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erigold13261 · 1 year ago

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What would happen if Yinu and/or her mother died in the FRAU?

Depends on when they die. Since you're asking this I'm gonna assume you mean relatively close to the time the FRAU takes place and not like in 20+ years from now.

Anyway, under the cut because it's kinda long and also has some triggering stuff. Warnings for suicide, drug/alcohol use, car crashes, talking about death (obviously).

It's hard to pick who to start with because I can see them affecting each other a lot. I guess I'll start with Yinu.

There's a few ways I can really see Yinu dying young. The main one being that the stress and lack of care for herself actually makes her really sick and (because of her father's genetics) she ends up dying because of medical problems. I doubt at this point she would want to get cybernetics because of how depressed she is, and it would be a thing her and Mama fight about but Mama just decides to let Yinu go and not force her to get cybernetics because Yinu said she would never forgive Mama if she did.

In that case, Yinu and Mama wouldn't be working for NSR anymore as Yinu would physically be unable to do so. A new charter would be put in place and really nothing much changes. Sayu's Crew feels a little bad, Neon J is devastated but couldn't even say goodbye because of how much Mama hated him, 1010 aren't really effected except maybe Blue, Eve just ignores it and doesn't think about Yinu or her mother, DJ is probably a little sad but isn't all that affected by it, and Tatiana is sad for Yinu and her mother but doesn't believe it's her fault as Yinu never spoke up about the stress so there was no way Tatiana could have helped prevent this.

Another way could be in an accident, such as a car accident or possibly a house fire. Mama is always with Yinu in the car/limo, so I doubt one of those would kill Yinu as Mama would immediately encase Yinu in a protective field of vines and her body. So unless they got t-boned on Yinu's side, which is definitely a possibility (and would end in Yinu's death), Yinu is going to survive that. It is an accident and more people are sad but in a way you pity someone who passed that you don't really know. There would be a mourning period for NSR and the city, but a new charter would be elected soon after (probably "in honor" of Yinu) and things would go on as usual (similar reactions from NSRtists, except maybe Tatiana is more affected by the loss).

The house fire though is something I can see happening a lot more than the car accident death. Either Mama is out or is asleep and Yinu is making herself some food. Her depression and probably playing the piano a lot more to just escape reality has made her tired and she leaves the stove/oven on as she lays on the couch. She forgets to set a timer and what she's cooking catches fire, setting the whole house on fire along with all the plants and killing Yinu (and possibly Mama).

If Mama is out, she comes home to either the blaze or the aftermath (probably close to the end because someone would have called her about it and she would have rushed home). There's nothing Mama can do to help Yinu and so she is devastated and wants to find answers as fast as possible only to learn it was a kitchen fire and Yinu was most likely asleep on the couch. Pretty sure Mama would never forgive herself for leaving Yinu alone like that, and would even more hate herself once she heard rumors that people were spreading that Yinu did this on purpose (or even that Mama did it to get life insurance on her daughter, which would infuriate Mama to no end).

Same deal with the NSRtists as the car accident. The only difference I see is that Neon J would go out of his way to try and connect with Mama and comfort her. Even through all the shit she put him through, he lost his kids in a house fire and knows exactly what Mama is going through. She actually lets him in a bit and the two share a heartfelt moment but it doesn't erase the years of pain the two have been in (so no heartmonitor).

If Mama is in the house when it happens, so this is probably the middle of the night, they both just die from the fire. It's seen as a tragedy, but people just move on. Basically same reactions as the car accident scene. Neon J and Green probably go to the site to pay respects to Yinu (and sorta Mama).

Now, technically there is another way Yinu could die. It's not suicide. Yinu, to me, isn't the type of person who would ever commit suicide, at least not the standard ways (like medical suicide is probably one she would allow to happen to her, as seen in the sickness one where she refuses medical help that could save her). However, Yinu does do some drugs and drinks a bit of alcohol in this AU, so this ask I got earlier (one I didn't really want to answer) will also go here

"What if Yinu died from acute alcohol intoxication? (FRAU) how would her mother act?"

In that case, if it's either alcohol or other drugs (though I don't see Yinu doing hard drugs, mostly recreational stuff like pot and mushrooms probably) that kills her, then Mama would probably be arrested for neglecting her child or possibly allowing her child to use substances (pretty sure Mama knew but didn't fully want to stop Yinu as she didn't think it was abnormal for a teen to have a "little fun" but she didn't know how far Yinu was going with this stuff).

It just becomes a huge scandal, and while some people are sad for Yinu's passing, a lot more people are saying it's her own fault, she should have been taking better care of herself/not doing that stuff, just a lot of victim blaming is being done. NSR rejects Yinu's action and makes the Megastars do a drug test (only for publicity reasons, none of them are passing but Tatiana doesn't let the public know that and says all her artists are clean). So yeah, a lot less sympathy for Yinu or Mama in this version, with Mama probably getting put into jail or something like that.

Now, for Mama's turn.

Firstly, in a lot of the above cases, Mama would actually commit suicide herself because of the loss of her daughter. In another AU she would go to her mother for solace, but in the FRAU, Mama feels like she has absolutely nothing else and ends up ending herself. This is most likely to happen in the medical suicide, house fire, and drug death versions.

However, if Mama were to die first it would be most likely a freak accident or she gets some kind of disease specific to her species (which would also kill Yinu since Yinu's would also be affected but also has a weaker immune system).

Freak accident would probably be another car crash, but not with Yinu in the car. If Yinu is in the car, Mama would use her powers in a much quicker manner than if she was alone in her car (she wouldn't be in a limo without Yinu). If she is by herself, her guard is a lot more down and she... she doesn't drive recklessly but she isn't being the most super attentive or careful driver. So she would end up in a crash and, probably from lack of sleep or something, ends up not using her powers in time to take most of the blow. Probably the car blows up or there is a fire that also hurts Mama a lot. I can only really see this taking place at night, so she'd probably not be getting any help soon and ends up passing in the car. If someone does get there in time, she would end up passing in the ride to the hospital or at the hospital from her injuries.

Another freak accident could be a kitchen accident which ends in Mama being very badly burnt (I'm thinking oil fire that got out of control and as Mama was trying to put it out, the thing fell over and splashed over her, causing severe burns). They are so bad that she does survive the initial burning, but the infection that comes from the burns is too much for her to overcome and she dies.

I can see in both of these scenarios that Yinu is nowhere around Mama, and is told secondhand that her mother had just passed. Yinu is numb at first, not knowing what the fuck to do or how to feels. She just keeps doing what she was doing beforehand for a few minutes (probably playing the piano, but like in a much more slow and "just doing it to do something" manner instead of actually playing).

Yinu is just stunned, shocked, doesn't know what to do. She just shuts down and can't even leave where she is because Mama was her ride (would be worse if Mama was on her way to pick Yinu up, otherwise Mama would have been making food for Yinu to come home to). She probably just stays in her practice hall for the night not even bothering to sleep (she doesn't practice at home).

I can see Tatiana trying to reach out to find Yinu, but no one knows where she is. She isn't at home and is no longer in her practice hall by that point. Yinu would most likely wander the streets of Vinyl city for a while before heading to Barraca Mansion since Green is really the only other person she really cares about at that moment.

Neon would obviously invite her in and try to take care of her, allowing her to sit with Green in the mansion's courtyard as he takes over trying to contact Tatiana and the hospital on Yinu's behalf. He would help contact Esther and make sure Yinu is okay (as okay as she could be in that moment). The other NSRtists are probably staying away from the whole mess, but are also trying to send their condolences to Yinu (which she absolutely hates, especially from the Sayu Crew and Eve).

I can see Esther and Neon working together to make funeral arrangements for Mama while also trying to take care of Yinu, who just hasn't done or said anything for the past few days (literally her and Green would just silently sit in the courtyard for hours, just staring at the grass and weeds growing). She's barely eaten and is truly just numb to everything. This whole time she is just silent and hasn't even cried, only thinking about what the last thing she said to her mother was and if she could have been better.

The funeral happens and that is when Yinu breaks down. She decides to go back to Mexico with her grandmother and leaves behind NSR. Tatiana doesn't give her the benefit of getting paid a certain amount of time after quitting NSR like OG Tatiana would, and is probably never going to be signed onto NSR again even if Yinu did want to come back in a few years.

A new charter is selected for Yinu's position and things just go on. No one really contacts Yinu again except for Neon and Green (which Blue and Red sometimes sending a message or saying hi over the phone/video call). Otherwise Yinu just goes on to live with her grandmother until she is old enough to go out into the world and NSR just continues as if nothing really happens.

Going back to if Mama got a disease that killed her.

Like I said, it would also affect Yinu. The two would be sick and just kept getting worse and worse, not being able to overcome it. If it's a plant disease then they wouldn't even be able to call Esther to come visit them because of the risk of her getting it. If it's a snake disease though, Esther would be there at the hospital with those two trying to help them get through it.

Ultimately it fails. Yinu would die first, being the one with the compromised immune system, stress, and lack of sleep. Her will to go on was already really low so this just let her die quicker. Mama, after hearing her daughter is dead, would also just give up (especially if it was the plant disease without her mother around to help her). If it's the snake disease, Mama would hold out a bit longer, trying to stay alive for her mother, but would end up dead as well.

The reason I put this under Mama death and not Yinu death even though Yinu died first, is because Mama is the one who contracted the disease first and gave it to Yinu by accident.

Anyway, NSR would see this as a tragedy and honestly probably make a fund for this kind of disease because it was probably really rare (and can be used as a marketing campaign). Otherwise it would just be the same situation as like the car accident or something. Yinu is replaced, people are ignoring their feelings about the situation, and the world keeps on moving.

#suicide mention #alcohol mention #death #drugs mention #failed revolution #nsrtalk #eritalks #noart #asks

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boydinsurance · 2 months ago

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What Are the Key Differences Between Insurance and Investment Products?

Have you ever heard someone say that insurance and investments are pretty much the same thing? We know it’s easy to get confused! However, insurance and investment products are actually quite different. While one is like a safety net, the other is like a way to grow your money. Understanding the difference between these two products can help you make smarter decisions.

Understanding Insurance

Insurance is like having a shield that protects you from big financial problems. For example, if your house gets damaged in a storm or if you get into a car accident, insurance helps cover the cost. You pay a small amount of money regularly, called a premium, to an insurance company. Then, if something bad happens, they help pay the bills.

Types of insurance:

There are different kinds of insurance to protect different parts of your life:

Homeowners insurance — Protects your house and the things inside it.

Flood insurance — Helps pay for damage if there’s a flood.

Auto insurance — Covers costs if you get into a car accident.

How Insurance Works

When you buy insurance, you pay a premium every month or year. If something happens that’s covered by your insurance, like a car accident, you file a claim. This means you ask the insurance company to help pay for the damage. Boyd Insurance and Investment can guide you in choosing the right insurance to keep you safe.

Understanding Investment Products

Investment products are ways to make your money grow over time. Instead of just saving your money in a piggy bank, you can invest it in things like stocks or bonds. The goal is to earn more money in the future.

Types of investment products:

Here are some types of investment products:

Stocks — When you buy stocks, you own a small part of a company. If the company does well, your stock becomes more valuable.

Bonds — Bonds are like loans you give to companies or the government. They pay you interest, and after some time, you get your money back.

Mutual funds — These are groups of stocks and bonds managed by professionals. They let you invest in many things at once.

ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) — They work like mutual funds but can be bought and sold like stocks.

How Investment Products Work

Investing is about taking some risks to try to make more money. Stocks can go up and down in value quickly, which makes them risky. Bonds are usually more stable but might not grow your money as fast. Mixing different types of investments can balance risk and reward. These help your money grow over time.

Key Differences Between Insurance and Investment Products

Even though insurance and investment products both involve money, they have different purposes:

Purpose — Insurance is for protection, while investments are for growing your money.

Risk-return profile — Insurance offers guaranteed payouts but lower returns. Investments can offer higher returns but are riskier.

Time horizon — Insurance usually covers short-term needs, like paying for an accident. Investments are more about long-term goals, like saving for college.

Liquidity — Quickly cashing out of insurance policies can be challenging. With investments, some are easier to cash out than others.

The Relationship Between Insurance and Investment Products

A good financial plan usually includes both insurance and investments. Here’s how they work together:

How Insurance Can Impact Investments

Insurance protects your money, so you don’t have to sell investments when things go wrong.

It gives you access to cash when you need it, which helps you keep your investments growing.

Insurance can help your family stay financially stable if something happens to you.

How Investments Can Support Insurance Needs

Investments can help you afford insurance premiums without breaking the bank.

You can use investment earnings to build an emergency fund, so you don’t have to rely only on insurance.

Some people use investment returns to pay for expensive insurance policies, like life insurance.

Choosing the Right Products for Your Needs

When you’re deciding between insurance and investments, think about what you really need:

Assess your risk tolerance — How much risk can you handle? This will help you decide between safer insurance and riskier investments.

Identify your financial goals — What are you saving for? Your goals will guide your choices.

Understand your insurance needs — Make sure you’re covered where it matters, like with health or car insurance.

Consult with a professional — Experts can help you choose the best options for your situation.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, insurance and investment products are different, but both are important. Insurance protects what you have, while investments help you grow your money. Boyd Insurance and Investment are here to help you make the best decisions for your future.

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mandercollisionandglass · 3 months ago

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Weeding through the Fine Print: Common Car Insurance Myths That'll Cost You

Insuring your car is something you definitely have to do if you are a car owner. It would help you be in a better position against any unexpected damage or loss, for instance, even theft of the vehicle. Unfortunately, so many myths concerning car insurance are very common, and only a small percentage of drivers do not fall prey to them. Knowing what fact is behind these myths will let you make appropriate decisions regarding your coverage and be fully protected at the time when you need it most. Here are some of the more pervasive car insurance myths, with a closer look at what they can mean for your auto body repair services.

Myth 1: Full Coverage Means Everything Is Covered

The Reality

Maybe the most critical myth is that "full coverage" means everything that happens to your vehicle is covered. In fact, full coverage typically suggests coverage for liability and comprehensive/collision insurance. However, items will still be left uncovered. For example, in some cases, certain types of damage will not be covered at all. Additionally, what is covered in terms of auto body repair and paint near me is going to be on a case by case policy.

How You Can Help Yourself

First of all, you should read your insurance policy, what is covered and what is not. First and foremost, speak to your insurance agent about further coverage and what your options are if you have any questions. This way, when you bring in your vehicle for repair at a reputable auto body repair facility like Mander Collision & Glass, you will know exactly what needs to be done.

Myth 2: Your Insurance Follows the Driver, Not the Vehicle

The Reality

Most universal beliefs that many people have is that an auto insurance follows the driver and not the vehicle. However most policies are made to cover the vehicle. That essential means that the coverage is directed towards the car and not to who's driving. This basically means that if another party gets involved in an accident, then your insurance company could be responsible for covering the damages.

Make Sure the Person Borrowing Your Car Is Insured

Before you loan out your car to someone else, ensure that they have coverage under your policy; otherwise, you will be held liable for any damages or loss incurred. The same exists in the context of wanting to determine whether your policy contains a permissive-use provision that allows other drivers to be covered while driving your car with your consent.

The general belief has been that red cars cost more insurance, but there is no truth in that. Companies do not factor color of the vehicle as a determinant for setting premiums. What they factor in are: model and make of the car, age, and safety features found in the vehicle, and of course, the age of the driver, driving record, and where that person resides.

What You Can Do

While making a new car purchase, only factors responsible for affecting the insurance premium should be taken into account. The car would lead to a reduction in premiums that have a good safety rating and are equipped with all modern security gadgets, making it less vulnerable to theft. Getting the insurance quotes from several insurers could also help in finding proper coverage at an economical price.

Myth 4: Little Bumper Benders Don't Raise Your Rates

Fact

Most drivers assume small accidents, particularly those involving no other cars, have no impact on your premiums. In truth, even a small claim may drive up your rates, particularly if you have had two or more incidents within a short period.

What You Can Do

Weigh the long-term costs against any decision to file a claim for minor damage. If it's much closer to your deductible, then you might as well pay for it yourself to avoid the potential of getting your premiums raised. When you do need auto body repair, you should choose a reputable shop like Mander Collision & Glass to make repairs right and at a reasonable cost.

Myth 5: The Insurance Will Automatically Apply to Aftermarket Parts

The Reality

One of the appeals of driving a car is to get these accessories that improve its performance, or even scores of people who get their cars to look the part. The sad part, more often than not, is that these cannot be part of a normal policy of insurance. In fact, some insurers may deny claims related to aftermarket parts unless they are specifically listed in your policy.

What You Can Do

If any parts are installed post-purchase, it is best to divulge this information to the insurance company, making sure the added parts are covered by the insurance policy. It may add premiums, but that peace of mind you get will help you sleep better at night. When looking for a local auto body shop or paint shop, let them know which these aftermarket parts are so they can treat your vehicle appropriately.

Conclusion

It may look like car insurance has become a minefield for myths and misconceptions. Knowing the truth behind those makes you better equipped when making decisions on your coverage options and avoiding very expensive mistakes. Be it a minor fender bender or a massive collision, the right insurance and partnership with a reliable auto body repair service like Mander Collision & Glass will ensure your vehicle gets the proper fix.

#body repair and paint near me #auto body repair services

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norcalattorney · 1 year ago

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CALIFORNIA PARKING LOT RIGHT OF WAY RULES THAT ALL DRIVERS SHOULD KNOW

Parking lot accidents are more common than one would expect. Every year, approximately 50,000 accidents occur in parking lots and garages. These accidents, unfortunately, claim the lives of more than 500 people and injure about 60,000 people yearly. While many of these accidents are caused by drivers getting distracted, a good number are caused by ignorance of existing right-of-way laws. There's a lot to know about backing out of a parking space right of way, and this article aims to bridge that knowledge gap and help you navigate the parking lot safely.

Before we further learn who has the right of way backing out of a parking space, let's talk about what legally constitutes the "right of way." In most states (including California), any vehicle within a designated lane moving slowly enough can take the right of way over other vehicles. This means that if someone pulls out onto the road from behind parked cars, they must first yield the right of way before proceeding across lanes.

Table Of Contents

1. Who Has The Right of Way?

2. Simple Rules That Guide The Use of Parking Lots

3. What Causes Parking Lot Accidents?

4. What To Do If You are Involved in a Parking Lot Accident?

5. Who Pays Damages When Parking Lot Accidents Happen?

6. Reach Out To A Personal Injury Lawyer

7. What are the California laws for parking lot accidents?

8. What responsibilities should a parking lot owner have after a car accident?

9. Will my insurance cover the damages from a parking lot accident?

10. Should I yield when I have the right of way?

11. Which vehicles usually get special right of way?

12. Who always has the right of way in the parking lot?

13. What if more than one vehicle approaches an uncontrolled intersection in the parking lot?

14. What do I do if I hit a parked car?

15. What do I do if someone hits my parked car and drives off?

Who Has The Right Of Way?

What rules apply to backing out of driveway right of way? Does the driver backing out of a parking space have the right of way? The following are sample situations showing who has the right of way.

1. The driver on the main lane or thoroughfares (lanes exiting into the road) have the right of way over the vehicles exiting the feeder lanes (in between a thoroughfare and another).

2. Drivers who turn right or left from the main lane into the roadway or feeder lanes must yield the right of way to any vehicle in traffic coming from the opposite direction. (This includes pedestrians and cyclists)

3. Drivers moving on the feeder lane have the right of way over vehicles backing out of parking spots.

4. If the parking lot has yield or stop signs located, it automatically overrides the rules for right of way. The right of way is inferior to the traffic signs within the parking lot.

5. When there's an intersection or parking spot available, the first driver to arrive usually gets the right of way.

Simple Rules That Guide The Use Of Parking Lots

There are a few simple rules you will need to remember when driving in parking lots.

Use your turn signals when you move into an open spot: This will help other drivers know where you're going and what your intentions are so that they can adjust their movements accordingly.

Pay attention to the directional arrows in parking lots with one-way lanes: They will let you know if you need to drive around the block to find a space that isn't blocked by another car or a curb.

Drivers that want the same spot: If two drivers arrive at the same time and both want the same parking space, the driver coming from the traffic lane must yield.

What Causes Parking Lot Accidents?

Drivers can experience bad injuries from a collision in parking lot accidents like whiplash, broken bones, etc. Moreover, pedestrians also get injured during these accidents. Hence it is crucial to know the leading causes of parking lot accidents.

Driving The Wrong Way Down A Lane: This is a common mistake, especially if you're new to driving or have poor depth perception. You'll need to be extra careful when pulling out of your parking spot to see oncoming traffic and crosswalks ahead of you before turning out onto the road.

Backing Up Without Looking First: Backing up is integral to getting in and out of parking spaces. But many drivers back up without looking behind them for oncoming traffic, while some rely only on their backup cameras. This is a rookie mistake and can easily lead to an accident, mainly because inexperienced drivers may not know who has the right of way when backing up.

Distracted Driving: Drivers who keep looking out for open spots instead of watching for traffic (including pedestrian traffic) around them.

What To Do If You Are Involved In A Parking Lot Accident?

Take pictures of the scene and record any injuries you might have sustained and the position of the vehicles involved.

If there are independent witnesses to this accident, try to get their contact details so they can provide a statement later on.

You may have to visit a hospital even when your injuries look minor. It would be best if you did so as soon as possible after the accident because doctors can diagnose injuries more easily when you report them early.

When all is said and done, visit your insurance provider and report the incident.

Who Pays Damages When Parking Lot Accidents Happen?

Drivers are expected to take reasonable care to avoid causing injuries to others in the parking area. This applies whether your vehicle is parked or driving. You may be liable for their injuries, damages and losses if you negligently injure someone.

If you are involved in an accident while in a parking lot, your insurer will likely require that you report it immediately so that claims can be made correctly and quickly.

The parking lot owner can also be liable if the injuries are caused by the dangerous conditions of their parking lot. Dangerous conditions include:

Failing to make necessary repairs

Failing to mark directions of parking lanes

Poor lighting

Failure to provide adequate staff or staff training

While you may know everything about backing out of a parking space right of way, the best advice from a legal perspective is to avoid the hassle in the first place. Assume that drivers who are backing out of parking spots may not be able to see you. Drive cautiously through parking lots so you can stop if someone backs out unexpectedly. Finally, when backing up, take your time and look behind before proceeding.

If you've been the victim of a dog bite injury in Natomas, the McCrary Law Firm is here to help. Our experienced team of Natomas dog bite injury lawyers understands the physical and emotional trauma that can result from such incidents. We are dedicated to seeking justice for our clients and obtaining the compensation they deserve. Trust us to provide you with compassionate and effective legal representation throughout your case.

#skin care treatment

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freewayinsurance · 2 years ago

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Best West Coast Road Trip: 21 Must-See Scenic Spots

A long and winding road trip along the west coast of the United States is a great way to celebrate a few days off from the daily grind. In the United States, residents can seek their perfect place from the mountains and greenery of the Pacific Northwest to wine country to the dry deserts of Southern California.

Whether you rent a car or drive your own, each spot on this trip offers unique, diverse and endless variation. So, let’s hit the west coast and visit 21 scenic spots along the way with tips for safety, places to sleep and, of course, places to eat!

Why Choose a Road Trip?

There’s as many road trips as there are preferences. You can make them as structured – or as spontaneous – as you want! Just the act of locking the front door, jumping into the car and driving away is a declaration of freedom. If life throws some curveballs during your trip, maintaining that spirit of adventure will give you the flexibility to adjust.

Of course, there are things that should be planned:

Give some love to the trusty steed (your car) that is going to take you on these far-flung adventures.

Make sure your car insurance is current, your oil changes are up to date and your tires, brakes and fluids are all ready for the rigors of the road

Pack some extra chargers, some entertainment and good music, snacks and water! Many of the spots on our list are parks, so find the most affordable package before you leave. You can purchase annual or one-time passes that will get you in every park.

Safety First on Your Adventure

Although you and your passengers are on a carefree adventure to indulge and imbibe, one of the best things you can do is to keep safety first and foremost. Here’s a handy list of things to keep in mind.

On-the-Go Protection

If you will be driving in strange places, you’ll want to be safe if something happens. For example, your 6-year-old (or your grown spouse!) may lock the keys in the car. If you drive over the wrong thing you may end up with two flat tires. Even having your car overheat as you make your way through stunning desert vistas is not impossible…

The way to make sure your trip isn’t interrupted by an event like this is to add roadside assistance to your policy. This coverage is cheap compared to the peace of mind it can provide when you are driving through unfamiliar places. Your roadside assistance should cover you even in a rental car.

One other possible coverage to add is travel club and hospital indemnity. This cheap package will help you pay for medical costs, aside from your health insurance and auto insurance, if there is an accident and you wind up in the hospital.

Car Rental

If you don’t want to use your car, you may end up choosing a rental. Rentals are in short supply these days, so be sure and get a reservation so you don’t end up trying to fit 6 people in a compact!

Make sure you go in with a clear understanding of what your personal auto insurance will cover. For example, does your policy offer some of the same protections the rental company is asking if you want to add? No reason to duplicate.

If something happens along the way to your personal vehicle, such as an accident, you may want to continue your trip if everyone is OK. In that case, having rental care reimbursement on your policy will come in handy.

Strangers in a Strange Land

OK, we borrowed that title a little bit, but keep in mind as you travel that as carefree as your time on the open road is, you still need to use some common sense. If you must bring valuables, don’t flaunt them. Take good care of your credit cards and cash. Be cautious with strangers who seem overly friendly. And if you overdo it in wine country, make sure you are in a safe place with people you trust and that someone not drinking has the keys

21 Scenic Spots on the West Coast

Of course, there are more than 21 scenic spots on any west coast jaunt. Use this guide as a starting – or finishing – point and add your own best places to visit as you go along.

1. Whidbey Island, WA

We are going to begin on Whidbey Island. There are several ways to get to this seahorse-shaped island. You may choose to take a longer ferry from a different point, but we’ll be on the Mukilteo ferry, which is a 20-minute ride over to Whidbey Island. The Mukilteo ferry is just north of Seattle – about an hour’s drive depending on traffic.

Most tourists want to check out Deception Pass State Park and take in the sweeping views.

Duration: You may want to devote a day to exploring Whidbey Island. If you just want to eat at a really good seafood spot, it could be a 3 to 5-hour trip there and back.

Hint: Ferry lines on the weekends can be long. There is a concession stand and a restaurant, but if at all possible, begin your journey on a weekday. Ferries run every half hour. There are also alternate ways to get to Whidbey, as well as other ferry points, that you can explore.

2. Seattle

When you wake up on Day 2, you’ll want to wander around the famous Pike Place Market to get your morning cup of joe from the original Starbucks. Find some breakfast and hit the Space Needle, a thrill with breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains and Mount Rainier.

You can easily spend a day exploring the charms of Seattle, but if you are ready to hit the road after a few hours, take off for Olympic National Park.

Next stop: Olympic National Park (about 2 hours north and west).

3. Olympic National Park, WA

There is much to see and do inside Olympic National Park and a variety of ecosystems to check out, including subalpine, coast, rain forest, and lowland forest. Located inside the Olympic Peninsula, you can spend what remains of the day after driving over from Seattle and then stay at one of the lodges (reservations are highly recommended). The park is huge and since there is no one road linking it all, you can plan your activities based on your interests or just hop in the car and start driving around.

Summer months are the busiest, so plan accordingly.

Next stop: Mount Rainier, roughly a 4-hour drive.

4. Mount Rainier, Washington

If you’ve always wanted to see an active volcano, then Mount Rainier is the perfect place for you. Depending on the time of year, you can hike, camp, ski and sled. There are several beautiful places to visit inside the park system, including Paradise, one of the most popular. There is a hotel in Paradise for those who want to make a day and night of it, as well as other overnight options.

Hint: Paradise has some great trails for those who want to see the glorious offerings of the wildflower meadows. Keep in mind the area has an elevation of 5,400 feet and some trails will offer quite a workout.

Next stop: Columbia River, about 3 hours west.

5. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

The majestic Columbia River Gorge is a must-see spot. Waterfalls, wildflowers, hikes and leisurely strolls, all combined with spectacular scenery add up to a memorable piece of American beauty. You can also take advantage of a hand-crafted beer and farm-fresh food at the Gorge, too. Since your next destination is 7 hours due south, you may want to find a lodge and sleep off some of those potent potables!

Next stop: Crater Lake, 7 hours due south.

6. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Traveling in summer? You may still want to bring some winter coats if you plant to make Crater Lake a stop. The park was formed by a volcano causing the collapse of a mountain top. There is snow on the ground for much of the year, but the deepest lake in the United States is a pristine and awe-inspiring color of blue you won’t soon forget.

Next stop: It’s a 4 hour drive due west to reach the next scenic stop, Redwood.

7. Redwood National Park, California

If you are going to take a west coast jaunt, it’s obligatory to get a picture at the base of one of the tallest trees on Earth at Redwood National Park. Since you are coming off at least a few hours at Crater Lake and 4 hours on the road, you may want to find accommodations and tackle Redwood the next day. However, if you just want the picture as proof that you stopped, you can take a 5-minute walk to the Big Tree Wayside, snap your photo and be on your way.

But there are places to stay all around Redwood and plenty of restaurants. If you want to get your picture, have dinner and tuck in for the night, you can spend a few hours the next day exploring a little more of this beautiful attraction.

Next stop: Lake Tahoe, Nevada – 8 to 9 hours

8. Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Depending on the time of the year, you can have fun with water sports or ski the slopes. Lake Tahoe has been experiencing drought in the last few years, as has much of California and Nevada. At this point, significant snowpack shows encouraging signs that Lake Tahoe will rebound and at least get to its fill line.

Lake Tahoe offers a 72-mile gorgeous drive, called the Most Beautiful Drive in America, which offers food, shopping, paddleboat rentals, casinos and a large variety of other attractions. There are plenty of places to spend the night so you can be totally refreshed for your next stop: San Francisco!

Next stop: San Francisco – 4 hours

9. San Francisco, CA

No west coast journey would be complete without a stop in San Francisco. There is so much to do and see here, we can’t possibly list it all. Some highlights, however, would include:

Alcatraz – a short ferry ride will take you over to “The Rock.” Be warned that lines are long in peak tourist months. You can purchase tickets in advance.

Fisherman’s Wharf – between the awesome food and street musicians, there’s something for everyone at this iconic landmark. Stroll down Pier 39 for a first-hand look at all things San Francisco.

Chinatown – If you are feeling brave (and you don’t speak Chinese), visit a Chinatown restaurant with a menu in Chinese. And even if the menu is in a familiar language, you may not recognize all the ingredients. But take heart – you won’t walk away hungry after sampling the delights available here.

Tip: It never really gets warm at the waterfront. So, pack a light jacket or you’ll be buying one from one of the vendors who sell light fleece jackets to teeth-chattering visitors.

Next stop: It’s in the same city but deserves its own mention.

10. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

On your way out of San Fran, take a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge. There’s a welcome center where you can buy souvenirs and learn about the history of this iconic landmark.

Next stop: Santa Cruz, CA – Due south for almost 2 hours

11. Pacific Coast Highway

On this particular journey, we’ll be picking up the Pacific Coast Highway as we head out of San Francisco for points south. The Pacific Coast Highway is almost a destination in its own right and heading north to south gives the driver the absolute best views while motoring along this marvel of modern road building (see there is a method to our madness).

12. Santa Cruz, CA

There are many things to do and see in Santa Cruz. Besides great beaches, food and wine, the legendary Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a must see for anybody traveling with children – or anybody who loves an amusement park over the stunning Pacific Ocean. Spend the day exploring nature or shopping for one-of-a-kind artisan crafted treasures.

Next stop: An hour-and-a-half down the scenic PCH to Big Sur.

13. Big Sur, CA

Just like many of our unique destinations, Big Sur can be a drive-through or a longer stay. It’s an iconic place that you may recognize from plenty of movies, TVs and commercials. You can simply drive through Big Sur on the PCH and pull over now and then to gaze at the Pacific Ocean splendor. Or you can choose a longer stay and visit Big Sur State Park or stop to shop and eat at Nepenthe, a landmark place that comes complete with Southern California’s good vibes.

You’ll probably want to leave early to arrive at your next stop (hint, it’s a biggie) in time to rest up for the following day’s adventure.

Next stop: Yosemite, 5 hours east

14. Yosemite National Park

Visiting this quintessential of America’s parks is a must do on your itinerary. However, spontaneous won’t work here as you need reservations just to enter Yosemite National Park. If you want to make a day and night of it, you’ll also need to reserve your lodging, camping and backpacking. Park officials advise to pack your patience as millions of people visit here in the peak months between April and October.

There’s so much to do and see, you’ll want to explore the website and make some plans.

Tip: Start early to avoid the crowds. Get a good night’s sleep before embarking on the next leg of the trip, which involves driving through Death Valley and into Sin City.

Next stop: Death Valley and into Las Vegas – 5-8 hours to Death Valley and 3 hours past that to Las Vegas

15. Death Valley

With temps hitting above 130 degrees in the summer, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of water before hitting the road through Death Valley. It’s called the hottest place on Earth for a reason! For those who want to adventure into the desert fun, stop by Furnace Creek Visitor Center for some tips and suggestions. If you plan to hike, take precautions.

Next stop: Vegas, baby – 3 hours.

16. Las Vegas, NV

If you are a newbie to Sin City, decide on a few things to do to mark your trip and come back again if you don’t check everything off your list. Las Vegas has too much to do and see to get it all in one trip. However, there are a few experiences you shouldn’t miss, including:

Taking in a show. Las Vegas is known for its live entertainment. From the Beatles Cirque du Soleil “Love” show to famous magician David Copperfield, there’s a show happening somewhere, anytime!

Visiting Fremont Street Experience. You’ll marvel at the spectacular display of lights and technology overhead while grooving to live music. It’s an all senses experience you won’t want to miss. And it’s free! The adventurous (and patient) can buy tickets and get in line for the zip line that takes you above the crowds.

Nothing is cheap here. From traveling around the city (buying a bus pass is the best way to go) to playing the slots to finding entertainment and a place to sleep, save up for this spot in your trip.

Next stop: Santa Barbara, 6 hours.

17. Santa Barbara, CA

After the whirlwind of Las Vegas, Santa Barbara is the perfect next stop to catch your breath. Also known as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara offers 7 beautiful beaches if it’s time for that sun-kissed glow, museums, restaurants and, of course, wine.

Next stop: Santa Monica, 1.5 hours

18. Santa Monica, CA

Continue down the lovely PCH, through infamous Malibu and into Santa Monica on your way to Los Angeles. There are plenty of beaches, food and nightlife for those who want to immerse themselves in the SoCal lifestyle.

Next stop: Los Angeles, 30 minutes

19. Los Angeles, CA

After your leisurely drive down the PCH through cities that illustrate the absolute stunning beauty of the Golden State, it’s time to tackle Los Angeles, the City of Angels. As with Las Vegas and San Francisco, deciding ahead of time what you want to do while here will save you some time, angst and probably money. Some of the major attractions include:

Disneyland – Get there early, pack your patience and take lots of money. The park is a day-long adventure of iconic rides and attractions that everyone should visit at least once.

Universal Studios Hollywood – There’s everything from Harry Potter to Super Mario at Universal Studios. It’s a little more laid-back than Disneyland, so a possible respite for mom and dad while still being fun and exciting.

Next stop: Joshua Tree, between 2 and 3 hours

20. Joshua Tree National Park, CA

For those who want to bask in the desert sun, Joshua Tree offers not one, but two desert ecosystems in the Mojave and the Colorado. Strong winds, gusty rainstorms and the darkest of nights will provide you the desert memories you crave. The park is always open and there are 4 visitors centers open during regular business hours.

Since there are no restaurants, hotels or gas stations, you’ll want to pack in some water and food if you plan to stay for any length of time. The park has limited cell phone reception, but if you want to do some stargazing before your last stop and unwind from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree is the destination.

21. San Diego, CA

This is the quintessential southern California destination city, with rolling surf and waves in impossibly blue water on one side to horse country in the hills above on the other side. Learn to surf, take a yoga class on the beach, take a whale watching tour, visit a real live post-WWII ship at the USS Midway Museum, take in the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park or just eat the freshest of seafood to your heart’s content.

San Diego is a wonderful place to relax and unwind after your wild and crazy, action-packed west coast road trip.

Take Freeway Insurance Along with You on Your West Coast Journey

Now that you know where to go and what to do on this fun-filled trip along the west coast of the United States, don’t forget to take along the best and most affordable car insurance. At Freeway Insurance, we are happy to give you a fast and free quote online. You are also welcome to stop in the nearest location or just give us a call at 800-777-5620.

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superkilometerfilter · 2 years ago

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How To Buy A Best Second Hand Car?

Buying a best second hand car can be a tricky process to navigate because no two used cars are the same. Each car has its unique history which can either work in your favor or become your biggest nightmare. So, when you are going to get a best cars to buy used for good deal, you should be aware of the useful tips and steps I’ll provide below.

First, you should search for best used suv to buy on the websites to view ads for cars that are close to you and try to investigate the car history. It is the most important tip to follow when selecting the best second hand car to buy. You should never purchase a car without first verifying a history report. You might have heard from people that ended up buying a used car and later regretting it. There are auto body shops that are professionals at making a car look good. It can happen to anybody. If the VIN isn’t listed in the ad and the seller won’t give it to you for some reason, then move on to the next car. They are most likely trying to hide something.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BUY A USED CAR?

Searching for a pre-owned vehicle used to mean cruising shopping center parking lots, bargaining with dealers, and visiting car lot after car lot. Fortunately, things have changed.

Today, you can find nearly every used car that’s for sale somewhere on the internet. Many online platforms show almost a million vehicles available at dealerships across the world. You can narrow the search to your area and the specific model of the car you’re looking for.

Get a Vehicle History Report

The first step in evaluating the best cars to buy used is getting a vehicle history report. You don’t want to travel all over town, looking at cars that aren’t worthy of your attention. A vehicle history report from a company such as Carfax or Autocheck can tell you if a car is worth pursuing.

For this, you will need to demand the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate number from the seller before you can run the report. You can often get the license plate number from ad photos.

What’s in a vehicle history report? Though they’re not perfect, a vehicle history report can tell you whether it is a best-used SUV to buy, or whether it’s time to move on to your next candidate.

The following information is revealed

Accidents: While it may not show very recent collisions, a vehicle history will include information about major reported accidents a car has been in. It uses data from state DMVs, insurance companies, police agencies, and other sources. In some cases, information as detailed as airbag deployment and structural damage will be noted.

Flood, Fire, or Other Damage: A vehicle history report will also indicate other damage, such as water damage from a flood, fire damage, or damage from a hailstorm. The first two should disqualify a vehicle from your consideration, due to the high potential of hidden damage.

Title Status: Information about a car’s title can give you more insight into its history than any other single item on a Carfax or Autocheck vehicle history report. If you see a “branded” title or one that has been moved to the USA from state to state to state, it’s a huge red flag and you should probably delete the car off your shopping list. Common title brands include salvage, junk, or rebuilt for vehicles declared a total loss by an insurance company. Others include police use, taxi use, hail damage, flood damage, and lemon law buyback. If you decide to purchase a vehicle with a branded title, you should demand a massive price reduction and let your pre-purchase inspection mechanic know about its history.

Ownership: Sellers love to advertise cars as “one-owner,” because they’re more valuable than those owned by multiple owners. The vehicle history report will show you whether that’s true in its history section.

Odometer Readings: When you renew your car’s registration or get a state-mandated inspection, most states require the car’s mileage to be recorded. Those numbers are shown in a vehicle history report and should match what you see on the car’s odometer. If the car’s odometer shows a lower mileage than in the report, you should ask the seller for a documented explanation or walk away from the deal.

GOOD MILEAGE FOR A USED CAR

When you search for the best second hand car to buy, our advice is to observe its mileage, it should be 110,000 miles, however, there are many factors that you have to consider while determining the lifetime of a car. We should also note that some automobiles cannot even last more than 100,000 miles. It is essential to do in-depth research before you decide to consider any offers.

The second recommendation is to look for reviews online related to the longevity of that cars. I would not suggest relying solely on the statistics that manufacturers state on the official websites. This information will be enough to estimate the left life expectancy of the car in terms of mileage. Divide this number by the average yearly mileage and you will get an approximate number of years.. For more precise results, you can take into account your driving habits or usage data from past experience.

USED CAR BUYING PITFALLS: THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Odometer fraud is quite widespread these days and it’s rather easy to deceive customers. People sell cars with mileage discrepancies quite frequently. They might utilize the best odometer correction tools out there, making it harder to detect fraud.

Nowadays, people use the mileage correction device or the kilometer stopper. The mileage correction tool can alter the driven distance completely. It enables the users to dial in any number they want. Even though it can make dramatic changes, it doesn’t access the internal computers of the vehicle. In other words, the odometer correction tool can’t erase the mileage from control units.

The kilometer stopper, on the other hand, prevents your car from counting miles as you drive. Even though it was designed for testing, people still use it for mileage correction. The reason is simple – this module offers superior performance compared to the odometer rollback tool. It accesses control units and hinders the process of counting additional mileage i.e. it offers untraceable performance. That’s the main reason why people consider it to be the best odometer correction tool. Manufactures of the module provide you with guaranteed installation and technical support.

CONCLUSION

Thus, we have provided several tips and best ways to buy a used car, that mileage is still on the top of a used car checklist and you should check the accuracy of the displayed numbers and make sure the odometer wasn’t rollbacked. If the odometer data looks perfect, check the condition of the overall vehicle. As a rule, you’ll find the best option if you look at the whole picture, not just parts of it. Good luck!

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motorgroup · 2 years ago

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Why Should You Buy A Car With Advanced Safety Features?

When you're on the market for one of the perfect used cars for sale Epping, it can be tempting to focus on the bells and whistles. There are so many great features out there that help make driving more enjoyable and safer that it's hard not to get distracted by them. But what if we told you there was another way to enhance your car without having to buy a new one?

If you're shopping around for ways to improve your current vehicle (or want an excuse to upgrade), one of the simplest things you can do is purchase a newer model with advanced safety features built in. Here are just two reasons why:

Protect Yourself and Your Passengers

Advanced safety features can help protect you and your passengers. They can help avoid accidents, prevent injuries, and even save lives.

If you're looking to buy a new car, it's important to consider what kind of advanced safety features are available on the model you're interested in. Some cars come with as many as nine different types of advanced safety technology while others only offer two or three options--and depending on where you live and drive, some may be more important than others for protecting yourself against danger on the road.

Avoid Costly Accidents and Repairs

The cost of a collision can be expensive, especially if you're not prepared for it. If you are involved in a crash, then your insurance rates will increase and it could take years before they go down again.

If you buy cars for sale Epping with advanced safety features, then there's less chance that your vehicle will get into an accident in the first place. This means that it's likely your premiums won't increase as much or at all when renewing your policy each year--which is great news!

Furthermore, if something does happen while driving around town or on the highway (and let's face it: accidents do happen), then those advanced safety features will come into play to reduce any damage done during impact; this means fewer repairs are needed overall!

Advanced Safety Features Can Lower Insurance Premiums

Did you know that the type of car you drive can impact how much you pay for insurance?

Many people don't, but it's true--and if you want to save money on your monthly premiums, it's worth exploring whether or not having a vehicle with advanced safety features could help.

One way to find out is by contacting your insurance company and asking them if they offer discounts based on the features in your vehicle. Additionally, some dealerships offer special rates through their own partners (like GEICO).

Stay Focused on the Road with Driver-Assist Technologies

You may be wondering why you should invest in a car for sale Epping with advanced safety features. For one thing, they can help keep you focused on the road.

Driver-assist technologies like automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning system alert you when a collision is imminent and help prevent it from happening by applying brakes or steering away from danger. These same systems also reduce insurance premiums because they reduce accidents and associated costs for insurance companies.

Conclusion

Advanced safety features are a great way to protect yourself and your passengers. They can also help you avoid costly accidents and repairs, as well as lower insurance premiums. The best part is that these technologies are becoming more common in new cars every year so now is the perfect time to buy one!

#perfect used cars for sale

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spooniemumoftwo · 2 years ago

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PTSD and ME

Living with ME is hard at the best of times, let alone in times when there is trauma, intense stress and just general 'naffness' (yes that's a new word, and yes, as a speech and language therapist, I'm going to use it!) I'm not even sure how to start to address what we've been through or how to summarise the effect its all had on my ME. Where do I start?!

18 months ago, I was involved in a significant RTA along with my two littles, on a routine morning school run. Apparently, a head on collision with a truck is not the best idea, who knew!?🤦🏻‍♀️ Its not something I ever imagined happening to us, and not something I ever want anyone to go through. It's been horrific, and recovery has taken so so much more out of me than I'd ever considered.

To start with, there was the accident itself and roadside recovery, police, investigations and legal stuff to sort. Maybe it's just me, but I'd never considered what happened after a significant RTA. So many different things to consider including contacting the police, medical assistance, roadside recovery, motor insurance...the list goes on. A complete minefield. Luckily, there were people who sorted most of that for me initially.

There's the physical injuries we all suffered. Again, not something I'd ever considered really as 'something like that won't happen to us'. Naiive I now know. The littles sustained head injuries, significant bruising and some thankfully minor cuts and scrapes. By all accounts they were thankfully incredibly lucky. Sadly, I sustained front and back head injury, several upper and lower limb injuries, spinal injuries, internal injuries, and a completely crushed ankle, as well as some very colourful bruising. One surgery later, and I'm now the 'proud' owner of a bionic ankle being held together with more metal than bone, and am awaiting potentially three more surgeries on the same ankle in the near future. I'm left with continuous significant pain daily, very limited mobility and a physical disability on top of the invisible disability I already had. Great!

What I really hadn't considered was the psychological impact all of this would have on me and my littles. Reliving the narrative of what had happened to us at medical appointment after medical appointment, nightmares, flashbacks, grief, anger and all other emotions aside, knowing we had to continue and effectively, 'move on' from the ordeal has been a huge journey, and we aren't there yet. In some ways, I'm hugely grateful for the dash cam footage from a vehicle behind us, which answered some very pertinent questions for me, and yet, in other ways, seeing the accident unfold from an outside perspective has been utterly terrifying and traumatising in equal measure.

Listening to my littles, the people it is my job to protect against anything, ask about the accident, talk about different things they remember, and ask even the people most familiar to them whether they are a good driver before getting in their cars has been heartbreaking. Being told by my littles that they felt I had let them down because I couldn't get them out of the car has nearly broken me so many times. We've been through weeks of therapy with the littles, and yet even now, we have to anticipate and expect the anxieties and questions that surface daily following the trauma they have experienced.

Not only have my littles struggled since the accident itself, but I have suffered significant psychological trauma since then as well. Flashbacks whenever my eyes closed, anxiety about getting in a car, and anxiety about being near a road. Avoidance of situations, reluctance to leave the house, low mood, sensitivities to certain noises or sights. The extreme range of emotions I still experience on a daily basis, from fear, anxiety and grief, to anger and frustration as well as a sense of 'it's not fair and 'why me?' have been exhausting to manage, and the list goes on. This has all been entirely exhausting and debilitating whilst exaccerbating my ME CFS symptoms.

Dealing with my apparently 'significant' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following the accident in October 2021 has taken everything I've had. I've been through various psychological assessments, weekly counselling, Reiki therapy, Hypnosis, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy to process what has happened, and emotion focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to name a few interventions. Each of these, whilst targeting a specific aspect of my PTSD, have been exhausting and significantly fatigue inducing in their own way. Whether it was the continued processing of very raw information after sessions with a professional, or the strategies I needed to implement between sessions; keeping track of the various appointments I had each week, or allowing myself the time to recover and recuperate whilst I was signed off work, has all taken its toll on my body.

One of the interventions I have engaged with, was role playing and writing a letter to the other driver to explain what I feel and the impact of the accident itself. This has brought up several very intense emotions during these tasks, and has often left me very fatigued for a number of days each time we have explored this. The heightened emotions I experience and the anxiety these tasks cause me, have needed to be managed very carefully. I've had to allow a number of days after each session of therapy to continue processing what has been discussed, to continue reflecting on that session, and to recover from the post exertional malaise that is so typical of ME CFS, yet another symptom I have that has been exacerbated by PTSD.

PTSD is cruel in any circumstance. PTSD symptoms differ from one person to another however the symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life. Add in a chronic illness such as ME CFS, where energy and emotional resilience are extremely limited, and there is another level of impact. Living with ME CFS daily for the last few years, I've been acutely aware of my need for rest, quiet time and space to recuperate and recharge my energy levels. With PTSD, its been much harder to do this and yet much more important. The added anxiety I've experienced when attempting daily activities such as travelling, being outside the comfort of my home, being away from my children and being independent, has caused increased fatigue, as well as exaccerbating other symptoms such as headaches, brain fog and memory issues. My motivation to leave the house and socialise has been reduced and my desire to communicate with others and to engage in activities I enjoy has also been reduced.

Throughout this whole experience, I've been hugely aware of my ME CFS symptoms and the increase in the severity of these. I've had to be very careful to implement self care strategies and to allow myself the time to rest and regulate my fatigue. I've been very lucky to have some incredible family and friends who have been with me every step of the way, facilitating self care when I've been unable to prioritise this for myself, sitting in hospital waiting rooms with me, driving me around the county, and being there for me to lean on for support when things have been tough. Seeing a familiar face in Accident and Emergency, and knowing there may be familiar faces at some my appointments have definitely helped me along. Having ME has, without a doubt, made managing and recovering from the accident more complex and drawn out so far, but the PTSD symptoms I've experienced have been more complex and draining as a result of the ME CFS.

We are a long way from 'recovered' still, and there is a long way for me to go to have my PTSD and ME CFS symptoms under control, but with the support of some fabulous family and friends, I have no doubt we will get there in time. I couldn't have got this far without the people closest to me, and am so grateful and thankful to each and every person who has been there for us all.

#me cfs #cfs (chronic fatigue syndrome)#myalgic encephalomyelitis #ptsd #trauma #post traumatic stress disorder #cfsme #cfs/me #mecfs #chronic illness

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lloonodde · 2 years ago

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The Top 5 Reasons To Get A 2 Camera Dash Cam

When it comes to driving, many people trust their vehicles with their lives. That’s why it’s important to have a dashboard camera in your car. Not only can the camera help you capture footage of an accident or other incident, but it can also be used for deterrence purposes. Here are five reasons you should get a 2 camera dash cam: 1) You never know when something bad is going to happen. With recorded footage, you can prove what happened and build a case against the other driver if necessary. 2) It can help prevent accidents from happening in the first place. When you have footage of what happened leading up to the accident, you may be less likely to make the same mistake again. 3) It can be used as evidence in court if something does happen and you need proof of what happened. 4) It can act as a deterrent for would-be criminals – knowing that your footage is out there will make them think twice about attacking your car. 5) You never know when a law enforcement agency or insurance company might request footage from your dash cam – having it stored somewhere safe will reduce the chances of complications down the line.

Increased Security

A camera dash cam can be a great investment for drivers and passengers. These devices can help to increase security by recording what happens before, during and after a car crash. Here are three reasons why you should get one: 1. Recording evidence of a crash is vital in court. A camera dash cam can help to capture crucial video footage that can be used as evidence in court proceedings. This footage can show what happened leading up to the crash, as well as what took place after it. 2. A camera dash cam can help to identify who was driving at the time of the crash. If you are involved in a car accident, it is important to know who was responsible for the collision. A camera dash cam can provide clear video footage that will help to identify the driver responsible for the accident. 3. A camera dash cam can protect yourself and your passengers from potential financial damages in a car crash lawsuit. By having clear video footage of the event, you will have more ammunition when negotiating compensation with insurance companies or personal injury lawyers .

Documenting Your Travels

1. To document your travels: a camera dash cam can be a handy tool to have if you're looking to capture footage of accidents, traffic jams, and other interesting occurrences that may occur while on your trip. Not only will this footage be useful if something goes wrong, but it can also be fun to revisit later on when you're back home. 2. To keep an eye on the kids: a camera dash cam can come in handy when you're traveling with children – especially if you're worried about them getting into trouble while you're out of town. This way, you'll always have proof of what happened and won't need to worry about asking for explanations later on (assuming everything turns out okay). 3. As insurance: not all accidents are going to be your fault, so having footage of what actually happened can help prove your case in the event of an accident lawsuit. Plus, it just makes sense – after all, who wants to risk losing valuable memories due to an unfortunate incident? 4. As a safety measure: no one knows life worse than someone who's been through a car accident – so why take the risk? By having footage of the events leading up to and following the wreck, you can avoid any future headaches (and possible lawsuits) by being as prepared as possible. 5. To capture unique moments: sometimes it's tough to remember exactly what happened during a trip – especially if it was a busy day with lots of

Conclusion

Having a 2 camera dash cam is one of the smartest investments you can make for your vehicle. The footage it captures is invaluable in cases of accidents, and it can also be used as evidence if there is ever a dispute. Additionally, having two cameras means that you will have more coverage in case one camera gets damaged or lost. If you are on the fence about whether or not to get a 2 camera dash cam, I implore you to do your research and consider purchasing one today.

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peachyteabuck · 2 years ago

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sunrise, sunset (kate bishop x reader)

summary: after a terrible accident, you and kate are left putting the pieces back together

a commission for @wombatking

pairing: kate bishop x reader

words: 5168

content warnings: spinal cord injury, grief, orgasms, quadriplegic kate, conversations about the horrible insurance system w/i the united states, heavy angst BUT HAS A HAPPY ENDING

It’s hard to talk about days that change the trajectory of your life. When you’d heard about people who get hit by cars, or who are diagnosed with cancer, all you wanted to do was ask them every question that crossed your neuropathways. Did you know? What did you do after? What did your loved ones do? How did you handle it? How did it change you?

You don’t ask them that anymore. They probably all had different experiences from you, but truthfully, you don’t want to know. You don’t think you can carry more grief inside of you, as you attempt to grapple with both your own and Kate’s. Handling someone else’s feelings seems truly unmanageable as you try to balance everything on your own shoulders.

Truthfully, you don’t even remember much. The beach day you had planned was a spur-of-the-moment decision – the weather was nice, she had the day off, and you hadn’t been to the water in months. It seemed like a great way to spend the day, cooling off from the unforgiving East Coast heatwave that had forced you both to be stuck inside in the air conditioning whenever possible. You knew the beach would be crowded, so she suggested a more secluded beach a friend of hers had access to.

It happened quickly, too. One second she was running towards the waves, the next you see her body floating in the water. It’s hard to remember what happened after – a flurry of animalistic screams and pulling her ashore, supporting her head with a towel like you’d learned in high school gym class while you frantically called 911.

Through explaining the accident to the operator, Kate only whispered one thing. “I-“

“What is it, baby?” you pressed your phone to your cheek with your shoulder as you held her face with trembling hands. “What is it?”

“I can’t move.”

You hate Avenger’s Tower. You haven’t always hated it as much as you do now, but as everyone passes you with a distinct look of pity in your eyes…yeah, you’ve come to despise this place more than your first college apartment, where your roommates were a Republican, two rats who you were never able to catch, and a spider whose web you couldn’t reach.

When you finally reach the medical wing and duck into the examination room, you’re ready to collapse. Unfortunately, Bruce is there – always impeccably on time – and holds out his hand for the x-rays scans he requested from the hospital.

He pops them onto the lightboard he’s already turned on, sighing as soon as he sees the fracture in your girlfriend’s neck. Neither of you says anything – you, numb to small talk and him, focusing on the images in front of him. He has the same look all the other doctors did in the hospital, the same ones your friends in medical school had when you showed them the scans.

There was no hope in any of their eyes, and certainly isn’t any in Bruce’s either.

“It’s bad,” he says simply. “It’s very bad.”

Yeah, you want to tell him. I can fucking see that, you imbecile. You resist the urge to say it aloud, desperate not to lock anyone else into your misery.

“She’s broken her C4 vertebrae,” Bruce pauses to switch to a different view, the two scans sitting side by side. “The hospital didn’t lie to you. This a serious injury, it’s likely she’ll never walk again or regain full use of her limbs.”

Your ears ring as if you’re in the center of a marching band, or in the pit of a concert without earplugs on. If this were any other time you’re sure you’d be curled up into a ball on the ground, sticking your fingers so far into your ears they bleed. Now, though, the old numbness washing over your body keeps you inert. “But the doctors said-“

“The doctors aren’t lying to you,” Bruce sighs. You can tell this hurts to say as much as it hurts to ear. “Mathematically, Kate might regain some use of her limbs. But what you’re hoping for is a miracle that doctors can’t control.”

You can feel tears streaming down your cheeks, long rivers of them flowing down your face and pooling at the collar of your shirts. You don’t try to wipe them away.

“I’m sorry,” is all Bruce says after a long while of you both standing there, staring at the sharp image on the light board. “I’m so sorry.”

Another long, silent pause as you both avoid the other’s gaze. Bruce only says something when his pager goes off – the ancient device one he makes everyone in the lab use because he has to keep his phone on silent or else he’ll keep breaking them (not that they don’t get smashed every few weeks, but it’s better than every few days). “I know an excellent team specializing in spinal cord injuries in a hospital upstate. The odds still aren’t great,” he winces, the phrasing too blunt. Bruce has never been the most socially eloquent man, and it’s never more obvious than when he’s in situations like this one. “They’re better. The odds are better than if she stays where she is.”

It's times like this you wish you had a baseball bat. A steel one. Kate bought you one when you first met, when she came to your apartment building because the bar had kicked you out for being too loud. The building had no security – owned by a landlord shitty enough to rent to you on a grad student’s salary. It wasn’t much, but it was home for you.

Kate didn’t buy that argument, taking one look at the lack of doorman and hand-delivering you a moving box full of self-defense gear the next night, just as you got home from teaching.

“This is for you,” she told you, watching as you pulled everything out and laid it on the dining room table you got from an alley a block away. “I, uh, got it from work.”

She didn’t tell you about being Hawkeye until the fifth date. It all made more sense then.

“From…work?” You’re not sure what to say. Kate moves her weight from one foot to the other, rocking back and forth as you finally empty the box. It looks as if you emptied your inventory after a 13-hour Call of Duty marathon; box cutters, grips for your hands that made you look like Wolverine, noise makers, knives of at least five different sizes, locks to install in your front and bedroom doors, ten different cans of pepper spray with keychains…and a baseball bat. “You got this all from your work?”

Kate shrugs, looking at the ground. “Yeah, they, uh…they let us have access to the extra stuff. Can take as much as I want.”

You’re not sure what to say. You don’t have a large breadth (or depth) in dating experiences – being queer in STEM kept you extremely limited in your options. Still, you’re not sure many of your friends from back home ever had their dates bring them…stuff like this.

But you look at Kate – wide-eyed, nervous, trying her best. And all you can do is gather her in a hug. “Thank you.”

It took a second for Kate to return the favor, wrapping her arms around you. “Any time.”

That feels like years ago, when you know it’s barely been six months. It hurts more when you think about how little time has passed between then and now.

You wish you had that bat on you now, so that you could destroy everything and make it look like how you felt. The room Bruce pulled you into is the same sterile white as every other hospital you’ve been to, a horrible nostalgia crawling up your throat as you look around. It’s hard to resist the urge to claw at the walls until you’re leaving trails of blood, leaving graffiti depicting your grief where everyone can see it. You wish security would drag you away so you could kick and scream and wail, forcing your pain upon anyone who would listen.

You don’t, though. You’re not in much of a position to be causing trouble, especially in the Tower owned by the man paying for all of this. Instead of allowing yourself space to have a total and complete mental breakdown, you swallow the rock in your throat and try to act as normal as possible.

“What are the odds, exactly?” You try not to let the tears welling in your ducts spill over your cheeks. Bruce sighs, and you cut him off before you can begin. “I want the before and the after.”

The man leans against the table you stand in front of, becoming hunched over. “Before, you’re looking at less than a percent. Maybe less. After? About two or three percent.”

“And that’s fully recovered?”

Bruce shakes his head. “With Kate’s injuries, she’s more likely to sprout wings than she is to make a total recovery. Even if she walks again, you’re looking at a limited range of motion in the hands, neck, feet, legs, and arms – anything below the injury site. There could be secondary complications like bladder and bowel issues and issues with swallowing, coughing, or sneezing. Issues with sleeping, issues with the diaphragm. Those numbers are what a good, quality life would look like with continued assistance and medical care.”

He answers a few more of your questions, awkwardly pats your shoulder, and tells you to contact him if you have any more questions. It’s you who exits first, terrified to be alone. When you leave Stark Tower you feel as if you’re a puppet, controlled by someone behind a large pane of glass hitting buttons to move your legs. Kate’s always tried to protect you, take care of you. Even when you resisted, she pushed until you let her. For a long while, it was her job. Now, as you look down on the worst thing that’s happened to either of you…it’s your job to take care of her.

Your hands shake ever so slightly as you sit down across from the primary doctor on Kate’s team, the older man blinking slowly as you try to hide them under in your lap.

“I want to transfer her,” you tell him after what feels like hours of silence. “To this hospital so she can be treated there.”

You give him the thick stack of papers Bruce had emailed you, filled with information you didn’t understand but desperately wanted to. The doctor’s face doesn’t change – a perplexing response. Bruce had mentioned that doctors occasionally got cagey and upset when you wanted to transfer patients, even if they truly were not the right person to be treating them.

He doesn’t even flinch, though, when he flips to the graphs displaying differing outcomes of SCI patients in this hospital versus the one you wanted to move Kate to. His affect is just as flat as ever, face weathered with age.

“Is this what you want?” He asks once he’s read the final page, a letter written by Bruce on Stark stationary.

You wring your hands under the table, out of eyeshot from the older man. “Yes.”

The doctor nods, folding the papers back and pushing them towards you. “It’ll take a few days for the communications to go through and for the paperwork to process. I assume you know she’ll have to be airlifted, and that you won’t be able to ride with her. If you need a place to stay, I have some recommendations, and I’ll keep in touch to make sure Kate is recovering properly.”

You feel light-headed as you take the papers back, dropping them into your tote bag. You expected a fight, some large verbal spar that ended in security being called. It’s been a long, long time since you heard good news, and as you make your way to Kate’s hospital room it’s nearly impossible to sort your scattered, albeit happy, thoughts.

When you arrive you watch her through the glass, the black grid embedded in the glass as hazy as your thoughts. The Kate in front of you is unfamiliar; a poor reproduction of the woman you watched go under the water. Part of you wonders if this is some Avengers bullshit, a hologram to test your resolve or something else equally stupid. At any moment, Stark could walk through some door you didn’t realize was there to tell you this was all some elaborate lie.

When you look at all the doors, though, all you see are nurses and doctors in scrubs walking quickly into other doors that look the same as the ones they exited from. It feels like a horrible ouroboros, and you’re stuck in the center of the snake.

A nurse, one with kind eyes – the genuine kind, not the fake sort of sympathy you’ve gotten from friends on Facebook you haven’t talked to since graduating high school – is the one to speak to you first. Speak to you not just as one close to the patient, or her medical power of attorney, or to ask if you could move out of the way so the doctors could draw blood for more tests. She speaks to you as a family member of the patient, as someone who wishes to see the both of you live to old age.

“Honey,” she starts, voice soft. It still startles you. “We need to talk about getting a care team together.”

You follow her through one of those Godforsaken doors into her office. It’s nice, full of Target interior décor that makes you feel safe.

That’s important because the list of people needed on the care team overwhelms you. Physical therapists, nurses, people to help keep the apartment clean, pharmacists, psychiatrists, therapists, surgeons, and orthopedic doctors. You feel as though it’s easier to omit the kind of help you won’t need than the help you do.

“This is a lot,” is all you can say. “It’s, um, more than I thought. I guess.”

The nurse nods, moving the chair to sit ever so closer to you even as you sit across the table. “Ms. Bishop’s injuries are very serious, and given your financial position Mr. Stark and I agreed to spare no expense. We want Kate to have the best recovery outcomes possible.”

It’s not as if you disagreed with her, and so you let her talk you through what quickly becomes a complicated web of care.

As she does, you pick at the end of your sleeves, the sweatshirt one Kate got you when she came to visit you at your campus for the first time. Unlike all your other dates, her bewilderment at your graduate degree in applied mathematics came from a place of wonder rather than disgust. It was refreshing, to explain your research to her. When you talked about being holed up in your office for most of the day, she offered to come visit you to help break up the day. That morning you had asked her to bring a sweatshirt for you to borrow – the cool late September air battling with the air conditioner you couldn’t control. She had arrived with a dopey smile you couldn’t place, dropping a bad from the grossly overpriced university bookstore onto your messy desk.

“I kinda forgot the sweatshirt,” she said, chewing at her bottom lip. “Didn’t realize until I got off the train, though, and I felt bad. And you mentioned you don’t own a lot of university school spirit stuff so, uh…”

She watched, tentatively, as you pulled the maroon and white hoodie from the bag. It’s a size too big and lined with fleece.

You drop it to pull her into a hug, kissing her temple. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

The sweatshirt is well worn now, with pilling inside the armpits. It’s greater comfort to you now, though, than anything else in the universe.

“And that’ll be the team we see when we go to the new hospital?” You’re unsure of how much the nurse knows about Kate’s transfer.

“Yes,” she assures you. “This is both for inpatient and outpatient care.”

You look at the long list again and your stomach turns. “Can I, uh,” you feel like a child asking to use the restroom during class. “Can I go see her now?”

The nurse nods, gathering the papers into a neat pile. “Of course, dear. Just come find me when you need me.”

You leave without saying anything else, giving her a curt nod. You try to shove any thoughts about the future deep, deep down into your consciousness, navigating to Kate’s room with ease.

The nurse checking her vitals makes room for you at her bedside, sitting in the chair you requested as always there for you. You’d ask how Kate is but…her face says it all.

“What are you thinking about, babe?” You ask, pushing a lock of hair back that had fallen in her face. She leans into your touch for just a moment before sighing just a little.

Her eyes narrow, setting her jaw in the same way she always did when she thought she was right. “I’m going to walk again.”

Your body doesn’t feel your own as you sit there, gripping the gritty hospital sheets as you fight the urge to reach for her hand. “K-“

It’s hard not to sob when she closes her eyes, looking ever so slightly away from you.

“No,” she repeats. “I’m going to walk again.”

“Okay,” is all you say back.

She, luckily, takes the news of her being transferred in stride once you explain what Bruce told you. It’s certainly not easy on her, but you’re there at every step you can as she moves through inpatient treatment.

Tony hires someone, luckily, to deal with insurance. The first call you tried to do on your own, but after two hours on hold, you threw the phone out the window and had to email Tony to buy you a new one. It was cheaper for him, and better for you, to hire a personal assistant just to coordinate with them.

The same person contacted your advisor, putting in the paperwork to request a sabbatical and dealing with the fallout from your PI.

The same person booked you an Airbnb to stay in while upstate.

The same person notified you when Kate secured a release into an outpatient.

After that call, time goes by both miserably fast and torturously slow. Movers and appliance techs are in daily to try and make the apartment more accessible, an accessibility expert measures hallways and hands you stacks of recommendations. A therapist makes house calls twice a week to help prepare you for her arrival, walking you through coping mechanisms and communication skills and everything else you apparently need.

Nothing, though, could’ve prepared you for what life would be like once she came home.

It was easy for you to forget how much Kate did before her accident. Being a superhero didn’t leave much time for anything else, but it’s easy to see how the little she was able to do added up over time. As you try to take care of her, to feed her and care for her and try not to let her see that you’re slowly cracking under the pressure, you become overwhelmed quickly. Dishes, laundry, and trash pile up faster. She usually carried the latter two up and down the stairs because of her strength, but now you had to struggle to balance the weight of it while not falling down the stairs. Dust settled in corners and on the knick-knacks she collected while on jobs. The fridge was mostly empty, same as the cabinets that squeaked every time you opened them (she had promised to fix them about a week before her accident, but certainly couldn’t get to it now). Every day at least three other people crammed themselves into your apartment – cleaning, doing physical therapy, moving her in and out of her chair.

There are times, though, when everyone else is cleared out, and you can see glimpses of beloved normalcy. Tonight is one of those nights, where you order take out and the last caretaker of the night, a chair tech, is scheduled to leave right at five.

As he does, the door clicks shut without preamble, the blessed silence from just the two of you without anyone else in your home. You’d forgotten how nice it was when it was just you and her without anyone else bustling around the house. You’ve always been introverted, aloneness your preferred state of being. It was easy to find an exception with Kate, in her arms, in her bed. Now, though, being alone together feels rare a precious resource as fresh, cold water in a desert.

You feed Kate bites of food between feeding yourself, talking about anything besides how things had changed. Ms. Santiago on the fifth floor still drops off baked goods with no warning, and the guy at the corner store still gives you a discount on your morning bagel sandwiches. You mention the neighbor next to you still has that horrible yappy dog, she jokes that the downstairs neighbors must think they’ve got a really large Labrador now.

You let out a snort, feeding her a bit of broccoli (because many, many things transformed, but Kate’s aversion to vegetables had stayed the same). “More like a Newfoundland.”

Kate laughs at that, and you can’t hide how nice it is to see her happy. You missed this.

“What?” Kate asks, mouth still full. That’s another thing that hasn’t changed.

You didn’t realize you had said it aloud, your face heating from embarrassment. ”Nothing, just…” you try to find the words. “It’s nice to see you happy. It’s been a long time and I’ve missed it.”

“I’ve missed you,” Kate says back. She avoids your gaze, looking at the nearly full plate of food in front of her instead.

You can practically hear your heart break into pieces, shattering on the floor like a chandelier cut from the ceiling by a shitty repair man.

“I-“ a boulder forms in your throat, a pearl only in process. “I’m right here, baby.”

Kate’s face scrunches up, and you can see tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. In a reflex older than her injury, you go to wipe her face for her with the cuff of your sweatshirt. (It’s actually her sweatshirt, but neither of you mentions that.) “I’m sorry,” she murmurs, still not meeting your gaze. “I’m sorry, I-“

You get up, then, in a move you don’t know is happening until it’s happening. Moving her plate to the side, you hug her as well as you can in her chair, making sure to press your face to hers. “It’s okay, baby. It’s all okay.”

You hold her close like that until the food gets cold, until the sun has set outside your large living room window and darkness has blanketed the dining room. Only then, in the comfort of low light, do you return to your seat.

“I hope you know I’m not upset with you,” your voice is small, soft, as you try not to cry. It’s hard to meet her gaze, but you know without physical touch there’s only one way to make sure she knows you’re serious. “I know this is a lot, and neither of us were really…prepared. I mean, I don’t think anyone is, it’s not like life is like ‘hey, be tee dubs, someone in your life is about to suffer a life-changing, permanent injury that-‘“

Kate cracks a smile that’s small but infectious. You keep going.

“That, you know, is going to change your life forever. No one also gets a notification that the girl they met are an Avenger either, though, so I guess life is just full of surprises we can’t prepare for.”

Your girlfriend gives a snort, rolling her eyes as she grins. “Hey, no one told me that my partner would be a mathematician when I failed high school algebra three times.”

You shrug, giggling. “So what I guess I’m saying is…we’re even?”

Kate rolls her eyes, obviously biding time to come up with her own sarcastic quip. You stop her, though, as you speak again.

“But…seriously,” you reach out to cup her face with one hand. “We’re both here just figuring it out. You’re allowed to have emotions and shit, and tell me if you need something, or want something, even if it seems kind of out there. I’ll always do my best to give it to you, okay?”

Kate nods, leaning into your touch. She’s thinking, obviously, chewing on her bottom lip like she does when she’s formulating a plan. You choose not to comment on it, knowing she’ll tell you when she’s ready. “Okay, babe. I love you.”

You smile, leaning to kiss her once more. “I love you, too. Now, help me finish this, I really don’t feel like dealing with leftovers.”

Kate’s confession comes in the middle of the night, when you’re both reading (you, a physical copy of a medieval romance novel; Kate, using a mouth clicker and a Kindle you attached to an adjustable arm that clips onto the headboard to read some mystery novel you’re sure was written for old, retired white men who sit on porches all day). It’s dark except for a small booklight you’re using, the darkness more comforting than the brutal, New York sun that streams through your windows during the day.

“I want to have sex again,” Kate says, the words muffled a bit by the clicker in her mouth. She doesn’t look at you. You resist the urge to look at her.

“I thought the doctors said you couldn’t feel anything below the shoulders,” is all you can think to say back. It’s hard for you to admit, but you desperately miss it too – the physical intimacy, the closeness, touching her. You were touch-starved when you met her, and your hunger had only grown in the short time you’d known her.

Kate just gives you a small smile, the one you recognize from way too many sexual escapades in way too many shady places. “Can still feel above the shoulders, though. That’s gotta count for something.”

You smile, leaning over to kiss her temple. “Yeah, it should.”

It’s hard to tear yourself away from her, so you don’t. You lay there with her until morning, taking special care not to put too much pressure on her limbs as you curl up into her.

The Internet, although sometimes a hideous cesspool, provides you with way more information than you thought possible. Reddit threads, message boards, support groups, articles, blogs, studies. You read every word, your time without your dissertation dedicated to using the same software to catalogue and sort everything you can find. You only stop when you’ve reached forums from the late 1990s, in all of their horribly pixelated glory.

Only then do feel secure enough to tell Kate what you’ve found, finding another time in the caretakers’ schedules do that you’re alone – finally blissfully alone – for hours and hours. Time for you to strip her down so that she’s completely naked in the center of the bed. A mix of old and new scars pepper her body, her upper half propped up with a smattering of pillows. You don’t resist the urge to trace them, her eyes following as you work your way up to her collarbones.

You kiss up her neck, your hands kneading into her shoulders.

“That feel good?” you ask, watching every move she makes for any sign of discomfort. All you see, though, are her eyes scrunched shut. A good sign.

“Mmhmm,” she replies, the affirmation long and drawn out. It feels as though you’re letting steam out from a pressurized container, slowly and carefully allowing everything pent up inside of her to release. It’s hard for you to take your time, your brain screaming about how badly you want to fuck her, and be fucked in return.

You trample it down until only a desire to please her remains, your hands moving so that your nails drag across her scalp. You focus on her breathing, noticing when certain spots make her breath hitch.

Her moans are beautifully familiar, breathy and music-like as you bite across her jugular. Her skin is soft, and smells just like the moisturizer you bought her for your birthday a few months prior. The memory makes you smile – you, her, Hawkeye, Lucky, Yelena all eating the largest sheet cake you could find while they dared each to do increasingly dangerous (and stupid-looking) trick shots with throwing knives.

“That feel good?” you ask as you cradle both sides of her head, rubbing into her temples and at the back of her neck.

“Y-yes,” Kate hisses out, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. “Oh shit-“

You grin as you suck bruises into her neck, scraping your teeth over the supple skin before biting in another location. The contortion of your body is a little awkward, but, truthfully, you’d bend yourself into whatever type of knot Kate wanted as long as you got to hear those sounds again.

“Talk to me, my lovely baby,” you coo into her ear. “Tell me how it feels.”

“F-fuck you,” she tries to sound threatening, but her moans make her sound more harlot than villain. “Shit, you know that feels fucking amazing.”

You just grin, continuing your ministrations. You know she’s close, you can hear it as her moans become higher pitched.

“Yes, my love,” you moan, too, even though you remain untouched. “Yes, please, come for me…come for me, I know you can.”

And, to her own testament, she does.

It’s different from before, watching her reach her peak. She was always uncontrollable, thrashing in bed unless you tied her down. Even then, she’d fight against the ropes, ones you had to special order because of her strength. Now she’s more subdued, focused, her moans breathy and loud where before there were guttural screams you’d always worried would garner you both a noise complaint.

She’s still the most gorgeous woman you’ve ever seen, though, her dark hair splayed out around her on the pillow and her face flushed. You wish you could tear yourself away to take a picture, but all you can do is stare.

You wait as her breathing evens out, her heartbeat slowing to a more appropriate pace and she comes down from her high. You push your faces together like cats, then, smushing your cheeks against one another.

“I love you,” you say, finally.

Kate just gives you a dopey smile. “I love you, too. Now, can we do that again?”

All you can do is laugh and kiss her until your lungs are screaming. “We can do that as many times as you’d like.”

#kate bishop x reader #kate bishop x you #kate bishop fic #kate bishop/reader #lukis writes stuff #lukis does commissions

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siswritesyanderes · 4 years ago

Note

Ok but yandere carlise x reader x yandere esme

(Not as detailed as I’d hoped to make it, but I quickly realized that if I went into detail then this thing would become very long. Hopefully avoided making the characters too OOC. Let me know if you like it, and how I did!)

…

You first met Dr. Cullen when you spent the day volunteering at the local hospital for one of your college classes.

There was a whole group of students there to help out, and you honestly weren’t sure why he seemed to notice you in particular; it certainly wasn’t because you were doing such a great job. Your work speed, in restocking the closets, was roughly average, and you kept having to ask your fellow volunteers where things were supposed to go. Granted, you at least weren’t one of the students who was transparently doing the absolute bare minimum to get the credit, but you wouldn’t exactly consider yourself a shining star of competence either.

Still, Dr. Cullen approached you personally to say, “Thank you for your help. You’re really doing us a great service.”

He was a beautiful man, with warm eyes that seemed to be beholding the goodness in your soul, for how amiably they glimmered.

“I don’t know if I can take any credit,” you said, admittedly flustered by the attention. “It was our teacher’s idea.”

He smiled kindly. “Nevertheless, we’re glad to have you here.”

You smiled back. “Glad to be here.” Then you continued working.

When Carlisle walked away from you, he carefully kept the reluctance from showing in his expression. He sent Esme a quick text warning her that they might have another soulmate in town: a human. His initial thought was that this would be the end of it; so long as Esme avoided meeting you, she wouldn’t feel the awful desperation currently clawing its way up Carlisle’s throat, and so long as Esme wasn’t suffering, Carlisle was confident in his own ability to let you live your own life, just as he had done with Esme, at first…

But then, he knew how that had turned out for her: years of pain, mistreatment…The thought of anything of the sort befalling you…The world was so dangerous, between humans and vampires and other such things, and you, so small in comparison, so vulnerable…

Carlisle regained his composure (though, to the untrained eye, he hadn’t lost it in the first place). The world could be dangerous, yes, but his awareness of that fact was informed, in no small part, by the fact that he wanted justification for keeping you. And he couldn’t give himself such license; it wouldn’t be right.

He wouldn’t drag you away from your human life.

Perhaps he could keep watch over you, and do you small favors every now and then, but that was the most he could afford to indulge.

He heard your stomach growl from across the room; he detoured to a vending machine and bought you a light snack. (Perfectly timed, Alice texted him your preference. No doubt, she was scouring the future to see how you might fit into it; he would have to have a talk with her, to be sure she didn’t go overboard. And deciding to have a talk with Alice functioned in the same way having a talk with Alice did.)

Dr. Cullen handed you a snack from the vending machine, which puzzled you at first; it didn’t seem like the hospital was handing out food to anyone else, and even if they were, why would one of the doctors take the time for such a thing?

He answered your unspoken question with a polite smile and the words, “You were looking a bit faint; I thought you might need this.”

Had you been looking unwell? You didn’t think you felt that bad, but a doctor would recognize the signs if something was wrong, and you were pretty hungry. “Thanks,” you said, and he dipped his head in your direction. Then he and his kind smile departed.

That wasn’t the last time you met Dr. Cullen.

Your paths crossed in all sorts of places: in the grocery store, he tapped you on the shoulder once to ask if you’d dropped a hundred dollar bill, and he urged you to keep it even once you’d told him it wasn’t yours; you saw him in your school’s science building, one day (He was there to speak to one of the professors, and he asked you if you had drunk any water recently.); and you even ran into him at the library. All incidents spaced out over weeks; not close enough together to really be coincidences worth thinking about. You figured that you had probably crossed paths just as much before meeting him, but only noticed now because you knew who he was.

Anyway, the two of you remained acquaintances. He was a nice man.

When someone slammed into your car, a few months later, he was the doctor who cared for you.

“A hit and run?” he murmured, tutting in displeasure as he moved a light across your eyes. “People should be more considerate, and careful with other people’s lives. You could have been seriously hurt.”

“They probably just made a mistake and were scared of the consequences,” you offered, because the doctor genuinely seemed somewhat upset. You were trying to assume the best about the other driver, because the alternative was getting angry about something you couldn’t change. You had barely even seen the car that had hit you. You just knew that it was some shade of yellow, and apparently much stronger than yours. “I wish we’d gotten to trade insurance information or something, though; my car is apparently totaled.” Despite your best efforts, your voice wavered.

“Don’t you worry about that,” Dr. Cullen said, and you were probably delirious, but something about the decisive way he said it made it seem, to you, as if he himself planned on helping you get your car fixed. “Follow the light with your eyes.”

You did.

“Have you...” The doctor seemed to choose his words carefully. “Have you called anyone, to let them know what happened, and that you’re alright?”

“No, I guess I haven’t. The ambulance got there so fast, I guess I didn’t have time to think about it.” You weren’t terribly concerned, though; if your relatives hadn’t been made aware of the crash, then they didn’t know to be worried yet. No need to call them now.

Dr. Cullen stilled at your words, though; the light in his hands shone in the spot between your eyes and did not move. It was as if he was deep in thought. No, as if he were at war with himself.

“Dr. Cullen?” you prompted.

He quickly smiled, setting down the light. “I think you should call them. Now, if you can. I would...just feel better if someone knew where you are, and that you’re alive.”

You called them (as awkward as that felt with the doctor right there in the room, patiently waiting), and Dr. Cullen seemed to relax.

Once you were released from the hospital, you went back to only seeing him every once in a while, around town.

Your car was mended seemingly overnight, under mysterious circumstances, and a part of you jokingly wondered if Dr. Cullen was some sort of fairy godmother, or guardian angel.

Then, another month after your accident, a stranger approached you while you were walking back from your last class of the evening.

“Hi,” the stranger greeted you, somewhat apologetically. She was shorter than you, with a lovely face and spiky black hair and a spritely disposition. “I’m Alice. I’m so sorry to bother you, but could you help me carry something to my car? It’s getting late, and I really don’t want to be here after dark.”

“Oh, sure,” you answered, feeling so at ease that you forgot every warning that would normally flood to your mind about the danger of following a stranger to her car. So at ease that your mind somehow just failed to observe the taller guy standing right next to Alice, well in your field of vision. You saw him, but you didn’t really think much of him.

You followed Alice to a bright yellow Porsche, and the shade of yellow stirred something in your memory, but you couldn’t say what; you were too busy looking for what you were supposed to be helping her lift.

A lovely woman with a long blond ponytail leaned against the car trunk, staring at something that she was holding in her hand, and there was a figure sitting inside the car, too; you couldn’t see them through the tinted windows, but you saw enough to be confused as to why you had been called here to help when it seemed Alice had many potential helpers, here.

Your panic, as you began to realize the ruse, had only just begun to climb when the blond woman suddenly moved, swift as a bird, behind you, and there was a hand over your mouth and a feeling like a pinch in the side of your neck.

The thing she was holding. It was a syringe.

The tall guy (the one you hadn’t thought much of, at first) moved to open the nearest door of the Porsche; he moved the passenger seat forward, to access the back row of seats.

“Wait, stop,” you slurred against the hand (the stunningly cold hand) over your mouth, as the woman who had syringed you began to maneuver you into the Porsche with surprising strength. You were already losing control of your limbs.

“This is officially the worst thing I’ve ever done,” the woman griped as she slid you carefully inside, then climbed in behind you. You were sandwiched between her and the person you’d seen through the tinted windows: a sulking young man with bronze hair. Four strangers total, and you were in the back seat of their car.

“Thank you, Rosalie, for your help,” Alice said resolutely. “Will you drive, Jazz?”

The tall one nodded, climbing into the driver’s seat while Alice occupied the passenger side.

You struggled to find your voice, or your fists, through the haze of sedative.

“It’s okay,” said the sulking young man at your side, in a surprisingly gentle voice. “I’m able to hear you, even if you can’t speak. I can read minds.”

“The human is still awake?” Rosalie said.

“Not for much longer, but yes. You have time to apologize.”

“Sorry about all this,” Rosalie said, gently nudging your mouth closed (as it had fallen open). “Don’t be scared; we just…have to bring you to Carlisle and Esme. They’re pretty great people, and they’ll treat you really well. And these guys were going to do it anyway, so I had to come and make sure things went smoothly. Alice and Jasper can’t even administer a shot; they probably would have chloroformed you or something-”

“Wouldn’t’ve had to,” said the tall guy in the driver’s seat- Jasper, apparently. “Could’ve just lightly flicked the back of their head at the right angle. Provided Alice checked the future to make sure we did it right.”

“…and didn’t cause a concussion, or worse,” the bronze-haired one deadpanned.

There was a brief silence. You were sinking against the self-proclaimed mind reader, unable to support your own weight. You were about to sleep. You actually wanted to sleep.

“Don’t worry, Rose,” Jasper added. “I’ve made sure the human isn’t afraid.”

You supposed you weren’t. Why weren’t you?

You fell asleep before you could figure it out.

…

You awoke to the sound of agitated voices, outside the (closed) door of a bedroom that was not your own.

You were in a bed, and it was obscenely soft and pleasant, but it wasn’t yours, and you weren’t home.

Where am I?

You felt weak, and tired. Heavy, confused. But you had to stay awake, and regain your wits, because you had been taken somewhere, and you didn’t know where or why. There was a window across the room. It was nighttime outside the window. Maybe if you could make it over there, you could climb out and run for it, but you didn’t yet have the strength to even get the bedcovers off of you.

“Because it’s been awful to watch how badly it affects you to be away from your mate,” one of the voices outside the door was saying. “All five of us agreed, and we never agree on anything!”

“And it’s not like it wouldn’t have happened eventually,” another voice agreed. “Just like with Esme.”

“Exactly! You were only prolonging your own suffering, for no reason.”

There was a sigh, and a familiar voice said, “Are you all finished?” It was Dr. Cullen; that much you knew, even though you had never heard him sound so tired.

“We did it for you, because you deserve happiness.”

“And now that Esme has seen them, there is no way to undo it, is there?” Dr. Cullen asked rhetorically. “Edward, is the human awake?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll bring some food up, Carlisle,” an entirely new voice suggested. “The children have been…underhanded, today, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t make the best of it.”

“It was for the best.” (Your head was clear enough, now, that you recognized this unabashed voice as belonging to Alice.) “You’ll see.”

Footsteps approached the door, and shortly a woman entered the room. She was soft-looking, with caramel brown hair, and she held a dinner plate in her hands.

“Good evening,” she said, soberly. Sitting on the edge of your bed while you struggled to sit up. “I’m so sorry the kids did this; we didn’t ask them to, but they thought they were doing us a service. I’m Esme Cullen, Dr. Cullen’s wife. Here: eat something.”

You ate a forkful of pasta only because it was too close to your mouth to refuse. “Why ‘m I here?” you asked hoarsely. “Take me home.” Another forkful slid into your mouth.

“I’m very sorry,” Esme said. “I’m so, so sorry, but you see…the trouble is…” Her eyes scanned over you, and she smiled a seemingly involuntary smile and didn’t finish her sentence. As if looking at you was simply a much better use of her time.

“I want to go home,” you said.

Esme sighed, pressing her lips together contritely. “The trouble is, I can’t bear to relinquish someone who is so important to Carlisle, and Carlisle can’t bear to relinquish someone who is so important to me. I promise you, though, we will make it up to you.” She fed you more pasta.

It tasted delicious, but that did nothing to assuage your terror. “You don’t even know me. What do you mean, I’m important to you?”

Esme clicked her tongue softly and rhythmically against the roof of her mouth, as if to soothe. “Carlisle can explain that better than I. But rest assured, everything is going to be alright.”

Your skin crawled, at the dissonant cordiality. “Where is Dr. Cullen?”

You heard a flutter of what could have been footsteps, if people were capable of moving that fast. Then, the bedroom door opened again and Dr. Cullen entered.

“Hello again, dear heart,” he greeted you, and his demeanor was about the same as it was in public, or in the hospital. Respectful, polite. Maybe just a bit...off. Too much of something, maybe too polite and kind for the circumstances. “I’m terribly sorry about all of this.”

The apologies were making this worse. “You don’t have to be sorry,” you said. “Just please take me home.”

“I can’t do that, angel,” he sighed. He did appear sorry, but not as sorry as he should have. “But I can explain everything to you now.”

He sat down on the other side of the bed, opposite Esme, who was still feeding you. And he did explain everything, in such expansive detail that you fell back asleep before he even got to the part about mates.

…

“You can pretend with them, but not with me.” The voice was quiet, and not so much accusatory (despite the pointedness of his words) as reminding.

“I know that, son.” Dr. Cullen sounded positively serene.

“You knew how much time you were spending with Jasper, in your saddened state.”

“Yes.”

“You knew that we would do this.”

“I…suspected.”

“You meant for us to do this.”

“That’s enough, I think. Thank you.”

Silence fell.

You opened your eyes just a crack. The pillow beneath your face was awash with yellow light; the sun had risen, since last you’d fallen asleep. None of it had been a dream. You were still trapped in a house with these people who thought they were vampires. You closed your eyes again. The two voices had been speaking from the direction you were facing: Dr. Cullen at your level, perhaps in a chair at your bedside; and the other above, as if standing.

“One month,” the first voice suddenly added, and you weren’t sure what it was in reference to. It was as if an inaudible question was being answered.

“That’s her optimistic guess, or her pessimistic?” Dr. Cullen inquired.

“If all goes well, it will be one month. Poorly, and the longest she’s seen is three months.”

“Well, that is good to hear. I’ve waited much longer with hope for much less.”

“I know.”

You turned over, so that your back was to them, and began to open your eyes again, but then you heard Dr. Cullen rise from his seat, take up the chair, and move around the foot of the bed. You kept your eyes shut as he set his chair down on the new side and sat in it once more. He did all of this matter-of-factly, as if he’d changed sides every time you’d turned over during the night.

The thought of anyone wanting to see your face that badly made you shiver a bit.

“Awake?” Dr. Cullen inquired casually. You didn’t hear an answer, but the other man must have nodded, because Dr. Cullen continued, “Good. Esme will be done with breakfast soon. She’s so happy to be cooking again.”

“Jasper is in the kitchen with her,” the other said, as if that was a related statement somehow. “I’m going hunting. Good luck.”

You weren’t sure why, but you felt as if he was talking to you as much as Dr. Cullen.

#yandere twilight #not harry potter #yandere carlisle cullen #yandere esme cullen #male yandere #female yandere #obsession #stalker #twilight fanfiction

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danielxricciardo · 3 years ago

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Winner

Summary: You met Pierre at the Brazilian Grand Prix and for 3 months you couldn't get in touch.

Warnings: fluff, like 2 swear words

Word count: 2.3k

This one was requested by @jugasly and I know it is not exactly what she wanted but I really tried and I hope you liked it!

Avenida Paulista's Boulevard catches the eye especially through the skyscrapers similar to those in the big North American cities. Brazil's most modern city has much to offer tourists around the world. The most beautiful museums in South America can be found here, the shore is furrowed with lots of sunny beaches. And its nightlife has attracted many tourists.

The largest city in South America makes New York look small. The buses make an unbearable noise and black smoke spreads over the upper floors of the skyscrapers which, through the heat that maintains it during the day, turn the city into a real hell.

I felt myself waking up but I was determined to keep my eyes closed for a little longer but in a few seconds I was awakened violently by the sound of car engines. That's what I deserve for booking the hotel next to the Formula 1 circuit.

You reluctantly got out of bed and went to the window. I saw how the Formula 1 cars are brought on the circuit and I look at my watch. Fuck, it was pre-qualification practice, did I really sleep that much? Honestly, I arrived in the room at 5 o'clock and at 6 I fell asleep so I shouldn't have been so surprised that I slept in.

I was in Brazil with my two best friends to watch a Formula 1 race live and we chose Brazil because we needed a good reason to leave Europe and visit South America for a week, right?

I woke up my friends and in less than half an hour we were leaving the hotel, running, with a big cup of coffee in our hand.

We passed quickly through the front gate, all we needed now was to find our seats.

All around us could be heard the cars speeding on the circuit. My skin was goosebumps and I was looking at my friends who had the same smile on their faces that I think I had.

We find our seats and watch the last 15 minutes of training. We held in our hands the tickets that gave us access to the paddock. We were going to go there after the drivers returned to the garages.

My eyes were searching for Aston Martin Hospitality. I knew that if I returned home from this Grand Prix without an autograph from Sebastian Vettel for my father, I could very well stay in Brazil for the rest of my life.

Being so focused on looking for the green building, I didn't realize that someone was coming in front of me only when I hit a hard chest. I heard my girlfriends gasping. Fuck, I just hope I didn't run into Toto Wolff.

I open my eyes slightly and see a driver's suit, white and blue. Alpha Tauri?

I look up at the driver's face. To be damned. Pierre Gasly. With ruffled hair and a red face, Pierre Gasly was in front of me.

"I'm really, really sorry, I didn't look where I was going. Sorry!" I say and take a step back, stepping out of his personal space.

As I walked away from him, I saw that he was not alone but with Pyry.

"It's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going either," he says, running his hand through his hair, trying to fix it.

I smile at them and then I look at my friends giggling at our embarrassing date.

Pyry motions to Pierre to someone behind me and that makes him take his eyes off me.

"Oh, I have to go," he tells me. "Have fun."

I stood still for a few moments, unable to move. I just met my favorite driver and it couldn't be more embarrassed than that.

"The first meeting with your children's future father was very good." my best friend, Lila, tells me.

"Shut up."

The fact that I found Aston Martin Hospitality and managed to get the autograph for my father and I could take a few pictures with Sebastian Vettel erased the embarrassment caused by the disastrous meeting I had with Pierre Gasly.

For a little time.

As soon as we got out of Aston Martin Hospitality Lila pulled us to McLaren Hospitality, hoping to meet Lando Norris and take some pictures with him, about 100, but who's counting, right?

I was with my head on the phone, sending my father some pictures I took with Sebastian Vettel when I came across someone, this time I lost my balance and I was about to fall but two strong arms caught me. Pierre Gasly, again.

"Honestly, we should stop meeting like this, you could get hurt," he says and laughs. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," I say and bite my lip. "I should really start looking where I'm going."

My friends secretly took pictures of us.

"It's the second time we've met in less than 10 minutes, maybe the universe wants to tell us something, don't you think?" he says and holds out his hand. "Pierre."

I hold out my hand and smile wide. "Y/N."

I turn my gaze to Lila and Erica, presenting them to Pierre as well.

"I hope you feel good in the paddock. So far, the world has been nice to you and your friends?"

"Yes, everything has been good so far. We've only been to Aston Martin and they've all been very nice to us. Except for a few people who don't look where they're going, we haven't had any unexpected events." I say and laugh.

Pierre starts laughing too.

"Yes, I will try to look after you from now on and avoid you. I don't want to be the reason you fall. Although, if something happens, I know the medical team and you don't need medical insurance here."

I asked Pierre if he wanted to take some pictures with me and he accepted immediately. At least that's what I can do after I've run into you twice already.

For the next few hours, Lila and Erica, and I walked from one Hospitality to another, looking for drivers. They were all very nice to us and agreed to pose with us.

When it was time to start qualifying, we went to the room provided by McLaren for guests to watch.

I followed Pierre's position in the standings, Lila followed Lando's position and Erica followed Max's position. All three of us breathed a sigh of relief when the three boys passed into Q3.

Lando will leave from the seventh position tomorrow.

Pierre will start from the fourth position.

Max will start from pole position.

The three of us went to the hotel, ready to rest well for the next day.

If the atmosphere for qualifying had seemed charged to me, then the atmosphere before the race could not be described.

Yesterday everyone was behaving nicely and they were smiling. Now everyone was running past everyone, there were many screams and many curses could be heard. And everyone was frowning, not a smile in sight.

We didn't see any drivers, so we headed to McLaren Hospitality to get comfortable for the race. I unwittingly was disappointed. I wanted to see Pierre before the race to wish him good luck.

Although I hadn't wished him good luck, Pierre was lucky. He finished the race in second place, behind Max Verstappen. I was very happy and I wanted to go and congratulate him as soon as possible.

I watched the award from the window, filming and taking pictures which I was sure I would cherish for a long time to come.

"Congratulations!" I scream when I see him and he looks at me. "It was a very good race, congratulations!"

"Thank you!" he says and smiles at me.

I asked my friends to take some pictures with the trophy and champagne and then Pierre left, being shouted by someone from the team.

"Stay here, I'd like to see you one more time before you have to leave."

I could die then and there when I heard his words. Pierre Gasly wanted to see me again.

It's just that it hasn't happened before. We stayed there for another two hours and Pierre could not be found. It was getting late and everyone was starting to leave, so we left.

Monza is the most important economic, industrial and administrative center of the Brianza sub-region, being the third-largest city in Lombardy, with a population of about 120,000 inhabitants. When people think of Monza, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix that is held here every year.

Although many may think that Milan eclipses this smaller city, Monza should not be dismissed, having an absolutely sublime historical architecture, such as the Cathedral and the Leoni Bridge, but also features the huge Parco di Monza and of course the famous Formula 1 Autodromo.

The historic center of Monza stretches over a large area and in this area, you can find most historical sites and a guided tour of the history of cities.

Three months have passed since the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Three months since I first saw Pierre Gasly.

Although I have pictures of the two of us, I can't help but regret the fact that I didn't see him then; I will probably never see him again.

The exams passed and to relax completely my father and I got tickets to the Italian Grand Prix.

What I didn't know was that my father had taken VIP tickets.

That means we're going to the paddock.

Does that mean I can meet Pierre?

I tried not to have too many hopes, in the end, there are thousands of people there, I can't meet him, can I?

I didn't meet him on Friday. It had been the two practice sessions, everyone was as relaxed as possible, my father took pictures with everyone he saw, but Pierre was nowhere to be seen.

On Saturday we were late and did not catch the practice, but we saw the qualifications. Pierre starts from the tenth position. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for tomorrow's race for Pierre.

And man I was wrong about that.

The whole race I was speechless. I heard my father from lap 23 and to the end cursing the accident that took Charles Leclerc out of the race.

My eyes were only on car number 10. I had the impression that I was blinking only when the camera moved to another car. I forgot to breathe when I saw the overtaking he was doing.

But he won.

Pierre Gasly won in Monza. His first ever Formula One career win and it was my home race.

Before we went out in the paddock looking for Pierre, after the premiere, I wiped away the tears I didn't know I had.

It wasn't hard for me to find him. Where there were a lot of people screaming and chanting, he must have been there too.

And I was right. He is enjoying his first victory with the whole team. Everyone wanted to hug and congratulate him.

As if he noticed my presence among the hundreds of people who were there, Pierre looked at me. I noticed his face light up and he came towards me.

"Y/N!" he says and hugs me.

I'm sure my father was shocked somewhere in the back. I hadn't told him that I had met Pierre, but after this hug, I will definitely have to explain to him what the situation is.

"Congratulations!" I tell him and I smile broadly. "First victory! Wow!"

He shrugs nonchalantly.

"I was lucky."

I laugh and hit him playfully in the shoulder.

"With Hamilton being penalized? You would have overtaken him without that penalty."

He looked into my eyes.

"I haven't found you after the race in Brazil."

The fact that he remembered had taken me by surprise. I was sure he couldn't remember the fact that he had proposed to me to stay on the circuit so that he could see me one more time.

I was sure that the second he left, he forgot what I looked like and forgot my name.

But no. He still knew me. He still knew my name and knew we had to see each other.

"I haven't seen you there before and I left after about two hours, it was getting late."

"I'm sorry, the teamwork had taken longer than I initially anticipated. When I went to look for you, no one was there. Then I realized I didn't even have your phone number. I tried to look for you on Instagram, but do you know how many girls are there with your name?"

I laughed.

"Well, I could give my phone number to the race winner now, if he wants it, of course. Do you think he would accept it?" you ask laughing.

Pierre blushes and bites his lip.

"I'm sure he would accept."

I take out of my bag the notebook and pen I was carrying with me to receive the drivers' autographs and write my phone number. I hand him the sheet just as Pierre is being taken by some engineers to the garage to celebrate the victory.

I laugh and wave at him.

I was at home with my father, watching a boring movie on Netflix. I've been looking at the phone constantly since last night, waiting for a message from Pierre but I haven't received anything.

"Ugh, this movie is so boring," I say and take my phone off the table. "Let me look for a more interesting one."

That's when I receive a message from a number I didn't save. I received a picture.

It was the picture with the prize Pierre received.

"The winner of the race has received your number and is wondering if you are free to dine with him."

I bit my lip, unable to control the smile on my face.

"If the winner of the race wants to go out on a date with me, who am I to say no?"

"8 o'clock?"

"I'll send you the address right away."

#pierre gasly x reader #pierre gasly imagine #pierre gasly one shot #pierre gasly oneshot #pierre gasly #f1 fanfiction #f1 oneshot #f1 one shot #f1 2021 #f1 #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #formula one oneshot #formula one imagine #forumula one #formula 1 oneshot #formula one #formula 1 #alpha tauri

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thiscitylife · 3 years ago

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Changing how we talk about cars hitting pedestrians and cyclists

Excerpt from a CTV news article published on Jan 21, 2022:

Several pedestrians are in hospital with life-threatening injuries as a result of three collisions in Metro Vancouver.

The first happened in West Vancouver.

An elderly woman was struck by a truck as she crossed 13th Street at a marked crosswalk before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"The driver remained on scene and is co-operating with police," Mounties said in their statement.

At the time, drivers were warned traffic would be disrupted for several hours and were asked to avoid the area.

This news article is a text book example of the formula that media use when reporting on collisions involving drivers hitting pedestrians or cyclists. It goes like this:

1.) Always frame the collision* in the passive voice, putting the focus on the pedestrian being hit by a vehicle (never on the driver who hit them).

2.) Barely mention the driver who caused the collision, except to say whether they remained on the scene. If they did, use positive language about how they are "cooperating" with police.

3.) Finally, even if someone has died or suffered life threatening injuries, state if the collision is causing traffic delays and inconvenience to other drivers.

When we constantly read these news reports, we are led to believe that car crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists are an unavoidable fact of life in our cities and communities. This is wrong. These tragedies can be prevented, we just aren't doing enough to examine how.

In her new book, There are No Accidents, journalist Jessie Singer argues that this predisposition to blame human error and accept the old adage that "accidents happen" is not only misguided, but insidious. It covers up the systems that enable accidents.

Singer's book includes a tragic personal account of how in 2006, her best friend, Eric, was hit by a drunk driver while riding on a bike path in New York City. The driver was convicted of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Nine years later, another drunk driver killed a cyclist on that path. Two years after that, in 2017, a truck driver deliberately plowed into the spot where Eric died, murdering 8 people and injuring 12.

According to a review in Washington Monthly, after Eric’s death, Singer was livid that some accident inspectors focused on his not wearing a helmet. But she pointed out that Eric was hit by a car going 50 miles (80km) per hour. As a result, donning a helmet would not have mattered. Multiple deaths on that same path proves the weakness is in the design.

Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are at an all-time high. They are also the leading cause of death for children in Canada. Most are preventable, and yet these media reports never examine how to hold governments accountable for measures like lowering speed limits, increasing pedestrian cross walks, deterring traffic through residential neighbourhoods, adding bollards and separated bike lanes, and reducing lane size so that neighbourhood roads look less like highways.

We place the onus on the victim to not get murdered by 3,500 lbs of steel. How often do police and local car insurance companies proudly launch pedestrian safety campaigns where they hand out reflective vests and flashlights and warn pedestrians to "make eye contact" with drivers. Tell that to a 5 year old, or to this crossing guard who got hit saving a child's life while a car barrelled through a cross walk without stopping.

This is what hero police officers do! North East Police Officer Annette Goodyear saved a student from harm’s way early this morning. pic.twitter.com/efpgjqucuO

Even this story focuses on the victim. Who was the driver? We rarely hear whether the driver was speeding, distracted, or even drunk. In most of these cases, it is highly likely that one or all of these is true, because your likelihood of seriously injuring a pedestrian or cyclist is pretty slim if you are obeying the rules of the road. And if that is not the case, there is something wrong with those rules and they need to be changed.

Either way, a person shouldn't die while out for a walk or a bike ride and have this accepted as an unpreventable accident. We need more cities and communities to get serious and invest heavily in Vision Zero policies and infrastructure. I fully agree with Singer’s hypothesis that every accident is preventable. And changing the narrative starts with how we frame car crashes in the media.

*Note - In this post, I initially referred to car crashes as ��car accidents” and a thoughtful reader pointed out that they should be called “collisions” or “crashes.” Even I was predisposed to call them accidents. According to the US Department of Transportation:

“Changing the way we think about events and the words we use to describe them affects the way we behave. Motor vehicle crashes occur "when a link or several links in the chain" are broken. Continued use of the word "accident" implies that these events are outside human influence or control. In reality, they are predictable results of specific actions.“

Photo credits: Joe Flood; City TV news clip.

#urbanism #car accident #walkable communities #media #journalism #city issues and ideas #pedestrian fatalities #pedestrian safety #cyclist #safety #accident #road safety

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mrs-hatake · 3 years ago

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here comes the bride: chapter one

pairings: levi x female!reader + minor zeke x female!reader.

genre: alternate universe, illegal car racing, suggestive themes, arranged marriage, strangers to lovers, slow burn, falling in love, eventual smut, heavy make out sessions, hurt/comfort & fluff.

Prologue

A/N: aaannnddd we're back!!apologize for the delay but I've been super busy with japanese and suffered from a writer's block but we're here now so it's all good!

a huuuuggee thank you for my tumblr friend @petrichor-writes for brainstorming and proof reading this chapter :(

trigger warning at the end for a traumatic reaction due to the loss of a loved one.

this fic can be found on ao3 under copycatshinobi

“I can’t believe she’s doing it at a hospital of all places.”

“I think it’s nice of her to be so considerate.”

“Still, I can’t believe she’s doing it here.”

Y/N ignores the hushed whispers as she gracefully makes her way to her mother’s private suite.

It’s not like she isn’t aware of what they were talking about. Everyone working at the hospital has gotten wind of the spontaneous wedding occurring today in one of their few V.I.P rooms. And, frankly, Y/N doesn’t blame them. It isn’t unheard of nor is it uncommon for people to get married at weddings but to arrive at the hospital in a wedding gown while her groom, the priest and her family are all waiting for her in her mother’s quarters.

If the roles were reversed and Y/N was working at the hospital while some rich heiress was going to get married, she would probably be gossiping with her colleagues as well. She might even feel empathetic towards the girl if she discovered the truth behind her marriage.

Y/N glances down at her wedding dress.

She is wearing a pearl white sweetheart cut wedding dress with tiny specks of diamond embedded into the bodice of the dress. The dress is maxi in length and hugs her snugly, accentuating all of her curves. The train of her wedding dress is held by one of the nurses attending to her mother so that it will not stain. Not that the hospital floors are dirty, this is one of the most prestigious and expensive hospitals money can admit you in, nothing but the best for mother, so it is unfathomable for it to be dirty. Nonetheless, it is still a hospital and anything could happen.

Her make-up is minimalistic yet simple and it highlights her natural beauty, making her pleasing to the eyes.

Outwardly, she appears calm, collected and elegant but her heart is beating erratically, badum badum badum it goes, louder than any drum heard in a rock song. Her palms are sweaty and if she releases the colorful bouquet, sweat stains will be seen on the wrapping.

She is shaking like a leaf threatening to fall on a windy autumn day. Her throat is so dry that she wouldn't feel hydrated if she chugged a whole gallon of water. She feels lightheaded, as if walking on clouds and her stomach churns with the threat of unleashing all of its contents of buttered toast and milk upon her beautiful dress.

Click, click, click, goes her high heels, in perfect harmony with her booming heart and they both stop when she reaches the door to room seven seven zero two.

Y/N closes her eyes and inhales shaky puffs of air with great difficulty. The comforting hand on her shoulder from the nurse accompanying her goes unnoticed by her as it does nothing to ease her nervousness. A fleeting thought goes through her mind, she could turn around and she would run, lungs on fire, to the safety of her bedroom and would magically travel back in time to when she was a child. Her mother is healthy and Y/N’s existence is unchained.

Badum, badum, badum, badum and the door handle is twisted downwards.

When Levi was informed by his father that he is to be wed to the chairman’s oldest daughter and the heiress of Hoken, their partnering company for the past twenty five years, he felt conflicted.

Levi had been infatuated with Y/N since the day their fathers had introduced them to one another. The world around him melted, only Y/N appeared in the blank void he was floating in. She had a charming smile on her pink lips that made Levi’s ears heat up in embarrassment.

With time, he had noticed Y/N personality despite their brief interactions. She is polite, soft spoken yet confident and detrimental. She isn’t scared to back down from an argument yet never once did she seem rude with her eloquent vernacular.

Achingly, Levi is reminded of his mother back in her prime. When she ran Sicherheit , the insurance company his father is currently in charge of. He doesn’t remember much of his mother as she had been taken away from them in a tragic accident, what Levi does remember, is her fiery spirit whenever he had the opportunity to visit her at work. Though, unlike his mom, Y/N seemed tamer in comparison, kinder. However, that only peaked his interest in wanting to get to know her and see what she is truly like.

This is where Levi’s conundrum comes in. He wished he would form a relationship with Y/N through traditional practices; being friendly with each other, sharing contact information, going on dates until they slowly fall deeper and deeper in love, so deep it feels like they’re falling to the cold and dark abyss, though, it’s not cold and it’s not dark, for on the other side, is the most beautiful place they’d ever witness, a place built from their love.

However, after listening to his father’s explanation of this instantaneous wedding, Levi understands that he does not own the privilege to live out his fanciful daydreams. Levi must carry out the duties as the acting CEO of his retired father until he fully inherits the company through the merging of the two companies by marrying Y/N. His heart bleeds for Y/N, he knows the chairman’s wife is a beloved woman who is cherished by her two daughters. And Levi is quite familiar with the pain of losing one’s own mother.

Still, regardless of the order of how they came to be, be it in the traditional route of them flirting, dating and then finally falling in love or skipping all of the steps, Levi can’t say that he isn’t pleased with this spontaneous wedding as he will be marrying Y/N, the woman he had been infatuated with for two years.

Y/N is ethereal, is what his brain screams at him as she steps into the private suite in nude colored six inch heels and a long wedding gown. Levi’s eyes are instantly drawn to her shoulder length hair which she has it in a semi-up hairdo; one half is pulled up and the second half cascades down her shoulder blades in elegant waves, two locks of hair framing her face giving it a more youthful appearance.

And as Y/N steps further into the room, her father hooks his arm with hers and leads her to where he is currently standing, right in front of the edge of her mother's bed, and Levi hears the chairman's wife choking back a sob and he really can’t blame her because he honestly feels the same way. After two years of yearning and pining after the woman of his dream, he is finally able to marry her.

Chairman Masamune parts with his daughter leaving a delicate, yet lingering kiss on her hand. And if Levi had been paying attention to the chairman instead of his breathtaking bride, he would’ve noticed the tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. The chairman returns to his place next to Tsukiko who is currently filming the private ceremony on a handheld Panasonic video camera with a wide stretched grin.

The two of them silently listened as the priest began the ceremony, Levi is certain that chairman Masamune’s wife is joyfully weeping as she is finally witness to her daughter’s wedding.

Levi’s heart is beating louder, drowning out all of his senses. Suddenly, it feels like everyone in the room has vanished, save for him and Y/N. The beeping of the monitor, the chairman’s wife’s tiny little sniffles, the whirring of the ventilators, all of them were gone.

Only when the priest had announced, “It’s time to recite your vows.” did Levi feel everyone around him teleported into their little universe.

When they are asked to recite their vows, the ever attentive Levi doesn’t miss Y/N’s despairing tone of voice, a battle she had terrifically lost before she could even put up a fight.

“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest announces and an electrical jolt brings Levi to life.

He glances at the priest, as if to confirm what he had just heard, and the man subtly nods his head in encouragement for him to proceed.

Levi doesn’t allow his anxiousness to show on his face as he lifts his hands with firm steadiness to unveil his bride. Though, he fails to hold in a gasp once Y/N’s beauty is fully revealed to him.

She has her gaze cast downwards, but when she hears his gasp, as if he were strangled by some deranged man demanding him for any valuable items he has on him, she lifts her gaze up and locks it with his.

And what Levi sees in those eyes that he had admired so dearly, is the reason he hears a sharp crack onto his erratically beating heart.

Y/N’s eyes are soulless, as if this is the last place she’d rather be in and Levi is the last human being she would rather marry, like their wedding is the last thing she wanted, and he wasn't wrong in making that assumption nor does Levi blame her.

But god does he wish she wanted him.

He is in a similar situation as her where he is forced to marry someone he is barely an acquaintance with, though, the glaring contrast between them is that he is in love with her and she isn’t in love with him.

Levi didn’t expect Y/N to possess enamor when she stood before him on their wedding day, however Levi hoped that she would appear a bit more bashful towards this whole ordeal. Though, he supposes one of the reasons he had fallen for her was her honesty.

Circumspect in his movement, like a predator trying not to scare off its prey, he leans in and does not overlook the way Y/N’s muscles tense up and her eyes shutting tight.

Pain plunges deep into his abdomen at the reaction, however, he does not blame her. He sees the way her eyelashes moisten, a silent prayer for him not to kiss her lips.

A soft coo could be heard from his left side, where Y/N’s mother is resting on the bed, as he plants his lips on her forehead in a gentle yet affectionate kiss, which he hopes conveys all the love he actually felt for her.

After the ceremony, Levi and Y/N made their way to their new apartment that chairman Masamune had gifted to the both of them.

The drive there was silent, eerily so, though it did not unnerve Levi. His attention is focused on the road as images of their little wedding replayed in his head. After Levi had kissed Y/N’s forehead, soft cheers erupted and Levi could’ve sworn chairman Masamune had been silently crying.

Tsukiko had bought a small wedding cake, only two tiers, with orange blossoms scattered here and there. Levi took a mental note to look up the meaning behind that particular flower that Y/N’s sister had chosen specifically for the both of them. Though, he has an inkling that it has something to do with love and prosperity.

They arrive at their apartment complex and Levi is aware how deafening Y/N’s silence was during the ride. He kept glancing at her from time to time, to make sure that she was okay, and he wasn’t surprised to see her blank expression still intact.

Even when he parks the car and kills the engine, Y/N is as quiet as a mouse.

“Do you...Need help?” Levi asks with a small voice - it felt odd to use his normal voice when his wife is in such a state of silence - and gestures to her train.

Y/N's pout deepens a bit and she shakes her head no, exiting the car with the train of her dress bunched up in her hands and she closes the car door with her hip- a bit loudly and perhaps in irritation though Levi but said nothing quirking an eyebrow - and goes to wait for him at the lobby.

Their new home is on the eighth floor and lights were switched off when Levi unlocked the door, allowing his wife to access, without bothering to switch on the lights.

Levi holds back the sigh that’s threatening to break through and flicks the light switch. To both of their surprise, their apartment has already been furnished in a modern-esque design with a dash of color.

The living room is located at the end of the entrance hall on the right and when Levi rounds the corner, he sees Y/N hunched in front of the coffee table, where a bouquet of red roses is on the centre of the glass top, and is reading a card in her hand.

Levi contemplates coming up behind her to read the card, though, he instantly dismisses the thought when he remembers how invasive that would be of him.

He leaves her be for now and continues to explore his new home.

As Levi wanders around the apartment, Y/N glances down at the card in her hand and rereads it again, a heavy and anguished sigh silently escaping her lips.

Congratulations on your wedding, Y/N. I’m sorry I couldn’t attend, i bet you looked gorgeous as always.

Your bags have been packed for your trip tomorrow. I’ll watch over your apartment while you’re gone.

Have fun!

With love,

Yukiko

Yukiko was Y/N’s nanny while growing up. She had been charged with her care for as long as Y/N could remember. Both her and her sister had their own nannies that watched over them while their parents were busy. Yukiko and Mei were like mothers to Y/N and her sister.

Her mother had informed her before her wedding day that nanny Yukiko would be staying in the same apartment complex as her and Levi, just one level below, and she will be taking care of their home during the day and will return to her own kids at night.

Placing the card on the glass table, Y/N sits up and guesses her way to her bedroom, dreading the night ahead.

The new home that Mr. Fujikawa has provided for them is luxurious but it has that oddly homey feel to it. As of now, his favorite place is the kitchen. He doesn’t know how to cook but the lavishness of it bubbles his blood with excitement, bringing a slight smile to his face as his head fills with images of him cooking his and Y/N’s meals.

He opens the fridge and it fuels the excitement within him even more as it is filled with all sorts of food and drinks. The cabinets are filled with colorful spices, plates and glasses in different shapes and sizes and some had coffee and an assortment of cereal. Levi scrunches his nose at the boxes of wheat and artificial honey flavor.

Levi easily spots the guest bathroom, glancing in, he is impressed by the size of it. It’s so big it has space for a shower stand, a bathtub, a state of the art toilet and a porcelain sink with a very large mirror above. If this is the guest bathroom, he can’t imagine what the bathroom in the master bedroom would look like.

Overall, the apartment is spacious, furnished and most importantly; clean to Levi’s relief, though his inner germaphobe urges him to clean it himself as soon as he is able to. He subtly nods his head.

All that there is for him to see is the master bedroom and a guest room. He peeks his head into the guest bedroom and is satisfied by the sheer simplicity of it. Though, he takes note how bare the guest bedroom is and is conflicted by whether it being unfurnished is a good or a bad thing. On one hand, it’s good that it’s in such a state so that their guests could decorate it how they see fit. Yet on the other hand, it’s bad because what if they had an emergency where someone needed to stay and they didn’t have any blankets or pillows to give to them? Levi makes a mental note to purchase extra blankets, bed sheets and pillows to keep inside the closet for future reference.

Stepping out of the room, he almost runs into Y/N but he quickly steadies himself and gestures for her to go right ahead. He rubs his temple when she walks by, Levi had seriously underestimated the difficulties of a one sided love marriage. Well, it’s one sided to him as Y/N is mostly likely unaware of his true feelings. She probably believes that this whole marriage is loveless and is nothing but a business transaction, though that brings a deep frown to his face.

Levi refrains from sighing and follows after his wife… until he accidentally bumps into her. He ignores the annoyed look thrown his way and peers into whatever thing that has his wife standing in the middle of the doorway.

Ah yes, one bed.

Glancing at his wife, he doesn’t miss the way her shoulders are tense and apprehensiveness glimmers in her eyes.

Clearing his throat to bring attention to himself, Levi smoothly says, “I’ll take the couch until they furnish the guest bedroom.”

The way Y/N instantly relaxes, shoulders sagging, fills Levi with disappointment. He understands why Y/N feels uncomfortable sharing a bed with him, he is a stranger to her after all. Though, Levi had that glimmer of hope that maybe Y/N would be okay with performing the basics of marriage.

He brushes past her, he could practically feel Y/N’s eyes on him as he walked, her intense stare is burning him alive and it makes his skin crawl as he collects his nightwear that he had sent to the apartment as per Mr. Fujikawa’s instructions. This time, he silently sighs.

Once Levi leaves the bedroom and makes a beeline to the living room, Y/N let’s go of a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. She closes the bedroom door and leans against it, head tilted backwards until the top of her head brushes against the wooden door.

She should feel guilty that her husband will be sleeping on the couch but since he was the one who offered it, then it’s not her problem.

So, why did she feel a sharp pain in her heart when she glanced at the empty bed?

The hotel they arrive at - after taking a two hour flight at nine am sharp - is small in size and is designed similarly to traditional Japanese houses with a genkan entrance hall and Shōji partitions, no doubt an ideal lodging for foreigners who romanticize Japan.

The soft thud of the tatami floors as the bellboy places their luggages is deafening.

It was eerily silent and Y/N briefly wonders if the young adolescent is aware of Y/N’s distaste in Levi and the fact that she isn’t quite satisfied with the marriage. She bets that he’s going to gossip about them in the staff room.

Y/N leaves the unpacking to Levi and heads straight to the window which overlooks the hilltop the hotel is built on. The red leaves of the forest below stretches for miles into the horizon. If they hadn’t driven through that very forest in the minivan the hotel provided to pick them up from the airport, Y/N would’ve believed that the hotel was sailing through a sea of blood.

Rummaging through her purse for her phone, she snaps a couple of snapshots and sends it to the family group chat.

Instantly, she received a reply.

What a breathtaking view!!

Send us pictures of you and Levi!!

Read her mother’s messages, probably written and sent with the help of Tsukiko.

Withholding the urge to roll her eyes and sigh heavily, Y/N responds.

We’re a bit tired from our flight 😔 but i’ll make sure to send some pics later 😊

Levi and Y/N have their first lunch together as a married couple at the garden located behind the hotel. It is dangerously close to the cliff edge but there are railings for people’s safety and, honestly, the view is just breathtaking.

Their menu is the standard Japanese cuisine, it is quite expensive but considering their honeymoon expenses are paid by her father, the cost didn’t concern them.

Levi and Y/N are seated at the honeymoon table, under the shade of a large Rowan tree. The wind passing through the branches made the red leaves seem like they were murmuring.

Once the two had placed their order, their waiter politely smiles at them and asks, “May I take your picture?”

Y/N is going to refuse when Levi beats her to it and agrees. She would’ve thrown a nasty stare his way if the waiter wasn’t there.

The tall waiter holds Levi’s iPhone and angles it how he sees fit...only to frown and glance over the device, “Scootch a little bit closer, please.” He motions with his hand for the two to lean in.

Working a corporate job where Y/N had to meet countless clients everyday and hold meetings with several businessmen had taught her how to excel a fake, yet authentic, bright smile. She makes sure to fake a look of affection as she can feel Levi lean silently into her.

The camera clicks and the waiter coos for another picture because they looked absolutely adorable. “Put your arm around her and ma’am, please show me something. You’re too beautiful to have a closed lip smile.”

Y/N’s eye twitched at the requests of the waiter and she thought about complaining to the manager but she did as told and allowed for Levi to hover his arm over her shoulder. She is certain that he could sense the way her body tenses in response to his close vicinity but she ignores it.

Y/N isn’t doing it for appearance sake or to be considerate of Levi’s feelings, on the contrary, she doesn’t give a flying fuck what other people, especially Levi, would have to say about her. They could call her ungrateful for all she cares.

The only reason Y/N smiles into the camera, allows for Levi to be near him and pretend that the two are having a good time rather than the awkward atmosphere they’re in, is because of her mother.

Her mother who had given her the world on the palm of her calloused hands. Her mother had screaming matches with her father for her daughters. Her mother who had sacrificed so much for their future.

So, she slaps a smile on and poses for the camera.

“Gorgeous!” The camera man smiles after taking two more snaps and returns the phone to Levi. “You two make a lovely couple.”

The rest of their day goes about in a similar manner. Her mother had booked a trekking expedition with a group of tourists for their first day and they would constantly stop to take pictures. Y/N could feel the muscles in her cheek throb in pain for constantly stretching her lips for nearly five hours straight.

Seriously, she doesn’t understand why they had to take so many pictures and in so many places. They took ten at the temple hidden in the forest (She counted them herself), took a couple by the river (some with Levi), under the trees (Levi mostly took pictures of her which irritated Y/N but she couldn’t do anything about it as she is in a public space and going to jail is not worth it) and they eventually took a group photo at the end of their trek with Levi’s arm barely making contact around her waist.

She dreads to know what else her mother had planned for the two of them for the next three days, she groans.

Later that night, after the two had their dinner and Y/N sent all sixty five images to her family group chat - that Levi is now a part of- -and her mother blows up her phone with messages of how cute they were together and how glad she is that they are having a good time, Y/N encounters a dilemma- scratch that, two dilemmas, that she had forgotten during her busy and exhausting day.

Dilemma number one is that her nightwear consists of flimsy and see-through babydolls in pinks, purples and baby blues.

Y/N closes her eyes, sighs heavily through her nose, and curses silently at Yukiko for packing her luggage. Of course she would pack something like this. She had been practically praying every night and day for Y/N to get married so it is only natural to let herself get carried away by whatever assistance she believes she’s delivering.

Irritated, Y/N grabs the purple one as it is the darkest shade and rushes to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Levi had gone to the lobby to take an important phone call and felt like she’d rather be flung over the cliff than have her...husband see her in such a ludicrous piece of attire. If you could even call it that.

The second dilemma is that since they are residing at a traditional Japanese hotel, they have to share the smallest tatami bed Y/N has ever seen.

Actually, the tatami bed is large and spacious but to Y/N who is going to be sharing her first night in the same bed with Levi, it feels like the bed is small and it will force her to press against Levi. She feels a shiver rush down her spine at the idea of having Levi holding her in her sleep.

She would’ve cried at how her life turned out, but Levi would notice and he would ask her questions. Something Y/N did not want, thank you very much.

Just as she slips under the covers, their door opens and in steps Levi, who pauses at the doorway when he notices the bed and lack of furniture in the room. He says nothing and makes his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Nearly half an hour later, which felt like mere seconds to Y/N, her heart thunders in her ears when Levi opens the bathroom door and stands at the edge of the bed.

She schools her expression, not allowing for any hint of nervousness to slip through. Though, her breath hitches and her heart won’t stop beating loudly.

And just as Levi sits on the edge of the so-called bed, Y/N swears that her heart stopped beating entirely and she feels like she's about to pass away.

“I know this makes you uncomfortable.” Levi starts and Y/N resists the urge to raise a single eyebrow in surprise. “I can call the front desk for an extra bed if you’d like but I doubt it would fit.”

Despite the two staying in the honeymoon suite, it is still a bit cramped. The only privilege is that they have their own private bathroom and onsen. Other than that, the room is nearly the same size as every other room in the hotel.

Which is why Y/N shakes her head, surprising both herself and Levi.

Levi instantly recovers from that moment of shock and nods his head. “Okay. I promise I won’t touch you.”

Y/N nods her head in return and watches as Levi switches the lamp, engulfing the room in complete darkness, and slips under the sheet.

He leaves enough space between them, enough to let Y/N feel comfortable, but also without having Levi to worry if he is going to fall over or not, the fall wouldn't be too much, but he'd rather not.

It takes them a while, both holding their breaths in anticipation for the unknown before they slip off to dreamland.

Their honeymoon vacation goes on in a similar manner. The two of them would eat breakfast, engage in whatever activity Mamiko had planned for them, take pictures together and send them to the group chat, and end the night by the two of them going to bed, without uttering goodnight.

It’s their last night at the hotel and the lovely couple would depart in the morning.

Y/N is spending her last night in the private onsen - an activity she regrets not engaging in much sooner as it would have helped soothe her aching muscles- and stares at the clear night sky.

She feels a bit disappointed as she was hoping she would see a sea of stars since she never had the privilege seeing them living in the city but not having any light pollution from towering buildings is still something she is grateful for, the pictures of the night sky in her camera roll attest to it.

A rush of air escapes her lips as she submerges her body deeper into the onsen until the water covers her mouth. Slowly, her eyes flutter shut at the tranquilizing atmosphere.

Y/N is so relaxed that she doesn’t hear their hotel room door unlocking and Levi shuffling into the room.

He briefly glances at the bed and is surprised to find it empty, the sheets still made. He stands outside of the bathroom door, leaning his ear against it and listens for any movements. When he hears none, he frowns.

What if she finally built up the courage to run away?

He thinks but then quickly dismiss the thought with a shake of his head.

Just as he is about to call her, he spots the sliding doors which lead to the private onsen in his peripheral vision and pockets his phone.

He slides the door open, and somehow manages to stifle the slight gasp that was about to rip through his lips at the sight he is greeted with.

Y/N.

Naked.

And in the onsen.

Levi licks his lips, suddenly feeling them dry.

Y/N has her shoulder length hair in a messy bun, a few strands framing her exposed shoulder that is littered in moles and freckles, some big, some small, dark brown, light brown, they were endless.

There’s a tingling sensation in his fingers, overtaken with the urge to trace over every single mole on her body.

As if in a trance, Levi’s feet quietly move to the edge of the onsen, and he crouches down, hand stretched out ready for his fingers to lean in and poke the mole on her neck, when his phone buzzes in his back pocket and Y/N emits a terrified shriek.

She glances over her shoulder, and sighs in relief when she spots Levi standing behind her. Though, her relief quickly melts into anger and she hurries to turn around, back facing Levi, and undoes her bun to shield her exposed neck even a bit and wrap her arms around her frame.

“Pervert.” She enunciates loud and clear.

“I-I’m sorry.” Levi apologizes in vain.

When Y/N doesn’t respond, Levi rubs a hand down his mouth and chin and excuses himself to the lobby.

Y/N is angry. That much is clear.

She doesn’t take any more pictures the next day during breakfast before their departure, and doesn't even bother hiding her displeasure.

And Levi can’t really blame her.

He did step out of bounds the previous night. He broke what little trust Y/N had in him because he was consumed by a foreign and powerful spell, her skin called him like a siren and he ached to touch her.

He knows he deserves every glare thrown his way but Levi can’t help but to long for Y/N faking her joy during their short honeymoon where they pretended to be the happily married couple Levi had been fantasizing over since the day he had met her. It wasn’t true but at least it’s a thousand times better than how Y/N is currently treating him. Like dog shit she stepped on.

The second Levi and Y/N step foot into their apartment after a two hour plane ride and a thirty minute ride to their new home, Y/N rushes to her -their- room and is out of the front door faster than Levi could blink. He stares blankly at the door, sighs and plops on the couch with his head in his hands.

“Give her time.”

Startled, Levi lifts his head up and is met with an elderly woman that he had failed to see, too busy watching the angry storm that is Y/N.

“Who are you?” Levi asks, emotional exhaustion finally slipping into his tone of voice.

“Yukiko, Y/N's nanny.” She replies with a charming smile. She places the towel rag on the kitchen island and stares at Levi with kind eyes.

“Would you like some tea?”

The boiling anger inside of Y/N slowly cools down as she recklessly drives her way to the hospital. She is aware that she is being irrational with her anger, knows that as a couple they will have to see each other naked eventually, but she wishes it was a different situation. She sacrificed her own happiness for her mother and agreed to be in an arranged marriage.

She understands that Levi did not see much of her nakedness yet she still feels extremely uncomfortable with the idea of having a strange man laying his eyes upon her naked frame. She felt violated and scared that he would somehow lose himself to his animalistic nature and be consumed by lust and desire to take her then and there.

She knows that she is valid in what she is feeling and is having a rational reaction.

Y/N arrives at the hospital parking lot and stares into the mirror to fix makeup that was ruined by the tears of frustration collecting at the corner of her eyes. When she is satisfied with her appearance, she smiles at her reflection and makes her way to her mother's private suite.

“Y/N!” Mamiko greets with as much joy as she could possibly muster. Even though she is extremely tired and Y/N can see the life slowly draining from her eyes, Mamiko won’t allow them to hinder optimistic spirit. She and Y/N know that she is a fighter and won’t give up so easily.

“Where is Levi?” Her mother asks when she fails to see her son-in-law.

“He’s home.” Y/N replies. “He’s feeling a little bit tired.”

Her mother’s lips forms into a silent ‘o’ and nods her head in understanding.

Y/N takes a seat next to her mothers hospital bed and holds her wrinkled hand in hers, her thumb running across her knuckles and asks, “How are you feeling today? I've missed you.”

The soft pitter patter of the rain outside is drowned by joyous laughter emitted by the two women in the hospital room.

Mamiko is in the middle of telling the story about how she nearly set the temple on fire on her wedding day because she was so nervous that she accidentally knocked over a lit candle and watched with horror as it rolled around until the hem of her aunt’s dress caught on fire, the plump woman was screaming loudly enough to be heard from miles away. Everyone had panicked and Mamiko just wanted to crawl into a hole and die in embarrassment.

No one was hurt as, luckily, someone was smart enough to put out the Fire.

“Mom, you're such a klutz!” Y/N giggles. “How you manage to get this in life is a mystery I will never know.”.

Mamiko wipes a single tear as nods her head in agreement. “Honestly I mostly winged everything. It is some miracle you and your sister have reached this age without any major injuries.”

This makes Y/N laugh harder, her stomach twisting in knots but in a good way. She hasn’t laughed like this in a very long time and she misses her mother's stories.

Sadness threatened to rip the happiness from within her and nestle itself deep into her heart at the known future that is coming their way, a future where her mother is no longer in it. She is sure she would have been overcome by it had it not been for the nurse to knock on the door and open it to inform them that visiting hours are over.

Y/N leans in to kiss her mother's forehead and just as she leans back, her mother cups her cheek and caresses the smooth skin.

“You’ve made me so happy.” she says.

Y/N gazes into her mother's eyes, confusion clearly written in them. “What do you mean? I didn't do anything.”

Her mother smiles that motherly smile and replies, “I got to live long enough to see you married and I hope I live even longer to see myself as a grandmother.”

Instantly, tears gather at the corner of her eyes and Y/N chokes back on a sob.

“You’re going to see it happen, I promise.” She ignores the fact that she is lying to her mother but she can’t tell her the truth, that she is unhappy with her marriage to Levi. Can’t possibly imagine herself being sexually intimate with him and bless her with a beautiful child. She let her mother be blissfully ignorant.

“I love you.” Her mother sniffles in between sobs.

“I love you too.” Y/N shifts her face to the side and kisses mother's palm.

“Say hi to Levi for me.” Her mother smiles up at her, “He's a good man, give him a chance.”

All that Y/N could offer in return is a small smile.

Y/N returns home to her apartment and spots Levi sleeping on the couch with his arm covering his eyes.

A small voice inside of the back of her head tells her that she wishes that Levi had stayed up to wait for her return yet another voice, a louder one, is glad that she doesn't have to see Levi awake; she did not want to deal with him after the events of the previous night.

Opening the fridge, Y/N notices a plate of rice and curry that is wrapped up for her to heat up, no doubt that nanny Yukiko had made for her.

She contemplates on having dinner but ultimately decides that she isn’t hungry enough, still angry about what happened with Levi and feels a cloud of melancholy looming over her after visiting her mother.

She is happy that she had the chance to visit her mother after the honeymoon but seeing her mother weak and frail on the hospital bed ripped her heart into tiny little pieces. Her once strong mother is now a shell of her former self and her beauty is a ghost in the past that can only be seen in pictures.

Y/N unlocks her phone and scrolls through the photo album until she finds the picture she is looking for; the one had taken on her wedding day where she was hugging her mother and kissing the top of her head. She brings the phone closer to her lips and presses a long kiss.

“Goodnight.'' She whispers. “I love you.”

Come Morning, Levi is awoken by a loud scream.

He falls out of the couch, and bumps his head on the tile floor but when he hears that heart wrenching screaming coming from his wife’s room, he scampers to his feet and clumsily makes his way to their bedroom.

What he sees when he opens the door has his heart coming to a sudden stop.

Y/N is clutching a fist-full of her hair in both of her hands, tears rolling down and her face red as she continues to wail loudly at the top of her lungs.

Levi’s breathing quickens and his thoughts are clouded with confusion as he is unaware what he should be doing. Should he crouch next to her, gently un-fist her hands and hold her face in his hands and ask her what was wrong. Or does he remain by the door, wait for her to calm down and see if she would tell him what had happened.

Luckily, Y/N’s phone ringing made the choice for him.

He hears the melody of an upbeat song and follows the source of noise and finds the phone under the bed. He fishes it out and sees that Mr. Fujikawa is calling.

Glancing at the bed where his wife is still wailing, he answers her phone.

“Hello?” He greets, his voice shaky.

“Levi, is that you?” Mr. Fujikawa asks. Levi nods his head but remembers that the other man can’t see him so he gives a verbal response.

“Good. I was calling to ask how Y/N is fairing, but i think you also deserve to know. Listen, I'm not sure how to say this so I’ll be direct. Mamiko passed away early this morning.”

#aot imagine #levi x reader #levi x y/n #levi x you #levi imagine

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