#and that's for what is technically state insurance?

[woodland-roaming]

The struggle I've been having with finding affordable health coverage.

[sol1loqu1st]

.

[leisure]

the dr talking to me bc i put someone with medicaid on his schedule not in the ONE slot he has for them in the week cause it was taken and the lady fell

like fuck off dude not everything is about money the ONE lady i put this week isn’t going to cause a dent in your wallet lmao

[ms-demeanor]

If you don't mind me asking, what happened with the nutrition stuff?

The only in-state school accepting nutrition students as a second bachelor's degree is 300 miles away from the place where I can both work and afford housing.

At this point my options are:

Move to the area with the school, which would require quitting my job (losing my insurance!) and probably taking out loans to afford housing.

Take out loans to go to a nearby private school.

Take out loans to go to an out of state program with online classes.

The second and third options would probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100k, and the first option would cost less but would mean there was no possibility of me working to pay for rent or insurance while finishing the degree. I'm just not willing to take on that level of debt for a field that I'm deeply interested in but that doesn't appear to pay well enough to justify that kind of debt when I'm approaching my forties and don't know if I'd be physically able to get through the internship required for certification.

If a local state school ends up opening up their nutrition program to 2nd bachelor's students, I would jump on that immediately, but both programs I was looking at two years ago are no longer open for students in my situation.

So it has nothing to do with losing interest or not being able to keep up with the work, I just plain can't afford it and am unwilling to take that much of a risk.

The community college I'm looking at for the computer science program is a lot more technical than my current school, and has a nutrition certification that is a lot more comprehensive than the classes I've been able to take so far, so I may end up doing some nutrition stuff while I do the computer stuff too.

I had considered getting a nursing degree (because there are a bunch of local state schools with nursing programs open) and focusing on nutrition once I finished that, but I realized that I just don't have the level of interest in nursing that I would need to go that route. The only reason I'm still involved with either computer classes or nutrition classes is because I'm genuinely interested, and I get the feeling that if I tried to finish nursing school I'd waste a lot of time and money and bail out, or I'd finish and I'd hate my options.

So computers and a growing resentment for the US education system it is!

[autumnmobile12]

My Hero Academia: Healthcare?

I don't know if any fanfic writers will find this useful or not, but I think the information is interesting and worth speculation in the My Hero setting. This also applies to any fanfic writers in the anime fandoms who want to have more immersive and in-depth writing. Obviously, writing fics that are 'accurate' is not a requirement since the point is to have fun, but here's some knowledge to use (or not use) if anyone is interested.

Obviously, Deku's been in the hospital a lot. A lot of the characters are injured and in the hospital a lot. But for all the hospital visits, nobody in the series is going to be bankrupted by astronomical healthcare costs. (Yes, that's a jab at America's system.) And it's not because the Pros, especially the popular ones, have money.

Here's why:

Quick rundown of how healthcare in Japan works: Everybody receives healthcare, everybody has health insurance. In Japan, your employer is legally required to provide you with health insurance. If you are unemployed, you will be on a community healthcare plan. There is also a plan for citizens over the age of 75. This also applies to foreigners who have established permanent residence of three months or longer.

Article 25 of Japan's Constitution is paraphrased as follows:

“all people shall have the right to maintain a certain standard of healthy and cultured life” and that “the state shall try to promote and improve the conditions of social welfare, social security, and public health” for this purpose.

I'm not going to reiterate the system in its entirety, but if you would like to learn more, this site here (the Article 25 quote I used is also found on that page) has a brief and comprehensive explanation of how healthcare is handled. However, one thing I am going to mention that is relevant for Deku and other Pros is the threshold out-of-pocket expense.

In Japan, citizens enrolled in healthcare do not spend more than ¥90,000 per month out of pocket, protecting them from financial disaster.

(To Americans, this may sound like a sweet deal, but hold your horses because Japan also funds this system through heavy taxation. Medical procedures are expensive and people will be paying for them one way or another.)

The question that needs asking now is how does this system apply to the hero society? Well, first off, since My Hero does take place in a slightly futuristic setting, we could take into consideration the system has been revised.

Assuming not much as changed, are heroes that operate their own agency technically considered business owners and are required to insure their employees and sidekicks?

Or...

Because they are all government employees, is the Safety Commission responsible for insuring all heroes and sidekicks no matter what they rank in their popularity?

Personally, I think it would be the latter since, in the coldest sense of the word, the heroes are essential to the Commission in upholding their system. So that makes them an asset. The Commission would want to protect its assets because as shady as they are, their own system could work against them. They certainly don't want heroes going on strike for lack of benefits or complaining the government doesn't take care of their people. So I assume it's the Commission who is covering insane healthcare costs on behalf of heroes.

(And since the system is probably funded by taxpayers' money, that also feeds into the prevalent societal discontent that's ongoing throughout the series.)

Now what about Deku and his classmates since they have not graduated and are not officially licensed yet? Honestly, I think it's probably UA itself that insures the students. That probably has to do with accreditation and so on, which is another matter entirely, but again, the backing is likely coming out of the Commission (and taxpayers') pockets.

And there you have it. Happy writing, happy research.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for reporting my previous place of employment for shady work practices?

Disclaimer: this would be strictly petty revenge for firing me - while illegal, technically, the malpractice doesn't harm anyone.

This might get a little long.

Backstory:

I worked a receptionist position at a family-owned funeral home (in the US) where recently, the managing funeral director was replaced from a highly respected individual by a couple from a different state that had come out of retirement and were completely changing everything - some for the better, most to their liking... and some that while legal in their home state isn't allowed in the current state we are.

I had a strong feeling out the gate that the person out of the two that would end up becoming my direct supervisor didn't like any of the current staff, which got solidified when during a meeting she pretty much stated it would be her way or the highway.

Sometimes when we're slammed, we all work through our lunch and don't get a break for 8+ hours at all, so instead of forgoing eating altogether the entire staff got used to just scarfing down their food super fast at their desks.

We also don't have company cellphones, we only have landlines, and the way we dispatch our team to go pick someone up after they pass is to call the person to make sure they're available, and then text them the needed info (we also don't get a stipend to offset our cell bills).

Dilemma:

Tuesday morning, I got fired due to "gross insubordination" for a. eating at my desk and b. using my cellphone to call the dispatch team. The owner himself fired me, and was pretty rude and, imo, pretty heartless about it (due to some events that occurred on Sunday, I had to call out of work Monday, and when I asked if I should prep myself for the meeting since I had a rough weekend, he responded with "well, it's about to get worse").

He already had my final check in hand (which had a copy of my timesheet with the days that I skipped lunch marked as "busy" or "no lunch cover") along with a termination letter, so he didn't even care to hear my side of the story.

Since I was the receptionist, I've got receipts on some, if not most, of the slightly shady things that they were doing (i.e. selling insurance without a license, selling insurance under a different identity, breaking some state statutes from false advertising, etc etc), and was thinking about reporting them to the necessary agencies.

Its possible that this could lead to the place getting shut down (i dont doubt that the fines would definitely add up) and leave people without work (which is my main deterrent but out of everyone that works there, only a few of the original staff is still there - the rest have either quit or are actively looking), but at the same time, if they continue unchecked they're gonna keep getting away with it, keep making bank, and with the state we're in being a right to work state, as long as they can frame it a certain way, they can use anything at all to fire someone.

So... WIBTA if I went through the proper channels to report them for their malpractice and have them audited?

What are these acronyms?

[battlemaiden13]

I was just wondering what kind of drunks do you believe the skelebois are? Sad, happy, flirty etc-

Who are lightweights and aren’t- and how’d they act around their S/O while drunk-

Ah THIS IS IN MY NOTES! my note for my character sheets! As such I have an answer for all of the skeletons in HND. ehehe ok here we go!

Sans -A tired drunk who seems very relaxed. He is a pretty average drinker so not that hard to get drunk but knows his limits and is very open with his S/o while drunk.

Papyrus -It is almost impossible to get hum drunk but if it ever happens he is a clinger. He will latch onto someone and hug them for the rest of the night.

Red -Is a sad drunk and will often cry if he gets drunk enough. He's an above average drinker and knows his limits but by the time he's at that stage he can't bring himself to care. He will usually cry to his S/O.

Edge -Has a high alcohol tolerance and is a secret drunk. You won't be able to tell when he is drunk or not as he hides it very well. His Undyne swears she's never seen him drunk but his S/O knows because he compliments her more.

Blue -Is a perverted and flirty drunk. He is a pretty light drinker and is just very touchy with his S/O. His dom side defiantly comes out when he drinks.

Orange -Is a fun drunk, he jokes and laughs a lot. A very giggly and entertaining skeleton to watch when he drinks. He's not that much different with his S/o when he's like this. He has an average alcohol tolerance.

Berry -Is a sleepy drunk. He gets really quiet and tired and just wants to take a nap. He doesn't drink often but has a low tolerance. He's more likely to be asleep or curl up in a hug with his S/O just wanting to be near them.

Syrup -Is a pretty aggressive crush, he will often fight people and cling aggressively to his crush. He has a pretty high tolerance though and doesn't like to drink so it's unlikely to see him like this.

Axe -Is a tired drunk and seems very relaxed. His reflexes slow down even more and he has a great difficulty following along with conversations. He will often just stare at his S/o in bliss and sit in his drunk state. He has an average tolerance but for his size that's more alcohol than most can handle.

Crooks -He is almost impossible to get drunk and when he does he's a clinger. His back will be mad at him in the morning but he goes around and hugs literally everyone. Showering his S/o with kisses as he does.

Error -Can't get drunk on alcohol, he has experienced it with an electric magic surge that hit him once and he was just bit dizzy and giggly but that only happened once and he can't get drunk

Ink -alcohol doesn't effect him so he can't technically get drunk but he would mirror everyone around him and act drunk. He'd mirror his S/o the most though so whatever they are like he would act like.

Nightmare -If he's drunk he'll pass out could. It's almost instant, as soon as he hits that threshold he's just gone. Unconsciously his magic tentacles will grab his S/O and pull them close to insure they are safe if his S/O is close to him when he's passed out. He has an average tolerance.

Dream -Is a teasing drunk. He seems almost mean as he just says whats on his mind but he's also very giggly. He'll tease his S/o and try to get her to laugh. He has an average tolerance.

Killer -Is a tired drunk. He gets more sleepy then relaxed and goes into a disassociated state as his different personalities argue. He will just grab onto his S/o sleeve and stare into space. He has a lower alcohol tolerance.

Daydream -Is a flirty drunk and a pretty light weight. He also lets his perverted thoughts out so he can be pretty forward. His only goal is to make his S/o blush.

Mint -He blushes a lot when he's drunk. He has an average tolerance but when he does get drunk he can start to feel emotions again and it just messes with him a bit. The warm feeling in his chest irritates him and he wants his S/o close so he can protect them.

Mango -Is a complete lightweight but a calm drunk. He doesn't act much different other than his shyness disappears and he can hold conversations with people. With his S/O though he gets really loud and has no volume control.

Roulette -Is a teasing drunk with an average tolerance. He likes to laugh and make fun when he drinks in a friendly way. He teases his S/O a lot more with the goal to make you both laugh.

Sniper - He is almost impossible to get drunk but when he is drunk he is a clinger and excitable. He gets loud and just wants to talk and be with the people he cares about.

Colt - Is a sad drunk and will often cry when he drinks. He has a sweet spot though when he laughs and is really fun to be around and he knows exactly where his limit is.

Musket -Much like Edge he is a secret drunk. No one knows when he's drunk though even his S/O as he is pretty complimentary towards them normally. He has a high tolerance too.

Carbine -Flirty drunk with a lower tolerance. He gets a bit handsy with his S/o but will back down if they tell him too.

Rifle -Is a fun drunk he jokes and laughs a lot. A very giggly and entertaining skeleton to watch when he drinks. He's not that much different with his S/o when he's like this. He has an average alcohol tolerance.

Lust -Is an aggressively perverted drunk. He will flirt with anyone and everyone and it's clear just how horny he is. He's whining to his S/o a lot about exactly what he wants and is defiantly feeling them up. He has an average tolerance.

Charm -is a jovial drunk. He's just here to have a good time and loves telling stories. He's here to make sure that everyone is having a good time and will constantly be checking on people. He has a lower alcohol tolerance than average

Wine -He has a high alcohol tolerance and is an evil scheming drunk. Just doing things that mess with others, either for the drama or his own personal game or to entertain his S/O.

Coffee -He is a quiet drunk and often won't talk but will cling to his friend or S/o. He's also a tad scary, glaring at others who come near him and his friends. He has a surprisingly high tolerance.

Black -Is a tired drunk. He just wants to rest yet when he's drunk someone else is usually dragging him around. He has an average tolerance and wants to just go to sleep with his S/O.

Mutt -Is a flirty drunk with a low tolerance. He will flirt with anyone and with his southern drawl it packs a punch. He talks a lot more when he's drunk and will be very flirty with his S/o.

Vi -he's a ranting drunk. He will just rant about anything that's been irritating him and it's hard to get him to shut up. He has a pretty high tolerance and just want's to talk to his s/o.

Money -Doesn't drink. He is five years sober (narcotics) and probably could but he doesn't want to risk a relapse and will stay away from consuming alcohol. He's fine with others drinking around him though and is the designated driver.

[rockermazy]

All singing in the show is canonically diegetic - meaning that all singing 100% takes place in-universe, for all the characters to hear and potentially participate in.

In the first (non-pilot) episode, the " Story of Hell" book, as read by Charlie, states that Lillith "empower[ed] demon-kind with her voice and her songs - and as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power." After the extermination began, Lilith's "dream was passed down to her precious daughter, the Princess of Hell", who is presumably Charlie herself. Two scenes later, Charlie is in musical-notation hammerspace with other denizens, being the cognito hazard that she is.

In episode 7, Rosie invites Charlie to rally Cannibal Town in defending the hotel during the upcoming extermination. When Charlie initially fails, Rosie asks how she normally explains her hotel. Charlie replies, "Through singing". Singing is canonically a gift of both Charlie and every demon - both Hellborn and Sinner.

Which leads me to a theory: One thing that's been nagging me since the pilot, is how Lucifer and Lilith have been fucking for nearly 6,000 years, but only NOW decided to have a daughter in the 21st century. It makes Charlie's existence look almost Mary Sue-ish*. After watching Helluva Boss, it made more sense that Charlie might be an "insurance baby", much like Octavia is to Stolas' lineage. Lucifer might not be unkillable. Carmine and the hotel battle of episode 8 have both demonstrated that angels can be killed with the right ammunition. But why was Charlie born now, in the 21st century? My theory is that Heaven asked Lilith to leave Hell, hoping she'd take her song with her. Heaven knew that Lilith was the one making Hell stronger through her songs. Charlie uses song to rally the people around her.

Husk used song to heal.

Song, even when used to butt heads, (ex: Lucifer vs Alastor), will make combatants drop valuable info, basically outing themselves to everyone within earshot in this universe.

My guess is that a conversation sometime in the past went something like this: Heaven: Lilith, bitch - we see what you're doing. Stop teaching Hell how to sing - the bonding and wholesomeness is threatening our status quo." Lilith: No. Heaven: Fine, we'll exterminate. Lilith: (years later, looking at Carmine's charts) hmmm... the number of sinners getting exterminated each year seems to be climbing. Heaven might want all of us dead. Hey, Luci-boo... get your depressed-ass over here. You wanna make a kid this time? (Waits til Charlie is somewhat grown, and asks Heaven for a "meeting".) Lilith: ok, I have got an offer you cannot refuse - I will never EVER sing again, and my power will leave with me - IF you give me a spot in Heaven (or Earth - I should technically be immortal since I never touched the Forbidden Fruit). Heaven: um... win for everyone? ok! Charlie herself (for lack of a better term) might be Lilith's "ace in the hole" herself. Also, this makes me wonder if the only way to avoid lying is to avoid singing on the topic XD

*I have nothing against mary sues. I'd been wanting for years now to do something visual describing the internal turmoil that religious trauma caused in my The-Cell-starring-J-lo --like inner worlds. Telling personal stories and Mary Sues are inextricably intertwined. This show has inspired me to either keep pursuing that or just quit. Because picking apart past trauma for analysis can be more trouble than its worth - especially if you are ready to forget. u.u I still get deep chills every time I hear Emily and Charlie's duet in "You Didn't Know", even though I've officially considered myself atheist for like, what, three months?" This shit was an essay. I'm just going to play Warframe instead. Peace.

[verdemoun]

What does everyone do for a job in the modern era?

i love posts like this where i just get to list the gang. thank u. i also think this is the first official complete list of all the canon timewarpers!

dutch: institutionalized, professional case study for psychologists hosea: retired, he earned it arthur: professional extra pair of hands. just helps people. later technically works for charles, despite charles insisting they're equals john: tradesman! specifically, a residential framer and carpenter javier: state-paid carer for kieran bill: ranchhand, ironically at the modern macfarlane ranch micah: seasonal paintball attendant. trucker in the off-season charles: self-employed handyman sean: pizza delivery driver. that is all lenny: professional student and later lecturer sadie: homesteader! she really went back to her pre-1899 life karen: stay-at-home mom and housekeeper uncle: retired. gang often ask when he wasn't retired abigail: after studying, became a professional assistant grimshaw: bartender and manager. she loves it strauss: insurance agent. he loves it, and his bosses love him trelawney: time-wimey man is still a con-artist kieran: he's on disability payments, finally not surviving for survival molly: influencer queen who preaches self-love and self-defense davey: imprisoned. maybe stocking shelves for the bit but right to jail mac: worked at a wholefoods before joining bill as a ranchhand jenny: waitress! she loves it, her boss approves of pouring hot coffee on the lap of creeps annabelle: human rights activist and UN ambassador bessie: womens history professor, we love an educated queen jack: unemployed writer who accidentally writes a bestseller isaac: mechanic but far more passionate about his hobbies eliza: also a waitress! ironically the same diner as jenny, though they didn't realize they were both timewarpers for months jake adler: homesteader with sadie, like they always should've been alden: everyone's favorite postman, still a postman

[skippyv20]

“The actual owner of the land, even if you looked at the land title, is the King himself,” said Reed, a partner with a firm that has offices in four Rocky Mountain municipalities, including Jasper.”

Lawyer Jessica Reed said property owners in the townsite in Jasper National Park, unlike in other municipalities, don’t own the land they sit on.

“The actual owner of the land, even if you looked at the land title, is the King himself,” said Reed, a partner with a firm that has offices in four Rocky Mountain municipalities, including Jasper.

This means that each property owner in Jasper, like those in other communities located within a national park, is a leaseholder with the Crown. They also don’t technically own their homes, Reed said, as the buildings are part of the lease.

The Canada National Parks Act also stipulates the leases are usually for 42-year terms, although some are shorter, and renewing involves renegotiating terms of the leases.

Reed said this has already caused headaches for Jasper homeowners, as banks sometimes refuse to issue mortgages if the existing lease on a property is shorter than the prospective mortgage term.

That problem could become much bigger, given 358 homes and businesses in the town of 5,000 people were recently levelled by fire, she said.

She’s concerned the leases may impede rebuilding efforts and potentially cause financial harm.

The daily email you need for BC's top news stories.

Residents and all park visitors were forced to leave on the night of July 22. They remain out and, although the fire is extinguished in town, crews are still fighting flames in the park.

Reed said those who don’t want to rebuild may also face challenges.

There have been instances in the past where property owners have taken insurance payouts after their homes were destroyed, rather than electing to rebuild, only to be blocked by Parks Canada from selling the vacant land to a prospective buyer, she said.

One owner wanted to take a buyout and then just sell the vacant lot. And Parks Canada said ‘No, you cannot sell a vacant lot. You need to sell a new build,'” Reed said.

“What I’m freaked out about here is people are a couple weeks into talking with their adjusters and they’re looking at their buyout values, and they’re thinking, ‘That sounds good.’”

Historian Alan MacEachern with Western University said the lease system dates back to the 1880s, shortly after Canada’s first prime minister, John A. MacDonald, and the federal government took inspiration from the United States and made Banff National Park the country’s first.

At the time, MacEachern said MacDonald wanted to make sure leases were given to the wealthy to ensure buildings in Banff, Alta., were as remarkable as the scenery.

Over the years, the government made many changes to the system, MacEachern said, such as lengthening the lease terms to 42 years from the original 21 and introducing renewable leases, but shortly after made them non-renewable again.

MacEachern said the upshot is leaseholders feel the government has too much power, while Ottawa is concerned it gave up too much control.

“Basically, they set up a system in the late 1800s and early 1900s that on the one hand helped create Banff and other places but in a way made nobody happy,” MacEachern said.

Nowadays, these leases don’t necessarily govern the day-to-day lives of park residents, Reed said, but they’re “powerful,” frustrating documents.

“At the end of the day, for the person that’s actually buying a house, it looks normal,” she said.

“It’s the lawyers — we pull our hair out.”

Once the lease problems are solved, Jasper homeowners need to follow two sets of rules for rebuilding.

The town’s land use policy dictates what kinds of buildings can be built and where. And Parks Canada’s building regulations covers things like acceptable home exterior colours and roofing materials.

Reed said the fire has no effect on the leases that Jasper residents hold, but rebuilding will require getting all the necessary Parks Canada approvals, just like they need for home renovations.

“It’s a pretty slow process to get development approved,” she said.

However, Reed added that she’s confident Parks Canada will be flexible in the months and years to come — and officials have indicated as much.

This week, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland and Parks Canada officials told a town hall for evacuees that an exemption will be made to the rule outlawing new mobile homes in Jasper for those who lost their mobile homes to the fire.

Both Parks Canada and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, which is responsible for Parks Canada, did not respond to emailed questions about leases and rebuilding in Jasper.

[bullet-prooflove]

StolenMoments!Series - Part One: First Date - Vostanik Sabatino x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @novamariestark @words-and-seeds

You try not to like Sabatino, you really do. He's a spook, a CIA Officer, a master of manipulation but there's just something about him that captures you. You know that the outcome of that last mission weighs on him, you can see the regret in his eyes when he talks about Brendan Broake’s death.

Murder is what you’d thought when you’d first encountered him under his alias.

Accident is what he had told you in the aftermath.

You believe him, despite yourself.

When he’s not wearing a persona, he’s captivating. He talks with his hands, the left side of his mouth quirks up into a smile, his accent is sharper, more defined. It’s a far cry from the alias he was using when you first met him, an insurance adjuster called Roger who simply spat out the word lawyer.

“I heard you had to cancel a date tonight for this?” He says as he sits beside you in an unmarked car, watching the building across the street.

You’ve been here for a couple of hours, keeping an eye on your target. He hasn’t done anything more interesting than pass by the window a couple of times with a glass of top shelf whisky in his hand. In comparison the two of you are now eating Chinese from white take-out boxes with chopsticks.

“Sam and Michelle are trying to set me up with a teacher friend of theirs.” You tell him, your eyes fixed on Sidorov’s window.

“I’m guessing you weren’t looking forward to it.” He says, digging through the noodles in his box in search of the chicken.

“Trust me I much prefer being here with you tonight.” You utter, grimacing as Sidorov lingers in front of the glass with his robe open. “I never know what to say when they ask what I do for work…”

“Because if you say law enforcement, they either lose interest or they get a little too interested.” He summarises, nodding knowingly.

He’s been there, he was DEA before he became an operative for the CIA, he’s met his fair share of badge bunnies. They’re good for a night but anything more than that and they start to get a little crazy.

“I had a guy take me home to show me his murder wall once.” You reveal and suddenly his interest is piqued. He tilts his head towards you.

“O.J, JonBenét Ramsey or Jonathan Luna?” He asks because he’s been on the receiving end of the first two before and the third is more of a personal favourite, he’s listened to it recently on a true crime podcast.

“Technically two of those are already solved.” You remind him and he almost spits out his food because there’s not a person in his very small circle who knows who Jonathan Luna is, despite how weird the case is. The fact you do…

It makes him like you just that little bit more.

“Jonathan Luna’s not solved.” He protests, pointing the chopsticks at you. “There’s not a chance in hell that was a suicide. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

The edges of your mouth twitch up into a smile and his gaze meets yours. A blush creeps up his cheeks because he’s just betrayed a part of himself, shown you something that he’s passionate about. You want to explore that a little, hear his thoughts, his theories. You want to hear all about those true crime podcasts you know he listens to.

“It was The Golden State Killer.” You respond to his earlier question “Before they caught him.”

Boring, he thinks. Every man and his dog had a theory on that one before Paul Holes had managed to track down the killer. He is curious though…

“Was he close?” Sabatino asks, picking up his soda from the cupholder and sipping through the paper straw.

“Not even a little.” You laugh and he shares a smile with you because he gets it entirely. He’s lost count of the number of parties he’d attended before he turned CIA, where people would literally assault him with their theories. It’s a hazard when you’re law enforcement.

“I can’t even keep a plant alive let alone a relationship.” He confides in you, before gesturing between the two of you. “This is probably the best date I’ve had in years.”

“It’s in my top three.” You say with a humorous lilt. “Stuck together in a car, eating Chinese food while we wait for Sidorov to finish fucking his mistress. It’s dinner and entertainment.”

He laughs then, it’s a rich, warm sound that resonated through his body. It catches him off guard because for the first time in a while it’s genuine. He’s used to pandering to other people, making them feel comfortable, it’s part of his job. However, sitting here with you tonight, it’s the most real he’s been with another person in a long time.

“I guess the second date will have to make up for it.” He says, setting the takeout container on the dashboard before he wipes at his mouth with a napkin.

“Oh, you think there’s going to be a second date, do you?” You tease before setting your own little white box onto the panel so you can hunt down the carrier bag. He pulls it out with a flourish before holding it open for you. A clean stakeout space is a happy stakeout space. He waits for you to deposit the trash before he fastens the bag, and he tosses it in the back seat before he turns his attention back to you.

You’re an attractive woman, he thought that the first time he met you but it’s more than that. There’s a connection between the two of you, an undertone of something. He finds himself slipping back to the person he used to be, the man beneath all the identities. He hasn’t been that person in a very long time.

“I’m kind of liking the vibe we have, aren’t you?” He says dipping his head so that he can meet your eyes. “And I can promise you that I don’t have a murder board at home, that’s strictly for office use only.”

“You’re serious?” You ask him and he smiles.

It’s his real smile, the one that no one else gets to see. You can tell because his eyes crinkle at the edges.

“Yea.” He says quietly as he leans in a little, his gaze lowering to your lips. “There’s an Italian place not far from the Boatshed. A little dinner, a little wine, we can get to know each other better.”

“You can tell me about your true crime podcasts.” You murmur as he reaches out, his thumb ghosting over the apple of your cheek. The scent of his aftershave floods your senses, something woody with a citrus undertone. His nose trails along the length of yours and you tilt your chin up so that your mouth brush over his.

You’re surprised by how soft his lips are, how tender he is with his kiss. His thumb chases along the line of your jaw and already you know you’re falling for him. And that’s ok, because he’s falling for you too.

“Sidorov’s on the move.” Sam’s voice comes across the radio. “Back exit.”

The two of you break apart reluctantly before pulling on your seatbelts.

“Tomorrow night.” He promises, his gaze focusing on the road ahead as he starts the engine of the car. “We’ll do it tomorrow night.”

***

The second date never happens.

Instead, the two of you end up sharing a cigarette outside of the Boatshed. He lost a friend today; a partner and you can see how much it devastates him. It’s in the way he pinches his brow when he strides outside to get some air, his hunched shoulders. He’s barely keeping his shit together.

“I have to go to Washington tonight.” He tells you wearily and you nod your understanding. You’d heard they were setting up a taskforce to bring down Sidorov, you know he has to be there. That even if it was a choice he’d still go. You didn’t like Synder, but he deserved better than being shot to death on a basketball court.

“Nik.” You say his name and his head inclines towards you.

Your fingertips brush over his cheek and he raises his hand, clasping your palm to his face. He closes his eyes for the briefest of moments, savouring your touch because he knows it’s the last time he’s going to feel it.

“I’m sorry we missed our moment.” He says, his lips brushing over the hollow of your wrist.

“Yea.” You whisper with a sad smile. “I am too.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[bugbyte]

Time yet again for #healthposting! What wonders await this time? Ha ha, oh god

So today, round 2 of trying to get absolutely any kind of working pain control, with a whole new doctor although at the same clinic, and for the second time I was completely blown off and literally told "what do you want us to do?"

I just blanked out at this because what kind of question is that to open with, at a pain management clinic, where I am literally telling you I haven't had any kind of normal life in the past two years due to feeling like my body is shredding itself alive at all hours of the day? Clearly I am here because my pain is unmanaged.

I brought a ton of my own notes, because that seems to be the only way anyone takes me seriously, and in the end was told basically, "I can't help you but maybe you should see the medical marijuana guy."

Fine, I say, I will literally take anything at this point because I cannot function anymore. I make the appointment. I go home.

I look up information on what my insurance covers, and bing, it's a whole fucking scam because health insurance in the US won't cover medical marijuana, even if it's legal in the state I'm in, because it's technically still illegal at the federal level. So, I have an appointment I can't pay for, for a medication that will probably help me, which, again, I cannot pay for. I simply do not have the discretionary funds for it. We're barely getting by.

I have absolutely no idea what to do here. I just want to like. Do work. Draw. Leave my house from time to time. Not spend all day in my bed because everything else hurts too much. I didn't think this was asking for so much but apparently it is.

[chussyracing]

christmas f1 news, rumours and interesting facts i learned

(there is a lot because i missed a few days)

Charles Leclerc got a new car after getting a new haircut (and a new partner at the start of the year and new contract according to rumours)

Williams and Sauber car launch on 5th feb

Verstappen tested some cars for Verstappen.com racing (and yes there was a Ferrari too because everyone is a Ferrari fan as Seb would say)

Horner says their 2024's developed car doesn't look as well as he would like it to be and said they had less time than other teams (I will believe it when I see it)

Steve Nielson resigned from his role as fia sporting director and the rumour has it he was unhappy with the fia leading and the stuck up way issues were dealt with, preventing him from introducing new solutions to improve the sport

Aston Martin's new wind tunnel should be completed in September 2024

Max couldn't rent a Merc car on holidays because he was too young for the insurance lol (allowed from 30 years up)

Until now, teams were allowed to work over christmas but now fia had the teams mandatorily close down the factories for 9 days starting with christmas eve (aka 24th december) just like there is a 14 days long shut down in summer. So in 2024 we will technically have a summer break, a spring break and a chritmas break. But since it's f1, there is a grey area - the factory shut down doesn't go for external suppliers

Merc and MCL car launch on 14th feb (according to rumours)

Bia Bustamante f1 academy driver for mcl liked and then unliked and then apologised for liking an ableist Lance Stroll hate tweet (actually i read she apologised and then deleted the apology where she stated she is just a child and then rewrote it but it's not an important detail here)

According to Motorsport Italy rb20 failed the first crash tests

Alpine car launch is rumoured to fall on 7th february

There is a rumour Valtteri will try to compete in cycling championship alongside f1 in 2024 WHAT.

And speaking of Val, although there were rumours previously that he won't extend his contract and will rather retire, now they say he will try to be a part of audi project

Pourchaire said in an interview that he thinks he could do what Oscar did in the same car in 2023

BILD says that Michael Schumacher was driven around in Merc road car and played f1 sounds for brain simulation with familiar sounds but i'd take this with a grain of salt

Drivers voted top 10 drivers in 2023 among themselves (I think all besides Lewis took part in it), the results are: Ver, Ham, Alo, Nor, Lec (note: drivers can't vote for themselves)

Ferrari fired the 2026 engine with positive results (reminder teams cannot work on 2026 cars from aero point of view and other stuff, they can work on engines tho and reports say General Motors are working on the engine for 2028)

Fred Vasseur also says they are both included closely in the development and are satisfied with the project so far

Mick stays merc reserve driver for 2024 while driving in wec for alpine and they say he will prioritise f1 over wec if he is needed for reserve duties

Lewis says Las Vegas will play a big part in the Brad Pitt movie

Carlos has been coming out with. Some interesting quotes. About how strategies in Ferrari aren't a problem. How he is always within a tenth of Charles. How he sees no expiration date on his ferrari contract and wants to become a champ with ferrari.

There were rumours of Newey retiring after his 65th birthday but he denied them

There are rumours about the 2023 season 1B prize pot or more likely how much each team receives (the only interesting things is that the historic bonus ferrari receives every year should be around 50m this year)

Sanz (fia president of senate) says that fia is considering two spanish gps (Madrid and Barcelona) but the rumours are untrue because the responsible authorities didn't even receive the project for approval

Brown proposed f1 could have 28 races calendar with 20 fixed ones and 4 more on top chosen from 8 rotating circuits

[deadmomjokes]

i hope this isn't too weird a thing to say, but between 'exercise itchies' and 'tomatos aren't spicy?!' i am confident that your kid will never have a potential allergy/health condition go under the radar. like as someone who's seen waaay too many people i know not realize they were allergic to something because folks thought they were just a picky eater, or get their chronic pain brushed off as puberty/growth spurt pain for years, or not realize you aren't supposed to take ibuprofen on a daily basis... yeah, The Bean will not have to worry about that. (BTW if anyone reading this needs to hear it: you shouldn't have headaches on a daily basis that range from 'really unpleasant' to 'incapacitating', and in the name of my brother I suggest you ask a doctor about migraine medication.)

I sure hope that's the case! We already kind of went through it a little bit with her, but more in the sense of keeping on the doctors' case because we knew things Weren't Quite Right. (For the record, Bean's PCP is absolutely incredible, it's just that insurance makes us all jump through a bunch of specialist hoops before they'll pay for the one we really needed, so we had to work our way up the ladder of ineffective treatments and diagnoses til we had the evidence to say "LOOK". And because she wasn't technically underweight or, like, vomiting blood, everyone except us and her primary care doc just called her a "picky eater" until she was able to verbalize what was happening.)

If nothing else, I'm super determined to keep my eyes peeled so she doesn't go through the nonsense we went through for as long as we did.

And yes! Oh my goodness, folks, please listen to Anon: daily headaches are not normal, at any severity! Especially not incapacitating ones! In fact, incapacitating headaches of any frequency should warrant at least a follow up with a doctor!!

Y'know, given the state of health education, medical literacy, and the general attitude toward children in my country (usa, of course -_-), I may have to poll my friendgroup, family, and personal medical histories to start a masterpost of "Hey, that's not normal and you should see someone about that." Because now that I'm thinking about it, there's kind of been a lot.

[elleinmotion]

I know it’s your story and I would never actually demand that you write this…but I would kill for the technically polite but definitely bitchy back and forth that went on between Gerold and Otto while negotiating Alyssa’s and Aemond’s marriage settlement.

Otto, trying to get more dragonriders: And of course the children will have a chance to claim dragons of their own—

Gerold: And bankrupt ourselves feeding the damn things? Not all of us have access to the royal treasury, Lord Hand. The old war machine lounging in our backyard already eats plenty of our sheep. We don’t want DRAGONS we want the Royce name to continue, with insurance that if they’re only blessed with daughters they won’t have their inheritance swiped from under them.

Otto: We’ve made our position on the issue of inheritance clear. Andal tradition clearly states—

Gerold: Good thing we’re First Men then.

you want behind the scenes bits? this is exactly how you get extended cut bits with amazing notes like this you're blessing me with in my inbox!!

"Imagine having the gall to offer such a pithy sum for your own grandson," scoffed Gerold Royce, tossing the be-ribboned, embossed, stamped and thoroughly wax-riddled parchment down on the table heaped with older letters of the same nature.

Jeyne Arryn discarded one lap dog, shuffling over the black and white dust mop masquerading as a canine to sweet Jessa who sat sidelong making copies of Jeyne's backlog of correspondence. The blonde-haired beauty took Jeyne's offering of dog with a tutting noise and all the usual fuss she gave to each and every one of their animals.

Just as soon as one was out of her lap, another dog leapt up to occupy it. One of the golden, fluffy beasts Jessa favored. It circled her lap twice, crinkling her silk gown before declaring itself satisfied with a whuff as it coiled into a fuzzy lump.

It was the latest in a series of letters traded by raven between the Eyrie and the Red Keep. By now, the damned birds were so accustomed to the route that they fairly manifested in the Eyrie's rookery like clockwork.

Such had been the routine since dear Lyssie and the rest of the Royce household had quit Runestone to shuffle to the Eyrie, a united and centralized front in the bureaucracy that was dithering in marriage contracts with the likes of Otto Hightower for the past two moons.

Jeyne plucked up the letter Gerold discarded, scanning Otto Hightower's cramped, atrocious handwriting for the gist of what set Gerold off as particularly miserly in a series of other extraordinary concessions the Hand was making in the contracts.

No doubt Otto would expect something of Jeyne and the Royces for the gracious allowances he was making with these negotiations.

Still, it was gratifying to see all the written arm-twisting they'd executed pay off when Otto Hightower's hardline demands started crumbling away in the face of making this marriage happen for his grandson.

"I wonder how Prince Aemond would take it if he found out his grandsire is trying to offer him for less than a Tarly girl would fetch if she married a Fossoway..." she mused.

"Thoroughly put out, I'd imagine," Jessa chirped. Then, sobering, "...might we dress it up for Lyssie instead of stating plainly that it was such a low sum? Certainly it might be a bit...insulting to hear of that in trade for a bridegroom? This is all so very backwards! I'm not certain of how to put it, marriage sums for a man instead of doweries for a lady."

"Absolutely not," Gerold almost shouted that bit from down the table. "You've not seen my niece at a horse fair, Lady Redfort. The girl's an absolute fiend for bargains and she's likely to be over the moon for it. Aemond Targaryen at a bargain! I'll never hear the end of it from her when she's trying to wheedle me for bigger sums for the smithy budget."

[devilscreekballad]

Thanks for all the kind words. I'll keep on trying ;_;

For those who want to know what happened:

Okay, as you know I'm unemployed with little to no chance of getting a job.

Thus the government pays my healthinsurance. Well, part of it, because the regulations are capitalist bullshit. Thus I have to pay the rest from the unemployment money, which is around 100 bucks per month.

Now I found out that, technically, the law would allow for them to cover the full cost, but because the insurance I have (and by law i am NOT allowed to change) says -their- price is this and that (lower than what the law says) only that amount is covered.

Aka even though the government already allocates a specific amount to cover these costs, enough so I'd have 100 bucks more per month, they are not doing it.

See why my mental state is so fucking terrible for years?

I know I need a total of 20k to get my live back in order (mostly health stuff, but also proper furniture to finally pack all my stuff away and have a livable apartment, and a new computer to stream stuff proper and interact with you folks on a regular basis), but I can't save up anything the way I'd like to, nor get stuff bit by bit, because...

there's just no money for that after getting food and paying bills.

Again, see why my brain is not in the state to write? Which in turn is making matter worse because I WANT to get new updates out?

;_;

Sorry