#don’t worry Lindsey we will fix this house together

[griffinsmith]

my death wizard after I force her to sleep in her bed in the ugly marleybone Royal Estate I bought her because she’s from Marleybone and I want her to have a house like her old home

[pettyprocrastination]

An Ode to Black Lipstick Spencer Reid x Goth!POC!Reader

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: Spencer assigns certain memories and people to certain lipstick colors. Black will always have a special place in his heart. (Also known as Spencer Reid is a sub and love his goth gf very much.) Also Black Goth girls own my heart and my ass and that’s on God. 

Spencer never liked lipstick much. 

Then again, he never had experienced it. 

Maeve never wore lipstick. She preferred chap-stick. Simple but reliable, coconut flavored. A sensation he never got the chance to experience. Lilya used lip-gloss. Shiny, captivating, but waxy and slick like an adhesive. Luring you in until you learn the feeling you were longing for was uncomfortable. Pretty to look at and admire, but not one he wanted for himself. 

He didn’t enjoy pink lipstick, it reminded him of the girls he went to school with. Pretty pink lips curled into condescending smiles as they pretended to be his friend. Those bubblegum grins would turn into mouths open wide with laughter when the jokes would turn cruel and physical on him. His face flushed with shame, as pink as their rose smiles. 

Red made him anxious. 

It reminded him of the crimson blood spilled across the victims. Women who’s ruby red lips had giggled at the smooth words spoken to them in the darkened corner of a club by a man they didn’t know. Those red lips opening wide to scream for help before a hand is clamped over their mouth, smearing the lipstick she had applied so delicately earlier that day in hopes of attracting someone. 

Red lipstick not only reminded him of the victims but also of those who caused their pain. Women whose lips are painted a deep crimson as a lure, a hook so confidently thrown into the water that draws in so many fish. Those lips curl into a sultry smile. As they lead their prey to their home with promises whispered in a breathy moan. That coy crimson quirk of her lips would grow into a sick grin when she saw the red drain from her victim like a trickling river. A sadistic brick red, a reminder of those he couldn’t save and those he couldn’t watch. 

A mouth frozen open in a plea for help.

Lips curled into a twisted grin.

It reminded him of Lindsey Vaugn. Of Cat Adams. 

Chap-stick made him miss one he never got. 

Lip-gloss reminded him of what he thought he wanted, but lost interest in.

Red reminded him of what he could never stop. But black?

Black reminded him of what he worked to protect. 

“Paging Doctor Reid?”

Bare lips and eyes shining with amusement. “You alright there babe?”

He was caught staring, face flushed pink just like in high school. Except this time, there was no fear of bullying or insults thrown at the genius. Just a quick kiss to his face. 

“Just enjoying the view is all.” A response like that would've gotten him laughed right out of school. But your smile just got brighter. 

You turn your back on him to face the mirror, grabbing the raven tube off your nightstand, unscrewing it and dipping it in twice before pulling the wand out. 

An artist dipping their brush into the paint, ready to begin. 

Your lips are parted, eyes focused and brows furrowed as you bring your tool-your brush you use like a master to its canvas-

Your eyes flick from your reflection in the mirror to Reid’s once more.

Caught again. 

“Quick staring you goof! You’re gonna make me mess up my lipstick.”

The thought of you, lipstick smeared, appearance disheveled because of him made his heart skip a beat. His arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you into his chest where you fit snug like a puzzle piece.

Spencer smiled at you. “Well, You don’t have to worry about that-” 

He wrapped his arms around you, setting his head on the crook of your shoulder as you brought the onyx wand to your lips. 

“-Because even if it’s smudged, you look beautiful.”

In smooth movements, the lips he loved so much were painted in what is now his favorite color. Black.

Like the ink on the pages of his favorite books. 

Like the jacket you left at his house the first time you came over that smelled like your perfume. 

Like the blanket you wrapped him up in when he got the flu and you took care of him for an entire week. 

Like the nails that would gently scratch his scalp, twirling his curls as he slowly drifted off to sleep with his head in your lap. 

Like the boots you wore with such authority, confidence in each step you took. 

I’m dark. I’m powerful. I��m beautiful. 

And he agreed with every single one. 

You popped your lips, smiling with satisfaction before you looked to the alarm clock at your side. Red letters glaring at you both. 7:30 am. “We both have to go.”

Spencer nodded. “That we do.” He made no movement to remove himself from his place wrapped around you.

“Speeeence?”

He hummed, nuzzling your neck.

“Ya gotta let go babyboy.”

“Do I though?”

You laughed and wriggled out of his arms, dancing just out of his reach. “As much as we both want to stay, we can't.” Spencer huffed and threw himself out of the bed. Sending you a particularly pouty stare.

“Oh don’t you give me that look!” He looked at you again, before turning dramatically to the door and sighing like a woman in a soap opera. “We both need to get to work and you know it.”

He knows. Another day of staring into the lifeless eyes of somebody he couldn’t save in hopes to find the one he can. Fighting the darkest minds in the world so he can protect the innocent. The families who have weekend barbeques and pool parties, the men going to crowded clubs in hopes of finding love,

The woman with jade lips, waiting for him back at his apartment so they could have a movie night together. 

Spencer was pulled out of his trance, the long-winded mental spiral of his devotion to the color when a finger flicked his nose. 

“What is with you today?” You stared up at him, head tilted to the side with a look akin to a confused puppy. “You've been spacing off an awful lot.”

“I’m okay.” He reached for his bag off the coat hanger as you both went to the door. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

And there it was. The shy little smile, the slight quirk of your lips and shine in your eyes that had his knees feel wobbly and palms sweaty. Three months and the feeling still hasn’t stopped, he didn’t think it ever would. 

“You.”

Onyx lips pulled into a smile as you playfully slapped his shoulder. “Oh shut it, Romeo. You have to get to work.”

Spencer turned, opening the door and stepping outside into the hallway of his apartment complex when-

“Oh wait!”

A tug on his pant loop, causing him to jerk and spin around to face you, holding him by his trousers with a Cheshire grin. You reached up, fingers gently grabbing the collar of his shirt and tugging it down. 

“I almost forgot.” Your whisper fanned out against his neck. He stood stock-still, like prey frozen in terror. But if you were his predator, he would gladly be your meal. The sound he made-he didn’t know what exactly to call it. A choked moan, a muffled gasp, or a mix of the two he wasn’t sure. 

All he knew is when you pressed those lips to his pulse point, leaving behind a clear midnight mark on his skin; was that he wanted you to pull that sound out of him again and again and again. 

You let go of his collar, fixing it back into place with an impish grin. “So you have something to remember me by.”

He didn’t think he could forget you even if he tried. Even if he was doused with Scratch’s gas for hours on end he wouldn’t forget. Because the moment his eyes would meet that dark shade, that void of other colors. His heart would skip a beat and he’d remember. 

The woman who made him love that color so.

Authors note: Rewatching criminal minds and hnnnnn I love Spencer Reid so much that white boy has a special place in my heart. Might make this into a lil series idk. But if you want me to let me know!! Love hearing from yall :’). Gonna get back into writing for my king and husband Reaper but also some criminal minds stuff because quarantine is having me revisit all my comfort shows+movies for some sort of stability in my life lmao. Only a few more weeks and this semester will be done!!

[revisionaryhistory]

Three Days ~ 37

~*~Emma~*~

 Things are running very hot here. I don't mean the sex. Although, the sex is hot. This man. Oh fuck, I don't even know what to think. Thinking isn't the issue anyway. Unless it's that I'm not. Which I don't think is true. It's just that he feels so damn good.

I woke up before my alarm. Sebastian was on his stomach with one arm tucked under the pillow. I noticed a couple of freckles on his back and smiled. He looked completely relaxed and I decided to let him sleep a little longer. I slipped out of bed, tied my robe, and headed downstairs to make breakfast.

 A man-sized version of a rumbled little boy walked into the kitchen about thirty minutes later. He wore only his boxers and that he felt comfortable enough in my house to walk around half-naked made me smile.

 "I woke up alone." He came up behind me at the stove, pulling my hair to the side and kissing the back of my neck.

 Such a simple yet intimate act. I put my hand on his face, "You looked so peaceful. I thought I'd get coffee and breakfast going."

 He looked at the crumbled meat in the pan, "Is that going to be sausage gravy?"

"It is." I could feel him smile against my neck. "Biscuits are in the oven."

"You're so good to me." His arm snaked around my waist, holding me close.

I stroked the back of his head, "I like taking care of people I care for." I turned my head for a kiss. "Why don't you get some coffee and sit down. Breakfast will be another ten minutes."

He kissed my neck again, "I’m starving."  

 Sebastian kept talking while he fixed his coffee, telling me about the food on set and how shitty the biscuits were compared to the restaurant they’d gone to one morning. This led to a general conversation about craft services on set, location, and at concert venues. While it was on a much lesser scale it made for good conversation that I had some knowledge of this stuff. I could share stories and we could laugh together. I think I might feel like a fan if I didn’t have a point of reference and I would imagine that could be uncomfortable for him.

 He hadn’t sat down, preferring to lean in the corner a few feet from where I was stirring. I took my hand from the handle of the pan and motioned for him, “Come here.”

 Sebastian smiled and took the three steps to me, “Yes?”

 I slid my hand from his side around to his back and urged him closer, turning my face up for a kiss. “Will you pour this in the bowl for me, please?”

 “Of course.”

While he did that, I checked the biscuits and pulled them out. He put the pan back on the stove and looked at the biscuits, taking a deep breath. “Smells delicious.”

 “I hope you like it.” I was a little nervous cooking for him.

 He hugged me, putting his hand inside my robe to touch skin, “I’m sure I will.”

 The first bite had him letting out a satisfied groan, “Oh wow.” He took another bite and covered his mouth with his hand, “Seriously, Em, it’s delicious.”

 “Thank you.”

 Sebastian finished chewing, put his hand on the back of my neck, and kissed me, “Thank you.”  When we were finished, he pushed our plates to the other side of the breakfast bar, “You go shower and I’ll clean up.”

 “You sure.”

 He nodded, “Yep, you cooked. I’ll clean up.”

 “Your mom taught you well.” I kissed his bare shoulder and went upstairs.

 I called the Uber to pick us up at ten-thirty. We were downstairs and ready about ten minutes before. Sebastian looked all boy in black basketball shorts, a blue Under Armor shirt, and a baseball cap. I had on an oversized t-shirt over my team tank top and sweat pants with my hair pulled up in a ponytail. The combined excitement of him and the tournament had me keyed up.  Bouncy. Hyperactive even. Unable to sit down, I wandered around while Sebastian sat in the chair scrolling through something on his phone. “You ok there, babe?”

 I was hoping he hadn’t noticed. I jumped up and down a few times, “Nervous energy.”

 He still hadn’t looked up and shook his head, “We should have had sex in the shower.” Now, he looked up with a grin. “Calmed you down.”

 I laughed and walked over, sitting down on his lap when moved his phone out of the way. “Dammit.”

 “Nervous or excited?” He laid his arm over my legs, taking my hand in his.

 “Both.” I fiddled with his fingers. “It’ll go away once the game starts.” I looked up, “Unless it’s all about you.”

 He jerked his head back, “Why are you nervous about me?”

 “The other one. Excited.” I brushed my lips against his softly.

 “Good.”

 I’d told the driver to honk and the noise cut through the moment. “Time to go.”

 I jumped up off his lap, keeping his hand, and grabbing my bag from by the door. It held extra ponytail holders, Advil, tape, a first kit, and cooling rags. We got to the bar way early, a habit of mine. It was good though because I wanted to get Sebastian where he could see. There were four courts with court one in front with seating around two sides. The other three courts were lined up with court four tucked in behind court one with really no seating. The deck along the short side of court one ran the long side of most of court three and all of court two then around the corner of it. Obviously, the better games were going to be on courts one and two.  The deck would be loaded with umbrella-covered tables and a long counter ran along the railing for observing. When the games were over (or any other night) it was just a big outdoor bar. It was a huge complex. Inside was a big open area with a bar that wrapped around two sides. Anything could be going on inside. Karaoke, live band, or a DJ.  

 The Uber dropped us around back and we headed onto the deck. A covered area at the corner of court one was set up for registration and had a board set up with a blown-up bracket. The league coordinator was behind the table and I headed toward him. “Hey, Roger.”

 “Emma. Early as always.” He gathered the paperwork.

 “I want a table by one and two.”

 He looked around for the table signs, “Yep, taken care of. You’ve got your pick.”

 I took our registration papers and the signs with a laugh, “Which is why I’m always early.”

 “And you live five minutes away.”

 “Details.” I waved the papers, took Sebastian’s hand, and headed toward court one, explaining as we walked. “The higher seeded games and the championship will be on one, so we’ll get those tables first. Fingers crossed we play there. We always buy a couple of tables at a tournament because it’s just easier.” I stuck our “Player Reserved Demonic Crickets” sign in the table coils of the table closest to the net of court one then headed back the way we came, to the other side of the complex. “Friends are assured a good view and if we’re out a round we’ve got a place to hang.” I pointed to the other courts, “There are approximate start times for games, but past the first round it’s back to back, so times depends on how fast the games go. Seating for the other games isn’t as easy. Four sucks. Since we’re the three seed we’ll start on court three, but if we win we’ll bump up to court two then one. It’s a double-elimination tournament. The winner’s bracket will be on one and two, losers on three and four.”  I looked between the tables and put the sign up. “You can always go to another table or the railing.” I changed my mind and moved the sign, nodding with my new choice.

 I looked at Sebastian. He was fighting a smile. “This is a new and interesting side to you.”

 I laughed, “You mean the obsessive planner part?”

 “Yeah.”  He wrapped our joined hands behind my back, “Cute and a little annoying.”

 “Also, useful.” I annoyed myself sometimes.

 “I’m sure.” He nodded, kissed my forehead, and let me go.

 I moved to the table and started filling out the form. Standard roster and liability waiver stuff. “Pick your seat, we’ll play here first.”

 “Sure you don’t want to pick for me?”

 A glared playfully at him and went back to the form. Without looking up I pointed to my right, “That one.”

 I could see him suppressing a laugh as he put my bag in the chair I’d pointed to. “Mostly cute.”

 When he’d asked to come, I didn’t even think about him sitting up here with people he didn’t know. I was just excited to see him again. Only when I’d been picking tables did it hit me, I’d be on the court most of the day. “The place won’t fill up until later, closer to dinnertime and the semi-finals.”

 “Don’t worry about me. I’m excited to meet your friends. Do you know where the men's room is?"

I pointed to the end of the building, "Straight through those doors."

"Be right back." He ran his fingers along my lower back as he passed by.

I watched him walk away, twirling the pen against my lip. I stayed lost in my thoughts after he'd gone through the door.

A voice startled me, "Earth to Emma."

 I turned my head, "Right on time."

 Pete gave me a one-armed hug, "You're early so we don't have to be."

All five had walked up together, "Carpool?"

Lindsey shook her head, "No, people kept showing up in the parking lot."

Lindsey's girlfriend Samantha was standing with Pete's husband, Scott. Samantha had a dry almost bitchy sense of humor which I loved, "I’m apparently the designated bar bitch."

 I hugged her, "I brought a bar bitch too. He's in the bathroom." I pointed to the papers, "Sign so we can get them turned in and warm up.”

 Scott looked at Samantha, "Since your bar bitch, I’ll be paperwork bitch."

Where is Sebastian? This conversation would be perfect for an introduction. Everyone signed, Scott took off with the paperwork and the other’s headed to the court, Sam and I sat the table.

 Sam pointed to my bag, "Your date there? "

 I nodded.

 "Will I like him?"

 "Hopefully you'll all like him."

 Sam gave me a look that said she knew I was hedging the question. We’d become friends over her lack of tolerance for bullshit, which is why I answered, "I’m sure you and Pete will get along great with him. Becky’s going to be weird."

 Sam snickered, "Because Becky's weird. Nick and Jeff were dicks last night. Hope their mood is better today."

 I’d skipped out on drinks last night. Glad I missed moody boys, but I wasn't worried, "Maybe they got stoned on the way. Nick plays better stoned anyway." I looked toward the building and thought I could see Sebastian pacing in front of the darkened window. Someone must have called.

 Jeff yelled from the court, “You coming, Emma?”

 Sam turned her back on the court, “See?”

 I rolled my eyes and walked over. I didn’t want to walk around to the end of the courts so I climbed over the railing to get under the netting and landed on our bench.

Scott and Becky had designed out shirts. We all had bright blue tank tops with long armholes. Sports bras were easily visible and I’m pretty sure Becky considered that a feature rather than a bug. Not that I’d protested. I’m very competitive, but there was a social aspect to the game. Looking cute after the game didn’t hurt. Our team name and a graphic of a cricket with demon horns and an evil grin was on the front. Our first names on the back. The three girls had always worn volleyball shorts, but I’d bought us bright orange ones for today.  They were the ones I preferred in college and it’s possible they were a little shorter than what we usually wore.

 I stood up from the bench, tossing my sweats down, and adjusting my shorts. Nick looked at the three of us, “That’s going to distract the other team."

 A voice from behind me called out, "Fuck, that's gonna distract me."

I turned to meet his eyes, "You’re easy."

He leaned forward, "Only for you, baby."

 Nick groaned, "New relationships make me want to vomit."

Jeff added, "Which is why you don’t have one."

Not a one of them looked like they recognized him. I used their banter to give me time to walk over, step on the bench, and touch him through the netting, "Everything ok? You were gone a while."

"Emily called. Best to take it or she’d keep calling. Sorry."

I shook my head and turned back to the team, “Everyone, this is Sebastian." I pointed as I said names, “Pete, Becky, Lindsey, Nick, and Jeff."

The net made handshakes impossible, so he waved, "Nice to meet all of you."

Pete was the first to do the double-take. He pointed to the table, "That’s my husband Scott."

Lindsey repeated his gesture, "My girlfriend Samantha.”

 Sebastian nodded and looked toward the table. “I’m going to go introduce myself and let you guys get ready." He looked at me. “Need anything?"

"Not yet."

He got close to the netting, nodding his head back, "Come here."

 I got closer and kissed him between the netting. He whispered, "Good luck."

 Sebastian was few feet away when Pete did a Ricky Ricardo imitation, “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin to do."

 I glared and pointed a finger at them, “Do not embarrass me.”

 Nick laughed, “Oh, you can be sure that’s going to happen.”

 “He’s our Hall Pass.” Pete smiled dirtily.

 “Both of you?” Jeff shook his head.

 “Definitely. We own more than one copy of Political Animals and Kings.”

 I raised my shoulders and shook my head, “Don’t know what that is.”

 “Your boyfriend kisses boys in both.”

 I cringed, “I wouldn’t use the word boyfriend.”

 Pete grabbed a ball and rolled his eyes, “Whatever. He kisses boys. Hall Pass.”

 I followed behind with Becky and Lindsey, “That’s kinda hot.”

 Jeff passed a ball to me, “Have you not Googled these things?”

 “No, disrespectful. No Googling. We’re just getting to know each other the normal way.”

 Pete passed off to Lindsey, “I’ll send you pictures.”

[greatwrath]

Also, I feel like the situation with my roommate is making it harder and harder to be motivated. And it’s all come to a head since the virus arrived in the city, because now I have to stay home with her every day all day. I’m going to explain what’s going on fully under the cut.

So my roommate, who was one of my ‘best friends’ up until the end of the first month we lived together, has turned about to be like Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho. She stands in the bathroom mirror for hours, with all these face masks on, brushing her hair, charcoaling her teeth, chugging Listerine, using powdered bleach on everything. I’m talking like four hours a day spent in the bathroom. She does laundry every day—today, she has done three loads of laundry during the peak hours. Yesterday she did two. 

She lies about everything without hesitation, from the most trivial things to really big things. Like, for example. my other roommate asked her if she had a salt lamp, and we knew she did have one because I had seen it, and the fucking box was in the laundry cupboard, but she said ‘no’ without missing a beat. Or she told us that it wasn't her tampering with the thermostat and turning it up to crazy temperatures, and that it was just the thermostat doing it automatically, even though the ONLY way a holding temperature can be set is by a person.

Then there’s the worrying shit. Just a few hours ago, my dog made this screaming noise, the noise he makes when he is in pain, and she claimed she didn't touch him, but there’s no way he would make that noise without being hurt in some way. 

In the summer, she put radishes down the sink, which caused a massive blockage in the pipes. She turned the dishwasher on and all the water backed up, causing a flood around midnight. It went all over the kitchen, down into the basement, whereupon I had to clean up sewage. And she was laughing and worrying about washing the towels, not helping fix the problem or anything. When we fixed it and got all the food out of the pipes, she said ‘Oh, I guess the food goes down the sink’. And I thought, WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU THINK IT WENT? But she hasn't learned. Now the sink is frequently filled with marshmallows, which I have to get out.

Then, myself and my other roommate, who is my platonic soulmate, went to the UK, where I was born and raised. While we were away, the bad roommate called the police, because a bag had been moved from the stair bannister to the floor, and she believed that the neighbours were watching her through the windows. We had added locks to our doors before leaving because we didn't trust her, so naturally, the police unlocked the doors to check our rooms for intruders. There were none there, but she took the opportunity to rifle through our stuff.

She listens to Phantom of the Opera by Lindsey Stirling on repeat out loud, over and over. She has eight alarms in the morning, on two different devices. She likes to stand in the upstairs landing, in the dark, and eavesdrop on our conversations. She sits upstairs, in the dark again, and glares at us in a really creepy way as we pass. Left alone, she will bleach things, like minor imperfections, and make an even bigger mess. She monopolizes space, like the linen closet, the entire upstairs room, the fridge, the tea cupboard. She thinks she can flirt with bus drivers to get free trips. She covers her body in ‘Aztec Secret’ face mask (the world’s strongest face mask). She sometimes walks around naked. She eats whole loaves of bread, plain. A boy in our college class was considering getting a restraining order against her, because she wanted to know where he was and what he was doing all the time, and she wouldn't stop texting him. People in our class didn't like her because she insisted on dictating the seating arrangement day by day. She was in conflict mediation with her roommate in college because she wanted the thermostat set at 28°C (82 degrees Fahrenheit), but the roommate was finding it physically hard to live there, which I only recently learned. She outed me as a lesbian to her sister and mother, in front of me. She is so passive-aggressive it’s fucking inconceivable, like she came down the other night and stood in the kitchen for twenty seconds, during which time her phone was playing ‘Fuck You’ by Lily Allen. She stood there for just the ‘Fuck you, fuck you very much’ and then she walked off upstairs again. The list is fucking endless.

This person is not right, and I feel like I’m living in a nightmare, because every day I wake up and find something weirder than before, and she insists nothing happened. So we have to write down what happens just so we have evidence that this shit has happened. We are resigning the lease without her, and she is due to be out at the end of April, but christ, it’s awful to be isolated in the house with her throughout the day. I just want her gone. I don’t want to be afraid for my Dog, afraid of the bills that always reflect her insane water/gas/electricity consumption habits, afraid of what I’ll find, afraid of what she’ll do and of what she’ll try to take when she moves. 

It’s been a fucking year, my friends, and I hope it gets better once she’s out of our lives. 

[maealbert]

The Liaison // P5

AU Characters: Team x OC A/N: I love this story. I know I’m like behind on all of my others but those will be on pause until I have more inspiration for those ones, lol. Master List Previous Parts

Tag List: @idkbutspencer @literallyprentissstwin @rawritsmolly @illegalcerebral @ultrarebelheart @chocok22 @etp666 @captainreid @tippy06 @cynbx @tenaciousarcadeexpert

“In this sad world of ours sorrow comes to all and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel better. But this is not true. You are sure to be happy again. Knowing this, truly believing it will make you less miserable now. I have had enough experience to make this statement.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Two Months Later

Stepping into the coffee shop, Lucy stomps the snow off her shoes as she shakes the snow out of her hair. “Good morning, Lucy!” One of the baristas called from behind the counter, giving her a bright smile. Lucy returned the smile as she headed up to the counter.

“Seems to be busy here this morning, Tia.” Lucy says.

“Oh yeah, once the snow began to fall around six it’s like whole city showed up.” Tia says as she begins making Lucy’s usual order. “You look dressed professional today.”

“First day back to work.” Lucy says as she grabs a few packets of sugar.

“Oh right, you mentioned you’d be going back this week. Are you nervous?”

“Not really.” Lucy says as she takes the coffee from Tia.

“Want a muffin to take with you?” Tia offers as she walks over to the glass casing. “We just baked banana nut fresh this morning. I know those are your favorite.”

“Can’t pass that up.” Lucy says with a soft giggle.

“Here you go.” Tia says as Lucy hands her her debit card.

“Oh no, it’s on the house.” Tia says shaking her head and handing the card back.

“Are you sure?” Lucy asks.

“Of course. One order isn’t going to kill anything.”

Lucy smiles as she picks up the bag containing the muffin. “Thanks, Tia. You’re the best.” She leaves tip in the jar and heads out of the coffee shop.

The elevator doors opened on the sixth floor and she heads to her office when she sees the door was open. Figuring JJ was already in there she starts to talk as she walks inside the door. “JJ, I appreciate you taking over for me while I was out.” Looking up from setting her things on the coffee table, she sees the Assistant Director sitting at her desk. “A.D. Barnes.” She says straightening up. “Wh-What are you doing here?”

“The Director so kindly filled me in on your absence from the team.” She says standing up from the chair and walking around the desk. “Agent Jareau was so kind as to step in for you while you were gone.”

“Ma’am-”

“Don’t worry, Agent.” Barnes says as she walks up to Lucy. “You’re not in trouble. However..”

“Oh boy..” Lucy mutters as she steps around Barnes and goes to her desk.

“Something else has been brought to my attention.”

“And what would that be?” Lucy says sitting down at her desk and cocking her head at Barnes.

“A little birdy told me that you and Dr. Reid have been getting close with each other.”

“What?” Lucy says sitting forward at her desk. “Getting close how exactly?”

“Agents in the building, who shall remain nameless, have noticed you and Dr. Reid hand holding, and getting well, lovey-dovey with each other.”

“And?”

“I’m just looking out for you, Agent.”

Lucy rolls her eyes. “Really? You’re looking out for me? Just last year you wanted to disband the BAU and now you’re looking out for me?” Lucy scoffs shaking her head. “I appreciate the concern A.D., but my personal life is none of your business.”

Barnes shakes her head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She says heading for the door.

“Warn me about what?” Lucy calls after her as she leaves the office. Rolling her eyes again she sits back down at her desk and begins to do her work.

Pulling out her phone just a short few minutes later she opens a new text message and puts in Spencer’s name. ‘We need to talk.’

Moving his chair from side to side with his foot he flips the next page in his book, he hears his phone beep on his desk. Saving his spot in the book, he sets it on the desk and picks up his phone. He clicks on the new message and Lucy’s name popped up. Reading her message, he puts his phone away into his pocket and gets up from his desk. Leaving the bullpen he heads down the hall to Lucy’s office. Knocking on the door he hears Lucy call him inside. “You wanted to talk?” He says as he walks in.

“Barnes just came to see me.” Lucy says as she stands up from her chair and walks around to the front of her desk.

“About what?”

Lucy raises an eyebrow. “I’ll give you one hint.” She says folding her arms over her chest.

Spencer nods his head. “Right.” He says sitting down on the couch. “How did she find out?”

“She says that agents, who will remain nameless, have told her about us.”

“The only reason she’s being so nosy is because of Rossi. Except once Garcia and Kevin had started dating, those rules just went out the window. So really, she has no reason to be nosy about this.”

“She said she was looking out for me, Spencer.”

“Why?” He says raising an eyebrow.

Lucy shrugs her shoulders. “And that I can’t say she didn’t warn me.”

“Warn you? About what?”

“And again..” Lucy shrugs her shoulders. “I have no idea. I know everything there is to know about you. Your mom, your dad, Lindsey, Cat, Scratch-”

“I get it. You know a lot.” Spencer says standing up and walking over to Lucy. “But I promise you nothing is going to happen.”

“Yeah, you say that now. Don’t jinx yourself.” She says making Spencer smile.

“Forget about what Barnes said.” Spencer says placing his hands on her shoulders. “She screwed with us, don’t let her screw with you.” Lucy nods her head as she lays her head against Spencer’s chest.

Someone clears their throat and Lucy lifts her head. Spencer turns around to see Emily standing in the doorway. “We weren’t doing anything.” Lucy says as she pushes off the desk and goes to sit back down in her chair.

“Someone’s in a mood.” Emily says as she looks at her watch. “And it’s only eight-thirty.”

“Barnes came by to talk.” Spencer says folding his arms over his chest.

“Ohhh..” Emily says as she sits down on the couch. “Let me guess, is about what I just walked in on?”

“We weren’t doing anything!” Lucy exclaims as she stands up from her desk. “Why does everyone want to be so nosy?” She says as she leaves the office.

“I was just joking.” Emily says as she stands up.

“Ever since Garcia caught us kissing in the park, no one will leave her alone.”

“No one as in everybody or just Garcia?”

“Everybody.” Spencer says. “She’s already tired of people asking how’s she doing since her father passed, she doesn’t want everyone asking about her relationship.”

Emily sighs and looks towards the door. “I’ll find her and I will talk to her.” She says as she leaves the office.

Lucy stood by the fountain watching the snow fall into the water and disappear. Tugging her coat tighter around her waist, she sits down on the bench and looks up at the sky. “You know, if we weren’t so close to cities, we could see more stars.” She hears Emily say.

“At least they won’t have people all up in their business..” Lucy mutters.

“Well..”

“Don’t even start..” Lucy says standing up from the bench. “All everyone wants to know is how I’m doing, how am I coping with the loss of my father? And now that people are gossiping about Spencer and I, they’re now asking me personal questions. And now that Barnes is involved, it makes it even worse!”

“Barnes has her nose in everybody’s business.” Emily says.

“Yeah well my personal life is none of her business.”

“It is when two of the Bureau’s agents are dating.”

“Well then fine, maybe we just won’t date.”

“Okay, I didn’t say that.” Emily says. “Don’t crush the poor guy just because of what people are saying.” Lucy sighs and looks down at her feet. Emily walks over to Lucy and pulls her to the fountain. “Okay, take a look into the water and tell me who you see.”

Lucy scoffs rolling her eyes. “A woman who is so put together that at any moment she might break into a million pieces.”

Emily glances at Lucy as she licks her lips. “Okay.. A little deeper than what I was going for. No.. Want to know what I see?”

“I’m gonna hear it anyways.”

“Yes you are.” Emily says wrapping her arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “And you’re not a woman who is all put together. No one’s all put together. This is who I see.” She says fixing Lucy’s hair. “I see a strong woman who takes on any obstacles in her way with all that she’s got. I also see a kind and compassionate young woman who takes her job seriously and doesn’t let anyone walk all over her. And I also see a woman who’s deeply and madly in love with the Bureau’s Einstein.”

“Barnes is so nosy.” Lucy says rolling her eyes.

“So is everyone else, but this is what we all deal with on a daily basis.” Emily says as she pats your back. “If Barnes comes to you again about this, tell her that your personal life has nothing to do with your job, and it doesn’t. These are too different situations. I will even back you up on this.”

“Yeah, remember the last time you backed the team up?”

“Listen, I would lose my life to back up my family.”

“Now look who’s getting deep.” Lucy says folding her arms over her chest.

Emily shakes her head as she wraps her arm back around Lucy’s shoulders. “Let’s just get back to work, shall we?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Emily laughs. “Of course not.”

If you liked this part, than please be sure to leave it some love! <3

Thank you! :)

[averybuck91]

insurance san jose

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :carinsurancequoteshq.xyz

insurance san jose

insurance san jose lindsey, i. p. m. i. p. n. w. c. l. a. c. m. 2. (2) p. r. s. r. t. w. i. f. a. (2) r. 1. w. i. s. n. l. 1. p. l. f. t. p. j. k. s. 5. w. i. s. t. 1. a. t. t. i. . (3) p. a. l. e. r. a. . a. i. n. a. p. . l. t. . p. c. 3. c. l. p. a. c. . e. y. 6. w. p. e. o. h. i. u. m. e. t. 2. y. 1. . n. 1. 2. w.. insurance san jose or health insurance plans. For instance, you may be eligible for a discount if your plan, or the ones and insurance of your preferred policy, covers your dental health. The reason is that dental insurance plans may pay for your treatment regardless of whether your plans, the health insurance plans, or insurance of the primary provider of care, is covered. A health insurance plan is just an extension of another insurance plan. The health plans cover various things: You don’t buy insurance when your life changes. Most people don’t change their health insurance plan because the plan has become more standardized and/or unaffordable. However, if you are already healthy and are searching for a reputable health insurance plan, that is a great opportunity.  If you have , but that was on an extended or life-long term policy before the accident, you may be able to find a new affordable health insurance plan by using that compares prices for various plans. You may also need an independent or local insurance. insurance san jose de vie dans la sie sie. JOURNALOUS VOLUNTELET SOME DAY, NO ONE ELSEWHERE IS RESPECTED TO THE TROUBLE THAT WAS LEAVING HIS MIND OF DEATH! I WILL NOT BE INSOLIDATING WITH MY OWN HOME, I WILL NOT BE CUSTOMER OR PAY TOGETHER INSURANCE WITH NO OTHER SUFFERED FORTOBASES ! THE STATE OF WAITTER FORT ISSUES AND PEDES (1) It may seem to be a strange thing, if your place is a place you’re not. It may seem to be a strange thing, if your place is a place you’re not. If you were to leave your old house behind, then it would only have cost more to fix the repairs. If you were to leave your old house.

Motorcycle Insurance

Motorcycle Insurance Rates in NY Most of all, if you’re looking for an affordable new motorcycle, you can’t go wrong with Nationwide. Rates for this insurance are generally lower than standard car insurance, so you don’t need to risk being dropped for good market value by other companies. Nationwide offers good discounts for drivers who bundle their motorcycle insurance with other services. With one quote costing $1,895 for a full coverage policy, the company claims that the combined use of this coverage will give a discount of about 17% to 20% on rates. The policy also includes a motorcycle rider’s insurance plan, which could save both you and your motorcycle from a hefty deductible if another accident occurs. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) rates Nationwide with a good outlook based on national data. The company gets high marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NCS) for crash reports, traffic accidents, and fatalities. Its rates are low and its customer service.

Home Insurance

Home Insurance Agents is your trusted business insurance agent that understands your risk… you will love it! My staff, onetime colleagues and I are all friends that will be all my coworkers!! My staff and I will always be a family and never forget them!!!!! I believe insurance is an important asset and will always look for ways to pay the bill. Our online account is used by the policy holders of your insurance products to provide administrative and product information, and will update you if we need to change what we do. There are two types of personal injury protection coverage: standard & optional. The standard liability protection policies for car insurance are sold with $100,000 coverage limit. This policy gives you $150,000 of insurance coverage for physical, economic and mental health claims for bodily injury or death. Also known as personal umbrella coverage. Under these types of liability insurance coverage, you will have some liability limits. For example, you can choose between $1,.

Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance Comparison Code: Height: $34.68 Brand: Enterprise Age: 18 Gender: 64 Credit: 11 YTD: 33 Credit: 5 Credit: 25 Credit: 5.0 18.0 30.0 36.0 39.8 40.0 43.5 44.2 All that being said, all insurance companies use their own criteria to arrive at the rate they feel are the most appropriate for their driver profile. This goes for all factors. Some are found more common than others. Some are more expensive than others. And some are more expensive than others. These are just a few of the factors that will affect how much insurance you need to think about as you begin researching your options. In addition to individual factors such as where you live, whether you drive a car on a daily basis, you should also look.

Let us help you cut your insurance cost in California

Let us help you cut your insurance cost in California to improve coverage. Your home insurance policy could double your claim thanks to its unique liability protection. You must have an auto, a life, or other coverage in order to receive compensation. The California Department of Insurance has a list of resources to help you. It’s called the California Insurance and Financial Responsibility Program (CDIP). You’ll have options if you want to keep the policy for the full year (although some people pay 30 percent higher premiums). You can cancel the policy before it expires, so you’ll not have to pay more than necessary. Before you cancel, you’ll need proof of insurance and a signature to notify the California DMV. If your policy lapses during the first two years you’ll have to reapply for insurance, so you won’t be able to renew your policy due to a lapse. Keep checking with your current auto insurance company. If they fail to cancel you, you’ll be charged a higher premium.

About Brent Fulk, your San Jose insurance agent.

About Brent Fulk, your San Jose insurance agent. To learn more about San Jose auto insurance, and auto insurance in San Jose as you are being served, check out my article on insurance in California: . Auto insurance in California is an affordable little way to get car insurance that can cover any damage that might come your way. But it doesn’t work for everyone needs auto insurance coverage. Every driver needs protection in case of accidents resulting from their driving. So, let’s look at the best auto insurance in San Jose with a specific type of coverage, so you can find the best auto insurance for your needs. Drivers living somewhere else are always on the road. Your current auto insurance policy might cover your vehicle for certain circumstances, but if your car is heavily parked in an area with car accidents, your current auto insurance policy might not cover damage. San Jose drivers can avoid this with a simple phone call to their local insurance agent. Car insurance as a service and not just on a car. Drivers who don’t have auto.

Our Insurance Companies

Our Insurance Companies Insurance Type Auto Home Life Medicare Health Get Quotes Secured with SHA-256 Encryption Review Information Independent Review Article TitleI am a former insurance salesman.I am currently an employee of a business organization.I am on the board of directors for Independent Insurance Agency.I am a member of National Partnership for Homeowners Insurance (NPAHL-A).I am an intern at NPAHL. I am a full-time employee of NPAHL.I am a part-time employee at NPAHL. I am on the board of directors of Independent Insurance Agency.I am a member of NPAHL-A.I am an intern at NPAHL. I am a member of NPAHL-NPAHL. I am a member of NPAHL-NPAHL. I am a member of NPAHL-NPAHL.I.

Life Insurance

Life Insurance for the last five years, will be cancelled, and the policy will be cancelled until the premium increase is reduced, when the insurer will start paying the premium on a reimbursed basis, and you no longer have a policy, it will be cancelled. This is an option if you are considering this policy in the future, but you probably’ll only be able to cancel this policy because you no longer have a policy. You have two coverage options for this policy… For life insurance, and for coverage that will cover your children’s deaths, you don’t have to worry. Even if you opt to not buy this coverage, it becomes much less of a hassle. However, unlike individual policies, no-claims policies are not considered liability insurance, which means the insurer will require that all claimants have their own policies and therefore the insured holds the interest in the policy. Even when you buy no-claims life insurance, your beneficiary or policyholder may still be able to.

Business Insurance

Business Insurance Brokers Offers you access to many car manufacturers and insurance companies at the same time. We make it clear that we are a friendly, knowledgeable, knowledgeable and knowledgeable agent who can help you with a wide variety of insurance, finance, trade, and other information. We are one of the only agents to help choose a company that will protect the things you love about your home. Your insurance is required in order to protect your finances and your assets. We offer many different types of coverage to customize your insurance costs so it should go without a hassle. Many insurance companies have not been around long enough for you to know they have insurance policies that protect every aspect of your home in its entirety without significant financial strain on the people and belongings you share it with them. It will help you to deal with not only your policyholders but to the insurance companies as well. This is a good product…but, the price isn’t that great…it is not how much is the.

We recommend these San Jose, California independent insurance agents.

We recommend these San Jose, California independent insurance agents.  I just received a letter on car insurance this week and I need to talk to someone about this because I feel something is off in the air.. Can I drive without cars in California? You can use your car for a specific purpose, so I would call it . Or what if I drive my car around the country and don’t want to check in for the next 12 months?  You can get in a car and drive if you need to, but you don’t need it. My own car had been insurance for about 3.5 years. When I went to see if there was a claim, my agent said there was nothing I could do about the fact that the car was out of my insurance card.  It turns out a claim would be filed against my vehicle that same afternoon without my knowledge as a medical examination.  We got the insurance documents so I could file the claim on the car. I was so annoyed that I did not get to speak to the.

Insurance We Offer

Insurance We Offer Fair Prices & Free Quotes Just ask us about the insurance we have already and the rates are very competitive. We offer: Secured with SHA-256 Encryption Finding insurance companies and discounts for having no auto insurance, also, is an important decision. While many companies offer , this doesn’t mean they’re always the best fit for our customers. Freely Compare Compare Cheap Rates Compare Cheap Rates from 12+ A-rated companies 1 Clean Record No claims over $100k Auto & Vehicle Repair, Inexpensive repairs...  Freely Compare Compare Cheap Rates from 12+ A- rated companiesI am an insurance writer who is on a mission to make insurance simple, more understandable and simple. I have been in the insurance business for 13 years and am an expert in the fields of insurance..

[daniellward099]

Trump Is Being Vague About What He Wants to Replace Obamacare. But There Are Clues.

The three leading G.O.P. health care proposals all involve block grants. Those plans are hard to square with the president’s promises to lower premiums and deductibles. 

We don’t know what will emerge as President Trump’s plan to replace Obamacare, which he has promised to unveil immediately after the 2020 elections. But he has recently endorsed several proposals, and they could provide clues.

Over the last two weeks, he has sought to re-emphasize health care as an issue, after a set of bruising legislative defeats in 2017. He directed the Justice Department not to defend the Affordable Care Act against a legal challenge. And he issued statements and tweets calling for Republicans to become “the party of health care,” at a moment when many of his party’s leaders had hoped to focus on different issues.

He also began reprising various promises about what a future plan to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act might achieve. The plan, short on specifics, will come with “far lower premiums (costs) & deductibles,” he said this week in a series of tweets. He promised that any Republican health plan would protect Americans with pre-existing health conditions, a major concern of voters that Democrats effectively exploited in the 2018 midterm elections.

After his election, President Trump made similar promises, saying that the Republican proposal would be “far less expensive and far better” than Obamacare. The legislation that came later, and earned his endorsement, would have made insurance less expensive, but only for certain groups of young, high-income, healthy Americans. The bills would have also eliminated coverage for millions of people by scaling back Medicaid, and would have made it harder for those with pre-existing illnesses — and those who are older with low incomes — to find meaningful affordable options if they didn’t get insurance from work.

The three senators he has chosen to lead the effort — Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, John Barrasso of Wyoming and Rick Scott of Florida — have so far also declined to point to many specifics. When asked about an Obamacare replacement this week, they mentioned their more modest bills to reduce health care costs in the emergency room and at the drugstore. (A fourth senator the president has mentioned, the majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has been even more clear that he has little interest in pursuing comprehensive health care legislation.)

One clue to Mr. Trump’s thinking is the choice of Mr. Cassidy. Along with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, he was the author of a legislative plan that received some scrutiny in 2017 but never came up for a vote. Another hint can be found in the president’s own budget, released just before his reinvigorated health care push. A third is a draft proposal developed by a group of conservative Washington policy groups.

The Graham-Cassidy bill

The president has spoken fondly several times about this proposal, which did not have enough support in Congress to advance to a vote. It would eliminate current programs funding Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, which covers the working poor, and insurance subsidies helping low- and middle-income Americans buy their insurance. Instead, that money would be grouped together, then parceled out to states to use in the service of health care programs they favor.

The legislation attaches some rules to how the money can be used — it must go toward health care, for example — but its main goal is to provide states with maximum flexibility to develop local and innovative solutions. (Some experts worry that states could struggle to develop such plans on the bill’s abbreviated timetable.)

That flexibility would allow states, if they so chose, to waive Obamacare’s rules that plans must cover a standard set of medical benefits, and that insurers must charge the same prices to customers with different health histories. It would be easy for states to circumvent current protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. That ability would be at odds with the president’s recent promises to protect such rules.

Editors’ Picks

The Racial Bias Built Into Photography

‘Will You Stay With Me Until I Die?’

With the Birth of My Son, I Stopped Hiding

The bill would also restructure the Medicaid program, even for populations that were enrolled in the program before Obamacare.

The bill’s formula for allocating money among the states would also lead to big redistributions, generally taking money away from states that have expanded Medicaid, toward those that have not. It would also restrict the growth of the block grants over time. Those funding formulas, while technical, make a big difference in the impact of the program. It would result in substantial funding shortfalls for several large states nearly immediately, and leave nearly every state in a funding crunch over the long term.

The budget

Because the 2020 White House budget was developed and published by the White House itself, it is perhaps the most useful clue about how the president imagines a world without Obamacare.

Like the Graham-Cassidy proposal, it includes block grants to the states to replace the Obamacare coverage expansion, and it replaces the remainder of Medicaid with a set of fixed payments to states.

But the rate at which the different grants would grow over time would be even smaller than under the legislation, “to make the system more efficient.”

The budget is vague about what sorts of insurance regulations would be allowed, but it does note that a tenth of funds would need to be set aside for people with pre-existing conditions, a sign that states would be allowed to exclude such people from the mainstream insurance markets.

The conservative coalition proposal

A group of conservative health policy experts, including the Heritage Foundation, has developed a health care proposal that shares a basic structure with the two systems described above: It would hand states blocks of money and a few rules, and encourage them to develop their own health care systems.

Sign up for The Upshot Newsletter

Get the best of The Upshot’s news, analysis and graphics about politics, policy and everyday life.

The rules in the conservative plan differ a bit from those in Graham-Cassidy. The plan would require that government-subsidized systems offer every American a choice of a private health plan, a requirement that would probably foreclose a liberal state from enacting a single-payer program and that might require restructuring of some state-run Medicaid programs.

The plan shies away from specifying funding formulas. It doesn’t say how the block of money should be divvied up among the states, though it says that states with more low-income residents should get a bigger share. It also doesn’t specify precisely how quickly the pot of money should grow over time.

Like the budget proposal, it nods to concerns about Americans with pre-existing conditions by encouraging states to develop special programs, like high-risk pools, to insure people with expensive health needs. But it also encourages insurance strategies, like discounts for young customers, or stripped-down benefit plans, that would tend to make mainstream insurance less useful for people with serious health needs.

The proposal also leaves the legacy Medicaid program as is. That choice neutralizes one possible political line of attack. But it also substantially diminishes the program’s possible cost savings.

The court case over the Affordable Care Act will be decided on the judiciary’s timetable, so it’s not clear how long the White House may have to develop a replacement plan. But, since it certainly has at least months, there is time to develop some new proposal more aligned with the president’s recent promises.

Doing so will not be easy, however. Health care in the United States is expensive, which means that health plans that cover everyone with low deductibles are likely to be costly. The block grant plans the president has admired reduce rather than increase current federal spending on health care. Looser rules on health insurance are likely to increase costs on customers unfortunate enough to need care. That makes the block-grant approach a troublesome fit with the president’s stated desire for a system that Americans find “far less expensive & much more usable than Obamacare.”

Informational Source

[volcanofireflame150]

When Different Paths Cross

About the Characters; Intro; Ch23

Chapter 22

So we managed to set back for a while because this song that I wrote, Baekhyun is going to help to write some more with the help of Lay and Chanyeol composing the music that goes with each song we come up with.

I was the only awake this time at night, I decided to watch a classic disney movie called Peter Pan. I was watching while I was coming up with something new, the entire movie got me to writing. I heard someone clearing their throat, I looked and there was a very sleepy Suho.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping at this time?” he asked. I said, “I couldn’t get to sleep.” “May I join you and your movie?” asked Suho. I nodded and scooted over, Suho saw what I wrote and gave me the most impressed look anyone has ever given me.

“What?” I asked. Suho said, “You’ll be a great songwriter one day.” “You like it so far?” I asked again. Suho nodded, “It’s great, what got you inspired?” I pointed at the movie that we were supposed to be watching, Suho said, “Oh, this classic movie is great, I love Captain Hook.”

“I snuck it out of Luhan’s room, he doesn’t know that it’s gone,” I said, “I just want to watch something different other than NCIS.” “Understandable, just as long as you return it,” said Suho. I said, “I will eventually.” “Lindsey,” said Suho.

“Alright, I’ll return it,” I said, giving in. Suho said, “Good, just as long as you slow this song writing down, it’s getting way into your head.” “It gives me something to do,” I told him, “It’s gotten me, Kai, Xiumin, Chanyeol, Lay, Sehun, Chen, Kyungsoo, and Baekhyun to be even closer.”

“I just don’t want to take any risk of anything,” said Suho. Chanyeol entered the room and said, “Loosen up Suho, we can’t force her to do anything that she doesn’t want to do if she doesn’t want to do it, you have to learn to accept it. Not everyone is the same, I’m actually making myself useful for once by composing music.”

“This is what the Tree of Life wanted,” I said to him. That stung Suho, which is true, the Tree of Life gave us this path, she was letting me write many songs for this specfic pack so we can sing it all together.

“Suho, you always said that We Are One,” I said to him, “We are one of the same, we stick to each other through rough times, we can do things that we want as long as we don’t forget on who we are as a whole, don’t forget that we are not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Suho left us alone to try to process on what I just said to him, Chanyeol sat down next to me and leaned in to kiss me, then he turned off the movie and tv, picked me up like I was nothing, apparently Kai and Xiumin knew what was happening so they just left the house.

After our little ‘fun’ with each other, Chanyeol was concerned if he hurt me cause I was crying in pain but soon the pain went away, Chanyeol asked, “Did I hurt you there?” “No, but your mark on me did,” I said.

“Well, it was our first time doing it so thank goodness I had protection,” said Chanyeol. I nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m not ready to be a mother yet.” “I’m working my way on being a father,” said Chanyeol.

We got dressed and went outside hoping no one heard us going crazy, thank goodness Chanyeol’s bite mark was on my shoulder, when we went outside everyone was talking to each other. We joined them, before we walked out I fixed my hair where it was before same with Chanyeol and put his bandana and hat on.

Chanyeol asked, “Any room for us guys?” They looked at us and Baekhyun said, “You guys were loud.” “BAEKHYUN!!” Kai shouted. Baekhyun’s comment made the both of us turn red, Kris asked, “Baekhyun, can you not be immature? They’re privacy was important.”

“If he doesn’t stop snooping around, I’mma kill him!!” Chanyeol shouted. Baekhyun said, “Hey! I was just saying, I was nowhere near the bedroom, we could barely hear each other over you guys.” “Did it ever occur to you guys to go inside the other house?” I asked.

Baekhyun’s face went blank, Kris said, “You didn’t think about that?” “No, I thought they were finished by the time we came out here,” said Baekhyun. Kyungsoo and the others just facepalmed at Baekhyun’s stupidity, Chanyeol said, “Baekhyun, if you get like this again, I will strangle you!!”

Baekhyun’s eyes went wide and went running when Chanyeol began to chase him, when they were doing that I went to sit down next to Sehun and asked, “Is Baekhyun always like this?” “Yes, he is a little shit,” said Sehun. Kai asked, “Are you alright Lindsey?” “Yeah, why?” I asked back.

“You were limping,” said Xiumin. I responded, “I’m just a little sore, he did it too rough.” “Ohhhh-kay, let’s change the topic,” Tao said quickly. That’s right, oops, I blushed because it is a topic that no one wants to hear other than the people who did it.

I had another tune but I decided to ignore it because I didn’t want to disturb everyone’s peaceful circle, Sehun asked, “Do you want to share?” “If it’s alright,” I said. Sehun said, “Go on ahead, no one is stopping you.”

I breathed in heavily, and hummed that certain tune:

I brush off my worn out diary Suddenly in the opened pages, clearly You are there, you still remain the same

When I began to sing Baekhyun and Chanyeol stopped chasing each other and sat down with Baekhyun joining:

I remember the pictures that I forgot Small tremblings gush out of my body It’s a bit sad that I can’t Go back to those times

Then we all sang:

I’ll go looking for you to Neverland Following Tinkerbell sent by the memories There, you and I are smiling at each other I’m am your eternal Peter Pan Your man who has stopped in time I may be clumsy but I loved you so much And I will run to you

Then Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Suho:

BBH: I clearly remember beating away All the villains who bothered you From that moment I had your heart And even shared a kiss

Soo: My heart rode the clouds and flew You were prettier than Wendy or Cinderella

KJM: The one person who made my heart pound As soon as I felt you, my eyes shone

All: I’ll go looking for you to Neverland Following Tinkerbell sent by the memories There, you and I are smiling at each other I’m am your eternal Peter Pan Your man who has stopped in time I may be clumsy but I loved you so much And I will run to you

Then Chanyeol, Kai, Tao, Kris, and Sehun:

PCY: Pink faces, the feeling of Walking on clouds Baby boo, the picturesque You makes my heart pound

OSH: Just like how you softly Smiled with your eyes back then If only you can fly into the Opened window of my heart

BBH: You’re getting farther from me

KJI: You are in my fairy tale You still linger around, sweety girl

BBH: Don’t leave, I’ll be there

KJI: I still get nervous, the corner of my heart Without you is like a lonely island

Tao: I wrote you down in my memories You can’t be erased, pretty girl

Kris: My heart still rushes The corner of my heart without you is

All of us: While the clock’s springs were turning How much did you change I turned the last page That is written about you But I have no courage to read it (BBH: I am your Peter Pan) I will erase the sad words Our story is not over

Me: Because we will meet again

After all that was done, Suho felt slightly better when we all sang together. Kai said, “We should do this more often.” “Wait a minute,” I said, “Chanyeol, did we use protection?” “I don’t think so,” said Chanyeol, “Oh Shit! Damn it! I forgot!” “Don’t worry I remember that I took the pill before we did it,” I said.

“That’s right,” said Chanyeol, “I’m not ready to be a father just yet.” “I’m not ready to be a mother yet either,” I said to him, “But we’ll wait until the time comes. For right now, let’s get use to doing it.” “Are you ready to do it again?” Chanyeol asked for the sake of Baekhyun and the others.

“What? No, in time,” I said, “I’m not that crazy for it, but you, on the other hand, you seem like you can not keep your hands to yourself around me.” “I can’t help it, my wolf instinct,” he said, “It also could be yours wanting me to.” “I’m controlling my wolf side,” I said, “Cause I was human before.”

“That’s right,” said Chanyeol, “You have everything under control in you, me, I can’t.” “Yes you can, you are just stubborn to learn to control that wolf side,” I said. Chanyeol said, “True but hey, you are one of us so why hide?” “I’m not hiding, I’m fighting for sticking to being myself,” I said, “I need my wolf side to control on what I need to do in order to survive, I’m going to stick on what I know, I’m not about to lose anything I love over my wolf side.”

“She’s right Chanyeol,” said the Tree of Life, “You can learn from her or I can switch to the point where you are like her.” “Please, that’s all I want,” said Chanyeol. The Tree of Life said, “Give it a few moments because it’s getting dark see you guys in the morning.”

[janethepegasus]

Band Geeks

In the Loud household, Luna was singing “All Twisted” by Kraut when her phone suddenly rang. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She picked up the phone and found that the caller was none other than Mick Swagger! “Congratulations!” he announced. “You were the first caller to the grand prize!” “What is it?!” exclaimed Luna, not even trying to conceal her excitement. “You band can play at the Super Bowl this Saturday!” said Mick. “Cool!” said Luna, but when she hung up, her grin suddenly faded. “But I don’t have a band,” she said. “I’ll have to make one up.

Luna quickly put posters all over Royal Woods. “Looking to add fulfillment to your dull, dull life?” “Then become part of the greatest musical sensation ever to hit Royal Woods.” “And be forever adored by thousands of people you don’t know.” “Not to mention free refreshments.” “Practice begins tonight. 8:30 sharp.”

The town met inside an abandoned music room. “Alright,” said Luna, “how many of you have played an instrument before?” “Do instruments of torture count?” asked Lucy. “No,” said Luna flatly. “Is nail polish an intrument?” ask Leni. “No, it is not,” responded Luna. Leni raised her hand again. “Nor is lipstick,” said Luna before Leni could say anything. “Apparently, no one here had any experience, but don’t worry. I have enough talent for all of you.” “When do we get free food?” asked Mr. Grouse. Luna ignored him and said, “Okay, try to repeat after me.” She strummed six notes on her guitar and said, “Guitar section, go!” The guitar section tried to emulate her notes, but did a rather poor job. “Harp section, go!” The harp section fared little better. “Drum section, go!” The drum players misunderstood her, and tried to strum their drumsticks, only to lose their grip and send them flying into Luna, pinning her to a wall. “Too bad that didn’t kill me,” she groaned.

When she’d recovered, Luna said, “Let’s just step with the rhythm. Everybody get in rows of five.” “Is that the part where we start kicking?” asked Leni. “No! That’s the chorus line.” “Kicking?!” exclaimed Lana. “I want to do some kicking!” With that, she kicked Lola in the shin. “Ouch!” exclaimed Lola. “You’re going to pay for this!” She pounced on Lana, and the two were soon in a brawl that sent them going out the door. A few minutes later, Lana came in with a trumpet in her neck. “Whoever is the owner of the white sedan, you left your lights on.”

The next day, Luna led her class down Royal Woods. The band was trying (and failing) to play Semper Fidelis. “Okay, that’s perfect, everybody. Super Bowl, here we come.” said Luna. “Flag twirlers, really spin those things. Okay, turn.

Flag twirlers, let’s go. I wanna see some spinning. Flag twirlers, let’s move!

C'mon, move!” The flag twirlers spun faster and faster until they took off into the sky and landed on top of a tree. “Could someone try getting us down?” one asked. Lincoln played a rimshot on his drum while everyone else (except Luna, who lay on the ground in a fetal position) twitched uncomfortably.

The next day, Luna asked Lisa, “How is your piano solo going?” “It’s tremendous!” replied the child genius. She went up to a giant piano, used a ladder to get to the keyboard, and started jumping on the keys until she fainted from fatigue.

The next day was the last before the Super Bowl. Luna said, “Well, this is it. The final class before the show. Surely some of you have improved since then.” Lana was scratching her backside with a trumpet. “I have a theory,” said Luna. “People talk loud when they want to act smart, right?” “Correct!” shouted Lisa. “So if we play loud,” said Luna, “people might think we’re good. Everybody ready? And a one, and a two, and a one, two, three, four!” Unfortunately, the noise that ensued was not a pretty one. It sounded like a foghorn on a ship and didn’t resemble Luna’s idea of good music. All of the windows in the building broke, and Luna was blown back against the wall. “Okay, new theory,” she said once her ears were no longer ringing. “Maybe we should play so quietly, no one can hear us.”

“Well, maybe we wouldn’t sound so terrible if some people didn’t try to play with puny girly hands,” said Chandler rudely. “Excuse me,” said a very offended Lola. “What was that?” “Puny girly hands!” reiterated Chandler without a note of fear. Lola was outraged. “I’m not just a pretty face, you know!” she exclaimed, putting up her dukes. “Do your worst, princess!” snarled Chandler. “Let me see what you’ve got!” Lincoln tried to nip the impending fight in the bud. “Let’s be smart and bring it off.” “Oh, now the buck-toothed wonder is trying to preach,” said Flip. “I find that offensive!” shouted Luan. Luna began to panic. “Wait, wait. I know tensions are high…” she began, but it was too late. All her students went into the brawl of the century. Lola was arguing with Lindsey Sweetwater when Lynn slammed a drum on the latter. “There’s a deposit on that equipment, people!” shouted Luna, but no one could hear hear over all the clamor. Lynn, Sr. charged at Mr. Grouse until they screeched to a halt. Mrs. Johnson slammed them both with cymbals. “Settle down, please!” shouted Luna frantically, but her pleas continued to fall on deaf ears. Lori ran toward Rusty with a stick. Rusty tried to shield himself with a xylophone, but Lori broke off all the keys, causing him to run away. Lana kicked Lori, which caused her to produce a trumpet. Lana ran away in fear. Suddenly, the clock struck 9. “Hey, class is over,” said Lincoln. Everybody went to the doors, only to find Luna already standing there, looking on the verge of tears. “Luna,” asked Lincoln, “are you all right?”

“Well, you did it,” said Luna, her voice cracking. “You took m-m-my biggest ch-ch-chance of impressing my idol….and crushed it. C-c-crushed it into, l-l-little, tiny, bite-sized p-p-pieces. I expected better of all you people, but I suppose I’m a loser for that too. Don’t bother to show up tomorrow. I’ll just tell everybody you were all killed in a marching accident. So thanks…” And with that, Luna could hold back her tears no longer. “THANKS FOR NOTHING!!!!” she bawled, and then ran away, her face in her hands, sobbing.

Everybody felt incredibly guilty. “What have we done?” said Rita, almost on the verge of tears herself. “Luna came to us in her time of need, and we let her down.” Lola remembered how Luna had given her fashion advice when she had stage fright, and Luan remembered how Luna had shown her a few comedy punk songs. “Luna was always there for us,” said Luan, “and see how we’ve repaid her!” “Don’t worry,” said Lincoln. “We can still fix this. Let’s pull together and find out what it means to be in a marching band!” “Hooray!” shouted everyone. Lincoln brought everybody to forum and said, “Now let’s make Luna proud. A 1, a 2, a skiddly diddly doo.”

The next day, Luna was at an emotional nadir. I knew this would happen, she thought despondently. They’ll have to find another band to play. What if Mick Swagger finds out? “Hello,” said a voice, causing Luna to scream in fright. She twirled around to find Mick Swagger standing behind her. “Hello, lassie.” he said. “Where’s your band?” “They couldn’t make it,” Luna tried to lie. “They were all killed in a marching accident.” “Then who’s that?” asked Mick. Luna looked back and was nothing if not shocked to see all her students dressed in marching gear. “That would be my band!” she exclaimed. “I pictured it looking a bit more badass,” said Mick, “but whatever. Let’s see what they’re made of.” Lincoln raised a hand in salute. “That’s his eager face,” said Luna with a nervous laugh. I guess this will be the last time I can show my face in this town, she thought as she led her band into the stadium. “Okay, football fans.” said the announcer. “Put your hands together for the Royal Woods Super Band!” “Let’s get this over with,” said Luna in growing despair. “1, 2, 3, 4…”

To Luna’s immense surprise, what she heard was a far cry from what she’d been expecting to hear. The sound was epic, and Lincoln managed to do a perfect emulation of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, one of Luna’s favorite bands in existence.

Load up on guns, bring your friends

It’s fun to lose and to pretend

She’s overboard and self-assured

Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it’s less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an Albino

A mosquito, my libido

Yeah, yay, yay

I’m worse at what I do best

And for this gift, I feel blessed

Our little group has always been

And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it’s less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an Albino

A mosquito, my libido

Yeah, yay, yay

And I forget just why I taste

Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile

I found it hard, it’s hard to find

Oh well, whatever, nevermind

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it’s less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto, an Albino

A mosquito, my libido

A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

Mick Swagger was stunned. “Blimey!” he exclaimed. “That was the most epic performance I’ve ever seen! Luna, you’ve outdone yourself!” Luna beamed with pride. “I owe it all to my pals from Royal Woods!” she said. She ran up to her band, thrust her hands in the air, and along with everyone else, shouted out, “Royal Woods forever!”

---------------------------

Um, okay! Guess i’ll let this pass, i guess.

So uh...enjoy this Loud House?? version of Band Geeks (written by @thepowerposter )

[theconservativebrief]

“I think we need to give their [Democrats’] agenda a little play time so America knows what they’re about”…

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA; screen shot: MSNBC/Youtube))

(Lindsey McPherson, CQ-Roll Call) WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders are planning a vote this month on a progressive bill to terminate the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, but their plan to put Democrats on record on an issue that divides the minority party looks like it will backfire.

Democrats say they’ll make the debate about families that have been separated at the border — an issue that needs a permanent legislative fix that Republicans do not yet have a solution for that can pass the House.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a lead author of legislation known as the Establishing a Humane Immigration Enforcement System Act, said Democrats welcome the vote but know it is a GOP political ploy.

“We’ll all vote ‘no’ on it, and we’ll have a fabulous conversation on the floor that we forced and we’ll make them talk once again about why they’re willing to bring this up but they don’t want to bring up a bill that would fix families being separated and kids being put in cages and ‘Dreamers’ still don’t have any legal status,” the Washington Democrat said.

A vote against against the bill would represent a protest of the GOP’s political game, not the policy, Jayapal said.

** MORE ICE COVERAGE at Liberty Headlines **

The Democrats’ bill, which in addition to Jayapal was introduced by Reps. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Adriano Espaillat of New York, would put together a commission to develop a proposal for “a humane immigration enforcement system” that would involve terminating ICE within a year of Congress enacting that new system.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters Thursday that he’d bring the progressive Democrats’ bill to the floor this month before the chamber adjourns for the August recess.

“We’re going to have a debate about it,” the California Republican said.

Rep. Steve Stivers, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said it was a “great idea” to have the ICE vote so it’s clear where everyone stands on the issue.

“I think we need to give their agenda a little play time so America knows what they’re about,” the Ohio Republican said.

But Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, wasn’t concerned about the GOP’s attempt to use the vote as a campaign issue.

“I think you’re assuming that the Democratic Caucus isn’t together on this,” the New Mexico Democrat said when asked if he’s worried the vote would reveal a divide within the party.

Lujan said Democrats would be united in using the debate as an opportunity to have a conversation about issues they do agree on but that are likely to be more divisive for Republicans.

“If Republicans choose to bring a bill to the floor, they’re going to have to have a conversation and answer questions to the American people about why they’re ignoring their oversight responsibilities to the inhuman treatment of children and to standing up to this president when it comes to how he treats Dreamers,” Lujan said.

McCarthy was nonchalant when asked if it was hypocritical for Republicans to hold the ICE vote when they have not address the family separation issue.

“Think about what ICE is able to do,” he said. “Look, just in the last year, more than 900 children were saved from human trafficking. Think of the thousands of pounds of drugs of what’s been able to been stopped (by ICE).”

McCarthy also pointed out that not a single Democrat voted for a bill the House voted on in June that included a provision addressing family reunification, as well as several other immigration policies. Those included funding for a wall along the southern border, a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, and cuts to the diversity visa lottery program and family-based visas.

What McCarthy didn’t mention is that 112 Republicans also voted against that bill, which was supposed to be a compromise among different factions of the GOP. It failed 121-301.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan earlier Thursday had said Democrats on the left “jumped the sharks” in pushing to abolish ICE.

“It’s the craziest position I’ve ever seen,” the Wisconsin Republican said.

Jayapal thought that was a bit of a stretch.

“Oh really, is it crazier than putting kids in cages? Is it crazier than blowing up NATO? Is it crazier than starting a trade war?” she said. “I mean, I could think of a lot of really crazy ideas (Ryan) should be focused on.”

©2018 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Original Source -> GOP Wants Dems on Record to Support Bill to Abolish ICE

via The Conservative Brief

[nancygduarteus]

The Senate Tests a New Approach on Obamacare: Bipartisanship

Next month the Senate will try a novel approach to break away from seven years of polarization on health care: actual committee hearings, with expert witnesses and input from lawmakers in both parties.

And if those go well, Congress could see an even unlikelier development—the advance of viable, bipartisan legislation to fix parts of the Affordable Care Act.

The hearings are the brainchild of Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, who has been talking for months about the need to stabilize Obamacare’s individual insurance market. What makes this effort different is that following the GOP’s failure to repeal and replace the law, Alexander now has the blessing of his party’s leadership and buy-in from the committee’s top Democrat, Senator Patty Murray of Washington State.

The two senators have collaborated on significant legislation before, first to rewrite the George W. Bush-era No Child Left Behind education law and then on the 21st Century Cures Act to direct more money toward, and loosen restrictions on, medical research. Over the past few weeks, aides to Alexander and Murray have worked together to come up with a bipartisan witness list for back-to-back days of hearings on September 6 and 7. The first will feature testimony from state insurance commissioners (including those from Tennessee and Washington), while the next day the committee will hear from five governors representing states from different regions of the country. Aides said the committee hopes to have two more hearings on health care the following week.

Alexander, aides said, has an ambitious goal of moving quickly from hearings to drafting legislation that would, at minimum, guarantee the continued payment of cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurance companies and allow states more flexibility to adjust insurance rules through an existing provision of the Affordable Care Act known as Section 1332. “I’m looking for the simplest bill possible that Republicans and Democrats can agree on that will stabilize the individual insurance market,” Alexander told reporters earlier this month.

The cost-sharing reduction payments are a top priority for Democrats since they are a part of Obamacare designed to help insurers afford the cost of insuring expensive patients without jacking up premiums for everyone else. Because the payments have been tied up in litigation brought by House Republicans against the Obama administration, President Trump has threatened to withhold them on nearly a monthly basis, only to make them at the last minute. Insurers have cited the uncertainty in announcing their decisions to leave certain markets and raise premiums, handing Democrats ammunition to accuse the Trump administration of sabotaging the law. Even most Republicans have encouraged the president to make the payments, but new legislation is the only way to guarantee them since the legal question at issue is whether Congress authorized the money in the first place.

Granting states more flexibility from Obamacare regulations is a must-have for Republicans, and Democrats have signaled they are willing to at least listen to ideas as long as the changes do not threaten coverage for people with preexisting conditions or essential health benefits under the law. Murray’s standard, according to an aide, is that Congress “cannot go backward” by removing core protections currently in place. While both parties have many other ideas about improving Obamacare, any initial bipartisan proposal is likely to be narrow. “We’re very much looking for a smaller bill with lots of agreement,” a Republican aide told me.

One key reason is time: Alexander wants to act by September 27, the deadline for insurers participating in the Obamacare exchanges to finalize their plans. Congress also has a number of items it must pass by the end of the month, and the best chance for bipartisan health-care legislation to be enacted might come if it is attached to one of those bills. The Obamacare marketplaces have already seen some improvement in recent weeks as insurers have stepped in to fill all of the counties that previously lacked coverage, undermining the GOP argument that the law is “collapsing.” But legislative action in the next month could limit premium increases that companies are considering if congressional subsidies are not guaranteed.

Alexander and Murray face plenty of hurdles next month, the biggest of which is that many Republicans are simply not ready to move on from repeal. Trump is still steaming at the Senate’s failure, lobbing insults at Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and urging Republicans to try again and again. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is pitching the White House and fellow senators on a proposal he’s written with Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Dean Heller of Nevada that would repeal Obamacare’s individual and employer insurance mandates while devolving the rest of the law to the states. It keeps all of the ACA’s taxes and redirects a chunk of money to states that chose not to expand Medicaid. “I think we’re going to pull a rabbit out of a hat on health care reform,” Graham told the conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt on Thursday.

He and his allies are aggressively lobbying Republican governors in the hopes of generating momentum for the plan. But those that have praised the idea so far represent states whose GOP senators are already onboard with repeal efforts; there’s little indication yet that Graham has persuaded his close friend Senator John McCain of Arizona or Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who voted against the last repeal proposal earlier in July. More importantly, Graham’s push has yet to win the backing of McConnell, who has a full plate of other issues in September and has said the path forward on health care is “murky.” And Graham is likely to face more difficulty when Governors John Kasich of Ohio and John Hickenlooper of Colorado unveil their own proposal to stabilize the Obamacare system, which is expected next week.

The best thing Alexander and Graham have going for their competing plans is that their opponents are becoming increasingly worried about their viability. On the left, Andy Slavitt, the Democratic former administrator of Medicare and Medicaid, has called the Graham-Cassidy-Heller proposal “the most significant threat to repeal ACA.” And on the right, conservative groups like Heritage Action have begun warning against what they call “a bailout” for Obamacare and insurance companies. “Obamacare is becoming a zombie law, and throwing more taxpayer money at Zombiecare is unacceptable,” Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham said in a statement earlier this month.

For the first time all year, it appears that the bipartisan effort on Obamacare might actually have the edge. Republican senators have grown weary of their repeated failures on repeal and want to move on to tax reform. And while Democrats acknowledge that McConnell might simply be waiting for Graham’s bill to gain traction before putting his weight behind it and bringing it to a vote, they say they’re “cautiously optimistic” that the Alexander-Murray effort will prevail. “We don’t take anything for granted,” one senior Democratic aide told me. “I don’t think you can ever fully trust McConnell, but we think he’s learned his lesson.”

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/the-senate-tries-a-new-approach-on-obamacare-bipartisanship/538083/?utm_source=feed

[ionecoffman]

The Senate Tests a New Approach on Obamacare: Bipartisanship

Next month the Senate will try a novel approach to break away from seven years of polarization on health care: actual committee hearings, with expert witnesses and input from lawmakers in both parties.

And if those go well, Congress could see an even unlikelier development—the advance of viable, bipartisan legislation to fix parts of the Affordable Care Act.

The hearings are the brainchild of Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, who has been talking for months about the need to stabilize Obamacare’s individual insurance market. What makes this effort different is that following the GOP’s failure to repeal and replace the law, Alexander now has the blessing of his party’s leadership and buy-in from the committee’s top Democrat, Senator Patty Murray of Washington State.

The two senators have collaborated on significant legislation before, first to rewrite the George W. Bush-era No Child Left Behind education law and then on the 21st Century Cures Act to direct more money toward, and loosen restrictions on, medical research. Over the past few weeks, aides to Alexander and Murray have worked together to come up with a bipartisan witness list for back-to-back days of hearings on September 6 and 7. The first will feature testimony from state insurance commissioners (including those from Tennessee and Washington), while the next day the committee will hear from five governors representing states from different regions of the country. Aides said the committee hopes to have two more hearings on health care the following week.

Alexander, aides said, has an ambitious goal of moving quickly from hearings to drafting legislation that would, at minimum, guarantee the continued payment of cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurance companies and allow states more flexibility to adjust insurance rules through an existing provision of the Affordable Care Act known as Section 1332. “I’m looking for the simplest bill possible that Republicans and Democrats can agree on that will stabilize the individual insurance market,” Alexander told reporters earlier this month.

The cost-sharing reduction payments are a top priority for Democrats since they are a part of Obamacare designed to help insurers afford the cost of insuring expensive patients without jacking up premiums for everyone else. Because the payments have been tied up in litigation brought by House Republicans against the Obama administration, President Trump has threatened to withhold them on nearly a monthly basis, only to make them at the last minute. Insurers have cited the uncertainty in announcing their decisions to leave certain markets and raise premiums, handing Democrats ammunition to accuse the Trump administration of sabotaging the law. Even most Republicans have encouraged the president to make the payments, but new legislation is the only way to guarantee them since the legal question at issue is whether Congress authorized the money in the first place.

Granting states more flexibility from Obamacare regulations is a must-have for Republicans, and Democrats have signaled they are willing to at least listen to ideas as long as the changes do not threaten coverage for people with preexisting conditions or essential health benefits under the law. Murray’s standard, according to an aide, is that Congress “cannot go backward” by removing core protections currently in place. While both parties have many other ideas about improving Obamacare, any initial bipartisan proposal is likely to be narrow. “We’re very much looking for a smaller bill with lots of agreement,” a Republican aide told me.

One key reason is time: Alexander wants to act by September 27, the deadline for insurers participating in the Obamacare exchanges to finalize their plans. Congress also has a number of items it must pass by the end of the month, and the best chance for bipartisan health-care legislation to be enacted might come if it is attached to one of those bills. The Obamacare marketplaces have already seen some improvement in recent weeks as insurers have stepped in to fill all of the counties that previously lacked coverage, undermining the GOP argument that the law is “collapsing.” But legislative action in the next month could limit premium increases that companies are considering if congressional subsidies are not guaranteed.

Alexander and Murray face plenty of hurdles next month, the biggest of which is that many Republicans are simply not ready to move on from repeal. Trump is still steaming at the Senate’s failure, lobbing insults at Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and urging Republicans to try again and again. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is pitching the White House and fellow senators on a proposal he’s written with Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Dean Heller of Nevada that would repeal Obamacare’s individual and employer insurance mandates while devolving the rest of the law to the states. It keeps all of the ACA’s taxes and redirects a chunk of money to states that chose not to expand Medicaid. “I think we’re going to pull a rabbit out of a hat on health care reform,” Graham told the conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt on Thursday.

He and his allies are aggressively lobbying Republican governors in the hopes of generating momentum for the plan. But those that have praised the idea so far represent states whose GOP senators are already onboard with repeal efforts; there’s little indication yet that Graham has persuaded his close friend Senator John McCain of Arizona or Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who voted against the last repeal proposal earlier in July. More importantly, Graham’s push has yet to win the backing of McConnell, who has a full plate of other issues in September and has said the path forward on health care is “murky.” And Graham is likely to face more difficulty when Governors John Kasich of Ohio and John Hickenlooper of Colorado unveil their own proposal to stabilize the Obamacare system, which is expected next week.

The best thing Alexander and Graham have going for their competing plans is that their opponents are becoming increasingly worried about their viability. On the left, Andy Slavitt, the Democratic former administrator of Medicare and Medicaid, has called the Graham-Cassidy-Heller proposal “the most significant threat to repeal ACA.” And on the right, conservative groups like Heritage Action have begun warning against what they call “a bailout” for Obamacare and insurance companies. “Obamacare is becoming a zombie law, and throwing more taxpayer money at Zombiecare is unacceptable,” Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham said in a statement earlier this month.

For the first time all year, it appears that the bipartisan effort on Obamacare might actually have the edge. Republican senators have grown weary of their repeated failures on repeal and want to move on to tax reform. And while Democrats acknowledge that McConnell might simply be waiting for Graham’s bill to gain traction before putting his weight behind it and bringing it to a vote, they say they’re “cautiously optimistic” that the Alexander-Murray effort will prevail. “We don’t take anything for granted,” one senior Democratic aide told me. “I don’t think you can ever fully trust McConnell, but we think he’s learned his lesson.”

Article source here:The Atlantic

[theconservativebrief]

President Donald Trump’s administration has made it very clear: The only way the administration will stop separating families at the border is if Congress puts an end to it.

To date, more than 2,300 children, from infants to teenagers, have been separated from their families under the Trump administration — the result of a “zero tolerance” policy that criminally prosecutes all asylum seekers who crossed the border illegally.

Trump’s administration is acting like its hands are tied; “Congress alone can fix it,” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told reporters at a press conference about the family separation crisis.

But as Democrats, and several Republicans, have pointed out, if Trump — who himself has called the family separations “horrible” — wants his administration to stop this practice, he could simply call for it to end.

Vox asked eight Republican senators whether it’s Congress’s sole responsibility to keep families together at the border — and if so, what they plan on doing about it. Here are transcripts of the exchanges, lightly edited for length and clarity.

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Ella Nilsen

I was wondering what your thoughts are on the White House statements that only Congress can come up with a solution to the family separation issue.

David Perdue

Well, I haven’t seen that statement, but I think what he’s talking about, and I made the same statement yesterday, is that there’s a court ruling about the amount of time children can be detained—

Ella Nilsen

Right, the Flores settlement.

David Perdue

Right, exactly. So to deal with that, we need to have a legislative solution, and that’s the way I think we’re all acting. This is another manifestation of a broken immigration system. It’s not just this one issue; the whole thing is broken. The Democrats want to go back to “catch and release,” which just incentivizes more illegal entry. So it’s a tragedy about the children, and that will get fixed, but this is a much bigger problem.

Ella Nilsen

What are your thoughts on some of the bills that your Republican colleagues have floated? Sen. [Ted] Cruz, Sen. [John] Cornyn have talked about proposing some bills.

David Perdue

Yeah, I think there are some solutions in there, no question about it. But again, how did this get created? We went through a decade where laws weren’t enforced, and so we just incented people around the world to take advantage of our own laws and the lack of enforcement.

I think what President Trump is doing is exactly right, but we have to take care of this loophole. This is what Secretary Nielsen’s been talking about since she was confirmed, is that there are loopholes in here like this that have to be resolved.

Ella Nilsen

Some of your Republican colleagues have called on a moratorium on this practice while Congress can figure this out — do you support this?

David Perdue

Well, that’s the question. I don’t know what has to happen immediately, but there’s no reason why the Senate or the House … why we can’t move to get this thing done. I haven’t seen an interim solution yet that makes sense, so we’ve just got to get it solved.

Once this gets solved, we still have the bigger issue of what are we going to do around our national security issue around border security and what we do with legal immigrant issues here.

Ella Nilsen

Do you have concerns about the taxpayer money that’s being spent as a result of this policy? There’s are thousands of undocumented kids being housed in federal facilities as a result.

David Perdue

I made that comment today; we talked about the bill we are putting forward to cut spending. We have a financial crisis. We’re spending money on things we cannot afford. Most of what we’re spending in discretionary spending is borrowed money — so yes, I’m very concerned about the problem we created and the money that we’re spending to deal with it.

The first thing you have to do is deal with the border security, then you have to enforce the laws, then you have to close the loopholes, and that’s what Secretary Nielsen and the president have been talking about for over a year. Our problem is that we have to have 60 votes to do most of this, and we have not had Democratic cooperation.

Ella Nilsen

But do you think this family separation policy is adding to this unnecessary spending?

David Perdue

Well, the policy is it’s a law. It’s not a policy, it’s a ruling by a court that says they can’t be separated. So what they’re doing is they’re enforcing the law.

Ella Nilsen

Sure, but the practical effect is that these children are being separated from their parents.

David Perdue

That’s a secondary issue. It takes police officers to enforce the law, too. What, are you not going to employ any police officers? So I think that’s a moot question, moot argument.

The problem I have is that by not enforcing the law and creating these loopholes and these incentives over a long period of time, we’ve created this huge crisis that costs so much money to deal with. I’m saying go back to the root causes and you’ll save a lot more money than you would worry about one issue.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) wouldn’t say whether he thought the family separations at the border were an “emergency.” Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Tara Golshan

With about 60 kids being separated from their families every day at this point, do you agree with the White House that it’s Congress alone that can stop this?

John Barrasso

Well, the president has said we need a solution. The Republicans say we need a solution. The Democrats say we need to solve this problem. We need to solve the problem, and I think we can do it in a way that follows the law, keeps families together, and works to secure the border.

Tara Golshan

So what do you say to proposals from your colleagues that say pause this policy for now until we can get a solution? I mean, it’s 60 kids a day.

John Barrasso

We are going to continue working to find a solution. I want to keep families together.

…

Matt Laslo, reporter

Does this feel like the level of an emergency?

John Barrasso

There are lots of compelling issues that need to be addressed — and this is one.

Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Ella Nilsen

I was curious what your thoughts are on the White House statement that only Congress can come up with a fix for this.

Lindsey Graham

Well, I said a while ago that the underlying problem Congress needs to address, but as far as the policy change, the “zero tolerance,” they could change that tomorrow, the White House could.

Ella Nilsen

What are your thoughts on some of the bills that have come out so far, like [Sen. Dianne] Feinstein’s [D-CA] bill?

Lindsey Graham

I like what I see from Cruz, but I haven’t seen the text yet. So we’ll see if we can marry up the Feinstein idea with somebody else’s idea.

Burgess Everett, Politico

What’s your sense of if the conference wants to make a Republican bill at this point?

Lindsey Graham

I’d like to have a position to get behind as a Republican, realizing that we need to work with Democrats to get a solution. So that’d be good. I don’t think anybody wins by having dueling bills. I think people want an outcome.

Manu Raju, CNN

What was the mood like in there today?

Lindsey Graham

I don’t know, I took my sister to lunch.

Toya Sarno Jordan/Getty Images

Bob Corker

We need to act and we need to deal with the entire issue itself. But this is something they [the Trump administration] can change in a minute.

Reporter

What do you think of Trump saying, “Oh, Democrats aren’t sitting at the table, that’s why.”

Bob Corker

Nah, this is something that the administration needs to take leadership on. They can fix it temporarily until they put forth legislation or we put forth legislation.

Ella Nilsen

What bills would you support on this?

Bob Corker

So many of them are being crafted that I don’t want to say which one. But I know Judiciary Committee members are looking at it, and I look forward to being part of solving the problem.

What I worry about right now is there being a Democratic bill and a Republican bill, and both sides saying they have a solution but no real solution. In 2013, we had momentum; we should have passed a comprehensive bill at the time. We’ve had nothing but problems since. This requires a very narrow solution. I hope we’re able to come up with a bipartisan bill.

Reporter

Sen. [Orrin] Hatch [R-UT] is calling for a moratorium …

Bob Corker

That can happen for a period of time while legislation is being drafted. All the president would have to say is, “That’s what we’re going to do.” What we’re doing right now is not appropriate.

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Tara Golshan

Do you agree with the White House that it’s the full responsibility of Congress to stop the separating families policy?

Thom Tillis

I think I agree that the White House should expect Congress to make the clarifying changes so that we can keep the families together. And I think they are right in their position.

Tara Golshan

You think they are right to separate the families or —

Thom Tillis

No, I think they are right in following the law and going through the policies that they have today. As I said today, if we want a sustainable solution that doesn’t vary from administration to administration, then we should act. And the people that are out here trying to politicize it with no genuine interest in solving the problem, then shame on them.

Reporter

What legislation would you support?

Thom Tillis

Feinstein has a bill, which I think has problems because it basically would force the full release of the family. I have not looked at Cruz’s bill yet, and Sen. Cornyn, to his credit, is trying to — as he always does — come up with a consensus bill.

Reporter

So you haven’t decided which you support?

Thom Tillis

No, not yet. But we have got to come up with one that keeps the families together but also allows the adjudication process. And by the way, if someone comes to a port of entry, this is a non-issue because they haven’t committed a crime. This is about people who have crossed the border illegally.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is one of the biggest immigration hardliners in the Senate. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Tara Golshan

Now with more than 2,000 kids having been separated from their families, do you agree with the White House that it is on Congress alone to fix this? Some of your colleagues are suggesting a pause until Congress can figure this out.

Tom Cotton

Well, Congress doesn’t have the best track record with moving on things like this. The administration has to act under the legal constraints they face. And the legal constraints are that liberal judges have imposed this rule that children cannot be held for more than 20 days.

We should overturn that rule. It’s very simple to do, and it would allow families to be held together at the border. That’s the quickest solution.

Tara Golshan

So is there an urgency now to —

Tom Cotton

Well, it just so happens that we have the military construction spending bill this week, so we can propose an amendment that can overturn that 20-day rule and provide a little extra money for family housing.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Tara Golshan

Do you agree with the White House position that it’s on Congress alone to stop the family separations at the border?

Richard Burr

What was their comment?

Tara Golshan

That it’s on Congress alone to stop the family separations —

Richard Burr

Well, the president is enforcing the law. You could ignore the law, but I wouldn’t suggest he do that.

Tara Golshan

So you don’t agree with your colleagues that are proposing a temporary pause until Congress has time to figure out some kind of solution here?

Richard Burr

I think to do that would take legislation, unless the administration would go back to a “catch and release” where they don’t have to exercise a criminal process for illegals.

Tara Golshan

Do you support any of the proposals out there to stop [family separations]?

Richard Burr

I haven’t seen them yet. [Steps into elevator.]

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Ella Nilsen

On the issue of family separation, what do you think of the White House statements that only Congress can come up with a fix for this?

Susan Collins

The White House has the authority to immediately suspend the “zero tolerance” policy that it’s instituted. And I’m going to sign Orrin Hatch’s letter, which suggests just that, while we work on a longer-term legislative solution. [Senate subway doors close.]

Original Source -> We asked 8 Republican senators how they plan to address family separations — if at all

via The Conservative Brief