky-like so he doesn’t know where it’s coming from. She rolls to see how many HP to restore him - another natural 1. Hartvig Heals Joto for 12hp, and he feels much better aside from his lingering disease. Luna can smell the end about him and her instinct is to bury him in his sleep, but she refrains.

Having finished playing doctors and nurses, we put our clothes back on and continue with our adventure.

Do we have to go through the scorpion bit to get to the under-zone? Looking at the map, it seems so.

… Luna hears something big and angry sounding to the north of us. She peers through the door but can’t see it, so she closes it again so we can plan.

Sprocket: “Let’s just barrel in and knacker it.”

Skabb can see through Grabby Cat’s eyes, and Grabby Cat can fly. There are arrow slots into the room with the scorpion. She flies over and has a look - it’s big. The room it’s in is small, and has two other doors that open to the north.

It will not fit through single doors, but it can reach through one with its stinger. Good to know… We set traps in front of the door, marking them with C for Caltrop and a dick for… spikes?

We hide, except Joto, who stands in the doorway ready to flip off the scorpion as it comes through.

Grabby Cat opens the door. The scorpion turns and scurries straight through the door:

It is blindingly fast. It triggers Nadia’s caltrop snare - it staggers, failing its reflex save, and ends up on its ass - on top of Sprocket’s snare, taking 8 damage.

Sprocket manifests a spout of water. It’s on its back so it fails its save and takes all 2 damage. Augustus throws a rock at it. 12 misses.

Joto, embracing his newfound disregard for life, leaps onto its belly and attempts to hack its tail off. He earns himself some panache for a dirty 20 Acrobatics check. 20 to attack and 4 damage, plus 2 additional damage for his Precise Strike ability. 9 misses, but he has a Hero Point - he rerolls but it’s… worse.

Nadia shoots and hits the thing for some decent damage, and ducks back down behind her pile of rubble. Hartvig Produces a Flame under its chitinous body. “Take this!”

The air around Joto smells like burnt hair in the wake of the flame, and he does a big old cat retch.

Skabb shoots a Ray of Frost - 16 misses so she uses a Hero Point but rolls worse.

Luna takes aim with her crossbow. 15 misses so she rerolls - nat 20! She rolls her crit damage and then her sneak attack damage. 18 damage total! Wait - does sneak attack damage double on a crit? There is a brief pause while the DM checks.

“… Yes!”

Luna gets the howdy-doodis! We all get a Hero Point “because that was incredible.”

We killed it in one round and nobody died, woohoo!

Joto tears a leg off the scorpion and gives it to Skabb as a peace offering; she accepts with gusto and eats it like a sherbet tube. Luna ferrets around the thing looking for poison to harvest. She rolls a nat 20 and gets some Giant Scorpion Venom for all of us!

Next week we’ll be in person, yeah!

[freakscircus]

i write that as someone who TORTURED herself through undergrad. i used to load way too much onto my plate because if i didn’t get into a masters program there was no plan b. i had constant extracurriculars and classes to the point where at least once or twice a week i would get to school at 8am and not leave until 9:30pm. i remember i used to come home, sleep for an hour, an work from 11 to 3am and start all over. this obviously caught up with me and i literally had a breakdown in a professor’s office ugly sobbing because overdoing my schedule caused me to accidentally miss a test for the first and only time in my extremely organized life and she let me make it up no penalty and honestly??? that made all the difference and i trusted her so much after that not only as a professor but as someone who i knew was looking out for me. that made me an even better student in the long run in her classes. if she had told me to go fuck myself i probably would have spiraled and it would have been ugly. students have a lot going on and as a teacher it’s your job to help them learn not bully them into subordination lmao

[horrorkingdom]

Speed Dating

Speed Dating is a scary story about a man who wants to find true love, but can’t find a woman that lives up to his expectations.

At the age of 30, I was still single. My mother kept asking me when I was going to find myself a nice girl and settle down. I assured her it was only a matter of time, but I knew that was a lie. I hadn’t been out on a date in over six months. All of my friends were already married and some of them even had kids. I was beginning to feel left out.

That’s why I decided to try speed dating.

The event was being held at a fashionable bar in the city center. I dressed in my best shirt and pants, splashed some aftershave on my neck and left the house. When I reached the bar, I walked in, trying to project an air of confidence. I was shocked when I saw how many other people had shown up. I counted 21 men and 21 women in total.

The host explained the rules of speed dating. The women all sat around at separate tables, while the men moved from table to table, spending three minutes talking to each woman. When the buzzer sounded, it meant your three minutes were up and it was time to move on.

When everyone was ready, the buzzer sounded and the speed dating began.

The first girl I sat down with was 21, much too young for me. The second was forty-something, much too old. The third woman was really ugly and I caught a very bad smell from the fourth. The fifth woman seemed nice, until she mentioned that she was divorced and had five children already. The sixth happened to let slip that she had a history of drug addiction and the seventh had a weird-shaped head. I began to give up hope of ever finding a perfect match.

The eighth lady was very fat and sweat was rolling down her face. The ninth had false teeth that fell out when she started to talk and the tenth was much too skinny. The eleventh woman couldn’t speak English. The twelfth had a squished nose that made her look like a pig. The thirteenth kept farting throughout our time together and the fourteenth just stared at me and never said a word. I noticed, when she stood up, that she only had one leg and walked with a cane. I was glad when the buzzer sounded and I was able to move along.

The fifteenth woman had a terrible rash all over her body. I made the sixteenth lady laugh so hard that she threw up all over the table. The seventeenth seemed alright, except for the fact that she kept picking her nose and eating it. The eighteenth seemed attractive, but she had a deformed hand. The nineteenth was in a wheelchair. When I got to the twentieth woman, I threw up my hands in disbelief. She obviously had too much to drink and was curled up in a ball on her seat, snoring loudly.

Just as I was contemplating skipping out early and going home, I sat down opposite the final lady. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She had long, flowing dark hair, bright, green eyes and a cute little smile. She was dressed completely in black – black dress, black shoes, black everything – but she had a very bubbly personality. Everything I said made her giggle.

Her name was Karen and she was 28 years old. She said she had qualified as a nurse, but she was currently unemployed. She had been married with two children, but after her kids died of cancer, her husband had abandoned her. I immediately felt sorry for Karen and praised her for keeping such an upbeat attitude despite all the tragedy in her life.

At the end of the night, we stayed chatting together and we got on like a house on fire. When it was time to go, I asked her for her number and we arranged to go out on a date the next evening. I couldn’t believe it. I had actually scored with a beautiful woman.

Things went very well and we began dating regularly. As the weeks and months passed, our relationship moved pretty quickly. It seemed as if we were truly matched for each other. After about seven months together, I decided to pop the question and asked her to marry me. Of course, she said, “Yes.”

After the wedding, I moved out of my small apartment and began moving my belongings into her home. I had a lot of boxes filled with old books and I asked if I could store them in her basement.

“Relax,” she said with a laugh, “I’ll bring them down there while you’re at work tomorrow.”

The next few months were great. We never got tired of each other’s company and I thought I had found true love. Unfortunately, something happened that shattered our blissful idyll and changed my life forever.

One Sunday, I was sitting in front of the TV, reading the newspaper. Karen told me she needed to go to the grocery store and pick up something for dinner. She kissed me on the cheek and, just as she was about to walk out the front door, I told her there was a book I needed to get from the basement.

“Oh, the door is locked,” she said. “Wait until I get back. I’ll go down there and get it for you.”

After she left, I became curious. All the time I had been living with her, she never allowed me to go down into the basement. She always came up with some excuse or other. I decided to explore while she was away. The basement door was locked, but after rummaging around, I managed to find the key, hidden at the back of a kitchen drawer.

As soon as I opened the basement door, I smelled a terrible, rancid stench. The entire basement looked as if it hadn’t been used in years. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. The concrete walls were crumbling and the wooden stairs were damp and rotten. When I reached the bottom of the steps, the smell was putrid.

In the corner, I noticed a box with an old video recorder and some VHS videotapes inside. A strange curiosity overcame me and I grabbed the box and brought it upstairs. After plugging the video recorder in and hooking it up to the TV, I inserted the first videotape and pressed play.

I never should have done that.

The video was extremely shaky and grainy. In the darkness, I could just barely make out the figure of a man tied to a chair. Another figure stood over him, wearing a black mask and dressed from head to toe in shiny black leather. A chill ran down my spine as I realized the figure was holding a large axe. Suddenly, to my horror, it lifted the axe above its head and brought it crashing down, slicing off the man’s hand. He screamed in pain as the figure delivered more and more blows with the axe. I watched in utter terror, unable to tear my eyes away from the screen. Each blow of the axe hacked off another piece of the man’s body until his arms and legs were lying in pieces all around him and he was just a writhing, bloody torso in a chair.

Throughout the carnage, the killer was giggling like a schoolgirl.

With shaking hands, I reached out and stopped the video. Just then, I heard a voice behind me.

“So you stumbled on my dirty little secret,” it said.

I slowly turned. My wife was standing at the door, dressed in a black leather bodysuit. In her hands, she was holding a large axe.

She began to giggle.

I don’t remember what happened after that. The next door neighbors must have heard my terrified screams and called the police. Four officers burst through the front door. They managed to tackle my wife and subdue her before she killed me. Then, they rushed me to hospital.

Of course, there was a big trial afterwards. My wife was found guilty and the judge gave her the death penalty. I was present at the execution. Just before they threw the switch on the electric chair, they asked her if she had any last words.

“It’s his own fault,” she yelled. “He never should have married me!”

Then, she giggled like a little schoolgirl as the executioner pulled the lever and electricity surged through her body. Five minutes later, she was pronounced dead.

Years later, I still have nightmares about her. I’ve been through therapy and the doctors say that, with time, I may be able to overcome the horrific trauma I experienced.

While I was in the hospital, I met a wonderful woman. She was my nurse and, over the weeks and months, we fell in love. She isn’t the most beautiful woman I ever met and she doesn’t have a perfect body. She lost an eye and three of the fingers on her left hand in a car accident. Despite all that, she is certainly the most loving and caring person a man could wish for. Inside, she has a heart of gold.

Last Summer, we got married and moved in together. She has helped me a lot. Whenever I read the newspaper, she turns the pages for me. Whenever I have an itch, she scratches it for me. She managed to restore my trust in women, but sometimes, late at night when I’m lying in bed, I still miss my arms and legs.

[dirtyfilthy]

The Betrayal Of Chelsea Manning By The Coward Adrian Lamo

I have only participated in “cancel culture” once that I can remember. Once, over the broad course of my life, and that was when Adrian Lamo sold Chelsea Manning out to the authorities. Motherfucker has the  sheer gall to call himself a hacker, and then rats someone out — not because of his principles, but from a constant desire for pure narcissistic supply -- and all this from a position of trust no less… 

I was real angry, and I wanted to put the boot in, any way I could. There was a special circle of hell reserved for people like Adrian Lamo… and as it would turn out, he was already in it. 

Amongst petty vendettas like stuffing his wikipedia page with all the well referenced dirt I could dig up, along the way, and kind of by-the-by, I ended up doing a lot of research on the guy, and then, well, the picture of Lamo that emerged… 

Jesus. 

He’s been a hardcore benzo addict since his twenties. If you know what to look for you can tell in some of his interviews, slurring his words and looking very spacey.  He never really had a real job, never broke into the industry he was aways on the fringes of. It’s kinda crazy, if you search for “homeless hacker Adrian Lamo” you can still see what the mass media thought of him before he turned in Chelsea. 

He’d kind of weaselled his way into popular consciousness by being a shameless self-promoter, and then managing to get caught in that spectacular “rebellious teenage hacker” vs. “huge faceless corporation” way that tends to capture people’s imagination. 

There were whole articles about him in Wired. Multiple in fact. Here’s one of earliest from 2004 (unfortunately now behind a paywall), “New York Times vs The Homeless Hacker”. The first few lines can still give you the gist, however

A self-styled security expert and serial self-promoter, Adrian Lamo made headlines as a grayhat hacker. Then the Gray Lady came down on his head. Not long ago Adrian Lamo was exploring an abandoned gypsum processing plant in West Philadelphia with two friends, when a police cruiser drove slowly by. Lamo’s friends were high on methamphetamines…

https://www.wired.com/2004/04/hacker-5/

Even during this phase of his life, a lot of people in the scene didn’t like him. At least, there were people complaining on hacker boards about him stealing exploits and then burning them for the publicity.  In the end he got off with probation and home detention, and that was the end of blatantly hacking into shit. Any more and he would certainly end up in prison. Attitudes were changing, the authorities had stopped seeing hacking as just high-spirited teenage hijinks. and the increasingly severe penalties could land you some serious time. 

After this, he just sorted floated around. He never got job in the industry like the rest of us, and I suspect he may have been  basically unemployable for one reason or another. The next time he popped up in my news feed was in 2010 with a strange article from ex-hacker turned journalist and friend of Lamo’s,, Kevin Poulsen — “Ex-Hacker Adrian Lamo Institutionalized, Diagnosed with Asperger’s” 

The first paragraph or so reads:

Last month Adrian Lamo, a man once hunted by the FBI, did something contrary to his nature. He says he picked up a payphone outside a Northern California supermarket and called the cops.

Someone, Lamo says, had grabbed his backpack containing the prescription anti-depressants he'd been on since 2004, the year he pleaded guilty to hacking The New York Times. He wanted his medication back. But when the police arrived at the Safeway parking lot it was Lamo, not the missing backpack, that interested them. Something about his halting, monotone speech, perhaps slowed by his medication, got the officers' attention

— (https://www.wired.com/2010/05/lamo/)

The article claimed Lamo had been arrested for acting strangely and then institutionalised, basically claiming the police had arrested him because he was autistic. At the time, I didn’t really give this a second thought, “oh well, ho-hum”. As itt turned out, this was a case of the most spectacular kind of “spin” I think I’ve ever seen; the only place the article actually intersected with general consensual reality was in stating Lamo had been arrested and placed on psychiatric hold.

The real story, which is entirely far more pathetic, was that Lamo’s family had become worried about his benzo use (“prescription anti-depressants”) and had cut him off. He totally lost the plot at this point and stormed out of house. Concerned about his mental state, and with fears for his physical safety, it was actually  his own family that called the police to try and find him. 

When confronted about this fairly massive discrepancy, Lamo claimed he hadn’t exactly “lied” as such, and had simply withheld some facts due to personal privacy concerns. 

It was at this point I finally began to see the whole tattered trajectory of Lamo’s entire life — trace the greasy path of his rainbow with my fingertips, and watch as the once bright twine became  increasing gray and frayed as each thread began to curve back towards it’s inevitable impact with the earth, when, at which point, everything important would begin to totally unravel around him.

At his core, Adrian Lamo was a narcissist, and so Adrian Lamo absolutely believed in the Adrian Lamo narrative, as only a narcissist can. Near of beginning of his tale, this was easy to do. He was a wandering Daoist sage, a renegade techno-monk character in a Neal Stephenson cyberpunk novella, and anytime he wanted to see his own reflection he could simply look in any of the major newspapers.  

After his arrest and release, the rest of the world moved on. His peers all settled down to well-paid industry gigs, and you couldn’t just pop the New York Times through an open proxy any longer — well, at least: not most of time, anyway. His own sword, never the exactly the sharpest in the first place, was beginning to show some signs of a serious structural rust. 

Without the constant assurance of people telling his own story back at him, what was he exactly? What did the mirror portray to him now?  An unemployed, semi-homeless drug addict, a hacker who couldn’t hack his way out of wet paper back with pick axe, the tired punch line to any number of bad jokes...   

Of course, the many similarities to my own life were not exactly lost on me. I was basically a case of being a few near misses and unlucky hits away from sitting in his exact position. I had made the transition to an industry career successfully, but I was still a drug addict with mental heath issues.  I had gone through my own narcissistic stage when I was younger, but thankfully grew out of it, the old moons no longer pulled on my tides the way they used to. 

The essential Lamo pattern had began to emerge. Still chasing the same bright stars that had long since sunk beneath the horizon line of the ocean; Lamo would begin to feel irrelevant —  Lamo would get then his name in the media in some fashion. A momentary peace was then achieved, then came a brief period of post-orgasmic. cosmic serenity. 

But of course, the wheel of karma will not stop spinning for anyone, and so, soon enough and all-to-quickly, the entire process of personal renewal, would have to, you know…..  begin anew.

A few other case studies were observed. An unreleased, permanently unfinished documentary featuring Lamo was mysteriously leaked on the internet. Of course, Lamo himself had leaked it. And there was always appearing on various morning television shows, Good Morning America, Fox News & the like.

But then the mother of all opportunities just dropped into his lap.

Chelsea Manning needed someone to talk to. 

Chelsea knew Lamo was Bi, so he was at least in the LGBT community. Adrian was a hacker too. He’d fought against the system in his day, he was certainly someone who would “get it”, she was very sure of this.  And when she did reach out, he was indeed very sympathetic. Honestly, it seemed like he really cared. Just a genuine human being, reaching out across the vast emotional void to provide a sense of empathy to someone who really, really needed it right now.. 

He was very sympathetic when Chelsea told him all about her struggles with gender identity, and he was very sympathetic when she said she was leaking gigabytes of information to Wikileaks…. But behind his sunglasses, Lamo eyes had already morphed into a marquee LED matrix endlessly scrolling his own name. Think of the news coverage!

This was big. This was very big.

It would, in fact, turn out to be fucking huge. Of course, within in the hacker scene, and to a certain extent, even outside it, everyone just fucking loathed him now.  Eventually even the news moved on, nobody wanted any more interviews, and in the end, when everything has already been all said and done: you are ultimately left with only yourself….

… a pathetic drug addict.  Of course, I have to keep telling myself that one point of intersection does not an entire venn diagram or an actual equality make. But I can’t shake the feeling that, perhaps, maybe we weren’t really all that different.  Maybe my own betrayals have had the simple luck of being a lot less public. 

Perhaps my own sins were just as ugly, but far less ambitious. 

Adrian Lamo died alone, from a drug overdose, in a private unit in an aged care facility in Wichita, Kansas.  He was 37 years old. An autopsy showed his kidneys were already failing. 

I guess Sartre got it wrong. Hell isn’t other people, it’s being left totally alone, with nothing else around but the tedious company of your own terrible self, and of course, the fucker won’t stop talking...

So obviously there was nothing more I could do to hurt Adrian Lamo, nothing that Adrian Lamo hadn’t done already. He had long since locked himself away in a prison cell of his own making. I do wonder if maybe one too many silent 3am’s hadn’t come crawling around the clock face when he was there & awake to witness it, lying in bed & staring at the ceiling and trying not to think about things.

Like I’m doing.

Shit, I hope don’t go out that way. 

[segenassefa]

4: A Lazy Girl’s Guide to Surviving COVID

Whenever a global pandemic decides to rear its ugly head, I have the bad habit of believing that I am somewhat untouchable. In my middle school days, when the kids were catching dengue left and right1, I swatted it off – literally and figuratively. The same thing happens every year with the common cold– and even when I do get it, it’s always after everyone else has had it, making me believe that my immune system is nothing more than a follower. I eat relatively healthy, I get enough sleep, drink water, and maintain and generally healthy state of mind 2.

So, you can image my surprise when a friend I had been in close contact with tested positive for coronavirus. I was not as scared as I think I should have been However, that afternoon, I did my civic duty and took myself and a friend to get tested at the local hospital.

Before I get into what having the virus was like for me3, let’s talk about the test.

Thankfully, the process was nice and fast, so that part is free from scrutiny. All of the healthcare workers were kind and understanding of the fact that we didn’t have health cards – and one of them complemented my 1s, so you know I have to give them a glowing recommendation. The real horror came after check-in process.

I sat in a back office, the air conditioning blasting, awkwardly crossing and uncrossing my legs. Two nurses in full PPE and running sneakers talked quietly back and forth, occasionally scribbling things onto notepads. The first nurse drilled me yet again – asking why I had decided to get tested, whether or not had symptoms, and how I was currently feeling. Once my answers were up to par, she left the room, and the second nurse produced a long-stemmed cotton swab.

I am no stranger to pain – I have nine different piercings, five of which I’ve done with safety pins, and have dislocated bones, suffered from burns and some pretty disgusting cuts - but I was a bit apprehensive when I saw how big of a cotton swab it was. I asked the nurse how much this test would hurt. In her exact words, she told me, “It doesn’t hurt at all! If anything, you’ll feel a little discomfort.” She compared to the sensation of water rushing up your nose, something none of us are a stranger to.  

Y’all, when I tell you this lady LIED.

I have never been in so much pain in my life. As a kid, I was fascinated by ancient Egypt, but there’s a big difference between reading about mummies and feeling like one4. Not to mention the fact that the test took her three tries because every time I felt the cotton swab poke my literal brain, I had to stop and take a breather5 . Fortunately, my results came in relatively fast - less than 48 hours – and I began to quarantine the day I got tested.  

The first week was mild. No real symptoms except for body aches, and the occasional headache. However, as a person with chronic migraines and aches, I didn’t really chalk it up to coronavirus symptoms, and instead to the fact that I was spending eighty percent of my day laying in the bed – the other twenty percent was spent in the shower, or standing in the kitchen, watching the tea kettle boil. Also, fortunately for me, I caught this virus near the end of summer school, meaning that I wasn’t just wasting away in my house, and it gave me something to focus on instead of my throbbing body aches. Considering that my entire friend group was sick at the same time, it was also nice distracting one another with zoom calls. However, we were definitely spoiled by spending the majority of the summer together, so this diet version of socialization was not ideal.

Another hurdle was not being able to quarantine at home. My housemates have high risk family members, so staying in my original place of habitation was not really an option. Fortunately, another friend of mine, who also had the virus, was kind enough to open up her home to me, allowing me to eat her groceries, run up her water bill, and bum around. I know people always tell you how your mask doesn’t just protect you, but the other people you encounter and live with, so this was a bit of a lesson on how my prevention – or lack thereof - doesn’t just impact me, but the people we live with, especially if they aren’t our immediate family.

There was also the slight detail of the Toronto Public Health Department being on our asses. My experience with quarantine procedures in the states indicated that public health officials were not as vigilant as communicating with people in quarantine as TPH (read: daily). For reference, my home state of Minnesota made masks in public spaces mandatory at the end of July, so that should let you know how seriously the United States is taking this virus 6 . Once a day, I would get a call from my Public Health official. The calls were pretty thorough in the first few days of quarantine – asking about my interactions with others in the days leading up to me getting tested – everything including the names, and license plates of the Ubers I had taken, who’s homes I had been to, restaurants and shops I had visited, everything. After they had gathered all that information, the calls became about my general health and wellness, in addition to six separate emails about how long was quarantine was supposed to last, what I was and was not allowed to do, and the penalties for leaving the house before the end of the quarantine, including a fee to the tune of five thousand dollars.  

In week two, most of the initial symptoms I had started with began to subside, and the only one that was left was an even impending feeling of boredom. I started doing things like watching soccer7, binge watching Law and Order: SVU, and spending copious amounts of money on Uber Eats. It wasn’t too much of a change from normal life except for the fact that I felt like TPH would swoop around the corner if they ever caught me outside when I wasn’t supposed to be – felt a bit like being a fugitive if we’re keeping it two Virgils with one another.

As the end of my quarantine period approaches, I have to be honest – this was not a huge, transformative experience. I acted irresponsibly and my actions caught up with me. That being said, there are plenty of people who have actively social distanced, followed the rules, and have still caught the virus. I don’t think this is something that should be looked at as damning, more like there is a virus and we mere human beings can’t beat out a pandemic. After this whole ordeal, I will definitely be taking PPE a bit more seriously, but I’m also really grateful because this experience could have been a whole lot worse. So, my peoples reading this, wear your mask! Invest in some travel size Wet Wipes and hand sanitizer, stay at home, and most importantly, remember that virus prevention is a group effort, not a solo endeavour.

Notes

1 Growing up in the Caribbean, dengue was a normal occurrence.

2 Disregard the fact that I didn’t mention exercise.

3 I will have one left of quarantine after publishing this blog post, so yay for that!

4https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies. That is all I will say.

5 I also did cry a little but we can just act like that part never happened.

6 About as seriously as police brutality, if that puts things into perspective…

7 I am extremely disappointed that PSG lost to the Nazis, but Project Mbappe will prevail.

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 12 - DET

One day my children will ask me what it was like to watch Jake McCabe in his prime. They’ll ask me: Daddy, how did our hero block shots so much and still have the strength to score goals and wreck fools? I’ll tell them it was the enduring power of the crossed swords crest and they’ll be Sabres fans forever. I’ll also tell them the Buffalo Sabres really turned the page from the dark days when they started responding. Responding to what, daddy? Losses, child: when they decided to start following losses, ugly losses, with shutout wins every single time, that was when they really turned the page. Speaking of the pages of history: I’ve been diving into the Buffalo Sabres 50Years Special Section of the Buffalo News for a couple weeks looking at their most historic games. I was prepared to default to that list for my reoccurring segment “Greatest Game Against” after each divisional matchup. When I put it out on twitter however I got some real beauties including a submission from @RegalMoustachio (Dan Ball) that is… for lack of better phrasing: Very 1980s. Allow me to paint you a picture: it’s December 23rd, 1987. Christmas is only a couple days away. Ted Sator is Head Coach and Phil Housley is the top defenseman (mind you Lindy Ruff is the Captain of this team) for a Sabres club mired in mediocrity for closing in on a decade. Sabre Kevin Maguire takes a run at Red Wings goalie Zach Stefan after Sabres goalie Tom Barrasso had apparently taken a fist in the shnoz earlier in the game. Here’s the link () go watch it, I can’t do it justice. For the next five minutes after the hit on Stefan it just escalates and escalates. Eventually Bob Probert fights Maguire and it got ugly. I don’t mean to glorify fighting but dear lord, watch that highlight and tell me that doesn’t color the history between these two teams. Last night’s game was Jake McCabe’s revenge game. He was taking revenge on all us nerds who said he’s not an absolute G. Sure he’s no Rasmus Dahlin, but he puts the Buff in Buffalo Sabres. And he did it in a game we really needed it. For the third time this season they responded to a loss with a win. For the second time this season they responded to a loss with a shutout win. For the first time this season my man Linus Ullmark has a shutout!

I was at Frightworld in Tonawanda for the entirety of this game, but the early returns clearly tended toward a snooze-fest. It appeared the Red Wings were dominating that telling statistical categories like 5 on 5 scoring chances and expected goals. They dominated the most basic statistic that is shots for the first period as they got doubled up 12-6. Luckily there were no goals against. You see a period like that and you kinda expect the worst. I went on record before this game and said if they don’t demolish the Red Wings then the first rant of the season from yours truly was coming. That rant was being prepared as I walked through the Storm Area 51 house fearing the Sabres would lose to two bad teams two nights in a row more than the face-panted acting students jumping out at me. Unfortunately we got another Rasmus Dahlin stinker this first period. I feel like I said everything I needed to say about Dahlin’s sketchy play lately after the Rangers game, but I didn’t say what I wanted to change other than don’t give over turnovers, bud. What I probably would’ve asked for occurred: Henri Jokiharju was moved up to Dahlin’s pairing and they had quite a bit more chemistry than Dahlin and Colin Miller had. In spite of that roster move, Dahlin was trying to move the puck out of the defensive zone and somehow yielded it right to Andreas Athanasiou. Athanasiou took a shot, got in back and passed it to another guy who almost out maneuvered a stick-less Ullmark. Luckily that was the worst it got in the first… well other than that Valtteri Filppula breakaway in the first five minutes… ugh, we were really lucky to survive that period scoreless weren’t we? Yikes.

The Red Wings are a team you’re not allowed to lose to. They’re like the Ottawa Senators, they’re biggest goal right now is to get a high-first round draft pick. They have real NHLers in the minors. Detroit has a team caught between then and now. You got the ghost of Niklas Kronwall on one line and USA Hockey Magazine poster boy Dylan Larkin on another. Evidently they’re taking one more dip in the tank in this year’s spicy good draft and so you have to beat them because frankly they want you to! Both the lines of REO Speedwagon and the Roaring Twenties had their chances through the first half of this game but how are you being out-chanced by the Red Wings! How? I very well could go on a rant but kinda like the night before I just have too many early good feels about this team right now to rant at em after a win. To their credit they actually got more shots and high-danger chances in the second period. All the while Jake McCabe is blocking shots like and absolute hero. And so it was his time to be the star before any of the big names that have found their way onto this club: Eichel gets knocked to the ice after laying a hit on Tyler Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe gets the puck near the Wings blueline and thinks for a moment. He decides to take the shot and it zings right past Jimmy Howard into the net for the first goal of the game. 1-0 Sabres with 8:20 left in the second. Buffalo finally had some good play for the remainder of the period including almost another goal from McCabe. Almost. Either way Jake McCabe became my Hard-Working again this game. He’s one of those phenomenons in cities like Buffalo where the populace just canonizes players they deem tough and diligent. I understand he’s not actually that good as anything more than a role player. That’s fine. Let’s celebrate the role players too because we’re winning games we don’t look so hot in because of them right now.

The third period was rowdy. So we’ve established Dylan Larkin is hot stuff. Evidently on a tanking team he takes on the role of penalty drawer. He gets Kyle Okposo for interference; he gets Colin Miller for tripping; watch the replays that data wasn’t all that convincing to me. No amount of powerplay time could save his team now though. The Sabres got a powerplay after Trevor Daley high-sticked Kyle Okposo and the mercenary unit that is this team’s powerplay that we fell in love with in the first six games came back with a vengeance. With all the video replay powers of modern technology I still don’t think I have enough angles on the absolute gem of a goal Sam Reinhart tapped in. It went from Jeff Skinner to Jack Eichel to Victor Olofsson to Sam Reinhart parked in front of the net and in. It was a thing of splendor and maybe one of those goals we look back on months from now. I mean… Jimmy Howard definitely botched that one hard but nonetheless the 2-0 goal here for the Sabres was just beyond magnificent. Unfortunately that goal deserved better than this game. For the remaining 18+ minutes Larkin went on drawing penalties, getting shots and Detroit never looked out of it. You look at 2-0 box score and think that may have not required a herculean effort from a goalie, this one did. Linus got his pad or a stick or a blocker on so many shots this game. He earned his first shutout of the season blocking 41 shots! That’s only 6 shy of the shots blocked Hutton got in his shutout Tuesday that earned him an NHL star of the week honor. I love Ullmark but he shouldn’t have had to do that much work against Detroit. This is a game the Sabres should have dominated a bit more than they did. They could not manage the clean zone exits and entries they did in the very early going of this season and had Detroit not skated around wasting minutes on end on offense then this game could’ve turned out differently. Nonetheless this one ended 2-0 Sabres and our squad improved to 9-2-1 leaving only one game left in October against a very hot Coyotes squad. Isn’t it nice to think at the absolute worst they’ll end this month 9-3-1? Crazy times we live in, eh?

A couple notes before we turn wholeheartedly into Buffalo Bills mode tomorrow: Sabres Stats tweeted in his 164 games as Sabres coach Phil Housley got them 5 shutouts while in 12 games as Head Coach Ralph Krueger has already gotten them 3. That’s a stat that one might call almost worthless, the Robin Lehner years were fraught but there is a grain of something telling in there. I also share the sentiment of many Sabres fans that a Skinner-Eichel reunion feels necessary at this point. “Skinhel” as I’ll call that combo because I’m feeling spooky, is something that can be unleashed like the blue shell powerup in Mario Cart. You use it when you really need to save your ass. We’re not to that point yet but I too feel that temptation. Before we warp this up your reply guy tweet of the game goes to none other than NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman who when asked about the efficacy of the current playoff format responded: “We think the format works well… unless you’re a Leafs fan.” BURN! That burn was so hot it just ensured it’s going to be a mild winter in southern Ontario! I can say for myself that such a comment is immediately my favorite Gary Bettman quote of all-time. There’s no beating that. Like, share and comment this blog as you go about your Saturday fun. I have nothing to say about the Coyotes Monday night other than maybe don’t let em get every shot they want like Detroit did last night. They will probably make you pay more often than not. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. What are you looking to about the trip to Sweden for the Global Series? I am so not used to my sports teams getting fun opportunities like that. I don’t know how to get pumped for it.

[pourover]

dont read this if you struggle with self harm and honestly probably most people shouldnt read this. its just my own rlly fucked up perspective on myself rn and would probably be really destructive for anyone struggling with this to hear. i just want to write it down bc its more comfortable than keeping it a secret 

love the fact that ive realized theres literally no penalty to hurting myself except getting caught. theres no reason what happened to my body, a little damage, or a little pain matters. these scars dont matter even if theyre ugly i dont really think i care if i stop anymore. sometimes i say “how can i stop myself” then realize its pointless. i could distract myself or choose to be around others instead of letting myself be alone when i know i could hurt myself... but then i think, well, what reason is there not to hurt myself? i deserve to be punished and hurt, and what happens to my body does not matter to anyone. i deserve to bleed and repent and apologize for who i am with my blood. and anyways, the endorphins ur body releases when youre in physical pain helps numb the way im feeling. after i do this i can pretend that im perfectly fine and forget for a while. so why not? 

[lordofsunshadowandsailor]

story (and sexuality) replies

I might have rushed in bringing a gay sex scene so early into the story. 

No comments on certain sequences, and having lost followers among Simblrs (pornbots who have committed suicide, too?) since I have concentrated on LoSSS are a message I am listening to...   But I still want to write this story. Sex, basic and ugly and not the least romantic as just shown, is what first brought Alvar and Tobio together. In a time of great repression and criminalization of their sexuality, it bonded them -- but their relationship has also evolved so to survive the Great War, as we have already seen. I explore more of it in the replies below.

Sorry if I offended some sensibilities, but I did feel this was needed to lend nuance, depth and flaws to the characters.

declarations-of-drama replied to your post “story replies”

Oh I have read it? Well, I must do it again. If you could PM me a link to where it began please because my finger can't take the scrolling! :p Also, ty for the link to the pants from Lady FB, you gave me an idea that I could perhaps make some bulge pants - but like, HUGE!! :D Also, interesting thoughts on Tobio and his dreams. Looking forward to seeing more from his adventures in suppression soon :D :D x

I have already sent the link, haven’t I? Hope everything is alright with you, haven’t seen posts from you in a while!

willky12 helped me clarify the interpretation of Tobio’s dreams -- I hadn’t seen all the symbolism in it myself. And when you read the latest updates, you’ll see that his adventures are no longer in suppression :)

simcatcher replied to your photo “It’s complicated for them, we all know it. Especially with her...”

Well it was worth waiting to say the least ;b !

Thank you, I’m glad you like it.

danjaley replied to your photo “What was that?” Tobio heard one of the scholars ask, as his own and...”

I was so worried they'd get caught! And even with the danger not yet completely over, Alvar is drifting away into greek daydreams! I love how the perspective is shifting.

simcatcher replied to your photo “What was that?” Tobio heard one of the scholars ask, as his own and...”

That was close !

It would have been a tragedy if they had been caught! Buggery was a crime back then -- they’d be sent to jail, and treatment included options like chemical castration or lobotomy (thanks God for them, death penalty no longer applied!), even if practiced in privacy... Alvar and Tobio were risking a lot by doing it in public -- though I’d say Alvar would get around it easier than Tobio. The aristocrat might return in shame to his family and country estate, but the scandal would be mostly suppressed. As for Tobio, he depends on his reputation to build his career, and a career is everything he has got... I hope to have brought this sense of danger, but also that of the urgency and rapture carrying the boys to commit such a dangerous act...

As of Alvar drifting away into Greek daydreams... It will become clearer by the end of the chapter why he constantly evades to his dreams of Grecian ideal. And he might be doing it very often along the story. @danjaley You’ve given me the clue when you said the scene with Death was surrealist... I’ll try to apply Surrealism to most of the story, since it matches the time period too!

simblu replied to your photo “Tobio knew nothing about Greek Love, and would never learn anything of...”

And now I grow more curious about Alvar's background..and he is the one I feel the most for in this scenario

Though Tobio holds the perspective in this chapter, that started when his house was invaded early morning by Alvar holding a prostitute boy in his arms, Alvar is actually the focus of the story... So I’m glad you feel for him. His relationship with Tobio has started in rather bestial terms, as we see here, but it has somehow evolved to last, and continue since both of then have survived the Great War. 

I’m just touching the surface and introducing some of Alvar’s themes, that we will develop later. I hope I can keep your interest in him!

tyrellsimsoficeandfire replied to your photo “Rather rashly, he was opening an irreparable breach in the...”

Oh I love how greek everything looks! Beautiful. And it's nice how you manage not showing too much

The intention is always to remain far from the obvious -- both in terms of images and words --, especially in the sex scenes. It is what it is, but it does not have to be gross. Explicit words and images do not interest me, both as a writer and a reader. I tried to imprint a cadence alternately poetic -- Alvar’s POV -- and a bit more crude -- Tobio’s, with both his religious and scientific background, leading him to a double disgust with the act and with himself.

I love how Greek it looks, too! Though this is more a Victorian interpretation of the Classical Greek ideal, and sometimes a bit kitsch even.

simblu replied to your photo “Enlarged, their expanded bodies uncomfortably constrained in the...”

The disgust Tobio feels saddens me..

Like I have just written above, his disgust is with himself, with the act  -- that he reads quite crudely in its physicality --, with Alvar, who has so thoroughly (shamelessly, in Tobio’s opinion) surrendered, repeatedly reaching a climax that is not just bodily emissions -- while Tobio’s consummation is pretty much just that. Physically placated, Tobio feels the more guilty, as his soul has not been touched by any dimension of the act.

I have even considered making him throw out after sex, but I thought it was overboard, since he is at least to some extent satisfied, and already worried about getting caught, wishing to just get rid of Alvar.

simblu replied to your photo “Enlarged, their expanded bodies uncomfortably constrained in the...”

I do not like to see Alvar degraded by this. :(

I’m sorry. I wanted to bring in this, another side of Alvar to make him more nuanced, and flawed, since until now we have seen him quite heroic, having survived the War, in his nobility role, perfectly dressed and behaving as Lord Phallihurst -- no longer Lord In Reverse, or the Little Lord --, straining himself to save a moribund boy, fighting Death with conviction, ordering his employee around... As a young man of 19 years old, he was quite different...

But Alvar himself does not feel degraded. He’s been used by Tobio? Immersing reality in the dimension of his romantic fantasies, that are a sort of emotional/psychological protection for him, he was enjoying Tobio’s assault... Feeling fulfilled in being filled. Surrendering can be so relaxingly pleasurable to him, who has always mastered the art of being impeccably perfect. 

hyperkaos replied to your photo “Though Tobio did not immediately withdraw from inside Alvar, their...”

Wonderfully told as always. Quite sad that Tobio does not find himself able to come to terms his desires.

Thank you dear! I hope you did see my reply to your explanation of your other comment, that I had not understood.

It’s hard for Tobio, with his religious background. He has lived in constant struggle his whole life, for all those years -- and these are the first minutes after his first intercourse... We have to give him time to sleep over it -- to absolutely abhor and reject what he has done, or to start coming to terms with himself... We’ll see!

simblu replied to your photo “Though Tobio did not immediately withdraw from inside Alvar, their...”

I too find it sad that there is not love here..

It is a sad first time for Tobio, so clandestine and brutish, and probably Alvar has never experience anything so raw and lowly as well... But the scene is not over yet, and I’ll soon bring its conclusion. We have to keep in mind that they do have a story together, that has survived the War even... If it is not love, at least strong it is, whatever it is called... In fact, theirs was called “the love that cannot say its name”. If it cannot be called love, can it still be love?

[rainygalaxynerd]

Brave New World - FINAL CHAPTER

Warnings: If you’re still with me, nothing new.

Summary: Set app. a year after the chapter “Days”

Word count: App. 2.200

A/N: I did it!!! I finished it! I can’t believe it. *Ugly crying* Now what am I gonna do??? (Finish the follower inserts from my 300 follower celebration before I hit 400, maybe? Finish recording Force of Habit, one of @littlegreenplasticsoldier ‘s many masterpieces? Do the recording of Mirror Mirror, I’ve been wanting to do since I wrote it? How to choose, how to choose...)

This is part of a chapter story (in case the caption didn’t clue you in). Link to mobile friendly master list here.

Tagging: @winchesterprincessbride @jencharlan @twenty-onepages @kbrand0 @fangirling-instead-of-working @mrsjohnsmith @deandoesthingstome @vibou25 @jotink78

“You’re not hunting alone. It’s too dangerous. Call someone else, got it?”

Sam grinned and slapped Dean’s shoulder. “Was planning to.”

Dean raised his eyebrows and put a hand to his chest in mock pain. “So that’s how it is, huh? Trying to give your poor, crippled big brother a freakin’ heart attack on top of everything else?”

Sam scrunched up his face, processing. “I didn’t catch that,” he finally lamented. “Unless you said something about a boar, nippled pig mother. And was there something about an art attic?”

Dean flipped him off, not quite managing to bend his index finger.

Sam grinned. “How very British.” He put an arm around Dean’s shoulders and steered him away from the wheelchair. “Come on, let’s get you home and put some real food in you. You can get back at me when you’ve had some of that pie Caitlin made for you before going to work.”

Moving On

“Dean!” Caitlin squeezed between two stacks of boxes, higher than herself.

She found him in the kitchen, staring at a metal circle between two handles.

“What the fuck is this?”

“It’s a corn cob scraper.” She sighed.

“Why do we have a corn cob scraper?”

“To scrape kernels off the cobs. Can’t you just put it in the box?”

“But I’m gonna hafta carry the box to the truck and from the truck to the house. I’m not gonna pack stuff we don’t need.”

Caitlin crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. “I used it three days ago for that cream corn you gushed over so hard, I thought you’d sleep with it and banish me to the couch.”

Dean’s eyes widened. He pursed his lips and scrutinized the scraper for all of two seconds before tossing it into the open box next to him. With a shrug, he picked another item from the drawer. He stared at it. “What the fuck is-”

“Just throw it out. I only ever use it when I make pies and I don’t think I’m gonna do that anymore.”

Faster than lightning, Dean put the thing in the box.

Caitlin smiled, shaking her head. “Dean, I just wanted to know if you and Sam agreed on when to pick up the appliances this weekend?”

Dean buried his hands, elbows deep, in the kitchen drawer, feeling for more stuff. “Yeah, um, sure.”

“So when are you picking them up?”

He glanced up, eyes wide. “Saturday, I guess. Or Sunday, maybe.”

Caitlin glared at him until she burst out laughing. “Jeez, you’re tired. Why don’t you take a break? I’ll text Eileen and figure it out.”

“Yeah, okay.” Dean sighed and threw himself on the couch. He ran a shaking hand across his face and let his eyes drift shut.

He woke up to Caitlin gently massaging his neck and shoulders. “Mwhah?”

She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I talked to the company and the houses are so close and the total order for all of us is big enough to warrant free delivery, so that’s taken care of.”

“Mmh.” Dean pulled her closer, overbalancing her. He made an ‘oof’ sound when her weight hit him. Then he wrapped his arms and legs around her and kept her there.

“Are you secretly an octopus?” Caitlin relaxed against him.

“No, I’m a homeowner. But if you’d asked me ten years ago if I thought I’d end up as an octopus or as a homeowner, I’d have gone with octopus.” He lifted his head a bit to look her in the eyes. “It’s weird how bizarre it feels to be normal.”

“You’ll never be normal. Doing normal stuff won’t change who we are. You’ll never be a civilian, Dean.”

He squashed her tight against him, chuckling at the way her breath whooshed out of her lungs. “You’re right. I just… Fuck, I…”

“I know. I get it. But, Dean, you would have had to stop someday no matter what. You could have ended up dead or far worse off than this. Anyone who didn’t know you before will barely notice that you’re a bit more clumsy than most. There’s still so much you can do.”

“But I can’t hunt. I can’t save lives. If something ever happens to you, or to Sam, Cas, Eileen… I can’t protect you.”

“I know. That’s life for most people. You can still do a lot of good.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

Caitlin was silent for a while. “You could help Sam with research.”

“Or I could get a job at Biggerson’s, flipping burgers. No way, I’m gonna sit and read about monsters and lore and not get to kill ��em myself.”

“I bet you’d be the employee of the month all through the year.” Caitlin’s grin broke free. “You’d look so dashing in their uniforms, with the cap and the stripes-”

She cut off, squealing, when Dean tickled her sides, showing no mercy.

Her phone buzzed and bought her a respite as she read the text, almost hiccuping from laughing too hard.

“Who’s writing? Did Charlie kill Garcia’s character off again? Has Cas been arrested again? Is it Eileen?”

“It’s from Brad.” Caitlin showed him the message, sad smile on her lips.

I JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN KANSAS CITY. YOU’LL BE A GREAT DOCTOR. I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN WITH THE BIG MOVE. ALL THE BEST, -BRAD

Dean read with a frown. “You gonna answer?”

Caitlin sighed. “I don’t know. I hate knowing his psychiatrist’s reading over his shoulder. My answer wouldn’t be just for him.”

“I know he hasn’t had it easy but I still don’t get how you can forgive him.”

“Well, you weren’t there for his trial. It’s his story to tell, but trust me; he already paid his dues and some.”

“You mean they… Nevermind. I don’t wanna know.” Dean shook his head, holding Caitlin tighter to him. “Will you have to go back here and testify every other week when Cody’s appeal starts?”

“I’m sure they’ll ask me to.” Caitlin shrugged. “I won’t.”

Dean opened his mouth.

She spoke first. “I know they might repeal his death penalty without my testimony but he’ll be behind bars for the rest of his life either way. Cody might deserve to die but I’m against capital punishment on principle.”

Dean raised his eyebrows, questioning.

“Sure, there are humans worse than any monster you and Sam ever hunted, but once they’ve been caught and locked up, they’re not doing any more harm. How do you distinguish between them and the people that might have been possessed or otherwise influenced by something that will never be acknowledged in a courtroom? How do you know the difference between a Brad and a Cody if you weren't smacked in the middle of it? I didn’t even know the difference when I was sixteen, would never have known if they hadn’t taken me last year.”

“But what if he ever gets out? Some bureaucratic mistake, a legal technicality, early parole due to good behavior. As long as he’s alive there’s always a risk.”

“He’s not the only threat out there. There are Djinns and Demons and Daevas and drunk drivers and diseases, just to mention a few beginning with the letter d. I spent ten years in hiding, playing it safe. I’m done living in fear.”

Dean let out a deep breath when she nuzzled close, her nose tickling his neck. For a while, they just lay there, enjoying the closeness. Then he spoke, his voice rougher than usual. “I’m surprised you don’t think Sam and I are killers, with that attitude.”

“Dean. You protected people. It’s not like there’s a court or a prison for human eating or killing, sentient creatures out there.”

“Always so rational.” Dean licked Caitlin’s cheek, laughing when she tried to get away, sputtering in mock outrage.

The licks turned to kisses and the kisses turned to nibbles. Caitlin gave in with a content little sigh, ending in a gasp when Dean used enough pressure to make her really feel his teeth around her earlobe.

Dean snuck a hand under her blouse and undid her bra.

The doorbell rang.

Dean huffed a half laugh, half sigh as Caitlin sat up and redid her bra clasp. He put his hands on her hips. “Can’t we just ignore it?”

Her eyes softened and her movements slowed. “What if it’s important?”

“They can leave a note.” Dean’s hand snaked up her back again, destination obvious.

The doorbell rang again, followed by a quick rapping rhythm, Dean knew all too well. He let his hand fall with a sigh of regret. “Or they might unlock the door since we were dumb enough to give ‘em a key.”

They scrambled to their feet and looked halfway respectable when their front door opened to reveal Sam and Eileen.

Looking at Dean and Caitlin’s still frazzled appearance, Sam grinned. “I’m sorry, are we interrupting something?”

Dean flipped him off. “I thought you guys were busy in Kansas, painting protective sigils in invisible ink?” He signed a few keywords out of habit, though Sam most likely understood just fine, interpreting the movements of Dean’s lips.

“Yeah, we just… something came up. I wanted to tell you in person.” Sam did that weird thing where it looked like he was looking up from under his lashes, all shy and uncertain.

Dean’s jaw clenched, wrinkles of worry creasing his forehead. “Sammy, what’s wrong?”

Sam sputtered. “No, no. It’s not like that, nothing bad. But… It’s just… I guess Eileen and I will have to stop hunting, too.”

Dean's eyes flitted between the two of them, mouth open and eyes wide.

Caitlin broke into a wide grin, something unspoken passing between her and Eileen. “Congratulations, you guys,” she exclaimed, hugging first Eileen and then Sam.

“Could someone tell me what’s going on?” Dean grumbled.

Caitlin bit her lip and watched Sam expectantly.

Sam smiled wide, dimples carved into his cheeks. “You’re going to be an uncle, Dee.”

Dean’s eyes went impossibly wider, his mouth agape. A blissful smile slowly spread before he froze, frowned, and narrowed his eyes. “If this is some stupid joke about that mutt you’re planning to adopt-”

“No joke. Though we do plan to get a dog, now that we won’t be traveling as much as expected.” Sam grinned. He sobered a little. “Dean, I know you don’t like talking about it but you practically raised me, man. You’ll be there, right? If I need help?”

Dean swallowed hard and engulfed Sam in a crushing hug. “Of course, little brother.”

They didn’t get any more stuff packed that day, leaving the chaos behind to eat out.

Over desert, Dean nudged Sam. “So what are you gonna do, college boy, if you’re not hunting?”

Sam chuckled. “Be a college boy, I guess. Charlie dug up my old scholarship and refurbished it. I guess I’m going back to law school. I won’t become a procedural lawyer as long as I’m deaf but I guess pushing pens isn’t so bad.”

Dean glowed with pride. “That’s… Holy fuck, Sam, that’s awesome.” He put his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I’m really happy for you, man.”

“Thanks.” Sam took another bite of his salad and chewed slowly. “So, what about you, Dean? Any idea what you’ll do with your time while Caitlin’s busy at the hospital?”

Dean made an awkward shrug and lowered his gaze to his plate. A sly smile appeared on his lips. “Maybe I should take some child rearing classes. At least one of us should know what we’re doing, this time.”

Eileen almost choked on her water.

Sam kicked Dean under the table, his expression grateful. “You didn’t do too bad the first time around, you know.”

Dean grinned and Sam knew he walked right into what was coming.

“Imagine what you could’ve achieved if I had known more, college boy.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

It was late, and they were both a little buzzed from toasting so many times when Caitlin turned to trace the handprint on Dean’s shoulder with a finger. “Did you mean it?”

Dean, almost asleep, grunted, opening one eye halfway. “Meanwha?”

“You, working with kids?”

Dean shrugged. “Dunno. Those ankle biters can be vicious.”

“But not as scary as monsters, right?” Caitlin chuckled.

“Way scarier.” Dean smiled. “I guess they’d be easier to handle than engine parts, these days.”

“I never told you, but when the Djinn had me, I dreamed of you. Us. Together.” Caitlin blushed.

“You did?” Dean pulled her closer. “What was it like?”

“You…” She smiled, her cheeks heating further. “You were a nurse at the pediatrics ward. You were amazing with the kids.”

Dean gaped at her. “A nurse?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

Dean pursed his lips and tilted his head, considering. “Don’t nurses usually end up marrying handsome doctors?”

“Shut up, Winchester.”

“Why? You could be Doctor Winchester, parading you trophy spouse, nurse Winchester around at fundraisers. Doc Winchester’s got a nice ring to it, don’t it?”

“Dean, seriously, can it.” Caitlin rolled away and lay on her back. “You’re such an ass.”

Laughing, Dean poked her side. “You’re the one who dreamt me as a nurse, Doc.”

Caitlin glared at him with narrowed eyes. “I did. I saw you put a glove over your head and down over your nose, making it look like a pig’s snout and blow air into the glove until it came off your head, whizzing across the room.”

Dean laughed harder. “That’s… that’s priceless. Next time I get my hands on a glove, I’ll try it.”

“Screw you.”

“Really? I thought you were mad at me?”

“Dean!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll stop. Sleep tight, Caitie.”

Caitlin turned to kiss him goodnight. “You too, nurse Dean.”

“Whatever.” Dean drifted off, his smile lingering.

[koolasa89-blog]

Getting Ugly

I wonder if anyone else ever experienced a moment when they acted completely out of character.

A moment where they did something so wrong, immoral, and shameful that it made them question who they really were. A moment when they looked in the mirror & did not recognize the person staring back. A moment of saying something horrible aloud & then asking themselves, “was that me? Did I really just say that?” Or doing something so beneath them that it made them questioned their own character.

Regardless, if there are those somewhere who suffer with this, I know for a fact– I am this person.

In the mist of finding my beauty again I first had to confront my beast. The beast that put on the smile and said the right things to wrong the people, then did the wrong things to the right ones. I was that person who preached faith & God, but lived in doubt & despair. I was the person preaching team work & helping others, when I really worked for what was best for my interests–even if it costed others. I was advising people on trust, yet I trusted no one. I would talk all day about loyalty & call out disloyal people, but I kept all my disloyalties hidden away where no one, including myself, could see them. I was telling people to open up with their secrets & faults as a way to feel better about all of mine. I was flaunting on social media like I was living a good, stable life, when in reality I was drowning in debt and almost close to being homeless. I was the ULTIMATE HYPOCRITE living the ultimate lie.

So I held myself in contempt. I put myself under interrogation. I took some of my lowest moments, deepest secrets, and biggest denials and I PUT THEM ON BLAST! If I could paint a picture, it would be me alone in a room, handcuffed to a chair, forcing myself to WATCH on a big screen, all of the bad things I’ve done wrong. LISTENing to all my lies, my denials, my gossip & hate. Reliving all the moments I suppressed & digging up all the secrets I managed to bury. I could SMELL the filth of my rotten soul and FEEL the maggots crawl beneath the masks I wore. With every sense I had, I saw my beast & felt my UGLY. And I broke.

It was like reality hit me like a semi-truck smashing a deer. Reality was…every ugly thing I hated about others, every petty thing I despised & judged, were all ultimately things I hated about myself. What I hated in others was a true reflection of my own self-hate. It didn’t matter how good I made it all look or how many lies I told myself in order to believe them–deep down I knew they were all lies; this was all a cover-up.

I had to accept my ugly reality & it was the hardest pill to swallow. Accepting that my cover was blown, I was caught red-handed and I was guilty for it all. This life epiphany was like hearing the judge give you the death penalty. Yet the irony was that instead of death, I was granted LIFE. A second chance.

Realizing where I was wrong, made me think of where it all went wrong. That led me to finding the roots to my truth. Truth is, I was a victim of abuse & suffered major trauma. I lived a life full of violence, death, debt & suffering. I was mimicking all of those who broke me. I abused myself like my abuser. I became a cheater as spite of being cheated on. I chose to build the debt that someone else started. I lied to others knowing they would believe me, just like I believed all the lies I was told. I caused others to suffer like those who made me suffer. In the end, I wanted others to feel my pain. This was my way of suppressing the pain.

Most of the things I did were subconscious and not intentional, but they still happened. There’s no excuse and there’s no taking back my mistakes. But now I am content with my reasonings behind my actions. I was a mirror that was once whole, but life dropped me & I shattered. Instead of putting myself back together, I did broken things to match my brokenness.

So this ultimate wake up call allows me to pick up my broken pieces and making good of all the wrong I’ve done. The truth can be beautiful as it can be ugly, but you have to see & accept both sides to see the truth as a whole. Finding my truth is me taming the beast & finding the beauty. I am NOT this beast, I am the beauty❤ Mantra: Confront the beast, find the beauty.

[travelersofthewild]

Day Twenty-Eight

Entry Sixty-Three

It certainly wasn’t as nice as the Rito-down bed, but at this point I don’t think anything will ever top that comfort. I immediately set off, eager to continue (and leave this cold area). According to the map, I was halfway through the area, I’d hopefully reach warmer temperatures before the day was over.

While I was traveling, I felt a strange heat above me that seemed to change the snow into rain. It was the same overall feeling I got at the bridge of Hylia and Lake Floria-- a dragon was near.

I looked everywhere, craning my head to find where the feeling was coming from when I saw a red dragon--not the same one as before-- traveling overhead. I watched it fly in the distance as Buttons trotted on. I’m not sure what sort of penalty there was with this dragon if you got too close, but fortunately it was far above me, flying away. It’s pretty wondrous that such a being can exist in our world. It seems like a very neutral sign that magic still very much exists--and not all of it is the evil of the calamity.

It was nice to see green grass again, and while I wanted to ride through all the way until dark, the ominous storm clouds in the distance encouraged me to settle down at Serenne stable until it passed. It’s kind of amazing how the weather can go from beautifully sunny to an ugly lightning storm in just a few minutes.

I hope no one gets caught out in it, thinking that the sunny weather was going to stick around all day!

And just like that, the weather turned back to beautiful sunny skies.

Entry Sixty-Four

I found myself riding under strange--incredibly strange rock formations. I’m not quite sure what kind of material they were made out of, but they reminded me almost bones and sponges and maybe holey cheese…except without the holes going all the way through.

Not an impressive explanation, I know, but I can’t think of any other way to describe them.

Even though it had reached nighttime, I wasn’t very interested in camping in this area. The rocks looked too much like bones, it gave me the heeby jeebies. So I continued on. Though it’s dangerous, there’s a lot of beauty in riding a horse along the road with the moon shining down on you.

Everything gets a silvery glow. Which is a little eerie, but still beautiful.

I wanted to settle down for the night--make a campfire and sleep but….it started to rain, and the wood wouldn’t light. I let Buttons rest a bit before we continued on. I hope she’d forgive me for riding at night, but the only dry place in our future seemed to be the next stable.

We’re both exhausted, but that’s only temporary.

[love-transparentstudentarca-blog]

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If i am a 19 year old male and have insurance on my car and i have no tickets and one small accident that was my fault over a year ago how much would it be to add a motorcycle to this insurance, but im only getting as much insurance coverage that is required. I will not be getting collision or anything as bike as fairly old and if it gets recked i wont fix it. If you arent completely sure speculate as to how much you think it would be, any info helps.""

Car Insurance?????? help!?

I just got my lisence im a f, and just turned 20. I .ive in MA. I dont know what the av. price would be for car insurance. help! i own a toyota 2000 86.000 miles""

Which is the cheapest auto insurance policy that a company can offer which covers everything?

i own a chevy beat 1.2 LT and need to know the right comparision of d best insurance company policy.pls reply asap.

""Do you have to have car insurance, or does the car you are driving have to be insured?""

If you are driving a car, the car has to be insured, right? What if it is not your car - then it just has to be insured, right? If you have no insurance yourself, it's okay as long as the car is insured... right?""

Insurance?

About how much more expensive is a life insurance policy for a smoker in realtion to a nonsmoker.( I need a figure)

Estimate for car insurance?

I'm looking to buy like a 2003 eclipse or something cheap but nice for myself, I turn 18 in a week so it will be after i'm 18.. but under my step dads name and everything.. he has a minivan for geico and we live in queens new york, he pays around $110 for full coverage, will my insurance be much more since it's a coupe..? my mom keeps going on about how sports cars are priced more for insurance, which I understand.. but will it really be MUCH more? I mean it's not a bmw or a SL65 ... it's a crappy old v4 eclipse..""

When to get health insurance for your newborn?

I am in my first trimester and just wondering when do I need to get health insurance for my newborn-the health insurance is United Healthcare and offered through my job

Can I get Motorcycle insurance for a hired motorcycle in Thailand?

I am planning to spend two weeks in Phuket and intend to hire a motorcycle. Is there anyway i can get compriensive insurance for this? Thanks Phil

What are the best health insurance companies with the best plans that covers everything?

Hello, I am in the State of Pennsylvania which is USA. What are the best health insurance companies with the best plans. I'm not happy with free, but people tell me I can't afford plans, and I still do it anyway. I looked at BlueCross. Well, both Highmark, Capital. Capital said they had a Senior PPO plan. I believe that's the name. They have a once year dental plan, but it doesn't cover anything else for the dental. They do have that plan for medical, vision, prescriptions, and the such. What companies, and what plan from that particular company would cover everything, but affordable? I am 29 years of age. I'll be 30 in January. I'm not qualify senior. I do have benefits coming for disabled Medicare of a disabled deceased record.""

Child only health insurance?

I have done some research and haven't been able to find any decent child only insurance. My daughter is four months old, and we are looking to insure her in the state of Connecticut. What insurance companies supply insurance for just her? Thanks!""

Insurance premium increase of 50%?

I had an accident with my RV that was about $1,200.00 on my side and very minor on the other vehicle. The accident was considered my fault and being 1 point and my first ever in over 32 years of driving. My insurance company now has increased my premium about 50%. I am in California and would like to understand the criteria for this increase. It looks like the company will recover the full amount paid in the next premiums. Where can one go to understand this? Thanks""

Driving without a license and insurance?

So like last year I got pulled over and received a ticket for no insurance and no license in Washington state. It has since gone to collections and is not paid off yet mainly due to the interest rate being crazy, but my question is: does this bar me from going and getting my drivers license or do I have to wait till its paid off? My new job requires me so I need to know asap thanks.""

""When you purchase a new car, is it better to buy the GAP insurance from the dealer ?

Should you buy the GAP insurance from the dealer or from your own private insurance company. Usually your own insurance company is cheaper. Any suggestions?

""In the UK how much do you think it will cost approximatley to get a car,lessons,insurance, etc etc.?""

I just was after an estimate so i have an idea of how much money i need to earn by july when im 17 i only want a small car such as a KA or corsa, it doesnt have to be new or anything.""

How to obtain depreciation from insurance company?

I had a roof claim at the end of the year for $45K. Ultimately the roof failed and damaged the interior of the home as well. The insurance company sent an initial check for $38K, and there is $7K in depreciation as a hold back. Once the work was completed I sent the insurance company a final invoice from the contractor for $44K. The invoice listed all of the work done and a grand total. The adjust is asking for line item detail around the charges. My contractor is telling me this is a ridiculous request and won't provide. So now I am sitting here with an adjuster who won't budge on their stance and a contractor who won't help. Are there any hard and fast rules on how to obtain the depreciation funds. In the couple of claims prior to this over the years, all I had to turn in was a generic invoice. I am at a loss and need to get those funds to close this deal out. I have full replacement value.""

Can i wait till after i pay my speeding ticket to go to traffic school so my insurance wont go up?

I got a speeding ticket last night for driving 80mph on 65mph highway. I have Allstate insurance. I got it in los angeles california. I already went to traffic school this year for failure to signal but its almost been 12 months.

Auto insurance info Help!?

Im 18.yrs old and am planning to get a RED 96 mitsubichi eclipse rs ...i dont know how much the insurance is going to b and am wondering if itll be too much?? also wondering wat is the cheapest auto insurance in michigan?

Insurance........................

I want to get self insurance. wich insurance is cheap and good?

How much will my car insurance go up?

I received a speeding ticket today i was doing 56 on a 30 : /...balls. Now I obviously know that car insurance rates are different for everyone so i called my insurance company today and they said that my insurance would roughly go up by 2 points and that each point is roughly 100$ dollars each... I forgot to ask if that meant i would be paying 200$ plus each month or for the entire year, i tried calling again but they closed for the weekend. Anyone know or have an idea? I pay 125$ a month now, could I really end up paying 325 a month?!""

What are some affordable health insurance plans?

I am 20 years old and do not have health insurance and I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled! So i'm looking for an affordable health insurance.I've already applied for Medicaid and was denied.I need help please!

Is Arizona's new law racial profiling against persons without driver's licenses and automobile insurance?

Is Arizona's new law racial profiling against persons without driver's licenses and automobile insurance?

What is the cheapest car insurance and what company for a 17 year old?

also can i use a motorbikes 1 year no claims for my cars insurance thanks

Buying a motorcycle and insurance?

Might be a weird question. I plan on getting a bike. To get insurance on a bike do you need the title and everytbing under your name first? And if I buy from a dealer, how do I get it home without insurance? You need a bike to get insurance but you need insurance to drive it home from the dealer. How does it work if I make sense.""

Advice for health insurance please? (community college student with low-paying part-time job)?

I haven't had health insurance since I turned 18 and no longer qualified for my family's health insurance plan. I wasn't really concerned at the time, but now that its been a few years (I am almost 21 now), I am in need of dental care. My problem is that I don't know what my health insurance options currently are. I am a college student, although my community college does not offer any health plans for students. I do have a part time job at a daycare that offers health insurance, however its price is far too high for my income. The insurance company is Aetna, and would cost me $16.92 for the lowest medical option, plus $4.61 for dental. So that would cost me $21.53 weekly, which doesn't sound too bad, except I only earn about $120 every two weeks....reducing my paychecks to about only $76 every two weeks....which just isn't enough for me to live on considering that I pay for my own food and everything else needed. So.... does anyone know of health insurance companies that have options for community college students like me? I know state insurance may be an option, but I have a feeling I don't qualify for that since I'm not legally an independent, yet I can't afford to move out and become independent. See the nasty cycle now? lol. And no, earning more money and finding a better paying job is not an option for me at this time. I can't transfer to a college that does offer health insurance for another two years either.. If anyone can give me advice, I'd be very grateful. Thank you in advance =)""

""Insurance Claim estimate lower than expected, what do I do?""

An elderly lady backed up into my car a few days ago and we decided it'd be best to file an insurance claim. After the claim was ruled in my favor I was sent to a body shop for an estimate of the repair. The damage was to the rear quarter panel of my car which consisted of a scrape across the panel and a quarter sized dent in the panel. The insurance adjuster gave me an estimate and check for 855$. My question is in regards to the repairs, I feel that since this is 100% the other party's fault and since I am the person who has to drive the car that I am entitled to the maximum premium in repairs. I have been reading on Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) and most will say that its the cheap way of making a repair. Does anyone know if it would be possible to go back and get a new estimate/settlement for a new rear quarter panel? Basically my logic is this, if you damage any of my property it should be 100% my call if I want to settle for a compromise or not.""

How can I get my insurance CSR 440 certification?

I would like to pursue a career in insurance adjusting

Insurance rebate?

If you cancel your car insurance, do you get a rebate as you do with road tax?""

Are your children on your insurance plan?

Does it cost more on your insurance for a child over 12 years of age?

Did I get a good quote for my car insurance?

I am 28 years old and recently passed my driving test. My full UK driving license is 4 months old and I got car insurance with my uncle for 43 a month including 7 years no claim bonus, 506 a year. Is that a good deal?""

What is a cheap insurance company for teens in washington?

Im 17 and I just started driveing and I have to be on my own insurance, what is the cheapest insurance that I can use thanks for any info""

How much is motorbike insurance for a 125cc bike roughly?

I know it's had to predict, but im looking to buy a bike soon. Im 18 years old, live in south-west London, have a full driving license for 1 year now. (some factors they might consider) thanks.""

Domino's Pizza Delivery Driver- do you need commercial insurance?

I have an interview today for a job at Domino's Pizza to be a delivery driver. My only concern about it is right now I have personal insurance. If I were to get in an accident while delivering a pizza for domino's, would I still be covered? I'd like to hear from actual insurance reps or people who have had experience with this.""

""2012, 17 Year Old Insurance?""

Looking to pass my test in Feb. (3rd) And all threads and posts I have looked at are from 2010 or something. Just wondering what the best sort of car is for my age and insurance provider and any tips to lower my premium as the lowest I have come out with was with elephant.co.uk at 2900, third party fire and theft on a citroen ax. Which is above my budget... Any Clues Anyone ? Thanks""

How can anyone afford private health insurance in USA?

I'm thinking about going into private business in the USA, but I'm concerned about how to insure myself with health insurance. The policies I'm seeing are extremely expensive, and the deductibles are quite high. How do people who start their own business manage?""

Good classic car insurance proposers?

i have a Ford Fiesta L 1979 and l would like to know some cheep classic car insurence

Average teen drivers insurance cost?

about how much would it cost to get insurance on a 16 year olds car? does adding it to the parents insurance make it less?

If I put a 1 million dollar life insurance policy on myself then I pay for 3 months then get hit by a car?

Alright so if I get hit by a car after 3 months of having life insurance and I die does my beneficiary get the 1 million?Or will that person only get how much I have payed with the payments?

Is it possible for me to get an insurance quote below 2000 for any possible car?

im 22..i've tried old and new cars for quotes... cars valued from 500 to 35,000... but the minimum possible quotes i get is around 2100.. and been given a quote of 7000 for a 2.0l bmw 3 series worth around 5000 itself... I know its not going to be 30 a month for such a young in experienced driver.. but 400 a month for a tiny car??!!... i have no one to help me ... how do i find out if car insurance is just a joke or is it possible to get some sensible quotes? how do normal people get sensible car insurance for the first time? or are they just born with 10 years of NCB ?""

Car insurance????

is it higher insurance in illinois to have a 2 door car???

How can I get a health insurance that I can afford?

I work full time and my husbant too but our jobs don't offer a health insurance. We hava just enough money to pay the mortgage, other bills and to survive the month. We would like to have a baby and the only thing that is holding us up is no insurance. I could only find family insurance that's over $500 a month and we could never afford that. And we make too much to qualify for help from the government. Does anyone know any affordable insurance or help from somewhere. Also, without $1000s in deductibles and coinsurance?""

How much would I pay for the Insurance Renewal?

I recently had a car accident with my brand new 4WD vehicle. The front part were badly damaged and is now in the manufacturer's garage. Good thing I didn't get any physical injury as the vehicle's air bag went off just on time and my comprehensive insurance will cover for the agency repairs. My question is, assuming that I'll never encounter another major accident for the next 11 months, how much(more or less) would I pay for the vehicle's insurance renewal next year after it has been assessed by a qualified individual. As early as now, I want to have an idea how the insurance company will compute for my insurance renewal and what are other factors do they consider say I paid them around $1,300 for this year's fee. I hope someone could give me an idea re insurance renewal and other pertinent info re this matter.""

How does health insurance work?

I'm completely lost on how health insurance works... and I'm finally starting to work and don't know what to do =/ so any information about it is greatly appreciated. thank you

Young rider needs insurance help (motorcycle)?

Hello I am completing my motorcycle course this week and will be obtaining my m2 license, I was considering buying a motorcycle. I am a 18 year old male and was wondering if anyone could give me advice or some help for insurance in ontario?. I am aware it will be costly but was wondering if someone had any motorcycle suggestions that would be cheap on insurance or even insurance companies. Recent personal experiences would be nice. Thanks for the help!""

How do you get health insurance?

I'm try'na get emancipated from my parents, and they said I medical/health insurance. No ******** answers.""

What do you guys think would be cheaper in car insurance?

What would be cheaper in car insurance? Which one would last longer? 2003 nissan pathfinder- 185,000 miles 1989 corvette-107,000 miles Im 18 years old.""

Definition of insurance?

I want to know of the definition of insurance

Cheapest insurance company for newly drivers? (UK)?

Cheapest insurance company for 17's? Also how can I get my insurance to be as lowest as possible?

What is the cheapest car insurance and what company for a 17 year old?

also can i use a motorbikes 1 year no claims for my cars insurance thanks

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-would-cost-insure-smart-roadster-17-year-old-angeline"