#especially since some games make it impossible to wipe your history for the purposes of matchmaking

[amplexadversary]

As a rule of thumb, I really don’t see any point to a game where you can’t win with your favorites. This is why I don’t play competitive fucking anything because I don’t want to get slapped with the fucking bitch tier rank just for not making the same choices everyone else does.

[dwaynepride]

Truth Or Dare

Summary: The team’s been drinking. Chris is dared to kiss reader. You know the trope.

Words: 2,943

Warnings: None

Tags: @stanathanxoox @pageofultron @n3shama @starryrevelations @thebeckyjolene @diaryofafan17 @specialagentlokitty

Notes: started out as an imagine but i get carried away and also am bad at planning so enjoy.

New Orleans was a great city. It really was. The music and the people and history...it was uniquely beautiful. You could see why Pride held such affection for it.

But right now, you couldn’t understand it. Because as amazing as the city was, it had its downsides. Namely, the damp, crowded, muddy swamps that you and Sebastian have been wading through all day. Granted, the amount of evidence you were able to collect would come in handy. It might be the key to solving the case.

But as the rest of the team rolled up, hopped out of the cars without mud stains on their clothes or sweat streaking their faces, you’ve never been more envious about staying at the office.

“Y’all need a shower!”

Chris’ jab was a joke, you knew that. He’s wearing a wide grin as he says it, prompting the rest of the team to smile. And even when you manage to sport one yourself, you can’t help but lower your eyes while padding up to the truck. The others might be content to laugh a little at yours and Sebastian’s expense, but at least they brought along some towels and a change of clothes.

Though, as you drag the towel down your face to clean the mud off, you reckon it’s just because they don’t want the work cars full of mud....

“You have fun today?”

Your head whips around at the sound of Chris’ question. There’s still a smile on his face, but it’s more like the one he usually wears. Carefree but friendly. It prompts a bit of heat to rush up into your face while shaking your head. “I’m covered in mud and had to listen to Sebastian complain all day. What do you think?” You reply sarcastically.

He gives a light shrug, leaning against the car while you work to wipe the mud from your arms and hands. “I dunno. Thought maybe bein’ out here would’ve put you in a good mood,” Chris comments, his eyes flickering about the edges of the swamp before looking back.

“Why would I be in a good mood?”

“Because all the evidence you and ‘Bastian got outta be enough to put our guy away.” Chris shrugs and motions over to Pride, who’s going over said-evidence with Sebastian and Gregorio. “That’s what King says, anyway. Y’all did a good job.”

Despite the irritation of wading through the bayou all day, with the heat and the bugs and Sebastian asking about gators, it all seemed worth it. Sure, the thought that all the work will go towards finally closing this case was nice. But somehow, Chris and his praise felt just a little better.

Your eyes are still down, focusing on the mud-stained towel, before he speaks up again. “Am I seein’ you at the bar tonight?”

This time, his tone is just a little different. Not an ounce of the light teasing it’s been sporting, and the sound of it forces your heart into jumping-jacks. You look up, forcing your face to stay neutral. Is he asking you join him for drinks....? “The bar?”

“Yeah. Once we get all this wrapped up, we gotta celebrate. And you definitely gotta be there.”

Right. Celebrating with the team. Like you always do after solving a case. A bit of embarrassment creeps up at the idea that it would be anything different, even in nobody else was aware of that secret hope. It still made you feel foolish.

But hey, spending time with Chris with the team was better than not spending time with him at all, right?

So you put on a smile and nod your head. “Yeah, I’ll be there. After a shower.”

-

“Gregorio, truth or dare!”

The bar was so loud - so full of music and people - that Chris barely heard Patton’s words. When his attention moves away from watching Pride on stage toward his friends, the two agents are staring at each other with a challenging look in their eyes. Sebastian watches, as does Sonja with a mischievous smile.

“Uhhh, truth,” Gregorio answers.

“What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done to impress somebody you liked!”

The team worked hard today. They deserved to kick back and throw back more than a few drinks. Get just a little drunk. That’s probably what led them to start playing a little Truth-or-Dare; a pleasant buzz that had Chris agreeing to play the stupid little game.

As Gregorio goes into telling the story, Chris is looking up towards the bar. His head leans side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of you through the mob of people. And then he sees you, still leaning against the counter, waiting for the bartender to fill the order of beers. How long have you been standing there? Five minutes? It felt longer.

There’s a nudge on his shoulder, and when Chris looks over, Sonja is glaring up at him. “Who are you staring at?” She asks bluntly.

“I’m not starin’,” Chris answers, and he hope he doesn’t sound too defensive. But he still motions up to where you’re standing, watching the band play even though you’re starting to look a little bored. “Just thinkin’ that....Y/N’s missing out on all the fun.”

Sonja’s focus follows his, and Chris doesn’t notice the sudden way her spine straightens. Doesn’t notice the look she gives Patton and the rest of the team before she’s nudging Chris again. And when he looks back, she leans in just a little. “Well, it’s your turn, Country Mouse. Truth or dare?” Percy asks, her tone almost deadly serious.

He gives an amused snort. “Dare,” Chris replies; he’s never been one to pass up an opportunity to do something daring. Plus, it’s a whole hell of a lot better than having to spill his guts.

But Sonja seemed extremely pleased at his choice. “Alright. I dare you...”

“Yeah...?”

“To go up to the bar. To Y/N...”

“Percy.”

“And give ‘em kiss.”

Immediately, the entire table erupts with a combination of laughter and shocked hooting noises. Everybody’s grinning at him, leaning forward in their chairs, waiting for Chris to take on the dare.

He’s blushing. He’s embarrassed, but he’s never turned down a dare before. And he’s not going to start tonight. Especially since it was Sonja who laid the dare out in front of him. The teasing will never die if he refuses.

Chris waits a moment, his eyes rising to look at the bar before raising his beer bottle and downing the last of it in a single swig. When he stands, his fellow agents watch his every step. Probably muttering to each other but the music and the bar patrons drown it out.

Not that he’d hear them anyway. Not with the blood rushing through his ears, matching the rhythm of his racing heart.

It takes some maneuvering through the crowd, but Chris eventually makes it to the bar. Shoulders his way to stand beside you, pressing against your arm. You look up at the sudden contact, probably expecting some strange man looking to get a little friendly before recognizing the face of your friend.

Your face instantly breaks into a smile, and it doesn’t help slow his heart rate down. “Sorry about the beers! It’s so busy - it’s impossible to get the bartender’s attention.”

Chris waves off your apology, mimicking your smile with one of his own. Your eyes break contact with his in favour of staring at your hands. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. I didn’t come up here for the beers,” Chris replies, voice elevated so you can hear.

But you still couldn’t catch his words. When you frown and tilt your head, Chris huffs a laugh before leaning in. His breath is wafting over your ear as he repeats himself, “I came up so we can have a chance to talk.”

You don’t reply for a moment. If Chris weren’t so close, he’d notice how your eyes went a little wide. How your face turns a subtle shade of pink that has nothing to do with the heat and energy of the bar. You turn your head a little to the side so he could hear your response. “Really?”

“Yeah. Ya looked lonely!”

Again, there’s a short bout of silence from you. The music’s thumping against the walls, but it feels as if Chris’ ears are straining, trying to pick up your next words. If they ever come. Eventually, he leans his head back to look at your face. And you’re barely meeting his eyes. Still smiling and, for all intents and purposes, looking really damn cute.

Maybe that’s just the beer talking.

He’s leaning closer into your space; probably a little closer than what’s considered normal between two friends in a crowded bar. But if you’re uncomfortable with the proximity, you don’t show it. In fact, for the first time since Chris has been up here, you’re finally making eye contact. Strong, firm eye contact.

He gives a sly little smirk; the very same one he usually uses whenever he’s trying to charm someone. “I gotta question for you. Feel free to say no,” Chris says, and he’s glad he’s close enough for you to hear him. He’d hate to break this eye contact.

You nod for him to ask, and Chris ignores the big knot in his stomach to focus on his objective. He knows the team is watching - waiting for the dare to be completed. “Can I kiss you?”

He would’ve said more. Probably a lame joke to get you loosened up, or even a comment to fluster you. But he knows you better than that, so the question is left as simple and blunt as possible.

Your eyes widen, clearly expecting anything but a request for a kiss. And then there’s a little quirk of your brow, as if wondering if you possibly heard him right. But Chris keeps his smile on, even leans his head in a little more, and you’re sure that you heard correctly.

Whatever force drove you to give a nod of your head was clearly not listening to the more rational part of your brain screaming ‘no, you shouldn’t kiss him.’ But your heart was beating way too hard and Chris smelled way too good when he leaned in for the kiss.

And, alright, you may have fantasized about a kiss from Chris LaSalle since basically the moment you met him. He was cute, in a goofy kind of way. Liked to make people smile, but you’ve never met anybody more loyal or brave. It truly wasn’t fair that he was able to gallivant around the streets of New Orleans.

It wasn’t fair that he was such a good kisser. That his lips were this soft or his skin was this warm. The sensation of him, all of him, completely knocked the air from your lungs. It was difficult to remember why a small part of you argued against the kiss, because right now, it’s all you can focus on. Chris’ lips are lightly tugging into a smile, but he keeps moving them against yours. Soft and passionate at the same time, and it’s turning your brain into a puddle of mush.

Just as you think he’s about to deepen the kiss, Chris pulls away. It takes a moment for your senses to return and open your eyes. And when you do, he’s grinning widely. You’re about to return the expression, but then his head whirls around to the table the team is sitting at.

You follow his eyes, noticing that your friends are all sharing mixed looks of shock and amusement.

There’s no time to wonder why Chris immediately looked back at them after the kiss before he’s talking. “I got dared to give you a kiss,” he calls out. When you turn to meet his mirthful eyes, Chris doesn’t even look shy or ashamed. “When it’s your turn to dare me, you can make me do whatever ya want. Embarrass the hell outta me.”

You don’t reply, or even attempt to mimic his amused expression. That warm, fluffy feeling that sprouted in your chest when he kissed you was gone. A feeling you never knew he could give you until just now, and it vanished as soon as it appeared. Replaced with a yawning, aching hole.

Instead of trying to play along, like you usually do when Chris flustered you so much, you just turned away from him and the bar. Head low, trying to navigate through the crowd as quickly as you can. Not looking at the team. Not seeking Pride out on the stage so he can come to you. Just making a bee line to the door.

And Chris is standing by the bar as you leave, his grin a thing of the past. Furrowed eyebrows mar the playfulness of his face, and when he glances back to Sonja and the others, they share his expression.

But they aren’t the ones who just fucked up. He was.

Chris instantly takes off after you, reaching the door much quicker but not without bumping into a few people and throwing out apologizes over his shoulder. He couldn’t care about them, right now. Because when Chris finally makes it out of the bar, he can’t find you. He leans to look down one side of the sidewalk, and there’s no sign of you.

He does the same with the other side of the bar, and thankfully, he spots your figure in the dark. Trying to speedwalk away from the Tru Tone towards...somewhere. So Chris breaks into a jog, calling out your name, telling you to stop, but you don’t.

It’s not until he reaches your side and tugs on your arm do you finally stop walking. “Hey, I was callin’ you,” Chris says earnestly, but you don’t look at him. That somehow makes it worse.

“I heard you.”

“And you didn’t stop?”

You let out an exhale, finally raising your gaze to meet his. Chris expects anger, which is probably warranted, but all he finds is small tears. Glittering against the streetlights, but unmistakable. “No. You kissed me on a dare, Chris. What made you think that was a good idea?”

The question gives him pause. Alright, sure, maybe it was kinda dumb. Maybe the dare was completely immature for a pair of federal agents, but it was all in good fun, wasn’t it? “It was justa kiss,” Chris responds, his voice more flat than you think you’ve ever heard it.

But it doesn’t soften the blow of his words. Just a kiss.

Again, your eyes fall away from his. But only because looking up at those baby blues is making this situation a hell of a lot worse. “Not for me,” you mumble out.

“What?”

“I said, not for me. I know you only think of me as a friend, but when you kissed me, I don’t know....” You trail off when your throat starts to sting. Don’t cry. Don’t cry... “I guess I thought you finally felt the same.”

There’s silence. The streets of New Orleans might be banging as loud as before, but the bubble that exists around you and Chris is dead silent. You’re staring at his boots, half-hoping you’d see them turn and walk back to the bar. But they don’t. In fact, they take a step closer.

You keep your eyes down.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I didn’t know. I wouldn’t’ve done that if-”

“Yeah, I know,” you cut him off. Putting on a strained smile that you’re not sure he even sees. “You’re still a good person, Chris. Can we please just forget about this? Go back to being friends?”

“Hey, we’re always friends, alright?” His hand is suddenly gripping your shoulder tight. The contact forces your eyes up, meeting his. And they suddenly look determined. That same look that appears when he has a dumb idea. “I want’chu to hit me.”

Despite the hurt, and the sting of embarrassment, his words bring out an amused snort. “What?”

“Hit me. I deserve it. Then we’ll be even.”

That’s when you start laughing. It’s not a belly laugh, or doubles you over. But it’s enough to ease the tight tension in the bubble. “Chris, I’m not going to hit you. Even if you were stupid enough to kiss on a dare.”

His weight shifts, and he doesn’t look very happy at your decision. “Yeah, but-”

“I don’t want to be even. I just want to forget it happened.”

Chris is hesitant to accept it. You know him well; know that he’s probably still brainstorming ways to truly put things right between you two. His attempt at getting you to hit him doesn’t work, so he finally just offers a smile. “Ya know, if you come back with me, it’ll be your turn for Truth-or-Dare.”

You frown in confusion, even when Chris comes closer and drapes his arm across your shoulders. Tugs you close while wearing that mischievous smile of his. “Yeah, and?”

“Well, Sonja’s the one who dared me. I reckon you can come up with somethin’ to get back at her with.”

Instantly, you’re reflecting his smile. And having him this close to you, his arm over your shoulders and feeling his warmth, should’ve clammed you up. It always has before. And for some reason, it doesn’t now. Maybe it’s because, as the two of you walk back to the bar, Chris is rubbing his thumb over your shoulder. It feels natural to fall into step with him.

You enter the bar still friends, but who knows what’ll happen after Chris answers a couple truths.

[retiringtotheph-blog]

Top 5 Financial Tips for Foreigners in the Philippines

As a financial advisor, one of the biggest problems I see with foreigners living abroad is financial planning since you don’t have the NSA, 401(k)’s, or Superannuation’s to help you out – you’re all on your own with little or no help from the Philippines or your motherland. For those retired, semi-retired, or thinking about retiring in paradise, here are some helpful hints to keep your finances healthy.

Insurance

Let’s say you get in a traffic accident or get diagnosed with a severe medical condition. A situation like this can set you back tens of thousands of dollars – especially when using expensive expat hospitals – and possibly wipe out your savings. With basic inpatient coverage, however, your insurance provider will cover all the medical bills to help preserve your hard-earned cash.

The same can be said with life insurance. The Philippines is considered a high-risk country by many insurance companies, meaning your provider from home will most likely drop you the minute you move to the archipelago. If you have a family, kids or even a mortgage (debts are inheritable!), a sound life insurance policy will greatly help your loved ones if you were to pass away, become paralyzed, or get diagnosed with a critical illness.

Investing

Just in the way insurance preserves the money you’ve made, investing grows it. Banks in the Philippines have an interest rate of around 3% (which when compared to the West is pretty good). But with inflation also around 3%, that eats away a lot of the real growth you could experience.

Therefore, it may be better to invest. If your investment grows at a rate of 7% per year, due to the magical powers of compound interest you will double your money in just 10 years. There are many tax-efficient investments available exclusively for expat as well, helping you grow your wealth faster.

Tax Planning

This is especially true for Americans since they’re subject to report and pay taxes on their income even if they reside outside of the US. If you’re not reporting your earnings and bank details to the IRS, you can land yourself into some serious trouble and lose a lot of your money in fines.

However, this problem isn’t limited to Americans. The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) has been passed and it will most certainly affect most foreign nationals living abroad. According to the OECD website, the CRS “calls on jurisdictions to obtain information from their financial institutions and automatically exchange that information with other jurisdictions on an annual basis.” Very soon, most foreigners overseas, just like Americans, will be subject to citizen based tax. Start getting your taxes in order soon to stay ahead of the game!

Retirement Planning

Most pension funds require that you live in or work in the country of where the retirement fund is domiciled. So, if you’re living in the Philippines, it may be impossible to keep that fund growing. If this is the case, did you know you can transfer your pension to a provider that will allow you to not only grow but access your funds outside of your home country? Owners of US-based IRAs and 401(k)’s, and those with British pensions are just some of the many approved pension schemes that can be transferred over.

If you don’t transfer your pension, it’ll literally just sit there collecting dust, so get that money which is rightfully yours back into your possession. Furthermore, it could also be beneficial to have your nest egg much closer to home for the purpose of efficiency.

Investing Locally

Investing in the Philippines definitely has its risks, but high risks can come with high rewards. P2P lending is becoming more popular in the Philippines, and some foreigners have gotten in on the action. In regards to property, I personally think the there are some very good real estate deals out there, but there are restrictions on what foreigners can purchase (if you have a Filipino spouse, it will make things easier, though). Opening a business, or investing in another business, can also yield returns.

With the Philippine economy in relatively good health and posting a GDP growth of 6.8% in 2016 (more than China!), I remain bullish on the country. But, when making any investment locally, make sure there is an element of trust, and realize that there is always a high factor of risk. After all, it’s still a developing country with a history of extreme volatility. I’d recommend having your nest egg in place before taking on any risky investments, and also don’t risk what you can’t afford to lose.

As a foreigner living in the Philippines, there are tremendous opportunities to add zeros to your bank account and raise your living standard due to the low cost of living. But if you’re not managing your wealth properly to actively grow and protect your savings, are you truly maximizing your full potential? Follow some of these tips to stay financially secure in the Philippines and live the good life!

This article originally appeared on Retiring to the Philippines