#its fine. no cars or people were harmed in the making of todays driving lesson

[elftwink]

just got back from a driving lesson. i think we should explode all cars and raise henry ford from the dead so we can hold a public execution for him

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Podcasting "Qualia"

This week on my podcast, I read “Qualia,” my May, 2021 Locus Magazine column about quantitative bias, epidemiology, antitrust and drug policy. It’s a timely piece, given the six historic antitrust laws that passed the House Judiciary Committee last week:

https://doctorow.medium.com/moral-hazard-and-monopoly-42e30eb159a8

The pandemic delivered some hard lessons about quantitative bias — that’s when you pay attention to the parts of a problem that you can do math on, not because they’re the most important, but because you know how to do math.

The most obvious lesson comes from the failure of exposure notification apps, which were supposed to take the place of “shoe-leather” contact tracing, wherein a public health workers establish personal rapport with infected people to help identify others who might be at risk.

Contact tracing is a human process, built on trust: trust enough to talk about the intimate details of your life, trust enough to take advice on how to get tested and whether you should self-isolate.

That’s not what apps do.

Exposure notification apps measure whether a Bluetooth device you registered was close to another Bluetooth device for a “clinically significant” period of time.

That’s it.

They don’t measure qualitative aspects, like whether you were close to an infected person because you were in the same traffic jam in adjacent, sealed automobiles — or whether you were both at the Ft Lauderdale eyeball-licking championship.

And they certainly don’t create the personal rapport that’s needed to understand each person’s idiosyncratic health circumstances and complications — whether they need child care, or are at risk of losing their under-the-table jobs if they self-isolate.

We didn’t want to commit the resources to do contact tracing at scale, we didn’t know how to automate it — but we did know how to automate exposure notification, so we incinerated the qualitative elements and declared the dubious quantitative residue to be sufficient.

It’s the quant’s version of searching for your car keys under the lamp-post because it’s too dark where you dropped them.

It’s not just foolish, it’s also deceptive — quantizing qualitative elements is a subjective exercise that produces numbers that seem objective.

This is where antitrust law comes in. Prior to the neoliberal revolution of the Reagan years, antitrust concerned itself with “harmful dominance,” with regulators asking whether mergers and commercial practices were bad for the world.

Obviously, “bad for the world” is hard to measure. Regulators evaluated claims from all corners: both political scientists worried about the outsized lobbying power of large companies and workers worried about monopolies’ outsized power over wages and conditions got a say.

So did environmentalists, urban planners, and yes, economists, too.

The Chicago School — hard-right conservative economists with cult-like status among Reagan and big business simps — insisted that all this qualitative stuff had to go.

They argued that consideration of qualitative elements left too much up to judges, so two similar companies engaged in similar conduct might get different verdicts out of the antitrust system. This, they said, make a mockery of the notion of “equal treatment before the law.”

Instead, the Chicago Boys — led by Robert Bork, a Nixonite criminal and a sort of court sorcerer to Reagan — demanded that qualitative measures be left behind in favor of a purely quantitative analysis of whether a monopoly hurt “consumer welfare.”

The way you’d measure “consumer welfare” was by checking to see whether a monopoly was making prices go up — if not, the monopoly was deemed “efficient” and thus socially beneficial. Prices are numbers, numbers can be measured.

But that’s not how it worked in practice. When two companies wanted to merge, they could hire a Chicago fixer to construct a mathematical model that “proved” that they resulting megafirm would not raise prices.

No one could argue with this, because Chicago School consultants had a monopoly over building and interpreting these models — the same way court magicians laid exclusive claim to the ability to slaughter an animal and read the future in its guts.

And if the prices did go up? Well, the same Chicago model-makers would be paid to produce a new model to prove that the price-rises were not the result of monopoly, but rather, rising energy costs or higher wages or the moon being in Venus.

Even by their own lights, “consumer welfare” was a failure. Monopolies drive prices up. Amazon Prime is a tool to drive up prices in every store, not just Amazon:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/01/you-are-here/#prime-facie

Apple’s App Store monopoly drives up app prices:

https://www.engadget.com/2019-05-13-supreme-court-apple-app-store-price-fixing-lawsuit.html

Luxxotica bought every eyewear brand and every eyewear retailer and the world’s largest optical lens manufacturer and drove prices up 1000%:

https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-glasses-lenscrafters-luxottica-monopoly-20190305-story.html

The highly concentrated pharma industry raises prices every single year:

https://patientsforaffordabledrugs.org/2021/01/14/2021-price-hikes-pr/

What’s more, there’s a straight line from “consumer welfare” to price-fixing.

Think about publishing. A decade ago, the Big Six publishers were embroiled in a bid to force Amazon to raise ebook prices, which led to fines and settlements for harming “consumer welfare.”

Today, the Big Six publishers are the Big Four, because Random House, the largest publisher in the world, gobbled up Penguin and Simon & Schuster. When RH, S&S and Penguin were three companies, it was illegal for them to collude on pricing.

But after their mergers, the three former CEOs — now presidents of divisions within an unimaginably giant company — can meet in a board room and plan exactly the same price-fixing strategy, and that isn’t illegal under “consumer welfare” antitrust — it’s “efficient.”

The Chicago School’s “consumer welfare” was only ever a front for “shareholder welfare,” the ability of large firms to avoid “wasteful competition” and extract an ever-larger share of the take for shareholders at the expense of customers, workers and the public.

The entire business of “consumer welfare” is a fraud, starting with Robert Bork’s insistence that a close reading of the US’s four major antitrust laws will reveal that they were never intended to be used for any purpose *other* than consumer welfare protections.

This is manifestly untrue, a Qanon-grade conspiracy that is refuted by the plain language of the statutes, the statements of their sponsors, and the record of the Congressional debates leading to their passage.

Despite the wealth of evidence that US antitrust is not a “consumer welfare” project, neoliberals have insisted that their project was not “reforming” antitrust, but rather, “restoring” it to its original purpose.

It’s a Big Lie, and they know it. That’s why GOP Senators Mike Lee (UT) and Chuck Grassley (IA) introduced “The TEAM Act to Reform Antitrust Law” — a bill intended to neutralize the muscular new antitrust bills that just passed the House committee.

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/06/25/the-plan-to-water-down-antitrust-reform/

The bill does two things:

It takes antitrust authority away from the FTC, sidelining the incredible Lina Khan, a once-in-a-generation antitrust scholar who now runs the agency; and

It codifies “consumer welfare” as the basis for US antitrust law.

That second part is the tell: after 40 years of insisting that any rational reading of US antitrust proved that “consumer welfare” was obviously its sole purpose, they’re now introducing a law to *change* its purpose to “consumer welfare.”

Like the Stolen Election lie, they never truly believed this one. The pose of objectivity that quantizing antitrust allowed was never about creating a truly objective standard for competition policy — it was only ever about neutering competition policy.

The thing is, there is a way to integrate both the objective and subjective into policy-making — as was demonstrated by David Nutt’s 2008 leadership of the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which established the policy framework for a wide range of drugs.

Nutt’s panel of experts rated drugs based on how harmful they were to their users, the users’ families, and wider society. This allowed him to sort drugs into three categories:

Drugs that were dangerous irrespective of your public health priorities;

Drugs that were safe irrespective of your public health priorities; and

Drugs whose safety changed based on whether you prioritized the safety of users, families or society.

Those priorities are a political choice, not an empirical finding. Nutt told Parliament that it was their job to establish those subjective priorities, and once they did, he could objectively tell them how to embody them in the rules for each drug.

This is a beautiful example of how the objective and subjective fit together in policy — and the tale of what happened next is a terrible example of how “consumer welfare” hurts us all.

You see, booze is one of the most concentrated industries in the world. The “consumer welfare” standard let booze companies buy one another until just a handful remain — globe-straddling collosii with ample resources to influence policy-makers.

Nutt, an empiricist, reported just as rigorously on the harms of booze — one of the most dangerous drugs in the world — as he did on other drugs. He was fired for refusing to retract his true statement that tobacco and alcohol were more dangerous than many banned drugs.

Thanks to “consumer welfare” antitrust, the alcohol industry is able to choose who its regulators are, and use their political influence — purchased with the excessive profits of a monopolist — to rid themselves of pesky officials who actually pursue objective policy.

You can read the column here:

https://locusmag.com/2021/05/cory-doctorow-qualia/

And here’s the podcast episode:

https://craphound.com/news/2021/06/28/qualia/

As well a direct link to the MP3 (hosting courtesy of the @InternetArchive; they’ll host your stuff for free, forever):

https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_395/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_395_-_Qualia.mp3

And here’s a link to my podcast feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/doctorow_podcast

Image: OpenStax Chemistry: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figure_24_01_03.jpg

CC BY: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

A Family of Five- Part 1: Of Different Worlds

Calum and Harlowe’s marriage hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been filled with love. This is a collaborative experience with In Sorrow and In Joy. Dad!Calum. Black OC.

CW: Over the course of this series, there are mentions of pregnancy, therapy, and postpartum depression. There is also 18+ Content (Smut)

Enjoy my masterlist | Series Masterlist

Support me on kofi. 

No one has my permission to repost my work of fiction. This includes translations as well. 

______________________

Calum watches as Luke runs behind his daughter. Looking at the two of them, it might be hard to tell that Luke’s the father, seeing as she takes after her mother strongly- brown skin and dark hair. But Luke loves that little girl with everything in his body. He finally captures the three-year-old. “That is your mother’s praying shawl. How did you get your little chubby fingers on it?” Luke asks, the giggly three-year-old.

From the back of the house, Calum can hear what sounds like swearing. But he can’t understand the exact language. “Where is she?” Luke’s wife shouts.

“With me, babe. She has your scarf!” Luke hands it out to his wife and turns his attention back to his baby girl. He tickles her. “Did you pray with Momma?”

The little girl giggles. “Yes. I pray.”

Luke kisses her cheek. “Next time, don’t steal her scarf.”

“Or chew on the rug,” his wife adds. Calum chuckles from the front door. The little girl runs up to him, holding her arms out. Calum picks up his goddaughter.

“Oh my, you’re getting bigger every day,” he coos, poking her nose.

“Cawum,” she giggles burying into her godfather’s chest.

Calum kisses her hair, suddenly overcome with joy. His can’t wait for his little bundle of joy to be born. His wife is five months pregnant and they’re expecting a boy. Calum was prepared for a baby thanks to his goddaughter. But how would he teach his child his culture? He watched Luke and his wife have weekly “lessons.” They started out as a way for Luke to learn and they just continued once the baby was born.

But Calum wants his kid to be happy and healthy; that was most important to him. Though his wife and he debated on how to raise the boy confidently in the multiple cultures. Calum’s wife tried to ease his worries, but he still had anxiety. He needed his baby boy to understand that he belonged on this earth, even if society tried to convince him otherwise. Was it so wrong to want your kid to grow up in a world that would love them and not tear them down? Was it wrong that sometimes Calum feared that maybe the world would never accept people of color?

“Wove you,” the little girl coos.

“I love you too,” he breathes. “Be nice to your mum; take care of each other.”

She nods and Calum places her back on the ground. She waddles over to her mom. Calum and Luke finally exit the house. Luke’s car is in the shop and Calum offered to pick him up to drive over to the studio. Sure it was out of the way, but Calum also gets to see his goddaughter. So if he had to drive an extra ten minutes in the opposite direction of the studio, he would do it.

“How’s the missus?” Luke asks, climbing into the passenger seat.

“Good, she’s barely slowed down at all.”

Luke notices the worry creasing his friend’s forehead. “Her continuing to teach dance classes isn’t going to harm the baby.”

“But she goes and does water aerobics twice a week. I know that doctors say that the exercise is good for her. I just worry she’s going to go overboard.”

“You worry wort. She’ll be fine. I know it’s scary; trust, she’s doing everything she can to make sure that baby stays healthy.”

“How did you manage to stay sane? This is nerve-wracking. And I’m trying to help her out with the diet. But this no coffee is killing me.”

Luke laughs. “I didn’t stay sane. That’s the key. No one does. Also, if I just so happen to order your black iced coffee by accident…who would drink it?”

Calum sighs in relief. “I would owe you big time. Man, I’d kiss the ground you walk on.”

“No need to go that far, but let’s just say, I’m so used to grabbing an extra one that I just so happen to do so right now.”

As the first drop of coffee hits his tongue, Calum’s whole body relaxes. He’s missed the caffeine so much. While his wife never drank coffee, she did have to cut back on the cups of black tea. Calum’s so accustomed to the coffee the first few days he had a headache. He’s been able to wean himself off of it but it’s definitely hard.

“Don’t jizz your pants,” Luke teases at the sound of satisfaction Calum emits.

“Shut the fuck up. It’s been months. I need this.”

After working in the studio, Calum drops Luke off and then starts back home. When he walks inside, he can smell food. A snore hits his eardrum. His wife sleeps on the couch with Duke curled up at her feet. He carefully places his keys up and shrugs out of his coat and boots. Like most days when Calum works late, she put his plate in the microwave for him. He unwraps the foil and sets a timer.

He sits and eats at the dining room table; his wife is a stickler that he not eat on the couch so much. He’s not sure why but abides by the rule anyway. Finished eating, he cleans his plate and then carefully situates himself at her feet, having to, unfortunately, move Duke. She flutters awake. “Hey, baby.”

Calum leans down and captures her lips in a kiss. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

She grunts and points to her rounding stomach. “You grow a toe on a second body and see how much energy you have.”

Calum takes her foot in his hands, working at the arch. “How was your day?”

“Good, just drained. The girls are picking up on the routine very fast. I’m proud. How’s the writing? And my favorite baby girl?” She’s always called Luke’s daughter baby girl from the start.

“Writing was great today. Finished up two songs. And she’s just as adorable as always.”

____

When his wife walks with a tall bag from Barnes and Nobles, Calum groans. “What do you have now?” He thinks its more parenting books. They absolutely do not need anymore. “If those are more parenting books, I swear.” He walks over, taking the bag from her.

She rolls her eyes. “They’re not parenting books. Just look.” She starts pulling about books. The cover has a small brown boy on the cover. “I’ve never seen so many books with black boys on the cover. I couldn’t help myself.”

Calum sits on the couch and pulls his wife to his lap. “ ‘The Snowy Day’ this one looks so cute,” he says softly.

Calum pulls out about ten different books from the bag. All little black boys on the cover. He hears sniffling and looks over to his wife. Tears run down her cheek. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Just overjoyed. But this baby isn’t just black, they are so much more.”

Calum nods; he knows what she’s getting at. They place the books on the bookshelf in the nursery. Did Calum, the second he discover that he was going to be a father, start putting together a nursery? Yes, he did in fact. He didn’t know the gender, but it didn’t matter. He went with soft green, sure to fit either way. Besides, he didn’t really believe in the whole needing blue for a boy or pink for a boy. Of course, if his boy wanted to change it, they would happily do so; but Calum didn’t want to start shoving down gender stereotypes down his unborn baby’s throat. Calum was warned against putting the nursery up so early. Even against the color, but he couldn’t help it. His wife did not object. She knew all too well not to stop him. He wanted– no, needed– to make this a reality.

Staring into the darkness, Calum couldn’t stop seeing her tears. They were happy but felt incomplete. That nursery felt incomplete. He grabs his phone from the nightstand and slides out of bed. The FaceTime call connects in only a few moments. “Is everything alright?” his mother asks.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“That doesn’t sound too convincing. What is it, baby? Is it the baby? Is she alright?”

She always knows. “She’s fine. Baby is fine. I just– I need some recommendations. Do you remember any of the books you used to read me as a child? Ones in Māori or by Māori authors?”

His mom sighs in relief. “I’ve kept some of them. I’ll ship them to you.”

“Oh, no, I’ll just find them on like Amazon or something. That’s expensive.”

She shakes her head. “No, no, it’s okay. If you want them, why spend the extra money?”

“But Mum, c’mon. It’s expensive. I’ll take the names and find them.”

“Nonsense. Now, it’s how late over there. Rest, baby, everything will be fine.”

[holyfuckthisfishcandrive]

Shots and Guilt

First, Previous(Chap. 23), Ao3

Word count: 3610

Warnings: Gun, Blood and Injury, (kinda) Torture, Knives, Bloodlust, Smoking, Underage Drinking, Drinking and Driving, Gore, Skipping a Meal, Alcohol (even more of it), Guilt, Choking, Mention of Past Murder, Panic Attack, Self Harm

This really isn't a nice chapter. If anyone needs it I can make a summary of it. Just leave a comment or send me an ask if that's the case. Stay safe.

Virgil listened to the sound of the rain pattering against the car and the radio woman report what had happened in Aunt Lian's block earlier this night.

Glitch monsters.

He dug around the glove compartment until he found Uncle Remy's cigarettes, hidden under the ammunition, lit one and took a drag. He watched the smoke curl and opened the window just by an inch to release it into the night.

Destroyed street lights.

He glanced at the Seven11 Remy had disappeared in about half an hour ago and lit his lighter again, watching the tiny flame dance in the stale light of the car lamp.

Messed up electronics.

A shadowy figure stood next to his window and Virgil glanced over at them. They were holding a knife. Good for them.

"Fuck off," Virgil mumbled tiredly and took another drag.

"Open the car door if you know what's good for you, kid," the guy demanded.

Virgil couldn't help but chuckle at that. He took his feet off the headboard and sat up slowly.

"If I know what's good for myself? If you know what's good for yourself you're going to fucking piss off now!"

"Kid-!" he thrust the knife at the window gap and Virgil kicked open the door hitting them square on the chest. They stumbled back and growled. "I'm going to fucking kill you, brat!"

Vigil stepped out of the car, taking the butterfly knife and the colt from the glove compartment with him.

"No, you're not," he stepped on his cigarette to put it out.

The robber was big. About twice as tall and five times as wide as Virgil, all muscles and heavy bones.

But at the sight of the gun, he froze. An uneasy smile took the place of the angry grimace.

They were in a lonely and dark parking lot. Nobody would look out of the window if they heard a gunshot or scream.

"Kid, don't do anything you're gonna regret. I'm part of the Trulow family. They're gonna hunt you down if you shoot me. No ones gonna find you're body! I bet yer mother's gonna get worried sick if her kid doesn't come home!"

Again Virgil laughed humourlessly.

The rain was cold on his skin and his hair stuck to his face and neck but he couldn't care less. There was that feeling in his chest again that he knew Papa knew well, even if he never wanted to talk about it, the feeling he couldn't imagine living without even after being told a thousand times that it wasn't normal, that he wasn't supposed to talk about with people outside of the family. That intoxicating feeling - better than any liquor, pills or joint but no less dangerous. "It's what makes our kind what we are," Uncle Emile had once said. The man across from him knew it too. Virgil could tell. Otherwise, he wouldn't flinch back. Wouldn't be able to see it in Virgil's smile and his every movement like a bloody red threat.

The bloodlust felt like a promise in his lungs.

"Jokes on you," he slowly walked towards the man. "My mothers dead. And if you're really a Trulow, how come I've never seen you on the Christmas card? I'm sure I'd remember a face as ugly as yours."

"What-?" the man stumbled backwards.

"If you want to make it in this city you really ought to learn who to threaten and who's out of your league. You're just another sewer rat. I'm like a motherfucking prince to you."

The man fell back on his ass, crawling backwards.

"Run along now, rat. Wouldn't want mommy to worry, would we?"

The man scrambled to his feet and turned to run.

Virgil raised the gun, aimed and fired.

A scream cut through the air as the man crashed into the concrete.

He sobbed and whimpered, staring at the blood sprayed over the ground as if he couldn't believe it was his. As if the realisation that there was now a hole where his foot connected to his leg hadn't quite made its way into his thick head yet.

"Sorry," Virgil said as he got closer and knelt down next to him. "Couldn't resist. You better not tell my Pa about this."

He dug his hand into the wound until his fingers found the bullet, ignoring the pained screams.

"He hates when I use guns. Which I honestly don't get. I mean, he uses them all the time! Bloody double standards," he inspected the bloody bullet in his hand.

"Who- Who the fuck are you?" the man sobbed.

Virgil grinned. "Have you ever heard those rumours? About Professor Logic having a child?"

The man's eyes widened in terror.

Virgil heard the doors of the Seven11 slide open and stood up.

Remy raised an eyebrow as he got closer.

"Jesus, can't I leave you alone for five minutes?" he asked.

"That was half an hour. And he started it. He wanted to rob the car or something. I only used one bullet if that's what you're worried about," Virgil tossed the gun over to him and Remy caught it in his free hand.

"Whatever. Just get in the car, hon. I got slushies and alcohol. We can stop at Crispy Creme if you want to."

"Sure," Virgil picked up the knife the would-be robber had dropped and jogged back to the car. "I hope they have warm doughnuts."

"They better. Oh, and there should be some baby wipes in the glove compartment. I'm not letting you eat with that guy's blood on your hands. Who knows what's been in that-? Wait, did you steal one of my cigs?"

"...No," Virgil claimed and was suddenly very interested in cleaning every crevice of his hand.

"Don't fucking lie to me. Just don't smoke in the car next time and ask before you take one. Emile doesn't like when the car smells," Remy handed him one of the slushies.

"Sorry," Virgil took a long sip until the pain of bain freeze bloomed behind his forehead before digging around in Remy's bag until he found the alcohol..

"Pour me some in too, would ya?"

"Sure," Virgil unscrewed the cap and poured some in his own then a bit more in Remy's cup. "More or is this good?"

Remy glanced over at him.

"Who the fuck do you think I am?"

"More it is."

"Exactly."

"I swear you're that "Two shots of vodka" vine," Virgil shook his head.

Remy chuckled. "I take zero offence to that. Also, I gotta make sure you don't drink too much. You have school tomorrow."

"You're literally drinking and driving. And I'm going to school trollied tomorrow whether you like it or not."

"I think this is why your father hates me."

"He doesn't hate you. He can't. You and Uncle Emile are like his only friends."

"Doesn't he also have that flower boy?" Remy pulled into the Crispy Creme's parking lot.

"That's his boyfriend," Virgil corrected and took another sip. Slowly he felt the alcohol kick in.

"You mean your new father, then?"

"I guess. Not officially yet but hopefully soon. He's nice. On the other hand, if he moves in I'll have to hide my skull collection."

Virgil followed Remy out of the car and into the shop.

The sugary sweet smell of warm doughnuts filled the air.

Remy bought a box, tipped a twenty and pulled Virgil back out with him.

"I'm not letting you drink any more," he decided. "You're not going to school drunk, kid."

"Yes, I am. Fuck off and give me a doughnut."

"Either you stop drinking or you don't get any doughnuts."

Virgil glared at him and took a doughnut.

"Fine."

---

He still had a headache when he went to math class later.

He wasn't sure if it was just the hungover or also something else.

Not that it mattered. He had already learned the shit, the man, whose name he couldn't remember, was explaining incredibly badly at the blackboard.

Instead of paying attention he stared blankly out of the window.

Slowly the sleep deprivation was also starting to catch up with him, making his eyes heavy.

Janus had texted him that they wouldn't be coming to school for the day, which made it even more dull than usual.

He should have stayed drunk.

Then it at least would've been somewhat interesting.

Virgil woke up again to the sound of the school bell. He blinked a few times, trying to reorient himself and sighed.

At least math was over.

His next lesson was English, then Chemistry.

Or maybe he should just skip.

It wouldn't make a difference.

Maybe he could find a nice spot for the graffiti design he'd come up with based on the last body he'd found in the sewers.

The rats had eaten the fuckers stomach out and Virgil had set the eyebrows or rather what had been left of the eyebrows, on fire before taking a few pictures for reference.

He'd just have to come up with something for when Janus asked where he'd gotten the idea.

Virgil left the classroom and ducked into the nearest bathroom, locking the stall door behind himself before climbing out of the window. He wondered briefly how long it'd stay locked before someone noticed that it wasn't occupied at all. Probably at least until the toilets were cleaned. Whenever that'd be.

A sports teacher was preparing a lesson by the tracks but she was too focused on the task at hand to notice Virgil sneak to the fence and climb over it. He gave the school a middle finger over his shoulder as he walked away. For all he cared, every single person in there could go fuck themselves. Especially the principal.

Papa was working - at the university today - so Virgil went home to drop off his backpack and picked up his graffiti bag, headphones and the sketchbook he'd drawn the design in..

He strolled through the streets of downtown, avoided a few coppers and took an underground to take him wherever. As long as there were big empty walls there he didn't care.

He got out at the sixth stop.

Virgil didn't make a habit of spending time uptown.

Occasionally maybe, for family celebrations or when he and Janus planned heists but other than that he stayed in the part of town he had been raised in.

But that didn't mean that he didn't know the streets and alleyways, the shops, public buildings and skyscrapers made of glass, like towers out of a fairy tale. Papa was of the firm opinion that knowledge was power and he'd made sure that Virgil knew everything he needed about Woethough.

It didn't take him long to find a good wall.

The back of the main police station was just painfully boring.

Virgil pulled the half mask he used for vigilante business over his face, partly to avoid someone seeing his face and partly because of the fumes. Then he opened the sketch book and pulled two spray cans out of his bag, shaking them.

This'd be fun.

He worked far slower than usual, the anxiety over being spotted by the damned pigs making him pack up the cans he wasn't using immediately, so he'd be able to make a quick escape, and check for witnesses every five minutes.

By some miracle no one came by. For a while, he had the insistent feeling of being watched but couldn't find anyone.

He watched the flames, body and rats take shape with every colour he added until he got to the point where more would only make it worse.

Virgil took a few steps back and grinned. He signed it with his usual spider and took a photo to send Janus. They weren't online so he didn't bother waiting for a reply and packed up his stuff.

It was around noon now and he was getting hungry but ignored the feeling. He could eat later.

Instead he walked around some more, pickpocketed a businessman he recognized from TV - Mr Grimm or something like that - and bought a few new markers from the stolen money, before climbing onto the roof of a library to test them out.

At eight he took a train back to downtown.

It was already dark thanks to autumn finally taking over properly and most other teens were probably either suicidal, gang members or at home.

This was the beauty of the city.

As soon as the sun went down the few laws that were actually followed became meaningless.

Now the city belonged to the street rats and the lawless. They were all animals. From the racoons and possums, over the henchmen and thieves up to the mafia and his family.

All animals.

Hungry for blood.

Greedy and destructive.

Virgil absolutely loved it.

He passed a few of Uncle Jeremy's men beating up a cop with a crowbar in an alleyway, greeting him as he passed, watched a woman smash a chair over the head some guy who had tried to grope her, dishevelled and angry, and grinned at the raven and racoon, which were fighting viciously over some small animal one of them had killed.

There was a light burning in the living room when he got home. Not the ceiling light - it was far too muted for that.

He unlocked the front door and shut it behind himself. It was warm in here.

"I'm home!" he called, taking off his shoes and jacket.

No reply.

"Papa?"

Still no reply.

Virgil frowned, waiting for a moment longer and went into the living room.

Papa was slumped on the couch, fingers tracing an empty glass. Next to it on the table was an empty bottle of whiskey, that Virgil knew had been more than half full just this morning. He'd opened it after all.

Slowly Papa looked up as if only noticing him standing in the doorway now.

"...V'gil," he slurred.

"How much did you drink?" Virgil asked with a frown. He couldn't remember ever having seen Papa drunk.

He blinked at the bottle and gestured vaguely with one hand. "J'st a little."

Virgil sighed.

"Well, you clearly had enough. You're fucking trollied. Let's get you to bed, shall we? You'll hate yourself for this tomorrow, you know?"

"Already do," Papa mumbled as Virgil put his arm over his shoulder to support him.

Papa leaned on him heavily and Virgil staggered under the weight slightly but managed to bring him to the stairs, where Papa could also hold onto the bannister, taking some of the weight of his shoulders.

"You look so much like your mother," Papa suddenly said, just as they reached the second floor and Virgil almost let him fall in surprise.

Papa didn't talk about her.

He never did.

"She had her hair like that for a while too," Papa continued. "Then she grew it out longer. She looked so beautiful. Like an angel."

Virgil kicked open the door to Papa's room.

He didn't say anything, almost forgetting how to breathe. Papa was actually talking about her.

Carefully Virgil let him slide onto the bed and ducked to take off his shoes.

"I didn't mean to kill her," Papa said, anguish in his voice as he began combing through Virgil's hair with one hand. "I really didn't. I  just- I just wanted to scare her."

His hand slid over Virgil's cheek slowly and even though Papa was looking at him Virgil had the feeling that he wasn't seeing him.

No.

Papa was seeing her.

"I didn't think it'd be that fragile," Papa's hand slid down further and settled on Virgil's neck. A jolt of panic shot through him. "I didn't think it'd break that easily."

Papa began to squeeze.

"I just grabbed her and pressed down."

His grip began to hurt and Virgil tried to gasp for breath, clawing at the hand on his throat.

"And then she was dead. Just like that."

Blackspots appeared in Virgil's vision and he swung out wildly.

His fist hit Papa on the temple and he collapsed onto the bed.

Virgil gasped and coughed, stumbling back towards the door and slammed it as soon as he was on the hallway.

He still couldn't breathe.

Why the fuck couldn't he breathe?!

His vision swam, from tears this time instead of lack of oxygen.

Was this how she had felt?

In her last moments, getting choked by the man she had loved and trusted?

He didn't want this. This panic in his chest keeping him from breathing and making the world around him blur. At least not because of Papa. Not him. Never because of Papa. Papa was supposed to be safe. Papa protected him. Papa helped him calm down.

Papa had just tried to kill him.

Virgil sobbed.

Papa had tried to kill him the same way he'd killed her.

Virgil barely remembered to grab his jacket as he ran out, slamming the front door and running down the dark street.

He stopped at the North Bridge and collapsed against the railing.

The air was now so cold it almost burned in his lungs as he finally managed to take a breath. His throat hurt. He carefully wrapped his hand around it. It'd bruise.

 "You look so much like your mother."

Virgil stumbled on through the streets. His reflection in a dark shop window caught his attention and made him stop.

His cheeks were streaked with black.  His eyes were covered almost completely by messy black hair.

So she had had shoulder-long hair at one point.

Virgil grabbed a hand full of hair and pulled at it until a few strands ripped off.

He stared down at them.

He didn't want Papa to see her in his place.

The lights of another store, also reflecting in the shop window he was standing in front of caught his attention.

Did they have bleach there?

He crossed the street.

The shop was empty and Virgil was barely aware of the song playing over the speakers, so quiet that it was drowned out by his mind.

He grabbed two cartons.

Bleach and the first hair dye his hand touched. He didn't care. He had no idea what colour her hair had been. He just didn't want black.

He didn't bother to wait for his change as he handed the cashier a twenty and fled the store.

Back at home, Virgil locked himself in the bathroom and ripped open the bleach carton, barely skimming the instructions.

The chemical smell filled the room as he spread it over his hair and when he was done he had to open a window to breathe.

He set a timer on his phone and busied himself with washing off his make up while he let it set.

Once he was done with that he began pulling at the skin of his arms and digging his nails into the scars to keep his thoughts from spiralling again.

The timer went off and he rinsed his hair out.

It was almost white now.

He ripped open the secong carton.

Purple.

For fucks sake.

He spread it over his hair, careful to get it everywhere.

If he was going to look stupid he might as well make sure it wasn't splotchy.

He wasn't hungry anymore but he still went into the kitchen and warmed up some soup, forcing himself to eat, despite the gag reflex that kicked in a few times.

Then he washed his hair again.

He didn't bother looking at the result before he grabbed the razor and scissors. Once he was done he pulled on a turtle neck to hide the forming bruise, poured a glass of water and grabbed an aspirin.

For a few minutes he stood in front of Papa's door, frozen until he managed to go in, put both items on the nightstand and immediately flee again.

Then he once again grabbed his jacket and left, locking the door behind himself.

He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. At least not if he stayed here.

---

A knock on the window snapped Janus out of the half-asleep half-awake state they'd been in for hours.

Slowly they stood up, the floor cold against their bare feet, and frowned at the figure in the window.

They grabbed a glass water bottle as a weapon and cautiously opened it.

The figure slid inside.

"Virgil?" Janus frowned and set down the bottle. "The fuck are you doing here?!"

"You owe me," Virgil rasped. "Five nights. From that bet."

Janus blinked, their brain catching up slowly.

"The one we made for my parent's wedding?"

Virgil nodded.

He was upset. Even in the dark Janus could tell.

They closed the window, cutting off the cold draft, and Virgil took off his shoes.

For a moment they contemplated what to say.

They were sure that something had happened.

They just didn't know what.

"I won't ask," they finally said, "but if you want to talk... I'm here for you, okay?"

Virgil nodded.

"Thanks."

He didn't say anything else. His voice was hoarse.

Janus led him over to their bed and climbed in, letting him follow.

He'd cut his hair.

It also looked lighter than usual, though they couldn't be sure in the bad lighting.

Janus had almost fallen asleep again when they hear a muffled sob.

They looked over at Virgil again.

He was crying.

So something bad had happened.

For a moment they hesitated before they wrapped their arms around Virgil and pulled him against their chest.

"It'll be okay," they promised.

Virgil just latched onto them and buried his face in their shirt.

Next

Taglist:

@patton-cake , @isabelle-stars

[thedaveandkimmershow]

28 years married... you change a lot. Not only as a couple but as individuals. And all the things they don’t tell you about being married?

You find out all that stuff too.

It’s both wonderful...

And terrible.

And everything changes. I’m not just talking about obvious plot twists like global pandemics, shuttered economies, tear-gassing pepper-spraying fire-setting bottle-and-rock-hurling randomly-grabbing-people-off-the-streets riots, or the fact that we live in a country with a population that clearly doesn’t share a common understanding of reality.

I’m not just talking about those things because that was all this year.

But travel back with me twenty-eight years ago, when we got married, and you’ll notice right away how there were so many things that didn’t even exist. They hadn’t been invented let alone conceived of. In fact during the course of our marriage the iPod was invented and became obsolete. Replaced, essentially, by the phone in my pocket that does everything the iPod does plus... it’s also my camera. And my desktop computer, too.

A.I. also sprang to life, by the way. Artificial Intelligence somehow working its way into every day life. In ways we never imagined.

And cars started driving themselves.

Then social media. It burst into existence, fixed itself into every part of our lives, and then turned into Godzilla rampaging through downtown Tokyo setting everything on fire with his breath.

Politics looks nothing like what it was in 1992. Neither does religion, for that matter. And people, too, aren’t who they used to be.

28 years.

Time and experience have done a job on us, too. In wonderful and terrible ways.

For example, at this point in our lives, things that were once daunting and nearly impossible to navigate are simple To Do’s on our lists. We’re capable of so much more than we used to be. You can’t even imagine.

Heck. I couldn’t have imagined when we were just starting out.

The thing is... we gained these abilities — like boundaries, like advocating for ourselves — we gained these abilities, learned all these lessons, the hard way. Straight up... the hard way. For sure I would’ve preferred the easy way... but the hard way does have it’s own methodology of revealing what’s important and what’s not. What’s a priority and what’s not. What’s a right now thing... and what’s not.

So yeah. There are more things than there used to be that aren’t... what? That aren’t important. That aren’t priorities. That aren’t right now things.

Gosh. There are so many more things that aren’t our things, you know?

You do you, we’ll do us, and it’s all whatever it is. No harm, no foul.

Now I’d love to say we’ve become wise human beings over the years. Of course I would. But while it’s absolutely true that we’re packing more wisdom than the twenty-something versions of ourselves, that’s less a product of intentional inner discovery than it is a product of surviving life’s challenges and plot twists, trap doors, white water rapids, and category 5 hurricanes.

What can I say? You learn a lot getting roughed up and surviving getting roughed up. You learn a lot about how not to step on landmines and how to recover when you do step on one and it blows up.

So yeah. We’re waaaaaay more capable today than who we were back then.

28 years.

And what do we have to show for it?

Maybe some insight. A touch of understanding. Definitely a lot of experience... bumps and bruises, scars that are left over from a long time ago, bunch of photographs, tons of memories, and a few awards.

Oh yeah. And one helluva life.

For example, twenty-eight years is absolutely the best of what we imagined marriage would be. It’s also the most specifically terrible stuff that surely must’ve been concealed from us in the fine print. We didn't, after all, embark on wedded bliss inside a bubble that would actually shield us from the world. So death?

Yeah, death showed up in our lives. A bunch.

Suicide?

Yeah, suicide was there, too.

Teen suicide?

Took my breath away. It was, in fact, one of the very few times my daughter ever saw me weep openly.

So that happened.   

It wasn’t all matters of life and death, of course. But there was sure stuff in there that wasn’t what we expected.

We struggled through confrontation. We weathered depression. We were assaulted by unemployment.

And money problems?

Dude. 

We did that one first.

Dysfunctional relationships?

They turned up every year, near as I can tell.

Pies in the face?

Same deal.

Betrayal and abandonment and indignity?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

And other stuff, too.

Lots and lots of other stuff. Too.

But what about love? What about the big L? 

Well, love’s definitely propelled us through nearly three decades. It’s certainly sustained us this long. So yeah... love breathes life.

But love also makes life harder, my friends. Meaning the more people in your life that you love, the more hostages to fortune you’re carrying. The more you bear the weight of everything that comes gunning not only for you… but for all those who are dearest to you.

And yeah. Not only have we taken it in the teeth, the people we love have taken it in the teeth. Repeatedly.

And we grieved their circumstances just as surely as we grieved our own.

We grieved all of it.

So.

Along the way I took to documenting the fun and funny in our lives. Most of it was small things, tiny things sometimes. Quick laughs, easily forgotten. Ephemeral in their own way. I took to documenting that stuff because the negative threads running through our lives so easily stained our perceptions and memories. Suicide. Unemployment. Dysfunctional relationships. There were times when these were the only things we could remember.

They colored everything black.

Seriously. The year a young friend of ours took his own life, I woulda sworn that whole year was a no good, terrible, horrible, very bad year.

Except... 

It wasn't.

Because when I read over all the stuff we'd actually done that year, all the stuff that happened to us and, incidentally, all the stuff I’d forgotten…

Well, it really wasn't shrouded in darkness at all. Not every day. Heck, not even every month.

There was life in there, always. Light. Laughter. Love. Adventure. Between the cracks, sometimes, but always there.

Always there.

I wish I could tell you why that is.

Are we made this way? Are we just lucky?

No idea.

For real. No idea.

But at the very point reason abandons me, there's this, irrefutable fact. The woman I married is badass. She's funny. She's smart. She’s creative. She thinks out of the box in ways that produce answers, results, improvements... plus it’s a skill that’s seriously billable. She’s a renaissance woman. She's talented like crazy. She's beautiful in ways I couldn't imagine when we got married. She fills and fulfills my life in myriad ways. She surprises me.

Think on that for a moment. Almost three decades later…

She still surprises me.

For those of you shopping around for a future wife or husband, I would say Friendship's gonna be number one with a bullet. Badass and Funny are definitely near the top of the list. Also keep a keen eye out for Compassion, Grace, and an ability for Peace. 'Cause you will run into terrible things, the both of you. And it takes more than graduate and post-graduate degrees, sometimes, to get through a single day, or even recover from one moment.

Passion... that's another one. And not just sexual, by the way, although that does make sex way more fun. ;-) But passionate about life. Passionate about people. Passionate about the things that are important to them.

Seriously. 'Til death do us part is longer than you think when you're a twenty-something. It completely helps when you both have the ability to never be bored. And be able to engage damn near anything.

It helps when you’re both compatible in ways none of us thinks about when we think about Love. When we think about Romance. When we think about Forever.

It’s important to think about those things, though, because Forever is a very long time, my friends.

And you can’t do that with just anybody.

I couldn’t do that with just anybody.

Which is why I said, "I do". Which is why she said, "I do". And which is how we were able to navigate the life that both unfolded and unraveled after that. A life that’s been breathtaking in wonderful and terrible ways.

And yeah of course we’re thankful for the Wonderful.

But when it comes to the Terrible…

We’re Thankful for each other.

:-)

[insanitysscribblings]

Reyna Writes: Partners Under Covers - An Alyadrien Week Prompt

IT IS THE 18TH HERE, WHICH MEANS IT’S OFFICIALLY DAY #7 OF ALYADRIEN WEEK HERE, SO NOW I CAN POST THIS AND N O O N E C A N S T O P M E.

For Alyadrien Week #7: AU

Waiting to post this was fucking t o r t u r e, since I had it finished about a week ago, but oh well.

Normally @siderealsandman is my enabler in stuff like this, but this time around, it’s more @bullysquadess‘s fault. :P

Enjoy! <3

~Reyna

When prompted, the neighbors of one Adrien Agreste would have a lot to say about him, all good things:

“M. Agreste? Oh, he’s so kind, I just love him.”

“Adrien? Yes, he’s such a joy to have in the neighborhood! Always volunteers at the neighborhood barbecues, and he never has a bad thing to say about anyone!”

“Oh yes, Adrien Agreste. Just between you and me, if I didn’t have a partner, I’d certainly like a shot at him…hell, I think Jean would probably agree!”

Former part-time model Adrien Agreste made his living by teaching piano lessons for kids, teens, adults—basically anyone who wanted to learn—at the local rec center, where all the townsfolk gathered to learn a variety of skills, be it the piano, cooking, dancing, or even quilting. And he was never without business—when he wasn’t teaching at the rec center, people were practically lining up for private lessons outside his two-story home, which was grander than a few of the houses, but modest enough, considering his gigantic inheritance when his father passed. He was always ready with a helping hand and a smile, which would make him an easy target when it came to shady individuals, but he was just so pure that anyone who tried to scam him seemed to end up giving up with a thousand apologies, which he always accepted. Adrien Agreste was simply too pure for anyone to mean him harm.

That…and his lawyer was not someone to be trifled with.

“Oh, Adrien, hello!” Called Mme. Dumont as she spotted Adrien exiting his house; she hurried to meet him at his gate, and Adrien stumbled to an abrupt stop to avoid running into her, which meant his briefcase went flying, its contents spilling out.

“Oops,” Adrien chuckled, stooping down to hurriedly gather up his fallen possessions. “Hello, Mme. Dumont. How’s Noah doing?”

“Oh, his fever has dropped significantly, thank goodness. By the way, thank you so much for that soup recipe!” Mme. Dumont gushed, leaning over to help Adrien. “It was just as you said—just a bowl-ful, and his cough cleared right up! You’re amazing!”

“I actually got the recipe from the guy who teaches cooking classes at the rec center, but I’m happy I was able to help…ah,” Adrien cut himself off as his neighbor’s hand closed around his last item before he did. He inwardly sighed as Mme. Dumont held the lighter up to her face, shock crossing her expression.

“Adrien! I didn’t know you smoked!” She cried predictably, and Adrien had to work not to roll his eyes. Of course, of course—picture-perfect Adrien Agreste couldn’t have such a filthy habit as smoking. For shame!

“I don’t,” he admitted, gently plucking the lighter from his neighbor’s hand and stuffing it into his pocket as he straightened up. “It’s just a memento, really. It was my father’s.”

Ah-ha—as soon as he played the ‘orphan’ card, it was suddenly all tragic expressions and sympathetic pats. Worked every time.

“Where are you off to today?” Mme. Dumont inquired as Adrien unlocked his car with the press of a button, following him as he tossed his briefcase into the passenger seat. “You don’t normally leave your home around this time of day…”

Mme. Dumont was inconveniently nosy. However, she also happened to sleep early, so Adrien didn’t mind it as much during the day, so long as he remained unobserved during the night…

“I have to see my lawyer today,” Adrien informed her, privately amused at the scandalized look on his neighbor’s face.

“Is that no good cousin of yours still giving you trouble over your father’s estate? Why, if I were still practicing, I’d have a good mind to—”

“I appreciate your concern, Mme. Dumont, truly, I do,” Adrien assured her with a pat to her shoulder, “but I really should go. If I’m late, my attorney will have my head.”

“Oh, of course! You drive safe now, dear! If you need a pick-me-up of some hot chocolate and cookies, you know where to find me!”

“Of course, Mme. Dumont,” Adrien replied courteously, instead of reminding her that he was twenty-five years old, not one of her young children. He knew she meant well, really, but sometimes the doting from her—from everyone—got to be too much.

As he got into and started his car, Adrien let himself breathe. At least he had an excuse to meet the one person who never took any of his shit today. Honestly, bless his cousin for being so stubborn—whether he knew it or not, Adrien really owed him for contesting his father’s will and tying them up in litigations that would take months to solve, if he insisted upon being so adamant. Really, Adrien wasn’t about to complain—even if the proceedings could be considered tedious at best, he did have one hell of a lawyer.

“You’re late.”

“Nice to see you too, Alya,” Adrien replied, raising an eyebrow as he entered the boardroom, ruffling his hair in that casual way that didn’t fool Alya for a second. “Did I miss anything important?”

Alya adjusted her glasses, eyeing him shrewdly.

“Of course not—we can’t very well accomplish anything without you here, now can we?”

“Please note,” said the unpleasant woman that Felix Agreste had hired to be his lawyer—the leggy blonde with the big mouth and a tongue as sharp as her nails, “that both my client and myself are present on time.”

“Punctuality won’t make up for a shoddy defense, sweetheart,” Alya shot back, examining her nails in a bored fashion as Adrien took his seat beside her. The opposing lawyer—Bourgeois, was it?—made a disgusted noise, muttering under her breath as Adrien’s cousin sat still, gazing dispassionately at the pair of them. Really, Alya was convinced the man was a robot—they had already met several times to go over every fine point in this goddamn will, but he still had yet to make any sort of facial expression that resembled a human’s. More and more, Alya began to wonder if he was even really invested in trying to weasel Adrien’s inheritance out from under him…or if this was just an elaborate ruse of some sort.

Alya glanced over at her client; he caught her eye, a corner of his mouth lifting up, a familiar glint in his gaze.

Oh, right—the only people that were doing the japing was them.

“Well,” Alya began, flipping her notepad open to a heavily graffitied page, most of it concerning the case before them…but a few of the written comments were slights against the other lawyer and Adrien’s cousin when Alya got bored of arguing the same point over and over again without getting anywhere. “Shall we start from the top?”

Despite how utterly pointless these meetings were, Adrien had to admit, he loved watching Alya work. There was something about watching a woman in slacks, a vest, and a button-up shirt argue fiercely but concisely, fire simmering in the hazel eyes behind her glasses as she shut down every point Mlle. Bourgeois tried to make with cold facts that she must have memorized at this point, for she barely glanced at her notepad the whole time. Not that this was surprising—not only was Alya excellent at her job, but the argument was so redundant at this point that Adrien himself could probably recite his father’s entire will from memory, including the finer details, like what kind of suit his father had wanted to be buried in (an Armani double-breasted charcoal black suit, with a red ascot and pocket handkerchief to match).

“Look, you can try and press your point until you’re blue in the face, but the fact still remains that Felix Agreste is not entitled to a single euro more than what Gabriel Agreste had already bequeathed to him and his family,” Alya stated, getting up from her chair now, her palms flat against the table as she scowled darkly at Mlle. Bourgeois, who looked ready to tear Alya’s eyes out…hmm, maybe that was why her nails were so sharp.

“And it is still our stance that, since M. Agreste’s death was so sudden, that there could be foul play to consider!” Mlle. Bourgeois insisted, punching the table with a surprising amount of force. Adrien glanced over, watching Alya roll her eyes.

“Oh please, not this again,” she huffed, falling back into her chair and crossing her arms. “The police launched a full investigation—the man died of a heart attack. Besides, everything was already in Adrien’s name when his father passed—if you’re honestly going to push the ‘foul play’ angle, then that makes your client just as suspicious, if not more so.”

“How dare you!”

“Hey, I’m just using your own logic against you. Don’t like it? Find another offense.” The ‘I dare you’ was implied in Alya’s tone, and Adrien absolutely loved it.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and the bailiff poked his head into the meeting room.

“Time’s up,” he chimed, and Adrien glanced at his watch in some surprise. Wow…amazing how two hours flew by, just like that. “Has a settlement been reached?”

Mlle. Bourgeois growled under her breath, swiping her belongings off the table and cramming them into her designer briefcase. Adrien watched Alya throw the bailiff a smirk.

“That answer your question, Claude?”

The bailiff shook his head, stepping into the room.

“Well…regardless, you’ll have to break for today,” Claude insisted. Mlle. Bourgeois gave another growl of discontent, but Alya merely shrugged, jerking her head for Adrien to follow her.

“Same time next month?” He joked, shooting a grin at the blondes across the table from him as he stood up. Neither of them looked amused, but it didn’t much matter to Adrien, who let the door fall shut behind him with a click.

He followed Alya outside the law office, to the alley. There, Alya fished out a cigarette pack from an inner pocket of her vest, sticking one between her lips while holding out her free hand. Obligingly, Adrien drew out his lighter and handed it over.

“You know smoking’s bad for you,” he said, smirking as Alya lit her cigarette and exhaled smoke, rolling her eyes at him at the same time.

“I started smoking because of you and your bullshit family drama,” she accused, dropping her professional manner as she pointed the cigarette at him before taking another drag. “And anyway, what the fuck? Every time I see your goddamn cousin, he looks more and more like he just doesn’t give a shit. If he doesn’t care about the money, then what the fuck is he wasting all our time for?”

“You got me,” Adrien replied with a shrug, unable to help the way he watched Alya’s lips curve around the cigarette as she smoked. “At this point, his lawyer cares more than we do.”

“Oh, she doesn’t care, either” Alya contradicted him with a slight shake of her head. “She just likes to argue with me. It’s the only way she knows how to relieve her sexual tension with me.”

Adrien slowly raised an eyebrow.

“Is there something I should know about?” He drawled, resting his forearm against the wall above Alya’s head, leaning over her as she glanced up at him, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “Are you literally sleeping with the enemy?”

She lowered her glasses enough so her eyes were without a barricade as she shot him a deadpan look.

“Oh please. I’m a fuckin’ professional, I’ll have you know.” She paused to take another drag, her expression turning thoughtful. “…I wouldn’t kick her out of bed, though…”

“Oh?”

Alya shrugged casually, exhaling smoke away from Adrien as she pushed herself off the wall.

“Guess I just have a thing for blondes.”

Adrien felt himself warm at this, sternly ordering himself to keep the stupid grin he could feel forming off his face as Alya turned her back to him, snuffing out her cigarette with the heel of her dress shoe. She turned to him, folding her arms.

“You free tonight?”

“Lonely?” Adrien teased, snickering as Alya’s head titled to the side.

“Focus,” she insisted, glancing around surreptitiously as she lowered her voice. “We might have a potential job tonight.”

Okay, now Adrien’s interest was piqued.

“I’m listening…”

“Not here,” Alya said, quirking her eyebrows at him, as if to ask if he was mentally sane. “Later.”

Before Adrien could press for more details, Alya was moving past him. A tremor went through him at the briefest touch of her hand on his waist before she was behind him now, shoes snapping smartly against the concrete as she made her way back to the front of the building, her smoke break apparently over. Adrien watched her go, the flash of red that was her ponytail disappearing too soon for his liking, yet he knew it was necessary. It was important to keep up appearances, after all…

Turning back around, Adrien slipped his hand into his pocket, where he felt his lighter drop when Alya touched him. Along with his lighter was a folded slip of paper, curt words in Alya’s handwriting written across it. Adrien took in the message quickly, smirking at the reminder to burn the scrap of paper when he was done reading. He snorted and clicked his lighter to life, setting the scrap ablaze, watching it burn in between his thumb and forefinger for as long as he dared to before letting it go, leaving the ashes to scatter in the breeze.

As if he had to be reminded of how to do his actual job.

“You’re late.”

“Hmm…déjà vu,” the agent known as Chat Noir purred as he slunk up behind his partner where she was lying on the roof, shamelessly admiring the way that black spy suit clung to her curves. “I’m beginning to think that maybe you just set your watch five minutes too early for everything.”

Vixen only paused in her watch to shoot him a dry look over her shoulder, eyes framed by the black domino mask she wore instead of her usual glasses, before she refocused on her task, her binoculars aimed at the CACEIS bank across the street.

“Just watch my back, Chat. I can still trust you to do that much, yeah?”

“Of course,” said Chat, adjusting his own mask as he continued to ogle. “I’ve been watching your back since I got here.”

Vixen didn’t seem to catch his meaning for a minute; once she did, her head tilted to the side, and she turned to scowl at him…or she tried, in any case. Her smirk kind of ruined it.

“Would you focus? We actually have an objective tonight.” She turned back around to resume her watch. “And though I know my ass is phenomenal, it ain’t the objective.”

“Says you.”

Vixen scoffed.

“If you don’t focus, Tiger, you’ll only get to look tonight,” she warned him, the threat effective enough to get Chat concentrating on the goal at hand.

“Right…so our target is CACEIS tonight?”

“Yep,” Vixen answered, and Chat watched as she changed the focus on her night vision binoculars. “Apparently, they recently gained a very wealthy patron, who just opened an account worth no less than five-hundred and twenty-thousand euros”

Chat let out a low whistle.

“Damn…and we’re stealing from this patron because…?”

“Because he’s an asshole who embezzled all that money from a charity and quickly moved it before it could be traced back to him. I think we should do our damnedest to give it back,” Vixen informed him, tensing after a second. “Ah-ha.”

“Did Monarch just give you the signal?”

“Yep—cameras are down. We have about five minutes to get in, make the transfer, and get out without anyone noticing.” Vixen got up, tucking her binoculars back into the pouch at her side, turning to grin at Chat. “You ready to fly?”

Chat Noir let out a snort as Vixen dug something out from the small duffel bag hanging at her side.

“Remind me again why we’re the ones doing the B&E this time?”

“Because Ladybug and Paon were the ones that gathered intel this time around,” Vixen reminded him, yanking something familiar out of her duffel bag and turning to take careful aim at the building. “While they’re good with snatching physical things, my particular skilled touch with computers is necessary tonight.”

“Believe me, I know how skilled your touch is,” Chat remarked, smirking as Vixen gave an obligatory eye roll. “I’m just saying it’s strange, since they usually do the flying…”

Vixen ignored him, closing one eye as she breathed slowly…

She took the shot. The grappling hook flew through the air, clamping onto the top of the building.

“Come on,” she beckoned him, securing the other end of the rope to the antenna next to them before she stepped onto the ledge of the roof, clipping her harness to the rope to zip-line across the street. Chat sighed as he approached.

“You know this part makes me nervous…”

Vixen gazed up at him, looking amused for some mysterious reason.

“Wha—” Chat began to ask, intrigued by the mischief in her gaze…but he soon got his answer when Vixen yanked him forward by his collar, the tip of her tongue tracing up his neck before she gave his ear a light nip. Promptly, Chat forgot about anything that wasn’t the tingling of his earlobe, and the blood that was rapidly rushing south…

Vixen snapped her fingers in front of his face, her smile all fox as she tugged him closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“Just focus on that for a few seconds while we fly,” she teased him, patting his thigh. “Come on, climb up.”

Chat obeyed automatically, and for the next few seconds, he amused himself with memories of the last time he and Vixen had had the privilege of being alone…hands dragging across skin, lips pressing against each other, tongues tangling, hips thrusting…god, it had been too long…

“Chat? You can let go now.”

Chat Noir blinked; he hadn’t realized they were already on the roof of the bank until just then. Reluctantly, he made himself climb down from Vixen’s back, though he still stood very close to her as she unhooked herself from the rope above them. She turned slightly, pressing a hand to his chest to make him step back a step.

“Down, boy,” she urged him, though amusement still glinted in her gaze. “We still have a job to do, remember?”

Chat let himself pout.

“You started it,” he pointed out, a frustrated growl trailing the end of his sentence. Vixen gave him an apologetic smile before she stepped away.

“I’ll make it up to you later, Tiger.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

Vixen put a finger to her lips and waved him forward. They stealthily made their way across the roof, to the skylight glittering in the starlight, in the center of the roof. Chat grinned, tugging his glass cutting glove over his normal work glove…which was essentially a clawed glove with a strong suction cup sewn into the palm, used for breaking and entering. A simple glass cutter would’ve done the job just as well…but aesthetic.

Chat Noir cut a hole into the glass big enough for him and Vixen to wiggle through, using the suction section of his glove to cling to the glass and very, very carefully pull it out. As he was working, Vixen was busy securing another length of rope so they could rappel inside. Just as she began to feed the rope through the hole, however, Chat had to catch her arm, going utterly still…for a guard had chosen that exact moment to appear.

He seemed to be on his normal rounds, sweeping the dark hallway with his industrial flashlight, suspecting nothing…or he didn’t, at least, until a smaller flashlight suddenly clonked him on the head. Chat’s eyes went to Vixen, who was looking down at the open pouch over her chest, mouthing silent swears as the guard rubbed his head and cursed himself, crouching down to get a good look at what had nailed him. He picked up the flashlight, staring curiously…and then his head began to lift…

There was nothing for it; it had to be now or never. Chat chose now.

Swiftly sticking his legs into the hole, he let himself drop. The guard only managed a yelp that hopefully hadn’t carried too far before Chat landed on him. He didn’t struggle as Chat crouched over him, wondering if he needed to put the guard in a chokehold. A quick check told him that the guard was still alive, but unconscious, and he breathed a sigh of relief, climbing to his feet—

Pain lanced through his ankle, and Chat hissed. Fuck, he had managed to fuck up his ankle. That was just his luck.

Doing his best not to put too much weight on it without making it obvious that he was hurt, Chat grabbed the knocked out guard, jerking his head for Vixen to join him as he dragged the guard to a nearby nook, where he hid him behind a large potted plant.

“Are you crazy?!” Vixen hissed behind him, and Chat jumped; he hadn’t heard her come down. “You could’ve seriously hurt yourself!”

“I’m fine,” Chat lied, hiding his grimace behind a confident grin. “Let’s go—we only have a couple more minutes before the cameras cut back on, right?”

Vixen huffed. It was clear she wanted to stand here for another minute to chew him out, but they had a mission to accomplish, and so she just swiped the flashlight that had fallen earlier, briefly checking the mini-map of the bank she had on her, swiftly glancing around.

“Stay on my tail,” she ordered him, tucking both items away and waiting until Chat had his night vision goggles in place before she pulled on her own, speed-creeping down the hall to their right. Chat followed her as swiftly as he could, cringing as his ankle throbbed. He was going to need some ice later…

Vixen abruptly stopped and pushed him back into the wall beside her; a guard appeared, but he was turning right, and once he was a decent way down the hall, she pulled Chat after her as she went left, leading him to a door down the hall. It appeared to be an office of some kind; there was a name stamped on the window—Marcel Dubois. The name was registered, but then ruled as inconsequential, because their goal was the computer that sat upon the desk within.

Lifting his goggles, Chat Noir gestured for the flashlight as he pulled out his tool bag of lock picks. As he worked, tongue clenched between his teeth, Vixen angled the light, watching him work; her presence was a physical touch upon his back, making him shiver—

The lock clicked, and Chat grinned triumphantly.

“Give me sixty seconds,” Vixen muttered to him as she passed, darting into the office and carefully sliding her skilled hands over the computer. It whirred to life under her touch, and for forty-five seconds, Chat watched Vixen’s eyes fly across the screen, processing information incredibly fast as she hacked into the system and made the necessary transfers—

Suddenly, all the lights in the building seemed to flash on, and an alarm sounded, as obnoxious and unappreciated as the sudden bright light that stung Chat’s eyes.

“Oh fuck,” Vixen swore, her gaze cutting to her stop watch. “Monarch promised me at least another minute before the cameras cut back on!”

“It could be that they just found the unconscious guard, or the hole we left in the skylight…” The nearby rumbling of footsteps and voices had Chat edging the door shut, locking it for good measure. “Yeah, it was probably definitely one of those two things.”

“Fuck.” Vixen glared at the computer screen in front of her, fingers digging into her hair, dislodging red locks from her ponytail. “The transfer isn’t finished yet!”

“We don’t need to panic just yet. It’s not like they know we’re in here—”

“Hey! Who’s in there?!”

There was a thump against the door, a grunt, and the unmistakable jangle of keys.

“Check that,” Chat mumbled, hastily making his way over to the desk. In retrospect, he probably shouldn’t have been leaning against the door in the first place—his dark clothes against the window kind of made it obvious that there was someone in there. “Time to go.”

“Just a few more seconds!”

“We don’t have a few more seconds!” Chat reminded Vixen, as if the rattling of the handle wasn’t ominous enough.

“Almost…yes!” Vixen cheered as a message appeared on the computer screen, signaling that the transfer to an untraceable account was complete. She slammed her hand on the power button of the computer just as Chat yanked her from behind the desk, shoving the window open. Mercifully, the fire escape was right where it was meant to be, and Chat helped Vixen out onto it, climbing out just as someone burst into the office behind them.

“HEY!” A furious voice called, but Vixen and Chat Noir didn’t even stop to catch their breath—Vixen slid down the ladder, jumping back as Chat followed suit—

“Urgh!” Chat groaned, his right leg giving out from under him as his ankle quit on him, in too much pain to properly support him. Beside him, Vixen gasped.

“You are hurt!” She accused him, and Chat winced at her tone. He was going to pay for this later…

“I’m—ow, fuck—I’m fine!” He insisted anyway, even though his right leg began to violently shake underneath him, refusing to support his weight at all. But he couldn’t focus on it—there was crashing behind them; they were being pursued. “Just go, I’ll catch up! Go!”

“Like hell!”

Ignoring his protests, Vixen ducked down in front of him, pulling his arms over her once again, lifting him with a huge grunt. Chat took a moment to be impressed by her raw strength before another shout behind them alarmed him—

���STOP! GET BACK HERE!”

Vixen did not obey—even with Chat’s full weight, she full-on sprinted from the alley, darting across the street, apparently oblivious to the loud honking as she darted out in front of traffic. Chat chanced a glance back, and he nearly wept with relief at the sight of the bank guards being impeded by a large bus that got in their way, blocking them from view.

Oh thank god. That was way too close.

“Vixen—Vix, you can put me down, we lost them,” he said, but Vixen ignored him, despite the fact that her breath was heavy as she raced to the other side of the street; she refused to put him down until they reached the discreet, dark car parked on the corner two blocks away. Vixen threw open the door, pushing Chat inside before she climbed in behind him. The slam of the door was the cue to the driver, who quietly started the engine and sped down the street, effortlessly blending into downtown traffic.

“Wow,” said the woman in the passenger seat, blinking startled blue eyes as she gaped at the two of them. “What happened to you two?”

Chat met gold eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Rough night?” Asked the driver, and Chat let out a sigh. Maybe not ‘rough’…but it definitely could have gone better…

“Just….drive…” Vixen huffed, panting through her exhaustion. Chat noticed Ladybug and Paon exchange a glance, but neither of them said another word.

Chat’s ankle was throbbing, his boot way too uncomfortable now. He undid the laces and eased it off, hissing in pain. Without the pressure of his boot, he felt a little better, but his ankle still pulsed unpleasantly. Oh god, he dearly hoped it wasn’t broken…

Chat Noir glanced over at Vixen, who was staring at his ankle as she worked to catch her breath. She glanced up to meet his gaze, her eyes tight, and they stared at each other, as if to mutually register just how close they had cut things tonight.

After a moment, Chat offered a small smile.

“So…your place or mine?” He joked in an undertone, hoping to lighten the mood. Vixen just stared at him, and Chat cringed inwardly, certain she was about to shut him down—

“…Mine,” Vixen answered, looking away after a moment to stare out the window. Chat let out a breath of relief, tugging off his mask. In front of them, Paon chuckled.

“You guys just can’t get enough of each other, huh?”

“Shut up, Bird Boy.”

“You should’ve told me you were hurt.”

“It wasn’t a big deal—”

“We literally risk our lives to pull off these heists, Agreste,” Alya cut through his bullshit reply, her eyes sharp as she glared at him, looking sheepish as he sat on her bed while she knelt in front of him to take care of his ankle. “You have to tell me when you’re compromised. That’s the only way this works.”

“Okay,” Adrien replied, wincing as she shifted the ice pack on his ankle. “Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.”

Alya huffed, accepting the apology, but still thoroughly irritated with him as she wrapped his poor, abused ankle. What the hell had he been thinking, dropping on that guard like that? If they had been armed guards, he would have been in serious trouble!

She secured the end of the gauze, inspecting her handiwork grimly.

“You’re gonna have to stay off it for a few days,” she said, folding her arms as her elbows rested on his knees, frowning up at him. “You’ll be seriously lucky if it isn’t broken. Jesus, Adrien, of all the stupid things to do—”

“Alya,” Adrien cut her off, and Alya felt her expression soften despite herself as he slid a hand over her cheek, “I’m all right. We accomplished the mission—Monarch will get to work on moving the money as soon as possible—and we made it out of there without getting caught. Everything’s fine.”

Alya sighed from her core, still frowning, but it probably had lost its fierceness at this point. It wasn’t fair for Adrien to comfort her like this when she wanted to be mad at him for being so reckless; he somehow always knew just what to say to ease her concerns and help her breathe again. The bastard.

She only allowed his touch to placate her for a moment longer before she took his hand away from her face, lacing her fingers with his as she worked to make her expression severe again.

“Be more careful,” she ordered him. Adrien smiled a little at her.

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “So…”

Alya lifted a brow.

“So?”

“We accomplished our mission…”

“Yeah?”

“And you did say you’d make up for a certain, very distracting thing you did to me earlier…”

Alya’s lips curved into a devious smirk.

“Really? In all the excitement, I seem to have forgotten…”

“Well I remember,” Adrien insisted, raising his eyebrows. “Vividly.”

That brought a laugh out of Alya. God, he had such a one-track mind sometimes…

“You seriously want to have sex while you’re in pain?” She asked him, leaning forward so that their noses almost touched, giving him an exaggerated wide-eyed look. “I didn’t think you were such a masochist, Agreste.”

“It’s less that I’m a masochist…” Adrien began, carefully scooting forward so that Alya’s torso was practically in his lap, his head tilting to the side as he leaned over her. “…and more that you drive me crazy just by being near me, Césaire.”

“Is that right?” Alya teased, nudging him back so she could climb up, settling herself properly into his lap as she smirked down at him. “Well, I guess I do owe you for distracting you earlier…”

“Yes you do,” Adrien was quick to press, his cheeks flushing red as Alya traced those perfect cheekbones of his with her thumbs. “I expect to be repaid in full.”

“Well…what kind of lawyer would I be if I didn’t cater to my client’s wishes?” Alya asked with a grin before she swooped down and captured Adrien’s lips with her own.

After all, picture-perfect Adrien Agreste had a reputation for having the fiercest lawyer in Paris. And, heist society notwithstanding, Alya had a reputation to uphold.

...

I am weak for espionage stories and have descended into Alyadrien Hell and nothing can pull me back.

I even have a WIP called Alyadrien Hell. The next prompt involves them having sex in a closet because of misplaced underwear.

...You’ll see. ;)

Hope you enjoyed! <3

~Reyna

[sizzlingcrusadebouquetfan-blog]

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i am 17 years old and i have my g2. i live in oshawa ontario canada. i will be a secondary driver on my dads car, which is a 1999 yukon gmc. i have also taken driving school. and im a girl. any clue how much insurance will cost me per month?""

How much will health insurance cost me?

I am an American citizen, 23 years old with a college degree. I never lived in the US but I am moving there now and I never had any health problems. How much will health insurance cost me a month?""

Can I drive car on my wife's insurance?

I just buy new car . Bt I have no insurance . Insurance is on my wife's name . Bt problem is that car is on my name . Please tell me . Wht is the solution . When I add my wife 's name in car . Then wht could happen ?

Best car insurance provider for person in early 20's?

Which provider is best suited for in this age group, located in California? Thanks!""

What kind of insurance overage should I get for my bike?

I have a 98 Honda Superhawk (996 CC). I'm unsure what kind of coverage I need since I'm learning to pay for my own insurance. It's a bike that I'm just planning to ride for small commute and weekends. I'm also trying to pay as little as possible. I was thinking of going with progressive. I got a rate of $300 Any idea of what coverage I need will be appreciated! Thanks

Peugeot 206 gti insurance cost?

Does anyone know roughly how much it would cost for first time insurance? I'm 18 by the way.

Would a 2001 jetta VR6 be expensive for insurance?

Would it be expensive for insurance, im 17 almost 18 male car costs around 6000""

Question about car insurance...?

theoretical question, if someone else was driving your car and was involved in a collision... you are insured but they were not insured to drive your vehicle (although they are their own)... they were given a fine and driving ban for 15 months. however should the third party seek compensation, who is liable to pay this - the uninsured driver or the car owner or the insurance company?""

""If im a 21 year old female wuth a dui, how much is car insurance?

I'm 21 with a dui on my record. Approximately how much would car insurance cost on a 2000 Ford escort?

Can i drive a car if the insurance is under another name?

Hi, I just got my license and as a teen car insurance is INCREDIBLY expensive. I was wondering if it was legal for me to drive my sisters car. She lives at a different address from me and the insurance is under her name. So if i crashed the car or anything would the insurance still cover it?""

How does health insurance work - when insurance premium can generally increase?

If family of two have health insurance, and one of them decide to use it for couple medical procedures will insurance policy premium go up? Please advice. Thanks.""

17 and HIP insurance?

Im 17 and I need some type of health insurance because my parents dont carry on me. My mom is applying again for HIP health insurance because she missed her reevaluation. So can I apply for HIP health insurance? thanks!

Motorcycle Insurance Question?

I was wondering how much insurance would cost for a 16 year old in California, driving a Ninja 500r would be. New driver, taken safety course, and stored in garage. What companies would insure me (I heard geico and progressive were good), and how much would it cost? Also what is the minimum amount of motorcycle insurance needed? Please answer with as much detail as possible. Thanks""

Which job has cheapest car insurance?

what job do i have to get to get real cheap car insurance

How much would car insurance cost for a 16 year old girl driving a 1997 Ford Mustang GT?

The car is a V8 and has 170+ miles. Please do not post answers with websites linking me on how to figure it out on my own.

Can health insurance coverage be dropped for a single department in a company? (Pennsylvania)?

I currently live in PA and my employer has said they will drop health insurance for my department, but not another department in the same company. I did some research online to see if this is possible or not. I originally started this job with guaranteed benefits and now they are being taken away. I was reading somewhere online (unsure of credibility, website is as follows:http://employee-benefits.lawyers.com/Employee-Benefits/Employer-Workplace-Benefits-FAQs.html) that a company cannot take away a certain departments health benefits and retain another departments. Below is the Q&A question from the stated website above: Q: Is my employer required to provide health benefits? A: Employers are generally not required to provide any health benefits. Only the state of Hawaii requires employers in the private sector to cover employees who work over 20 hours per week. Union contracts may include provisions for insurance as part of the agreement. However, health care and other benefits such as life or disability insurance are generally offered by employer as a means of attracting and keeping their workforce. If an employer does provide health coverage, federal law requires the employer to provide Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) to an employee who loses her job for any reason outside of gross misconduct the opportunity to maintain coverage up to 18 months at her own expense. This applies to companies with 20 or more employees. Some states also have laws with similar protections for employees who work for companies with less than 20 employees. Generally, it's not illegal to provide health benefits only to some classes of employees (for example, only to full-time employees but not to part-time employees). But once the eligible classes are established, an employer cannot withhold insurance from some members of the class while offering it to others. The employer can require employees to follow the rules of the plan, which may require an employee to fulfill a waiting period or wait for an open enrollment period before joining. An employer can usually change, or even eliminate, a health plan, but must follow the rules and guidelines of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). I understand they cannot choose and select who receives and who does not (I interpreted this as discriminating between employees). I do not know health legislature very well, and if anyone could provide some information it would be very appreciated. As for me, I am going to try and find more information out about this. Thank you.""

Could a 17 year old insure a Porsche 944? (For a reasonable price)?

I've been looking into classic cars and The Porsche 944 has kept cropping up on sites, and looks quite nice. My fear is as I will be turning 17 soon and I live in Worcestershire (UK) I have no hope of insuring it... Am I right? People have suggested Classic Car Insurance on 944's and 928's but didn't they fix that loophole? As I would be spending a fair bit of money on the car I don't want to pay loads of insurance, I would love to know ideas of insurance costs and general feedback about the car, I know it would cost a fortune to run by the way. All Help Appreciated""

Can you have insurance without a license?

i ride with my friend and lately she's been haggling me to give her $100 for insurance because she was in a car accident..but you cant get insurance with no license right?

Affordable dental insurance for my two year old?

I am trying to find a good dental insurance online for my son. I have came across a company called careington, but heard their discounts are never to be seen after you get things done. Does Metlife cover children? Anything helps! I'm trying to find something that isn't tricare related, he has regular tricare insurance, but takes forever for paperwork to go through, needing somethign fast and cheap...thanks.""

The best car insurance for a beginning teen?

I want to start driving, however one responsibility is paying for my own car insurance. I am 16 years old and am interested in a 2005 Volkswagen beetle. I was wondering what is the best car insurance company for a teen beginning driver, something affordable for a teenager's income please lol. Thank you.""

What is a good long-term health insurance policy for international stays?

I am planning to move to Germany in spring and require acceptable, long-term and affordable coverage. What is a good company and policy for me to look in to? I've seen several offers but only one I could afford because it had a deductible of 10k$. Is there better?""

What insurance company provides the best rates?

So I just bought my Volkswagon Beetle and need to insure it. I'm looking for the most affordable and most reliable insurance company out there. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

I want to buy a used car soon. I was wondering if having an alarm system on the car would make insurance cheap?

Like when you own a house or buying...you have home owners insurance. It sometimes makes insurance cheaper is you have an alarm system. So would the same thing be possible for a car?

About how much is car insurance in British Columbia?

About how much is car insurance in British Columbia, particularly Vancouver or nearby? Perhaps if you could share how much it costs you or someone in your family with a good driving record. Perhaps give a hint of what car you have, liability limits, etc. In the U.S., you can get online quotes. For Canada, I've never seen anything like it.""

Cheapest women car insurance on a provisional?

im 23. got my own car, white, k reg, clio, automatic (1993) im only on a provisional license an ive found so far that my quotes r not very good. my highest as been 2027.57 an my lowest is 678.98 will i get anything lower. i know its cos of my age an cos im the main driver but if any women or men know any insurance companys that ave good lower prices then help me out thanks u never know wot ur get in return lol""

I am 16/m and looking for a cheap car insurances?

Im currently living in nyc, I am 16/m and looking for a cheap car insurances. Does anyone know of any?""

""Help with car insurance, I'm a new driver..?""

I heard there was a type of cover that covers any driver that drives the car as long as they had the permission of the main owner, and I was wondering two things about this, 1. does anyone know what it's called/ which insurance companies offer this. & 2. do all the names of drivers that will be driving the car need to be listed? Cheers.""

How do I get the cheapest car insurance?

I am 21 years old and have 2 years no claims bonus, I am in no way going to lie to the insurance companies just to alter my life to get the cheapest qoute wink wink can any one tell me if anything helps like where I work or how many kids I have??""

What is the best car insurance company in North Carolina?

Hi. So I recently moved from New England to North Carolina. I have my 2002 Toyota Camry. It was my Dad's and is still under his name. However, I want to get the title in my name hopefully by early 2014. That means paying for insurance too. I figure I'm going to have to do this soon, might as well do it now and learn more responsibility. My parents are paying for my car and their cars under MetLife. (Yes, the one with the Snoopy logo). They are paying about the same plan they did in Massachusetts. I know North Carolina has more competition in pricing and I want to shop around for a decent plan that gives me what I need but for a better price. My Mom is hysterical and doesn't want me to go anywhere else because she think NC insurance is crap. I like that MetLife gives me what I need but I'm not paying more than I have to in insurance. Sorry Mom. So my question is. What is the best car insurance company in North Carolina? Any suggestions. I would like a company that offers affordable plans but also is a reliable company when I need them. Please NO cheapo discount insurance. Here are my only two liabilities in my driving history: 1. Got into a minor car accident in October of 2011. Just a paint smear with another car. Nobody was hurt and neither car got in worse performance condition. 2. Got a seatbelt violation ticket in January 2013. (It was actually for speeding but the cop went easy probably because he saw I was wearing a suit. I was on my way to a family memorial service near the South Boston area.) Any experiences? I mean, what is my Mom worried about? I never hear in the news about people dying because they have NC car insurance. I know there is cut rate (bad) insurance out there because of competition. But there's got to be something better in NC than paying a Taxachuetts MetLife plan. (Sorry BayStaters, but you know it's true) Thank you!""

Life Insurance for Children?

My husband wants us to get life insurance for our three kids. It's through Globe Life and is called the young American plan. It's a whole life insurance policy. I'm not ...show more

Car Insurance?

I want to cancel my insurance or rather freeze it until the 3 November. Would i get into trouble though if i took it to the garage when i had cancelled my insurance or eve froze it..

In florida does the auto insurance rate lower after age 27?

In florida does the auto insurance rate lower after age 27?

Why should we pay CAR insurance?

I know it is made to protect us from being sue, I understand this. BUT if we are MADE to pay insurance to drive a car then the Car insurance companies should be MADE to include Car replacement as a STANDARD pack for both Full and Liability coverage(Why should I lose my car because of a BAD driver) If your car is totaled and you are still making payments then you lose a car. If you paid off your car and it is totaled, you lose a car. Lastly, we who pay insurance and don't have an accident in six months(or one year)should be given a choice of a lower premium, cash returned or a loan.""

Teen driver car insurance?

i'm 18 years old, got my license officially in march. I can't really drive my parents car around because im not on their insurance plan (and they worry) what is the cheapest car insurance plan i could get possibly to be insured with my parents? not sure what they have i think its state farm. does insurance depends on the car? if it matters my dad has a 1997 mini van,plymouth. and my mom has a 2005 jeep cherokee. about how much would it cost to be insured in one of their cars?""

Can I have 2 Health Insurances?

Can I have 2 health insurances?Edit My Information: - 23 years old, CA resident, Citizen, Not Student, Male Situation: Left California for Job (Blue Shield of California / Delta Dental) - Currently covered under my mother's health insurance until 26 (Blue Shield of CA believes I am still student) - Mother works at a hospital so I get 100% coverage at hospital and 20% max elsewhere (usually just co-pay) - great health insurance plan - All hospitals in MA are out-of network for CA insurance - I can go to urgent care when needed and services are covered...but long wait always -emergency fees are $100 tops Took job offer in Massachusetts that offers health insurance (Harvard Pilgrim / Humana) - it is the normal Harvard Pilgrim Plan - Have to pay premium (~$150/month) for PPO - primary care visits and specialized doctors are covered at 40% (i think...) - Expect to transfer back to CA office in 6 months - 1 year Current Health Conditions: - Teeth hurt (cavities) - Rotator Cuff injury (long ago still hurts) Decision: I have 6 days to decide, what should i do?! If I choose the MA one, I will likely lose CA insurance since they will see I am not a student.""

""Why do all of my friends get cheap car insurance, but not me?""

ok so my problem is, I am currently on a provisional license (in the UK of course) and literally all of my friends that are driving currently are getting insurance for less than 2k a year. (male, 17 years old, living in west cumbria, same as me) and that is with the same cover I am looking at... comprehensive cover as a named driver on a parents car. I have tried everything, even looked at the same cars and the qoutes are still almost double. this does not make sense... why the bloody hell do i have to pay 3500 quid a year for a poxy 500 quid car when all my mates only pay 1500 a year on the same thing!!! my postcode is ca28 by the way, which is a grade c postcode area for insurance, same as my friends. they seem to use aviva, i got a qoute from them, 300 a month, they got 150 a month. even those that have passed their test get cheaper insurance than me. please help. ste""

Does anyone know the average price of plpd insurance on a mustang gt for a 16 year old?

I am turning 16 and I really want a mustang gt ive found one but I need to find the price of plpd on a mustang gt so if anyone has any answers or prices please tell me

Can my husband insure a car registered in my name in MA?

I was wondering if in MA I have a leased car in my name and registered in my name can be put under my husbands car insurance policy. His premium is less than mine, and our insurance would be cheaper to pay for both on one policy rather than two. Any help would be appricated thanks in advance!""

Could somebody give me what they pay on average for insurance on a 2001 ford explorer sport?

i am looking to buy a 2001 ford explorer sport and was wondering if someboy wouldnt mind telling me their average yearly insurance payments?

Why is my car insurance so high?

Just finished paying a year of car insurance at like 125 a month. Just got my new bill for the year. They want 195 atleast first month. Are there cheaper car insurance companies out there?

Teen car insurance help help?

I am 18 years old and on my fathers state farm policy my mother has her own house and policy if I have car insurance under him can I be covered to drive her cars. she has geico

""In NJ, Can you get a driver's lincense but not have car insurance or a car/drive? TEN POINTSS?""

I'm 18 years old, female. I've always wanted my driver's license. I have my permit that now expired. My parents won't let me get it because they don't want me to get into an accident and because they said insurance is sooo HIGH! Is it possible to pass my driver license test and not be on an insurance policy and not drive any car? Not drive at all, just own the license. I have a job and would get my own policy, but it would just be even more expensive!""

Auto Insurance question?

First of all, I was involved in an accident. I was hit from the rear and then I slammed into the car in front of me. Im not that smart when it comes to my policy, and I would like to change that. Im not exactly sure where Im covered in this area. Like I said, Im not auto insurance savvy, so if possible, keep explanation of coverage and the location of coverage in general terms. These are based on an average coverage. I need to find the following: The cost of a medical checkup for my passenger The front and rear damage to my car The damage to the car in front of me The damage to the car behind me The total amount of liability protection for bodily harm and property damage Any help would be greatly appreciated.""

How can i get cheap car insurance at 17?

How can i get cheap car insurance at 17?

Ahhhh! car insurance?!?

Hello, I am a 18 year old freshmen in college. My College is approximately 20 minutes away. Since I was very very busy with my studies, I was unable to get a car permit / Driver License. Now that I am at spring break, I am planning to take my permit test, and start driving, so I dont have to ask my father to drop me off at chosen locations. Right now, I am earning $11 an hour. I get about $320 every two weeks. Now I have heard from my friends that Since I am 18 years old and my parents will not pay for my insurance, It will cost me about $300 for insurance every month, $100 for gas, and about $500 for required checking for cars. As you know, for a check of $320 every 2 weeks, I will not be able to pay for my car insurance and gas. Now heres the question. What should I do? I mean, I really need a car and I need to think of a good strategy. so that I will be able to pay for my car insurance. If you know any great, cheap insurance deals for someone my age, that'll be fantastic. Thank you.""

Any 1 want life insurance or mediclaim?

v r giving best service with lower price...

Thinking about changing to TD for auto insurance?

My current auto insurance company is charging me around $380.00 per month for insurance TD quoted me for $230.00 per month. I have only been with my current insurance company for 4 months now is it worth changing? here is TDs rules for cancelling. I personally think it is worth the change would TD still take me if i cancel early into my policy i haven't missed a payment and this would be the first time i cancelled a policy. Do there rules apply for me Cancelling???? or am i alright for changing? also i paid first and last do they take my last month as a cancellation fee? anyways let me know thanks TD Canada Trust rules for cancelling If an insurance company has cancelled/refused your policy for whatever reason (e.g., non-disclosure of tickets, non-payment), we are unable to provide you with an online quote. We do not take into account a policy that you cancelled yourself.""

Peugeot 106 or 206 for first car?

Im 17 and im goin to buy a new car , wot should i choose wot will be least on insurance will there be much difference , how much on average will insurnce be in the uk , north west, any other suggestions for a car upto 800 to spend, thanks x""

I want to buy a used car soon. I was wondering if having an alarm system on the car would make insurance cheap?

Like when you own a house or buying...you have home owners insurance. It sometimes makes insurance cheaper is you have an alarm system. So would the same thing be possible for a car?

Insurance question when you buy a used car?

If you buy a used car and pay cash and carry only the minimum insurance for your state will your current rate go up based on the model and make of the car. Also if you buy a used car and finance it you have to have collision on it right ?

Will getting quotes from car insurance companies affect my credit score?

I am reluctant to get other quotes to compare coz i have the feeling it affects my credit score negatively. Does it?

How much does Mexico Insurance cost for SUV 1 Day Trip?

We are going for a day trip to Juarez, Mexico to do some shopping and that is it. Could risk not having the insurance and may do that. If I decide to purchase insurance how much approximately should it cost for an SUV one day trip? How much approximately for a 4-door one day trip? If you are marketing something don't respond I don't want your unbiased sales pitch. Are any of the online companies reputable? if so, who?""

""I had full coverage auto insurance, my policy lapsed for 2 days & during that time I had an accident am I cov?

The Insurance company is Coast Insurance in California. The accident happened during the 2 day lapse period. I have been with the company for approx 10yrs

When to get health insurance for your newborn?

I am in my first trimester and just wondering when do I need to get health insurance for my newborn-the health insurance is United Healthcare and offered through my job

Which minivan has the cheapest insurance for a NEW driver?

looking at second hand minivans - been doing some rough online insurance calculations but so far all above 1000. any body know any minivans which will have a low insurance for a NEW driver

Car insurance Question?

I was driving my friends car. I hit someone. It was my fault. My friend has insurance but I dont know what kind of coverage. I was driving her car because she needed to borrow my truck. If her insurance doesnt cover her damage should I help her pay for it even though I was doing her a favor by borrowing my truck?

Can I get car insurance for my work place way from home?

can I get car insurance for my work place way from home

Can I purchase life insurance for our family without a physical exam?

We have a new baby and we both need to be insured. Is it possible to purchase affordable life insurance without a physical exam?

Do i need to insure my popup camper?

I just bought an 88 viking pop up camper here in Michigan, and was wondering, do i need to insure it? is it a law? or just a recommendation? im hearing many things when i ask that question and i really need a for sure thing here. i dont want to get pulled over and get ticketed for having no insurance on it. but i also dont want to pay 300 dollars a month for something i bought for $450. Thanks!""

Affordable car insurance for teen drivers?

I am currently 17 and I will have my license for a year on April 28th. I had one minor accident in October but I finally found a car that I can afford payments on that is a really nice car but all the insurance companies are giving me rates over $200 that I can't afford because I don't have the money to pay that and a car payment. Is there anyway I can get the car and get low insurance rates?

Help me with me car insurance?

i am 34 years old have a new license with pass plus and recentley bought a car. what is the cheapest car insurance for me(third party) thanks

Buying a new car..insurance help?

So need some help.ive bought a brand new car which is coming on the way from suppliers so will take a few weeks.so i have a car im trading which ive never done before so im unsure wot to do about insurance as the insurance on my current car expires 13th feb and the garage will nd a cover note of new insurance to tax car..and as i dont know the reg plate yet.same for tax of car what do i do when renewal letter comes through(renewal date 31st jan)as hopefully will hv car by then.

""How much taxes will be taken out of $250,000 life insurance?

I am getting a life insurance policy pay out. Does anyone know how much taxes will be taken out?

All young adults pay attention...what's the cheapest yet best car insurance you have found?

I'm 19, dad wants me to buy my own car get my own insurance etc. Any pointers?""

Has legislative push for affordable insurance been cut short in the u.s congress?

Has legislative push for affordable insurance been cut short in the u.s congress?

Has anyone used Canadian Direct Insurance and experienced any issues or problems?

They offer great rates for auto insurance but before considering switching to them I'm curious as to whether other people in Alberta or British Columbia have had pleasant or unpleasant experiences with them.

What company has the best auto insurance rates for people with speeding tickets?

What company has the best auto insurance rates for people with speeding tickets?

How much is your auto insurance?

Im trying to get n average estimate of auto insurance since i will be driving soon. I know its diffrent from your insurance company but if you live north carolina and your a teenager with a used car what would it most likely be?

Life Insurance?

Is life insurance under rated? If so explain why?

Can car insurance cost more if you are a different race?

So I'm watching a judge show right now and the guy was like I didn't put the insurance in my name because I'm a black male, so it would be more. I put it in her name because she is a black female. What does race have to do with anything in the statement? Is it true that insurance is more if you are a different race?""

Does anybody know the average daily cost of having your newborn stay in the NICU?

I know most people have insurance that helps cover a certain %, but what amount is the real cost that the hospital bills the insurance company and the patient pay?""

How to find cheap insurance for my 318i bmw 1999?

How to find cheap insurance for my 318i bmw 1999?

I want to name my new insurance company?

i want to name my new insurance company

How much will my car insurance cost for 16 year old girl in possibly a ford taurus?

I'm going to be 16 and obviously I'm a girl. I might end up driving a ford taurus. But it's not decided yet. I'm going to put on as a secondary on my car and them my moms dodge grand caravan and my dads dodge dakota. Secondary on all. How much will my insurance probably cost? Would it be smarter to just be a primary on my car and not even on anyone else's car or would it be smarter to just be a secondary on my car? Or a secondary on all? Thanks

I want to buy a used car soon. I was wondering if having an alarm system on the car would make insurance cheap?

Like when you own a house or buying...you have home owners insurance. It sometimes makes insurance cheaper is you have an alarm system. So would the same thing be possible for a car?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-override-life-insurance-policy-regarding-willie-snyder/"