#the friends I’m going with are in Detroit but did not get Detroit tickets leg 1

[longlivetv]

Loverfest tix helped me for the “second chance” era tickets but I’m waitlisted now. Probably because I’ve been to eras already.

That makes sense, it just appears that they didn’t help for this leg of the US tour, because the one out of the four of us that got a code is the one who didn’t register at all for Leg 1 and had zero boosts (but also had zero previous eras tickets, but that’s kinda moot since I’m the only one of us who did have tickets leg 1).

I think they did help the first leg, kinda, because I got a code and tickets in the great war, and I had both LoverFest and Midnights pre-order, but I know it didn’t totally help because lots of people who had one or both got waitlisted and then nothing.

I fully expected to be and should have been waitlisted this time since I did have tickets leg 1 (and I was, in fact, waitlisted). I’m very fortunate to have friends who are including me this round and that I can pay later since right now all my money is going to Waldo’s medical needs. If it doesn’t work out for me to go in the end, it’s not like they’ll have any trouble finding someone to take the unused ticket. But first, they have to even get them. Which, as we know, is easier said than done.

[steamy-linguine]

Happy Birthday (Connor rk800 x Reader)

A/N: It was my birthday on tuesday and I was like I should write something with a birthday so here it is! Hope you enjoy it. (: and of course thanks for reading.

Warning: None maybe you’ll die from feels or laughter who knows?

Pairing: Connor RK800 x Reader

“Hank,” Connor whispered over to the Lieutenant who was too focused on whatever was on the screen in front of his face. “Hank!” Connor spoke a little louder catching the Lieutenants attention. Hank finally turned his head to the RK800, “Yes?” He answered with a fake smile obviously not liking having his work interrupted.

“I understand it’s Detective (L/N)’s birthday tomorrow and I wanted to…get them something.” Connor told Hank.

Hank wasn’t too surprised by him saying this. Although Connor was indeed a deviant, he was still learning on how to actually be and feel like a human making him so unaware on his feelings toward (Y/N) and at times Hank found it hilarious to watch Connor completely break down whenever they were nearby. 

“Hey Connor! Do you think you could send me the file on Michael Davis?” (Y/N) asked him. 

Connor stared at them and could already feel his thirium pump regulator beating faster inside of him making him clutch onto himself almost scared. It was happening to him yet again. His LED on his temple circling from light blue to yellow quickly making (Y/N) cheerful expression shift too worried.

Hank sat at his desk watching the scene unravel with a hand covering his mouth to hide his smile and contain his small giggles. 

“Connor are you okay?” You asked as you moved around his desk and placed a hand on his shoulder the worry in your voice obvious.

// SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^ //

“I’m fine Detective.” Connor assured you but of course you weren’t buying his bullshit.

You took your hand off of his shoulder and leaned back onto his desk crossing your arms at him giving him the look. The same one Hank knew too damn well after spending his nights drinking himself away and you would go over unannounced and ask if he was drunk and he would deny it. The look would sometimes scare the older man and the android also but it was so cute to see you do it. 

“Are you sure? You scared me there…” Your voice trailed off as you searched his face for any sign letting you know he was lying but the damn android had that cold hard stare down and you knew he wouldn’t crack.

“Yes (Y/N) I’m sure.” He said again making sure to use your first name knowing the probability of doing so would let you know he was sure but he could still feel the irregular beating within himself. You let out a sighed, “Dammit..Alright well I still need the file. Just take it easy Con.”

“I’ll be sure to send it over.” Connor told you and you smiled at him before saying goodbye and walked off.

// SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^ //

“Smooth Connor.” Hank teased at him making the android raise a skeptical eyebrow. “I do not understand Lieutenant what was smooth?” He asked.

Hank rolled his eyes, “Nevermind.”

“What are you thinking of getting them?” Hank asked. 

“I’m not quite sure Lieutenant,” Connor replied his words coming out slower. “I know their favorite candy, favorite food, favorite books, favorite-“

“Connor. Have you decided on a gift?” Hank asked. Connor opened his mouth to say something but closed it instead and shook his head no at his friend. “Well (Y/N) will be happy with whatever you get..Plus maybe it’s time you make a move.” Hank suggested.

“Make a move?” Connor questioned.

Hank nodded, “Son look it’s very obvious you like them. You and (y/n) talk quite a bit you would know what they like and then you can make your move. Let them know you like them.”

“Lieutenant, I’m not quite sure if I do like them-“

Hank held up a hand to interrupt, “Connor you have to run a damn diagnostic check on yourself whenever they are around. You like them.”

Connor’s blue LED began to spin into yellow as he processed the information. He had noticed every time (Y/N) was around that his thirium pump would always seem to speed up and his stress levels would rise. He would run several tests on himself to make sure he didn’t have any malfunctions but everything was fine.

It wasn’t until Hank said something that made him realize it wasn’t a malfunction in him but his deviant self developing more feelings and even more so feelings for a human.

He always had liked being around (y/n). They never treated him different and always had been kind since he joined the Detroit police department. He could remember the first time he saw them and how he had rushed out of the precinct to go to cyberlice to run tests but they always told him his systems were fully operational.

“Lieutenant.” Connor said to Hank making him turn his attention back to the android. “I believe you are right.” He said.

***

“Happy birthday (Y/N). Here.” Hank handed you the birthday card and you thanked him. “Awwww! Dogs!” You gushed as you pointed out the puppies on the card with the birthday hats on. You saw Hank rolls his eyes at you but there was a ghost of a smile on his face as he watched you start to open the card up.

Happy Birthday (Y/N). Go out and have fun but not too much. Don’t really feel like going out and shooting anybody in the leg again kid. 

-Old man Hank.

You laughed at the small message remembering the time he did show up to be the savior he was and things had escalated quickly. “Thank you old man. Maybe we can go out for drinks later tonight? It’s been awhile and I have a free night for once.” You said sighing. You desperately needed a drink after the chaos and stress of the past two weeks from work.

“I would but uh I think you’ll have plans later.” Hank said shooting a wink your way but it almost looked like he was twitching.

“You having a stroke Hank?” You asked the playful tone in your voice obvious with the giant smirk on your lips. 

He frowned, “Yeah yeah just have fun with R2-D2.” 

“R2-D2?..” You mumbled to yourself and right on cue Connor approached your desk with a smile n his face.

“Hey Con!” You beamed up at him. “Hello Detective and happy birthday!” Connor smiled.

“Thanks!” You smiled before turning your attention back down to the card with the puppies and boy did your smile do things to that android. He looked over to Hank who was sitting at his desk already watching him and he raised his eyebrows at Connor and pointed to him and then to you as if saying Go get em’!

Connor could feel his stress levels begin to rise slowly and that android wanted to call out to rA9 and beg that the plan would work and that he wouldn’t self destruct from high stress. “Detec-(Y/N),” Him addressing you different made you look up to him as he continued.

“I wanted to give you your birthday gift.” Connor pulled open his coat reaching inside for the pocket to pull out a white envelope and he stuck his hand out handing it to you. You took it surprised that he even thought to get you anything, “What’s this?”

“Open it.” 

You stared at him for a second ready to ask again but your words got caught inside of your throat just staring at him so instead you shrugged your shoulder and began peeling open the sealed paper. Once it opened you reached inside pulling out a small ticket. It was a ticket to your favorite band. It had been hard to get tickets to see them since they had become more popular and you had remembered telling Connor about it one night when you two were left in the office with you finishing reports and he stayed behind to keep your company.

“Connor this...This is-“

“I remembered you speaking to me about it previously and I thought maybe we could go together?” Connor asked and for the first time you could tell he was nervous.

“L-Like as a date?” You asked as your cheeks began to feel warmer as the blood rushed to them making them go red.

Connor was a bit hesitant and scared if he agreed you would reject him but he nodded anyway taking a chance, “Yes (Y/N). As my date.” 

He watched your face and waited for you to tell him no and let him down but he was surprised when you nodded and your smile grew wider. “Of course I’ll go with you on a date. It’s about damn time you asked me Connor.” You said.

Connor smiled at your comment feeling relieved you had felt the same way he did.

“Then I’ll see you later Detective."

[fandom-necromancer]

 098. Part2

This is the part where most of the warnings start showng up, so please stay safe, okay?

[part 1]   [part 3]   [part 4]

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 | AU: Reverse AU (Warning for the whole story: graphic description of torture, kidnapping, humiliation, past abuse, mentioned death)

Richard followed the android through the waste. The Cyberlife dump was bigger than he had originally thought: broken android parts wherever he looked. It got worse the further they ventured into it. The GV held him back at some point and knelt studying the valley below them. The broken machines here were active. Some simply laid around twitching and mumbling words, sometimes screamed out in fabricated pain. Others crawled around, not enough legs to be able to walk, but still dedicated to moving, pulling themselves over the roughed-up mud and ripping everything to shreds that wasn't dirt. Only few were able to stand and lined the walls, unable to crawl out but in fear of the bots helplessly struggling through the mud. 'Holy shit, that's terrifying', Richard commented, voice collected and far too calm for what was going on down there. 'Right?' The android laughed. 'Would we go down there, they would rip me apart and search for parts later. Would do the same to you. They don't care whether you are human, they are blind in their wish to just get out of there.' 'Okay, then why are we stopping here? You don't want to tell me, my suspect died here, right? You said you know where he lived.' 'Yeah, yeah, I will show you. We'll go around. Just wanted to see it again.' 'Again?' 'I... I started my life here. Survived the scavenger-bots there mostly and started climbing. Took me forever and I had help. But Cyberlife simply dumped me here.' 'I... I'm sorry.' 'No, you are not. I don't need your pity, I need my peace. Get a move on, phcking human. The sooner you guys are gone the better.' Richard grumbled something unintelligible and followed the android around the valley, flinching whenever a faraway scream reached his ears.

'It's not far now. There are ruins of a house around here, he set up a base there, build it up again with whatever he found around here.' 'You knew of him? Why did you never contact the police then?' 'You'll know when we get there', the android mumbled and Richard suspected the android knew more than he put on display. True to his word, there was a house standing amidst the waste. Although hut would be more appropriate to describe the thing: It consisted mostly of corrugated metal and various android parts. The robot beside him hesitated, as if he didn't want to get any nearer to the thing. And honestly, Richard couldn't even blame him. The guy had rebuilt a house out of their body parts. Maybe that's why he never called the police. He didn't want to get involved.

'Do you know whether he is home right now?' 'He is', the GV answered reserved. 'Okay, stay back.' 'You don't want to get back-up?' 'Would take forever for them to get here and they don't have a guide. It's only one guy, right? I have the element of surprise; I think I've got this.' 'I'll come with you, then.' 'If you want to.' Richard already had his gun out, inspecting the number of bullets and clicked the safety off. 'I'll go in first.'

It was easy kicking in the door. He could have collapsed the whole structure without breaking a sweat. 'Detroit police, freeze and hands up!' 'What should I do? Freeze or move my hands? The man before him didn’t seem phased at all, he sat leisurely in a chair opposite to the door and somehow Richard felt as if he had waited for him. He had known… ‘Okay, now that you are finally here…’ The man stood up. He was nearly as tall as Richard and well trained too. Still, he couldn’t see a gun. That would be his advantage, however safe the man thought to be. ‘Don’t move! This is a warning: I’m authorised to shoot, although I would appreciate you cooperating.’ ‘Hah, you would appreciate it? Polite one, aren’t we? We’ll see. He nodded behind Richard and before he could do anything, there were calculated punches to his jaw and side, someone snatching the gun out of his hand, while he was busy being surprised and blinking the tears away. What the-

His weapon was thrown through the air and caught by their fugitive. Soon it was trained on his own head. ‘You did good, Gavin. You were a good little robot bringing him here. Now take him down to a cell and stand guard.’ Richard stared daggers at the man, while his hands were cuffed behind him. He couldn’t fight against it, the bastard would put a bullet right through him. The gun only lowered, as he was led downstairs into the cellar and put into a surprisingly sturdy cell. It would take him some time to free himself and he couldn’t use his hands.

Once the door closed behind him, he glared at the android outside, who did his best to avoid eye contact. ‘Why?’ He didn’t grant himself much time to look around, he knew what he would see. He knew the crime scenes: Broken androids, mutilated beyond recognition, sometimes a human similarly tortured, but rarely enough to be the intended victim. ‘Why are you helping him? Didn’t you see what he did to the others?’ The android punched a stone wall. ‘Exactly. I’ve seen the others. What did you expect me to do? The others are dead because of me. Believe me, I would welcome death at this stage.’ ‘What? Listen, if you let me out, I’ll take him down, I promise.’ ‘You shouldn’t speak’, it was a sound of defeat. Richard could hear the pain behind it. Fuck, just what the hell had happened? What the fuck was that android’s past? ‘Oh, you won’t shut me up, I’ll-‘ ‘Gavin!’ There was a shout from above and the android flinched just as hard as Richard had at the valley of the broken robots. ‘Sorry, I’ll have to go. I’m so sorry.’

Richard kicked against the door and didn’t care for the pain. Shit, he should have called in backup. Connor and the others were most likely still at the edge of the dump, combing through the waste. Connor wouldn’t even wait for him when they stopped the search. He would simply think he was too dedicated to the job and would come home the next day. Damnit, why was he such an asshole to everyone? When would they realise something was off? Tomorrow? Or even later? How long would he survive here? The other human victims seemed to have suffered long before they died. Richard didn’t know whether he liked that.

It took several hours until someone came down in the cellar and somehow Richard was relieved to see it was the android. He didn't know why he was relieved; he shouldn't be. It had shown no signs to be trustworthy, it cooperated with the fugitive and led him right here into his misery. But somehow his gut-feeling told him that this android was his ticket out of here. He walked to the door; he wouldn't hide. The android simply stood next to the door, leaning against the pillar. 'What are you doing here?' 'I am to guard you. Don't speak.' 'What did you mean last time? What do you have to do with the dead androids?' 'Don't phcking speak to me!' 'Did you kill them?' 'I didn't! I would never do something this horrible! Now please stop talking to me!' 'Why?' The android stayed silent for so long, Richard doubted he would ever answer. 'I don't want to know you. You are going to die too.' 'Threatening doesn't work on me.' 'I wasn't threatening you, asshole. He is going to kill you, to torture you just like the others and I will have to watch because of what I've done.'

Richard studied the android, tried to get in every detail. Wasn't easy. The LED was bright red and slow circling. Other than that, the face was expressionless, only the eyes seemed to be exceptionally glassy. 'What did you do?' Richard used his best talk-to-traumatised-victims-voice and hoped it helped. 'I... Why do you care?' 'Maybe I can help. Either way, if I'm gonna die, why think about what to tell and what not?' 'Well, maybe you are right. I was one of his prisoners too, once. Me... and a few friends of mine... Naturally we wanted to escape, we thought... if we just got out, we...' His voice broke to silence. Richard didn't press. Otherwise the android would shut him out. 'It was my idea, it was my fault... He killed them. He... he killed them, and I had to watch. I always have to watch. But if I obey... maybe... It's my fault.'

‘No, it isn’t. It’s not your fault, it’s his.’ ‘Shut up! I don’t want to hear you, I don’t want to talk to you! I don’t want to know you! It always makes things worse.’ ‘It’s not your fault, you hear me? It’s his. You didn’t decide to push me in here.’ ‘But I brought you here. I could have said I didn’t know a thing about your suspect.’ ‘I would have searched, nonetheless. We have the chance to end this now, I have backup, you just have to let me out!’

‘You don’t really think that has any effect on my android, do you?’ Richard froze. How much had he heard? Made it any difference? ‘He isn’t your android.’ Richard refrained from saying anything else. Provoking him wouldn’t help. Especially not when he knew what would come next. ‘Oh, he knows, where he belongs, isn’t that right Gavin?’ He could see the fugitive now, standing before the android, both hands on his shoulders that seemed too small for them. ‘Be so good and tell the cop.’ ‘I-I-I belong to you. You are my master. I will do w-w-whatever you want me to do or I’ll regret it.’ The android’s eyes were wide, staring at the dirty tiles between the human’s feet. What did he see there? Richard doubted the criminal to clean up after the mess he made, when Thirium evaporated to the human eye that easily. ‘Exactly. And we don’t want you to regret anything, do we? Get him ready.’ The man waited in a corner, while the android opened the cell-door, grabbing Richard carefully but with force at the shoulder and led him out of the cell. He looked over the wall lined with crippled or destroyed androids, but it was as he saw the chains, that he struggled. He didn’t care about hurting the GV100, even if it was more of a victim than an accomplice, but he was sure he didn’t want to come anywhere near this wall.

‘Well, well, well, Detective, now we don’t want to do that, do we?’ Richard looked up from where he nearly subdued the android and stared directly into the barrel of his own gun. Immediately he let go of the GV and stepped back. ‘Good boy’, the man chuckled and chained him to the wall himself.

‘You did very good today, Gavin. You don’t have to watch.’ Richard could see how the LED jumped directly from red to blue for a moment, but settling back at a yellow, borderline red as he saw the grin. ‘But you will listen. Turn around.’ The android obeyed, faced the wall and held onto it as if he could melt into it, away from it all.

The man nodded, let him be and looked Richard up and down. Then he smirked. ‘Let’s get you out of that uniform, shall we? I need some space to work on.’ Richard tried to keep him at distance, trying to use his elbows or knees. But the other man came nearer and pressed his body at his own, keeping him pinned and uncomfortable, while he began to cut away his police jacket and later the shirt too. After a bit of contemplation trousers and shoes followed, leaving Richard in underwear and socks. The cold was adding to the humiliation and helplessness and for Richard, who always covered as much skin as possible, even in summer, this was already torture. ‘You fucking bastard!’, he hissed out between his teeth and gathered enough saliva to spit at the man.

But he simply laughed: ‘That’s right, keep your bite! I like that best. Love it when it disappears, when you see the rebellious mind learn its rightful place. That’s why I kept Gavin. Now look how broken he is. All it needs are a few loved ones taken away and everyone breaks. You should’ve seen him at the beginning. What a piece of curse-spitting trash.’ Richard wanted to interrupt him, to throw anything at the man to make him stop talking, but as soon as he opened his mouth, there was a knife at his throat. ‘Nice to see you offer a place already. Don’t worry, I won’t cut your tongue out yet. I want to hear you beg. Want to hear that beautiful voice of yours when you break. But, hmm, I think I’ll start with the face. Mark you for everyone to see.’ Richard knew that mark from the crime-scenes. Androids had their LED removed, humans had a ring cut out of their skin in the same place. He braced himself as the man pinned him against the wall again, forcing one leg in between his and pushed his head to the side. Richard wanted to be strong, didn't want to allow the man the satisfaction of a scream. But all those thoughts were gone as the knife dug into his temple, beginning to trace an android's LED into it. Richard flinched away, trying to escape the pain, but the man's hand was like a vice. 'Now, don't move, we want this to look nice, don't we?' Richard heard his own heart beating in his ears, he heard his ragged breath between his teeth and the groans he let out instead of screams. Hot blood began to drip down the side of his face. 'It's okay to scream', his torturer cooed. 'It's okay. I know it hurts, you can let it out. No one here to see the big bad emotionless cop break. I mean, I have my fun here, but think of poor Gavin. He can't see anything.'

Another reason not to lose control, Richard thought. Not the most important, but another. The man let go of the knife, brushing away the blood with his thumb which made the pain even worse. 'I think yours is the best one yet. Really, it's perfect.' He furrowed his brows and pressed into the wound. Richard was in no ways silent, but he pressed his lips firm together. He was dedicated. 'Still no scream? You are boring.' He pushed his head forwards to get to the neck, cutting in many parallel lines, but Richard kept his mouth shut throughout the pain. The man took a step back and he let himself slack down, having back his space and being able to breath without a scream caged in his throat. That was his mistake: faster than he could react the man had rushed forwards, burying the knife to the hilt in his thigh. He didn't know he could holler out that loud. He didn't even realise it had been him who made that noise. He could only control himself once the shock was over. The pain was still there, and Richard cursed over the laughter that echoed off the walls. 'Hah! Gets them every time.' He started caressing Richards cheek without the blood and he didn't even have the strength to lift his head out of the touch. 'You sound even better than I imagined. Now please excuse myself, I will have to get myself a new knife.' He wanted to go upstairs, as his eyes fell on the android, still facing the wall, but visibly shaking.

'Did you like the scream, Gavin?' A new tremble, this time more serious. 'Y-yes. I liked it very much, master.' 'Really? Better than that of your friends?' Richard could see the android brake down to his knees. 'Answer me, Gavin. Was it better?' 'Will you hurt him more if I say yes?', desperate, tired. 'I will hurt him regardless of what you say. But now it's not as funny anymore. Don't answer the question. Damn I wish, I had a recording of them, so I could let you decide, cop.' 'I would like to hear you scream, you asshole', Richard spat out at that.

'Heh, yeah I guess you would. But that's the difference: you never will.'

[sangria-sheeran]

The Calm—Chapter 3

Hi remember me? I used to write this story but then school got super crazy and I didn’t have time, but I really love it and want to keep writing. Here’s the next chapter! I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

“How do you always manage to get yourself into these crazy situations, Cass,” my best friend Lexi rolls her eyes.

We’re sitting in the back of an Uber weaving through traffic. I told her about what happened with Ed, and she agreed to come with me. It’s a little past eight. My mom wasn’t even home from work yet so she has no idea I’m gone—but it’s not like she’ll care anyway.

“What do you mean?” I question her. “This kind of shit never happens to me.”

I’m looking out the window. Traffic is relatively heavy compared to most nights. Is it because of the show? Is this guy a big deal? When I got up to my room above the bar that night I googled him, and I’ve heard a few of his songs—and liked them—but I didn’t know how famous he was.

“Oh yeah right,” she responds. “It’s usually not this extravagant but still.”

I shake my head. I’ve known Lexi for the last few years. She’s a year older than me, graduated from high school last year and is enrolled in a local community college, but understands me more than anymore else. We’ve done some stupid stuff together—that both her and I insinuated—so there is no one else I’d want to go to this show with me. Both of us are dressed casually. I have on black jeans and a band t-shirt and she’s wearing a skirt and sweater. My long brunette hair is in its natural waves. The car gets off the freeway, meaning that we’re getting close. My heartbeat picks up and I don’t know why.

“I don’t know how close I’m going to get you,” our Uber driver says from the front seat.

“Okay,” I turn to face her. “If you tell me you’re uncomfortable, we leave, no questions asked. But that also goes for if I tell you it’s weird, okay?”

“Of course,” she assures me. “Just tell me the word and we’ll run out of there.”

I smile.

A few minutes later the car halts.

“I’m sorry, it’s all backed up so this is as close as I can get,” the driver announces.

“This is perfect,” I tell him. “Thank you so much.”

We both slide out of the Honda out my side and make our way down the pavement. It’s freezing! February in Michigan is the worst, in the thick of winter, and there is snow and ice everywhere.

“I think it’s up there,” Lexi points a few blocks ahead of us at a large crowd all making their way through a few sets of doors.

I gulp. Shit, there are a lot of people here. We slowly make our way up the street through throngs of excited teenage girls and I stop in line in front of the box office. There’s a couple in front of us, with the girl bouncing on her heels and guy looking like he needs a drink or two to get through the next few hours. I bounce on my heels nervously as time keeps going by. What are his intentions? I tried to make it clear to him last night that I wanted this to be a strictly professional relationship that may grow into a friendship, but that’s it. Right now I want to focus on music—on doing as well as I can on my own to be able to be completely independent. He seems like a nice guy, I’m sure he’ll get it.

“Next in line,” the woman in the ticket office announces, looking like this job has drained the life out of her.

“Hi, umm, I was told to come here to pick up tickets,” I stutter, looking down at my hands.

She huffs. “Name and ID please,” she retorts.

I hand over my ID and feel my toes wiggling in my shoes. I don’t know why I’m nervous.

The woman reaches behind her and grabs two passes from a box behind her without even taking her eyes off the computer in front of her.

“These are for you, it says that you have all-access,” she slides two laminated passes through the small opening at the bottom of the window. “My colleague over here can take you backstage.” She motions to a man standing by the side of the box office with an earpiece in.

My eyes widen briefly. He arranged to have us brought backstage? I thought we were just going to be in the back and then maybe meet up later. I mean he did make me promise to let him buy me a drink; maybe he’s just making sure I keep up my end.

I gulp and thank her, taking the passes and handing one to Lexi.

“No shit!” She exclaims when she sees the pass. “Is this real?”

“Come on, let’s see what they’re up to,” I motion toward the security guard and show him my pass. He nods and then leads us through a side door into the venue.

There are people everywhere—and not just teenage girls like I expected—there are couples, old people, kids, parents with children, everyone. People from every walk of life have all gathered here, and that’s beautiful. The guard finally stops when we make it to a door with the word restricted on it.

“Have a good night,” he bids us farewell and turns back toward the crowd, quickly disappearing in all the hustle and bustle.

Lexi beams at me. “This is crazy! Come on!” Then she tugs the door open.

We’re met by the sound of music blaring from a speaker at the end of the hallway. I know this song, but I don’t know the name of it, and for some reason, it takes me back to childhood. As we make our way down the hall, a wave of recognition comes over me; it’s “Without Me” by Eminem.

I don’t know how I excepted to find Ed that night, but then this definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. Usually when you hear about musicians, they have girls and drinks and drugs everywhere, but no, when I walked into the room that was the source of the music, I saw Ed and another guy with dark hair rapping the lyrics at each other at the top of their lungs doing elaborate hand motions that I’m sure made them think they look cool. I look over at Lexi and she’s smirking, looking extremely amused.

The dark-haired guy notices us and pats Ed on the shoulder. “You got guests?” He says and reaches over to pause the music.

Ed whips around and a smile comes on his face when he sees me.

“You made it! I didn’t know if you’d actually come!” He smiles and pulls me into a quick hug. “This is my cousin, Murray, he films stuff for me. Not like that, like tour diaries and shit. Murray, this is Cassidy, the girl I told you about.”

“I like that,” Ed glances between both of us, a grin on his face.

“Way to go, mate, making me sound like a dodgy porn producer,” Murray holds out a hand for me to shake and I laugh. I already like this guy.

“This is my friend Lexi,” I gesture to Lexi and she waves.

“Ah so you’re the one that’s here to make sure I don’t pull any stupid shit,” Ed smirks. “You also have to make sure your friend holds up her end of the promise.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve put her in her place before,” Lexi responds.

The moment is interrupted by a tall man tapping on the open door to my right.

“We’ll talk after the show, alright,” Ed nods at me and walks toward the guy who’s holding a guitar.

I smile, and then he’s off down the hallway.

-

I sink back into the leather couch and let out a sigh of relief. Finally I’m sitting. Lexi and I watched Ed’s set from the side of the stage with Murray and all three of us danced our asses off. I don’t know if I was supposed to act cool or like I didn’t care about being here, but it was an insane experience and I wasn’t going to waste it by being self-conscious. Every once in awhile Ed would glance over at us and giggle, probably laughing at how uncoordinated we all were; I’m sure the crew probably thought we were drunk. But now I’m sat in one of the rooms backstage with about twenty other people all talking. Ed said he had to shower real quick after coming off stage, but told me to wait for him here with everyone else. Music was playing from the speaker they were using earlier (Eminem still), and there is a buzz in the air from all the talking. Lexi was having a great time, chatting with one of his opening acts about some obscure show they both watched and I was just content to be on my own for a second. I didn’t realize how zoned out I was until Ed interrupted my thoughts.

“You alright? You look a bit out of it?” He asked, handing an opened beer to me and then raising the one in his other hand to his lips.

“Yeah, sorry,” I blush.

He sits down next to me and faces me.

“‘right, tell me about you,” he says.

I take a swig of my beer. God! Why do people drink this? It tastes like carbonated pee. I cough slightly.

“This is a two-wave street; the only thing I know about you is that you’re on tour and you have a terrible taste in alcohol,” I retort.

“Hey!” He laughs. “I think this is a local beer.”

“Doesn’t make it suck any less.”

He grabs my drink from my hand and walks over to the corner of the room, returning a few minutes later with a red solo cup. I take a sip and smile: vodka tonic.

“Alright, well,” he tucks his leg under him. “My name is Ed, I’m twenty-one, and I don’t know whether or not to be happy or offended that you didn’t google me before coming here.”

I shrug.

“Your turn then,” he takes a sip of his beer.

“My name is Cassidy, I’m eighteen, and I write songs and absolutely hate singing them in front of people.”

“Wait really? Then why were you performing at a pub?”

“Because right now no one will sing my songs except me.”

“Fair enough. Have you always wanted to go into music?”

I pause. I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I’ve always liked music, but I was never told I could make a career out of it.

“I think so,” I gulp. I don’t know to get into this with him. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I was quite shit at school so I always knew that I had to do something in the arts, then I started playing guitar and it all kind of clicked. I really liked those songs you played last night.”

“Thanks! I literally wrote ‘Latch’ in math class the day before,” I pause, smiling to myself, “I guess there’s a reason why I failed my test today.”

“I personally think it’s worth it.”

I shift in my seat and the song changes and another Eminem song comes on.

“Jesus, I get it that you’re in Detroit but this is so much Eminem,” I laugh and take a big sip, feeling the faint burn of the liquor.

“I’ll have you know that Eminem was an integral part of my childhood,” he smirks.

I laugh.

“No seriously, my dad bought me The Marshall Mathers LP when I was eleven because my uncle is a legend and said that Eminem was the next Bob Dylan because he heard ‘Stan’ on the radio. It massively helped my street-cred: I was walking around with these huge glasses, ginger hair, and mumbling bitch I’mma kill you.”

I throw my head back and laugh, just picturing the ridiculousness of all of that.

“Aww, I would have been your friend,” I pout.

“You say that now.”

“Nah, we would have been a great team. When I was 11, FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake came out and I listened to that religiously...” I trail off. Should I be telling him this? Fuck it. “Basically, one day I was listening to “SexyBack” with my mom and I asked her why Justin wanted to be whipped because that seemed really painful.”

He choks on this drink and looks at me with wide eyes, emitting the same laugh I did a few minutes ago.

“What did she say?” He finally asks.

“She took my CD away. So yeah, we were both really weird kids. I also played piano and wrote poetry, so I was very popular on the playground.”

He grins. “We would have been a good team.”

I throw back the rest of my drink.

“Want another?” He asks and I nod, taking my cup and going over to the same corner where I’m assuming all the liquor is.

Lexi catches my eye and raises her eyebrows. I give her a small nod; this has been fun so far. Ed comes back a few moments later with my drink and a solo cup of his own.

“So I do actually have a serious question for you,” he sits back down.

I nod and take a sip.

“Basically, one of my support acts has a family emergency and has to fly back to Ireland at the end of the week. My team and I have been stressing about not having two support acts because that’s what we advertised when the tickets went up, but when I saw you play last night it kind of clicked. Now I know you said you don’t have performing, but this is a way to get your songs out there and lead to other things, but I completely understand if you don’t want to do it.”

“When would you need me to start? And where would I have to go? And for how long?”

“If you could on Monday in St. Paul. We’re going on this leg until the 17th of February but then we’re going to Australia after that but you don’t have to commit to that if you don’t want to.”

I look down at my hands. This is an amazing opportunity, and I have been wanting to leave the house for a while. But then again, I’ve never properly been on my own. I don’t have any money, any contacts. Sure my parents weren’t around much when I was younger so I’m not worried about taking care of myself, but they would always leave me money for food and other expenses. This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“Fuck it I’m in,” I respond.

“Wait are you serious?” He smiles, looking genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, why not? I hate what I’m doing right now and that seems really cool, I’m in.”

“I honestly didn’t expect you to decide so quickly considering the vetting you gave me last night.”

“You said you’re a fellow weird kid; weird kids look out for each other.”

He raises his cup toward me.

“Well cheers to that, and welcome aboard.”

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #67: I Don’t Want the World to See Me (10/19/18)

I say “they’re back, they’re really back” every week, but I only say it because it’s true. Our band kicked off the first tour of the Trench Era with gusto this week, and that’s only just scratching the surface.

This Week’s TØPics:

The Bandito Tour Begins

Additional Tour Dates Announced

Jim Dun

More Interviews with the Band

And MORE!

Major News and Announcements:

Again, there’s not an awful lot of “news”, mostly just developments happening in real time. That said, there is one notable piece of intel, as the band added another three dates to the second North American leg of their tour: namely, a second show in Toronto, a concert in Newark to further serve that densely-populated metropolitan area, and a show in San Antonio to show Texas some love. You can register for those tickets now, so get to it!

The Shows:

The Bandito Tour kicked off in Nashville last Tuesday, and it was incredible. Of course, not everyone was totally pleased with it: Some people thought there were too few songs from Trench, while others were heartbroken that too many old favorites were knocked off. For that first point: nine out of fourteen of the new songs made their way onto the setlist, one more than the eight songs from Blurryface that landed on the first headlining show in Australia that era. Granted, those shows were significantly shorter than the current arena shows, but those songs also had much less competition for space. Point is, there’s still plenty of time for “Chlorine” to make it on the setlist, clikkies.

As for the second point... listen, I’m gutted for everyone who didn’t get a chance to sing “Migraine” or “Guns for Hands” this week. But if they could play “Taxi Cab” after five years of acting like it didn’t exist, they can- and will- play those songs again. I promise.

The setlist was comprised of:

Jumpsuit

Levitate

Fairly Local- The first full performance of the song since 2015, complete with a reveal of a scissor lift under Josh’s drum kit and a “Hometown”-disappearing act.

Stressed Out- Introduced by a cute video of a flying red beanie to give Tyler a chance to run back to the stage, culminating in it descending from the sky for Tyler to wear.

Heathens

We Don’t Believe What’s On TV- Complete with Nigel introducing Josh with a romantic poem and Tyler’s now-customary first speech to the crowd.

The Judge

Lane Boy- Josh’s flying drum platform gets an extra light display at the end.

Nico and the Niners- A runway out to the b-stage descends from the heavens and hangs over the crowd; Tyler performs the rap there and finishes at b.

Taxi Cab- Tyler Joseph asks the thousands of people in the audience to sit and listen to this nice piano song his dad likes, causing us to drown in our tears.

Neon Gravestones- A transparent curtain imposes giant ghostly images of the band over the b-stage, while a gorgeous moving light display hangs overhead.

Bandito- The debut of this song was accompanied by another incredible light show and displays of soaring vultures. Notably, the first verse was cut, seemingly just to keep up the pace.

Pet Cheetah- Tyler and Josh head back across the runway to finish the sick beats, the pit drops like nobody’s business.

Iris- The band brings out the openers to play this Goo Goo Dolls classic, infusing it with incredible emotion and a killer uke arrangement. So far, Tyler’s been introducing it as the soundtrack for Josh’s childhood “firsts” (first kiss, first Fun Dip, etc).

Hey Jude- The bands perform one of the greatest songs of all time.

Holding On To You- Now with more pretty stars

Ride- Now without a drum island

My Blood- Now with SKELETON HOODIES and holding on to the crowd harmony conducting from The Complete Diversion.

Morph- Tyler does his best rap thing while Josh busts out his most technical drum island yet.

Car Radio

Leave the City- Replacing “Goner” for the encore, Tyler leans in hard for audience participation.

Trees- Now with imagery reflecting Josh’s tree tattoo. The keyboard is also placed above the car, which rises dramatically from the ground in the middle of the song because Tyler’s just extra like that.

Tyler’s Trees Speech in Nashville was a full one. After acknowledging earlier in the show that he and Josh were really nervous about getting this one right, Tyler thanked the opening crowd for giving him the experience of hearing “Leave the City” sung back at him for the first time, lampshaded how ridiculous the production value of the shows has gotten, gave Nashville-native lighting director Shap some grief, and joked about how he only messed up the second verse from “Morph”, so there’s some room for improvement.

Interviews and Other Shenanigans:

The biggest interview from this week was the band’s feature with The New York Times, which did not go too awfully in-depth in terms of revealing information that we didn’t already know but was still one of the more well-written pieces on the band I’ve seen in some time. The article takes their art and artistry seriously, covering their oft-repeated backstory with reverence fitting a band that has proved themselves time and again to be worth that consideration. The descriptions of Tyler and Josh read as totally on-point to their personalities, and there’s a cool revelation that Tyler’s kept an encouraging voicemail from Chris Martin on his phone since 2016. The highlight for me, though, is the absolutely crushing ending where Tyler responds to a question of his mental health by answering “I’m OK today.” It’s a mature and sobering outlook on his future struggles with his mental health; I hope he stays OK for many years to come.

Oh, and Jim Dun’s Instagram page is now public, so you should definitely go splurge through a year’s worth of cute dog photos featuring Josh, cameos from Brendon Urie, and snarky comments from Mark, Brad, Debby, Jenna, Jordan, Abigail, and friends. Josh even gave a little interview with Global K9 Protection Services talking about his relationship with his pup. Jim will be joining the gang on tour, so we’re sure to get plenty more adorable puppy action in the weeks to come.

Chart Performance:

Well, it looks like my suspicions last week were correct: Trench fell just shy of securing a #1 spot in the States, losing out to A Star Is Born’s soundtrack. But that’s no reason to be gloomy- last week was still the band’s biggest sales week ever, selling 135,000 albums and earning an additional 40,000 equivalent units in streams and other avenues of listening. And hey, they were the #1 album in Australia! That’s pretty cool.

As far as individual songs go, things continue to look pretty rosy. The album release boosted “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners” back to the Hot 100 at #79 and #95, respectively, while “My Blood” was able to debut at #81 off of the music video. Below the Hot 100, “Morph” and “Chlorine” managed to sneak onto the Bubbling Under chart at #6 and #12 respectively.

The songs impressed more individually down on the Rock Charts. Every single track from the album made it onto the Hot Rock Songs chart, which combines every source of music consumption with a similar formula as the Hot 100. Most of this can be attributed to streaming- nine songs from Trench made their way onto the Rock Streaming chart versus only two new arrivals to Rock Sales. “My Blood” is also continuing to gain radio momentum; we’ll see if that’s enough to keep it around next week.

Upcoming Performances:

With the Bandito Tour fully underway, let’s look to the week ahead to see what communities the band will be sharing their music with and try to determine if we might expect any surprises.

Show 3: Enterprise Center, St Louis, Missouri (10/19)

Capacity: 22,000

Tonight, the band returns to St. Louis, a city they’ve visited many times in the past. They played this venue at their last show here in 2016, albeit when it was under the “Scottrade Center” name.

Show 4: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (10/20)

Capacity: 17,500

Twenty One Pilots have never played this venue before, because it didn’t exist the last time they toured; heck, it didn’t even exist when they announced this one! The brand-new Fiserv Forum, built as the new home for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, opened just last month with a concert from The Killers and has already hosted a number of other artists. It should make for an incredible show, even more so because it will be the band’s first ever arena show in the city. 

Show 5: XCel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota (10/21)

Capacity: 13,000

The band also played this venue in their last visit back in 2016. Not much else to say, so... moving on!

Show 6: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio (10/23)

Capacity: 20,000

Tuesday’s show in Cleveland will be the closest thing to a hometown show the band will play until their two announced concerts in Columbus next June, nearly nine months from now. As a result, expect to see plenty of family members in attendance (and maybe an on-stage cameo from Zach to perform his verse from “Kitchen Sink”). It’ll definitely be a real special night.

Show 7: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan (10/24)

Capacity: 22,000

Wrapping things up, Twenty One Pilots will be playing their first show in Detroit proper since 2015, and their first ever arena show in the general region. This is another relatively new facility that only opened in September of last year, the harshest season of the hiatus. Hopefully those Ohio boys put on a good show for my Michigan kin.

-

It was another incredible week. I can’t wait to see how these shows continue to grow and evolve in the weeks and months to come. Let me know when you all get the chance to see them. Until then, power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[wafflesetc]

Please write an AU where Jamie and Claire meet on a flight where either or both are flight attendants.

YES! I chose to do the latter because @gotham-ruaidh‘s Modern Glasgow AU they met on a plane and TBH I just can’t top that, but I can get behind flight attendant AU. Also, Jamie’s a pilot because I couldn’t see our Jamie being a flight attendant. He could totally be a pilot though. Also, if I saw him in a captain’s uniform– I would want to fling him to the floor and commit ravishment. 

J is going to be clean shaven as pilots can’t have beards because of the oxygen masks if something goes wrong the facial hair can get in the way. This is partially a total crack fic idea, but to fun to say no to! Still, I hope you enjoy.

And lastly, people feel safer when their pilots are Scots. See here’s proof. Science says so.

I was so, so, so very late. Glancing quickly down to my phone it read 3:47AM. My sign in time was 4:30, I had a twenty minute drive to the airport. I would just be making it. I said a silent prayer as I put my jacket on that the Starbucks line behind security wasn’t going to be too long, either. I’d be much more tolerant with a cup of coffee in me.

I ordered my Uber and made my way to the airport. I hated 4 day trips- but Frank and I were supposed to be heading to France next week on a mini-vacation. The only way I got the days off to align with Frank’s week off from the university was to swap my high time 3 day trip with Geillis Duncan’s 4 day trip. I had looked at the rotation and cringed, 4 days of flying with 3 legs each day, and all short layovers. Geillis was junior to me so I shouldn’t have been surprised, but at least I got the days off. 

I breathlessly rolled into the flight attendant lounge with a coffee in hand at 4:28. Two freaking minutes to spare. 

I signed in for my trip on my tablet, printed the rotation, and sat in the chairs waiting to meet with the rest of the crew. 

“Lady Jane, what are you doing here?” I heard from behind me, a warm familiar voice spreading a smile across my face for the first time this morning. 

“Joe!” I yelped, rising to my feet and giving my friend a hug. “A four day trip. I swapped with Geillis so that I had time off to take Frank to France for a few days.” 

“4 days trip, with a short MSY, MDT and PIT layovers?” Joe asked as I watched a grin spread from ear to ear on his face.

I nodded at him, shaking my still wet curls and tossing it into a bun. 

“You’re with me then! I’m the lead on this trip and we’re flying with Mary Hawkins too, should be a great crew for a horrible trip!” 

I laughed at Joe’s statement. Joe was now a commuter, so 4 day trips were great for him, he could fly 2 a month and get all his hours in. I lived closer to base, so I preferred turns and two days because I loved my bed a little too much. We went through training together and became fast friends and since he moved away from base we rarely saw each other any more. My spirits warmed a bit as to be flying with two friends, maybe this trip was not going to be as bad as it looked on paper. 

“Well, we’re leaving out of gate A6. Pilots overnighted here, they’re Detroit based and will meet us at the plane. Mary’s getting coffee, why don’t we walk to the gate and meet her there?” Joe asked as he straightened his tie and grabbed his suitcase. 

“Sounds good to me.” I said, rolling my suitcase behind me as we walked to the gate. 

“Claire, I thought Geillis was on this trip!” Mary said as we rounded the ticketing counter. 

“She was, we swapped last minute so I can take Frank to France next week!” I said taking my badge and scanning on to the computer.

 “You are still with him! How is it going?” Mary asked as she scanned on right after me. “I thought you guys took a break or maybe that’s in my head?” 

“She needs to get rid of him that’s what she needs to do!” Joe chimed in from behind us. 

“Joe.” I said sternly. “We got in a bit of a fight over me doing this job and going to nursing school. I think he’s coming around though, we are taking it slow and seeing where it goes.” 

“Oh! I see.” Mary said, taking a small sip of her coffee. “Are the pilots here?” 

“I don’t thi-” I started but was stopped as I felt the presence of people coming up behind me. 

“Aye, we are.” A soft voice said, in an accent I hadn’t heard very often. 

“I’m James Fraser, the captain for this trip. That’s Murtagh, the first officer.” The captain said as he came into my eye sight. 

He was so beautiful, I almost spit my coffee out. For a captain too, was remarkably young. He had auburn red hair, high viking-like cheekbones, deep blue eyes, and the nicest jaw bone I had ever seen. He was obviously very charismatic because I was blushing like a love stricken fifth grader with her middle school. And I’d be damned, he looked good in that captain’s suit… A four striped pilot had never looked so good to me, in my entire flying career. 

“I… Uh…..” I said trying to find my words.

“That’s Claire Beauchamp, I’m Mary Hawkins, and that’s Joe Abernathy.” Mary laughed as she did my introduction for me. 

“I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this, but this early morning sign in has me a bit out of sorts today.” I said sheepishly as I felt the flush in my cheeks brighten even more red. 

“Dinna fash, Claire.” The captain said as he stuck his hand out to shake mine. I reached my hand out and took it, shaking it in return. Our hands stayed linked for what must have been more than socially acceptable as the gate agent told us the plane was at the gate and Jamie pulled his hand out of mine so fast and looking away. His cheeks flushing a small shade of red as he walked down the jet bridge. 

I felt the temperature in my face return to normal, as Mary bumped my side with her elbow. 

“The captain is dashing…” She said, as she started to walk down the jet bridge me trailing a few steps behind. “And he totally thinks you’re pretty. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you.” 

“Yeah, Lady Jane, he didn’t even take time to introduce himself to me. He only had eyes for you.” Joe laughed from the bottom of the top of the jet bridge.

“You two, are so full of it. Plus, you both very well know I have a thing against pilots.” I huffed as I walked onto the airplane. 

We put our bags up, checked our equipment, and then boarded the airplane. For a flight from NY to ATL there were five too many kids and 12C was already complaining about her connection, I was not having it. 

Walking up to the front galley, I took a deep breath, escaping to behind the wall where no passengers could see me. 

I was standing by the open boarding door, trying to take in as much fresh air as I could before we closed the door. I felt a hand on my shoulder that sent chills down my spine as a the soft voice spoke right behind my ear. 

“Sassenach, we are ready to go.I have the final paperwork and the gate agent is comin’ down to shut the door.”  Captain Fraser said as I turned around to look at him. 

We were almost eye-level, as the plane gave me a few extra inches of height. His blue eyes looked right at me, like he was searching for something- what that something was, I didn’t know. 

“Oh, right!” I said, turning to the side, giving him space to walk onto the airplane. 

As he stepped in front of me, I became just aware at how large Captain Fraser was and let out a small chuckle. 

“What’s so amusing?” the captain asked as he stood in the doorway to the flight deck.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but -” I was stopped as the gate agent appeared. 

“Are we good to go?” Susan the gate agent asked. I nodded, saying “Cabin is secure!” and felt the rush of air as she closed the forward boarding door. Jamie still stood, smiling, waiting for me to finish my statement. 

“And?” He asked, leaning against the door, crossing his arms giving me a dubious look. 

“Well, it’s just that you are rather quite large and that particular flight deck is small. I was just wondering how you actually fit up there, that’s all.” 

“Och. I ken it’s small, ye should see the bruises on my knees sometimes!” Captain Fraser laughed as he disappeared into the flight deck. 

I picked up the intercom and using my best PA voice, spoke over the phone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the forward boarding door is now closed, feel free to use your mobile devices as long as they are set to airplane mode. But before this aircraft can move everyone must be seated with their seat belts fastened, carryon items and tray tables stowed and aisle arm rests lowered. Flight attendants, doors for departure.” 

I hung up, armed my doors and called to the back.  “Mary, 1L and 1R are armed and cross checked.” 

“2L and 2R are armed and cross checked! Joe’s finishing closing the bins and will be up there in just a minute!” Mary answered. She disappeared off the line. I walked to the entry to the flight deck and knocked, getting their attention.

“Ok guys, last call before we close the door, do you want anything?” I asked, sticking my head in. 

“Nay, we’re good.” Murtagh said as the captain finished a conversation with the tower. 

“No, Sassenach, we’re good. Thank ye kindly for asking us, though.” 

“Absolutely… Well, that’s it, cabin’s ready for push back then. If you guys need a break in a bit, you know how to reach us!” I said as I stepped out, and started to shut the door. 

“Aye, will do.” I heard Captain Fraser say as I watched the huge smile he was giving disappear as the flight deck door was shut. 

I turned around, to find Joe standing with his back to the aisle and arms crossed. 

“Claire you’ve enchanted a pilot.” He said, as he laughed, turning the safety demo on. 

I just shook my head, turning the cabin lights off and sitting in my jumpseat. 

Maybe, just maybe, I’d be interested in a pilot one day, if that pilot was Captain Fraser. 

[pinkipie100]

Prologue III

Aaaaand, last one for now. I hope I can get this all worked out to completion. I actually am really digging the story I’m brewing up...

Words: 1688

Category: Gen [subject to change]

Contains: anger issues, violence, possible anxiety-inducing imagery, OCs, metaphysical android sh*t, murder, grey lines, hungry doggo

Takes place during the dates and times listed.

November 11th, 2038

11:07 PM

Anamika had anger issues. That wasn’t hard to admit. Anamika could lie about a lot of things, but that wasn’t one of them. There were plenty of people she’d beaten the living daylights out of over spilled milk, and a long list of damaged property that probably did nothing to warrant being so totally decimated. And it’s not like Anamika wasn’t trying to reign herself in. She knew she yelled at people who didn’t deserve it, and even got into fights that were totally unnecessary, but the tiniest things could set off the Wolf inside of her. It would remain sleeping when she was calm, left to her own devices, alone- but the Wolf was a light sleeper, and the tiniest flea bite, the lightest poke with a twig, and the beast was up and snapping, ready to maim anyone who tried to tame it. No matter how hard Anamika tried to tame the Wolf herself, it always conquered her in a possessive fit of snarling curses and blurred vision. Only one had ever overpowered it, the one person Anamika trusted most.

But that person was gone now. No one was left to keep the Wolf on a leash. But for the first time, Anamika didn’t want to. No… this time, her target deserved everything that was coming their way. Additionally, this was the first time Anamika’s Wolf we truly a hunter. Laser-focused, only one Rabbit to be devoured tonight. Even as other bodies tumbled past Anamika, sometimes shoulder-checking her in the process, the Wolf did not bite at them, or even take notice.

Anamika marched towards the Recall Center, where deviants were tearing down the walls keeping other androids trapped inside. The Wolf’s keeper had promised that the deviants’ leader would lead a peaceful protest near the Recall Centers. Apparently, the same did not go for deviants in small, unnoticed Colorado suburbs. Either way, Anamika didn’t give a shit.

He was wearing a red baseball cap. Green parka. Black jeans. For every detail Anamika remembered about him, her Wolf got hungrier, and she got closer. She and the Wolf were one, and she broke into a sprint like red lightning. The roar of a predator’s breath erupted from her chest, and she leapt like the Wolf, her prey being knocked from his pedestal where he directed the other deviants.

She pinned the motherfucker to the ground, on all fours like the animal inside. Roaring into his face, she took her claws and dug them deep into the plastic fuck’s chest, banging him up and down and up and down and down, and down, and down… The deviant clutched her paws, crushing her wrists, cracking and bruising. He called for aid, and Anamika howled in his face to respond. Wresting her paws from his grip, Anamika swung for the deviant’s face, landing a hit so hard, his artificial skin was wiped off, leaving a crack in his facial plate. Suddenly thirsty for the blue blood, Anamika’s insistent paws dug for more of it from the deviant’s face. You hurt Pack, Wolf hunts. Eats. You took Pack. Now just Wolf. Rabbit down hole. Wolf digs. Wolf EATS.

Other hands struggled to grab hold of the writhing animal, and it takes three to lift her back and down into the snow-covered street. The beast twists and howls, half English, half lupine snarls. Three deviants, all of considerable size, struggled to contain Wolf and Host as the Prey rose back up and drew a gun.

‘What do we do with her, Nathan?’ a deviant asked the Prey just before Anamika clawed him in the face, and he dislocated her arm in retaliation.

‘We shouldn’t kill her… We’ve already enough blood on our hands tonight!’ another deviant said, bracing itself against Anamika’s forceful kneeing.

The Wolf retracted one bit, allowing Anamika to form some coherent sentences: ‘-Fucking killed her! You’re an animal! You deserve to DIE!’

‘I don’t know, she seems pretty set on killing us!’ the first android said.

Anamika gave her body one huge heave in an attempt to free the Wolf, launching the deviants a little in the wind before they pinned her back down. Nathan, the Prey, gave Anamika, foaming at the mouth, a once-over. Blue blood still dripped from the rips in his face. Anamika wanted to taste it. Bathe in it. He deserved to be torn to shreds in that Recall Center.

‘You have anger like I’ve never seen in a human…’ Nathan said, almost looking horrified.

‘No shit, plastic fuck!’ Anamika spat. ‘You killed my BEST FRIEND! Do you even remember her?! She was trying to talk to you… She didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of this… And you… killed her… ANYWAY!!!’ Anamika had to wheeze to regain her breath, ‘You deserve to DIE!’ Nathan raised his gun, and no matter how the Wolf struggled, the androids did not get tired. The Wolf, despite all its strength, did. And the fire prodding the Wolf was over. The water came down from the skies to drench it out. Anamika began to weep hoarsely.

Then deviants didn’t know what to do. This animalistic, murderous human had just done a complete one-eighty. Other deviants who were previously wrecking the Recall Center had even stopped and observed.

Clueless, Nathan simply asked the human why she cried.

It took Anamika a while to regain control of her taxed vocal chords and breathing before she could answer, ‘She loved… she loved you all… She believed in your freedom until the end… Fuck, she’d probably forgive you for shooting her-!’ Another break was needed for Anamika to cough and tear up some more. ‘Just shoot me- It should have been me you killed, anyway- not her… Just end this. Kill the Wolf.’

Silence, save for the sound of Recall Center riots and snowfall. Then a gunshot. Three deviants rose, no longer needing to hold back a young woman ravenous for revenge. Nathan dropped the gun and picked up regret. The four androids then moved back to the Recall Center, somber now.

One deviant remained looking upon the scene, however. A simple bystander, observing the scene from afar. Suddenly, all that mattered to her was this human with a bullet in her head. The only human she’d seen show remorse for hurting an android. The only human she’d ever seen self-destruct like a deviant.

November 13th, 2039

9:45 AM

Rina could stand waiting. One might even say that she was good at it. Even for an android, she almost found it meditative to sit or stand completely still in the same place for hours. Most others of her kind found that it reminded them too much of their former oppressed states, standing at android parking or office stations, but it never bothered Rina, for some reason.

The same couldn’t be said for the entity inside of her.

This view is so fucking boring. Can’t you move? Walk around a bit?

…Perhaps it was because of the entity inside of her waiting didn’t bore her.

Don’t get antsy. I don’t want to bother anyone else with nervous back-and-forth walking.

You should know by now that I don’t like sitting still.

Maybe if you ask nicely, I’ll ‘stretch my legs’ a bit.

…Please?

Rina stood, grabbing her bag and slinging it back over her shoulder, adjusting her cap before wandering aimlessly around. She took in the other people at the gate, waiting for a numbered plane to come and save them from the heavy clutches of boredom. She thought she’d like to take a picture of them, especially the ones at the coffee shop.

Ugh, that is so cringey. You’re such a hipster!

‘What are you talking about, they are beautiful shots!’ Rina accidentally muttered aloud.

A young boy sitting next to his mother looked up at her, confused. The android adjusted her hat, smiling awkwardly.

Don’t make me do that again.

What?! That was your mistake, buddy. I just made my thoughts known! …That’s kind of what I do.

Rina sighed. I know. …Tell you what. Say you’re sorry, and I’ll give you a surprise.

WHY?! It wasn’t my fault! It’s not even that big of a deal!

Anamika.

Ugh, fine, fine! I’m sorry.

Rina smiled subtly. She was glad Anamika couldn’t see her face as she did so. Rina then marched over to the large airport window. She looked out at the lot, populated by sleek jets and cute little forklifts buzzing about. A few orange-clad workers peppered the steely grey streetscape. Rina’s reflection was faintly overlayed on top of the busy scene.

Rina whispered to her reflection, imagining it to be Anamika, ‘Beautiful, huh?’

A pause. You are.

Rina laughed. ‘What? I was talking about the planes.’

Angry static flooded Rina’s head. I KNOW! I know you were. Fuck, I hate this! I can’t think fucking anything in private!

Rina’s hands connected with her head from the overwhelming voice. She hissed, ‘Anamika, please! You’re too loud!’ The static ceased. ‘Thank you. Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to get you out of my body. If any Engines are still intact, they’ll be in Detroit.’

Silence within her head. Then, Look… Rina, I can’t believe I’m saying this after all I’ve been through, but… Thank you. This time, Rina let Anamika see her smile in the reflection. I know I’m not exactly the ideal person to have trapped inside your headhole, but… I’m glad you did this for me. Really. Rina gradually raised her hand up, looking her reflection deeply in the eyes. Her hand reached for the one before her.

‘Please refrain from touching the glass,’ came a voice. Rina was shocked out of her intense stare, spotting a janitor android next to her. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were an android. Just make sure not to scratch it, please.’

‘O-of course.’

The janitor then left Rina alone. Well, not alone.

The gate then called for Rina’s group to line up. She adjusted her cap again, then strided confidently towards the line with her ticket.

You know, the bright side to this is that we only have to pay for one ticket.

[enkisstories]

The android cemetery (Chapter 7)

And so the two of them prepared for their nighttime foray into the landfill. They agreed to leave Tina behind, to not even tell her why exactly they could not go through with their original plans for the weekend. Tina Chen was unarguably the physically strongest of the terrible trio. She wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but possessed of a gamer’s specialized creativity when it came to problem solving and equipped with finely honed senses that put an android’s sensors to shame. Tina would have made a valuable companion on this expedition, so lack of expertise was not the reason why her friends had decided to go alone. Originally the friends had planned to go watch a home game of the Detroit Pistons. The tickets hadn’t come cheap and if Tina went to the game alone, she could sell the two that weren’t needed anymore with a hefty profit. That was one consideration and a powerful argument if you wanted to spend three weeks at a Caribbean beach later that year. Especially if you needed to fly first class for all of you to be allowed to sit together. All the lower prized arrangements required androids to be stowed away in the hold along with the rest of the luggage. The other thought was that maybe Andre would find Tina more approachable if she watched him play without her guy friends tagging along. Gavin and Daniel had made some progress at shoving Tina and her basketballer acquaintance each other’s way during the past weeks. The time might have come to screw off the training wheels and let the two of them figure matters out for themselves.

Daniel was quickly finished with his own preparations. Now he was leaning against the upstairs study’s wall and watching Gavin sort through what looked like a trash heap in itself.  The most notable items to be packed were a multipurpose tool, a combat knife, surveillance goggles, several ropes of different length and material, a small hook, cans that looked like bug bombs, but also smoke grenades and a pistol.

Daniel noticed that the human had tremendous fun choosing his equipment. It was everything Gavin Reed had dreamed to bring with him when he had been a kid exploring Detroit. Back then large parts of the city had been de-populated because of the economic decline Detroit had experienced after the automotive industry had suffered greatly from foreign competitors. The resulting no man’s land had become home to many urban tribes like the one the Reeds had been part of. There had been no shortage of abandoned homes, but often enough the homeless had had to squat in tents because the gangs had claimed the best property already. But there had also always been another factory hall to get braved with baseball bats, great-grandfather’s steel helmet and scraps of poisoned meat. And tonight - with all the high-tech equipment you could justify blowing your paycheque for! Many a D&D character of Tina’s carried less in their backpack than Gavin planned to take in real life tonight… In his partner’s defense Daniel had to admit that most items in his kit Gavin had already used in his days as a private investigator, most notably for getting cats out of trees and breaking into the DPD to access confidential documents. Now the equipment would see him through the landfill, never mind that Markus had done that in a t-shirt, on broken legs and with one eye missing.

Daniel suspected the place they were going was the ultimate playground in his partner’s eyes. Himself he broke away from the wall after some consideration to get something from downstairs. He returned carrying a bag and a holster.

“You’re taking a pistol, too?” Gavin nodded his approval. “Good think… wait, what’s that?!”

“This, my love”, Daniel introduced his own weapon, “is your new Heckler & Koch MP7A7!” The pride and affection the android put into this sentence he was usually reserving for Emma Phillips. “Remember the refund I eked out of your tax declaration?” he asked. “This is what it went for.”

“That’s a submachine gun…”

“A PDW, correctly. Don’t worry, you passed the background check with ease and also have a license for concealed carry.”

“When you say “your”…”

“…yep, mine actually. Don’t get ideas!”

A corner of Gavin’s mouth twitched, then went up. “Concealed carry indeed!” he laughed. “I carry the gun concealed on my android! No amount of patting me down would ever reveal it.”

“Yeah, you are so clever”, Daniel replied, laughing, too.

“But we are clever! No joke!” Gavin claimed. He looked up at Daniel with an unusually serious expression.  “Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.”

Clever. That and competent. Heck, Daniel had been an almost as good detective as Gavin himself, the man had to admit. The thought alone that some sucker would have called the PL600 “outdated”… or that Daniel had believed it for many months… Why, even? After the automated car had targeted freshman Gavin, thus driving home the lesson how little exactly he was worth in the eyes of society, the young man had lashed out even harder into every direction than before, starting with the other student, the valuable one who had gotten spared by the computer. What did Gavin James Reed care about anybody’s opinion? He knew what he wanted and would get it. Except… except of course that contrary to Gavin, Daniel did care. The deviant made room for others in his thirium pump and he managed to do so without becoming an ickle prefect Percy like Connor or a depressed do-gooder like Hank. Daniel was so… normal. That wasn’t a quality you praised in a boyfriend, usually. And there were hundreds of thousands of other average peeps that Gavin didn’t feel drawn towards. There was probably something super-special to his partner that the man failed to notice. But knowing what exactly that was would not have changed anything between them, so why torture your head with trying to figure it out?

“What’s in the bag?” Gavin asked to change the topic.

There was a slight delay in Daniel’s reply when he said “Personal effects” and another pause before the deviant clarified: “Like, uh, accessories.”

“Accessories for the H & K!”

Daniel waved his hands about. “Don’t worry about that”, he told his partner. “I’m far more dangerous than the weapon, yet you take me to bed with you.”

Gavin looked at his dungeoneer’s kit, then shrugged. If he could bring his toys, Daniel should by all means bring his.

Again Daniel’s gaze drifted over his partner’s equipment. It reminded him of Emma wanting to take half her room’s contents to the park when she had been smaller. And three guesses who would have had to carry all of that, if this someone didn’t manage to talk the child out of her ideas real quick! Were all humans such packrats?! Was is something that came with constantly having to eat and take potty breaks? It sounded stressful to Daniel. But fortunately in his case it didn’t matter, because unlike a foster-daughter a boyfriend would have to carry his own shit by himself.

“Got everything or is still something missing?” Daniel teased. “Provisions for a week? A four-person-tent, maybe? Thyroid hormone pills?

With a grin Gavin displayed his combat knife. “Food anytime!” Next the thin sheets that were rescue blankets got produced. “Shelter!” And finally a strip of four pills. “Probably not needed”, Gavin commented them. “I only ever miss taking them when Markus abducts us with the Adeline.”

“You make that sound as if it happened to us on a regular basis!”

“Well, he got me twice and you thrice. And there’s no telling what he’s brewing up in Strasbourg right as we speak.”

“No need to ponder Markus when we are looking forward to putting ourselves in danger all on our own later tonight”, Daniel replied. Despite it being the truth and despite him still not liking the idea, the deviant was smiling. “At the very least this expedition will be exerting”, he said. “Therefore I want you to be in top-condition!”

“Oh?” There was that grin again, this time knowing. “Got something in mind…?”

“Uh-huh”, Daniel confirmed. “Something energizing.”

“Heh.”

Gavin rose from the floor. At the same time his boyfriend kicked open the bedroom door, leaving no room for mistaking what was offered – or demanded. Those who knew him linked it to the deviant’s temper, but whatever the reason, Daniel was one of the few sexually active deviants. At first the partners’ activities had been limited, but in Strasbourg Daniel had requested a full upgrade. So at least in this regard their unusual relationship was perfectly normal. Daniel would never be able to link with his human boyfriend, but at least he could feel him inside himself now. The deviant channeled a lot of his creativity into coming up with new experiences for both of them. Who would willingly trade that in for something that happened in the mind only? A lot of people, admittedly, many of which Daniel knew in person. But there way of bonding wasn’t his and his meerkat’s. As for Gavin, he had never experienced mind-to-mind joining, so he wasn’t missing anything.

As they moved towards each other Daniel connected to their apartment’s multimedia installation briefly. There was a particular song he liked to play on this occasion. Admittedly at first it had caught his attention because the accompanying video showed rabbits and of course those didn’t leave much to the imagination.  

When we fight, we fight like lions… but then we love and feel the truth

They say we’re out of control, and some say we’re sinners

You are perfection, my only direction

It’s fire on fire

The poor rabbits in the video didn’t even do anything along the lines of Daniel’s associations, they were just having an adventure. And so was he, now…

[creme13rulee]

Deep Within My Bones Ch.3- The Kiss

AU. Viktor wins another gold at the Olympics, and attends the Paralympics as another duty as the King of Ice Skating. Having lost his inspiration and heart, Viktor did not expect to find love in what he sees as the perfect man. Yuuri, after losing his legs, lost his chance to compete on the same ice as his idol. When the world seems to fall into place, what else can be taken away from them?

The neon sign glowed blue into the cold night air. Viktor could see his breathe fog and drift up into the light. He had used Christophe as an excuse, telling himself that he needed to let his friend socialize for a little longer. Long enough for Viktor to get another drink, steel his nerve…and order a car to the restaurant. It wasn’t that far, but wasn’t about to trek through the packed snow and cold. He would appear warm, every hair in place. Perfect.

For Yuuri.

His own Yuri had left with Yakov earlier. The boy was too old for a curfew, but he had probably worked out some excuse to get out of it.

Probably blaming it on Viktor.

They hadn’t spoken since they watched this new Yuuri skate on the ice.

Cristophe pushed open the door, gently waving backwards, shooing Viktor inside. It was almost as dark as the outside, most of the lighting warm candlelight. The walls were dark wood, and the warmth was a welcome relief.  Even though lately Viktor preferred going out and feeling the sting of the cold.

The cold immediately melted away at the sight of him.

He was smiling, his ears and nose still red from the cold. And perhaps the glasses of champagne he had gulped down less than an hour before.   When was the last time Viktor had seen a smile reach someones eyes? When had one of those smiles been directed at him? After 5 gold medals.. no, after 3, the smiles had become more forced on either end. There were only so many records you could break until you went from groundbreaker to someone to break down. His stomach filled with longing, heavy and burning. He had barely talked to this boy, but he wanted the smile to be for him. Not for someone who he had easy crushed in the semi-finals.

Where was this coming from?

Phichit was the reason why he was here. The Thai skater was a friend, not an enemy. He had to remember this. Said man raised a hand, greeting them. Yuuri turned, following Phichits gaze, his doe-like eyes widening. Viktor felt his pulse quicken. But Yuuri didn’t run. Perhaps it was the extra alcohol, or the fact that the seating was benches and kept him from moving quickly.

It didn’t matter.

Viktor easily slid on his smile, moving before he quickly overtook Chris.

“Sorry to make you wait.”  Viktor offered a sad nod toward Phichit, who wasn’t even looking at him. He was watching Yuuri, who stared as Viktor sat beside him, starry-eyed and agape.

He looked even more perfect up close. The way his eyebrows arched perfectly. His jaw line, how his inky black hair feathered around his ear.

But most of all, the grace and strength he held, while also looking like he could be easily crushed in a cold hand.

Viktor had been watching too many Harlequin romance movies.

“No worries, we just got here, right Yuuri?” Phichit barely contained his smirk, which was good, because everyone was watching Viktor and Yuuri.

“Right, Yuuri.”  Yuri echoed dreamily, still staring agape at Viktor. He grew pinker when the king of ice  laughed, radiating the flirt he was famous with the press for.

A waitress stopped by with a basket of warm buttery bread. Viktor watched as  Yuuri woozily doled out a soft roll to each of their plates before his own. He could feel the English he wanted to speak slipping through his fingers like a fine sand. The words fell faster the longer he watched the skater beside him close his eyes, his dark and thick eyelashes against his cheek as he sunk his teeth into the bread.

He had been watching way, way too many movies.

“Thank you for coming out. Yuuri’s a big fan. We didn’t know you were coming out for the Paralympic games.” Phichit interjected after a period of quiet  that Viktor had felt perfectly fine with.

“I didn’t know either. It was a last minute decision. But I’m glad I came.”

Apparently it hadn’t been last minute, but Yakov knew better than to ask (or tell) Viktor anything on the eve of a competition.

“I am too.”  Yuuri said softly, rolling the remainder of the bread between his fingers. “I wish I had been able to do better. I was distracted.”

Distracting, more like it. Viktor tried to keep his thoughts to  holier territory.

“I think it was beautiful.” Viktor murmured, and he hit the target. Yuuri jolted like an arrow had hit his heart, the remaining bread between his fingers squished into a pancake as red overtook the sweet mans face.

“Not as much as you. Y—y-your….oh…” Yuuri stammered, trailing off. It was Viktors turn to be stabbed in the heart. But he had no idea if it was Cupid’s arrow or just the feeling of no longer numbing himself to his heart.

Phichit  dropped the menu from his hands onto the table to hide his own snicker.  Yuuri looked up from his lap, back to his best friend. “Oh… order.” Words were coming hard to him, too.

“I already told the waitress to give us the special.” Pichit smiled. “I didn’t want a repeat of what happened on Monday!” The easy smile came back to Yuuri’s face, and the two friends laughed with such ease that Viktor felt lonely. Chris tilted his head to the side, showing enough curiosity to continue the conversation.

“Oh!  Me and Yuuri went out for lunch, but we didn’t charge our phones!  They died right as we got there, and we couldn’t use any of our apps !  We spent an hour trying to  figure out what to eat before Yuuri remembered how to  say breakfast!”

“I don’t know what we ate, but it was really  good.” Yuuri murmured, his accent thicker than it had been several drinks ago.

“So since then, we decided to leave the menu to the chef.” Phichit said confidently. Yuuri yawned adorably. The six hour time difference wasn’t as bad as the time difference between home and Detroit… But the warm bread, and the warmth sat beside him (and maybe the champagne) was making it harder to adjust. Even with sleeping until the hour before practice.

The technique was flawless. Viktor had the best food he had in a while, warm meat on fresh greens. The wine pairing was phenomenal. He felt sated enough to conduct the usual interview: how was Sochi, how did it feel to have gold again.

“What’s next?” Phichit asked, and Viktor knew he expected “Worlds” or some other simple answer.

But nothing came.

Just as it had since Viktor had bottled up the last few drops left in his desiccated soul into  Stammi Vicino.

What was next?

“Yuutopia.” Yuuri murmured sleepily, his head heavy on his hand. He looked ready to fall asleep at the table, but he kept his eyes dutifully on whoever was talking.

“Yuutopia?” Viktor repeated. He flipped through the dictionary in his head, but came up short. It wasn’t English.

“My parents hot springs. I haven’t been home since Obon. “ Yuuri said  in the same sleepy tone.

Viktor couldn’t bear it. He scooted closer, enough that their thights touched on the dark wooden bench. He didn’t notice.

“You should visit. Japanese hot springs are the best.” He said it so dreamily, that Viktor immediately considered pulling out his phone and checking ticket prices.

“You’ll get to see Vicchan again, too.” Pichit said, moving the remaining food around on his plate. Figuring out which filter that would best show off this meal would have to wait.

“Vicchan…” Yuuri cooed softly, the starry-eyed doe look returning to his face. Viktor frowned. He had heard it before, but it was before the translator had arrived to assist his interview with Skate Japan  and Shoujo Shuukan.

“Mari-nee-chan sent me this picture.” Yuuri said with the same soft coo, pulling out his own phone and unlocking it.  He went into his library, mostly selfies of Yuuri and Phichit, as well as some of the other skaters Viktor had seen earlier that day. He watched as the Yuuri tapped, pulling up a photo of a miniature Makkachin, dressed up in a weird set of jeans-for-dogs and a black vneck tee. It looked more couture than the clothing Viktor had in his own closet, which would definitely not fit Makkachin.

“He’s adorable.” Viktor cooed, and Yuuri immediately scrolled through a long row of pictures, the dog taking up most of his camera roll.

“I miss him. He is the cutest thing in the world.” Yuuri said, staring at the phone with heavy eyelids and a soft smile.

“Vicchan, right?”

“Mhmm. I named him after my favorite skater.” He scrolled to a picture of the dog in a bee costume.

Viktor nearly spit.

“Favorite skater?”

“Viktor Nikiforov.” Yuuri said. Viktor noticed that Yuuri had slumped over, and his arm and side were now against his own. Viktor glanced up to see Chris’ hand pressed to his mouth, stifling laughter that threatened to bubble out.

This was actually going pretty well.

“I happen to have the same name.” Viktor said. What else could he say?

“’n look exack-a-ly like him.” Yuuri said, turning his beautiful smile up to him.

Viktor wanted to see this smile more.

“What if your favorite skater showed up to your hot springs?”

“That’da only happen in dreams.” Yuuri’s tone alluded that he was ridiculous, that it was a joke that it would ever happen. But… was it really that impossible?

Was he really that untouchable? Here he was, draped over him, their thighs against each other, a thousand smiles and looks and accidentally-on-purpose touches of the hand… and Viktor Nikiforov was still strictly in the dream land?

Was this the only thing that would be a surprise?

The bill came, and Viktor took it and slid his card under the clip. It would be the best rubles he had ever spent. (Except for Makkachin’s adoption fee.)

“We should get going, there are more events tomorrow…” Phichit said, watching Yuuri fighting to keep his eyes open, his cheek against Viktors arm. Chris played the traitor, standing up first, forcing Viktor to use his time wisely. He pulled away, but Yuuri sunk closer to him.

“Oh great… We left the chair at the hotel…” Phichit said, his perfectly laid plans fraying at the edges.

“The wheelchair?” He had forgotten about it. The fact that this boy had something about him that kept him from competing in the main Olympics.

“How did he…?” The words left Viktor’s lips before he meant them too. He moved carefully, extracting himself from Yuuri’s weight until we has able to get his feet underneath him.

“He walked in, but if he can’t sit, he can’t walk, and if you’re not careful you could hurt him.” Phichit worried his bottom lip.  He and his best friend were close to the same height, so a few tipsy nights hadn’t been much of a problem. But that had been in Detroit in the summer, not Sochi in the middle of winter.

The problem solved itself, Viktor sliding his arms around   Yuuri’s back and under his knees. Where he expected hard muscle with the soft give of flesh, he was pinched with hard plastic. Though the rest of him drooped, his feet remained straight, his slacks riding up to a skeleton of titanium ankles.

Oh.

“Here,” Phichit said, stepping around the table and grabbing the bottom of the dress shoes, unceremoniously pulling them

And the rest of Yuuri’s leg

Off.

The pant legs below Yuri’s knees deflated, but Viktor no longer had to worry about kicking other restaurant patrons in the head.

“That will make it easier to fit in the car.” Phichit said, tucking the legs under his arm. He obviously knew what was going on and had no issue whatsoever. Christopher knew too. Or he was just cool and didn’t feel like the worlds eyes were upon them.

God smiled upon them, and they happened to stay at the same hotel near the Olympic Oval. Phichit called a car home, the only one smart enough to keep a battery reserve on his smart phone. Viktor, the tallest, was tasked the keeper of Yuuri. In the lobby, Phichit dug out and set the sleeping man’s wallet into his lap, as Viktor held him like a bride over the threshold.

“Thanks. I owe you.” Phichit said, before following Chris up to the fifth floor. Viktor rode alone in the elevator… well, with Yuuri, late enough that the halls were quiet. There was only the hum of the elevator pulling upward, and the soft, even breathing of the silver medalist nestled against his chest.

He somehow managed to unlock the door, thanking all the corporations in Russia that it was a touch-card and not a key. He jostled Yuuri slightly, searching for a light switch on the wall. His arms were tiring, even during the break in the car. Why on earth was he up so high? All the accessible rooms were usually at the bottom floors in order to save costs on ordering evacuation equipment. That was if this hotel was even accessible. It never occurred to him before.

It was a small, single room; the only thing touched in the room was the bed. The expensive water laid untouched, even the complimentary pillow mint was uneaten. Viktor carefully set Yuri on the bed, in the middle of the nest of blankets. He paused, before reaching out to loosen this strange, perfect man’s tie. His eyelids fluttered open, and he stared up at Viktor.

His very core tugged him downward, harder than gravity. He wanted those eyes locked on him, to see what they did when given more pleasure than just a good meal and drink.

But he had just carried him, this boy drunk enough to spill his heart but not tie his idols name to the body beside him. He could not tarnish this image by taking what he could not get a clear answer to.

So instead he leaned down, kissing his forehead sweetly.

“Spokushki, Yuuri.”

[maryanntorreson]

War Brides: The Oral Histories Of The Military Spouses Who Took A Chance On America

An estimated 300,000 “war brides,” as they were known, left home to make the intrepid voyage to the United States after falling in love with American soldiers who were stationed abroad during World War II. There were so many that the United States passed a series of War Brides Acts in 1945 and 1946. This legislation provided them with an immigration pathway that didn’t previously exist under the Immigration Act of 1924, which imposed quotas on immigrants based on their nation of origin and strategically excluded or limited immigration from certain parts of the world, particularly Asia.

Equipped with little but a feeling and a sense of promise, war brides left everything that was familiar behind to forge a new identity in the United States. Many spoke little to no English upon their arrival in the country, and they were introduced to post-war American culture through specially designed curricula and communities. To this day, organizations for war brides in the United States provide networks for military spouses and their children, helping them keep their heritage alive and share their experiences of their adopted home.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 2, 2020, Babbel conducted interviews with surviving war brides as much of the world endured lockdown. Many of these women are now in their 80s and 90s, and their oral histories celebrate the challenges and successes of adapting to a new culture and language, as well as reflect on the leap of faith they all took to travel across the world to an unknown country. Spoiler alert: there are few regrets.

Below, you’ll find our curated repository of the video, audio and transcription of the conversations we had with war brides from Japan, France, Belgium, Italy and the Philippines, as well as photographs they’ve provided us from their past and present.

Skip ahead to: Alice Lawson’s Story (Belgium) Nina Edillo’s Story (Philippines) Emilia Zecchino’s Story (Italy) Huguette Coghlan’s Story (France) Tsuchino Forrester’s Story (Japan)

    War Brides: On Coming To America

Alice Lawson — Belgium

I was born in Belgium, in Liège. I lived in a suburb, on a high plateau that overlooked the city. I had family that lived in the countryside, in the Flemish part of Belgium, so I knew Flemish. I also studied German because I was worried about the war coming, which started when I was about 16 years old.

I remember when I was a young girl and the Germans were coming into the city. They would crawl up the hillside with rifles in their arms, and the kids who were at the top of the hill would throw clumps of grass or rocks to try to dissuade the Germans from coming up the hill.

One soldier came into my parents’ house because he was hungry. My father said, “Come in the back and you can eat something.” However, the German wouldn’t eat anything unless my dad ate the same thing with him.

My dad worked on the streetcar system where he was a conductor, and he got me to work there as well. I was one of the people in the back who moves the electrical lines to the next one over. I also worked in the garage getting things started, moving the trolleys onto the line. I was tough.

I met my husband when the Americans came in. We went to the movies, my mother and I, and he was on the other side of the road. He looked at me and then came over and presented himself. That was it. Then we started dating.

He was an American soldier, so he spoke only English. We had things in common because I was a nurse working in the Belgian hospital and he was an American working in the American military hospital. So we had a connection in that regard, but I think the main connection had to do with the way that I looked and the way that John looked. He was good-looking, so I was willing to date him.

He wanted to get married right away. He had to go approach my father to ask him if he could marry me. And he was, of course, very reluctant, but I would not be dissuaded.

Once we decided to get married, he did a very unusual thing for an American soldier: he had my sister take all my measurements and sent them to his sister who lived in Maine, and he asked her to pick out a wedding dress for me and send it to Belgium. He also paid for the flowers and things like that so that we could have a beautiful wedding, which I think is pretty unusual.

At the time, I said to him, “I’m Catholic. Ff I do get married, I want to be married in a church.” So he said, “Well, I’m Catholic too.” I said, “Well, tell me a few things about the Catholic religion.” And he couldn’t tell me anything! He only knew how to do the sign of the cross like a Catholic — that’s all he knew. So he took a course in the army to become a Catholic for me.

We went off for a two-week honeymoon in the countryside of Northern Belgium. But because the war was still going on in Japan, he was then transferred there. I was only a few months pregnant when he got sent off to Japan.

The war ended before he got there, so he was sent back to the United States and released. He had made arrangements for me to come to the United States. But when my dad found out I was moving to America, he passed out. It was tough on the family, but my husband had made a promise that we’d be coming back to visit. Of course, that didn’t quite happen as well as my mother had hoped. It was tough on my parents, which made it hard for me.

I went through the Ellis Island immigration area when I arrived, and I spent a night in New York before getting on a train. It took five days to get to Alabama. I didn’t recognize my husband when I arrived because he had gotten very sick and lost so much weight.

It was a different way of life for me because I grew up in the city, had season tickets to the opera, and was an art student in college. Now I was in rural America facing an outhouse: there was no indoor plumbing, no indoor running water. We ended up moving into a chicken coop that my husband covered inside with paper so that nobody could see in.

I was also in a dry county, and I had a bottle of wine that I brought from Europe. I put it in the window to cool, and my husband saw it when he was coming home, and said, “You’re going to get us arrested! You’re not allowed to drink wine in this county!” So I said to him, “Why, are we in Russia?”

I had a couple of sisters-in-law who were very good to me. My mother-in-law as well. So they tried to accommodate me and teach me English, and my husband would give me homework every day to study the language. Of course we didn’t have TV or anything, but I would learn through the people who I met.

My English wasn’t good — there were a lot of hand signals at that time! It was difficult to learn, but I credit my ability to learn to the fact that I knew Flemish and German. There are a lot of French words that are English words. Between those three languages, I felt that I had a leg up on learning the English language.

Many times, people would call me an immigrant and say, “You’ve got an accent, go back to your country.” I remember those kinds of comments, but I could shake them off. They didn’t bother me.

I was pretty surprised by the racial problems I confronted in Alabama. I couldn’t understand that kind of racism because I wasn’t used to that in Belgium.

I was once on the bus and there was no room at the front of the bus to sit. I had my son in my arms and my husband was also on the bus, the three of us. I went to the back of the bus to sit because there was an empty seat, and my husband was very upset with me, that I would do that and not stand at the front. Those kinds of encounters were part of daily life for me.

We lived in Alabama for about a year or so. But because I was so unhappy with the lack of city life, and there was no work down there for my husband, we went up to join my sister-in-law in Michigan and get a job at one of the factories.

My husband worked bartender jobs and we lived in terrible housing, but he ended up getting a job at General Motors. One day, I went off with some friends on a Sunday drive and I saw a sign that said “GI homes for $5.” So I gave the guy $5, went home and told my husband, “Oh, I bought a house today!”

He said, “You bought a house?! Alice, do you know what you’re saying?” I said, “Yeah, I bought a house.” So we took a bus over there and we went to see the guy with my husband’s discharge papers, and we got the approval for buying the house! This is the house we’re still in today, since 1950.

We lived right on the main line for a streetcar in Detroit, so we were 10 minutes away from downtown. My daughter was born two years after my son, and I would take my children into the city frequently. In Detroit, I felt more acclimated to living in America, once I got into the city routine. I’ve always been a city girl, that’s just how I roll!

I’ve been back to Belgium a few times since. I got married in 1945 and went back in 1950. Then in 1964, when my son graduated from high school, I took him back to meet his relatives in Belgium, because he was just a baby when he left there. The last time I was there was in the early 2000s.

I still manage to speak French — je parle toujours le français ! I have a small circle of friends, and we go to lunch and chitter chatter away speaking French. I had other friends who were from Belgium, but they have since passed. I still carry the Flemish language within me, but don’t have much of an opportunity to speak it to anyone around here.

I’ve noticed with other war brides that they were very eager to be accepted and to acclimate into society, so they don’t necessarily talk much in their native language. I just went along with everything that was happening here. I didn’t try to change anything. I just helped myself and learned English. People would always say, “Oh, you have an accent,” and I would reply, “Yeah, vous parlez français? Do you speak French? That’s why I’ve got an accent!”

For people who are considering moving abroad to marry someone, I would say, “Join the club!” If you love somebody, you want to do anything you can to be with them.

    Nina Edillo — Philippines

At the War Ministry Building in Tokyo.

Content warning: some of the written and video material below contains graphic accounts of war-related violence.

My full name is Antonina, but I go by Nina. I’m 92, almost 92 and a half. I was born in Manila and we lived in a compound where the superintendent of city schools also lived. There were several American teachers and their families in that compound, so we were speaking English a lot.

Growing up wasn’t easy, because the war broke out when I was in seventh grade. They had sentry boxes every few miles, and everyone who passed by had to bow. And if you didn’t bow correctly, they’d slap you. The Japanese would come out of the sentry box and slap you and show you that this is the way to bow to them. So my dad said, “Don’t go outside if it isn’t necessary.”

During the war, our house was burned down and we had run for our lives because the Japanese were trying to kill as many civilians as they could while the American soldiers were pursuing them. We tried to shelter in one of the burned-out houses, and we went under the foundations to try to hide. But before that, we had to cross a big wall. It took me a long time to get in through the passage, and a Japanese soldier came over to me and poked me in the back with his bayonet. That’s why even now, I don’t want anyone touching me from the back. It has remained with me. I was so scared. I was 13, 14 at that time.

That night we could hear the Japanese yelling and running and then at around 2 or 3 o’clock when it started getting light, I saw a pair of feet. I knew that the Japanese did not have boots like that. And then after a while, I said, “Oh my God, these are different. These are big feet.” One of the soldiers bent down and said, “Oh, hello there.” When he said “hello,” I knew he was an American!

He told us we were in the firing line and to go as far back as we could. I was so excited. I said, “The Americans are here!” While I was running I looked down, and I didn’t realize that I was running over dead bodies. I said, “Please help me, dear God, help me.” I couldn’t walk anymore because I saw so many of them. And I was in the midst of them. Dead people. That was terrible. I still occasionally dream of that, and then I can’t sleep.

Eventually, we were able to get to a Red Cross station. They were standing there serving cookies and food, so we grabbed some and ate like there was no tomorrow. Thank God we didn’t get sick when we ate, especially me!

It was in early 1945 that I met my husband. We hadn’t seen the ocean for three years, so my sister said, “Let’s go and see how the beach is.” That was where we met a few soldiers, and my sister said to me, “Don’t say anything. I’ll do the talking!”

They introduced themselves and said they were Filipinos from the United States, and they said that they wanted to meet some of the Ilocano, which is my parents’ language and dialect.

They asked, “Would you like some candy?” Well, God, due to the war I hadn’t tasted candy for years! So they gave us some Hershey’s candies, and that’s why some of the war brides call me “Hershey Girl!”

A month after that I met my husband, in May 1945. I didn’t know who he was at that time, but he walked in singing “Sleepy Lagoon.” My sister said, “Oh, he has a beautiful voice.” I said, “No, he can’t sing!”

He was a Filipino man in the U.S. Army and could speak the same dialect that my parents spoke. He was very nice and polite, and they liked him.

We married on December 2, 1945. It was in a small church, and I wore a short dress that my friend made for me. We didn’t have buttons, so she found what looked like little pebbles that she covered to make the buttons. We didn’t have zippers or anything like that, so it was buttons all the way down the back. Another friend had found an old Communion veil that her daughter wore, and they made that into my little veil.

When my husband finished his tour of duty in Japan, we came home to the United States. I had two children at that point, who were both born in Tokyo.

In Tokyo, my children learned to speak a bit of Japanese, and I couldn’t understand them. They would come home and tell me things in Japanese, and I would say, “Just speak in English. I don’t understand Japanese!” They would laugh. They had such fun doing it.

When we came to America, we arrived in San Francisco. I was seasick the whole time, so I was anxious to get off the ship. But we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge at night, and it was all lit up, and it was just beautiful.

The first thing that struck me about San Francisco was the cars. There were so many cars! They were just whizzing by. In Japan, there were not many cars around. Usually, the soldiers were the ones who had cars — and some of the richer Japanese people — but the Japanese tended to rely on streetcars and the subway. It was 1954, and San Francisco seemed so bright and crowded.

The way people spoke in America was also very different. In Japan they don’t speak slang, and it took me a while to understand American lingo.

My husband eventually found a job in Los Gatos, California, for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. He worked for them as a second cook, and they provided us with a home.

Los Gatos was a very small town at that time. There were barely 5,000 people living there. We were the only Filipinos in that area, and they did not know what to make of me. When I took my eldest daughter to kindergarten, the children would say, “What are you? Chinese, Native American?” And I said, “No, we’re from the Philippines!” They didn’t have any idea where that was.

I was a seamstress for the convent the whole time. I made habits out of thick wool. There was a lot of hand sewing involved, and making the skirt required about five yards alone that I had to pleat to fit each person, and it was heavy!

On the whole, people were very nice. I missed my parents, but my sister ended up coming to America as well. I get to speak Ilocano with her still, which is nice because I haven’t been back to the Philippines since 1950. It was too expensive to travel back when I first came to America. I regret that, though. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to travel now.

For me, America hasn’t really changed from the time when I first arrived, because the way people of color are being treated now seems to be the same as when I first got here.

Technology, though, is one change that is so overwhelming for me. Going to the moon left me in awe. And my massage chair — I like my massage chair.

My advice for young people moving to another culture or country is: love conquers all. That’s my philosophy. I loved my husband and he loved me, too. He took good care of me. I miss him so much. We were married almost 57 years. It was fun to hear him sing.

    Emilia Zecchino — Italy

I was born in Bari, Italy. Times were slow during the depression, and I had a very complicated life. When I was a little girl, my dad was in the army, and he was sent to Ethiopia. In 1935, he brought the whole family over there, so I lived in Ethiopia for about five years, and I returned to Bari right in the middle of World War II.

Before the war, I loved to read a lot. I used to love going to school. But my father was a prisoner of war for six years, and while we were in Ethiopia, we lost everything. We were in a concentration camp. And by the time we got back to Italy, it was 1943, and things were very different from when we left.

The war had changed everything in Bari. I remember running because of all the bombings. Until the British and American armies came to Italy to set us free, things were very hard.

I met my husband in a very exceptional way. My husband was of Italian descent, and he had gone to America when he was a young boy, but he still had family in Italy.

He contracted a disease while serving America in the Pacific War, and he had to go back to the veterans hospital in America. While there, his mother, who was in Italy, became very sick.

Emilia and Richie along the Lungomare in Bari, Italy.

It took him 20 days by boat, but by the time he reached his family, his mother had already passed away. He stayed in Italy with his family for a few months.

During this time, I had found a job with the American army in a rank called the USO Shows, which brought in celebrities to perform for the troops. There was an office in Bari, and they needed a typist. I was only 17 years old, and I did not speak English, but I could read it. They convinced me I did not have to speak to anyone, just type. So I copied the words.

My husband passed our door and saw me, and he said he wanted to see more of me. He waited until the end of the day, and then he called me. He called after me in Italian, and I said “Yes, what can I do for you?” He asked me how to get to the station, explaining he was new in town. I tried to explain, but decided to walk him there. And that’s how we met.

As we started talking, we found out we had quite a few things in common. He was born in the same town as my father, and he knew some family there. Actually, my father’s cousin was my husband’s doctor!

That day we met, we felt a special attraction for each other. When we fell in love, it was as simple as that. He had to go back to the Veterans Affairs hospital in America, so we planned to get married after he returned to Italy. But he ended up staying in the hospital for almost a year. By that time, his finances were low, and he told me he did not think he could return to Italy. But he told me there was a way I could come to America as one of the war brides, and we could get married in America.

It took a lot of thinking on my part. But you know, I thought it was meant to be, so I said, “Okay, I’ll try.” My parents were not pleased about it, but I wanted to marry him. They put up a good fight because we did not know anyone in America. How could they let their 19-year-old daughter go alone to a strange country? I had to do a lot of convincing, but I was in love with him and he was in love with me.

Richie and his brother Nino in front of the grocery store.

I arrived in New York Harbor in 1947. I had seen lots of movies where the city was portrayed as such a prominent and beautiful place to live. I had no idea what skyscrapers looked like in real life, but when I saw them, it was really extraordinary.

Everyone was so friendly and kind when I arrived. I felt very much at home. My husband opened a grocery store soon after, and he put me behind the counter. That’s when I realized that I had to learn English. We had all kinds of people come through the door: Black, white, young, old, Italian — every nation! I didn’t know how to speak English, and they all helped me. We all got along beautifully.

Slicing ham in the grocery store on 45th Avenue in Flushing, New York, in 1948.

I remember someone told me about an area called Little Italy, where they had bookstores filled with books that would teach me languages. I read them every day and I made a point of practicing my English, even though I made a lot of mistakes at first. I sometimes made very stupid mistakes! Some people laughed at me, but I laughed with them. I asked them to correct me when I made mistakes, because that’s the way I learned.

After a couple of years of only speaking English with my husband, I knew how to speak well. I loved the language. English is beautiful. I remember reading Joseph Conrad. I found some of the phrases he used so attractive. Once I started reading in English, I felt like part of the environment. I was not a stranger any longer. The sooner you learn the language, the more you feel at home. I wanted to assimilate into the American lifestyle.

One of the biggest differences that struck me was that in Italy, if there was ever something special happening, you would get a mob arriving. Everyone would fight to get to the front of the line, whereas Americans used to line up for hours — there was no pushing, no shoving, no nothing.

The one thing I miss about Bari is the food, because everything is very organic. They still do things the old way, and you can’t replicate that in America. And the wines that they grow in the Bari regions, where the fruits are picked straight from the tree — you can’t make them here.

Emilia and her daughter.

I went back to Bari almost 10 years ago with my daughter for the first time. I couldn’t go back sooner because of the business, the children, and my husband being in and out of the hospital.

It was very emotional because it did not look the way I remembered. It was all completely different, but the food and the restaurants have stayed the same. But it felt so normal to be there. You never lose your birthright, and I was so happy to see my cousins.

I didn’t teach my children Italian, and that was one mistake I made. I wanted to learn how to speak English, so I never spoke Italian to them. I brought my whole family to America, though. My mother raised my oldest son, and only spoke Italian to him, so when he went to kindergarten he couldn’t speak English! The nuns called me and said, “You cannot leave this boy here. He’s crying all the time. He doesn’t understand us.” So he stayed at home, and I had to teach him English.

For people considering moving to a different country or culture, I would say to be courageous, because you never know what you’re going to encounter.

If they are fortunate like me, they will find a beautiful place to call home. My husband was a good provider. I had no problems. We just had to work hard. You’ll have to assimilate with the people wherever you’re going. If you want to keep your ways, then you’re always going to feel like a stranger.

    Huguette Coghlan — France

Huguette Coghlan (© Brigitte Morris)

My maiden name is Huguette Roberte Fauveau, and I am now 95 years old. I was born in Courbevoie, a suburb of Paris, and grew up in a nearby suburb called Chatou. I moved to America with my husband in 1946, and I still live there now.

I had a happy childhood before the war. My parents eloped when they were about 20, and they had me and my younger brother, Serge. My dad worked in a factory as a tool and dyes maker. They did not have a lot of money in the 1930s.

During the war, I remember bombs falling very close to my home. So close that my dad, my brother and I all lost our hearing. It eventually returned, but as I have gotten older, I have lost my hearing again.

We were blessed that we did not get hurt during the German occupation. My grandparents had a little farm, so food was not scarce. We always had food to eat, but bread was something we did not have enough of. At one point, the Germans took over the factory where my father worked. While we remained unhurt, I heard and saw terrible things.

I met my husband when I was on vacation with my grandparents. I was walking to a dance with my friend, Jacqueline. We had missed our ride, so we had to walk over a mile in our high heels. While we were walking, a large Jeep stopped next to us and asked if we wanted a ride.

Naturally, we said no. When we eventually arrived at the venue, our feet were a little bruised, but this did not stop us from dancing. I noticed that two soldiers came in, and after a while, one of them approached me. I knew it was one of the men from the jeep. He told me I had nice legs, and we talked for a long time after that. He told me he was part of the military police and was tasked with supervising the dance. His name was Rodger Murray Rusher and he was 20, like me. He asked me if I would go on a date with him the next day, so I told him where I lived and said yes, but I never thought he’d find my house. He did.

Huguette and Rodger.

My parents and my brother, Serge Lucien, liked Rodger straight away.

My parents, and above all my brother, were extremely sad when I told them I wanted to move to America. But they loved and trusted Rod. His mother had written a letter to my mother, so they had faith that he and his family would take care of me.

I married Rod in Chatou on the 23rd of September, 1945, in the Sainte-Thérèse Church.

I had studied English for four years in school, so I could read and write English. I was pretty good at speaking it, but I spoke with a strong French accent. When I got to America, I discovered that some people had a hard time understanding me. Many still do!

I became keen to learn English. I remember I read a lot, did lots of crossword puzzles, and always had my nose in a dictionary. It didn’t take me long to become fluent.

Rod and I first arrived in New York on the 19th of May, 1946. I spent my 21st birthday in New York. After that, we traveled to where Rodger’s family was from — a place called Roundup, Montana.

My extended family made me feel very welcome when I arrived, and they hosted a party to introduce me to all their friends from around the town. They all wanted to hear about France, and all were very nice and welcoming. Up until then, I’d thought my English was good, but this is when I discovered that I had a hard time understanding them, and vice versa.

My in-laws had a four-bedroom log ranch. They did not have electricity, and their water came from a well. The bathroom consisted of two holes in a little outhouse. It was a very pretty ranch, but it was a shock for me. I came from a very modern house in a big city. But when you are young, you adjust easily to changes.

I have returned to France many times over the years. The first time was not long after Rod died. He wanted to be a pilot, and he was learning to fly under the GI Bill. When I was still pregnant with our second child, Rod was killed in a plane accident with his brother in 1948.

A year or so after that, I returned to France. I stayed for six months, and then made the very difficult decision to return to America. It was hard to leave my parents and brother again, but by then I knew that I wanted my children to be American.

I didn’t have any formal lessons to learn how to be an American, but I soon grew to love America very much.

In Roundup, I missed the symphony and the opera that I used to attend at home. But when I moved to a bigger city in Montana, Bozeman, I could start to enjoy them again.

I spoke French with my children at home. My first two children were born in Roundup. I remember once overhearing some other children make fun of Gerald and Gregory for speaking French, so that’s when I thought, “No more French. They are American, they live here, and I want them to be American!” That was a mistake, but I didn’t know it then. It was difficult as a widow, and things were very different back then.

Three years after Rodger died, I remarried to a man named Terry James Coghlan. We had a girl, who we named Jacqueline. She speaks a little French, is very keen to learn, and is taking lessons now!

I would tell people who were considering moving to another country for love to not be afraid, and to follow your heart.

    Tsuchino Forrester — Japan

I came to America in 1960. Washington is such a beautiful state, with its mountains, oceans and rivers. In many ways it reminds me of Japan, and that’s why I settled here. There’s also a strong Japanese community in Seattle, where my husband and I have settled.

I was born in the countryside of Japan, so I would run around a lot and study little. I remember playing all the time with no restrictions.

When the war started, I was about 10 years old. We were in the countryside, and we had a ranch, so we didn’t have a problem feeding ourselves. Maybe a bit with meat and fish, but we produced our own rice and vegetables, so we were never hungry. I don’t remember seeing any soldiers, and we didn’t get bombed. Maybe 20 miles from my house was a city, Fukuoka, and one time I remember seeing the bombs from afar. To me it looked like fireworks. That’s what I remember.

I met my husband, Michael Forrester, through a mutual friend. He was in the U.S. Air Force. One night, he was visiting his friend, and by chance, I was visiting his friend’s wife, so that’s how we met.

At first, I thought he was a snob like all the other American soldiers who came to Japan. You know how soldiers come in and take over our country and we couldn’t say anything. He thought he was a big shot, so I thought I would show him my Japanese spirit!

That changed when he showed how persistent he was. He kept coming back, and the Japanese guys, they never did that. And he had plans for his life. I liked that about him. The way he looked to the future of his life — that’s what I fell in love with. He wanted to become a pilot, and I wanted to help.

When my father died, my brother quit school to become the head of the family. At that time in Japan, women weren’t supposed to be more educated than the head of the family, so my mother wouldn’t let me go to college. My teacher even tried to talk to my mother to convince her, but she still said no. So with Mike, and his plans, I said, “This is someone I can help go to college.” And now we’ve been married 62 years.

Initially, my family were not happy about me wanting to marry an American. Some of my family had died in the war, so my uncle was strictly against Americans and those who associated with them. He disowned me. But my other family members, they knew how stubborn I was, and they knew that once I had made up my mind, that was it. Their only worry was how would they help me if I was so far away.

We married in 1958. There were a couple of things in our way. When we filed for permission with the U.S. Air Force to marry, they sent Mike back to the United States! So it took time — close to two years. When he managed to come back to Japan, he was stationed.

We actually had three weddings. The first was in a Shinto temple, which the Japanese recognized as an official marriage, but the Americans did not. It made it easier for me to move with Mike to his new station on Okinoerabujima. Then our second wedding was December 23, 1958, and our chaplain one was on February 17, 1959.

Our first wedding was a Japanese wedding, which meant you have to take your shoes off, and that’s when I saw that Mike had holes in his socks! I remember looking at his feet and saying, “What is this?”

The U.S. Air Force found out about our Shinto wedding, and they didn’t like it. They almost court-martialed Mike for it. But his mother wrote to President Eisenhower, who stopped it.

We moved ahead with our plans to move to the United States. I had gotten my visa and passport, and Mike was due to finish his service in the air force. One night, the MP and Japanese police knocked on my door, and I thought, “What now? Is Mike going to jail again?” But this time, it was the sad news that Mike’s father had died. So Mike had to leave straight away.

It actually turned out that even though Mike left before me, I arrived in America two days before him. The American Red Cross helped me with getting the right tickets and everything. When I arrived in New York, I slept in the same bed as his mother, because there was no space for me.

Because it all happened so fast, I didn’t have a chance to feel sad about leaving Japan. It was more about how I could get there safely. And I was young, so my mind was made up. I’d heard great things about America. It was the land of opportunity.

I know a lot of Japanese people who miss Japanese food, but I don’t miss much about Japan. I liked hamburgers, and steak, and Mike’s mom’s specialty was spaghetti. That was good!

I learned how to read and write English a little in Japan, but the pronunciation was difficult for me. Some words were easy to confuse, like “yard” and “garden.” When I arrived in America, I had three younger brothers-in-law. I had to learn how to speak English for my own survival. I was always listening in the beginning, and I found that was the best teacher.

We moved around America a lot. When I first came, I felt so free and energetic. I love it here. Nowadays, I think people forget to show kindness and manners, however, which saddens me.

I have been back to Japan many times since. It has changed a lot. Especially my village. We used to run through all the houses playing hide and seek without permission. But now all the houses have fences, and gates, so it must be different being a child there. And there are lots of multistory buildings. Everything is being built up.

I think it’s not enough for a young person to marry someone from another culture or another country simply for the sake of living in another country. There needs to be some sort of goal they share. They should think twice, because love will get you into trouble. On some level, I just don’t resonate with that sort of easy thinking of an easy marriage.

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photos by Lisa Davidson

I had never heard of Alejandro Escovedo before moving to Nashville in the late 90s. A friend I worked with loved him and turned me on to his work with Rank & File as well as his solo offerings. I liked what I heard but over the years I drifted in and out of spells where I would reach for his records. I saw him in a small theatre with Joe Ely a few years back for the first time. I was blown away by the bare stripped-down songs sung with only he and Ely on acoustic guitars. As I sat there listening all I could imagine is just how good these songs would sound with a full band. Flash forward five or six years and I am sitting at City Winery in Nashville, anxiously waiting for Alejandro and Don Antonio to take the stage.

We were treated to an opening set by Don Antonio, the Italian band Escovedo worked with to write and record The Crossing. The lead singer looks like Reuben Blades which for some reason I found amusing. The band was tight and each song was uniquely their own. I kept thinking about how great Escovedo was going to sound with these guys backing him up.

In full disclosure I had not listened to The Crossing before going to the show. Not sure how this happened but the fault lies solely on my shoulders. While I had read reviews and found the concept intriguing, I avoiding the recordings (once I knew I was covering the show) as I wanted to experience these songs for the first time in a live environment. Once Escovedo walked on stage and the first notes of “Footsteps in the Shadows” rang out I was glad I made that decision. The song starts out ominously, which makes sense given its subject matter, and it continues building and cresting. The sax undercuts the moment before it returns to the gritty dangerous feel of guitars whaling against each other. It was an amazing moment and just recalling the urgent pulsing vocals I get goose bumps. “Texas Is My Mother” follows with the reverb from the guitars filling the room. Escovedo and Antonio Gramnetieri have a great chemistry and the interplay of their guitars take over the back part of the song and remind me of “All Along the Watchtower”. Escovedo takes a second to talk about how he and Don Antonio came to work together. He said he was going to tour Europe two years ago and had to pick from three bands, two were English and one was Italian. He chose the Italians and flew to Italy to play for a day and a half before kicking off the tour in Frankfurt. “Teenage Luggage” a tales of two immigrants (one Mexican and the other Italian) who like punk rock and all things 70’s is next up. It was very punky in terms of feel and lyrics and the horns and keys found a nice home amidst the raucousness. Stepping away from The Crossing material, Escovedo revisits “Castanets” from his 2001 release A Man Under the Influence. It is when you hear songs like this that you scratch your heads as to why Escovedo is not more of a household name. It is furious, the guitars are ramped up and rocked out, the keys are pounding and Escovedo is having a blast putting six-piece band through its paces. “Outlaw for You” is fun and upbeat with a vintage Detroit keyboard feel meshing nicely with the growly saxophone.

“Something Blue” also from The Crossing is a beautiful moment. Escovedo is strongly invested in this song and his honest voice resonates. As the song progresses it gets a little more rock and takes on a genuine heartland vibe. While I have alluded to how great Don Antonio is in backing Escovedo, let me take a second to drive this point home. They are beyond excellent. Having known each other since they were kids and growing up in the same village there is a synergy among them that definitely impacts the music. I am not sure an American band could have delivered what they brought to the party. “MC Overload” kicks off with some feedback before the thundering rumbling drums and guitars take it up another notch. You just have to love lines like “In my Italian Shoes I’m gonna overtake the bandstand” delivered with a semi-defiant sneer. Everything seemed to just keep getting louder as Gramentieri and Escovedo traded off guitar licks for one of the more visceral moments of the evening. Going in a very different direction, Escovedo goes back to 2008’s Real Animal for “Sensitive Boys”, co-written with Chuck Prophet. An autobiographical song about his life being in bands it is slow and achingly beautiful. Escovedo sings the hell out of this one, his 68 year-old voice untouched by time. The sax fills at the end provide the perfect close to a perfect song. “Sonica USA” brings back the early punk energy. As an extra bonus, Dead Boys guitarist and Nashville resident Cheetah Chrome joins the band for a genuine DIY garage rock rave-up! It is loud and bone rattling, just the way it should be. Before I can even recover from that sonic assault, the band explodes into The Stooges “Search & Destroy” with Chrome (of course) taking front and center on guitar. Escovedo is reveling in the moment, three guitars churning away and the drummer bashing the skins, it was a performance I will not soon forget.

So where do you go from there? Escovedo takes it down a notch with “Always a Friend” with keys and sax interplaying throughout. As the song progresses everyone gets a turn to stretch out and showcase their talents. It was fun and funky before the song segued into a reggae tinged version of “Tracks of My Tears” which is one of my top ten songs of all time (please bear in mind my top ten has hundreds of songs and the top ten is relative given the day, time, temp, etc.). Escovedo sounded right at home before the song again veered and went into Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself” which eventually closes the set.

Walking off stage for a few seconds the band returns and Escovedo is presented with a cake for his 68th birthday and sung “Happy Birthday” in Italian, which is the only way I want to hear it sung from now on. For the encore we get the Joe Ely penned “Silver City” which was sparse and melodic. Before the last note rings out Escovedo is off on a tear with “Another Girl, Another Planet” which I thought was a Mighty Lemon Drops song but after a little research found it to be from English band The Other Ones. I always loved TMLD version so I was thrilled to hear Escovedo, Don Antonio & Cheetah Chrome beat it to a pulp! Coming down off of that temporary high I was just standing there wondering what else he was going to pull out of his hat. Remarking that the band hasn’t played this song they go into Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes” again with Cheetah Chrome whaling along on guitar. For a band that didn’t know the song they did a tremendous job, so tremendous I’m not sure Escovedo wasn’t pulling our collective leg a little. And then there is Ecovedo, center stage grinning, and pouring his all into the vocal performance. It was big, it was bombastic and it was over all too soon. Finishing with a wave the band walked off to rapturous applause.

I knew that Alejandro Escovedo would be magnificent but I had no idea how magical it would be. Six Italians and one Mexican-American alt-country punk all star made two hours go by in a blink of an eye.   I was beyond ecstatic to have been in attendance but all the while was irritated that it had taken me this long to see Escovedo with a full band. The new record is a masterpiece and the light it shines on the immigrant experience offers a unique take on an experience that many of us are clueless about. Take my advice, spend the money, grab a flight, catch a train, and get a ticket to make sure you see Alejandro Escovedo with Don Antonio while they are on tour this winter. Moments like this do not come around often and you want to make sure you can say “I saw them when…”.

Show Review: Alejandro Escovedo Birthday Show w/Don Antonio at City Winery, Nashville @aescovedo1 @yeproc @newwestrecords #americanamusic photos by Lisa Davidson I had never heard of Alejandro Escovedo before moving to Nashville in the late 90s.

[reomanet]

Aretha Franklin funeral – ‘Queen of Soul’ lies cross-legged in gold coffin as fans gather to pay respects at Detroit museum

Aretha Franklin funeral – ‘Queen of Soul’ lies cross-legged in gold coffin as fans gather to pay respects at Detroit museum

Health News FIT FOR A QUEEN Aretha Franklin funeral – Queen of Soul’s body to be transported in Rosa Parks’ hearse from Detroit museum on Friday The singing sensation’s body has been on display at Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for two days By Jon Lockett, Patrick Knox and Gemma Mullin 30th August 2018, 12:01 am Updated: 30th August 2018, 2:47 am By Jon Lockett, Patrick Knox and Gemma Mullin Invalid Date, LEGENDARY singer Aretha Franklin’s body will be transported in Rosa Parks’ hearse from a Detroit museum before she is laid to rest on Friday. Loyal fans have been paying their final respects to the Queen of Soul as she lies in state at Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. AP:Associated Press 29 Aretha Franklin in her open casket presented in the way she would have wanted The star’s body went on display on Tuesday as part of a week of commemorations for the legend, who died of pancreatic cancer on August 16. For the first of the two-day public viewing, the star was dressed in ruby red heels and a matching dress with her legs crossed at the ankle. On the final day, she had been changed into a sheer baby blue dress with matching shoes. She lies in state in a glittering gold coffin which has the words “Aretha Franklin the Queen of Soul” embroidered into the fabric on the inside of the lid. EPA The 1940 Cadillac LaSalle hearse has been used to carry her father Rev CL Franklin’s body EPA Aretha’s body is taken from the back of the classic car, which comes with its own history EPA The hearse used to transport her body is the same car that carried Rosa Park’s coffin EPA 29 The casket containing the body of US singer and actress Aretha Franklin is removed from a 1940 LaSalle hearse as it is returned to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for a second day of public viewing Commemorations will continue tonight with a free public concert organised by her family called “A People’s Tribute to the Queen” at Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheatre. Tickets to the event, which will feature tributes and performances from R&B, all-star, jazz and gospel groups, sold out within minutes. On Friday, a private funeral will take place for the singer at the Greater Grace Temple, with an all-star list of speakers and performer, including Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, and Jennifer Hudson. Following the service, she will then be laid to rest at the city’s Woodlawn Cemetery. Reuters The soul legend was laid out in a gold coffin, wearing a lace-trimmed red suit and surrounded by flowers AFP or licensors 29 Aretha was transported to the museum in a 1936 white LaSalle sedan Her body is expected to travel in the same hearse which transported her to the museum earlier this week. The 1940 Cadillac LaSalle hearse has been used to carry her father Rev CL Franklin’s body, funeral director O’Neil Swanson II told CNN . He said the vehicle also transported the bodies of Rosa Parks in 2005 and Temptations singer David Ruffin in 1991. The streets outside the funeral home are expected to be lined with pink Cadillac cars, in a tribute to Franklin’s 1985 hit Freeway of Love on Friday. AP:Associated Press Franklin was not just a world music legend but also an icon for African Americans Reuters The casket in which Franklin will lie in state for two days of public viewing in her beloved city AFP or licensors 29 The stunning flower display is symbolic as is everything else in the display Inside the Detroit museum where she lay in state she was surrounded by a spray of soft-pink and lavender-coloured roses. The flowers were said to reflect her love for them and her propensity to send arrangements “in grand fashion”. And her legs were said to have been crossed at the ankles, to remember someone who was comfortable with being a strong woman. On Tuesday, Franklin wore scarlet lip stick and ruby high heels and was dressed in red which was symbolic of her membership in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which fights for the rights of African American women. Getty Images – Getty Legions of fans have been queuing up for hours to pay tribute Reuters The gold casket carrying Franklin is taken to a resting place where it will be displayed for two days Meanwhile its ornamental elements and sheer netting fabric paid homage to something she would wear onstage. Sabrina Owens, Franklin’s niece, who was among those organising the event, confirmed the dress was “something she would have selected for herself”. She said: “After all she gave to the world, I felt we needed to give her an appropriate send-off that would match her legacy. “She loved the city of Detroit and the city of Detroit loved her.” Iconic singer Aretha Franklin’s legendary hits Aretha’s soaring voice also poured out from loudspeakers outside the museum, stirring fans arriving to pay their respects to sway and sing along and others to weep. Franklin died last week at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer in Detroit , where she began her career as a child singing gospel in the New Bethel Baptist Church choir. Hundreds of music lovers slept on the sidewalk overnight to ensure they were among the first to say a farewell to the global star. Officials made mourners put away their cell phones before viewing Aretha and quickly ushered them along. AFP or licensors It has now emerged that the mega-star did not leave a will to her $80m estate Tammy Gibson, 49, of Chicago said she arrived about 5.30am. She came alone but made fast friends with others who sang and reminisced. Growing up, Gibson said she heard Franklin’s music “playing all the time” by her parents, who “told me to go to bed it’s an adult party.” Outside the museum, she said: “I know people are sad, but it’s just celebrating people dancing and singing her music.” Indeed, a group of women were singing her hit “Freeway of Love.” Reuters The singing star will lie in state for two days of public viewing in Detroit EPA A fan sits inside a pink Cadillac parked outside the museum EPA Fans queue to view the mortal remains of the legendary US singer Franklin had been a constant in Gibson’s life. “I saw the gold-plated casket it dawned on me: She’s gone, but her legacy and her music will live on forever.” Multiple life-sized posters of her flanked the entrance and exit of the building – which was soon mobbed with fans. Museum board member Kelly Major Green said the goal was to create a dignified and respectful environment akin to a church, the place where Aretha got her start. EPA Jennifer Jones, of New Orleans, gives Aretha Franklin a proper jazz funeral send off Reuters Aretha’s star-studded funeral is set to take place on Friday “What we wanted to do is be reflective of the Queen,” Ms Green said. “It’s beautiful. She’s beautiful.” The high-heel scarlet shoes, in particular, show “The Queen of Soul is diva to the end,” Ms Green said. “She is just iconic. The way she loved and treated individuals, and she always remained down to earth,” said Mary Jones, who wore an”‘I love Aretha’ t-shirt and made the four-hour drive from Ohio to pay her respects. “It’s unreal that I’m going to get to say goodbye to her now. It’s amazing.” The Wright Museum previously hosted a similar public viewing for civil rights icon Rosa Parks after her 2005 death. Aretha sang at Parks’ funeral and the singer will be entombed in the same cemetery as Parks. AFP or licensors Fans queued overnight to ensure they were among the first to say their farewells Alamy 29 Aretha at the 2016 White House Correspondents Association Annual Dinner It has now emerged that the mega-star did not leave a will – despite having tens of millions stashed in the bank. Court documents show the ‘I Say a Little Prayer ‘ legend had no will at the time of her death, reports US entertainment website TMZ. The singer’s four sons – Clarence, Edward, Teddy White Jr. and Kecalf – will now share equally in her estimated $80m estate, in accordance with Michigan state law. AFP or licensors Mourners line up to view the body of the singing superstar Alamy The ‘Queen of Soul’, pictured in the 1960s, is considered one of the greatest singers ever Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ (Original Version, 1967) Reuters People hold cards with the image of Aretha Franklin as they wait in line AP:Associated Press The Queen of Soul will by lying in state for the next two days AFP or licensors The star will be missed by millions of music fans AP:Associated Press 29 Aretha’s close friend Stevie Wonder is reported to be performing at her funeral service Aretha’s funeral is due to take place on August 31, at at 10am Eastern Standard Time, which is 3pm in the UK, when her body will be entombed at a family gravesite. It will be held at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan and her body will be entombed at the Woodlawn Cemetery. The funeral will see the legendary artist ‘s family and closest friends say goodbye to the singer in the private event. Over a 100 pink Cadillacs are expected to line up outside the church to pay homage to Franklin’s song Freeway of Love, in which she sings about a pink Cadillac. Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Holliday, Jennifer Hudson and Yolanda Adam are set to perform at the service, according to CNN . Others performing are Faith Hill, Chaka Khan, classical artist Audrey DuBois Harris, soprano Alice McAllister Tillman, Franklin’s son Edward Franklin, the Aretha Franklin Orchestra and the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir. Music producer Clive Davis is also planning a tribute concert to honour the legend at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in November. AFP or licensors Aretha passed away from advanced pancreatic cancer on August 16 AFP or licensors A fan sheds a tear for the star in her adopted home of Detroit Reuters People view the body of the late singer as she lies in state MORE ABOUT ARETHA FRANKLIN Inside Aretha Franklin’s porn, drug & sex toy-obsessed music label Atlantic HER FINAL SHOW Aretha Franklin to wear different outfit each day while lying in open casket SAY A LITTLE PRAYER Here’s all the details about late singer Aretha Franklin’s funeral ARETHA’S ANTHEMS Aretha Franklin songs – from I Say A Little Prayer to Respect QUEEN OF SOUL How old was Aretha Franklin when she died and how many children did she have? Soul Sista Who are Aretha Franklin’s children and how old was she when they were born? RIP QUEEN OF SOUL Aretha Franklin has died after eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer FAMILY RESPECT All about Aretha Franklin’s ex husbands and children KILLER CANCER What is pancreatic cancer and when was Aretha Franklin diagnosed with it? RESPECT Here’s what you need to know about Madonna’s MTV VMAs tribute to Aretha Franklin mad rant Madonna slammed for making ‘tribute’ to Aretha Franklin all about herself at VMAs The singer was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but moved to Detroit when she was five. Rolling Stone magazine recently named her the greatest singer of all time. Aretha’s dazzling music career included classic songs (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and RESPECT. The mum-of-four died surrounded by loved ones in the town where she grew up, publicist Gwendolyn Quinn announced. Aretha Franklin’s ex-husband Glynn Turman opens up about her final moments We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.

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[alifeenrouteblog]

two days in prague

How I got to Prague

I took a midnight bus on Saturday to Prague. My friend Kelsey who lived in Prague for a year, recommended Student Agency Buses. She said DEFINITELY DO NOT TAKE FLIX BUS. I listened to her. And the Student Agency bus was very nice. Similar to MegaBus, but nicer and more comfortable. Clean bathrooms. Very good Wifi. Each seat comes with a USB plug in, an outlet, and a TV. I haven’t taken MegaBus in years, but when I did take it regularly from Chicago to Detroit, I hated the check-in process and how the driver was in charge of everything. They were always overwhelmed and struggled with this part of the job. They would get mad if you asked about the WIFI. But Student Agency has someone doing all of the administration work. I don’t know her title, but I thought of her as a host. It made all the logistics go really smooth. She even offered to get you complimentary coffee or water!!!

I fell asleep in the first 30 minutes. The host woke me up at 4:00am to tell me that we were in Bron. I said thank you and went back to bed, unsure of why she told me that. She came back five minutes later and told me this is where I was supposed to get off. I explained that I was going to Prague (so was the bus according to the paper sign on the front of the bus) and I showed her my ticket on my phone. She pointed out that I had a transfer in Bron.

Uhh…holy shit. So I said ok and got off. I walked away, forgetting my bag. But they yelled me down and gave it to me. I had no idea where I was or what I was supposed to do next. We were dropped off in a hotel’s parking lot. I could tell from the ticket that the next leg of my trip did not depart from this parking lot. So first, I googled where I was. Bron is in the Czech Republic. I used the map on my phone (having a panic attack about all the data that I was going to have reimburse my mommy) and figured out I was going to the train station. It was just a three minute walk to the train station but I could not figure out where the Student Agency bus pickup was, which left in 45 minutes. There was a bar across the street still open, a lot of people hanging outside the bar and around the streets. Maybe I’m ignorant, but I did not want to ask these folks where to go. I had a vision in my head that I would ask and they would say, “oh, oh, let me just walk you there”; take me to an alley, beat me up and steal everything I own. So I had to figure this one out on my own.

Oh and I had to pee soooo bad! The train station was open, but nothing inside was open, including the bathrooms. I was about to explode. I looked all over their website trying to look for specifics, to no avail. Oh and my phone was close to dying.  I walked around trying to figure out where I was supposed to go, freaking out, trying not to pee. Finally, I found a TV outside that had the train schedule, with the platforms. AND I SAW IT!!! Prague – Student Agency – 5:04am – Platform 4. IT WASN’T A BUS! IT WAS A TRAIN. I ran to platform 4 with about 10-15 minutes to spare. Found I had a business class ticket. Had a whole little room to myself. All the outlets I wanted. Super-duper WiFi. A server dude asking me if I wanted more Americano. Um, yes, always. It was a glorious ride to Prague. I was so proud of myself. For figuring out where to go. And for not peeing myself.

 What to do in Prague

I arrived in Prague at 7am and dropped my bag off at my Airbnb, which was very close to the Old Town Square. It’s cool. It’s pretty. Its full of tourists; huge tour groups. It started to fill up by 8am. I was pleased to see an ambulance parked in the square. I assume they were helping someone in the group of guys, still drinking from the night before in the square.

I went to the Prague Castle. I took an Uber as far as I could but you have to hike up the hill to get there. The castle is almost worth it. What makes the exhausting climb (especially if you’re like me and smoke twice as much in Europe #wheninrome) are the view from the top #drake. At the top of the hill, there’s the castle and some other, probably very important, buildings. There are also kiosks selling food and souvenirs. Surprisingly, there’s a Starbucks up there. It was the most unique Starbucks I’ve ever been to. It had an amazing rooftop patio with gorgeous views. A patio on the other side, which was a little lower. Some tables inside were next to a window, which you could open all the way, overlooking the city. Normally, we like to avoid chain restaurants on international adventures, right? But this was too cool. I worked on my computer for a couple of hours there and I didn’t even have a good spot. If I got one of the window tables, or the umbrellas on the patio, I’d still be there. Because girlfriend loves a patio.

From there I walked back to my Airbnb, which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I walked over the Charles Bridge. It was a very beautiful walk but also filled with street vendors.

A friend of mine lived in Prague 15 years ago and he worked at Bar and Books. I went there and have a few drinks. It’s a quiet bar, with romantic lighting and decorated with old books. There’s a tv at the bar always playing old James Bond movies. I went on a Monday and it was dead. But

I did have (several) the best gin & sodas I’ve ever had. I asked what gin he used and he said Hayman’s. I had never heard of it before – but I loved it. Does anyone know if I can get Hayman’s here in the US?

 Overall, Prague was very beautiful. Similar to Budapest in its architecture. Everyone speaks English. Its affordable. But it was very “touristy”. Being surrounded by all the street vendors, kiosks, and huge tour groups made the experience feel contrived. Those folks have every right to travel there, sell stuff, do whatever. I am not hating on them. But for me, personally, it made the city less authentic. But I’m glad I went.

 Quick facts about Prague:

They do not use the Euro. The official currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech koruna.

Getting around: Tram, Bus. Uber is available there. But its very walkable.

[dangerouscrusadefire-blog]

porsche 928 classic car insurance

"porsche 928 classic car insurance

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Hello I have a question concerning a Traffic citation that i got 13 days ago. On the 21st of November i got pulled over for a blinker that was out on my car. I had bought this car from a friend 3 months ago and hadnt didnt redgister it into my name or have current tags. I had insurance for the first month that i had the car but then due to finacial problems couldnt afford the extra 220 a month for car insurance. So the State Trooper gave me a citition which written under the description only said no proof of insurance. So the a couple of days later i went and got insurance, redgistration, tags, license plates the whole nine yards and i went into the trooper station to clear the citation cause it is correctable but the lady tells me i have to show proof of insurance from the day of getting the citiation. so my only opition is either take this to court or pay a whooping 540$ and 6 points off my Driver's license i was wondering if i should take this to court?""

How will the Affordable Care Act impact part-time and full-time employees?

So I get that employees working 30+ hours, and where there are 50+ employees, have to be offered health insurance, lest the company get a fine, but I'm not sure how that will work ...show more""

How much do you think car insurance would be for me?

I am a 17 yr. old male in southern california driving a 2006 nissan 350z

Do I really need Car Insurance?

I live in Kentucky. My car is not drivable at the moment and has not been for months. Since I can't even drive the piece of ****, do I even need Insurance? I'm paying to much for it anyway and I don't think I should be paying for something I'm not driving!""

Car Insurance for a rover HELP?

I am in the process of buying a 1996 Rover 100. It's a 1.1 and is in insurance group 3e. Insurance comparison sites won't give me a straight answer. But does anyone know roughly how much this would cost a 19 year old male. To insure? I've had my license for 2 months now. Is this car a good choice?

porsche 928 classic car insurance

porsche 928 classic car insurance

Am I paying too much for auto insurance?

I'm a 21 year old female and and I'm on my mom's insurance plan. I drive a 2002 pontiac grand prix and I pay $200 a month for full coverage with allstate. I don't have the greatest driving record by far. I've only been driving for 5 years and I've had 2 speeding tickets, 2 at fault accidents, and 1 non at fault accident. My last accident was in 2009. Unfortunately, I was driving through virginia and got a ticket yesterday. I'm just wondering if that price sounds right for my insurance. Is there a company that offers lower priced plans? Is there anything I can do to lower it?""

Im turning 16 and i was wondering waht my insurance rates will be?

What are the average insurance rates?

How much does car insurance run on a 2007 Toyota Camry?

I just want to know a estimate from anyone else that has this car just to get an idea doesn't have to be exact ! It's a 2007 Toyota Camry (white) SE (special edition)

How much is this car worth to sell this car to the insurance.?

It is a 2005 Toyota Corolla CE with a salvage title. It has 76000 miles just body damages. Thanks in advance

Who has the cheapist insurance. for min.coverage?

Who has the cheapist insurance. for min.coverage?

How much would Insurance be on this car?

I'm thinking about buying a 1974 Chevy Nova 4 Door sedan and I was wondering how much insurance would be on USAA? I'm a teenager so i'm expecting to be paying around $150 to $175 a month. Anyone who can give me a quote, I would appreciate it.""

Outraged by auto insurance companies?

I had an accident on may 8, 2009, It was not my fault and the woman I had the accident with accepted her fault. I got the information of the insurance company. The loss defined by an automotive company, but never paid until now. More than three months passed,I always call insurance company, but they are always saying lies and fudging, is there anyone faced with same situation? I do not know what to do.""

How much should my car insurance raise....?

I am 16, I've been driving 4 months. I have USAA car insurance, and I went to a driving school. I'm a supertard and today I rear-ended someone.... the cops were called and an accident report was filed, they said that my insurance company and the person's will contact eachother. I'm just curious to how much you think it should raise? There was alot of damage to my front end, but the person's who I hit hardly had a few scratches on the back bumper. I'm already paying $80 a month. Thanks so much for your estimates!! (p.s. i live in TX if that makes a difference.)""

Im looking for a car thats as fast as any normal 1.6 but is cheap on insurance?

Im 20 years old and i am looking for a car with the same acceleration or bhp as a normal 1.6 normal but i would like one that's cheaper on insurance

How much would insurance be for a 17 year old with an suv?

I am 17 years old and wanting a 98 Ford Explorer, but I would like to know how much the insurance would cost!""

Auto Insurance quote...please help!?!?!?

My sisters insurance..we live in CA by the way..has 2 cars insured. Her total premium for 6 months is 541 but we pay 114 a month. How did they get that monthly payment? If she was to add me to her policy the premium would go up 2 $740. My question is how much would the monthly payment turn out to be????

Nissan 370z Affordable For A New a Driver?

Is a Nissan 370z or even 350z good and affordable for a new driver? Im only 2 years away from getting my G2 and even though it's really early I would like to start thinking about a good affordable car, yeah yeah why am I getting a 350z/370z when Im looking for cheap and affordable? It's because I would like to try and take it to track days at some local tracks and race when I get my G license. Please don't tell me to stop worry about it you're too young blah blah blah stupidity, in some cases it may be true I just don't care, sorry for my rudeness I get the talk way to much and it's really starting to get annoying. If you have a better choice than the 350z or 370z, I'm looking for any RWD car that is easy to pitch into a drift and race it, also available at a dealer or online at a trusted auto sales site, thanks in advance!""

Insurance for deceased mother's car?

My mother passed away in January in New Jersey. Car is titled, registered and insured in only her name. Me and my siblings want to sell the car and hope to do within a few weeks. I am the executor of estate. My sister wants to have the title in her name so it's easier to sell but leave the registration and insurance in my mothers name. Is that ok? My only concern is that the car is properly insured.""

How can i compare all life insurance products of all companies?

How can i compare all life insurance products of all companies?

How much is car insurance for a bugatti veyron?

How much is car insurance for a bugatti veyron?

How much get you get if you were in a car accident and it wasn't you fault in PA? Full tort insurance.?

How much get you get if you were in a car accident and it wasn't you fault in PA? Full tort insurance.?

""Im 18, how expensive would insurance be for me?""

Im 18, B average, live in Los Angeles, no tickets/crimes, and the bike im looking at is a 250cc. What do you think my rates will most likely be? I want to use it for school""

How much would it cost to give birth without insurance?

Like regularly and with the C-Section?

Insurance question..I have 4 years no claims on my 125cc scooter....?

and I am riding it on a provisonal license in the U.K on a C.B.T certificate. I will pass my U.K driving test soon. Does anyone know if there is an insurance company that will take these four years no claims bonus into account when quoting for car insurance?

My car insurance company wants to use recycled parts for a repair to my car. Is this legal?

My car insurance company wants to use recycled parts for a repair to my car. Is this legal?

Cheapest Car to Buy & Insure?

Hi, I am 28 years old and looking to purchase my first. What are the cheapest cars with the cheapest insurance, anything a step above a bucket with four wheels is what I'm looking for, no aesthetics or fancy extras.""

Car insurance switches?

i have a nissan sentra 93 my insurance is through allstar but, my cars transmission finally went out so i got another car but its not insured yet...i was wondering will my insurance company let me switch my coverage from my nissan to my new saturn??,, with out having to pay for another deposit and do i keep the tag from my other car and use it for the new one or do i give that back?? and is there anyway to find out how much a new tag and taxes will cost on my new car?? or do i just have to find out when i go to the dmv??""

""Which is cheaper for liability insurance, in Alabama: Geico, The General, or 21st Century?""

I am buying a little beater, just need some el cheapo liability..cant compare w/o VIN number, don't have that yet..""

Massachusetts Health insurance?

I am in fifties and currently living in California. Due to the California high cost of medical insurance, My wife and I are thinking of moving to Massachusetts state, get a small home there and retire there eventually. The reason that we are thinking about is that we overheard Massachusetts have a much lower health insurance cost ($50/month ?). Please advise us if you are currently living in Massachusetts state or other states that have less expensive health care insurance and housing cost. You advise is greatly appreciated. Jo""

Car insurance for 18 year old lad?

what car can i get the cheapest insurance on im 18 and male.

porsche 928 classic car insurance

porsche 928 classic car insurance

No proof of insurance ticket in Southern California?

I got pulled over for speeding. Got a speeding ticket plus a ticket for no proof of insurance 16028 (a). I do have insurance for the car but I forgot to put it in my car the day I got pulled over. If i show prove of insurance during the fine date, how much does it cost in calfiorina law. It is a correctable offense. I heard that I can get that offense dissmiss just by showing my prove of insurance. Is that correct?""

Is anybody looking for affordable health care insurance?

I work with ASSURANT HEALTH, I can get you a free quote just let me know.""

Would applying for car insuance quotes give a bad record?

I'm searching for car insurance but I am not sure if applying for a quote online will give me a bad record. Like applying for a credit card does you know.

What is the cheapest car insurance for a 18 year old girl with a honda prelude? (what about will it cost)?

What is the cheapest car insurance for a 18 year old girl with a honda prelude? (what about will it cost)?

Do I have to register my car and change my insurance if I am an out of state student in California?

My insurance company told me that I do not need to change my insurance since I am a student living outside of my home of record address. Now, I keep hearing that I need to register and smog test my car in California since I'm currently living there while attending school. If I do such a thing, does that not mean that I will have to change my insurance to California rates? I do not plan on residing in California post graduation, does this make a difference also? Someone please help....""

My Car Insurance won't pay for my car accident?

I Totaled my 2000 ford mustang gt at an intersection, it was my fault. I ran into a car, and that car hit the car in front of him as a result. So technically i was responsible for damages of 2 cars. I only had liability so i knew my car wouldn't be fixed. But now my insurance company said that my payment for that month was processed the day after my accident, so i wasn't insured on the day of the accident. I just found this out, and i want to know what will happen now that my insurance wont pay for the damages? will the other people's insurance sue me? All answers are appreciated! Thanks!""

Whats the fastest car a 20 year old can get insured on without paying huge insurance?

I have a bmw 1.6,its fairly slow and cant get insured on a 1.8,i think the fastest car i can get insured on is a honda v-tec 1.5,the insurance is not expensive for it at all,possibly an mx-5 1.6 aswell coz of the pwr to rate ratio altough never driven 1,what do ye rekn?""

Which car would the cheapest insurance (Civic ex (4dr) or Lancer ES)?

?

Will a speeding ticket affect my husbands insurance if I am insured through a different company?

Last year I got a traffic ticket for speeding. I am insured through AAA. We were only recently married and the car I drive is registered through my parent's name as they bought the car. I am not the primary subscriber and I am just down as a driver. My husband has his own car insured through State Farm Insurance. I realize that my own car insurance would be affected but would my husband's? We dont have the same last name, Im not on his insurance in any way other than perhaps a driver but even that I dont think we have updated. We got a notification from State Farm that his rates will go up now because of my violation, in my own car, through my own seperate company. Is this right? Can they do that? Does this mean that both AAA and State Farm get to raise the rate on me?""

Do employers have insurance to cover lost or stolen items of their employees if items were lost/stolen on job?

Something of great value was lost/stolen at my job. What can I do?

How much is insurance for a used 2008 infiniti g37 insurance for a 16 year old male?

I will be turning 16 this march and im already looking for cars. I have good grades, about a 3.8 GPA, if not better. Im planning on paying for the car myself. not all up front of course. Im planning on getting a job and putting a down payment down of about $10,000. I would of cuorse pay the rest off monthly. If i do end up buying the car id like to get an estimate for how much it'd be... Id do all discounts possible and i live in illinois.""

I cannot find any cheap car insurance quotes?

Does anyone know any cheap car insurance companies?

I knocked someones car but he claimed for a lot more and now my insurance has gone from 400 to 900 - help!!?

Back in June I knocked into a stationary vehicle in a car park. I waited for the guy to come back and apologised straight away. (when its your fault in life own up) He was initially annoyed (fair enough) but went on to tell me that someone else had knocked into his car recently and caused 600 worth of damage (the other driver had sped off and hed already had a quote for the work). I cant remember the exact wording of the next bit - but it was understood that I would pay whatever it cost on top of that to fix the area (bumper / side corner area) We exchanged details. I told my insurance company what had happened and the previous damage. There were also photos taken at the time that I forwarded on (not sure if they were actually any help) Next I hear his insurance company has approached mine with a bill for 700. The total amount for fixing his car. I brought up the matter of the previous damage - couple of conversations between insurance companies - his asking him directly if there was any previous damage and him saying no. I told my insurance company that there was a friend with me (we were walking our dogs in the park) who had heard the whole conversation - in fact she was the one that took the pictures. She is a responsible, respectable person who was happy to make a statement. I was told by the insurance company that as it was someone who knew me - they couldnt be seen as an impartial person and they ended up paying the whole amount to his insurance company. I have just received my new insurance quote. Last year it was 437 and now that I have lost my 3 years no claims bonus (I have been driving for much longer but have only owned a small van for 3 years (practicality for my dogs muddy feet) and insurance starts again for vans) but I also have this 700 fault against my name this year. My insurance quote is now 960. Is there anything I can do. Does anyone have advice for any further action I can take? I believe in taking responsibility for your actions - but I am being cheated here out of a lot of money and I dont know what to do. If 100 was down to me then I could have just paid that amount directly and not lost my no claims bonus. But as it stands it will cost me around 500 this year and more again on the consequent years of insurance. Sorry for this being a long one but I really am lost. My insurance is due on 7th Jan.""

Is there a website to compare insurance comparison websites?

Is there a website to compare insurance comparison websites?

What insurance i need for boutique?

insurance for boutique

Auto Insurance Question?

I am a new driver and I just received my G2 a couple of moths ago. I am trying to get auto insurance at a cheep rate. I tried to add my name to my dads insurance (Johnson insurance) and their quote was 120 per month which seems a but excessive as I am only a casual driver. I was just looking for some advice and wondering if I should pay 120 per month or try elsewhere or try to barging with them Thanks a lot for any help

What happens if someone without insurance rear-ends me?

Here's a scenario. If I have a motorcycle with no insurance. Someone hits me at the red light and they don't have insurance. And it cost $25000 in damages. Considering they don't have insurance, it means they are poor. How can I get my money?""

Ohio Dental Health Insurance Companies?

Provide the List of Dental Insurance Companies in Ohio

How long does it typically take to get an insurance quote?

I've been shopping around because my homeowner's insurance premium increased over $200 from last year. The two other insurance agencies I asked for a quote over a week ago still haven't responded. I don't want to call them and seem over-anxious. What should I do?

How much would it cost to make an insurance comparison site?

I live in a place that doesn't currently have a good insurance comparison site. I have little experience with website design and costing. I would be looking for a good quality site, comparing 4 markets and 6-8 companies for each.""

Whats a good insurance out there that would cover prenatal care?

i am looking for type of insurance that would cover prenatal care.. but i don't know where to start from!!

Why would auto insurance go up just because of a divorce?

Years ago, when I was married, I had a brand new truck with a full-coverage policy costing $114 per month. I had a spectacular driving record, I was a 31 yr old female with a family, not a 19 yr old ripping up the streets. When we divorced, my auto insurance instantly doubled! It didn't just go up $50, it DOUBLED. Does anyone know why??""

Car insurance cover note?

Hello. Could anybody please help me to sort out? The thing is that at last I have just registered my European left-hand drive car in the UK. Before that not too many insurers could insure such a car,but I've found AJ Car Insurance company. They sent me a monthly Cover Note until my installments have payed in full, but the last Cover Note has been sent 5 days later then expected,because the insurer just forgot to send it on time and sent it after I reminded them...In fact they left my car without insurance for 5 days ... So can they do so and what can I do in such situation? Can I charge this company for that and how? Thanks anybody who answers my question.""

How Much Of Your Income Can You Use On A Car?

How much of your income is it appropriate to use on a car? I am not talking about insurance or gas, just the retail price of the car. Would you say as low as 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, or what? Thanks.""

A question about car insurance.?

My girlfriend hit a small deer about 6 months ago, it did not do much damage, I called the insurance company and asked them what to do, they asked me what it did and then told me it probably was not worth it since she we have a 500 dollar deductible. Well today I took it in and got the oil changed and asked how much the headlamp was to fix so they looked at the car and told me that deer did about 1500 in damage. Is there anything I can do or am i screwed?""

porsche 928 classic car insurance

porsche 928 classic car insurance

Which is the best health insurance company (policy) to cover all expenses in India ?

Best insurance company for Health insurance policy: An individual, 55 years old to cover all expenses (Eg. Hospitalization, Consulting fee, Medicine expenses, Room rent, Surgery, Post hospitalization and related expenses).""

Will getting a CA medical marijuana card affect my health insurance coverage?

I was considering getting a medical marijuana card here in California for my insomnia but I was wondering if it'll go on my medical record that I use cannabis and therefore make my health insurance more expensive. Will my doctor be able to see that Im a medical marijuana user?

How does car insurance work?

My boyfriend and i were talking after we saw an accident on the highway it was clearly the older mans fault. My boyfriend was saying how it sucked that even though he hit the lady she still had to pay her deductible (usually around $500) to get her car fixed. I was always under the impression that the reason we had insurance was to insure that we didnt get stuck paying for someone elses dumb *** mistake. anyone know how this actually works?

A question about car insurance?

My mom is afraid of her car insurance going up once I get my license, so she wants me to get the car in my name and get my own insurance, but can I still get my license first before all of that? What would be the sequence of which to obtain first? Thanks!""

Does where you buy the car affects its insurance?

so im thinking about buying my first car, i know that the kind of car i buy will affect my insurance, but what if i buy the same car (lets say a porsche 911 turbo) in an auction or on craigslist (which would be significantly cheaper). would i have to pay the same price for my insurance or ould it be cheaper ...""

""On average, how much does it cost professional liability insurance for a CPA?""

I want to start my own CPA practice. I am 50 yrs old. I want to know what costs are involved in the process. I am not aiming to nothing complicated. Just an accounting practice. How much does it cost, on average, the professional liability insurance for a new CPA?. I will be just myself. Thank you.""

What health insurance should I get?

I really need help on picking out a health insurance plan. I started working as a nurse. The facility where I work does offer insurance, but I think I rather pick an independent insurance company outside of the hospital. I'm planning to buy health insurance for my mom as well. She couldn't get medicare yet. Can you guys tell me some information about health insurance? The only company I know which I heard from others is blue shield/blue cross. I have looked around their website yesterday, but they have a bunch of plans which I dont really understand. I think the cheapest plan they have is near $400 a month for one person?""

""And finally, would you be willing to pay more for your medical insurance if you knew for a fact?

people less well off then you would have a better chance at life.

Does life insurance cover suicide?

Does life insurance cover suicide?

Where to get kids checkups when you don't have insurance?

My twins are 2.5 years old, and because of changes in our employments, currently do not have health insurance. When we did it didn't cover much, but it did cover yearly checkups. ...show more""

What are my health insurance options?

I recently changed jobs to a small company that does not provide health insurance. I was turned down when I applied independently to Aetna for medical reasons. Would the decision of another company likely be any different or is COBRA my only option? Despite some issues in my medical history I virtually never go to the doctor and would be happy with a plan that just covers unexpected catastrophic issues but I'm not sure how to go about looking for that.

How's health insurance in london?pls help?

i was diagnosed with some major illness in the US and have no insurance cant afford paying for it.i heard the health insurance is free in london, is it possible to move there for recovery? if so how long would it take me to get accepted as immigrant and fully recovered?""

""On average, how much does car insurance cost for a 17 year old male?""

Dear reader I am a 17 year old male. I am searching for car insurance once I get my driver's license I will be required to pay for my own car insurance. I want to get an average cost (monthly) for someone my age- regardless of the company I am not sure what factors play into a policy's amount- however, if it does matter, I am a straight A student with a 4.2 GPA (scale of 4.0)- I have never been convicted, nor prosecuted for a felony or anything of that sort. To sum up, I am quite responsible for a male my age. Please do not be rude in your responses I appreciate your help PS. the car that I would be driving is a Toyota Camry 2005 (all paid for). I also live in the state of MD""

Question about state health insurance in georgia?

Im moving from Massachusetts to Georgia in march. My work doesn't offer insurance so we are on commonwealth care. Its state insurance. Im trying to find out if there is state insurance in ga as well iv got children and need insurance for them. Im not sure if the job im taking will offer some but in the mean time I need something. Can someone tell me if they have state health insurance or some type of low cost for low income? Thanks.

How much will it cost me to repair a paint less dent on a Nissan Sentra?

My car was recently hit without my knowledge. No one saw it and it happened while I was parked. The dent is right above the body of the tire frame and its about two inches wide. My question is will my insurance pay for it? And if not how much will a repair like this cost me? The car is Nissan Sentra 2012.

How to find best Insurance Companies?

Many years try to find good insurance companies but not found any best companie, please some one help me.""

How much is motocross insurance?

Hey guys just wondering how much a motocross insurance quote would be im just looking for coverage if i get an injury im 16 and need affordable quotes thanks

Do you know of a good health insurance plan?

I need to find a plan that is affordable outside a group plan or is there a group plan available to me? I do not want the discount card type of plan I want an actual insurance policy accepted by many doctors and hospitals. 80/20 coverage is great with annual deductible choices.

Affordable health insurance?

I need help finding affordable health insurance. I'm helping my dad out. He wants to cover himself and my little brother. Any suggestions?

""Going to LA for week, how much does it cost to rent a car?""

I don't want anything too fancy but nothing crap if you know what I mean....just a decent car that will do me for a week. I know insurance will be a killer especially as I am under 25, but my boyfriend is 27 so if we put it in his name will it make it any cheaper? Oh and if anyone knows a good company to rent from, please let me know.....will it be best to go straight to the rental place that's in the airport? Thanks!""

Why don't insurance companies insure holistic doctors?

It's kinda sad to me.. That the only doctors they will insure for are doctors that prescribe drugs. Is there any insurance companies that work for holistic doctors?

How can I find out what my employer pays for my health insurance?

My employer tells me that they pay 70% of my health insurance premiums, but looking at the amount my 30% portion is and calculating the total, it would be a ridiculous total premium. So I think that my employer is lying to me about the percentage they pay. I tried calling the insurance company to find out what the total premiums are, but they would not tell me. Is there a way that I can find out what what the total premiums are on my health insurance plan?""

18 years old insurance for vw golf group 6 incurance?

Im 18 years old male with no claim bonus, i want to buy VW Golf 05 1.9l tdi group 6 incurance, where can i find cheap insurance ? what is the best company? i can pay like 150 per month maximum. Pls help thanks.""

What do you think is the best health insurance company in southern california?

i need to purchase individual coverage.

Should i cancel my car insurance?

I have bought a new car which i get tomorrow(with 7 days free insurance). My car I am trading in the insurance policy ends in September. The insurance company want an extra 700 pounds extra to add my new car. However i have no more payments to make on the car. I do not want to cancel my policy with only 3(free) months left(which will also incurr cancellation charges). I dont want to lose my NCB. I also grudge paying the expensive rate of insurance on my new car when i know i can get it cheaper elsewhere. Can i just leave my policy running and declare my new car off the road till my policy is due for renewal and set up a new policy elsewhere?sorry for such a long ramble. Any advice would be appreciated. Ps. i only have one years NCB so i dont want to lose my second year so close to the end of the policy.. bearing in mind i have no payments to make now either. Gaving a second years NCB would save me a few hundred pounds on my next policy.

porsche 928 classic car insurance

porsche 928 classic car insurance

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/online-car-insurance-quote-michigan-roger-torres/"

[numberonetrashcollectorus-blog]

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

"Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

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

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Last year I paid my car insurance in one hit, online. This year, renewal price was higher because I got 50 cash back last year. I saved 120 by searching around and went ahead with the new deal. Unbeknown to me the first company renewed my insurance without my knowledge because they had my credit card details from the year before. I ended up being insured with 2 companies for 3 days and I went 109 over my limit on my credit card. Not only is it illegal to be insured by 2 companies at the same time, they did it without my knowledge! Are they allowed to do this? I have, I hope, resolved it but if any charges are incurred either for cancelling my previous insurance or going over my credit limit are these retrievable?""

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ok if i was to get a new infiniti ex how much does auto insurance cost me anyone know

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I am 17yrs old, looking for cheap car insurance. Haven't got a car yet but have been looking at cars such as Ford Fiesta, Peugot 105, Fiat Punto and have been getting around 3000. I cannot afford that and was wondering if anyone knows any ceap cars for cheap insurance and who are the best companies to get cheap insurance? Thanks""

What's the best auto insurance you can get for a female under 25?

I had Liberty Mutual. I got a low premium because of my parents but when the taxes went up they totally jacked up my premium. Plus their customer service is TERRIBLE and they're grimy. So then I went to Progressive - One lady helped me get my policy, then I called them for another reason and another rep. said I didn't even get the best quote I could've gotten. I'm kind done with these brand name insurance companies. I was looking into one called Elephant insurance but I'm not sure if it's actually any good. Does anyone know anything about them? Is there any other company I can try? I'm 20, I turn 21 next month. I've never had an accident. And I don't know what my credit score is or if I even have one yet (I'm working on it.)""

What is the cheapest Insurance available for a 21 year old?

I've been looking at cars and quotes for about a month now, and I can find nothing affordable, so I thought I'd ask on this website and see if there is anyone who has had the same situation and found a solution. I'm 20 years old, turning 21 in September and I have not drove since I passed my test 2 years ago. I have never owned a car or been a second driver on anyone's policy. Insurance is ridiculously high, so I was wondering if anyone in the same situation knows a cheap insurance company. I'm also okay with being a second driver on my parents policy, although this is still usually to expensive. Thanks!""

I got a car insurance quote from State Farm that?

is double that of the quotes I got online (from brokers). Is it better to go with State Farm or one of the cut rate insurance companies? I mean in the event of an accident and getting paid. I also rent a lot of cars and will be using the insurance I buy for those. And, not get the insurance that the rental companies over charge for.""

How much does boat insurance cost on average for a 28ft boat?

How much does boat insurance cost on average for a 28ft boat?

Uk Motorcycle insurance question?

I'm currently doing my CBT and the going to do my A2 licence, which would permit me to ride a 400cc bike, so i'm planning on getting a 600cc bike and restricting it. Would that lower the insurance if i were to mention it has been resticted, i looked it up and for an 18 yr old i got a quote for a 600cc bike for about 1,300. would that be lower if i said it was restricted??""

Where can i get the cheapest insurance on a performance car at 17?

hi i am 16 and will be 17 soon i've got an Rs1600i all ready i've checked before on comparethemeerkat.com ans the best i got was 5 grand lol i really dont wanna pay that much and im not willing to have any other car cos im a fussy B******

Health Insurance for my mother in law(senior person)?

I need your help regarding the insurance coverage. Here is my story? My mother in law works at a grocery retailer and gets medical insurance coverage from the employer. She wants to quit because the job is physically challenging and she wants to take care of our baby. She is 62. But we are worried because we don't know where she will get medical insurance? 1. My insurance comes from the employer. Can I put her under my insurance plan? 2. Is there any special(affordable) type of insurance plan we can purchase? I believe this is a very common situation. If you are in the same situation, please help.""

What is the cheapest car for car insurance?

I'm looking at buying a car, but I want one with really cheap insurance. I'm 17 so I know it will be pricey, but what is the best car that will keep my insurance low?""

Can people tell me how much they pay for their car insurance please?

i have a 1996 vw polo and im 17. i know its different for all cars and people, but i just wanna know roughly what people in similar to my position pay please :) thanks""

Auto Insurance Questions?

In the household there are 3 cars, but 18 driver is only listed under 1 car,(mom) If the other 2 cars are on the same house (but different names auto insurance) he can drive those car with no insurance coverage problem right?""

What private health insurance programs cover gastric bypass?

I've got group health and found out that only employer insurance programs through them include bariatric coverage. Does anyone know of a health insurance program that covers gastric bypass which I can buy on my own without needing to do so through an employer?

How much could I pay for my car insurance?

I'm making a finance for my Kia spectra 2007. I'm 18 and just got my liscence. It has to be full coverage. One insurance company told me 600 per month and that's just too much what do you think?

How to calculate car insurance policy premium refund?

I sold my car one week after renewing my car insurance policy. I required to cancel my policy and asked for the refund. The first time I faxed them my cancellation letter, they asked me to call back after 2 weeks to ask for the check. But after 2 weeks, they told me they didn't received my fax and asked me to pay for the extra 2 weeks, although I have evidences that I required to cancel my policy 2 weeks ago. Also when I renewed my policy, I told the agent that I will sell my car within 2 weeks, so the agent told me I can only pay 32% of the half year policy premium. But now when I asked for refund, he told me that because I only paid 32% of the total amount, they will charge me more (53% more) and refund me much less. Is this common in this industry or they just try to steal money from me? Thanks.""

""Life insurance, how much is the cost?""

for 500,000$ insurance, for my family should something happen to me. i don't want my family to get in any trouble should i be gone. where can i get some estimates?""

DO YOU NEED AUTO INSURANCE TO DRIVE YOUR CAR?

I'm planning on getting myself a new car- a 2012 Dodge Challenger RT model. I'm on a tight budget and I only have enough money for a down payment and monthly payments on the Challenger, (if I decide to purchase it). My problem is I don't have enough money for auto insurance and I am not joining with anyone in my family to be placed on auto insurance. I want auto insurance for myself and signed to my name only. Since I do not enough money for auto insurance, can I still get a car without auto insurance? And can I still drive the Dodge Challenger without auto insurance if I decide to purchase the car? Can someone answer this for me? Thank you! I really appreciate it.""

Someone crashed into me will their insurance pay for my car?

So I was going down a main street when this guy passed the stop sign. We made a police report and he took the blame but the cop wanted to blame it on me. Now the other car has insurance but it wasn't the guys car. Will their insurance still pay for mine. Some one please answer quick.

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

What car has the cheapest insurance?

For a 17 year old.. (MALE)

What car gives the cheapest insurance for a first time driver??

What car gives the cheapest insurance for a first time driver??

How much is for car insurance for first time drivers?

How much is for car insurance for first time drivers?

If Republicans do not act quickly to stop Democrats will tens of thousands of new cars be sold?

Republican members of Congress are trying to stop the cash for clunkers program . The program has been a great success and thousands of cars were sold already, depleting the supply and stimulating the economy with new tax revenue. Since supply has been brought down by these new sales the big 3 car companies will have to start making more cars putting thousands to work in the process. This in hand stimulates the entire economy. Republicans are trying everything in their power to make sure it does not pass again. Is there something fundamentally wrong with the Republican party? Why would they want to stop this effective program in a time of economic crisis?""

Pregnant with No Health Insurance?

I've just discovered I'm pregnant and I have no health insurance. Are there any recommendations on what to do?

Doing a school project and need health and car insurance cost?

Okay so I am doing a school project (Im a junior in high school) and I was given a pretend life where I am a 33 year old divorced mother of 4. I just need an about range for how much car and health insurance I would need to pay monthly.

Does anyone use or heard of Response.com for auto insurance?

Response.com seems to have the least expensive insurance rates at plans that are what I currently have. Going with them would save a lot of money but I've never heard of them personally.

Cheapest method for car insurance for 17 year old male?

Cheapest method for car insurance for 17 year old male?

Car insurance?!!HELPPPP?

I'm from Chicago, IL. i don't know how Chicago road law operate so i hope u guys will help me out a bit.i just found out that my car insurance had stop it coverage with me for the last 3 month for whatever reason. I just called them today to reopen up my account again and the new insurance card is being sent home. today Can i still drive my car even if i don't have a actually insurance card in the car? if a police does stop me and ask for my insurance, can i say that it's being mail home and if he/she don't believe me, they can called my insurance agent??""

How to get auto insurance?

Im trying to get some auto insurance, and its my first time. I dont know what I need to ask, and know. And about how much I will need to bring on the first day. I got a quote from NationWide, my moms insurance, but I dont know how the process goes.""

What is cheap full coverage car insurance?

What is cheap full coverage car insurance?

How much would car insurance cost me?

I am a 22 year old female in Washington State, had one incident found to be not at fault, i drive a 98 Dodge Stratus""

Life insurance?

Is there a certain amount of time you have to cash in a life insurance policy?

What is the absolute cheapest classic insurance broker in the uk?

cars 1960-1991

Homeowners Insurance: What is replacement value for my home?

I'm getting new homeowners policy. What is per square foot to re-build my home in Southern California? Middle-class neighborhood, nothing fancy. Built in 1968.""

Cars And Insurance?

OK im turning 18 in a month and im getting a car but what is a good cheap car and a good cheap insurance

Cheap Car Insurance - Please Help?

Hello in June I will be 17 years old! Obviously like all 17 year old males I want a car! I'm not massively fussed about the car as long as it doesn't cost to much! Today I have been looking at cars such as; FIAT CINQUENCENTO Perodua Nippa EX and a few other cars bellow 1l I live in Northamptonshire and my postcode is NN1 *** on comparison websites i cant find insurance for less than 3500 when that is miles out of my price range! If anyone knows any insurance sites or extremely cheap cars to insure for 17 year olds then please reply to this. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

Urgent question about medical insurance for college students!!!???

I'm a student at a major university in the state of Washington (not that it matters for the question I guess). I'm still on my dad's insurance but it's going to expire on my birthday this year. If it is verified that I'm a student at a college (I don't think it matters whether it's a university, community college, trade school, whatever), then the insurance can continue. I stupidly dropped a class close to the beginning of this term, and this unknowingly dropped me *just*, just barely to the status of 'half-time'. I really didn't realize this would happen and has caused me all sorts of grief with the financial aid gods (lol)...I already will have to be writing appeal letters explaining my mistake. Well, I digress, but my question is: For this insurance matter, do I just need to be a student or do I need to be a full-time student . If it's the latter, pardon my French, but I'm pretty much, f**ked, aren't I? Anyone know the answer?""

How much would minimum insurance be for a 18 year old?

The insurance should be just enough to allow the person to drive a car.

How much would it cost to be added to my moms insurance policy?

im 17 years old (female)about to be 18 in march,want to get added to my moms policy which she pays 103 a month for ,the car is a 99 nissan sentra i have had my license for about a week ,did driving school and probably can get the good student discount how much would it cost?""

What is the cheapest auto insurance for undr 25's in Texas?

Please provide me with the web address if possible.

What is the best and cheap motorbike insurance I can get?

Hi everyone. I'm buying a motorbike soon and wanna know the cheap and best motorbike insurance I can get. I'm 17 and getting a 125cc motorbike and just wanna know the cheap and best I can get thanks you.

The general car insurance ? is there a catch ?

I feel like there's a catch . No personal info required and its 39 bucks . Is there a catch ? Or just a bad car insurance

Switching to liability only car insurance?

Hi. I just moved to a new state with ridiculously high car insurance rates. My new rates are nearly double what I paid in my old residency. If I switch my coverage from full coverage, to liability only, how much would I save (approximately?) I currently pay nearly $230 a month on car insurance for full coverage. About how much would liability only be?""

Looking for cheap car insurance?

What is the cheapest car insurance coverage out there?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Motor insurance policy q2?

hi contemplating on making a second claim. how does this effect my renewal premium? situation is the policy holder had an accident where the third party was at fault and this claim was dealt with few months ago. now a named driver had a piece of metal flung at the car. the excess is only 50 and estimated cost to repair independantly 150-200. but i'm not sure how much premiums usually go up by? if for example making a second claim bears not much difference as a claim has already been made then I might as well do it through insurance. If making a second claim bumps up the renewal considerably higher then maybe I should just pay 150-200 GBP by independant garage and save on my premium?

Best car to get for the cheapest insurance in the UK for a new young driver?

im nearly 17 and looking to start driving, which car would let me pay the least amount of insurance?""

What car has the cheapest insurance for a 17 year old new driver?

looking at cars, i would like something that looks alright like a clio etc""

SERIOUS! Car insurance HELP!?

Ok, First things first please keep your ignorant opinions to yourself, i got a question most importantly im not an exception i am just asking a honest question others seem to fail. age:16 state:PA, MALE now not like other kids who think they want to go fast and stuff, fast and furious, ridiculous things i was researching cars like that, that happened to be non Lame to them but i need something for economy with todays gas prices, i am saving up a sum of money and wish to get a part time job so i can afford the car as well as insurance! i took interest in a 1990 s FORD MUSTANG I-4 take notice this is a 4 cylinder not a v6 or v8 i need honest opinions on insurance i dont think it will not be as astronomical as a GT take notice this is a LX 4 cylinder i need help opinions quotes.""

Will i lose my health insurance?

i am a full time college sudent, 17 years old. i have HIP health insurance derived from my mother. (i have it since im the child). if i change my mailing address to be different then hers, will the insurance still cover me? thanks.""

""Need advice for buying new car insurance (20 year old, male)?""

Need advice for buying new car insurance. I am 20 year old, male, college student, and 2 tickets...... I need insurance for a new Toyota SUV (4 Runner or FJ Cruiser)""

How much does a HSG test cost?

My gyno wants me to get an HSG test done. I have PCOS and am trying to get pregnant. I live in Georgia and have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. I wanted to know how much it would cost and if i truely need to have this test done to get the perscription I need to become pregnant.

Health insurance question plz help?

My husband lost his job and my and our child health insurance was with him. Can i get health insurance my employee even through its middle of the year will my husband loosing r insurance qualify us qualify event that allow you to enroll

Why does Allstate keep increasing my insurance rate?

I am 26 years old, in California. I have had Allstate for almost 2 years now, and every 6 months my rate increases. It went up $200+, and I have not had any tickets/accidents/claims, and I have not moved. When I asked them about this, they just said they are adjusting their rates due to zip code. Seems like bologna to me. Has anyone else had this problem? Which insurer do you recommend?""

Does full coverage insurance replace your car if totaled?

How much do insurance companies pay you on a vehicle if it is totaled? how much it is worth or how much you paid for it

Will my insurance go up?

My brother got a ticket while driving my car, will that make my insurance go up?""

Car insurance...........?

Right.. my mom already has a car and is the named driver of it. I have got a ford ka and have been looking on insurance company's and it is cheaper for my mom to be the named driver of my car but for me to go on the insurance.. Can my mom own to cars or is this not possible UK only please.

Sr22 insurance help please anyone?

Ok so i got pulled over last week...and i got a ticket... I also have to appear to court because i got another ticket for no insurance proof.. i was driving my dads vehicle and i couldnt find the insurance card but I can proof my dad did have insurance... So would I still have to file for sr22????

Will state farm insurance pay for my rental car?

I am 20 years old and full coverage and i wrecked my car at my own fault today, and while its getting fixed i need a rental car, does state farm pay for it?""

My car insurance quotes are ridiculously high?

Recently I have been considering starting to drive. I researched which cars were in insurance band 1 (the lowest, and ultimately the cheapest) and began searching for quotes online. I'm a 21 year old single male, with no children and no mortgage. I haven't had my license for very long and I live in an area with really high insurance premiums. I have been quoted a minimum of 9,000 for a car worth 400 (a '97 Citroen C5). How will I ever be able to afford to drive?""

Does one speeding ticket affect your insurance rate ?

i got my first speeding ticket , i live in Utah , and i have state farm insurance so will it affect my rate ?""

Insurance is up in 4 days I just made a claim. Can I still switch insurance companies?

Insurance is up in 4 days I just made a claim. Can I still switch insurance companies?

Adrian flux car insurance?

is this a good car insurance company, has anybody got any good/bad coments or opinions about this company, i am a new driver and this will be my first insurance so i would like the advice. thankz in advance!""

""Totaled my car, What will insurance do?""

Yesterday I totaled my 2000 ZX3 and almost died, luckily my roof didn't completely cave in as i slid in the ditch after i flipped over, SO my engine and transmission isn't damaged. I wanna save some movie and just buy a car like mine with a blown engine and then switch engines and get the keep the rest of the insurance payout. I already found the possible car BUT i'm not sure if the insurance company will let me keep my car after its declared totaled? The car i found is for only 500 dollars and my dad is a mechanic, so i really need 2 know quick""

Massachusetts Health insurance?

I am in fifties and currently living in California. Due to the California high cost of medical insurance, My wife and I are thinking of moving to Massachusetts state, get a small home there and retire there eventually. The reason that we are thinking about is that we overheard Massachusetts have a much lower health insurance cost ($50/month ?). Please advise us if you are currently living in Massachusetts state or other states that have less expensive health care insurance and housing cost. You advise is greatly appreciated. Jo""

Health insurance for full time college student?

I realllyy need to see a doctor about some issues im having with my health, but the onlyproblem is i dont have insurance... Are there any affordable insurance plans i can get??.. im a full time student and i really need it.""

Insurance estimate for 99 mustang GT for 16 year old girl?

I'm looking at a 99 mustang GT and some other years (all the 4.6L engine years....99-04 mainly) I was wondering if anyone would know from experience a good estimate of the price of insurance on it. It's bone stock. I know that if you make decent grades you get discounts and I make A/B's in all AP so I don't know if that would help very much? and I have never had a wreck or ticket, & I am just turning 16. This would be my first car. I'm looking at one GT coupe and one convertible. If you have an idea of how much more it would go up with a convertible please tell me. Thank you!""

Male/female insurance question?

Is there a statistic that says how much or by what percentage female drivers is cheaper than male drivers? Are there any websites that show statistics similar to this about gender related insurance/driving? Thanks.

Cheapest insurance for a 17 year old lad?

the cheap quote ive got is 4800!! This is ridiculous, is there any cheaper way of insuring myself? does anyone know what the cheapest car to insure is? or something i really need to get on the road as i have just passed my test but 3000 for insurance is about my limit...""

How much info do the govt have on what sort of car insurance u have?

Like as long as I have an insurance certificate am I sweet until I have an accident? Or if I give the insurance company wrong info for a cheaper quote will the govt find out? If so how? My mates had his car for ages and has no insurance and the police have never said anything to him Cheers

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Car Insurance Renewal - cooling off period?

My insurers have renewed my car insurance policy because I mistakenly thought the previous policy ended 5 days after it did. Their policy was considerably higher than I could get elsewhere. I have had 5 days cover - can I cancel without penalty?

08 lancer gts or 08 altima coupe what would be best for 17 year old and cheaper on insurance?

I want one that's fun to drive it has to be reliable I don't want to race but I do want a little speed I want whatever is cheaper on insurance and I'm stuck between these two cars what do you guys think?

Can my new health insurance go back and look at my old one?

i have had a new health insurance plan since Jan. 1st ,2008. Can they go back and look at my old health insurance company records other than my actual health issues if that makes sense?""

How much do you guys pay for your motorcycle insurance(SuperSport) and what insurance company do you have?

Quick rundown of the situation. Moved State to Illinois for work. Insurance rates are a little different for cars but then again my record is clean but I have yet to insure my motorcycle and thinking of buying a second one for my son to ride with but want to get this question answered first. For me I own a 2007 Yamaha YZF-R6 -Super-Sport -600cc -Never damaged,stolen, nor tickets - Was paying around $300 dollars per year State Farm Full coverage For my son we were planning to buy a second generation Honda CBR 600rr 07-09 -600cc -Super sport -Has license -No tickets -BRC completed - 18 Years old -With my family plan for insurance So anyone can give me rates that they pay answering these questions, just to see what company I should look into. - Age -Insurance company - type of motorcycle - Yearly rate - And the type of coverage they have on it.""

""Toyota celica, my first car?""

so im getting a 2004 toyota celica gts as my first car and im wondering how much my insurance will go up just by having this kind of car and being a teenage male? also what color is best, i cant decide between silver or black. i love black cars but i think the celica looks great in silver too. are black cars really a pain to have to clean all the time and which would look best? and does anyone know if they are well built cars""

How do i buy car insurance and how do I find a insurance company that suits me (cheap)?

ok so I've seen a car I would like to buy, how do I get car insurance? should I ring a call or get insured online? Also a list of names of insurance companies would be helpful? thanks""

""If I add my boyfriend to my car title, do I need to add him to my car insurance?""

He has his own car and his own insurance already. Also, we live in Texas.""

Teens: how much is your car insurance a month?

Teens: how much is your car insurance a month?

Insurance for pre- existing condition?

My friend was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, she has scheduled a MRI for march and then they will determine whether she can go through surgery. The problem is she had recently exchanged jobs (just prior to the tumor news), and apparently cannot be covered with her present Insurance company as her condition is pre-existent. Now, the tumor is located in the fourth entricle of the brain (where the spinal/cerebral fluid is housed). She will probably need Chemotherapy. Can she be re-insured or covered by a different plan.? Can a single mother qualify for medi-care instead? She is in TX""

What insurance plan would be best for a young family that has a 5 month old?

In my Advanced Functions class, we're doing a project about insurance plans mostly which plan, basic or premium, would be better for a certain situation like a single parent or something like that. My partner and I decided to use a young family (around the ages of 24 or 25) who has a 5 month baby girl. I was wondering would a basic plan or a premium plan be better suited for them?""

Help me find health insurance quick!! please!?

I dunno if I'm overreacting, but I've been researching esophigal cancer ( I was sick a lot a couple years ago, but I never thought it was long enough period of time, or frequent enough to cause any damage) and I would like to be checked out. It actually seems the more I read, the more i seem to feel like I'm having symptoms right now... I have been known to be a worrier... Could I worry myself to the point of feeling like my throat is burning? or that I'm burping a lot? (i'm probably swallowing lots of air right now ] and coughing (i've been known to gag and cough when I worry myself) I would like to go to the doctor asap, could someone please help me find an affordable health insurance plan. My zip is 16066, if that matters.. Thank you""

Rough estimate of my insurance?

im a 17 year old hispanic male I live in Mesa AZ and I have finished a drivers ed class in my school and passed with a B, I just got my license yesterday and my car is a 1983 Ford ranger two door, manual transmission how much would my insurance be (a estimate) if you need more details please ask and i will provide it.""

What are california's car insurance laws?

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

Help!!!!!! Mom is sick and has no insurance?

okay so my mother is really sick, she is 53 years old and needs medical attention. However, she doesn't have insurance and she has to pay everytime she goes to the doctor. She has severe anemia and needs to take procrit which is like$600-$700 and she needs to take diabetes, hypertension, thyroid medicine. We live in California.. i don't know what to do,,,someone help!!!! please..""

""Can i make a car insurance in my name, if my girlfriend owns the car?""

I had some problems with DVLA some time ago becose i didn t SORN a car in time. Now i want to buy a car and make the papers on my girlfriend name becose of that...she dosen t have a driving license and the car is for me, so i want to make the insurance in my name....is that possible, will the insurance coste more becose i m not the owner??""

How to get cheap car insurance?

I've heard of people somehow getting cheap car insurance and i want to know their secret!

Insurance claims car was stolen but police report doesn't?

my car was hit about 5 months ago and the police report was filed. i received my copy of the police report and it doesn't state the car was stolen. now my insurance company is claiming, 5 months later, that the car that hit me was stolen. can this happen? how do i know the insurance company isn't making this up so that they wont pay me back for my deductible? thanks!""

Dose anyone know any cars with cheap insurance for a young driver (under 1000pa)?

Im looking for a car with a small engine so the insurance will be as low as possible. can anyone think of any good cars.

Car insurance?

what happens if you have liability car insurance and a guy that smashes your car hits you and he doesnt have any insurance? are you covered or are you screw ed?

Will my insurance expire if I choose to pay by down payment?

Im 19 and have a payment of $565.90 but I can make 5 payments of $121.00 because $565.90 is way too much to be paying right now. My insurance expires 6/15/12 and I need my car since I just recently quit my job and need it to look for a job ASAP. So If I choose payments instead of paying whole, will my insurance still cover me past 6/15/12? Thanks in advance. I drive a hyundai elantra and live in Los Angeles California""

Where can i find the cheapest car insurance?

Where can i find the cheapest car insurance?

What is the cheapest car insurance company to go with at 16. could someone give me a estimate?

my car is a 2000 Pontiac grand prix. all i need is state minimum.i live in ohio

How much would insurance cost on a 125cc Skyjet?

Looking to buy a 125cc and want to know how much it would be to tax it, MOT it and insure it. Almost 17 and just want a brief idea about how to do it and what to expect.""

Who offers the cheapest Motorcycle insurance on sports bikes?

I am going to be a new proud owner of a Suzuki GXS-R600 and I need to know who offers the cheapest insurance around Columbus, Ohio or nationally""

Does anyone know a carr insurance company that quotes and lets you print certificate?

i need a car insurance certificate for wed and my own insurance cant post one in time. does anyone know a web site that quotes and then lets you buy and print off a certificate? not swift cover as they wont insure my car as im only 24! thanks!!

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

Whats the second best auto insurance in america?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-should-my-average-house-insurance-cost-william-riley/"

[gamethyme]

Origins: The Show

Despite the nightmare that flying to Ohio seems to be, we did eventually reach Columbus.  Jason Paul McCartan of Infinibadger Press was waiting in the airport for us - some of you may recall that he and I are engaged in a #PonyWar of exceeding viciousness. This was the first time we'd met in person, and he'd driven to the airport multiple times over the preceding two days expecting to pick us up. When we piled into the car with our stuff, we found a crocheted pony waiting for us. Apparently the Badger's wife decided that she wanted to be a party to the #PonyWar, too. Steph and I were delivered safely to our hotel, and we thanked Badger several times. "It's no big deal," he told us, "You're family." We heard that a lot over the weekend from a number of folks. Thursday morning, we hit the exhibit hall fairly early.  The usual plan is "Do one pass without spending money and then go back later to spend."  And we mostly stuck to it.  We went back to the room and talked about every purchase we made at the entire show. We ran into Stephan Brissaud pretty early - he's the VP of GAMA, and is the guy in charge of Iello US. He's also someone I worked with when he was with Asmodee (in fact, he's the one who first asked me to join their demo team). We knew CMON was at the show, but we didn't see them in the exhibit hall, which confused us.  We later went back and found them in the gaming area next door.  It was Pete and Ruby and a ton of the Asmodee Demo Team in that booth.  They were all glad to see us. "You're part of the family," we were told several times. I played Gekido: Bot Battles, and enjoyed it enough to pick it up. It's not a deep game, but it's fun. It's too long to be filler, but it's a decent enough warm up / cool down game. There are a few unexplained timing issues in the rulebook, but I expect CMON will publish a FAQ soon enough. Pete co-designed a game with Richard Launius that I knew was going to be available at the show, so I asked him where to get it. "I'll show you," he said, and walked Steph and I over to the Indie Boards & Cards booth.  There were only a few games in the booth, but I looked straight at Pete and asked him which game was his. I managed to keep a straight face, too, so it took him a minute before he realized I was pulling his leg.  The look on his face was priceless.  I later got him to sign my copy. Steph and I got a sneak peek at the upcoming Cutthroat Caverns expansion. Cutthroat Caverns is one of those excellent games that I don't get to play very often. Everyone has to work together to overcome the obstacles, but only one player gets to win the game. It's very Republic of Rome or Castle Panic in that respect. The new expansion looks meaty and flavorful and awesome. I walked past the Asmodee area a couple of times. It was really weird, because I didn't recognize a single person there. Not one. The crew were wearing a mix of uniforms - some were Asmodee shirts from years past, and some were wearing Fantasy Flight Games' "Flight Crew" shirts. But it wasn't uniform, and it (sadly) looked sloppy. While wandering the hall, I kept getting stopped by people, too. "Hey, Eric," I'd hear, "You taught us to play [GAME] a few years ago, and you recommended [OTHER GAME], and we loved it. What are you teaching this year? Any new suggestions?"  Random people who I only vaguely recognized, because when you run 200 demos at a show, there is almost no way you will remember all of the faces. I also demoed Rise of Tribes. It was decent enough, but I wasn't sure so I took Steph back the next day to check it out and she liked it enough to back. They'll be funding the day after this post is scheduled to go live, so if you're thinking about backing, look quickly. "Kickstarter," is another of those words I heard a ton at the show.  "We just funded on Kickstarter," or "We're launching the Kickstarter for this shortly," or "The Kickstarter is live now," or (in a few cases), "We're currently fulfilling our Kickstarter for it, with retail copies hitting distribution shortly." The number one question, by the way, that we asked at every booth was, "Are you in distribution?" Because getting books and games home from a show can be a huge pain, and we'd rather pay a bit more and support our Friendly Local Game Store.  If they were in distribution, we usually grabbed a business card and moved on. I also demoed The Supershow. This game was not for me. I figured that out a few turns in, but gave it a full game just to make sure. It's because the game was so random. It's theoretically possible for one player to never get a turn.  Unlikely, but possible. And dice hate me. Thursday evening, I went out for drinks with the Badger and discovered that I like Scottish Ale. Since I'm not a fan of beer in general, this is a useful thing to know. Friday was more of the same, only we ran into Carol (formerly of Asmodee, now with CMON). Her face lit up and she gave us both big hugs.  She almost didn't recognize me initially, but she definitely recognized Steph.  Later in the booth, she introduced us to a few of the new people, and added, "They're part of the family." I almost wanted to grab a CMON shirt and start working then and there, because it's a weird thing not having a set schedule at a con. Steph and I demoed Onitama, which put it on my list to get eventually. It'd be higher on the list, but Steph beat me pretty quickly. It also has an expansion out now.  It was a surprisingly-deep game given how fast it was to teach and play. I'd been meaning to check out Dropzone Commander since our booth was across the aisle from theirs at GenCon a few years ago, so I got a chance to sit down and play a demo.  The game has a lot going for it, but it was just a bit too fiddly for me. I definitely understand all the love it gets, though. The role specialization of each unit means that larger armies than the starter box will be significantly more interesting to play, but since no-one locally plays it, I'd need to buy whatever armies I wanted to play with or against. Or convince a friend to buy in, but that gets expensive for them, too. That's how the whole weekend went, honestly.  On Sunday, the CMON crew invited us to join them for dinner, but Steph was asleep and I was pretty peopled out. Otherwise we absolutely would have joined in because they are family. Over the course of the show, five different publishers/teams asked if we'd be interested in joining their demo team for GenCon or PAX Unplugged or even next year's Origins. Or other shows.  Apparently we have a rep of some sort. I almost want to eBay our services, just to see what kind of attention we can get (probably not much - getting approval to bid on eBay through your corporate office is not an easy thing to do). On Monday, Badger picked us up and we headed to Bob Evans for lunch.  He'd been raving about it for a while, and we don't have them locally.  It was good, but I don't like it as well as he does.  It's like a cross between Shari's and IHOP. After lunch, we headed to the airport for the trip home. While on the way there, Steph's phone rang.  Our flight had been delayed.  When we reached the airport, we learned that it'd been delayed enough that we were going to miss our connection in Minneapolis, so we needed to be rebooked. "I don't know what I can do," said the gate agent, "Because this is a United ticket."  We were booked to fly Delta.  Apparently when we bought the tickets, United sold us tickets on a Delta flight. I don't know if I mentioned it in our last travel post, but we booked First Class, because I had never flown First Class before. I wanted to know what it was like. After a bit of hemming and hawing and calling a supervisor, he got us rebooked to fly through Detroit instead on a flight that was supposed to be boarding right away.  So we grabbed our tickets and got through security as quickly as we could.  We got to the gate and discovered that the flight had been delayed.  In fact, that flight had originally been scheduled to leave before 11:00 that morning. It was now 3:00 pm. Suddenly, we were in danger of missing our connection in Detroit. But we got free (room-temperature) soda, water, and snacks. After about 40 minutes, we were able to board. There were only five passengers going to Detroit at that point, everyone else having rebooked.  Spell check, by the way, hates the word "rebook," and it's very distracting. Steph and I got off the plane and rushed to make our connection. I know I haven't mentioned this before, but Steph uses a cane to get around sometimes. Monday was one of those days. We got to the correct gate as they were about to start boarding. And ... we lost our First Class status, but we got onto the plane. We were going to be home a few hours ahead of our original schedule, so it was a mixed bag. This sums up my thoughts pretty well:

We got home and just collapsed. It was an exhausting day, and an exhausting trip altogether. A decade ago, I told someone "Origins is where you go to play games, GenCon is where you go to buy them."  And I stand by that statement.  There were no RPG dealers in the exhibit hall. There were RPG Publishers, but the shops that were there were all minis and board game shops.  In fact, it was impossible to buy D&D books at the show (despite an official presence there). It's probably for the best, otherwise one of the Badger's children would now own Tails of Equestria. And we would have needed a new ride to the airport. I want to go again, but it really depends on a number of factors. I guess we'll see. from Blogger http://ift.tt/2uJXWjp via IFTTT