#taxes. i forgot i’ll have to file taxes. it’s been a long time since i’ve done so

[c0rpseductor]

why i only have these considerations right before bed i couldn’t hope to guess, but anyway

i think once i start having some kind of regular income i want to look into opening a high yield savings account. it seems nice to have extra interest and i guess from my very limited reading there’s sometimes drawbacks in terms of like, inconvenience in quick withdrawal, and the whole “sometimes you’d be making MORE money INVESTING ON THE STOCK MARKET,” but i am a normal person so the latter does not really matter to me. there was also something about like “if the interest doesn’t keep up with inflation you might lose buying power” but again, that sounds like it’s not something i care about. i just want to have savings at all and higher interest would means smaller deposits would be more impactful than in a regular savings account. and i used to have a regular savings account when i was working my old office job and i hadn’t put a lot into it but it was nice to have. so. yknow

it’s probably good to at least have some thoughts and plans? like having it as a goal feels better than having no real goal. i still haven’t decided much about doing a print on demand thing, i think i’ll have to pick a time to sit down and make a more concrete game plan for that, but i think doing that and then opening a savings account would be good first steps for some kind of better financial situation.

[strangebrews]

perfect complements

chapter two // on ao3 // chapter 1 // chapter 3 // chapter 4

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

Tommy had gotten divorced the year before, the papers making it official arrived a week after he had moved into this new house. 

He did not elaborate on who it was, only said that they were the one to make the decision. “Claimed I was too cold—too distant and emotionless. Being with me was more of a challenge than a pleasure.” His tone was nonchalant throughout it all—whether that was because of genuine indifference or a refusal to reveal his pain was unclear.

They were sitting on Alfie’s back porch, sipping on warm apple cider and listening to the crickets sing. The complaints Tommy’s ex had were understandable. He was reserved and his scarce enthusiasm could be interpreted as rude, but the silence was misleading, Alfie had learned. Tommy simply expressed his appreciation in tiny spurts—you had to know what to look for. 

Eye contact was the most common. He would stare straight into Alfie’s eyes when he spoke, nodding along with the rhythm of his words, entirely expressionless. It was robotic, seemed like he had tuned out somewhere in the middle of the third sentence. Yet Alfie knew that was not the case, because Tommy filed all of the information away carefully, referencing it in different situations. Or sometimes he would take a day or two to digest before returning to the topic, prompting it with “You know, I’ve been dwelling on what you said…”

Another month had passed and their relationship blossomed further—Tommy now prepared a teapot every Saturday morning in anticipation of Alfie’s visit. He’d been shopping for an extra chair, a few more plates and some utensils—everything necessary to make their little routine as comfortable as possible. He bought precisely what he needed, never in excess. 

It took a batch of shortbread cookies, a carrot cake and 3 sourdough loaves—Tommy very much liked those—for him to finally ask Alfie to help him haul the mattress up to what would become his room. 

Patience —that was the main requirement for a bond with Tommy and Alfie was brimming with it.

-

The task was more taxing than they had anticipated, but when they had finally succeeded in rolling the mattress over onto the bed frame, Tommy dusted off his jeans and said, “I want to plant a garden. Some flower beds or…..or vegetables.” He was directing his words to the floor, which, Alfie presumed, were supposed to deflect onto him. 

It was mid-November, the morning air was growing frostier with each day—hardly the time to start planting anything, but Alfie scanned the room. It was just as plain and gloomy as the rest of the house. A winter in this setting would be horribly somber. 

“You could start with some house plants, until the seasons turn again. But you’ll need more shelves or stands—places to put them. Curtains to regulate the light, depending on the kind you buy.” he would have continued, these were necessary details, but Tommy was staring at him now, eyes growing wider with each word. 

“Ah...right.” he kicked one of the metal legs gently. “It was a stupid idea anyway.”

“I can help you, I’ve done it all before.” It slipped out before Alfie had enough time to evaluate whether that would overstep another boundary, but Tommy had replied with his Ok before he had time to overthink that as well. 

-

They visited one of the smaller flower shops in town. Alfie was a regular, knew all of the workers by name, but it took this trip with Tommy and the chorus of Alfie ’s in the entrance—all from elderly women—for him to realize how long it had been since he’d spent a considerable amount of time with someone closer to his own age. 

Tommy was particularly drawn to the succulents, brushing their stems with the pad of his thumb. He chose two large, bowl-like pots of assorted kinds—mini gardens, one of which had a ceramic gnome poised in the corner, right next to his mushroom hut. 

“I thought it’d be nice….to have someone else around—you know?” he explained it sheepishly, catching Alfie staring at the figurine, his voice hitching at the end. 

But Alfie wasn’t judging, he was simply fitting this piece of information into the Tommy puzzle. 

“I think you’re right.” and he assumed his smile was successfully reassuring, because the strain in Tommy’s jaw vanished.

-

Alfie made the rest of the suggestions. A few varieties of orchid, one blooming peace lily, a sword fern growing in a hanging pot, and some African violets—for some color. 

Tommy did not refuse any of the choices, instead lined them up in neat rows within their cart and made the occasional “Hm...yes.”

A watering can was added to the purchase—because, just as the food liked when the cook was dressed up, Tommy reasoned flowers would appreciate not being watered with some chipped mug he’d abandoned in the back of his cupboard.

And Alfie, suddenly choking on the sentiment, for once had nothing more to say.

-

It had started to drizzle lightly by the time they returned. They’d taken Tommy’s car, engine now idling in the driveway. 

“The shelves and things will be easy to find, just buy whatever furniture you think will fit best for your vision.” This single shopping trip was enough. Alfie didn’t want to overindulge in their time together.

He turned the door handle, but a hand on his upper arm stopped him. Tommy jerked it away quickly once Alfie had turned back. His mouth was open. Then closed. Open again.

“Um...what if we—I mean I—” closed again. He blinked rapidly, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. So incredibly pretty.

The raindrops had grown heavier, sky darkening around them. He opted for “I’ll let you know once it’s ready,” instead.

It played out much less romantically than the thousand and one scenarios that Alfie managed to fabricate in the span of that minute. Tommy sounded defeated. Or disappointed. Perhaps a combination of the two. 

But Alfie only nodded his agreement, rather than grieving on the lost opportunity, and escaped before his own mixture of reactions could manifest themselves on his face—and other places.

He dreamt of meadows and butterfly lashes that night. 

-

The setup was ready the following week, when Alfie arrived on the doorstep with a plate of coconut custard, in the shape of a mini dome. “Something new for a change,” he shrugged, hoping inwardly that it would be an omen for other things.

Tommy had done quite a lot of work, his plants now decorating the newly arranged stands in his living and bedroom. The fern hung from the ceiling at the end of the kitchen, one of the violets soaking in the sunlight on a windowsill. 

“And the gnome garden?” It would be the centerpiece of his coffee table, Tommy explained. A simple black one, still packaged.

A bit out of place, Alfie thought, but Tommy was glowing with pride so he agreed it was the perfect location for it.

The home, in general, was still quite drab, but visibly happier with the greens and purples and yellows vibrant against the white walls. Tommy was visibly happier—the creases in his forehead had smoothened out a bit, his skin no longer a sickly pale. 

It was good. Nice, even, to see the smiles reach his eyes more often. 

Nice was of course an understatement, but Alfie had to restrict his choice in adjectives to resist the overwhelming urge to hug him. 

-

The flowers had created another visible change: Tommy talked more. Still less when compared to an average person, but he asked questions and appeared on Alfie’s front porch unannounced. 

They were all regarding the plants—he’d grown very preoccupied with their well-being and, inexperienced as he was, kept requesting that Alfie come over and check on their condition. 

He was tending to them well—much better than the flower Alfie remembered in the front window the first day. Perhaps a leaf or two had browned slightly, but nobody could avoid that. Though Tommy kept returning with the same set of worries, questions rephrased, and Alfie addressed them gladly. 

This continued for around two weeks before Alfie began to struggle with balancing the visits with his own work. So he developed a system, terrified that if he mentioned the difficulties, Tommy would retreat entirely. 

When they’d been moving the mattress, he noticed a window at the end of Tommy’s hallway upstairs—within clear view of and identical to the one on the side of Alfie’s home. 

“Write your questions here and I’ll respond as soon as I see them.” He gave Tommy a stack of white papers and a thick, blue marker—the assortment of things Tommy owned and did not was entirely random. Alfie could spare a few sheets.

Tommy accepted the idea with what could have bordered on excitement.

-

There was a question waiting for him, taped to the glass, virtually every day.

One of the orchid heads has fallen off….what now?

The grey succulent—you know, the spiral one, beside the gnome—I think it’s gotten greyer. Is that even possible?

Can I keep the violets over the heating vents? They look a bit cold. 

The first snow had fallen, third week into December. Alfie wrote out the NO in big, block letters to emphasize his message, then added the (you can knit some pot warmers) underneath, beside himself. 

A few hours later, a new paper awaited him. I have no idea how to knit—can I buy them online?

Sarcasm—that was the one thing Alfie forgot Tommy had difficulty grasping.

-

I don’t think this will come as a surprise, but I don’t really have anywhere to go for Christmas this year either. If you make the fruitcake, I can provide the tea and music (: 

Alfie had mentioned that he spent his holidays alone—seeing as he was an only child and both his parents had died—but it had been in passing, he refused to dwell. Tommy Shelby, always listening.

He read and reread the words, letting each one soak into his memory, chest tightening each time he reached the smiley.

Walnuts or no walnuts?

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 66

Today's Emotional Exhaustion Update: Cried a little while listening to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" because everything keeps _happening_ all the time and never stops. It's been a long quarantine. 

Anyway, I'm back in Virginia tonight, sitting at my own desk and in my own intensely uncomfortable chair while a roll of crescent rolls I scavenged out of the fridge bakes in the oven. The guys and the cat stayed behind because all I'm really doing while I'm here is cleaning the house, filing our taxes, and ideally trapping a few cats. A little slice of heaven, really! We didn't clean out the fridge or the dishwasher before we left, so that was kind of gross, (though I did throw away most of the worst stuff from the fridge before we left and we left clean, if slightly damp dishes in the washer, so it could all have been much grosser. I also instantly set off the smoke alarm because I forgot there's some yuck in the bottom of the oven, but these things happen, and I'm tall enough to reach the button on that particular alarm. 

The trip itself was easy and quick, or as quick as six and a half hours in the car can be. Great weather, light traffic, cheap gas,(1.59 was today's low, nice!) and the car behaved itself. I only stopped once, which is our pandemic habit, and while I had to skip over one gas station because it was crowded with a bunch of people enjoying their maskless freedumb, the second one was much less crowded and also had its bathrooms open. Everyone was wearing masks, too. Good job, random gas station people! I spent a lot of the trip listening to music, after discovering that if you ask Siri for the greatest hits of (artist), she will play a bunch of their popular songs off Apple Music. This led to the brief Billy Joel meltdown, but also to a lot of good music. Asking for the greatest hits of Jimmy Buffett got me Margaritaville twice in a row right off the bat (really, Siri?) but it also got me Come Monday, which gave me big Rental Cars and Westbound Trains feels (it's a lyric) as well as a bunch of other good songs. 

The rest of the trip I spent on the phone with my folks, which is traditional in my family. When we go on trips, we call one another, and if someone on a trip calls you, it is your obligation to entertain them unless you are legitimately busy with important things. I ended up switching between my mom and dad for a total of about three hours, and was able to chew over the situation I'm trying to fix for MIL with my dad for quite awhile. He knows a lot more about investments and retirement and money stuff than me, for obvious reasons, and now I've got a better handle on things for when I go back. My mom gave me all the gossip from home, everything they've been cooking, all the shows they've been watching, and listened to all the same from me. Kind of like this journal in verbal form, I guess. It made the trip go much faster. They have also been working hard to get and keep themselves healthy, exercising more, eating well, and socially distancing. I can't even express to them how grateful I am for that, since I don't think I could handle even one more thing to worry about right now. 

I got home around four, but got basically nothing done except watering the plants and running the dishwasher a few times to clean it. Most of the plants lived, I'm so pleased! I'll have to take some of them back with me. Tomorrow morning I will start in on cleaning and do the stuff I need to do, but tonight was an extremely lazy night of podfic and social media and stupid app games, all in the comfort of my own bed. I miss my guys, but the quiet is nice too.

[iamwhelmed]

Honeymoon Due

Summary: Marinette accomplishes her dreams-- being a designer, owning her own boutique, and even marrying Adrien Agreste! What she’d always wanted just didn’t exactly happen the way she wanted it to...

RATED M

If you like my work, please support me on ko-fi! <3

“Loveless Marriage” wasn’t anything Marinette expected for herself. No, far from it. She imagined that she’d walk down the aisle in a fancy gown she made all by herself and he’d cry when he saw her, that she’d spend her time chasing her dreams, that her husband would support her wholeheartedly and love her with such ferocity that the world could feel it-- like her parents. To be fair, she got most of that. Her wedding dress was, in fact, a Marinette original, a sweetheart neckline that fell like silk over her shoulders and trailed behind her like a queen’s cape. White as snow, fit her body as though Tikki had magiced it out of the thin air. Modest in length but short enough to see her pointed kitten heels. She ran her own boutique, and her customers adored her every creation. She was fairly known locally, and had refused several offers to expand because she simply wasn’t ready. Her husband certainly supported her with everything he had, which was a large sum of inheritance and all the words of affirmation she could handle-- Adrien was always an amazing friend.

He just wasn’t a good husband, not in the emotional sense.

He did all the things husbands should do, like help with chores, work with her as a team (they were really efficient with taxes), and he never, ever forgot a birthday or anniversary. But love? Well, Marinette had doubts when he’d proposed. Nobody else seemed to, and if Nino nor Alya thought that maybe (just maybe) he wasn’t in love with her, then clearly she was just overthinking things, right? Tikki, who was never, with all her years of experience, lacking in advice,  always seemed to get quiet when Marinette mused aloud to her about the whole thing. “I think he loves you, Marinette,” she’d said once. “Just you wait, I bet he’s gonna sweep you off your feet!” Adrien didn’t cry when she walked down the aisle.

Well, he had swept her off her feet in the sense that she was still madly in love with him. The...intimacy… that came with marriage, though? Marinette, five months married, was ashamed to say their honeymoon was spent exploring the beauties of the world’s most touristy locations (Niagara Falls, the Leaning Tower, several century-old cathedrals…) and less breaking in a bed. Aside from sleeping. Which was the only thing they did together in a bed. She hadn’t had the heart to complain to Alya yet, not when she’d gone as far as helping her through the very stressful, very experimental process of helping her find Wifey lingerie. Adrien had never seen it, and to be honest she was considering throwing the set (a white lace bodice, strung up with panties that were certainly not meant to be worn so much as they were meant to be taken off and thrown across a room, tucked neatly in a drawer, under a few sleeping shirts so he’d never find it) away before something awkward inevitably happened. Knowing her, that time was approaching with teeth-grinding intensity. She could feel the sharp, hungry nails of impending embarrassment clawing down her back.

The kissing--er, Adrien kissed her cheek, and when his lips neared her mouth, he pecked and moved smooth as ice away from her. It killed her when he did that, because she knew it was for the paparazzi, that it was for appearances so everybody thought they were a happy married couple. She’d thought to herself, a few days into their vacation, if perhaps he was just shy, being as sheltered as he had been most of his life; those thoughts (hopes, excuses, whatever you wanna call them…) were dashed when they moved into their sleek uptown apartment and he still didn’t touch her. The idea that he wasn’t interested in sex crossed her mind, but that thought also… diminished… when she found several lewd Ladybug cosplayers saved on his computer whilst she searched for a work file he needed her to print. She’d blushed, and vaguely wondered if she should make her own cosplay and see if he had a crush on her alter ego, but brushed the thought away as the conflict of revealing her identity immediately clashed.

Maybe just… Ladybug-inspired lingerie, then?

Her whole body grew red hot and she threw her head uselessly against the desk a handful of times.

She’d known, honestly, for a long time. Adrien hadn’t ever touched her out on dates or kissed her, even if he did hold her hand. He had never loved her, not really, he was settling and they both knew it; he just didn’t know that she knew it. If Gabriel’s investment in their wedding meant anything, she had a running theory on her husband’s intentions. It was a formality, for him to get married, and all the better if the art of design stuck in the family. She wouldn’t be surprised if Gabriel started pushing for grandchildren soon, especially since her well-meaning parents were already getting antsy. She hadn’t broached the subject with Adrien, but considering their marital bed was far from active or explored, she figured that topic was best left alone.

She loved him, truly, she did. There was no other man she wanted so badly, no man who meant so much to her that she’d be willing to subject herself to months of affectionless, almost fake domesticity, but she had to wonder if her limit was fast approaching. She could only pretend to be happy for so long before it broke her. Being in an unrequited love was one thing, but constantly subjecting herself to a situation where her heart was as open as it bloody well could have been and receiving nothing for it… even Ladybug couldn’t stand to be an accessory for so long.

She sighed and dropped her bag on the floor, exhausted from the patterns she’d spent all day laboring over and the mental toll overthinking her hopeless marriage had taken. Adrien wouldn’t be home for at least three more hours, and Chat Noir was expecting her in ten minutes. Ladybug was surprisingly desperate to get away from her comfy apartment with her Model-Extraordinaire-Husband and get a breath of fresh air with her flirty kitty. She missed the muffled voice from the other side of their bedroom door as she pushed it open.

Upon flicking the switch, she found Chat Noir himself standing brazenly in the middle of the bedroom, looking for all the world like a cat with a half-eaten bird in its mouth. They both froze.

Moments ticked by, wide green eyes pointedly staring into slanted, confused blue ones.

She sighed. “Chat Noir, what are you doing in my house?”

“Y-Your house? O-Oh, yes, I, well, uh…” He tugged at the collar of his suit, which exposed the already-visible skin on his chest even more than usual, what with his half-open zipper. The unsatisfied, mistreated wife of a clueless, sexless model flared within her at the sight, but she pushed the inner singing voice down. Chat grinned at her, slipping into his typical composure as easy as one slips into a worn pair of jeans. “I was coming to check in on you, Princess. Heard you got married!”

Marinette scoffed, and immediately Chat’s face fell. “Legally, I guess. Yeah.”

“Marinette?”

She crossed the room and plopped down on the king-sized mattress she and Adrien slept side-by-side in every night, let her shoulders sag. No use pretending she was a happy-go-lucky successful designer with a perfect husband when she knew Chat Noir could keep a secret. Besides, he was her best friend, her kitty, her partner-- the man she damn well would have ended up with had Adrien not been in the picture. She knew it, she was sure Chat knew it, not that he knew she was Ladybug or that the other guy in the picture was Adrien. “You know what it’s like… to be in love…” she squeezed her eyes shut, tried to breath and keep the budding threat of tears at bay. “To not be loved back.”

“Princess,” something in Chat’s voice had bristled, like he was offended on behalf of her husband. “I certainly hope you’re not going around falling for other men!”

“Other than my husband?” She said it with air quotes. “No, I love him. Only him. Always have.”

“But you’re married? Clearly it’s mutual, right?”

Something in Chat’s voiced begged her to say “yes”, to tell him that she was just being dramatic because Adrien hadn’t left a note this morning when he left-- which he had. She couldn’t. A broken sob hit her chest and she leaned forward into her hands. “You’d think!” Her body shook, and she felt so horrible not like Ladybug right then. “I’m an ornament, Chat! I was an easy solution. I don’t know, maybe his dad wanted him to get married? He knew me? Knew I loved him? Knew I wouldn’t say no?” She shook her head and exhaled, hating the way her lungs stuttered. “I love him so much! But I’m not his wife! I’m his friend! That’s all I’ve ever been to him! I’ll bet he’s still in love with that other girl, the one he kept mentioning when we were, like, fourteen.” She snorted. “Can’t blame him, that’s how long I’ve loved him, so…”

The bed sprung, and she knew that if she turned, she would find Chat Noir haphazardly lazing on the bed next to her. “What makes you say that?” His words came out soft, softer than she’d heard out of him in a long while. Soft like he was talking to Ladybug. “I woulda thought he was a good partner.”

“Partner, yes. Husband, no.” She wiped away her tears and took a few deep breaths. It would be okay. She would calm down, she’d get used to this “marriage”. Maybe. Hopefully. Heaven knew it was all she’d ever wanted, just not as she’d dreamed. “Adrien is… amazing. He’s sweet, and gentle, and he’s understanding. I can always lean on him,” She chanced a glance at her partner, who was eyeing her from the side with what she could only assume was pity. Hurt, maybe, probably for her. Chat was good like that, a loyal, loving, empathetic kitty. The thought warmed her heart. A part of her wondered what would have happened if she knew Chat under the mask, if she would have married him instead, if he would have cried when she walked down the aisle (the honeymoon certainly would have been… wilder). She wondered if it wasn’t too late to tell him that she was Ladybug, see where things took them.

Would Adrien be relieved if they had an open marriage? Would he take a deep sigh and ease up his bones and tell her how glad he was that he wouldn’t have to pretend out of the public eye anymore? She scrunched her nose; that didn’t sound like Adrien. Then she snorted, because who was she kidding? She’d never want to be with anybody but Adrien, no matter how tempting the promise of her minou could be. “But I don’t think he loves me.”

Chat opened his mouth to respond, and she stopped him. “Not like that.”

He relented and fell silent again, leaning back on the bed in such a leisurely stretch, she’d have thought it was his bed. Marinette shook her head and tried to keep the tears that were making a second comeback away. “I think he married me because his dad wanted him to, and I think Adrien trusted me enough to not do something crazy like divorce him and take half his savings. Like I said,” she shrugged. “We’re friends. But I’ve always wanted more. I thought I could have that, that things would change after we got married.”

“What did you want to change?” Chat was gazing up at her from his now comfortable position on her and Adrien’s bed, head pressed against the fluffy mattress and the red comforter. His green eyes were gazing into her, in search of something and she wasn’t sure what. She turned her head over her shoulder to look at him.

“Us. I’d like to go on dates and cuddle on the couch. I’d like to not be a married virgin!” Chat’s face went the tingest red behind his mask, and her face was levels redder. She turned away from him again and crossed her arms over her chest, like she was adding another layer to her already-covered chest. Suddenly, any loving thoughts of an identity reveal flew far, far away; it would be better if Chat Noir never knew His Lady said something so embarrassing. “I’d like to kiss him, you know? Like an actual wife, like we,” she shut her eyes “love each other.”

She felt his claws, leather and tough, slipping around her arm, cupping the skin near her shoulder and warming it. He was sitting up, she assumed, because she could feel the bed creak under his shuffle. “How do you know it’s because he doesn’t love you?”

“What other reason could there be, Chat?”

His thumb ran in circles, small and simple, around her skin. The claw of his finger lightly grazed the muscle and tickled, and part of her hoped he wouldn’t break skin. She wasn’t sure how she’d explain that mark to Adrien (if he noticed). “You said you’re friends. Maybe he doesn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable? Maybe he already feels like you’re doing him a favor?” The thumb stopped, and the claw was digging not uncomfortably into her arm; he’d break the skin and leave a mark, she knew, but Chat’s caress was the closest she’d gotten to physical affection in months. She wasn’t about to squander the little solace for a husband who would probably be happy for her, or not care, or not ask any questions at all. “Maybe… he wants to kiss you. Maybe he’s thought about it a lot. Maybe, he just didn’t want you to think all of it was fake?”

Marinette snickered and raised her free hand to wipe a tear that had built against her will in her eye. “I doubt it. Besides, I don’t want to force him into--”

Chat turned her head by the chin and kissed her, unabashedly, passionately.

Chat kissed the way he did all things-- no plan, no cares, only feeling. She was swept off her feet in momentary bliss, fingers itching at the comforter as they ached to pull at his hair. He had one hand cupping her jaw, and he was tipping her up to meet his lips and bite at her until they parted and he could set his tongue to work just as well. She let him, and she wasn’t sure why. Maybe she was touch-starved, maybe her confidence had taken a bit of a nosedive in the last half a year, or maybe her less-than-platonic feelings for Chat ran a lot deeper than she thought they did; but she kissed him. She moaned and let him grab at her waist and pull her closer. She let him press her down into the mattress and climb on top of her, and if his hands went places they shouldn’t have, she wouldn’t have noticed in the flight of it all.

Right there, on the bed she shared with the boy of her dreams, she was going to break her marital bed in-- without her husband. It should have felt wrong, she should have screamed and slapped him and (for pete sake yelled at him about fraternizing with a civilian which was COMPLETELY unethical) she should have told him not to come visit her again. But she didn’t. She should have hated herself and Chat should have been long gone already and she should have been screaming to Tikki about her infidelity. But she didn’t; no, something about being there with Chat felt leagues right above anything else she’d ever done. Better than opening up her boutique. Better than stopping an akuma. Better than baking her first perfect macaroon. Chat’s fingers in her hair, his body pressed against hers with no space between to speak of, his lips trailing from her lips to her neck where he was biting and kissing and doing everything she’d ever dreamt Chat would do to Ladybug if she’d given him the greenlight-- all of it felt universally right, like fate had brought them here, like Chat was always supposed to be the one.

That wasn’t to say she didn’t still love Adrien-- she did, oh part of her wanted this to be him so, so very badly, but even Ladybug knew when she’d been beat. If Adrien truly was her friend, if he didn’t want to play the role of “lover” that came with the “husband” title, then this had to be fair game.

Chat paused in his ministrations, lips sucking off her skin with a “pop”. He chuckled, low and deep and it stirred her and spurned her further. “Never did get over that crush you had on me, huh?”

“W-what?” It took her a few seconds to register that he meant the weredad incident. Oh. She grimaced and playfully slapped his shoulder. “Don’t let it get to your head, you mangy cat!”

He laughed, wholeheartedly, face digging into her neck and the mattress beneath as fits had their way with his body. Marinette nearly fell into hysterics just hearing and feeling him squirming atop her. She raised a hand to her mouth and stifled the sound that escaped. “I-It’s hard n-not to, P-Princess!” He pulled up and over her, caging her in on the bed with his limbs, green eyes glaring into her with a warm, familiar glow. The mirth was plain on his face, like he knew something she didn’t. She wondered what that would be, but dared not ask. He smirked: “It’s already certainly gone to one head.”

Her face grew three shades hotter. She reached up, grabbed a pillow, and smacked him.

He laughed even harder, pulling back to sit on his knees, but still kept his hands straddling her hips, nails creeping over the band of her jeans. “I should p-probably give Ladybug a call! Let her know I can’t make it to patrol tonight!”

Oh yeah, patrol… that thing she was supposed to go on.

Marinette pretended to be none the wiser as Chat whipped out his staff and dialed in Ladybug’s number. To no surprise, Ladybug did not pick up. Chat raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off nonetheless. “Hello, My Lady. Just wanted to let you know that this cat won’t be an outdoor cat tonight.” Marinette rolled her eyes, but smiled to herself at the voicemail she’d get later, and the memories she was yet to make, but would inevitably still be fresh next time she transformed. Chat’s face grew sly in a way she hadn’t really seen him get before. She wondered if it was his smolder face. As much as she hated to say it, for fear of adding to his ego, it worked. “You see, I’ve been a terrible housecat as of late. My poor wife has been feeling neglected, and I wouldn’t be much of a husband if I didn’t, at the very least, lick the bowl clean.”

Wait. Wait, wait-- what?

“Plagg, claws in.”

Chat Noir shut the call down seconds before a green light, gradient and laser-like in movement, emanated from the stray cat at the foot of her bed. She squeaked and reached up to shield her eyes, balling up on the bed in a fetal position as if her knees could cover her eyes, give her another layer.

Chat laughed. “C’mon, Princess. Open your eyes.” He reached over and pried her hands away from her squeezed eyes, holding them delicately as she struggled with the impending doom of seeing Chat without the mask. That made this too real, made cheating on Adrien so much more real! “Marinette, it’s okay,” he brought her hands to his face and pressed a kiss to either knuckle. “Would I ever lie to you?”

Appealing to her trust in him-- low blow. Despite the reservations she had (of which she had MANY), she let her eyes part, let them readjust from the blur.

There, sitting in front of her, was a very flushed, very cocky, Adrien Agreste. She couldn’t help herself, she gasped. His face drew closer, eyes lidded the way she’d seen Chat Noir’s narrow a million times. This time, this time felt so different. It was Adrien, his hair (oh, his hair was so Chat Noir right then it wasn’t even FUNNY), his eyes, with Chat’s smile and husky purr. Her breath caught in her throat as he pressed a kiss to her wrist and watched her reaction as he did it. She flushed. “So, Princess… would you have any interest in putting that wedding dress back on? I never got the chance to fully admire it.”

Admire it he did, with minimal damage, surprisingly. It was clear Chat Noir wanted to tear the damn thing off of her, but Adrien was still gentle and sweet and most importantly knew better. He did the next best thing, though, which meant she would need to replace the zipper if she were to wear it again for vow renewals. The bed that had been untouched for months was a feather-covered, duvet-sulking mess. Whatever makeup she’d been wearing before she started crying on Chat’s shoulder had almost certainly been smeared or smudged or wiped off as she cried into Adrien’s shoulder. He had lips imprinted all over him, but the one he seemed the most proud of was the one at the corner of his lip where he was grinning like a cat who caught a canary. The whole posture looked smug, actually. He sat up against the headrest, one arm propping up his high-held head, and the other running soothing circles into her shoulder where she laid at his chest. She pouted at him, mad that he wasn’t even winded after the stunts he pulled… she was still catching her breath! “Sure you got fed, kitty? You look like you’re about to paw at the cabinets again.”

“I said I’d lick the bowl clean, Princess, never said I’d be full after.”

She went red again, which seemed ridiculous after the sheer gymnastics they’d both performed minutes earlier. “How?”

“Hm?”

“How are you not even a little tired after that?”

Adrien titterted. “That’s what happens when you let a man with month's worth of fantasies jump your bones. I’m not even halfway through my list yet.”

“What part of I am your wife did the wedding not get through to you?”

To her surprise, Adrien’s smile grew soft, full of love; he leaned back down to capture her between both arms and hold her to his chest. This was the Adrien she’d always known, the gentle smile, the quiet voice that still sounded like bells. He pressed his forehead to hers. “The part where you wanted me to do everything I wanted to do. I’m not used to that,” he brushed their noses together. “I’m not used to being loved by a wife, but I want to be.”

She nuzzled into his chest and stuck her face in the crook of his neck. He ran a hand through her hair, still heavily mussed from its time pressed to the pillows. “The girl I mentioned, back when we were fourteen…”

“Ladybug.”

“Yeah,” he huffed, somewhat sheepishly. “You weren’t, um, wrong about me still holding out for Ladybug but--”

Marinette yawned, “That’s fine.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t have to waste money making the” she yawned again “lingerie, I’ll just put on the suit.”

“What?!” Adrien pulled away to look down at his wife, but found she was fast asleep, and that she would stay that way until the sun came up. So Adrien lay there, wide awake, contemplating the likelihood of him being that inconceivably lucky.

[lotuscorvus]

So uh... how ARE we, as a generation, supposed to survive?

I’m doing “well” from an outside perspective. House, spouse, baby, and a salaried office job. 

And if my dad didn’t float me $500 every month, we might not be able to pay all our bills. 

My wife is a SAHM, since she got laid off and even after 3 months couldn’t find another job at comparable pay. She probably would have had to quit anyway between her work environment being toxic and daycare costing twice as much as our mortgage.

Yeah, the cheapest daycare I could find (along my entire 45-minute commute route) was about $1400/month.

My mortgage is $780 a month for a 1000 sq ft, 3-bedroom house. Rent for studio apartments around here isn’t even that cheap. 

We make enough to get by and set a little bit aside every month, as long as nothing goes wrong.

But of course, things go wrong. So we keep ending up in a cycle of panicked financial lockdown as we press through a lean period in order to afford whatever emergency popped up. We always splash out a little once we’re in the clear (concert tickets/a new video game, ordering delivery a couple nights. THE EXTRAVAGANCE) to try and de-stress a bit, get back on top of any bills/ festering medical debt we had to put off, and then usually by the time we’re starting to rebuild our emergency buffer something inevitably goes wrong.

And of course, being millenials, my wife has student debt we can’t pay. And this year I (who should have gotten $3k for my tax return) forgot not to file separately, had the entire return withheld, and am currently just praying I managed to file the Injured Spouse form correctly. And praying that whatever part of my federal return I get back is enough to cover wife’s taxes (she’ll probably owe because seriously fuck her old job) with something left over that I can put towards the emergency buffer, or the medical debt, or the increasingly pressing home repairs I don’t know how to do or physically can’t do myself.

I’m 31. I have no savings, a bunch of debt. I’m going to end up leaving one of the best work environments and the most stable job I’ve ever had just because the only way to get a real raise anymore is to get an entire new job (my company’s annual raises are set at 2-4% based on performance. So even at the top range its not even an extra dollar an hour). This company’s been breaking their own profit records regularly and steadily rising in the ranks of their industry the whole time I’ve been here, and they’ve only pared down their workers’ benefits the whole time. And this is one of the “good” companies.

I don’t have the energy for a side hustle. I shouldn’t HAVE to have a side hustle. I have the “american dream”. I only was able to achieve this much because I have a parent who is both willing AND able to help me out financially in a significant way. I’m learning to grow my own food. I’m pushing myself beyond my actual abilities just to work, cook, and keep the house running. I only buy clothes at thrift stores and I’m brushing up my sewing skills in order to make that shit last. 

I’m trying to wring blood from a stone just so I can pull myself out of this cycle of financial panic. And I go online and see that everyone else my age is doing the same thing. I’m not even near the worst-off of us. And its just... even if I do manage to improve my personal situation, that only helps me. We have to fix this shit for all of us, and its so big and daunting and it seems so impossible. 

I love all of you who still find the energy to fight every day to help the rest of us. You get politically active and make calls and push this shit and yell so loud you can’t be ignored. I don’t have enough voice to shout with you, but I’m cheering you on from behind my screen. I’m here if you need a little quiet to recharge.

Keep fighting, if you can. Rest if you can’t. Maybe by the time you rest I’ll have found my voice, and I’ll take your place.

[the-stick-scribblers]

The Womb

Crime is up five hundred percent since the Academy opened The Womb.

Twenty years ago, some newish academics who were still in their first century and therefore still hopeful, published a groundbreaking study on crime. They said the problem was simple: people committed crimes because somewhere in their past or current reality, they lacked security and love. Becoming a criminal was simply a call for help, too late. That part wasn't groundbreaking, but it bore repeating (and repeating, and repeating - hit the boring nail on the head, they did). Here's the important bit: they then asked what would happen if criminals could return to their childhoods and start from scratch, supported by the state? The ultimate rehabilitation program? 

Instead of prisons, they imagined a system of homes with specially trained and vetted "parents" to provide love; instead of cells, there would be small rooms they called nurseries filled with safely approved enrichment toys and lots of soft things for squeezing; there would still be community service opportunities and classes and career preparation, but capital punishment was firmly nixed.

It hinged on some pretty wild de-aging technology, but once they'd made the proposal it was only a couple of years before the tech caught up and then it was all hands-on deck "for the future of all children" and other such meaningless shit. There were some modifications - the cells are simply called rooms instead of nurseries, for example - but when they rolled out The Womb it was pretty much as presented.

Let's say you commit a crime. It's a little one, like maybe you didn't pay a traffic ticket, or some dick egged your apartment and you told them where they could shove it in front of the wrong soccer mom. The judge says hey, okay, that wasn't very good. But it was probably just a little lesson you forgot to learn along the way that led you to your Mistake, so you're sentenced to be de-aged a year and you're given a counselor who's supposed to help guide you onto a better path this time around.

But let's say the crime is bigger. You threw a major party and then drove drunk and high on heroin and ran over someone's dog. You commit armed robbery. Someone got seriously hurt, repeatedly. A guidance counselor for a year isn't going to cut it, so that's when the jury steps in and tries to figure out where your life went wrong. Was it at sixteen the first time you shoplifted and got away with it? At ten, when your teacher told you your work would never be any good? At eight, when your mom started working three jobs because she was suddenly raising you alone? And then you get zapped back to the pivotal age and placed in The Womb so you can be Reborn.

Somehow in all their planning the academics and the politicians forgot to bank on the allure of avoiding all those five hundred-year-old wrinkles and arthritis for a couple hundred extra years. Most people when they hit four hundred rob a bank at fake-gunpoint. That's the biggest crime that's least likely to get them killed rather than de-aged. That, or they get involved in some sort of tax fraud scheme. What's losing access to a couple million when you're going to die soon anyway? A second chance at life has got to be worth at least that.

The worst offenders get de-aged all the way back to babies, but that doesn't happen very often. It can seriously shorten your life if you end up a repeat offender, and anyway raising babies is more resource-intensive than the other kids. You have to kill a whole lot of people in a whole lot of lives to make it worth the parents' time.

The years you de-age get borrowed off the end of your life. As long as you avoid any more Mistakes, you get those years back and get to live out your original life span in full, with the bonus of a second childhood thrown in. But if you make another Mistake, you lose them forever, and have to live with it. That's how come I've only got two years left to take over the world.

I have been twelve years-old seven times. The last time I was Reborn, I'd made it all the way to age three hundred and fifty before I made another Mistake.

"You gonna eat that?"

We Reborn may have to use our manners, but for some reason the Womb Workers are exempt.

I sit up straight, elbows off the table, and look at my pudding. "My spoon is dirty."

They pick up the spoon, squint at it, rub it on their apron, then return it to the table. "You going to eat that now?"

The pudding looks delicious, actually, full of real chocolate shavings and cherry jam and cream liquor. If I let myself look at it any longer, I might cave. So I look at the Worker instead. They look like they could use some prune juice.

"This spoon is dirty. I would like a new spoon." 

The Worker opens their mouth, probably to tell me where I can shove the spoon, when Ren interrupts in a tiny voice, "You've got to say please."

This is Ren's second time Reborn. She's six years old now. When she was twenty-one she was sent back for planting an eco-bomb, and for again stealing an entire corporate farm when she was ninety. She's got an impressive file; we could be a good team eventually. I like her. But, regretfully, I no longer have the time.

"Please," I say, and smile real sweet.

The Worker takes the spoon from my hand with a measured precision that means they would much rather stab me with it, and give a little bow.

"Tell Jeremy he needs to pay more attention; the spoon was dirty!" I holler after them after they've passed into the kitchen, to everyone else at the table's disapproval.

Because this is my seventh time in The Womb, I've been placed in a high-security house, with experienced Grandparents rather than normal Parents and bars on all the windows under the cheerful blue and yellow curtains. I've also only got five siblings rather than the usual nine; Ren is the littlest, and Matthew is the oldest at seventeen. The rest of us hover around the dining room table in the throws of those terrible years right on the cusp of puberty, and we've all got the lanky self-awareness to match. Really, the jury should have forgiven me the second they realized my pivotal moment was at twelve, or at least written me off as a lost cause. What preteen doesn't want to take over the world? How was living through that desire again and again supposed to make me desire it any less? But we've established the establishment isn't very smart about the details of redemption. They just want to Save the Children, or at least look enough like they are to appeal to the constituents a couple times a year. Statistics to the contrary are handily swept aside as anti-love.

Everyone here has taken a wood chipper to someone else's moral fabric, most more than once. Even the Grandparents have been Reborn once each, although they won't tell me how come. Just that it's part of the job requirement, so they can relate to where we're at on our journeys or something disgustingly syrupy like that. I'll miss them the least.

The Womb Worker reappears at my left elbow. Another little bow, definitely sarcastic this time, and then they hold out a silvered fork. "Jeremy says all the spoons are dirty, but he offered an extra fork. The pudding is thick; this should serve just as well."

Finally. I accept the fork and dig in with an admirably restrained glee, I think. The pudding tastes sweeter knowing that it will be my last meal in this place.

Jeremy is old hat, been with the place since it opened basically, and is the only Worker authorized to visit every Home because he's worked his way up from day cook to Head of the Households. The first time I met him (on accident, during a poorly planned slip during my first sentence, involving a new bouquet of flowers every day until the home was buried in chrysanthemums and little baby's daisies and Womb Workers had to come and confiscate them all) he told me about his First Home, in Libya. It's taboo to talk about First Homes, not because it's illegal or anything or even really frowned upon. It just makes people sad. But Jeremy smiled as he told me about the fried dates and bsisa, the ironic wetlands and sprawling steppes and the big sky full of birds over everything all the time, the migrations. About the little lizards, the way they sashayed when he chased them down the streets. He made me forget almost everything and believe I'd grown up in Libya too. I volunteered for kitchen duty every night after in hopes he'd be that night's cook.

He climbed the ladder and I followed behind him to each new role, begging for stories about Libya, and about The Womb too, since he knows everything there is to know about it. Including, of course, how to get out. It wasn't hard to bribe him. Just two more rebirths of a little bit of smiling, a little bit of begging, and I've now had six life cycles to practice my hand at money laundering. Jeremy is four hundred and ninety-five this year. It's time for him to bail.

The pudding is gone too soon, and I lick my lips and immediately wish I had some Vasoline. They’re dry, and they sting. "I'm not feeling well. May I please be excused?"

Ren's tiny face looks doubtful and a couple of the other kids look intrigued, but Grandnanna is a warm, benevolent rock. "Do you need me to grab a basket?"

"I don't think so. I think I just need to lie down."

"Let me feel your head."

"It's my stomach," I protest, but go to her nonetheless. I'm up from the table, which means I'm almost in the clear.

She puts the back of her hand against my forehead and cheeks, then turns to rattle in the credenza behind her seat at the head of the table. "Richard, can you grab me the thermometer please? I forgot I moved it to the study when that cough went around last month."

"I'm kind of dizzy. I just want to lie down." I cross my arms and hunch my shoulders and do my best to turn excitement into flush agitation. Grandnanna (what a laugh; she's younger than me by a century, at least) purses her lips.

Then she steps back, and sighs. Good for her – she’s learned how to pick her battles. Probably why she’s still only been reborn once. "Grab a clean towel from the cupboard on your way up."

I finished my part of our plan this morning - digging out each of the security features in the home and bypassing them with a wire or a code I custom-wrote before my latest de-age debacle. The bars are just a formality now. But that's the most I could do on my own. It was up to Jeremy to arrange the rest - reaching out to my old contacts, setting up the weekend lecture series, making sure the Grandparents are out, finding a Sitter with enough moral ambiguity to agree to pack their overnight stuff in over-large luggage and to not ask questions. It was a lot of work, and he hasn’t said it but he’s going to negotiate for a better cut once we're free and clear. At least fifty percent. That's a cliché, but it’s fine. I can do those too. Not everyone makes it to five hundred. There won't be any questions when he’s never heard from again.

The corridor to my room is lined with photos doctored to look original, of the seven of us in this home, and each door has an initial painted in well-meaning green that comes off as military in the dim light. I dutifully grab a towel from the closet and go to my room, draping the towel over my pillow and curling up under the fluffy comforter. Once I bust out there will be no niceties, at least for a couple of months. Definitely no pudding. I close my eyes and sink into the bed. I dream myself a feast.

~D.E. Scevers

[calliecat93]

ST; TNG S6 Watchthrough Episodes 10-13

Chain of Command: Alrighty folks, two parter time!

Part One: Picard gets assigned to a vital mission. One that he has to keep secret from even Riker, While he, Crusher, and Worf are gone, Starfleet assigns Captain Jellico to command the Enterprise and handle negotiations with the Cardassians, much to Riker and the others disdain. I’ve seen mixed reception on Jellico, but I’ll refrain from giving opinions until the Overall. But he’s much more authoritative and hard pushing than Picard. Though it’s funny cause Picard was also very authoritative in the beginning, but he has GREATLY mellowed out throughout the series. But the reason that Jellico has been given command? Among with having experience with the Cardassians… Picard has been outright relieved because he’s most likely not coming back. Yeah, we got some high stakes for this one folks. It was a pretty good episode. We establish Jellico and his command methods, the crews' feelings about it, and Picard, Crusher, and Worf prepping for a VERY intensive mission. Which the ending to the episode? Yeah, they made sure to make sure that the viewers came back the following week. Will Part 2 be able to keep it up, however? We shall see but very solid first half~! 4.5/5.

Part Two: Picard has been captured. The Cardassians bring this up during the negotiations… which Jellico denies and won’t allow any rescue misisons. Needless to say this does not go over well with Riker. Yeah this was… hard to watch. Not because it was bad. If anything the fact that hey did it well is what makes it hard to watch. They do NOT hold back in showing the intensity of Picard’s torture. Like whent he villain used the device to just send Picard into agony… that was just… rough. On board the Enterprise Riker wants to admit that Picard was under Starfleet orders… but admititng that Starfleet was on such a missionw hen they have a treaty witht he Cardassians would cause a whole hos tof problems. As such Jelico won’t admit it and give Picard protections as a POW, which infuriates Riker to the point that he gets relieved of duty. It’s hard because obviously I side with Riker here… but I also can’t say that Jellico is necessarially wrong. This is a highly dangerous, critical situation on a politica, military, and even diplomatic front. Do you sacrifice Picard and ensure the needs of the many? Or do you go screw it and rescue him, but risk outright war breaking out due to it? Whatever you pick you will face major consequences. Fortunateley they find a way to get Picard back and stop the Cardassians via Jellico’s efforts, but Picard is left with the trauma and outright admits had they even been one second too late, he would have broken. His defiace in spite of his agony was awesome to watch especially when he finally broke down the villin… but the fact is he still suffered and came dangeorusly close to breaking completeley. Nothing, not even admiration for remaining strong, will ever take that away. It was hard to watch, but I can’t say that it wasn’t effective. Very well done episode. 4.5/5

CoC Overall: That was an intense one. The Cardassians are terrifying. I guess I’ll see more of this in DS9 but the way they torture Picard? How the villain outright allows his child to see it and dehumanizes/says hateful things about humans right in front of his child? Dear God…that is just so horrid I don’t know where to begin. David Warner did such an excellent job as the villain, being effectively cold-hearted and monstrous but with a layer of calmness that makes it all the scarier. No wonder he got cast as Ra’s al Ghoul in Batman: TAS. As for Jellico… there’s no denying that he’s a hardass. I wish that the episode did better at acknowledging how his over-taxing methods were, well… over-taxing, but they avoided having to make the crew go into outright battle. Nevertheless, after we see how Picard gets treated, it does make sense and in the end, his captaincy was effective. I don’t like his methods, but I can’t say that they weren’t effective and in this kind of situation it may have been necessary. He and Riker never get to liking each other… but they are forced to acknowledge that they need to work together and recognize the other's ability to get the job done. I greatly prefer Picard, but Jellico works for this episode under these conditions. At the very least he doens’t come across as a bad person. Also on a lighter note, glad that Troi is now wearing her actual uniform. She looks a Hell of a lot better in that than any of those jumpsuits they kept making her wear. So yeah a good plot, difficult choices, scenes that are hard to watch but well-executed, great acting… yeah this was an excellent two-parter. IDK if I’d want to watch it again because I don’t know if I can make it through Picard’s torture. Which needless to say if something like this is triggery or too much for anyone thinking of watching it, I highly recommend skipping this one (or at least those particular scenes) or watch it with someone. But it was very well done, there’s no denying that. 5/5.

Ship in a Bottle: So you guys remember the episode Elementary, Dear Data from S2? The one with Data and Geordi and Sherlock as Watson and due to Geordi being bad at wording the Moriarty hologram became sentient? Yeah… looks like the show finally remembered cause they finally bring back up that Moriarty’s kinda just been stuck in the computers for over four seasons now. Barclay ends up unlocking him, and Moriarty isn’t at all happy to have been left and forgotten for over four years. I was not at all expecting a follow-up to this episode, but Hell yes I am all for it! I can’t blame Moriarty for being upset especially since the show never brought it back up until now, so to the audience it feels like they just up and forgot him without giving a damn about his extesential crisis just like he does. Moriarty is able to at last leave the Holodeck, to everyone’s surprise, and all he wants is for them to make his lover real, even taking over the ship whent hey refuse due to still not understandinghow Moriarty became real… but there’s a bit of a plot twist. One that I’m not gonna give away here, but it is wild. But this was an excellent episode and a great, long overdue follow-up to Elementary, Dear Data. The questions of being alive/sentient (which we already had a few episodes ago but done differently enough here that it works), the argument between Moriarty wanting a life and the others concern by all that has happened, the limits on what they know, Barclay being competent without being the main focus, it’s very well done. Moriarty isn’t evil, just despersate and pushed to his limit, hence why he does what he does here. The ending is very bittersweet, but is a proper conclusion with some kind of hopeful note. Very well done~! 4.5/5.

Aquiel: Well I thought after S4 we were done with the ‘Geordi in love’ plots… guess not. So… this is pretty much ST’s attempt at making The Thing. When going through files to investigate a potential murder, Geordi finds lots of Aquiel and sure enough, he falls in love with her based on that alone. So… guess he learned nothing from Galaxy’s Child then, though at least he doesn’t try to use the Nice Guy excuse this time. Plus tbf he didn’t know that she was alive so i’s not as bad as in Boody Trap and Galaxy’s Child, but still he should really know better by now. But as it turns out Aquiel is alive, but was in Klingon custody… and is now the prime suspect in the murder. While I don’t mind the general plot of the episode and a Thing-like episode actually sounds pretty interesting, the ‘Geordi in love with a girl he never met via her personal logs’ plot wasn’t necessary and they already did it once. I think they did it better, but it’s still annoying to see that they did this again. I can’t even be happy about them having a dog in this episode because of reasons I won’t spoil, but let’s just say that the big plot twist can be seen a mile away. It was alright, but writers if you can’t think of a better way to do a Geordi-led romantic plot… maybe don’t use a romantic plot? Just saying. 2/5.

Alright, we are at the halfway point! So far? S6 has been great! Just great episodes all around. Some fun, some intense, some… well some are just meh but overall the first half has been excellent. It feels like they got their second wind after last season and I am loving it~!

[cbk1000]

So, my sister came over to our apartment today and we had a good long bitch about the work situation, and I found out a little more, although she can’t give me very many details because she promised our boss she wouldn’t say anything to me.

Firstly, let me just clarify: I keep referencing ‘our boss’ and then referring to a ‘she’ and ‘he’--I can’t remember if I mentioned this, but the clinic is run by a husband and wife, not one gender fluid manager who is being kind of an ass.

So, back at the beginning of September my sister first asked about her raise; she asked the wife (I’ll refer to her as ‘C’ from now on, and the husband as ‘L’ to avoid confusion instead of just referencing ‘our boss’), who said that she was right in the middle of taxes, so she’d have to look at it next week. A legit excuse; I know she’s always really harried during this time, and I don’t blame her for wanting to just get that out of the way first.

My sister didn’t hear anything more about it, so in October she popped in to remind C about it, thinking she may have forgotten because she was so busy. C said she had actually forgot about it till a few days ago, when she’d asked her husband. She said it was in discussion, and that they were talking numbers, which very heavily implies the raise is a sure thing, it’s just a matter of hashing out exactly how much it’s going to be. So, apparently, back in October, the raise was all but decided upon, it was just a matter of settling dollar amounts.

A few days ago when I first posted about this situation (Dec. 4th, my archive tells me), she had gone in to C’s office to ask yet again about the raise, because she first inquired about it three months ago, and was starting to get irritated, feeling as if she were being put off. It was then that C told her all this stuff. I outlined the basics in this post, so I won’t rehash it now. 

C is very upset, basically. She did not want to tell my sister any of this because she was hoping to just delicately handle it behind the scenes, but I think she felt she couldn’t put her off with some lame excuse since it had been three months since my sister initially asked for the raise. There are some gaps in my knowledge of events because my sister told me just enough to avoid breaking her promise to C, but essentially, L is fed up with people bitching about us even though none of the complaints actually have anything to do with our productivity and the quality of our work, so we’re basically being punished because fellow co-workers are whiny shitbabies. C is trying to get the raise, but she is not entirely sure how to go about it because once L gets something in his head, he can become fixated on it; he also will act like nothing’s wrong for a long time and then suddenly be super pissed about something minor (this is not just her trying to play Good Cop and make it look like she’s on our side, I’ve seen it happen many times). 

We assume C did not want my sister telling me the whole story because she knows I am very confrontational, and she really, really does not want us to leave, and I think she’s afraid I’d be justifiably pissed if I knew everything and would get into a blow-out with L that would end either with A. Me quitting on the spot B. Him firing me on the spot. My sister said she was clearly very upset and is obviously worried this is going to result in one or the both of us leaving. I know she really does not want that, because back in 2014 I asked for a raise a few months before I left on my trip, and one of the first things she said was, “Yes, we can definitely talk about that; L and I most definitely do not want to lose you”; I hadn’t implied (or at least I hadn’t intended to), that I would look for another job if they didn’t give me more money, but me leaving was her first concern, and within probably a week, my sister and I had both got a raise.

I do not want to punish her, and L is not a bad person, but his management skills are often severely lacking, and as I said in a previous post, if he is going to cater to the asshole employees who are always causing problems and punish the good ones who show up on time, do their job without getting into personal conflicts or constantly wasting his time with petty complaints, then I think he needs to see that there are repercussions. People will eventually get fed up, and I don’t think either one of us deserves to be treated this way. My sister said she thinks he feels safe doing this because we’ve been there for so long, and he just figures we won’t leave, but this is pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back for me, and I’m trying to persuade her to look into other opportunities as well. We have been fed up for a while that some of the doctors upstairs are basically dictating how the filing system is laid out when we have told L over and over again that they (and he) are cluttering up the system with redundant categories that we already use, categories that will be used once in a blue moon, and just in general making it more of a pain in the ass to navigate; there are not the ones who have to navigate all these categories, so I think our opinions on it should carry some pretty hefty weight. We have spoken with him about this several times, and each time he agrees with us, complains about what a pain in the ass it is to deal with people upstairs, and then just goes back to doing what we asked him no to do, so sitting down and having a candid discussion with him is not an option; we’ve addressed problems with him before, and he just keeps caving to whoever whines the loudest/most. I could play that game, but I have better things to do with my time, and I’m not going to try and outshout everyone else when I have a job to do and can make much better use of my day. Also, I’m a fucking adult, not an incontinent fucking preschooler. 

It is infinitely crappy that the raise it sounds like he was prepared to agree upon back in October is now being held hostage because he is fed up with some jerkoffs complaining that we talk to each other instead of staring blankly at a windowless cubicle for eight hours a day and run movies for background noise. He knows our productivity isn’t lacking; we have bins full of confidential documents waiting to be shredded, so it’s clear we’re going through a ton of paperwork; and if he wanted to, he knows where we keep the reports: he could check and see that the trays are nearly empty/empty when we leave for the day. The people upstairs also know we are productive and not just fucking around, because when we’re behind, the whole clinic knows: reports aren’t in the charts where they’re supposed to be, people have to call down constantly looking for paperwork, etc. Several of them have commented multiple times on how surprisingly fast we are, so this has nothing to do with anyone being adversely affected, which is the only complaint that should be relevant in the workplace, and everything to do with being petty fucksticks. We don’t even interact with most of these people; we don’t even SEE them because they’re busy upstairs and don’t have time to come downstairs (except when they need to spend 30 minutes of their day whining to C), and we go upstairs only rarely to fax records and check our box for paperwork that’s ready to be filed. Which, btw, is in the nurse’s station, so they see us constantly coming and going and grabbing papers, and are therefore definitely aware that we’re not just sitting around marathoning The Bachelor or whatever. And that’s what really pisses me off about this--whoever is complaining has to know that we are obviously just running shows and movies as background noise, because if we were actually sitting and watching them intently, we’d be way behind and the repercussions of that would be felt upstairs really quickly. If we’re behind, everyone’s behind, basically, since the doctors and nurses don’t have the necessary records to review for appointments, billing can’t find the insurance info they need, etc.

I feel bad for C because I fully believe she is trying her best to handle this in a way that doesn’t screw us over and doesn’t punish us for other people’s whining, but it’s been time for my sister and I to move on for a while, and even though this is shitty, I think there’s a slightly silver lining in that it’s giving us a push to just gtfo.

[boyswanna-be-her]

it's weird because i used to have this life where i didn't mind telling everyone everything about what was happening with me. but as life got more complicated and i got older, there started to be pieces of me that weren't for public consumption--either because they were too precious or too awful. i think as i decided to put those parts of my life away for myself, i forgot that there's this vast middle ground that i used to talk about here but no longer touch on.

so here's my life update, i guess, with big canyons of details redacted so that i can give you some sort of narrative that might make sense.

i got fired from my job editing newspapers in march of 2016. i published my first gay romance novel a month later. and then another one the next month. and another one the month after that.

in the fall, i met some people who also write gay romance, and i started to actually make friends within my own community. i worked on a bunch of projects--not just my romance novels--and developed a lof of new skills.

in the winter, i actually got to go meet a bunch of those writer people. i took a trip to north carolina/virginia, connected with new friends and someone who i largely consider a new best friend in a circle of best and only friends. i got some more tattoos. i drove places that i'd never been to before and saw things i hadn't seen.

i've reconnected with my parents in unexpected ways. we haven't gotten along since i was 15, and now i find them respecting my boundaries, respecting who i am, respecting what i do with my life. it's incredible not to have to hide things from them. i love having parents again.

jonathan got incredibly sick last year (i’m not going into it in more depth than that here so save yourself the time of asking), and that continues to plague us somewhat. it's just a fact of life. he finally got a concrete diagnosis this month that essentially acknowledges that this is something that will never go away. it sucks and things were very, very rocky before that. but the bad times have only cemented my understanding that there's no one on earth who understands and loves me like jonathan does. so i'm here for it, and i'm here to be a caretaker when i need to be.

the caretaker role has been very difficult for me to adjust to. i haven’t blogged about it or actually talked about it to... anyone. it’s really scary at 32 to acknowledge like... yes, i’m going to be in charge of someone’s care for the rest of my life. i've started going to therapy specifically to address this, and to address my trauma surrounding him getting SO sick last year. it's not helping yet and it's very, very tough.

we traveled in march to go to california to see my dear darlings kyle and rhonda get married. i can say without a doubt that this ended up being THE best trip of my entire life. we went to reno, tahoe, sacramento, yosemite, and monterey and i fell in love with that part of the country even more than i ever had before. my wanderlust is absolutely turgid. i decided to write a book set in the stanislaus forest.

the book business have been... strange this year. there's a project i won't talk about here. but i published a book in february that was my most successful so far. it launched me into designing covers, and also showed me how to connect with new audiences. it got a writeup on a usa today romance blog, which was kind of thrilling. most people read it as a disability story and liked it, some of them thought it was furry sizekink porn, and neither of those reads is even vaguely incorrect.

i also had an audiobook professionally produced. i'm too scared to listen to it all the way through. reviewers LOVE the production, but find the writing a little lacking. i'm kind of with them there.

i'm working on a book right now that feels really important. i keep asking jonathan to have faith in me, to have patience, because the book is taking forever. it's about 100,000 words right now and it's still got a lot more to go. i don't know what to say other than i'm in it deep with this one and it... yeah, feels important, like i said. it's something that was going to drive me crazy until i wrote it.

i have a few more of those on the horizon--books that are really talking to me. there are other projects--desining covers for other writers, more audiobooks, books that are marketable but maybe not as close to my heart.

in april, i went to this incredible convention in atlanta and got to meet the remaining new writers who i consider my best friends who i hadn't actually met in person yet. the experience was overwhelming. it's been a long time since i've been in a room with people who unequivocally understand and respect me, and it was a good feeling to have. we'll all see each other in october, along with one of my oldest friends who has joined my newest friendgroup and career path.

when it comes to my writer friends, i’m really up their butts and i don’t know what to do about it. oh well. i’m very invested in these people and it frightens me. it’s been a long time since i had a group of people i felt this close to. i keep waiting to fuck it up, like it happens with everyone whose butt i decide to crawl into.

jonathan and i are going to go to denver in october for a romance conference and then some vacation exploring. neither of us have been to CO, so we're losing it about how excited we are. we both want to travel more, but have agreed that we should probably only plan two big trips each year together. it's just so hard to travel at the same time because of the dog. if anyone wants food and a free place to say in florida in exchange for dogsitting for two weeks in october, hmu.

we're thinking the next two trips will be big bend and the pacific northwest so... yknow, hook it up, pnw crew.

in august/september, i'm hopefully headed to minnesota for the first time to join up with my writer people at what sounds like a disgustingly idyllic location on a lake. i'm so used to not looking forward to things that i'm trying not to look forward to it. i was supposed to visit two friends in DC in april and it fell through because of a health issue with jonathan and i was a little more devastated about it than i understood at first. so i get scared to plan stuff.

jonathan has his own business since last summer. we both filed taxes as business owners last year, so that felt pretty baller. jonathan does some projects like contracting/carpenter stuff, but mostly he's been able to focus on designing furniture. he's doing these incredible chairs right now that just melt my face off. he takes basic mid-century modern designs and then adds and subtracts until it's the same chair with a different feel. he feels self-conscious saying that it's his own design, but that'd be like saying that fanfiction isn't writing. it's definitely fucking writing, and his designs are definitely his.

overall, we've been incredibly lucky that we get to work for ourselves. i'm constantly thankful for that. i can't even explain how much working for myself has changed the fabric of my life. it is simply so much healthier and better, even with the struggles it presents.

my health, other than getting fucking pneumonia last month, has been really good. it's incredible how much changes when you don't hate every minute of your job every day. don't get me wrong--i'm still a depressed, anxious mess. but at least i have the energy now to cope with that sometimes. i don’t have to chain smoke and drink my way through the days because i DREAD waking up every morning. i think soon i’ll actually have recovered enough from all that bullshit that i won’t have a panic attack every time someone raises their voice and will be able to concentrate on reading text for pleasure rather than just skimming or editing.

otto the cat is still missed fondly. i named the main character in my california book after him. hector the dog is unimpressed with his internet success story (160k+ notes on tumblr). he started walking with a limp, so jonathan built him a ramp. poor old buddy. he's doing well with the ramp though! and the limp is getting better.

anyway, i think that's all i can think of for a life update. consider yourself caught up. :)

[imherebecausemymomdoesntloveme]

Chaotic Neutral (2/??)

Summary: The residence of Storybrooke concoct a plan to rid their town of this newfound threat. With the help of Regina and Henry, they try and convince Carter to leave on her own accord. 

Word Count: 1538

Warnings:?? none 

feel free to leave suggestions or prompts!! 

“You really don’t have to help me, I’ll be fine on my own,” said the girl, sitting on a spare bed in Regina’s home. Ms. Mills had her doubts about the kid. It wasnt a terrific thing to have a very powerful and possibly temperamental child running about the streets. Carter looked to be around Henry’s age, perhaps a tad older. She was someone that they’d like to keep their eye on.

“It’s really no problem, I can’t have a young girl all alone in the forests,” Regina replied. More like she didn’t want the kid to be left to her own devices. Who knows how much power she had or how well she could control it. “How old are you anyways?”

“Well, I don’t really know. All I know is that I’ve been around as long as the fairy tales have existed. I was the first of the authors creations…” The kid replied, observing the room.

“So you’ve been stuck in that body this whole time?” Regina remarked. Sure, time worked a bit differently with magic, Rumplestiltskin was surely old enough to have generations of children (if he could ever get anyone to love him) but even then, he had some wear and tear. This child was absolutely radiant in energy and youth. She didn’t even have eyes stained with war, not that Regina could see.

“Well, no. I’m able to change appearances as I please. The sorcerer thought that, y’know, that would be good for stealth and stuff.” Regina just noticed, the girl did not have a single item with her. Not a luggage, no type of possession. She didn’t need it. She had all the magic she could ever need.

Regina looked closer at the kid. She saw herself. And not in a shapeshifty kind of way, but when Regina looked into Carter’s eyes once more, searching for the death ridden bags or lifeless gaze, she only found sadness- rather, emptiness. Regina understood what it looked like to be alone. She had spent so many years looking such.

She left Carter alone, not wanting to pry anymore.

She soon after rejoined Emma and her family at Mary Margaret's house, in need of an emergency meeting over the newfound threat.

“So, where’s the kid?” David asked, no longer having the forgiving tone that he once had in the diner.

“She’s in the house with Henry, probably hanging out as I see that they get along,” Regina replied, partially defending the girl.

“And you trust her with him?” Mary Margaret gasped, concern staining her voice.

“I can assure you, she means no harm.” Regina took a sip of her coffee, “I could see it in her eyes. She looked.. sorta empty.”

“Isn’t being empty, like, a motive to become evil? We all just got our ‘Happy Beginnings’ less than a year ago! I’m not going to chance it,” Hook said. Many of the group nodded in agreement. They didn’t have anything personally against Carter, but things were finally beginning to become normal. None of them wanted to give that up.

“So then what are we supposed to do? Kill her? She’s an immortal entity,” Regina retorted. As much as she didn’t like it, Regina had seen herself behind Carter’s facade. She had seen her lonely years, trying to fill the hole in her heart with revenge. Distracting herself. Carter- she had a different problem. She busied herself with other so much that she forgot to be happy and enjoy herself. Regina didn’t want to hurt her or banish her. She wanted to help.

“Then.. we’ll send her away,” David chimed. David was among the most fearful of losing his happy ending.  

“And what makes you think she won’t portal herself back to this land?” Emma added. None of them were willing to admit, but all were slightly jealous of the bookworms unlimited power. Portal making would make all their troubles much smaller. In spite of this, none recognized the great cost of that magic. They feared losing their happy ending, not realizing that Carter could never have one herself. It wasn’t that Carter didn’t have the time to give herself a happy ending, but that she wasn’t willing to risk receiving one. Having a happy ending could interfere with the story or end hers. If her story ends, she would no longer be able to assist all those in need. Such a burden would disrupt any type of conclusion.

“Why don’t we just find her an assignment. Give her a person to fix and then she’ll be on her way,” Regina suggested, “Someone that would take her ages to fix… Someone who is all kinds of messed up. By the time she’s done we’ll have been gone from this town and into the next.”

“I don’t think you mean who, I think you mean where,” Hook interjected, “Let’s send her to Neverland.”

--

“Henry, are you sure that you can do this?” Emma cautioned.

“Yeah! It’s not like this is a secret mission,” Henry reassured, “As her friend, I’m going to give her a suggestion as to where she could help out.”

As Henry entered the room Emma tried to calm herself down. Why was she so nervous all of the sudden? This girl had done close to nothing and yet here they were taking every precaution protect their safety. Their safety weren’t even at risk. The truth was, the heroes weren’t scared or worried. As much as they hate to admit, they’ve become bored. Every one of them have been fighting a battle since day one. They weren’t accustomed to normal life where the most difficult challenge you have is filing your taxes. They were doing the right thing helping out Carter.

“Hey Bird!” Henry chirped, entering the room where the girl was lazily playing a video game she didn’t seem to be much good at.

“Hey Mother Hen, what’s up?” She paused the game.

“Nothing much, I was just thinking about how you fit within the book and I was wondering, why are you here?” He blurted, “Not to be rude…”

“Oh it’s fine,” she chuckled, “Well, honestly, I’m not too sure. I guess this place had a big ending. Or beginning or whatever you guys would like to call it. I was sorta just called here, but it seems that you guys aren’t in need of any assistance so I’ve been just enjoying the milkshakes.

“I have a feeling that this story… isn’t over yet, but honestly who knows.” She finished.

“Why even waste your time here? You are such an important asset to the harmony and function of all the fairytales, shouldn’t you like utilize your time and go help someplace that needs it now and then come back later?” Henry asked.

“I suppose you’re right. Things aren’t wrapped up here anyways, I should get going.” She began to pace the room, mentally getting ready to take a journey.

“Where are you gonna go?” Henry crinkled his eyebrows, analyzing Birds steps.

“Not sure, but I’ll figure it out when I get there,” she answered honestly.

“Maybe you could go to Neverland. Last time I was there the place as in anarchy, the only kids left there are super evil. You could help them be happy!” Henry smiled, attempting to calm down carter who was very obviously worrying.

“What if i can’t give them a happy ending.. What if I fail?” Bandit sat down, a vacant look on her face.

“You won’t I believe in you. If you ever need my help just pop in and we can figure it out together. I’m the author and you’re the happily ever after repair troops. We’re practically brother and sister.”

“Actually there is one thing…” Bandit admitted, “Can I see your story book?”

Henry pulled it out of his backpack, holding it in his lap. Carter then duplicated it into her own hands and made it vanish into the place where she likes to store her things. (the void ;)

“Thank-you Henry. I’ll be back for another milkshake eventually,” Carter chuckled out as she stepped through a portal that had just appeared. Just like that she was gone.

[crazedlunatic]

Chapels and Panic Attacks

“I feel like we’re forgetting something.” Kurt stared down at his wedding binder, chin rested in the palm of his hands and elbows on the table. He had taken a shower already and his hair was particularly messy and fluffy.

“Kurt, I told you not to come home from work and stress about the wedding.” Blaine, who had just opened the back door, shook his head but smiled. Had he really thought Kurt would not stress about it?? After all, it was Thursday and the wedding was Saturday afternoon.

“I know but I just want it to be perfect.” Kurt scooted back from the table and closed the binder.

“I think you don’t want the planning to be over.” Blaine carefully set his messenger bag on the floor and then wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind. “You’ve been planning your wedding since you were seven.”

“And our wedding since I was eighteen.” Kurt admitted aloud. “Oh my God. I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” Blaine laughed.

“I wish we could have our real honeymoon now… staying in a nice resort for two days by ourselves will be nice though.”

“I’m sorry. It’s the hugest case since I’ve been hired on and it’s pretty much all hand on deck… but on the bright side, we knew when we picked our wedding date so we hadn’t already booked a honeymoon and had to cancel it.”

“Yeah, I know.” Kurt sighed a bit and nodded. “I’m marrying a multimillionaire in less than two days and can’t even have a long honeymoon.”

“You really like saying that.” Blaine laughed loudly, pulling another kitchen chair next to Kurt and sitting down beside him.

“Which part?” Kurt grinned.

“All of the above I’m assuming.” Blaine grinned back and took the binder. “It is what it is now, Kurt. We should really try to enjoy the last day and a half before we take the biggest step of our lives.”

“I think the twins being born in five months will be the biggest step.” Kurt corrected him.

“Don’t you mean steps?” Blaine grinned again.

“Oh my God.” Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled.

“Seriously, though, it’s crazy. I can’t believe it took so fast. One try and boom—twins.”

“Overachiever.” Kurt laughed.

“I was afraid Burt would have a heart attack when we told him not only had we finalized a wedding date but also that we were trying for kids.” Blaine laughed this time.

“He’s thrilled. Everyone is… except for Melody.”

“She’ll come around. She’s using to being the baby.”

“I know.” Kurt looked at his watch. “What time is Alex getting into New York?”

“Overnight. I gave him the door code and already talked to Chad. He’s going to let them in and show them how to get to the elevator.” Blaine put his cell phone on the table after checking to make sure he hadn’t gotten any updates from Alex. “I can’t believe they cancelled his first flight.”

“We can all get brunch at Rustic Table. I’m sure they’ll want to sleep in.” Kurt suggested to take Blaine’s mind off of his brother’s delayed arrival. “And we’ll probably be hungry again after the wedding rehearsal.”

“I can’t wait to eat at 21 Club. I have always wanted to. The guy at the firm who just got married had his rehearsal dinner there too and he always goes on about the alcohol.” Blaine grinned.

“You can’t get drunk. We get married the next day, you remember?” Kurt gave him a look.

“I know, I know.”

“I hope you know. If you are drunk or hungover on our wedding day, I might literally murder you.” Kurt threatened. “Maybe you and Wes shouldn’t be alone together.”

“Kurt, if you kill me the day of the wedding I don’t think you’ll get the life insurance money.” Blaine winked. “Besides, it’s our wedding rehearsal dinner. I’ll be with you the whole time, okay? I promise.”

“Alright. Can we just lay down and spend some time together? I know it’s going to be crazy tomorrow and even crazier on Saturday… I’d like to just be with you.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Blaine stood and offered his hand. “As long as you let me get out of this suit first.”

“The next time you put on a suit… it’ll be a tux.”

“The next time you put on a suit, it’ll be a tax as well.” Blaine grinned. “And then later that night, I’ll get to take it off.”

…

“Everything looks beautiful.” Carole gasped walking into the room that Kurt and Blaine would be getting married in the following day. “It’s breathtaking.”

“Can you tell Kurt that? He’s stressing about it. He thinks it might be too over the top.” Blaine laughed.

“No, it’s absolutely perfect for you two.” Carole shook her head.

“Momma, I thought we were going to eat cake.” Melody whispered loudly, tugging Carole’s arm to get her attention.

“Honey, the wedding is tomorrow. This is just the rehearsal.” Carole whispered back.

“Then why is it so pretty now?”

“Kurt wanted to make sure it was going to look perfect tomorrow so he insisted it be finished today.” Kurt caught up to them. “But I don’t know if I like the lighting—.”

“It’s perfect, Kurt. Absolutely perfect for you two. It’s amazing.” Carole reassured him.

“When she first saw it she used the words beautiful and breathtaking, kid.” Burt, who had been with them but was too busy looking around in shock to join the conversation, grinned.

“Daddy, why do you still call Kurt, Finn, and Blaine kids?” Melody questioned. “They’re grown-ups.”

“It’s a stage.” Carole whispered to Blaine who looked amused. “Finn went through it too… only Melody’s questions are a bit more age appropriate.”

“Are you sure the lighting is good, though? If we spend this much money on photographers and the pictures aren’t perfect I’ll be devastated.” Kurt looked to Carole.

“Kid, people get married in places like this all of the time.” Burt told him.

“Plus, photographers bring their own stuff to adjust for any possible lighting issues.” Blaine added.

“I know but if we need anything changed it has to be tonight.” Kurt chewed on his lip and looked around again.

“It’s perfect.” Blaine, Burt, Carole, and Melody said at the same time.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Kurt held his arms up in defense. “It’s perfect.”

…

“Is this seriously happening today? Today I am marrying Kurt?” Blaine asked, staring at the tuxes set up throughout the room.

“Unless you’re backing out.” Alex joked.

“Wes, this is terrifying. How did you do this?”

“With a crying two-year-old in my arms.” Wes remarked. “But Quinn’s got two of yours in the bun so it’s pretty much the same thing. Blackmail.”

Alex looked at Wes for a few moments before bursting into loud laughter.

“Heyyyy.” Eric poked his head in before coming into the room.

“How did you marry Alec?” Blaine asked.

“Still a bit hazy. I don’t remember much of anything before the wedding, actually.” Eric shrugged. “Why?”

“He’s freaking out.” David said.

“Ah. Yeah well, I think everyone does.” Eric nodded. “I passed out.”

“What about you, Alex?” Blaine asked.

“We got married in the courthouse.” Alex shrugged. “I wore a tie, she wore a dress, and everyone we knew got drunk in her parents back yard that night. Highly recommend that kind of wedding… a lot less stressful than this probably was to plan.”

“You think Kurt would have let him help that much?” Wes snorted.

“No, you’re probably right… but you’ll be fine, Blaine. Even if you forget the words to your vows, everyone will think it’s cute.” Alex reassured him. “But nothing else really matters apart from you and Kurt.”

“What he said.” David pointed at Alex.

“By the way, I saw Kurt because I walked Alec to the room he’s getting ready in. He looks amazing.” Eric added. “That’s what you’ll remember before the vows. First seeing him and then both of you standing in front of the officiator to start. You might remember some of this but the nerves you won’t remember.”

“I’m not nervous. Okay, I am nervous. It’s just a big step. I’m ready for it, obviously.” Blaine babbled. “I mean we’ve been together forever and we don’t do very good apart, so it’s meant to be.”

“Don’t say that in your vows.” Wes warned.

“I think talking about this will stress him out more.” David said. “C’mon, Blaine. Let’s go on the balcony and get some air.”

“No, I mean, okay but I’m totally fine. Having a minor panic attack with all of this waiting but I’m fine. I know I’m meant to be with him and he’s meant to be with me. He’s everything to me and we’re about to have two kids and I couldn’t be happier. I’m just freaking out because of this dead time.” Blaine responded.

“And that’s why we’re going to get some air.” Alex nudged him towards the balcony where David was already holding the door open. “Go on.”

“Fine.” Blaine sighed and stepped outside. He took in a deep breath and let it out as Burt came into the room.

“Better?” David asked.

“Yeah.” Blaine took another deep breath. “A lot better.”

“Good, because Burt’s here to talk to you.”

…

“Your husband to be is having a panic attack.” Rachel announced coming into Kurt’s dressing room.

“What?” Kurt yelped, turning so fast he nearly knocked a chair over.

“Finn told me.” She explained, holding up her phone.

“Maybe not the best time to tell him that.” Alec gave Rachel an impatient look. “I’m sure he’s okay.”

“I don’t know. Kurt’s dad walked in and apparently he forgot how to breathe or something.” Rachel retorted. “That doesn’t sound fine to me.”

“Could you not?” Alec asked Rachel as Kurt grabbed his phone.

“I need to see him.” Kurt said. “He’s not had a panic attack since he was 18.”

“But you can’t see him before the wedding; it’s bad luck, Kurt!”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have told Kurt in the first place.” Alec snapped. “Come on, Kurt. I know where their dressing room is at.”

Kurt took his tux shirt off and neatly put it on the hanger, leaving in his pants and a white t-shirt.

Alec led Kurt down two hallways, stopping at the end of the second one. “They’re in here.”

“Thanks.” Kurt stepped in.

“He’s fine.” Wes reassured him. “He doesn’t want to not get married or anything like that.”

“I know.” Kurt smiled. “Can we have some time alone?”

“Yeah. Your Dad and Eric are in there with him.” Wes pointed to the bathroom as the other guys filed out.

Kurt headed to the bathroom.

“Oh God, who told you?” Blaine gasped out, seeing Kurt in the doorway.

“He’s fine, Kurt.” Eric said, a cup of water in his hand.

“I know.” Kurt promised, crossing the bathroom and standing next to Blaine. “What happened?”

“Courthouse weddings and babies and big steps. Also, it’s really hot in here.” Eric supplied.

“Wait, what?” Kurt looked confused. “Courthouse weddings? Steps?”

“I think some of the wedding chatter and advice got in his head.” Burt said, hand still on Blaine’s back. “As soon as I came in to talk to him he couldn’t breathe.”

“It’s a panic attack.” Eric said. “It’s been a pretty long one, though. Here, drink some more water.”

Blaine shook his head, leaning against Kurt.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to go perfectly. We’ll leave here tonight married and we’ll have four completely stress free days.” Kurt whispered in his ear. “And then we’ll have so much free time after work without wedding planning that we won’t know what to do with ourselves.”

Blaine took a few breaths, gripping Kurt’s hand.

“Drink some water?” Kurt asked, taking the cup from Eric.

Blaine nodded and took a few sips.

“Are you sure you’re okay? We can push it back an hour or two if you need to. We paid so much for this wedding that they’d not even care. This place is ours today anyway.” Kurt whispered, brushing some of Blaine’s hair back.

“No, no. I just need to calm down. I know I need to calm down but it’s not helping.” Blaine shook his head.

“Do the breathing Wes and David were talking about.” Eric prompted. “Three full times, okay? I’m sure I’ve got some medicine in my car if you need it. I can have Alec run and grab it.”

“I’m fine.” Blaine took a deep breath, some more color returning to his face. Kurt still had arms around him and was kissing the top of his head. “I’m okay. I think it’s over.”

Burt squeezed Blaine’s shoulder.

“Are you sure?” Eric asked, looking hesitant.

“Yes.” Blaine nodded, leaning against Kurt.

“I’ll give you three a few minutes… just let us know when you’re ready for us to come back in, okay?” Eric asked.

“Thanks, Eric.” Blaine gave him a small smile.

“Let’s go out in the dressing room. There’s more space.” Kurt helped Blaine up.

“I can walk.” Blaine reassured him.

“I know you can.” Kurt ruffled his hair and led them into the dressing room.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine sighed, looking between Burt and Kurt.

“Shh.” Kurt sat next to him on a large couch.

Burt sat on his other side. “Feeling better? You scared me a bit, kid.”

“Yeah. I think I got too hot and I was getting nervous because they were talking about weddings that weren’t like ours and what not to say in vows.” Blaine took a deep breath. “I was nervous already and then you came and it was like I blacked out and then couldn’t breathe.”

Burt chuckled a bit.

“How is that funny?” Kurt looked at his father as if he’d gone crazy.

“Kid is so crazy about you that he had a panic attack, Kurt. That’s kind of cute.” Burt chuckled some more.

“It is kind of cute.” Kurt admitted, still running his fingers through Blaine’s hair. “But I don’t think it’s just from today. You’ve been worrying about work for a few weeks now. There was the flight mishap and you were afraid Alex wouldn’t make it in time. They lost our check for the cake.”

Blaine nodded. “And I was fine until I had all of this time before I needed to get dressed and I started thinking about it and then… panic attack.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a big thing you two are doing.” Burt reassured them.

“Were you nervous?” Blaine looked at Kurt pitifully.

“I’ve been a nervous wreck for days. I just didn’t want you to think I was having second thoughts.” Kurt admitted. “The difference is mine didn’t come all at once.”

“It happens more than you’d think, Blaine.” Burt reassured him. “Maybe not a full-blown panic attack but everyone surrounding you probably didn’t help.”

“No.” Blaine laughed a bit. “Definitely not.”

“Look… this thing is supposed to start in about thirty minutes.” Burt looked at his watch. “I just wanna say this to you first—and Kurt, you can hear this too.”

Blaine watched him carefully.

“I never expected us to be here today the first time I met you with you hungover and sleeping in my son’s bed, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I could never trust anyone with Kurt more, Blaine. And I couldn’t trust anyone with you more either. You two have been family to each other for a long time and… I’m glad it’s going to be official today and that I’ll get to call you my son. I’ve always seen you as my son, kid, and I hope you know that.”

Tears filled Blaine’s eyes and he nodded.

“I love you both and I am so happy and thankful that you two found each other. You guys are perfect together and I can’t wait to watch you both excel in your careers and have kids and love each other until you’re both my age and older. Both of you make me so proud and, Blaine, I couldn’t be prouder to have you as an official son.”

“I love you too.” Blaine hugged him. “Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. I—“

“Don’t thank me for anything.” Burt hugged him back. “Just take care of Kurt, okay?”

“Always.” Blaine pulled back and wiped his eyes.

Carole stepped in. “Guys, the officiator is here.”

“Oh, God.” Kurt stood up. “Okay, Blaine, I need to finish getting ready.”

“I need to do that too.” Blaine gave Kurt a tight hug and then kissed him quickly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kurt asked, pulling back.

“I’m positive, I promise. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kurt threw his arms around Blaine’s neck, tears filling his eyes. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” More tears filled Blaine’s as well.

“Okay, boys. We don’t want to put it off any longer than we have too, right?” Burt chuckled. “I’m going to get Kurt back to his room now.”

Carole gave Kurt a hug as he and Burt passed.

Wes came back into the room as Kurt passed. “Goin to the chapel and we’re…. gonna get marrrrried. Goin to the chapel and we’re gonna get marrrrried.”

[stardatextoday]

So I've stayed quiet long enough and I think I'm finally ready to talk about my feelings and my reaction to the story that's been circulating about the ridiculous reaction to the radio cutest couple contest. I was not expecting this to go viral, much less turn out in my favor so much. I never realized that after being a safe space for so long, that i in turn get to feel safe as well. my wife's job prevents her from being on the phone during the day and lately she's been very overwhelmed checking in at the end of the night so I think that I'll be the one to talk about this. Plus we all know that I am the extrovert of the two and I'll talk about anything. When I dropped the collage of our photos in the comment section of the radio contest, I knew that there would be some sort of lackluster reaction to it. But society has progressed AND it was our anniversary so i was full of happiness. Once i entered, I forgot about my the contest for quite a bit of time I didn't even realize people have voted for me until i got tagged in something My wife and I have been together for eight years. eight years. that's close to a decade. We are so full of love and positivity that we have made it our mission to take that overflowing love and share it with other people. We are inclusive, we listen, we sympathize, and we are a safe haven for everyone who has ever met us. I thought that by entering a normally very heteronormative traditional contest, that at least one same-sex couple could see it and remember that they are just as valid as other couples. Being married to a woman doesnt make me more or less bisexual, so my orientation shouldnt matter. I didn't expect to win, honestly, i didn't expect even make it into the contest. I'm used to seeing discrimination like that in everyday life and I would've understood if the radio station had chosen the way the traditional way to avoid conflict- even if it would have been exclusionary. However it's 2017 and times are changing. I don't expect the runner up with the poor attitude. (I blocked him almost immediately so i dont remember his name) to understand what its like to go outside and fear for your life when your partner grabs your hand. Did you stand at the courthouse trembling when the registrar asked why my wife was changing her name? No, you didn't. You werent there when i bawled in 2012 because doing my 2011 taxes meant filing as single even though I had gotten a civil union on 11/11/11. Nevermind my legal marriage in 2012 or anything. No, you weren't there. Youll never have to be there. You wont ever have to explain your decisions to people. You dont have to face discrimination for your relationship. My marriage is so strong and so loving, and yet people still wish me dead for it. Ive been called a dyke since i was 11. Ive had it written on my desk, ive had it written in my own blood on the schools bathroom mirror after being assaulted in middle school. Ive been sexually assault because of it, and ive been denied opportunities because of my sexual orientation. I dont owe anyone these explanations but i just want people to understand that after years of being called things like a "fat dyke" those words mean nothing to me. In fact I embraced them. Not everyone is privileged enough to do that. I love being chubby. I really do. I spent years and years hating myself and honestly i have never felt more beautiful and honest with myself as i do now. Yeah, i spend my free time squatting and meal prepping, but you'd never know that because im just a "250# dyke" to you. (Bless you for thinking im only 250 lol) Im a fighter; anyone whos spent more than 15 seconds with me knows that I enjoy every single last drop of diversity, yes even your bigoted opinions. Why? Because your opinions based out of hatred just reinforce mine out of love (and a little spite honestly). Your hashtags are appalling. I was put on this planet to do far more than procreate, and honestly insinuating that people who arent fertile or cannot have children, are not people is dehumanizing and objectifying. You keep giving half-assed apologies about how your beliefs are solid, and honestly i dont give a singular shit. I think you're a petulant child who lost a local radio contest because your support is far less than mine. But, thats just my opinion. My opinions are not preventing you from anything, honestly. I still think you deserve basic human rights, even though you think far less for me My wife has come home every night, too anxious about safety and notoriety to do much of anything. I never wanted this to go viral, but honestly your terrible responses from YOU and YOUR BUSINESS are the reasons this spread like wildfire. I havent said anything other than the occasional "No, please don't mention my name in your article." You are upset that your name/address/and phone number were revealed but it was one google search away. If you didnt want to be public, try not being a public official. I have gotten so overwhelmed by the love and support given to my family. People i havent spoken to in years and people that i dont even know have reached out. Ive cried in public when people told me i gave them hope. I am no saint. I am just a fat bisexual girl who likes cats and black lipstick. Im supportive and kind, even my enemies will tell you so. I wish youd stopped to get to know me before trying to assimilate a biography from a collage in the comments of a local radio stations contest I hope you had a great Valentine's Day. I spent mine eating ice cream and singing songs while driving with my wife. Hopefully someday you understand that opinions are kind of like umbrellas- everyone should have them but theyre not always necessary. Feel free to share this and tag anyone whos been involved, i would like for this to be the last of this drama tbh. http://wqad.com/2017/02/15/henry-county-board-member-attacks-lesbian-couple-sparks-facebook-fire-storm/

[hamilficsfordays]

New Beginning—Chapter Five: Colossal Load of Bullshit

Disclaimer: I don’t know Lin, nor do I know any of his friends or family.

Also posted on Ao3

Summary:  Lin is distraught after losing Alexa. Alexa is feeling the same way about Lin. Things appear to be out of their control. It’s time to fight back and Vanessa knows exactly how to do so.

Rating: T for language

Words: 2874

Askbox / Masterlist / Chapter Four / Chapter Six

Lin and Vanessa headed home that night, trying to get a few hours of much needed sleep and relieving his parents of their babysitting duties.

Lin desperately tried to keep his eyes closed to no avail. He’d watched the sunrise that morning from their bedroom window, feeling the exhaustion drape over his entire body despite no desire to give in.

With only a few minutes before Sebastian was due to wake up, he headed to Alexa’s room, where he grabbed the duffel bag she’d arrived with and attempted to fill it with clothing that his mother had bought her. Being in the room without her was emotionally taxing; it wasn’t long before he was choking back tears.

When the bag was mostly full he sat for a moment on the edge of her bed, breathing; trying to accept this new reality.

Suddenly he’d remembered something, an item in his office that he felt compelled to put inside as well.

His copy of Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton was covered in notes, both written on the pages and on post-it notes. After years of working on his production, it had tons of ideas and concepts stored inside. He grabbed another post it note, writing a quick note and attaching it to the inside of the front cover before he stored it at the bottom of the duffel bag.

-

Alexa was forced to stay in the hospital, given fluids to rehydrate her before her psych eval. The next morning, Claudia arrived again, greeting her with a small bag of clothing.

“You can’t be serious…” she started, seeing the bag. “You realize none of this was their fault, right?”

“Nothing is set in stone yet.” she insisted. “But for the time being, it looks better if we pull you out.”

“Right. I forgot it’s only about how it looks. How someone actually feels isn’t important to you people.” she rolled her eyes.

A nurse stepped into her room then, two cups in her hand.

“I have a Plan B pill for you.” she offered, handing the cup to the teen. “If you want it.”

She took it without question, swallowing the pill with the water the nurse handed her in the other cup.

“Once you’re back to a hundred percent, they’ll relocate you to the pediatric psych ward. In the meantime,” Claudia pulled a small bag out of her purse, a collection of pills inside. “Your zoloft.”

She took that pill as well. Claudia sat in the chair on the far side of the room, her bag of Alexa’s things at her side.

“I was hoping to talk to you more about what you can expect in the coming days—” Claudia tried.

“Jesus, that sounds terrible.” she admitted before grabbing a clean gown, a towel and a bottle of body wash from the bedside table. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

She walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her and sinking to the tile floor, groaning in frustration.

Finally she stripped, stepping into the searing hot water.

Whether it was the temperature change or something else in her system, a sudden wave of nausea caused her to vomit, stepping out of the shower and running to the toilet just in time.

She managed to carefully re-adjust the water temperature before stepping back into the shower so as to avoid a repeat incident.

-

A few days passed.

As the sun rose over Manhattan later that week, news of the incident began to spread like wildfire.

“Just in for you this morning, we have reports that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the broadway hit Hamilton, was in for quite a shock earlier this week when he was sent photos and videos via twitter of his sixteen year old daughter being raped, choked and urinated on while heavily intoxicated at a party last night by fellow male students. The victim was taken to Roosevelt hospital, treated for minor injuries and released just yesterday. Since then, the parents have reportedly had the teen removed from their home and put back in the care of the state. We’ll have more for you on this story as soon as more information is released.”

From the comfort of their living room, Lin and Vanessa suddenly felt very small.

The idea of losing their child after everything that had happened was embarrassing enough, but they had every intention of keeping that information private.

It was very clear that doing so would no longer be possible.

“Can you change the channel?” Lin asked, defeated. “I can’t listen to this.”

Vanessa grabbed the remote, jumping to another news network before realizing they were telling the same story.

“—an array of unlabeled prescription medication and traces of other drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and other opiates. These are some of the things they believe a sixteen year old girl was under the influence of when she was sexually assaulted last Thursday night. Several incriminating photos and videos of the act were posted to twitter last night by members of the Columbia Prep male lacrosse team—statewide champs for the last three years running. Not only did they post them to twitter Katie, they tagged the victim’s father, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer and star of Hamilton, in the hopes that he would see them. Now Miranda, after seeing these tweets, showed up to this party, called the police to break things up, and got an ambulance there to take his daughter to Roosevelt Hospital. She was treated there, given a psych eval and held by doctors until her release yesterday. What we do know so far is that no suspects have been taken into custody and that the foster child has since been removed from the Miranda household and reclaimed by the state.”

“Turn it off.” Lin shook his head in utter disbelief. “How can they even talk about this? It’s supposed to be confidential information.”

Vanessa turned it off, making a note on the laptop in front of her. “Only more collateral damage to add to this case.”

“V,” he reached out, taking her hand. “I’m glad you’re so passionate about taking her back, but you don’t actually expect to sue the entire state, do you?”

“Maybe I will.” She shrugged. “I have to do something. I haven’t seen you this upset in ages.” She squeezed in hand. “Even if I don’t sue, I can at least build a strong enough case to scare the shit out of them.”

“Oh, is that all?” he smiled.

“And at the very least, I got you to smile. That’s been pretty hard to do lately.”

-

Downtown at the orphanage, Alexa woke up in the same bed she’d had before. Staring up at the same dirty ceiling, listening to the same girls complain about bathroom space.

Only one thought seemed to frequent her mind as she headed into the shower stall that morning.

This is a colossal load of bullshit.

After another bland cereal and soy milk breakfast, she was brought in to a meeting both with Claudia and her superior Janine. Alexa had never met Janine, but seeing her for the first time revealed three truths at the exact time. She wasn’t a natural blonde, she was old enough to remember all of the eighties, like most white women her age with enough money, she’d clearly had some work done.

“How are you feeling, Alexa?” Janine carefully offered a hand to the teen as if she were afraid to break her.

“Fine…?” She sat in one of the two large chairs opposite the desk in Janine’s office, Claudia in the other.

“That’s great.” her smile was off-putting. “I was so glad to hear you made it out of the hospital safely. I hope your experience there was enjoyable.”

Alexa gave her a confused look. “You mean, after I was drugged and raped?”

“Well, I know the doctors took care of you.” she clarified.

“After that rape kit, which was easily the most invasive experience of my life…” she paused. “Well, that I can remember anyway, I was dying to get out of that hell hole.”

“I understand you were given a psychological evaluation?” She was immediately handed a file by Claudia, containing the results of her psychological evaluation.

“Oh yeah, that sucked too.” she added, much to the disappointment of Claudia.

Slightly frustrated with her responses, Janine lowered her voice to whisper to Claudia. “Have you been making sure she’s taking her medication?”

“I’m sitting right here, dude.” Alexa shot back.

“Zoloft once a day in the morning.” Claudia confirmed. “She’s been under my care since I got to the hospital.”

“If you have a problem with my attitude, maybe you shouldn’t have pulled me from the best foster home I’ve ever been to.” the teen pointed out. “Also, zoloft only works if you digest it. I’ve been getting sick all week. You’re leaving opportunity for an insane mental breakdown while I’m under your care.”

Janine turned back to Claudia. “I expect you to handle this.”

Claudia dug through her bag, searching briefly before pulling out a small pill bottle with Alexa’s name on it. She tossed it toward the younger girl who didn’t bother catch it.

“You know what? I refuse to take my meds until you put me back with the Mirandas.”

“We’ll have to put you in psychiatric care if you refuse your medication.” Janine pointed out.

“Just put me back where I was before and I’ll stop refusing! It’s not rocket science!”

“That household has been deemed temporarily unfit.”

“Okay so when does it become fit again?” she demanded. “This whole ‘punishing-so-that-it-looks-like-you’re-doing-your-job’ thing is getting old really fucking quickly.”

“We’ll send you back when and if we see fit.” the blonde pointed out, flipping through the results of her psych eval. “If,” she repeated.

“Don’t I have a say in this? I WANT to go back!”

“Yes well, I brought you in to offer my well wishes after you released from the hospital. If you don’t mind, your case manager and I need to speak privately.”

“So I don’t have a say at all.” Alexa stood up, storming out. “Whatever.”

The door slammed shut behind her.

“If I could speak candidly,” Claudia started receiving a stern look from her superior.

“It’s just, I see no reason to remove her permanently. In fact, I was hoping to send her back before school starts. Lin and Vanessa had enrolled her at this outstanding private school on the Upper West Side—”

“We have plenty of reason to keep her permanently. More youth in our system means more money from the state.” Janine shot back. “Does that not make sense?”

“Well… we’re not a for profit prison—” Claudia tried.

“Can I be frank, Claudia?” she interrupted the older woman. “I know I’ve only been in charge here for a few months, but I’d like to think I have a good instinct about these things. Right now my instincts are telling me that you might not be the best case manager for this job.”

“Wha—I’ve been working here for thirty years.”

“It looks like your case seems to be missing a few—” she pulled a few pages out, sliding them into the paper shredder underneath her desk. “important documents. If the state were to find out that you weren’t staying consistent with a case like this, you could lose your license. Wouldn’t that be a shame?”

Claudia finally seceded, trapped at the mercy of her superior. “What do you want?”

“The important thing here isn’t putting Alexa back in that home, it’s avoiding a lawsuit. That woman—Vanessa—she’s a lawyer. I need you to make sure she doesn’t file a lawsuit. If she does, we’ll have to look into this case file and with so many inconsistencies… your job might be on the line.” She handed the file back to Claudia, a smug smile on her face. “I hope we understand each other.”

-

Outside in the large room with the other teens, a fight broke out nearby. One of them tossed an open bottle of water at the other, most of the water landing on Alexa, though the two fighting didn’t seem to notice.

Her shirt was soaked, prompting her to angrily return to her bed and dig through her bag to find another one.

Frustrated, she dumped the entire bag out on her bed. There, on the top of the pile, was a large book she hadn’t seen before . There were post it notes sticking out of the pages; the book certainly wasn’t new.

She turned it over, seeing the cover of a biography of Alexander Hamilton.

Why would he give me this? she thought, opening the hardcover to find the first post it note inside.

Meant to give you this opening night. Read it.

I see his passion and drive in you.

Don’t ever lose that.

Love you,

Lin

Alexa could feel her emotions rushing to the surface faster than she could handle, tears building up in her eyes as she read the note over again.

She remembered that night, receiving a text from Lin about the show, about how he was grateful for her.

Most importantly, how he loved her.

She was so scared of the word that she didn’t bother to respond. Now it seemed, she may not ever have a chance to.

Maybe she did love him, but what did it matter if she couldn’t say it?

A tear fell, landing on the first page of the book which she quickly wiped away.

She promised herself that, should she ever see Lin again, holding back feelings would not be an option.

-

Uptown, Claudia paid the Mirandas a visit that evening, informing them of the decision that had been made.

“I don’t understand.” Vanessa was sat beside her husband with Claudia across the dining room table, obviously uncomfortable being the bearer of bad news. “You said this would be temporary.”

“They came to the conclusion that this was an unstable in environment for Alexa and that they wouldn’t be sending her back. I’m sorry, this wasn’t my choice. They went over my head.”

“We’re going to sue.” she insisted. “Not only because you removed her for unjustified reasons, but being dishonest about bringing her back—”

“Por favor no hagas eso! You can’t sue!”

“We absolutely can!” Vanessa shot back. “I’ve built a bulletproof case against your organization. If you think you’re getting away with this—”

“I wanted to send her back!” Claudia finally admitted. “My superior, Janine, went over my head on this. She wants to keep Alexa.”

There was a pause. Lin, who was unmoved until this point glanced up, shocked to hear what had just been said.

“Let me guess… more kids means more funding.” his wife concluded.

“Sí, she shredded documents from my file for Alexa. If you file a lawsuit, they’ll have to have access to the file and with too much information missing—”

“You lose your license.” Vanessa finished. “Shit.”

Just as the realization hit, Lin slowly sunk down in his chair. “We’re never going to see her again, are we?”

Tobillo, who had been otherwise silent under the table, stood up to lick Lin’s hand as if she understood why he was upset. It was more comforting than he expected it to be.

Vanessa was distraught seeing Lin so upset, it was the worst shape she’d ever seen him in. For a moment she was silent, working out details in her mind to come up with a solution that would put an end to this once and for all.

“I think I know how to fix this.” she finally said. “We can’t sue, but we can pressure them into getting what we want.”

“How?” Claudia pressed, Lin curious as well.

“You wouldn’t happen to have all of the statements you took from that night, would you?”

“She shredded half of them.” Claudia reminded her. “They’re gone.”

“They’re shredded, not burnt. They can be salvaged. If we can get a hold of them and piece them back together, we make copies and we bring it to the press anonymously. That should put enough public pressure on them to back off.”

“That’s impossible.” the older woman insisted. “Even if you could piece the pages back together, how would you get a hold of them in the first place?”

“Use your imagination, Claudia. You’ve worked there for years. Bribe the cleaning staff to let you take the garbage when they’re pulling it out of Janine’s office. As long as you can get a hold of anything in that shredder, we can get what we need to move forward and no one needs to lose the license.”

Another pause. Vanessa, beaming with confidence in her plan, saw a glimmer of hope flash across Claudia’s face.

“They clean every night at nine.” she recalled.

Glancing at her phone, Vanessa noticed it was just after eight. “You better get going then. Let us know when you find it.”

She made a quick exit, headed straight for her place of work downtown.

“Lin,” she put a hand on his shoulder. “I need your help with this too.”

“Whatever you need me to do.” he insisted.

“What you do best. I need you to write something.”

[gonnabesyk]

I haven’t updated this blog in a while..

A couple of quick updates:

Diet I’ve fallen back into my old eating habits, though not entirely by choice. We’re currently living on granola bars, crackers, and chips. Things like fresh produce, meat, eggs, and dairy are nearly impossible to get now. I feel like we might have better luck if we went into the store to do our shopping, but neither of us want to risk getting ill. We have to place our order at least two days in advance (and in order to even secure a slot we have to be awake at midnight!). By the time they fill it, most everything has already been sold out. Other necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, hand sanitizer, and gloves are permanently out of stock too. Oh, and to prevent hoarding, you can only oder 2 of each item. It doesn’t matter if it’s two cases of water or two cans of soup. The limit is 2. I’m pissed off because one of the only things Jim will eat is ramen & I can only order 2 at a time. I’ve been trying to order meat for at least 3 weeks with no luck. I can’t even get frozen meals!

COVID-19

Alabama has one of the highest projected death rates in the country. Despite that, nobody seems to be taking COVID-19 seriously. That includes my mom and sisters.. Mom went into panic-mode for about a week: wiping doorknobs and surfaces down with a bleach solution every few hours, washing/sanitizing her hands frequently, and staying inside. My sister had been keeping the kids away from us (thank goodness!), but mom essentially invited them back into our lives yesterday by buying them an above-ground pool. Why! They were here all day setting it up. To make matters worse, they’re visiting the store nearly every day and bringing the kids with them, then coming here. My sister works in Etowah county, where they have at least 60 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (I believe they’ve had a couple at her workplace too), but she still won’t work from home. Ugh. I’m just waiting for her to bring it to us

Money woes

Jim was laid off near the end of March. He’s been struggling to file a claim for unemployment since then.. Nobody answers the phone, the website doesn’t work. Before coronavirus came to the US, we had about $5k in savings. We’re down to $300 now. Like, that’s all we have in the bank after paying bills D: A big chunk of it (well over $1k) was spent on Gizmo and Jowee. I also got a Switch lite and ACNH (that set us back a few hundred!). Plus, stocking up on pet supplies (we’re already running low!) and groceries every week, bleh. That stimulus check sure would help a lot.. I don’t know if we’ll get $1200 or $2400. We filed taxes jointly in 2018, but I’m unemployed and therefore don’t have to pay taxes.. Either way, the money would be helpful.. Our bills come to about $1300/month, not including rent. Mom hasn’t asked for it for weeks and I haven’t brought it up.. I’m very fortunate that my mom is my landlord right now ‘cos we would have already been evicted anywhere else. Eugh, forgot the electric bill. That varies from month to month, but we started running the air about a week ago. I hope Jim starts getting unemployment soon, I hope the stimulus check comes, I hope everything will be ok. The factory claims they’ll reopen in May, but even if they do I don’t know if I’ll let Jim go.. I’d rather be destitute than lose him. As long as we have each other and our health, we’ll be okay

Jowee

Jowee continues to get worse week by week. He seems miserable - lethargic, itchy, painful. He doesn’t want to play, he pees every few minutes, drags his penis on everything in the room (including your feet, if you don’t move them in time). I’ve been syringe feeding him on especially bad days just to make sure he eats. Jim and I have discussed it, and if he gets much worse we’re going to have him put to sleep. Just thinking about it fills me with guilt, but what else can we do? One vet says he’s in kidney failure. Another lady says it’s adrenal disease + insulinoma. These conditions are all very costly to treat. That isn’t even the main issue, though.. It’s the fact that all the vets are over an hour away and traveling to and from big cities with the threat of catching COVID-19 is scary. Especially since ferrets can get it too. For now, we’re just keep an eye on him and trying to keep him comfortable. If it reaches a point where he starts having seizures, can’t pee, or can’t even get out of bed, we’ll have to say goodbye

Other than that...  We’re ok. Not sick yet. Mostly playing Animal Crossing and sleeping. I’m on a cold case files kick right now which probably isn’t very healthy, but I’ve also been watching a lot of Youtube videos about horse care, haha. These are strange times

I really.. miss pizza

[mindtheheadspace]

Scraping by like dog shit on a shoe

I'm stressed.

I got hurt on January 26th and fractured my ankle in two places. Had to get surgery done by the 30th same month. My boyfriend helped me at first but then never offered/tried to visit me or anything. I couldn't go anywhere on my own and could hardly move. I was home alone a lot of the time.

February was practically the same. But I was able to get out here and there with my best friend. I went and got a Valentine's day card since I was hoping I could still see my boyfriend and not feel as miserable.

He forgot it was Valentine's day. He didn't attempt to try to see me again or get a card or anything. A card wouldve been fine. Just to know he was thinking of me. But instead I got to spend the rest of the month limping around on my crutches in a cast that weighed too much, staring everyday at the roses on the table that one housemate gave to their significant other (also housemate).

Next thing I know, he is telling me how I don't make an effort to see him or seem to want to. How we are only a relationship in title. I was shocked and apologizing that I made him feel like that. But when I tried to see him either later the week or weekend when he was free, he dodged it. Never showed. He was too tired from working and had to help his grandparents with their pond in the middle of winter and oh its because of depression...

If he doesn't want to fucking date me then I wish he would tell me already and not make me feel like a failure at dating too. I've been miserable.

I've been out of work for a long time, getting by on little paychecks from work and then finally got my disability check. A majority of it went to paying medical bills. I have about 6,000 in medical debt now. I have two payment plans set for each month. Most small stuff got paid.

With tax season coming up, I was hopeful to finally have some money again. My injury took away my plans of a vacation and getting away. My recovery felt like a prison. Still does.

But I'm stupid. My family never gave me tips and advice on being an adult. All I knew was I need to file my taxes like everyone else and pay what I owe to a state.

(I live in one state but work in another)

Well stupid me filed it paper. And the state likes to take what you owe before giving you anything it owes you. So my disability was taken from my account and I'm left negative 580 in my account. I finally was cleared for work next week but the small paycheck I'm suppose to receive before then (damn two week pay) will not even get me back to 0 in my account. I have no money coming after that for two more weeks when I finally can get back. I'll be limited on hours. I can't walk without a boot or crutches. I still meed to pay one medical payment this month and what would I do for gas going to and from work? It's an hour both ways and I usually have to fill up 3 to 4 times over two weeks.

I also still have to pay my rent and utilities. Which my housemate no doubt is going to be so very pleased about it. Sarcasm.

But it was their driveway I fell in! They never once offered to help by maybe reducing the payment or something.

At the urging of my family they said I should look into their homeowners insurance. And the response I got basically said If I did it I would probably have to find a new place to live. I don't have any other place to go.

My mom is coming up to finally visit. She had said she would when I first got hurt. It's March 19th right now. I wanted to save what little I had to go with her to get a simple manicure. I've felt like trash for weeks but thought why not do it with mom and treat her since you fell through for mothers day? Well look now I'm a liar again. I'm a fuck up.

I wish I never got hurt. I wish I never went out.

[sassyhottubstrawberry-blog]

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

"Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

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

RELATED QUESTIONS: 

""Had one car accident ,went to the e.r.Primary health insurance wont pay visit.wants car insurance to pay.?

Pirimary health ins.wants me to file claim with car ins.I did not have medical ins on car policy.They just took care of vehicle totaled.Now what?

Driving Licence & Insurance... had licence for 3 year then revoked for 2 year (2007) got it back 11.11.2011?

On car insurance quotes it asks how long have you had your.licence... I first got mine in 2002....got it revoked in 2005 to 2007 but have only just passed a medical to get it back last week. Should my answer be iv had a licence.... 9 nearly 10 year 3 year (the years i was driving in this country) Or just a day starting from when it came back yesterday any help would be great thank you. dd

No Proof of Car Insurance?

I got a ticket for no proof of insurance, I forgot to pay it, now I must see the judge, I didn't have insurance, yes very very dumb, I know, my question is..will I just be fined or is there jail time involved. I imagine there will be just a heavy penality in fines""

Cheapest car insurance?

I'm 21 and I'll be getting a new car in a week or so. I've been in a few accidents (mostly little fender-benders that we didn't claim on the insurance) but about a month ago I flipped my car. I'm wondering what kind of car will be the cheapest to insure? What kind of coverage should I get? And what insurance companies should I look into?

Cheap Insurance for 17/18 year old in UK?

Currently I'm 17, going for my practical soon, I checked insurance for myself and it's over 15000 for a Vauxhall corsa 1999 reg. Does anyone know where to get cheap car insurance for under 25's?""

How much would my insurance go up if im 17 and was at fault for a car accident worth more then 750 dollars?

my family plan was about 3k every 6 months. The other car had about 3.4k worth of damage also. Also if i turn 18 will my insurance still become cheaper?

How can I get cheap insurance for my 18 y.o. son? I got him a 2004 Accord and now we have 2 cars and 2 drivers?

He doesn't live with me - he lives at his moms' who has her own car. How can I make it so he is occasional so I don't have to pay $4000 a year in insurance? Can I just insure the cars and keep them under my name while letting him drive it while he lives at his moms? Will they accept that he doesn't live with me so should be occasional if both cars are in my name? Any ideas how I can do this?

Do I have to go through Covered California to get private health insurance?

I'm really confused about health insurance. My mom has been qualified for health insurance through Covered California and premium assistance, but I do not qualify for premium tax credits, enhanced silver plan because I am not a member of primary tax filer's tax household. It also tell me there can be only one primary tax filer per application and if I don't claimed as someone's tax dependent, I may apply again as an individual. So my question is what does that mean? Can I just reapply as a dependent of my mother? Info about me is that I am 19 yrs. old, half-time student, unemployed, non-smoker and currently have pre-existing conditions. I'm also currently on 4 prescribed medications. It says I am eligible for coverage through Medi-cal program. The doctors I am seeing currently do not accept Medi-cal. I know a lot of doctors do not accept it because they don't get paid and I can only see certain doctors in the county or something. I do not want medi-cal. This leads to the main question is Can I just apply to a private health insurance myself w/o going through Covered California because their website isn't helpful and I have been on hold for about a hour to ask questions? and Doesn't the Affordable Care Act (obamacare) now has a law that insurance companies cannot decline/reject you if you have pre-existing conditions? Please correct me if my knowledge regarding health insurance is incorrect. Thanks.""

Motorcycle insurance full coverage?

I pay full coverage for my motorcycle and my co worker who is still paying on his bike has way cheaper insurance then me. Were the same age. Is it possible not to have full coverage when you have a loan for the bike? I know your suppose to, i do but i would think the insurance company could find out some how if you told them it was paid off..right?""

2 speeding tickets in 1 days! USAA insurance. Help Please!?

Ok, so as the title says, i got 2 speeding tickets in 1 day. Yes that was stupid, i know. I am really worried. one is a $205 fine, the other $110 both for speeding 15 mph over. I think it is possible to get defensive driving with one of the tickets because my last ticket was around 2 years ago. Thats the other thing. 2 yrs ago i got in a wreck, my fault and a ticket too + defensive driving. so with all that taken into account. do you think i will get dropped from USAA insurance or how much do you think my rates will rise? Thanks for the help!""

How can I get affordable health insurance with a preexisting condition?

My fiance has Hep C and is actually in very good health otherwise.... Kaiser will not take us with his pre existing condition, and some of the prices I have seen are through the ...show more""

Home owners insurance check made out to mortgage company and me?

Evidently my insurance co made out the check to both myself and my mortgage bank (too bad I didn't realize it before I deposited it at the ATM this morning...) for siding and roof hail damage. I was on hold for over 40 minutes today waiting to talk to a rep at the mortgage bank (PNC). I hung up and will call back tomorrow when I have more time to listen to bad music. What's the normal procedure for handling this? The check was only for $6800. I may hold off a bit on some of the repair, and do some of it myself. I've already made arrangements for a window replacement ($900 vs the $450 the ins co gave me). There's a PNC Bank just down the street. Any ideas on whether they can handle it there?""

Need help with my car insurance?

I will be driving for a year this august and i'm currently paying 105 a month for my current insurance. All the quotes im receiving at the moment are alot higher then i'm already paying but i'm sure it will go down once i've been driving exactly 1 year. Will i get a 1 year No claims discount automatically on the date i finish my current insurer? then just set my new insurance to start the day after?

Auto accident??? insurance?

just wondering how much will my auto insurance go up if i file a claim?? there was no injuries and no damage to the other partys car. my car was estimated $4000 of damage to fix.. me and my mom pay $180 a month for 3 cars. 2 full coverage and 1 is only liability. good thing that i have full cov on the car i used

What is an insurance quote?

how do I check what insurance is the best?

If I show proof of insurance?

I was driving my car on the clock. I use my vehicle as a work vehicle. Anyways I was sent to the store to purchase sodas. when I tapped a vehicle on the rear bumper. We pulled over and exchanged information. And later found out that my own insurance was expired. Am I covered. By work or can I purchase insurance after the fact. And still be okay?

Car insurance help help????????

I will be getting my car insurance in May. I'll be 18 and I have two tickets one rolling fail to stop. One leavening a seen of a accident. I have a 99 s10 blazer 4 wheel drive. Blue I live in mn and in Winsted MN im male two. Can some one just tell me how much it would be. I will be livening at home 2 Dont give me a link just say like a number how much you think it would be. I cant ask the company's cuz im not 18

Motorcycle insurance question?

Will i receive anything in the mail if I get a motorcycle insurance quote online? I don't want them sending anything.....lol

Where can i get affordable health insurance for someone with no kids?

Where can i get affordable health insurance for someone with no kids?

How much does it cost to get insurance on a motorcycle?

whats the average cost? do you know the cost in vancouver, canada?""

Car insurance question?

can I put my name under my father? his is living in the other country and probably not coming back in these few years, once I have some accident, is it gonna bring me a truble since my father is not here?""

Trying to repeal the Healthcare law which is good for the American people the only thing republicans hope?

Trying to repeal the Healthcare law which is good for the American people the only thing republicans hope will put them back into the White House?

Affordable Dental Insurance? Can it be true?

I recently lost my job. I would like a separate dental insurance plan besides my basic health insurance. I wonder if anyone else is feeling the pain like me. Any suggestions?

Am I covered by my car insurance if I park illegally?

I park my car on a Bridleway the Police say it is illegal but they class it as parking so will not touch me the Council will not touch me either as they cannot apply any laws as there are no kerbs. My question is if a Horse injury's itself due to my car being there or a person hurts themselves,or causes them to be injured whilst negotiating my car am I covered by my insurance as I am illegally parked.""

Has your auto insurance premium gone up?

I live in NJ and currently have AAA auto insurance, and my premium just renewed, and I noticed it went UP $300! I have no points, tickets, none of that. I didn't buy any other vehicles, or anything. I called them and they told me they had an overall rate increase. I think they're giving me the run around. I've never had a random rate increase ever before.""

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Anyone know cheap car insurance?

I don't expect someone to know the exact cheapest for my situation because I know it varies but in your opinion & experience what insurance provider do you think would be cheapest? Thank you =D

What is insurance like on an 02-05 VW GTI 1.8t?

I'm not looking for exact rates, just trying to get an idea if the insurance will cost more than normal because it's turbo. How would insurance compare to something like a 95 Accord EX 4 door?""

Affordable health insurance/maternity coverage?

My husband and I are considering trying to conceive our second baby in the next few months. Only problem is went husband works construction and they don't offer insurance. We have private insurance but it only covers preventative. Have you ever been in this situation? What solutions have or did you find? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Insurance on a used 2006 EVO 4 DOOR?

This is just a maybe. I'm 18 and was thinking of going for a 2006 mitsubishi lancer evolution. I just got my license not to long ago But I'd probably be using the car to go school and to go to work. I might use my parents cars every now and then since they're better on gas. I might finance the car. I KNOW IVE TRIED estimates but CAN I get an average? And would it be cheaper if my dad was under the insurance policy and I was added as a secondary driver? THANKS IN ADVANCE

Insurance after admitting responsibility car crash?

i have admitted responsibility at the scene when i crashed my car into someone elses. i have since found out that it will make my insurance go up horrendously. yikes!! how much is my insurance likely to go up? im worried

Does anyone recommend a cheap company for my first car insurance policy?

I only have a 1.2 punto so I'm just looking for a nice cheap quote - if such thing exsists?

Insurance regulations?

does the commissioner of insurance have the authority to govern foreign producers/ foreign companies. these are business entities that sell insurance in there state but there home office is in another?

Do you need auto insurance when your car is under Planned NON Operation ?

I have a old car that i am not going to use for the next 4 months till my wife comes back (she's out of country now). My Question is if i file for a planned non operation of the car with DMV, can i take this car out of my insurance. Currently i just have the liability on this old car. Is insurance mandatory even if your car is not driven / in public roads?. Please help.""

""Whats the average payment for motorcycle insurance, for ages under 20?""

I live in South Florida, the Motorcycle in mind would be an Harley Davidson Iron 883 (2012 model) it's a sportster/cruiser and also having a 883 cc. I'm not sure if this helps, but I just want to know what I'm going into.""

What is the average cost for car insurance for a first time driver and where can I get it?

What is the average cost for car insurance for a first time driver and where can I get it?

Women drivers to pay more on car insurance?

Women could face considerable hikes in their car insurance premiums after the European Court of Justice ruled that insurance companies must stop charging different rates for men and women despite the fact female drivers are statistically less likely to be involved in an accident. What do you think about the verdict? Personally i agree. I don't think insurers should be able to discriminate against anyone because of things they have no control over like gender, race, religion etc.""

How do you go about getting insurance for a teenge driver (17)...that will be cheap..were only looking 4 liabi

Only looking for liability insurance but less thatn 200 a month

2008 Toyota Camry Insurance?

I much am I looking to pay for insurance on a 2008 Toyota Camry. I am 18 years old with a clean driving history.

Who in california needs auto insurance?

Does an 18 year old driving a car under his parents name need auto insurance? Or is it only have your own registered car?

How to get car insurance for a reasonable price at 17/18?

Please, please please, do not say oooh you're a hazard, you're not going to get cheap car insurance GTFO! I am asking people who have managed to get reasonably cheap car insurance. How did you get it? What car (size engine)? What Company? I think if I get my insurance down to 1700 I will consider buying a car but I want to know how feasible this price is. Oh, by the way, I am 17 (but I will buy the car when i'm 18), I have been riding a moped for 2 years with no accidents (I'm not sure if this helps) and i won't use the car a lot, I just want a little run around. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers guys!""

How much would an individual health insurance plan cost for me?

Obviously I know it can vary but I just want an idea. I am a female in my 20s and I was wondering what a policy would cost if I didn't go through an employer for health insurance. Can someone provide a ballpark area for the cost? Thank you

In india car insurance have to pay monthly or yearly & how much it cost?

In india car insurance have to pay monthly or yearly & how much it cost? is that same for new aswell as for old car?

Do I really need insurance for a motorcycle in California?

Do i need insurance to ride a motorcycle in california? To get a license for motorcycles? please help!

Where can I find affordable health insurance with no waiting period for maternity coverage?

We're residents of Virginia, but use a doctor and hospital in North Carolina, and can't seem to find a thing. Doesn't need to pick it up as a pre-existing condition. Ehealthinsurance.com didn't find a thing for us. Any help is appreciated.""

""Have GAP Insurance, Don't have car insurance?""

My husband was hit by another driver a few days ago. The other driver was at-fault and our state is an At-Fault state. The other driver has insurance. Our insurance policy has been lapsed for under 30 days. We were planning on obtaining insurance in 2 days. There is a chance the car may be totaled and it is financed with GAP. I believe that I read that GAP will not cover in the case of no insurance coverage. Does anyone know where we stand here? Will having the new policy in a couple of days in any way help regarding the GAP issue? Also, the other driver's insurance company called today asking for info: Name, Address, our insurance info. What should we do?""

""First car what should i get for like a money saver at the pump, and any ways to save money on insurance =]?

im turning 16 in a couple months and I will be getting a 7$ and hour job so I wanna know how much to save up=]

How much is car insurance for a 19 year old?

im 18 and have had/drove cars be4 but without a license, but i jst went for my g1 a few days ago nd i passed, so im jst startin to save up for a car tht i can put 100% on the Road when i gget my g2.. im not gon to drivin school cuz i dnt have the money so i have to wait a yr nd not 8months till i can get my g2, but i am jst wonderin how much will insurance be?? (i live in Belleville ontario Canada) im hoppin ill have enough save to pay 4 the 1st month then try nd fine a job asap. im wantin a 2door car from 96 nd up, a z24 cavalier, mazda mx6/mx3, sunfire, or a honda civic.. (i have had a mx6 nd cavalier already but they were not on da road)""

Have Democrats forgotten that Candidate Obama opposed forcing people to buy health insurance?

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=27950 As Obama said in the January 31st primary debate: Senator Clinton. . . believes that we have to force people who don't have health insurance to buy it. Otherwise, there will be a lot of people who don't get it. I don't see those folks. And I think that it is important for us to recognize that if, in fact, you are going to mandate the purchase of insurance and it's not affordable, then there's going to have to be some enforcement mechanism that the government uses. And they may charge people who already don't have health care fines, or have to take it out of their paychecks. And that, I don't think, is helping those without health insurance. That is a genuine difference.""

About how will my insurance cost?

im 17, never been arrested and have passing grades. how much would it cost me to get insurance for a 91 camaro 5.7 auto with 135,000+ miles with statefarm. parents adding me to their insurance""

Rebuttel for car insurance?

I just got this new job getting info for a insurance agent so they can do a quote for a person. I was wondering what is a good rebuttel when ppl say they are not interested in the quate. Its free and they get the quote mailed to them.

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Should I tell my insurance company that my car was broken into?

My car was broken into last night, between the hours of 9:30pm, and 7am, just parked in front of the condo we live in. Some things of value were taken, ( estimated around $130, or $150 in value...no damage was done to the car, they must've just picked the locks) so I filed a police report this morning...is this something I should report to my car insurance provider? If so, how would filing a report with insurance help me? I'm 19, and have been driving for a little over two years now, my insurance is through AAA. I have had no previous driving offenses on my record, or anything. (This has never happened to me before, so pardon some irrelevent info, here!) before. Do you recommend I file a claim with AAA, or just let the police handle it entirely? When would I need to file a claim by? (like, a deadline, time-wise.)""

What is the insurance cost per month for a 16 year old to drive a 2000 mustang GT?

Hi im 14 so i will be taking drivers ed pretty soon so my dad said to start looking for a high school car. I found this 2000 Ford Mustang GT thats only $7500. I just need to know how much the insurance would be because i know that sports cars have higher insurance costs than most other cars. If anyone owns a mustang and knows how much it costs or knows where i can get a quote i would really appreciate the help! Thanks!

Affordable Senior homes?

what is the best place for seniors who live on their own and have health problems or have difficulty in taking care of themselves? Something that can be affordable in the same time.

Insurance premiums?

How much is a family coverage for insurance premiums? Just an average, not sure what insurance we will have yet but it should be a ppo. Trying to figure it out because my husband got offered a higher paying job, but the job he has now they pay his insurance so we have no clue what to expect to pay""

Homeowners Insurance Policy Rate increases $220?

I bought a home in 2006. Had a policy for $550.00. Next bill 200+ more (nothing in policy changed). switched company Got AAA policy $ 512.00 (same policy coverage) Next bill $734.00 - Only change here was $29 dollars for Earthquake and House is covered for 1,000 dollars more. (Keep in mind my house is less than $100,000 and in good shape for being 40-60yrs old) Is there some unwritten law that states after providing insurance to homeowners for 6 months you have the right to jack up the price $200 every year? Should I get new insurance company again? If so, what guarantees that they don't tack on an extra 200 like the last company. This pattern is discouraging at this rate I will run out of insurance companies before I pay off the house. My insurance is paid through an escrow account so taxes already went up and insurance goes up - Monthly Mortgage Payment goes way up! Something none of us need. Please offer any of your experiences and advice.""

Getting married early for health insurance?

I'm wondering if there are any risks to getting married early in order to qualify for future spouses health insurance? For example, what are the tax implications to getting married? Were already engaged and were planning to marry later next year, but now that Im between jobs it would be much more affordable to access spousal health insurance rather than COBRA.""

16 yr old car insurance?

I'm about to turn 16, and about to get a car (Volvo cross country) I will have another 2 main drivers on the account. How much will it be in a roundabout? Also I will be 16^ I have a completely clean record C average And a male""

Question about car insurance and car shop.. Need help.?

I just got into an accident my whole front bumper is totally gone. Im wondering is it possible for the shop and the insurance to put a new bumper but not the oem bumper i want a new body kit? I have full coverage my car is a 2009 toyota corolla S.

How much will health insurance cost for a 21 year old with no preexisting conditions?

I never had to pay for health insurance (part of family benefit package) so now I'm thinking of getting one. How much will it cost? I am healthy, work in an office (not dangerous), attend university (are there student discounts?), I am athletic,,, the only health issue my family has is that my dad is diabetic (but he got it when he was around 50 so i don't think it's heritable)] How about LIFE insurance?(the ones that don't have ending period ) approximate numbers will be appreciated.. thank you""

""Delivering fast food, wrong car insurance?""

Hi, i got pulled by the police earlier and they gave me a producer for no insurance. I was delivering fast food for a local takeaway in there car, my car broke last week and my policy covers me for SD&P only, im fully comp and can drive other vehicles, the car i was driving tonight is covered on a personal and business policy with anyone to drive. I didn't know i had to have a different policy to deliver fast food, I only work for them for about 5 hours on the weekend, I am going to take out business cover tomorrow. Will the courts still treat this as driving without insurance (penalty 6-8 points), or would they take in to consideration my situation?""

How can I get the lowest car insurance payment?

I am 25. I want to buy a cheap car with one way insurance. thanks a lot

Affordable Motorcycle for college student?

I own a car already, and I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle as an option to take. What models are usually affordable for a 18 year old college student?""

Car insurance student help?

Hey guys, I want to ask, is it possible to get a Mini Cooper convertible with car insurance. I'm 20 and I passed my test in November 2012. I'm planning to buy a mini but will they let me have the insurance ? All answers would be very helpful, thank you X""

Where should i look to get the proper licensing to be able to sell car insurance in the state of california?

Where should i look to get the proper licensing to be able to sell car insurance in the state of california?

Insurance help- good insurance?

MY dad n step mom were going to claim me on their insurance as long as they could (age 26) i just turned 19 and my dad n step mom divorced, my stepmom dropped my dad and i off the insurance but my dad has no insurance bc he owns his own business where hes the only employee and i am now left with no insurance, i am currently searching for a job. i need insurance ideas, i live in oklahoma. We have soonercare but i do not qualify bc i am over age 18 and do not have a kid. So my question where are some good health insurance companys to try and enroll for?""

Car insurance question?

Can I switch insurance agents within the same company if the insurance plan I have is still in my dad's name? I'm the one making payments now, and I need an agent that lives closer to me...also, the car title isn't in my name yet- does that matter when switching agents?""

""Car Insurance, ammended details of profession lead to increased premium?""

My car insurance company rang me two weeks ago asking to update my details. I was previously registered as a student and unemployed but changed this to working part time as an admin assistant. A week ago I received my new certificate of insurance but today they rang me to say that my premium had increased by 150! I find this difficult to understand how changing my profession from student to admin could whack up my premium by this much. At the same time they offered me a new deal from another insurer , which they claimed would be cheaper, but I refused over the telephone as I felt too confused at the time. Now they told me that they will be sending me the bill to pay off the new increased premium. Can anyone help me confirm whether insurance companies can do this? I am not driving my car any more than I previously had and I cannot see as how my new job increases the risk of me having an accident!! Thanks""

Car insurance won't cover accident?

Ok, so I live here in phoenix arizona. I haven't had insurance on my car for a while up until Friday November 2, 2012 when I got paid from work. (Don't harass me for this it was a stupid decision. I live five minutes away from my work and that is all I do is work and home). Now, was heading into work and I thought I was parked. I was on private property, I was at Arrowhead Mall here in az. There are no camera's. etc. I thought I put my car in park when I had it in reverse and I started fiddling around for my purse in the passenger seat. I lifted my foot off the break and the car started rolling backwards and before I knew it I hit the other car that was parked. There was no one in the car and we swapped insurance information but because I had just gotten insurance that day it didn't process til November 3rd. So my insurance wouldn't cover the claim. Now I'm screwed and the guy is telling me that he is out of state and would like to get this fixed before he leaves. He was told that the claim has to be settled between us now. I want to make this right. It was my fault. But there was no police report. So, the guy is looking around for estimates on fixing his bumper. If I can't pay in the time frame he needs me too pay, what can I do? I don't think i can even get a loan because I don't know about my credit history and I'm not having family or friends help in this. I just don't know what actions I can even though I want to help him and make my mistake right.""

Car bill of sale/insurance?

Im 18 with no licence Im actually in the process of trying to get my licence well my question Is can a family member Put me under there car insurance so i can Register my car since the Bill of sale Is under my name? Im not planning on driving the car until i have my licence

What car can i get that will be the cheapest insurance a month?

Hello I'm 18 I'm a male and I live in Cleveland Ohio I was wondering what is the best car I can get with the lowest insurance a month? And what is the best car insurance for first time drivers?

What is the cheapest insurance company to switch to for a descent price after a DUI?

I am 23 and have a 2005 chevy silverado single cab. It's paid off in full. I usually like to have basic & Im on my dads plan which is about 3-400 a year. & they are now increasing it to 800$. I would like to switch to a company that I can pay less to.

Car insurance cover query?

I have had an ongoing problem with a succession of worn ignition keys that are a pain when trying to start or open the bonnet on my Ford Focus.Will standard fully comp car insurance cover the cost of a replacement key/barrel if i take it to the dealer?

How much would car insurance cost for a 19 year old with a v6 chrysler 300 2012?

Please help me!

""Stolen care, will insurance cover it?""

Hi, My car was stolen a week ago, and just got recovered now. The are dmg on the body that i know insurance will cover. But what about the engine? i dont want that engine anymore, a friend of mine saw them thrashing the car like 150+km/h. and my clutch are probably warned out by them. I dont want the engine, as it could break down on me anytime after the theif been through it... If with JustCars Insurance.""

How much does your car insurance cost? (teens)?

Adults may answer too. Answer how old you are, what kind of coverage you have and with who and what you drive and how much your insurance is :) I'm 16 and I only have basic liability with geico and I drive a 99 saturn sc2 and I think my monthly bill is around $60""

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Health insurance question?

Had COBRA insurance, terminating, looking for health insurance. One health insurance has turned me down. Am on SSDI and have a condition that needs outpatient surgery monthly. Anyone have any suggestions?""

Suspend my insurance without it lapsing?

Im having some mechanical problems with my car that Im financing, and I am too young to rent a car while its in the shop, so Im considering buying a cheap car to get me by until I can fix it. Unfortunately Im still financing the first car and want to know if there is any way to put a hold on my insurance so im not paying $200 a month to insure a car Im not driving. I will still be making the car payments but it would make it a lot easier for me to afford the repair bill if I could skip on the insurance without the bank I finance thru getting upset.""

Question on car insurance?

i have progressive and i was wondering if i would be able to swtich my insurance from one car to a different one. my current car got its sub frame pretty bent up and theres no fixing it. so im looking for a diff car. so when i do get my other car. will i be able to switch my insurance over to the new one?

What's a good homeowners insurance in California?

A friend of mine just bought a home for the first time. She wants to know if there's any recommended insurance for homes in California.. particularly Fresno, CA if anybody is familiar with any. Thanks in advance. Any suggestions or direction will do.""

Renault Clio insurance 17 year old male?

I am 17 Years old and wanting to insure a renault clio expression (2001) have you got one? where can i find the cheapest quote? which companies?

Are red cars more expensive to insure and why?

Are red cars more expensive to insure and why?

Loans for older/classic cars?

Any banks or financial institutions out there give loans for older cars? I know most banks only give loans for cars less than 5-6 years old, but I want something in good condition that may appreciate in value, or at least not depreciate so long as I take care of it. But I do need a loan. Links to companies that do these kinds of loans will get you a best answer.""

How bad would my insurance rates be?

I have the money to buy a used 04 S2000 now, but my parents are paying for the insurance and I don't want to make them pay a lot. My father is 47 and wants to put the car under his name if I buy it. If it matters, I'm 18, straight A's in high school if (GPA matters), two years of driving experience, and I live in Indiana. Would the insurance rates for this car be a lot? If possible, does anybody have an estimate?""

""Families who live in America, how much is your health insurance per month?""

In an earlier question I mentioned that my boyfriend's parents are paying for his 24-year-old sister's health insurance after she got laid off and couldn't find another position and can't afford health care on her own, to the tune of $175 a month (and she's perfectly healthy) and was floored when someone said that was actually inexpensive. Btw, her parents insist on her having health care coverage for fear of her getting in an accident or whatever. I'm 17 and am quite obviously naive about the costs of health insurance, but I'm really curious about it, and would like to know how much it usually costs for a family to have health insurance in America. I'm in California. I don't know if it's more expensive depending on your state. If if you don't mind answering, how much do you pay per year, and how many people are in your family? Does it become more expensive as your kids get older? What kind of plan do you have? Through work or your own? Are you supportive of universal health coverage? Also: does anyone understand how Medicare / MediCal works and who decides who is covered and who isn't? Is it based on your yearly income? I'm asking because one of the reasons my boyfriend's parents want his sister to have insurance is that another family friend of ours broke her jaw in a roller blading accident when she was 26 and didn't have insurance because she was unemployed at the time, and not being able to pay the $15,000 hospital bill killed her credit score. Sorry for all the questions. I'm just really curious about all this.""

What would be the best insurance company to go with for me?

im 22 and im about to purchase a used car from a dealership. i havent went yet i plan to go tomarrow and take a look see. but now im going to have to start thinking about insurance. i know some of it depends on the type of car but i kind of just want an all around knowledge of which on would be the cheapest for my age bracket. or is there any good web sites for me to go to? oh and i dont want to go with safe auto. love.

What's a good medical insurance plan for someone in my situation in CA?

It's so overwhelming with all the different policies out there, if someone has a recommendation for a good insurance company that is affordable for my situation: a. self employed single female b. no health risks/problems c. mid 30s d. prefer a plan that covers maternity just in case""

Insurance for first timer? UK?

What would the insurance be on these cars for a 17 year old in the United Kingdom, roughly, and do you now any other cars that are like these, and are resonably cheap in insurance please Farlady 350z or 370z Skyline r33 gts Subaru inpreza 2.0 I was also thinking the mazda rx8, but i see that it has a rotary engine and also only has 20mpg, is that true? Thanks Mike""

Is there health insurance that just covers serious conditions like cancer and is affordable?

I'm 55 retired & uninsured. I've given up hope of finding affordable health care. Recently I needed surgery and had to pay for it myself. When I told my MD he cut his fee from $22,000 to $13,000) and when I needed an MRI I was able to get a cash price of $350 if I had insurance they would have charged over $2,000. At the time I was happy but doesn't this illustrate why health care in the US is so screwed up?""

Can I be under my parents' insurance under a different state?

I am a college student with a permanent address in Illinois, but I am in California for college. I am planning on getting a car in California. Can I get insurance under my parents' policy? What is the cheapest way of doing so? Should I register the car under their name or my name?""

Is my insurance rate going to go up? High Point Auto Insurance?

Long story short, I received a speeding ticket today. It will be a 2-point ticket. I called my insurance provider and they said yes, my insurance will go up but she couldn't tell me by how much. She also didn't sound like she knew what she was talking about. This is my first moving violation in 8 years, so I was wondering if anyone with High Point had any experience with this so I can weigh my options between pleading guilty and fighting the ticket for a dismissal. NYC is a non plea bargain jurisdiction so plea bargaining is not an option. I am not asking for exact answers, I am asking whether there has been anyone in my position, with a relatively clean record, has experienced an increase in their insurance rate, and if so, if it was a substantial increase.""

Do I have to notify my auto insurance company if I was in a wreck?

Do I have to notify my auto insurance company if I was in a wreck AND it was NOT my fault? This is what happened: I was completely stopped because everyone else in front of me stopped in the middle of the road (some idiot in the front slammed on the brakes). A lady rams my rear end because she wasn't paying attention. My car got damaged, her's didn't. How do I go about claiming it? Is her insurance company going to pay for my repairs? Do I need to contact my insurance company at all? I don't want to pay anything and I don't want my rate to go up. Something I was planning to do way before all this happen was to change insurance companies because I can get the same coverage for less with someone else. Now if I tell my current insurance company that I was in a wreck and it was not my fault, would my new insurance company give me a higher rate than what I would've gotten if I didn't tell my insurance company?""

Where can a Construction company get a cheap insurance and bond?

Hello, I just started a small family construction company ( tile ) and would like to know where you can get a cheap bond from. Our company is in Seattle Washington. Can someone please help me with this. It would be great if it can be as cheap as it gets. we are on a budget. Thanks in advance""

If you chose car insurance just by commercials?

If you chose car insurance going by the commercials what car insurance would you choose and what do you actually have, if you have a car?""

Insurance on a 2000 pontiac grand prix gtp.?

anyone have one of these?? how is the insurance on it,? how much might you think an 18yr old might pay on this car? Ive never had speeding tickets, accidents, nothing. (knock on wood) thanks!""

Should I take a term insurance rather than home mortgage insurance?

Normally many banks want the home loan borrowers to take mortgage insurance. Here there are controversies since many suggest borrowers should take term insurance instead. But do term insurances always give better protection than term insurance? How does a mortgage insurance compare with term insurance in terms of premium amount, premium payment period, risk cover of death, disability, chronic disease, surrender value, survival benefits etc? Apparently the term insurances are cheaper but have to be paid for a much longer period than mortgage insurance (generally paid for about 1/3rd of loan period.) So which options is better? I would specifically like to know about such products available in India. Thanks.""

Where can I find affordable Homeowners Insurance in South Florida?Mine filed for bankruptcy.Someone reputable?

Looking to find a reputable and affordable Homeowners Insurance Policy in South Florida. I dont have any claims pending and it seems that nobody is offering Homeowners in South Florida due to the hurricanes.I am covered until Dec 2006,then I need to find a new company as mine filed for bankruptcy.Thanks!!""

About how much would it cost to be added onto your parents car insurance per month?

i am a 17 yr. old girl. am a reasonably good driver and i got a 92 on the written test. any approximation would be helpful.

Where can I find drivers programs that will help me lower my car insurance rates?

I am a high risk driver. I am 20 years old, and would really like to lower my monthly payments. Could you please tell me of any programs in Kansas or national programs that I could participate in that would lower my insurance? BTW, idk if it matters but i get my insurance thru dairyland.""

How do you find a dentist who is affordable (no insurance)?

My fiance is in pain right now. We're college students and have no insurance and we're really not wanting to cal up dentists and say, How much for a filling? etc. Is there a way to pre-screen for reasonable rates without asking? I know there are probably sites that list/database a lot of local dentists but what about compettitive pricing? And that the websites are kept up-to-date? Thanks in advance - he's eating ibuprofen & pouring on the topical numbing stuff - not sure if I'm supposed to say brand names. Thx again =D""

If your a 20 yr old female in florida how much do you pay for your car insurance?

I just moved here and want to buy a car but i was wondering how much someone my age pays for insurance. A little help please? actual numbers would help

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Cheap car insurance quotes zip 19153

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/minnesota-insurance-law-deskbook-stephen-mason/"