#but at night--when he works. an hour away.--it's unsafe and illegal and we really need a rental until it gets fixed)

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: January 4

"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by Offspring

[lovely-necromancy]

A Cure for Insomnia CH.2

Getting back to your little one story cottage, you can only manage to rush in and run about in a mad dash as you try to accomplish getting ready for work and getting something to eat. Running through choices in your head as you change and freshen up, nothing sounds good. There's not much time since your shift starts at nine and to make it to the store you need to leave by eight twenty. You got home at eight fifteen, and while Nate, your manager, has never seemed to give a fuck what you did at work you're still in your probationary period and would like to keep the easiest job you've ever had.

It's a really simple gig, seeing as the store you work at is actually a front for some illegal activity. The variety of crime you aren't sure of, but you are aware there's no way you guys do no business and yet they can afford to pay thirty dollars an hour. Thankfully just keeping your mouth shut and being nice to little Jo, the owner's daughter, is enough to keep you in the cushiest job in the world. The store's front is a regular old book store, all the books are real, the registers work, you're able to sell books and you've run to the bank to do the weekly deposits twice for Book & Nook. The front is very legitimate or it would be if the amount of customers ever equaled the sales made.

Again you don't ask questions, because for thirty dollars an hour you get to goof off for a couple hours a day, plus you get a bonus when you watch little Jo at the shop. She's a real sweet eleven year old, she's got tourettes and took a shine to you the first time she saw you tic. While you both might not suffer the same disorder she finds the common ground nice, like it's not just her. It's not even hard to watch her or enjoy her company, she'll come bouncing in with her excited chittering and hands clapping spilling all the latest gossip that comes with being in middle school. And boy is there a lot of gossip.

It's really nice seeing that Jo has friends at school and is even considered a “popular” kid. You remember how tough school was because no one understood you and teachers never cared enough about your personality to bring up the fact that it was clear to most faculty members that you had Autism. You excelled academically so what did it matter if you got picked on for oversharing information or for finishing assignments the minute they were handed to you. As bittersweet as the parallels are you're so glad Jo doesn't have to go through that. Never would have thought a southern school could be so accepting, much less a middle school at that.

Tearing through the kitchen you honestly can't find anything that you want to eat right now. And even after a long night of hiking/dissociating you don't think you're that peckish at all. Figuring it's best to at least take something to quell any future nausea you grab a Pedialyte Pop from the freezer. As fast as you entered your home you left, and not before ensuring twice that the door was locked and secured. While living on the outskirts of town saves you from many potential robberies, and worse salesmen, there's still the chance of some lunatic with an ax hiding out in a closet to murder you. Better safe now than sorry later.

Pulling into park behind the shop right at nine is a blessing. You run into the shop to clock in blurting out a quick 'Morning' to Nate, who was carrying a particularly large box, as you passed by him. In a flash you were back at your car retrieving your newly prized deer skull. Lungs burning a bit from the all out sprint you just did you took a little extra time to close the trunk and lock your car up to catch your breath, and avoid any light headiness you might get from the empty stomach workout. Eager to share the wonders of death with your best work friends, and by that you mean Nate your manager...and only other coworker, you rush back into the building.

The shop was quiet as usual as you made your way through the door though you were in the back room where only employees could roam you had the slightest suspicion that the front of shop was just the same. It's there you find Nate, now lugging a medium sized box around to a side table. He did this a lot you suspect some type of smuggling but hey plausible deniability and all those legal matters. The taller dark haired man sees you and just as he's about to wave you over, notices your prize with a raised brow.

“The fuck d'you bring in the store?” he doesn't seem amused by whatever it is he thinks you're up to. “Deer skull.” Lifting it up in one hand and pointing at it, “Found this guy on my hike last night...or rather this morning actually.”

“YN, we talked about this, you said you'd get some sleep last night. No adventures remember.” he's only two years older than you and yet he acts as if he's ten years. He must be an old soul, or enjoys the role of care giver...or you're making him go gray prematurely, anything's possible.

“Eh, I remember saying I'd 'try' and get sleep.” for someone who's body is running on fumes your cheekiness is astronomical, “operative word being 'try', remember.”

It's a long silence as Nate decides if he wants to deal with your bullshit at this moment. After a minute or so he concedes leaning back on the table behind him. “Let's hear it.” and you perk up immediately.

“Cool, so I was walking along the tree line and spotted him, tried to find more but seems there's only one piece. Judging by the size of his antlers I'd say he was nearly fully grown. Now my plan is to do whatever treatments taxidermists do to bones and,” you continue to word vomit at the tired twenty-six year old in front of you, about the joys and wonders of taxidermy and the likely hood of ever finding a skull so nicely preserved.

“I can do that in here right?” even though it's been phrased as a question, you aren't asking permission, you're just being polite and letting Nate know the storage room will house your creepy deer skull antics for today...maybe the week you need to find a taxidermist book to figure out what you need to do.

Nate gives up and leaves with his box of new books to let you have full run of the back to do your weird vulture culture shit. He figures he's just too old to understand the new obsessions with the macabre. He hopes his cousin won't take to shit like this, the kid's weird enough as it is, no need to put another target on her back. Nate sets off to take down the Harry Potter sets in favor of this new comic series little Jo wanted.

Already taking his silence as the go ahead you place your found skull on the table and rush off into the store front to find a book on taxidermy and hopefully more specifically about bones. The set up and organization of the store reminds you a lot of the scene in Brendan Fraser's The Mummy 1997 where Evie is on the ladder and somehow causes all the book shelves to fall like dominoes. So unsafe, yet all book stores and libraries seem to have this set up. With the tall shelves it makes it difficult to accurately get a read on the spines. You don't even know what section taxidermy actually falls under, education maybe?

“Nate, where do you think a book on taxidermy would be?” you called out as you passed by him.

“...hobby?” that didn't sound right but you'd give it a shot anyway.

This should be fun, the hobby section was so disorganized and it took up nearly half the store too, Book & Nook had everything from fishing, to crochet, cooking, the art of film making, hell even had a cryptid hunting book a book that you may have to look into a bit later. You closed your eyes and let your intuition guide you, when you looked up you saw a thin black...vine, no whisp? It undulates in less than rhythmic movements nearly like a snake but it has no head, and not unlike a tentacle but without suckers. It's another hallucination so you were keen to ignore it until it stretched past your head, giving you an added auditory hallucination where you swore you could hear wind rushing past your ears, it swirled around you until it flew to the shelf and tapped on a book. Cautiously you walked over to it, it's never good to play into these delusions. Once you got close enough the black shape was gone but on the shelf was a creme colored paper back titled “Manual of Taxidermy: Complete Guide of Preserving Birds and Mammals.”

Walking to Nate with the book in your hands you asked him to read it and make sure you weren't having an episode and making everything up right now. You'd have to try harder to go to sleep tonight if that were the case.

“Oh you found your book huh?” he said looking down at the title.

Well this is getting weird fast, but you nod nonetheless. Might as well thank the weird hallucination gift right. Leaving him to do whatever it is he plans on doing the rest of the day, you go to the back. And just as the book instructs you set to cleaning the skull by setting it in some water and changing it as many times as the water runs murky. The book is quiet helpful to a beginner like yourself but it does seem a bit outdated from the bits of information you know from taxidermists blogs and vulture culture posts on the internet. Reading it in between water changes is a great way to pass the time though, not like you guys get any real customers anyways.

The bell rings as the front door opens and closes alerting you to someone's arrival on your third water change. Needing a little bit of mental stimulation you walk out into the front where Big Jo and Little Jo are talking to Nate. Little Jo sees you and skitters away from her father to rush you, she stops about a foot away and holds her arms wide open. She's a hugger but upon meeting you had never even thought people could be touch adverse so keeping in mind that you might not want to be touched she's learned to invite you into hugs and it's your choice to allow it or not. Placing a hand on your bicep you give a squeeze, checking your tolerance you find the thought bearable. Placing your arms outstretched at your sides Jo rushes your torso for her hug.

After she nearly body slammed you into the wall, and  let her death grip go she was off on a tangent about so many things. Her excited rapid blinking tic, one she developed after meeting you, triggering your own.

“Ok so you remember how last week I told you that Jessie Kinsleton said that Micheal Saleisa told Gigi B, not Gigi S. that Meghan,” you had no clue the lives of eleven year olds had gotten so complex, from the gossip you heard from Jo it seemed that the school's sixth graders were plotting for a war with an ice cream parlor up the street. No clue why, maybe just to fuck the system, kids are weird, preteens are weirder...and angry.

But you nod to Jo listening to her every word, and trying to calm your eyelids so you could actually open your eyes. After being told the sequence of events that would happen in the Tween Armageddon, something to do with Marco Salvator ordering three dozen donuts and a flock of geese, your eyes finally gained their ability to see back. Black whisps, much like the one from earlier, wandered all around your vision, it looked like a  dark smoke had settled eye level within the shop and was snaking through the isles.

Catching the movement of your eyes Jo looked around the shop too. Seeing nothing she turned back to you concerned, “Hey it's okay, nothin's there.”

Hearing the drop in volume of the normally chatty tween, Big Jo and Nate pause their conversation to turn their attention to you and follow you're gaze.

“Kid, you ain't sleepin' again?” Big Jo can already gauge by the bags under your eyes but he's a polite man so he feels the need to ask rather than state his assumptions.

“Day 6.” You answer simply, ever since you've started at Book & Nook the whole Cowell family became acutely aware of many of your disorders. By their record your longest time spent awake was ten days, you however adamantly say that you were an hour's mark away from ten full days so the longest you've been up is nine days in a row. And those are just the cases they know of since you've moved to Kepler.

Big Jo shook his head as a stern father would, which he is, “I have half the mind to send you home to rest.”

“That won't work.” you really don't mean to sound so coarse but it's so irritating having to go over this at least once a week.

“What about those gummy things Dia got you?”

“Long term that kind of stuff has no effect, sure it'll make me drowsie for an hour or two but even if it made me sleep one night I can't use it all the time. And before you ask the same questions again, caffeine has no real effect on me so limiting my intake will do nothing and weed doesn't do a thing for me either.” you state plainly, monotone as you present facts that everyone in the room already knows.

Looking at the stern face of Big Jo's and the exasperated face of Nate you continue, “I know it must be frustrating for you to not be able to help, but I'm content living like this. I like my late night adventures and when I do sleep it's really pleasant.”you threw in a smile for added comfort.

“Kid tha's not the point, there's somethin' wrong with you, medically I mean.” he's pinching the bridge of his nose, probably counting to ten to calm himself from raising his voice.

“Tons of people suffer from insomnia and there isn't anything a doctor could do for me except look for underlying conditions.” Big Jo's about to retort when you continue with, “Plus my dad and uncle both have insomnia as well so my case is due to the genetic lottery I lost.” You say with a hint of finality of your situation, you had to come to terms with this condition all the way back in high school. Having a decade to get used to your strange condition and the limitations it places on you from time to time. Whereas the Cowell family's only had two months to process this information, and you understand it'll take awhile before they stop being concerned. Same thing happened with you parents and friends back then too.

For now you're only met with more head shakes as if they were saying 'what are we going to do with you'. Leaving your medical issues aside Nate and Big Jo continue to talk shop, when the set up Nate just put on display catches Jo's eye.

Like lightening the tween was away from your side and by the new display shelf it looked like it held graphic novels. That's a first since you've been here, you walk over to join Jo knowing the second you do she'll start on about what's got her so excited. Most people might say you over indulge the child and coddle her but you actually just think it's really important to take interest in what makes kids happy. It helps them find their voices and also shows them that it's normal to get excited and like things.

“We got the TAZ graphic novels in?!” you hate rhetorical questions but smile and nod at her anyway.

“Have you read them? No, well you've listen to the podcast...what omg! Ok so there's these three brothers and their,” Jo begins regaling you with tales from the podcast known as The Adventure Zone and how fun they've made dungeons and dragons seem with their amazing story telling and funny characters.

You aren't sure if a show where the main group of heroes being called Tres Horny Bois is exactly age appropriate but when you look to Big Jo he kind of just shrugs it off. Turning you attention back to Jo who's now monologing about mongooses you just smile at the weird family you've found yourself in.

Let it be said that a tween with a slightly unhealthy fixation on something can find anyway to drag it back to that fixation. The day flew by with Jo explain the inner workings of dungeons and dragons, fifth edition, to you, her father, and her cousin after you mentioned why she didn't play. Apparently she'd love to but wanted a story fitting for her friend's to adventure. So being the good older cousin, father, and weird family friend you all were you came up with a story plot for her to use with her campaign.

The Jos had a lot of fun bonding over this little workshop and you guys even had food delivered so you and Nate could stay later. What was meant to just be a quick workshop turned into a mini family game night after you made several nearly impossible puzzles that wouldn't be used in Jo's campaign due to no one at the current table understanding how to solve it even after you showed them several times.

Overall it was fun and you think you might actually be tired enough to go to sleep tonight. You tried to stay and help clean up but Big Jo put his foot down and told you to go get some rest, he'd seen the way you occasionally look around the room as if something was moving behind them all. You may have started off as a cashier two months ago for him but his daughter has opened up a lot since meeting you and discovering that tics aren't so uncommon and there are people who wouldn't care or make a big deal out of them. Because of that you've earned your keep in his family, he already has you down on the list for Christmas cards.

Knowing you can't fight the six foot four man you roll your eyes and bid everyone good night, little Jo coming in to steal another hug from you and thank you for helping with her game. Checking on your skull you see the water's clear and dump it in the sink of the break room before leaving the skull to dry overnight, it's for sure gonna make Nate scream tomorrow, you can't help but chuckle at that.

Leaving through the back door and into the dusk colored parking lot you notice your trunk is popped open slightly. You definitely heard it shut earlier this morning. You blink before your head jerks to the right, unsettled by possibility of a break in and not risking it you head back inside.

“Hey, I think my car may have been broken into.” you stand awkwardly in the door way unsure of how to proceed.

Big Jo and Nate are out of the door as fast as they can. They find your car unlocked with the trunk popped, you know they weren't trying to brush you off when they asked several times if you did in fact lock your car this morning. After hearing your affirmative response each time, they began to inspect your car checking to make sure all wires are properly secured under the hood, Nate even retrieved the jack out of his own car to take a look under the car, ensuring the brakes hadn't been messed with. They started the car up just fine and it didn't appear tampered with. Even though nothing looked out of place and Nate's car, sitting in the same parking lot, hadn't been touched you appreciated them checking to make sure you were alright.

Knowing you're perceived as a woman by most, even outside of this small town, makes you uneasy when it comes to terms of abductions and violence. You know the chances and hear the stories whether it's from the victim's mouth or a podcaster's telling the story the dead can't. Nate offered to follow you home and make sure you were ok but you declined and said you'd call them both when you got home. Big Jo said to just call his home phone because Nate would be coming over tonight anyway, and if they didn't make it there before you called Dia was already at home and would pass the message along. You'll probably still try and give the shop a call if Dia answers, it wouldn't sit right with you if you wound everyone up just to not and at least try to settle their nerves.

With one final check of you car, the men even going so far as to lift seats up and feel under them, they sent you off. You drove carefully on the road tonight, ready to pull off into the shoulder at the slightest hint that something was wrong. Not even the radio was on something that you really didn't like driving without, but if there was the chance for you to catch a shift in tone of the machine you wanted to. Eventually you did end up making it home in one piece and you had called the Cowell family home, from the safety of your car, and got a spazztic eleven year old asking if you'd made it home alright. It took a little bit of coaxing but Little Jo calmed down and shouted to her parents that you were on the phone and alright.

“Kid,” looks like Big Jo took the phone away from Little Jo, “Everything ok on the drive.” Big Jo could hear the movement and shutting of your car door, he'd have to say he was relieved you waited until you were on the phone before exiting. He knew you lived out past the quiet zone in Old Lydia's house. A fact that did little for the unease he felt when he thought you were being watched.

“Oh, yea drive was fine, too quiet but fine.” you said simply as you began circling the cottage. Nothing seemed out of place on the outside, even looking above eye level where people tended to get sloppy in stalking or home invasion cases, everything seemed fine.

“Hope you don't mind if I keep you for a bit.” You had just unlocked your door and stepped in.

“Nah, kid 's fine.” you give a hum of acknowledgment as you look through the kitchen in cabinets, under cupboards, and even under the table.

“You're a smart kid.” he's taken that fatherly overtone that makes you roll your eyes. You understand the sentiment of parents and parental figures having pride in their child or ward but it's always been so weird to you when they feel the need to bring it up. Especially when they bring it up in situations that are dangerous, like can you not make it sound like someone's about to die.

Finding nothing in the living room, hall closet or bathroom you make sure all the windows are locked and dowels are in place to keep them from opening. And you double check that both the back and front doors are secured. You can hear the hushed whispers on the other end of the line, Dia must have just found out about your car, as you rustle through your kitchen utensil drawers taking out two forks before you make your way to your bedroom.

Once in your room you checked your closet and under your bed. Finding nothing you  went to the window in your room, the one right by your bed, you checked the lock, secured it in place with two dowels, and then covered it throwing a thick blanket over the curtain rod to ensure no one would be viewing you in your sleep or the precautions you were about to do. Turing around and locking your bedroom door you then jam one fork into the closed door crease, right below the locking mechanism, and jammed the other fork perpendicular through the prongs. You attempted to open the door with all your weight but only could get an inch in before the forks would stop more movement.

“Kid you alright over there?” it's rushed, he probably heard the commotion with your make shift lock.

“Yea, just had to add another lock to the door.” you trust the Cowell's but you understand how stupid it'd be to let them know exactly how you were defending yourself. Even if it wasn't them there's no telling if the person who broke into your car was outside and just good at hiding. You could also be too jumpy from your true crime shows but you figure it's better to be safe.

“I think everything's good Big Jo.” taking a final glance around your room eye's landing on the bed, “Think I'm even ready to go to sleep tonight too.” a small half laugh leaves your mouth.

“Alright kid, you call if you need anything got it.” it's an order not a request.

“Got it, good night.” Big Jo might think that'd been rude coming from anyone else but from you he can only roll his eyes at the brevity and the dial tone he's met with. He has his own sweep to do, if they were targeting his employee there was a reason. He hasn't had any problems since coming to Kepler but someone always eventually comes along who can't take a hint.

Even combing through your home with Big Jo on the line you didn't feel safe having your bed by the window anymore and moved it away and in front of the closet door. You'd rearrange your room later but for tonight this would have to do. By some grace of god you were actually able to shut your brain down tonight and rest. Maybe it was the excitement and merriment from hanging out with the Cowells or more likely the situation you find yourself in of perhaps being a target for something insidious.

Whatever the case may be you are off to the land of dreams before you know it. And unbeknownst to you the same eyes from this morning watch your home. They may not have seen what you did in there but they'd be sure to catch you when you come out. They'll wait all night to catch you if they have to.

[apothecarinomicon]

Spring week 1 part 3

I wasn’t sure how often I’d have patients, so I spent much of the rest of the week cleaning up around the property and sweeping the cobwebs out of the cottage. As much as I was willing to be friendly, I was not about to run right to the blacksmith and ask for a favor the same day I met him.

Or for several days after.

I think the golem might have used the last of its existing power getting here, because it didn’t move at all the entire time I was working on the property. If I ever locate my predecessor, I must remember to pick her brain on the finer details of how she made it. I assume it was her that made it, though it could really have been any of the previous owners of the cottage. I’m still not entirely comfortable thinking of myself as its owner, honestly—I feel more like a guest, or perhaps a tenant.

As I worked, my thoughts turned to the Bankhead family. Evander introduced himself as Aidan’s husband, just like that, plain and in public. The ease of it ran so counter to my own experience growing up in Huntsmanland that I hadn’t even processed it in the moment, automatically eliding it so that it could surface for real in my mind at a later time.

Is this the norm in High Rannoc? Is it only in Greenmoor? Or are the Bankheads perhaps rebellious activists? Is this a place where I might be free from the whispers and rumors and derision that followed me for my entire youth?

I suppose further observation is required.

I stopped working after a few hours, sweaty and tired. I was hoping to potentially find some easy reagents in the overgrowth and piles of stones, but no such luck befell me. The job’s not nearly complete, though, and I may be lucky yet.

I’m going to wash off and then head into town, to see if I can find any dishes or cutlery, or at least a few glass bottles. Maybe some lunch, too.

 ────⊱⁜⊰──── 

My trip into town did not go as I’d hoped. My mind is racing a bit at the moment but I’ll try to get this down in order.

The town’s tavern is called The Copper Fox. It sits right next to the inn, and by comparison looks almost comically squat. It was busy when I walked in—looked like more than half of the adults in the town were there. I walked to the bar, intending to ask what food was available. The man working behind the bar met me as I reached it and slid a stein into my hands, cutting off my question by saying “on the house.” He was about as squat as the building he worked in, balding and with a thick mustache and thin beard. He held my gaze for a long moment, with a meaning that I couldn’t quite comprehend. A request, perhaps, or an admonishment.

Or perhaps a warning.

There was a bard standing near one wall, singing and playing guitar. She was finishing a song as I walked in, but as the last chord faded I heard a couple voices from the crowd cry “again! again!”

Gleefully, she started up playing again to a round of cheers and the scattered clinking of silver. It was an old ballad I’d heard a few times before, a bit grisly for my taste. There are a few different variations, but the one she sang goes like this:

The taxman came to collect tax and roused Jack out of bed And Jack, alack, he took an axe and struck him o’er the head The taxman, he fell to the ground and writhed and moaned and bled And Jack, alack, he swung and swung to ensure he was dead

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

Jack dragged the corpse into town square and loud and bold he said “He came and tried to take what’s mine and now his debt is paid” The townsfolk, they all gathered ‘round, and not a bit afraid All the townsfolk laughed and leaped and threw him a parade

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

They all marched to the edge of town and facing the frontier They set the corpse down by the road, held upright on a bier With this grisly sculpture the town made its message clear: “Take your bullshit somewhere else. You are not welcome here!”

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

As I said, it's terribly grim. Still, it’s better than the version where an army comes to massacre the town as revenge for the tax collector.

It was halfway through the second chorus that I began to feel eyes on my back. I glanced around and caught several people quickly averting their eyes. I found this unnerving, to say the least, and it only got worse when I started to hear people whispering. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I recognized the tone. It was one that had followed me my entire childhood, one that made my outsider status clear. I was the other, worthy of derision, of sanction.

Of violence?

I got up and left quickly, without finishing my beer.

 ────⊱⁜⊰──── 

I decided to visit the bakery instead. Aidan and Evander had been nothing but kind to me. It turned out to be a good call. They had me come in and upstairs to their apartment, where they were eating what they hadn’t sold that day with their son MacKay. They shared their food with me. They made me feel welcome.

I asked how Aidan’s thumb was doing. He showed me the bandages and how he could squeeze it without pain. He touched it to his fork, and when he lifted his hand the fork didn’t come with it. All was well on that front, it seemed.

I asked after dishes and cutlery, mentioning that there didn’t seem to be any in the cottage. Aidan stood and said that when my predecessor vanished, they were the ones she gifted her kitchenware to. Since they already had a set, Aidan said it seemed only right that it go to the new resident of the cottage, and Evander agreed. I offered to pay but they said there was no need—it was a gift. I took what was offered and thanked them for it.

With a slight sense of belatedness, Evander asked to what they owed the pleasure. I hesitated, not wanting to dampen the mood or be too vulnerable or in any way risk losing what I was quickly beginning to think of as an oasis.

But then again, maybe there was some clarity to be gained here. I started explaining about going to The Copper Fox, and the bard performing the ballad. I hadn’t even gotten past explaining the content of the lyrics when MacKay preempted me, mumbling something along the lines of “yeah, I bet that made you uncomfortable.”

It was clearly meant to be a private comment to himself in the way of adolescents, but we could all make it out. Aidan said MacKay’s name sharply, in warning or reprimand, but I was already spider-webbing through the potential implications of his statement in my head. I asked them what that meant.

Aidan and Evander shared a glance, and seemed to silently come to an agreement.

I can’t usually remember well enough to give exact quotes, but Evander was picking his words so carefully that I recall them clearly. He said “there’s a rumor going around that you’re a... spy for the Government.”

I thought he meant people were saying I was working for the mayor, and I protested that that didn’t make any sense. I’d only met her once and wasn’t familiar enough to get any more than surface information.

“No,” he clarified. “Capital ‘G’ Government. Not the local one.” He said most of the townsfolks’ interaction with any governing body larger than the local government was when tax collectors did in fact come to town, or when some new ordinance was decreed that required public observance. It was all very mysterious to them and seemed unaware of and uninterested in their actual needs—and that bred suspicion and contempt. Any outsider became a potential threat.

However, Aidan added with a pointed look at MacKay, not everyone in town was foolish enough to buy into the rumors. MacKay protested that he didn’t believe them, that it was just a bit of hazing that every new person to the town had to undergo. He rattled off a couple of names I didn’t recognize before Evander cut him off by saying that just because it had been done before didn’t make it right to do again. MacKay countered that it wasn’t his idea, and that reprimanding him wouldn’t keep me safe from the adults who might take the rumors more seriously.

I asked what that meant—was I unsafe here? Evander and Aidan agreed that I absolutely was not. For the entire time they’d lived here (and for Aidan, that was his entire life), there had never been a case of significant violence between townsfolk. It would not come to that, they assured me.

Still, it’s all very nerve-wracking.

 ────⊱⁜⊰──── 

It’s the middle of the night and I’ve just thought of something. Clearly the bartender did think I was a Government agent there to suss out illegal activity, as Evander said.

Because if he didn’t, he would have had no reason to try and bribe me.

 ────⊱⁜⊰──── 

I decided perhaps it was best if I wasn’t around in town too much—they can’t call me a spy if I’m not spying, right? So, I decided to spend some of my down time exploring the wilderness around Greenmoor without the pressure of a patient waiting on me.

The two major remaining areas that seem reasonably safe to traverse with what resources I have currently are Glimmerwood Grove and Hero’s Hollow. I wasn’t much in the mood to deal with a dungeon today—nor the denizens and adventurers therein—so the choice was fairly clear. I brought Ailean with me, so I could better attune with her, and so she might help with the secondary reason for my outing.

In addition to just wanting to be out of town, I went to the grove to see if I could find a princess toad, which one of my predecessor’s notes mentioned lived in the tangled undergrowth. Not only are several of their byproducts useful reagents, but I thought it might be nice to give Ailean some company—or at least show her where she could find it if she ever grew bored.

Glimmerwood Grove is genuinely beautiful, a forest in full Spring bloom. The undergrowth is dense, and seems reluctant to accept any human attempts to create walking paths—it encroaches upon or obscures even those close to the edge of the wood. Despite the near-total cover of the canopy, the entire place is kept well-lit by some means invisible to me (hence, I suppose, ‘Glimmerwood’). The whole place has an air of magic to it.

As I walked further into the grove, I found (as predicted) less and less path to follow. The patches that were bare of undergrowth this deep were blanketed by healthy colonies of moss. The sound of bells came faintly, from where I couldn’t tell.

I was staring off to my left—I thought I’d seen movement in between the trees and was looking to see if I could catch more—when Ailean made a noise that brought my attention to the ground in front of me. There, I saw a clutter of small pellets. Having lived with Ailean for nearly a week, I could recognize the size and shape as those of toad droppings, but the color was a strange lavender.

Well, I may not have found the toad itself, but these droppings were a useful reagent all their own. I used a small scoop (I brought it with me on my journey from Edith’s) and gathered enough for one use. There wasn’t enough for two, and despite its color the smell was enough to dissuade me from storing any more than I needed.

I got what I needed onto the scoop and stood, and that’s when I saw it.

Standing a few meters down the path was a pure white horse with a horn coming out of its forehead. It was looking directly at me, standing stock still. Sitting here writing this, I’m still shaken. Unicorns are of the domain of bedtime stories, fairy legends, explorers’ tales. They aren’t real.

And yet.

I went to take a step towards it and it immediately turned and trotted away into the woods. I could have sworn it grew translucent before it disappeared among the trees.

My first week here has been… fucking hell, it’s been a lot. That was just the cherry on top.

An enormous, unheard of, vaguely portentous cherry.

I’m going to bed.

⇦●〇●⇨

[atlanticcanada]

Province cracks down on university party-goers after weekend bash with no masks

With strict new gathering limits in effect in much of Nova Scotia, police have been granted new powers to issue tickets, which could prove expensive not just for the host, but for the party-goers themselves.

Like others on Edward street, Louis Brill has gotten used to the occasional college party.

He, and others, though, were surprised and unhappy Friday night when they realized a large gathering was taking place a few doors away.

"Several of the neighbours called police and of course police responded to that, and we found 62 students at the party unmasked, and at a time of COVID, that's more than a concern," Brill said.

Police issued a $1,000 ticket after breaking up the party, but some neighbours say the university should be doing more.

For it's part, dal says it works closely with city officials to make sure students are aware of the latest public health orders, the school also says it considers them adults who are expected to abide by the law.

"Dalhousie recognizes its students as independent adults," university spokesperson Janet Bryson wrote in an e-mail. "Students are also responsible for following all civil and criminal laws in Nova Scotia. Dalhousie fully supports HRP's work to deter unsafe and disrespectful student behaviour."

Police say they continue to enforce existing health orders, but wish they didn't have-to.

"Our perspective has always been we start with conversations and education, and we look to enforcement if that's not effective," said Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. John MacLeod.

The trick is to do that "without looking heavy-handed," says Halifax Regional Coun. Waye Mason, who represents the area.

"It's hard for the police, especially at this time to bring maximum penalties," Mason said.

But, convinced more needs to be done, he reached- out to the province, seeking fines for party-goers - as well as those who host.

"So, today, I wrote the premier and Dr. Strang, and asked them to put really clear direction that people who attend the party that breaks the rules should also be ticketed," Mason said.

A few hours later, he got his wish.

"Going forward, there will be stronger enforcement for illegal gatherings, including a $1,000 fine for every person who walks though the door," McNeil said.

As with the other restrictions, the new fines take effect first thing Thursday morning.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3m47mBu

[imagines-so-what-if]

B is for Breaking and Entering

Headcanons and scenarios for Sherlock, Mycroft and Moriarty. 

The prompt: In which you decide to break into your boyfriend’s home. Why? Well, why ever not?

Genre: Fluff and humor

Rating: T for illegal activities

Reader type in the scenarios: Adventurous, confident, eccentric (especially true for Jim’s scenario, haha) 

SHERLOCK MASTERLIST   

gifs and characters do not belong to me

Headcanons for S/O breaking into Sherlock’s apartment

Sherlock is equally confused and amused on why.

It’s cute to see you worry about him.

But please don’t bring that annoying stranger who happens to be related to him by blood into this.

That irritates him.

He’s fine.

He’s really fine.

He’s fine.

Stop worrying, please.

He wants to know how you did it. He wants you to walk him through the process and see if you spot all the security errors he already has.

He’ll set up his own security measures and challenge you to try again.

Succeed and he’ll make it harder. It’ll turn into a game. Fail and he’ll firmly believe he’s proven his point that he’s fine.

(But thank you for worrying not that he would ever say it out loud)

Sherlock Scenario

One day you decided to break into Sherlock's home.

Because why not?

You waited until late at night on a night that Sherlock and John were currently out and about on some fantastic case. You carefully bided your time until you were certain Mrs Hudson was sound asleep and no one would be up and about to see your nightly antics.

You first tried picking the lock because Youtube made it look easy.

It was not easy.

You gave up on that about ten minutes in and then headed towards the front window.

It was alarmingly easy to wiggle an old coat hanger wire through the tiniest little hole and unlatch the window. You opened it and climbed inside the first floor.

‘That was too easy. That was seriously way too easy.’

You were understandably unsettled by how easy it was to break into your boyfriend's apartment.

‘Maybe it'll be harder actually trying to get into Sherlock's room?’

You really hoped so. Otherwise you were going to have to dedicate a weekend to revamping the security on this place (although already you were planning on getting that window fixed).

You headed up the stairs, simultaneously pleased and annoyed at how the stairs creaked loudly. On one hand you were trying to break in without getting caught, but the potential noise it made offered a bit of security so at least there was that.

Mrs Hudson did not seem to hear the noise, though.

You made it up to Sherlock's flat and you tried to pick the lock. Unsurprisingly you were not successful. You then remembered that Mrs Hudson kept spare keys around on the alarmingly frequent occasion Sherlock “lost” his, or locked John out.

‘But surely she wouldn't leave it lying around for a burglar to have easy access…’

The key was hanging on a hook back down stairs by the front door.

‘Oh, dear…’ You shook your head at such. ‘Maybe it's a fake?’

You tried the key out.

It was real.

Sherlock's flat was completely vulnerable to you.

That did not settle well with you. Nope. Not at all.

So you immediately called up Mycroft.

He picked up on the third ring. "Hello, Kitten."

You didn't bat your eye at your assigned nickname. You didn't like people using your actual name, so you insisted everyone calling you by some kind of nickname. The most common one was Kitten, but you occasionally got Robin, Pet, and Dearie. Even Puppy once from Sherlock when he made a scathing remark at your ability to always come back to him no matter how insulting he could be.

"Hello, future in law," you greeted in return. Marriage was a long ways off for Sherlock, but given that you had been together for as long as you could remember you had earned the right to call Mycroft such. You even called him big brother on occasions you really wanted to get under his skin.

Mycroft wasn't phased, though. "What is it?"

"Sherlock's apartment has alarmingly poor security," you explained. "I literally just broke in it without any fuss ten minutes ago."

"Yes, I've noticed. And?"

"And you and I need to change that. Immediately."

"Starting to feel unsafe?"

"Starting to think Sherlock's catching a lot more attention from not nice people these days," you retorted.

Mycroft made an agreeing noise. "Then what do you propose? He won't let me assist him."

"No. But he'll let you assist me."

"Mm-hmm. Well, if you can deal with his tempertantrum I can have the place properly fitted with a good security system within twenty four hours."

"And replace the windows."

"Of course."

"And the doors and locks."

"That goes without saying."

"Good. We have ourselves a deal."

Thankfully Sherlock's case took him out of town for the next couple of days so the security changes were able to implemented without a fuss. Oh you knew he was going to throw a fit when he got back, but you only had his safety in mind. He'd forgive you because he would understand the logic, even if you ended up getting help from his brother.

He'd forgive you.

Eventually.

Probably.

Hopefully.

When he did return he demanded what happened to his apartment. The new features weren’t obvious, but nothing was hidden from Sherlock’s gaze. Abashed you quietly muttered, “I broke into your apartment a couple days ago when you’n’John left.”

“You what?” John asked in surprise.

“I was bored,” you confessed. “Anyway, it was ridiculously easy. So I—I asked Mycroft to help upgrade it.”

Sherlock stared at you for a solid minute, cold blue eyes narrowed in obvious distaste. Without a word he turned around and left. He went into his bedroom and shut the door. John awkwardly shifted his weight before mumbling an apology on Sherlock’s behalf and asking if you’d like some tea.

You politely declined and moved to sit down in front of Sherlock’s door.

He didn’t come out for the rest of the night, unsurprisingly. You anticipated such, though, and with determination that came with being his girlfriend you stubbornly waited. When you inevitably dozed off sometime around 2 in the morning you were abruptly awoken by the door swinging in.

You tumbled backwards into the room and looked up at Sherlock’s dour expression. You tried for a nervous smile. “I’m sorry I upset you, but I really was only thinking about your safety. You know I—I mean you know I care about you an awful lot. You’re getting into dangerous situations and I only want you to be safe.”

He gave a short sigh. “I already know your reasons. Go to bed, you’re going to throw your back at sleeping like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to be okay with it?”

His face twitched. He was silent for a long time and you wondered if perhaps he was going to turn back around and sulk, but then he lets out a short sigh. “Something tells me you’ll only put it right back up if I take it down and my time could be better spent doing something else.”

You smiled at that.

“Don’t involve that man again, though.”

“Okay,” you agreed then yawned.

Sherlock bent down and gave you that awkward little smile he reserved for you. “Now tell me how exactly you broke in. I’ve done it a few times myself so I’m curious which path you took…”

Headcanons for S/O breaking into Mycroft’s home

If you were doing it with his blessing (for one reason or another), he’ll want to watch.

Succeed and he’ll immediately fix the security errors. He’ll thank you for pointing out the flaws.

Mycroft is not one to shirk on home security.

Especially if you’re living with him.

If you fail, he’ll still find your attempt amusing, but he’ll be pleased with his security.

Regardless he wants to see how you go about doing it so he’ll watch everything unfold on his security cameras. He may even add commentary depending on his mood and if you’re doing it with his blessing or not.

Doing it without telling him will cause some irritation. He’ll be unhappy you didn’t talk to him about it first, but as long as you and his home weren’t damaged during the endeavor he won’t dwell on it.

Be prepared for snarky comments about it though.

Mycroft Scenario

Mycroft’s home was more akin to a mansion than a house. It had a meticulously maintained yard, luxurious cars parked around the corner, and an aura of majestic elegance. Everything about it screamed blue blood, and anyone who met Mycroft wouldn’t be surprised to see what his home looked like.

When you first started staying over you had to admit to yourself it was a little intimidating. You had never been in such a tidy, well-taken care of, old, and gorgeous home.

(Then you saw his libraries and all that intimidation and worry was swept away into awe and envy.)

After so many nights sleeping over you really started to feel comfortable there. Mycroft and his servants were very accommodating to you and it wasn’t long before you started to call the place your home as well.

You had unofficially moved in there (as you still technically owned your own place in the city, but you only visited there maybe once a month) and you adored it. You loved being able to wake up with the love of your life, and occasionally even get to go to bed with him at the same time (he always made an effort to try and go to bed at the same time as you but his work made that difficult; still you appreciated the effort.) You got to eat breakfast and dinner together nearly every day; you got to randomly join him in showers and see his always surprised expression at that; you even got to pick out his ties.

Life there was grand.

Except for one teeny-tiny little issue.

Mycroft’s little brother and your good friend, Sherlock, had this inexplicable desire to break into Mycroft’s home instead of going through the front door. He also tended to do this very late at night / very early in the morning, and every time without fail you would wake up half-asleep and in full panic mode thinking a bunch of evil doers had broken into your home.

It made for amusing stories at first, but after the eleventh time it started to get a little annoying.

Enough so that you decided to actively try to make it near impossible for Sherlock to break in so he would have to go in through the front door, or call, or do anything besides give you a heart attack.

You started by adding extra locks on the doors.

Sherlock didn’t even bat an eye at them.

So you added locks to the windows.

Barely phased.

‘Is breaking into a home really that easy?’ You couldn’t imagine it would be. Mycroft’s home seemed so secure. ‘How is he doing it? Is there some sort of secret passage into this place I don’t know about?’

How did one go about breaking into a home anyway?

All you had seen in the movies were things either way too elaborate to ever happen in real life, or lock-picking. You went ahead and kindly asked Mycroft to change the locks again (and he decided to add a combination of technical locks as well as the standard key ones. He joked it might actually slow Sherlock down enough for him to get frustrated and try a different route.)

But surely there were other ways? After all Sherlock was able to do it within fifteen minutes every time.

Youtube and movies could only show you so much.

So you decided to try it for yourself. Maybe you would see something you initially didn’t think about.

Maybe there was a secret passage.

All of that had lead you to where you were tonight: trying to break into your own home with Mycroft bemusedly watching you on the security cameras.

“What’s your first move, my dear?” Mycroft asked you. You reflexively reached up to your ear piece.

You shifted your posture, thinking carefully. You had decided to do the “heist” at night, so it was a little hard to see. You had a flashlight, of course, because you weren’t trying to be sneaky about it. Right now you were trying to find the apparent holes in your security.

“Gonna circle it and see if I can find anything. Let me know if I disappear from the cameras. Maybe there’s a blind spot.”

“Of course,” Mycroft demurred.

You headed off, moving slowly and trying to see if you could find anything. You didn’t have Sherlock’s genius level of perception but you were observant. It wasn’t uncommon for you to see things others missed.

You poked the hedges, peering through them to see if you could find any magic holes into your home. There wasn’t anything terribly easy to notice as you moved around until—

“I’ve lost vision.”

You paused upon hearing Mycroft’s words and you glanced around. You were at the side of the home, opposite of the garage. You took a couple steps backwards, retracing your steps, until Mycroft’s pleasant voice filled your ears, “I see you again.”

“So there is a blind spot,” you murmured to yourself. “He must be coming in through here, somehow.”

“Very likely,” Mycroft agreed.

You experimented with the view, finding that the blind spot was about two meters wide, gaining in width the closer you drew to your home. It wouldn’t be hard for someone like Sherlock to slip into the spot and then—

And then what?

The nearest window was five meters off the ground. It would be difficult for someone like Sherlock to simultaneously hold onto that alarmingly tiny ledge while picking a lock, especially the expensive locks Mycroft invested in.

You poked at the hedges pressed to the bottom of the mansion. They were all neatly trimmed and healthy. None of them looked like they had been climbed on; there were no broken branches or an abundance of smashed leaves.

At least not until you reached the bottom of the hedges.

“Huh.” You knelt down and brushed back the bent branches. “Oh my God. I knew it!”

“Did you find something interesting?” Mycroft inquired.

You nodded before you remembered he couldn’t see you. “Yep. Hello secret passage.”

There was a pause. “You’re joking.”

You snapped off the branches and pushed back the leaves. Barely visible underneath the hedges was a tiny little wooden hatch. You weren’t surprised the gardener didn’t notice it, given how heavily concealed it was by the bottom part of the hedges. You had to use both your hands to lift up the hatch, though, and then using your flashlight you peered into the darkness below.

“It’s got a ladder. Pretty new. Sherlock probably put it in,” you observed.

“How lovely.”

“Welp. Here I go.”

You stuck the flashlight in your mouth and shimmied down into the hole. It was a tight fit going down—about eleven meters deep—but you managed. Your feet hit cobblestone and you found yourself looking into a dank, dark tunnel. There were lanterns hanging on the ceiling, but none of them were lit.

“This is the stuff of stories,” you commented, looking around. “I feel like a treasure hunter or something.”

“Where does it lead to, though?”

“Probably someplace in the cellar, given how deep we are.”

“Ah. I never installed security down there given what it was. An error of judgement on my part it would seem.”

“To be fair,” you said, “having a secret passage into your home is extremely unlikely.”

It didn’t take you long to reach the end of the tunnel where a tiny little door lead you to the cellar. It was high up on the wall of the cellar and concealed by an old tapestry. You climbed out of it and hopped down to the wooden floor, satisfied with what you had discovered. “Well, how do you want to proceed?”

“It makes for a good emergency escape route, I supposed,” Mycroft said. “Give it an upgrade and substitute the hatch for something sturdier… and fix that blind spot, of course.”

You found yourself nodding in agreement with your boyfriend. “Yeah. Heh. Let’s see if Shirley can break in now!”

“I’m sure he’ll try,” Mycroft said.

And he did.

But he didn’t succeed.

Headcanons for S/O breaking into Jim Moriarty’s penthouse

No matter how you spin it that’s impressive.

Like, wow. What a good little pet you are.

He’s genuinely impressed and bemused by you.

If you got hurt during it though he’ll be considerate enough to assist you in treating your injuries. If you got too hurt then he won’t be amused at all by your “adventure.”

Pets are meant to entertain, not kill themselves.

He wants you to walk him through your process. He wants you tell him what you think are the security errors.

He is a perfectionist; he does not want to have any errors.

He will be vexed with his head of security no matter what you say or do. His penthouse was meant to be impenetrable and the fact that you proved him wrong will simply not do, loved one or not.

This was meant to be a safe place for you. If it’s not safe then that is absolutely unacceptable. His displeasure will be known.

But good on you. Keep it up.

Moriarty Scenario

Moriarty was not a man who wasted time batting around the bush. When he wanted something, he moved to take it. Now certainly there were times where he would patiently construct convoluted and entertaining plans in order to obtain his desire; but there were an equal amount of times where he would brute force his way into taking it (not directly of course because Moriarty did not do dirty work).

When the your relationship with the criminal mastermind had reached a certain point he wanted you to move in with him. Now you had already been practically living in his penthouse with only the occasional visit to your lonely apartment, so you weren’t surprised or bothered by the idea of moving in with him. In fact, it was something you were hoping would happen soon.

He didn’t ask you, though, which wasn’t out of character.

Rather he told you casually during dinner one evening that you would be remaining in the penthouse for the foreseeable future.

His wording was ominous so you asked him to clarify.

“You will be living here from henceforth,” Moriarty explained clearly in that smooth voice of his. “No need to leave here again.”

You swallowed your food as you considered your response. “I have work.”

“You don’t need to work anymore.”

“I like my job.”

He smiled at you in a manner that reminded you of how a master might look at a pet doing an interesting trick. “That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

You shifted in your seat. You really didn’t not want to move in with him, but you worked hard to get where you were at now with your job. It felt like a waste to throw it all away. Additionally you knew what it was like being unemployed: boring. You learned the hard way early on in life that life without purpose was… uncomfortable. Working helped you stay proactive and if you no longer worked, what were you supposed to do with all that free time?

There were only so many shows one could binge watch, and so many things one could do confined to a single building.

“I’d like to move in with you,” you admitted to him, “but I’d like to keep my job. I’m willing to go down to part time, though.”

“What a nice compromise,” Moriarty commented as he took a sip of his wine. “How about no?”

“Why do you want me to stay in here indefinitely? Aside from the obvious answer that you want to spend time with me.”

Moriarty smiled charmingly. “Simple: it’s safest here. This penthouse is under my protection and no one could ever hurt you here. No one will ever touch you without my blessing. You have captured my attention well enough to warrant my protection, something I do not take lightly.”

Okay. That made sense. You understood perfectly well that Moriarty had made some extremely dangerous enemies It wasn’t a stretch to think they would use you to get to him. Following that logic it was a no brainer he would want you to stay inside his little fortress.

But something he said wiggled at the back of your mind.

“No one?” You repeated his words with a smile. “So what you’re saying is it’s impossible for anyone to break into here?”

“That should go without saying, pet.”

Your smile widened.

‘Oh this could get interesting,’ you thought to yourself.

“Okay,” you purred. “I’ll move in with you, but I’d like it to be this coming weekend instead of tonight. There are arrangements I’d really like to make in person. Surely you can give me a few days? Please?”

Moriarty tilted his head, his dark eyes looking you over as he considered your request.

“I’ll make it worth your while,” you added, your smile stretching over your face as you thought of your brilliant plan. “I bet I can make you laugh this week.”

That manic grin stretched over his face. “Mm. Okay. After Saturday you’ll remain here.”

“Deal!” You couldn’t resist chirping out that response.

So of course you decided to break into the penthouse after that, because why wouldn’t you?

(No one sane dated Moriarty and kept his attention for so long, but that’s okay no one here is judging you.)

The penthouse was definitely difficult to break into. It was stacked with guards, high-level security tech, surveillance everywhere, and lots and lots of weapons.  Everyone who worked there was thoroughly vetted and 100% loyal to Moriarty (or at least to the point where they understood taking their own life rather than helping the enemy was the kinder alternative to betraying him.) There was no way to infiltrate it through them.

If you were going to break into Moriarty’s penthouse there were only two ways:

Option one: Cybertech genius.  If you were one helluva hacker you could probably pass yourself off as a potential client. You could set up an online reputation, build yourself, make official looking documents, and go in through the front door. You would only have access to the mid-levels before you would have to disable security and sneak past the human guards up to the penthouse. That’d still be ridiculously tricky, though.

Which left option two, and arguably the more fun option: base-jumping. Crazy illegal, borderline insane, and absolutely no way to be predicted.

What a perfect plan.

On the day before you had to move in with Moriarty you decided to invite your bodyguards for some lunch. It was easy to slip them some sedatives and using the cash Moriarty gave you as an allowance you rented a personal plane to fly over the penthouse. When the plane was over the penthouse you would jump out in your air gliding suit and hopefully land on the penthouse.

One did not date Moriarty without being a risk taker.

What really made this extra funny was that you knew he would be looking for you about now.

The guards should have been awake for a few hours by that point. They would have told him you were missing. He would have checked all his GPS tracking bugs he planted on you (which you left behind).

He would likely be under the impression that you were kidnapped / in danger and would be slowly losing his mind looking for you.

And instead you would be breaking into his penthouse, waiting patiently in your room for him to notice you were there whole time.

His face… would be… priceless.

You really couldn’t resist cackling out loud.

He really brought out the mischievous side in you. Truly he had only himself to blame for enabling your pranks early on in your friendship.

You had also already left the penthouse patio door unlocked and open for you so you wouldn’t have to worry about tripping the security system when you went in.

Jumping out of the plane was thrilling, undoubtedly. With a thank you and a bow towards your generous pilot you leapt out of plane and soared through the air. You had only gone skydiving and base jumping a few times (all without your consent during one of Moriarty’s schemes, but you got over it… mostly).

With no amount of incredible luck you managed to land on the roof of the penthouse.

Of course you did not land with perfect grace. You tumbled and rolled, somersaulting several times over until you hit the roof wall. Your suit was scrapped up and you were thoroughly bruised and scratched, but the sheer satisfaction of executing a plan well kept the pain at bay and a smile on your face. You rolled back up, wincing when you realized you twisted your ankles when you landed.

You would definitely be feeling it in the morning, but that would all be entirely worth it upon seeing Moriarty’s face at the fact that you broke into his precious penthouse.

With glee you dropped down from the roof and onto the patio. Unsurprisingly the back door was opened—how you left it that morning—and you hurried inside. You practically ran into your room (okay, wobbled because ow ow ow) and started to make yourself comfortable as you waited for Jim to return.

You didn’t have to wait too long.

About an hour and a half later you heard the doors slam open from the front of the level. You could feel the barely restrained murderous air around your boyfriend as he gracefully (because Moriarty did not stomp) entered his penthouse suit. You could vaguely hear hissed words of anger as he neared the bedroom.

‘Probably on the phone.’

Then the double doors to your shared bedroom swung open and Moriarty immediately noticed you laying on your bed in an air gliding suit with a silly grin on your face.

The unchecked emotions flickering across his face were as priceless as you anticipated: First outrage, followed by confusion and bewilderment, then realization, then irritation, then bafflement, and finally exasperation. He stared at you, eyebrows raised and momentarily speechless.

Moriarty tossed his phone aside and strolled into the room with narrowed eyes. “You… ran away from my guards only to then break into my penthouse, which you can easily enter whenever you want?”

“Yeah,” you answered with a giggle. “I broke into your impenetrable fortress!”

“You injured yourself to… prove a point?”

“Mostly to see your face. It was 100% worth it.”

Then a uncharacteristic snort escaped the handsome man and he shook his head, chuckling. He was smiling, clearly amused by your antics. That familiar mad gleam entered his eyes and you knew you would likely be in for a punishment later tonight by causing him worry; but you had a feeling the punishment would be equally rewarding given that you were able to make him genuinely laugh. “Well done, pet. I honestly wasn’t expecting this. You have thoroughly caught me off guard.”

You beamed at his praise—because truly it was—and said, “Yay! I’m ready to move in with you now.”

“Of course you are.”

[bbeelzemon]

To Be Super

Wow my first piece of writing in years! Hopefully you guys like it, I’m a bit rusty LOL. So here’s an Incredibles 2 fanfic!

This is a prequel of sorts, from Screech’s perspective, about him getting inspired to become a superhero. Details are left sorta vague, since we don’t know... anything about his secret identity. Oh well! Also one thing to note, I headcanon Metroville to be located on the west coast, since a lot of it is modeled after California. And I headcanon Screech to be living on the east coast somewhere, so he’s a couple hours ahead of the Metroville events.

Anyway, enjoy!

Word count: 2048

   He sat watching the television, starting to doze off on the couch. It was getting pretty late, but he had no desire to go to his room and go to bed. The light coming from the television set was the only source of illumination in the room. As he was absentmindedly flipping through the channels, his interest was caught with a breaking news scene.

   It was being filmed in Metroville, it said, where a large plane-like vehicle just crashed into the ground. As people started to crowd around it, the vehicle broke apart and released a giant spherical object. He sat up in his seat as the sphere suddenly sprouted long robotic legs and started crushing cars. He couldn't help but think back to when he was a kid, and when this sort of thing happened, superheroes would show up to save the day.

   But that was a long time ago. As a kid he always dreamed about helping people with his powers. Once superheroes were deemed unsafe and illegal, however, he was forced to stop using his powers in public. That doesn't mean he stopped using them entirely, but he kept it hidden from others, for the most part. For a while he had tried to moonlight hero work once he was older, but he quickly found out that a sonic screech just is not stealthy in the slightest. And being able to turn your head all the way around can't really help anyone, except maybe scaring a bad guy.

   Now no longer tired, his attention was focused entirely on the news. A man with rocket boots was addressing the crowd, calling himself a super. It was obvious to him that all of his "powers" were coming from gadgets; he wasn't really a super. Disappointed, he sulked back into his seat. The robot knocked him out and continued to rampage. Suddenly, there was a flash of red on the screen, then another, then a flash of blue. Could it truly be? Supers?! Real supers! But they were all in hiding, hero work was illegal, how could there be supers? Suddenly he felt like a kid again, watching superheroes on the news and wishing he could help people with his powers like that.

   He got up and moved closer to the screen, getting a better look at the supers battling the robot. Two of them, actually, one, two, three... four of them had matching red outfits. Two of them were really small, were they... children? Were the four of them... a family? He had always felt alienated by his family; he was the only super out of all of them. He always figured the gene for superpowers must be recessive or something, and seeing these superpowered kids next to their superpowered parents solidified that for him.

   The kids both looked younger than 15, so he figured they must have been born after superheroes were made illegal. It broke his heart to think about these children having to grow up hiding their powers, ashamed of them. He was a kid when they were made illegal but these kids would have been born into it, knowing no other life. But maybe, just maybe, it was all changing. After all, they were using their powers in public now, right?

   The camera focused on the superhero in the blue and white suit using ice-based powers. He cocked his head and squinted; he knew he knew who that was, he just had to remember... His eyes blinked open and a big smile appeared on his face. Frozone! That superhero's name is Frozone! It's been so long since he saw any supers, he had nearly forgotten. How could he forget, Frozone was one of the classics! What about the other two adults? Were they classic superheroes too, from when he was a kid and they were always saving the day?

   The man in red looked like a powerhouse, he obviously had super strength... Which supers had super strength? He immediately thought of Meta Man, but remembered he had died. Couldn't be him. Next he thought of Hypershock, but quickly dismissed that once he realized the man on the television didn't have a jetpack of any kind. That left just Mr. Incredible, but this guy didn't look like Mr. Incredible. At all. Mr. Incredible wore blue, not red! He leaned in close to the screen, so much that his eyes were starting to strain, to look at the man's face better. No, looking at his face, his big chin, his blond hair, the 'i' insignia on his chest... this was definitely Mr. Incredible. God, he's gotten fat! Good to know that even supers can let themselves go.

   Lastly, he looked at the red headed woman in a matching outfit to Mr. Incredible's. One look at her super stretchy limbs and he immediately recognized her as Elastigirl. Oh, Elastigirl! People always thought he had crush on her as a kid, but really she was just his favorite. Regardless of his feelings, he had always considered her the gold standard of superheroes. She seemed so versatile, other supers had such specific powers, like fire, or ESP, or a sonic screech, but she could use hers anywhere, in any situation. Not to mention, she hardly ever caused any unnecessary destruction to her surroundings, or to other people. Now there is a woman who knows what she's doing!

   He looked at her supersuit again, noticing the 'i' insignia on it, and how it is completely identical to the insignia on Mr. Incredible's suit. Did she marry Mr. Incredible? Were those kids hers? Theirs? It seemed somehow comforting to know that behind these superhero identities, they had normal lives; besides their powers, they were normal people. Like him. And it gave him hope that maybe someday this could be him. Helping people, being accepted. Being a superhero. Even just knowing that there were still indeed supers out there helped him to feel not so... alone. To not feel like he's the only super left. Like no one else remembers them. But now he knows there's at least five, or maybe six if you count that gadget guy from earlier, Syn-something... So yeah, at least five other supers, he nodded.

   Elastigirl held the remote and started pressing the buttons on it, Frozone was trying to freeze the robot in its tracks, and Mr. Incredible must've thrown a discarded robot claw at it or something because it launched right through the robot and tore its power core out. Now that's how it's done! A smile spread across his face and he started clapping quietly at the television screen. He couldn't stop smiling as he thought that maybe, just maybe, superheroes are coming back. Maybe they'll be accepted again. Maybe he can be accepted again. And maybe he can make a difference in the lives of others.

   He knew he would not be getting any sleep tonight, he was much too excited. He practically ran to his garage and grabbed some paper. He would be a superhero. He grabbed a pencil. He would help others. He started drawing. And he was going to look cool doing it. Half of the appeal of superheroes, besides, yknow, saving the day, was the costume! A superhero had to be a character, someone that others could idolize and look up to. What would his costume's theme be? Maybe something bird-like, birds had very screechy voices like him, not to mention he definitely had the nose for it. But what kind of bird? He cocked his head in thought, before it came to him. An owl! Owls can turn their heads around just like he can! Well, not just like he can. He can turn his head farther than an owl can, but they come the closest.

   As he was designing the suit, he drew wings without thinking about it. Once he realized he had drawn them, he started to wonder if he could actually build them. It was one thing to make and sew a cool suit, but it would be an entirely different thing to actually build something mechanical from scratch like functional wings. He had studied robotics and engineering in college, so maybe he could figure it out... Yes, he would be able to build them, he wouldn't rest until he completely finished them. Well, he might have to rest at some point, but he would definitely be pulling a lot of all-nighters. Good thing he was a night owl.

----------

   A couple weeks later, he put on his completed suit all together for the first time. He looked in the mirror, everything was perfect. It was exactly how he had imagined it on that first night, when his spirit had been reignited by seeing superheroes, real superheroes, out in public, saving the day. It was just like he remembered from when he was a kid. And now, he could be one of those superheroes that some other young supers might look up to someday, to look back fondly on when they become real superheroes too. He knew he could make a big difference, he just didn't know where to start.

   He lived by himself, in a fairly small town without much crime. There was a big city about an hour's drive away, maybe thirty minutes as the owl flies, but he hadn't taken his new wings out for such a long flight yet and didn't know if they would be up for it. It seemed too risky, he probably needed to test them more. For the time being, he just sat on his couch and turned the television on.

   Flipping through the channels, he once again happened upon breaking news involving superheroes. The footage showed the "Incredibles" family and Frozone battling against a large drill, apparently run by some villain called "The Underminer" or something. After they stopped the drill, Frozone quickly skated away and the "Incredibles" were arrested. It was a harsh reality check, remembering that despite the changing public opinion, superheroes were still very illegal.

   A frown started to cross his face. He sighed and was about to take his cowl off when he heard a knock at the door. He doesn't usually get visitors, especially at this time of day, so he crept up to the door quietly and listened against it. He didn't hear anything, but a card was slid under the door. He kept listening for a minute, but after deciding there was no one there, he picked up the card and read it.

   "To whom it may concern,

   It has come to our attention that you may have super powers. Do not be afraid, we are on your side. We would like to make supers like you legal again. We are sending this letter to several people who have been on our radar as potentially being supers, and this includes you. The superheroes aren't gone. You're still here. And together we can make a difference for supers everywhere. Please consider joining us. If you agree, you will be housed in the great city of New Urbem, considered by some to be like a superhero's playground. We will show you off to the public performing heroic deeds and raise the public opinion of superheroes, and maybe someday we can help restore the supers' legal statuses. But we can't do it without your help. Help us change the world. If you are interested or have any questions, please call the number on this card.

   Your new friend, Winston Deavor

   DevTech"

   He stepped back, knees weak, and practically fell onto his couch. Him? Being a real superhero? For the first time since he was a kid it no longer seems like a far fetched dream, it no longer seems like a crazy fantasy, it seems like something real. Something that could happen, something that will happen. Hands shaking slightly, he turned over the card and found the phone number for DevTech listed on the back. His grip on the card tightened, as if he lets go then it may disappear forever. He felt like he might fall over, but he stood up anyway and made his way over to the phone. He dialed the number and waited for the other line to pick up. Heart racing, he just said five simple words.

   "This is Screech. I'm in."

[mounteenbase]

Badboy!The8 ~ Pt. 3

A/N: Shoutout to Red Velvet to releasing a very appropriate song to this au! Also I think this is the final part of the serie! Unless I get a lot of requests for this I think this is where I’ll end it! 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*  Part 2  ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You quickly went over to Minghao and whispered to him “What do we do now? Run?”

Minghao sighed. “Just let me handle this, stay here and don’t embarrass yourself.”

So many questions were going through your head ‘Is he gonna take on all those guys on his own??’ ‘Is he really that strong?’ ‘How is he even this calm??”

You thought about running away while you still could but honestly you thought you had more chance to survive waiting for Minghao to solve it all

“Guys guys, I told you I’d take care of this. They won’t get up our business ever again.”

“Wohoo Ming is getting possessive. Chill dude, we just wanted to see which simple soul was stupid enough to get into this situation.” 

They then proceeded to look over to you

“It’s a girl??” “Wait isn’t that Y/n from a few blocks over?” “Well fuck I think it is!”

Oh, oh god 

you felt so stupid, that was his gang, not the Black Jets

He must’ve been just annoyed they saw you two together...

“Yeah that’s Y/n alright, she’s just into art. We won’t hear from them again in the future.”

“Wait one second... what’s she wearing? Oh my god Minghao you trying to get into her pants?” This question was quickly followed with laughter from the whole group

“Lemme look at her from a little closer though, I wouldn’t mind smashing that.” another gang member said.

“Can we just go and consider this finished? The wall and street is our territory again and she won’t get involved again. Let’s go.” 

It was clear Minghao’s last words were an order. The last offer he’d give them before snapping

So that was it, Minghao and his friends left, you just sat down for a second to comprehend everything that happened in the past hour

After all this, why did you still feel like you wanted to discover more of him?

But time went by, new drawings appeared on the wall, everything was just like nothing changed

You did think of Minghao once in a while but you thought it was pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with you

That was until well, you started taking a new way to get home from work

Normally you’d walk by a big open street but they were renovating the sidewalk 

You couldn’t complain you’ve almost sprained your ankle twice thanks to that sidewalk

So yeah, you just had to take another road

You did recognise the graffiti tag on the walls, this was Black Jet territory.

But then again, they never saw you and if you took another way around you’d take like 15 minutes longer to get home

Okay you might get whistled at once in a while... maybe you felt super unsafe as well...

One day after a late work party you recognised a Fire Horn member who had laughed at you that one night. He seemed to recognise you as well. “Woh woh Y/n I didn’t think so. You may not be a Fire Horn but you came up for our group so we’re cool. But let me give you some good advise, don’t ever go through here again. The Black Jets will eat you alive if they know who you are.”

So you were scared enough to try take the 15 minute longer route because you weren’t gonna arrange your own funeral. You did wonder, how were you know in the gangs? Were you an unofficial Fire Horn member?

To your relief the place was beautiful, more greens, less buildings, some nice old ladies that always greeted you on the way home

There was a cute middle school in the street and about when after school activities ended you had to make your way through the street

One day though a reckless kid rode into you with his bike, the child was okay though he could put his feet down fast enough not to lose balance

And well you were laying on the ground with chafed knees and hands

Luckily this sweet middle aged woman offered to get you some band aids and disinfect the wounds

She let you into her house and said you could wait on the sofa while she searched for her first-aid kit

While you were awkwardly waiting in the woman’s living room you heard someone come down the stairs

It was a surprisingly familiar face

“Woh woh what the fuck, Y/n? How the fuck did you even get in here?” 

Yes indeed, this was Minghao’s home, apparently it was his mom that helped you

“Wait one second I didn’t even know this was your house! Your mom let me in because of this.”

You pointed to your knees and showed the palms of your hands afterwards

He came down further from the stairs and came to sit next to you and took your hands to examine them

“What did you do now though?”

Your got this nice feeling in your stomach thanks to the sudden touch but still answered normally “Some crazy kid drove into me with his bike, so I fell. Nothing serious though.”

His mom had returned with the first-aid kit, Minghao quickly gave you your hands back

“Oh was I interrupting something?”

He quickly got up to the kitchen “Nope. I’ll be getting some snacks, like a good host.”

You were just shocked how much more vulnerable he was in his own house

“So, do you guys know each other maybe?” 

She quietly started disinfecting your hands and knees

“Uh yeah we met through this art thing.” You didn’t know how much his mom knew about his gang life because she seemed like a pretty nice lady that’s not really involved in all of that

“Now you say it, I you really remind me of this drawing he made not long ago! Oh gosh I don’t think I should’ve said that if you know each other.” She said with a smile

Okay no you were sure she didn’t know anything about his gang life

“You know actually my son used to have a jacket just like the one you’re wearing now.”

Oh yeah

The jacket...

Actually because that jacket was warmer than all jackets you owned, you kept wearing it

Then Minghao came back into the living room with some little snacks that definitely took way less time to prepare because he didn’t want to get back in here

“Ming, look didn’t you have a jacket just like this one?”

You never thought you’d live to see this

But Minghao, the gang member who beat up countless people, that’s in a gang and does illegal stuff before breakfast

That Minghao, was blushing, red ears and all

“Uhm that is the jacket...”

And apparently Mr. though guy also can’t lie to his mom (at least when it’s not about gang stuff)

“Oh my god is that why you keep sneaking out at night? Is she your girlfriend?”

“Mom don’t, we’ll talk about this later. I just gave her the jacket because I don’t wear it anymore and she was cold.”

“I knew I raised a gentleman! But sure, I’ll stop embarrassing you. Y/n your knees and hands should be alright now, do you maybe want to stay for dinner?”

“No she doesn’t mom.” he quickly turned around to face you “Y/n let’s talk. Privately. My room.”

“Leave the door open sweety.”

Minghao made this horrible sound out of embarrassment, you really couldn’t help but laugh

“Oh god who would’ve thought a gang member would be such a mommy’s boy. I’m sorry but I’m enjoying this too much.”

“Please just shut it for one second my world is kind of collapsing. You, why do you have to keep meddling with my life? First you slip your phone number into my jacket after that night. Then you started messing with the Black Jet graffiti and now you’re in my house?”

“Hey I learned my lesson but me being in your house was not on purpose. But why exactly is your world collapsing?”

You made yourself comfortable and sat down on his bed

You did wonder if that was lowkey inappropriate because you weren’t exactly close friends

“Just, I don’t want my gang life and family life getting mixed up with each other. Not even one of my gang members knows where I live.”

He sat down next to you now hands in his hair, clearly contemplating his life

“Well I’m smart enough to stay out of gang business unlike someone here. Normally I’d have to walk through the Black Jets neighbourhood but I made a detour to this neighbourhood. That’s why I’m here every day. I even made friends with some old ladies down the street.”

“Please don’t tell me you’ve met my grandma as well?”

“Oh my god I always thought Mrs. Xu did look like you.”

“Well I guess I can’t blame you for this all, it’s all my fault for being so reckless. You were smart enough to stay away from the Black Jets at least...”

“Actually now you say it, one of your friends warned me. He said if they realised who I was, they would beat me up. What’s that all about?”

“About that, well, I kind of made the mistake of spray painting your face on a wall to claim you. We hear the Black Jets saw you paint the wall red again, they were planning on abusing or even killing you. My actions did have consequences but you’re well and alive and that’s what I was aiming for.” 

You didn’t believe your ears.

“So basically, I’m a member of your gang?”

“No not quite, more of a trophy? Wow that sounded way worse than I meant.”

“Nono I get it. Thanks though for the protection, what other consequences does this have though?”

“Uhm you cannot enter Black jet territory, in the gang world we’re practically dating and my gang will give you protection. And we need nothing in return it’s just if you are on Black Jet territory you’re a huge target, if you’re not they basically can’t do anything.”

“Hang on we’re dating?”

“Well, no but nobody can make a move on you. If they do they’ll get beat up by my people...”

Weird to think this was the real world and not kinder garden, then again the guy next to you probably witnessed some killings and torturing, hell he might’ve killed someone. You do hope nobody on your work starts flirting with you now though.

You felt kind of stupid that all of this is restraining your life. But then again it has been for who knows how long and you hadn’t even noticed. 

“Can I ask something though? Why didn’t you like inform me about this?”

“I believed that you’d stay out of Jet grounds after my talk so I didn’t worry too much.”

“But what if I started dating someone?”

He sighed for a second

“I just hoped it wouldn’t happen okay?”

Minghao looked down from embarrassment until you laid your hand on his thigh

When he lifted up his head you both instantly locked eyes, you felt there was some kind of sexual tention

You then looked down at his lips, you saw him doing the same

Before you knew it, you were both leaning in 

Minghao cupped your face with one hand, he took initiative and kissed you

The kiss was long but sweet, your lips were tingling of sensation

“Dinner’s ready!- Oh. Oh sorry leaving.” 

Way to ruin the mood... and your first impression with his dad

“You staying over for dinner then I guess?” 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*  Part 4  ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Masterlist

[sapphicscholar]

A/N: Once more, thanks to @lurkz for helping me to parse through what is actually illegal in business and what would simply be of dubious morality (and therefore, I assume as a flaming liberal, totally common)

Chapter Text:

“Monday, 11am, the slot’s all booked for you, alright?” Dirk said, settling into the driver’s seat of his SUV. After a pause, he nodded his head emphatically. “I told you, it’s better to spread it out. The emails will leak tomorrow.” … “Fine, I’ll talk to you then.”

“Here’s the thing, Dirk,” Alex drawled, looking at him through the rearview mirror, “if you’re going to do something illegal, you probably shouldn’t talk about it in public.”

“This is illegal! You’re breaking and entering!” Dirk yelled, scrambling for the door, only to find the lock jammed shut. As he turned and reached for the glove compartment, Alex simply laughed.

“You should know it’s illegal to travel with a loaded gun in DC. Thank god I was here to take it apart for you. Otherwise you might have gotten yourself into some real trouble.”

“I—uh—yeah…”

Straight to business, Alex ignored his spluttering. “I now have you on tape talking about leaking the emails.”

“You have nothing in the way of proof about which emails or who’s actually responsible for getting them,” Dirk shot back, once more finding his footing and the kind of fake courage born of enough money and privilege to avoid most consequences.

“No,” Alex conceded. “But I also did some digging…” He looked back at her. “I do wonder what your shareholders would think if they found out that you’ve been embezzling funds from your own company… Maybe they’d be more interested in learning that you were the owner of Metro Ink—you remember that little promising paper you pitched to the CatCo board a few years back, right? Didn’t end up helping CatCo, but you got yourself a new house in the Hamptons.”

“No one could have known that the paper wouldn’t help CatCo!”

“But they should have known that you owned a large share of it.” Dirk was silent, his arms crossed and his lip curled up in anger. “You know what I think the public would be most interested in, though? Your nephew Greg’s affair. And damn, cheating on a pregnant wife…that’s a new low. People just love a good, juicy scandal—but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“Don’t drag him into this.”

Alex scoffed at the belated attempt at being valiant. “You already did, and you know it.”

“What do you want? Money?”

“You’re not going to leak those emails. You’re not going to come forward with anything more about Cat or her campaign or anyone tied to it. You’re going to fade away into your pitiful little life and not bother us again. Got it?”

“Or what?”

Taking a deep breath, Alex leveled him with a glare. “I found all of that and more in three hours. Come for us again, and every resource the DEO has to offer will be directed at finding out every single thing you and Greg have ever done wrong. Whatever the media doesn’t pick up, I will personally deliver to the authorities with a pretty silver bow on top.”

“Cat better stop counting on my campaign contributions,” Dirk spat at Alex.

“Oh, she wouldn’t want money from someone like you anyway.” With a wink, Alex slid across the backseat, using a gloved hand to open the door.

“Where’s my gun? It’s my property!”

“I assume you’re exactly the kind of lowlife scum who would shoot me in the back the second I gave it to you. So I think I’ll just hold onto this. Consider it an insurance policy.”

---

“It’s handled.” Cat reread Alex’s message for a second, then a third time, confirming that it was really over, there would be no more leaks, no mass release of her emails. She felt herself exhale fully for what might have been the first time since the whole scandal began the day before.

“You okay?” Kara’s voice broke through her haze of tempered relaxation.

“Yes,” Cat breathed out. “Better than okay.”

“What happened?”

“The emails won’t leak tomorrow. No more news. Now it’s just dealing with what we have.” Sure, before any of this happened, dealing with what they had now would have seemed a burden too heavy, but now it felt so very manageable.

“Cat, that’s amazing! How—”

“We don’t ask.”

“Alex?”

“We don’t ask.”

“Right.” Kara fell silent and found the floor was suddenly particularly interesting.

“Kara,” Cat’s voice was soft, but there was also a note of warning in it that Kara couldn’t ignore.

“No, I know. What’s important is that you’re all set for your interview tomorrow.”

“I think we did enough practice questions to last a lifetime.” Even though her patience had worn thin around the one-hour mark, she had to admit that Maggie had done her research. It might have been overkill, but at least she was prepared.

“It’ll be good for our trip too.”

“Speaking of, it’s not even your first week, and you’re already staying at the office until”—Cat glanced down at her phone—“ten at night. Go home. Go enjoy whatever life you might still have.”

“You hired me as your campaign manager. That means I eat, breathe, and sleep this campaign—I knew that going into it.”

“You haven’t even officially started yet,” Cat countered.

“I’m not going to abandon you, Cat,” Kara shot back—the unspoken, “like you did to me,” hanging heavily in the air.

“Well, I suppose I should head out for the night.”

Kara cleared her throat and stood quickly. “Alex said you’re spending one more night at her house?”

“Apparently Vasquez has deemed it unsafe for me to deal with the handful of vultures still lurking outside my home.”

“What’d you think of Alex’s house?” Kara asked, figuring it was better to change the topic than to let Cat get riled up about a decision that was probably for the best.

“Decidedly uninteresting.” She looked up, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Unless you want to tell me where the hidden rooms are?”

“She’d kill me.”

“That means she has them.”

Laughing and shaking her head, Kara held the door open for Cat. “Come on, let’s get you back to her place so you have plenty of time to investigate before bed.”

“You laugh, but I was an excellent reporter.”

“You think I haven’t read your columns? Please, you won awards for them. Of course I had to see for myself.”

Ignoring the flutter of excitement at the idea that Kara had cared enough to look up her best articles, Cat strode through the doorway and out into the hallway. “Do I have to leave through Alex’s little dungeon again?”

“One last time. Vasquez is already here for you, though.”

“Fine,” Cat sighed, traipsing down the creaky stairs and through the basement once more.

---

The next morning, Kara was waiting for Cat in her office when she arrived.

“Isn’t some chipper for being in the office early on a Sunday morning?”

“Some of us didn’t go hunting around Alex’s house all night…”

Cat’s cheeks turned a very light shade of pink. “I was simply looking to see if she was home yet.”

“Behind padlocked closet doors?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I think that’s exactly where I’d find her,” Cat drawled.

“What?”

“Oh god, you’re both useless,” Cat huffed, sinking into her chair and turning on her computer. “Now tell me, is that first room with all weapons just for show? Is it to keep people from going any further?”

“Why? Were you too scared to investigate more?” Kara teased.

“No,” Cat shot back, looking beyond indignant. “Alex simply arrived back home.”

Kara tried unsuccessfully to hide a soft laugh behind her hand. “Right… How are you feeling about the interview?”

“About as excited as I was for my last root canal.”

“Well, I sort of figured you might need something in the way of encouragement…” Kara trailed off, pulling something from her bag. “Here, I know we’re on image patrol for a while, but I thought you could use a boost of the old Cat Grant confidence before the interview starts.”

“Did you just call me old?” Cat asked, though she couldn’t quite hide the way her gaze softened at Kara’s holding out one of her favorite necklaces—a gold statement piece that went particularly well with the black suit she chose for the day.

“Not a chance. I’d like to live, thank you very much,” Kara teased, moving behind Cat and quickly doing the clasp of the necklace. She pretended not to notice the hitch in Cat’s breath or the way Cat went rigid at the feeling of Kara’s fingers against her neck. “Now that’s the Cat Grant who took California by storm.”

Swallowing harshly, Cat nodded stiffly. “Right.” A moment later she added, her voice significantly softer, “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

As if she’d planned to interrupt the perfect moment, Lois took her cue to stride through the door of Cat’s office, a smirk curling up the corners of her mouth as she found the woman seated at her throne. “Kitty.”

“Lesser Lane,” Cat shot back, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and gesturing for Kara to leave the office.

Once Kara left, Lois settled in at the seat across from Cat, pulling a recorder and a notebook out from her purse. “I see the world finally got to know what you really think of me.”

“Mm, shall I sic the older Danvers on you and let her find everything you’ve ever said about me?”

“What? Think Kara couldn’t manage it?”

“Of course she could. The problem is that she wouldn’t.”

“They are quite the pair, aren’t they?”

“Only the best women working on my team.”

“Casually weaving in the gender issue. Well done,” Lois conceded, gracing Cat with a small smile.

“Would you expect anything less?”

“From you? Not a chance in hell.”

“As far as verbal sparring partners went you were always…adequate.”

Lois tipped her head back slightly and let out a loud laugh. “Want that to be my headline? Cat Grant on Female Staff: They’re Always Adequate.”

“Oh hush, you know I’m better than anyone else running.”

“Certainly better than Daddy Dearest.”

“Oh god, of course I’m better than any of the Republicans,” Cat scoffed, feeling grateful that she would only have to deal with one of the motley crew of contenders—likely General Lane, though Miranda Crane had been slowly climbing in the polls too.

“Well what about those Republicans?” The shift in Lois’ demeanor was stark as the teasing disappeared, replaced with serious looks and her best journalistic tone. “Do you still think that you’re the best person to face them in a general election when you come bearing the weight of this much baggage this early in the game?”

“I think no one would have come after me this early if I weren’t already the best candidate to beat a Republican challenger,” Cat answered smoothly, arching an eyebrow in challenge. “Obviously being hit with such a low attack this early in the race is not ideal, but I like to think of it as an opportunity—an opportunity to address critiques and to persevere in running a clean, issues-driven campaign even in the face of all this negativity.”

“Does this mean you have nothing to say about the other hopeful nominees?”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever been without something to say,” Cat chuckled, “but our records speak for themselves. Just look at the policies I put in place at CatCo or the legislation passed under my leadership in California; you’ll see that out of everyone in this race, I have done the most to advance the rights of women, minorities, and everyday Americans.”

“How do you balance what your record says against those quotes, the stories that were released?”

“If you’ve been following the news, you will have seen our responses. So much of what was leaked to the press is demonstrably untrue, and even more of it is ripped from context. Of course, there are moments in the past when I could have done better—and I like to think that I have grown as a person and a candidate since then. Think of the things we’ve said about one another over the years.” Lois’ mouth twisted into something that almost looked like a smile. Leave it to Cat to remind her on the record that she’d said just as much in return. “We started out together at The Daily Planet, thrown into the pit with men who didn’t think we should be there and spoke crudely in some vain attempt at scaring us off. But we don’t scary easy—no, we women have learned to fight for our places in newsrooms and boardrooms, in the streets and even in the White House. But sometimes that’s meant picking up those same bad habits to show we could take it,” Cat conceded.

“So how would your White House be any different?”

“It’s been a long time since I left that first newsroom. I’ve learned that there are better ways to act and to treat my staff. I’ve found that a workplace founded on mutual respect and, yes, high expectations,” Cat added with a small smile, “is one that encourages my team to do its best work. I’d bring that kind of attitude to Washington. I’d build on the progress President Marsdin has made in encouraging cooperation over competition. And I’d surround myself with people from a variety of backgrounds to stay informed about the concerns of all citizens, not just those of the privileged few who have historically held the ear of those in charge.”

Outside of the office, Kara beamed as she listened to Cat answer with practiced ease, staying positive and bringing her answers back to what she would do and all that she already had done—just like they’d practiced with Maggie the day before.

“What has you all smiley?” Lucy asked, pausing at Kara’s office, which she’d already started decorating, figuring she wouldn’t have much time before she left with Cat for Iowa the next morning. “That’s an ‘I spent last night getting laid’-level smile, if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Stop,” Kara hissed, her cheeks coloring slightly. “I did no such thing! I was here last night helping Cat prep for the interview.”

“Then what’s with the megawatt smile? Because it’s a Sunday, and we’re in the office, so it has to be something.”

“I’m just proud of Cat, that’s all.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes, filing that detail away for later. “Weirdo. Anyway, we’re doing brunch after Cat’s done with this interview. Wanna come with?”

Stuck between the lure of delicious breakfast foods and the desire to be there for Cat if she needed help getting ready for the trip, Kara finally answered, “Let me see how the interview goes. I might need to stick around here or help Cat get home if the reporters are still camped out at her place.”

“Damn, I need to find myself a woman as devoted to me as you are to Cat,” Lucy laughed, stopping only when she realized that Kara had turned a deep shade of red. “Oh my god, do you have a crush on Cat?” Lucy hissed, shutting the door to Kara’s office and throwing herself into a chair. “I mean, she’s hot—I’ll give you that. And now that it’s confirmed that she likes women too, it makes her that much more appealing.”

“Stop!”

“Aww, little Danvers is in lo-ove,” Lucy crowed in a sing-song tone, only to be silenced by a death glare. “C’mon, you know I’m only teasing. Pretty cool that she’s bi, though, huh? Did you suspect it?”

Kara flashed back to Cat’s breathy sighs, the way she had possessively looped her arms around Kara’s neck and pulled her in closer, how she had let herself be picked up and pushed up against a wall, tipping her head back and baring her neck to Kara’s heated kisses, until a crash from down the hallway had startled them apart. “I, uh, I don’t know, maybe.”

“Hmm…I always thought she could be. Though there’s always the wishful thinking thing too—really throws off my gaydar. Is she gay, or do I just desperately want her to be gay?” Lucy mused, shaking her head at herself. Forcing a laugh, Kara nodded along with Lucy. “Anyway, let me know when you figure out if the Queen will let you eat pancakes with us.”

“Yeah, yeah. I will.”

“I promise it’ll be fun. Plus, I need some more bodies there in case Alex and Maggie decide to go at it again.”

“Oh god, did something more happen?”

“No…or at least, not that I know of.”

“So then no,” Kara teased.

“If anyone could hide something from me, it might just be your sister.”

“I’m telling her you said that. It’ll make her happy.”

“I need her even happier if we’re going to survive this campaign. Set her up on a date or something instead—get some of that pent-up energy out.”

“Ew, Luce! She’s my sister!”

“Well take comfort in the fact that she clearly hasn’t gotten laid in ages if her temper’s anything to go by,” Lucy snorted, laughing at Kara’s spluttering.

Once Lucy left and Kara cleansed her head of any images she decidedly did not want to remember, she tuned back in to the interview next door, listening as Cat artfully redirected a pointed critique to a discussion of her policies. She sent an emoji-filled text to Maggie thanking her for all of her hard work the night before. When she heard the interview wrapping up, she sent James a reminder to have his camera ready for the shot of Cat and Lois looking as friendly as they could manage to be printed alongside the interview.

Once the pictures had been taken and Lois walked down to her car, Kara hurried back in to see Cat. “How’d it go?”

“It was me. Of course it went well.” But she couldn’t quite hide the small smile at the knowledge of just how well it went.

“I’m still glad to hear it.”

“As am I. Now it’s on to the next stage.”

“Do you need any help getting ready for the trip?”

“Since we’ve added a few days and new stops, I want to go over details about what to say to each group, how to maximize the positive publicity without seeming as though that’s the only reason I’m there.”

“The State Fair will be a big one for publicity even without us, so that should make it easier. And when we go out to some of the farms and factories, I’ll make sure James keeps it to just one or two cameramen and photographers.”

“Good,” Cat mused, drumming her nails against her desk.

“Do you want me to stick around and help you plan out stops for those extra days?”

Cat looked up suddenly, as though just realizing Kara was still in the room. “Surely you have a life—better places to be on weekends than with your boss.”

Kara just shrugged. “I don’t know how many times you’ll need me to say it, but I’m committed to this, Cat. You’re trusting me to run your campaign, and that means I’m going to make sure it’s the best it can be.”

“Well, at least let me order us some food, then. It’s the least I can do.”

“Okay!”

Cat bit back a smile; apparently Kara hadn’t lost her enthusiasm for food over the years. “You go order. Use my card to pay.”

“You sure you want to subsidize my eating habits?”

“Kara, the whole world now knows exactly how much I spend on shoes. I think we both know I can afford brunch.”

“Right.” Kara accepted the offered card and walked out into the hallway to call in an order, making sure to include a few “healthy” dishes that Cat would insist on, even if she’d steal a bite or two of the more sugary and fatty items Kara would pile high on her plate. Once she’d gotten their order in, she walked over to Lucy’s office.

“You free for the day?” Lucy asked.

“Actually I’m gonna be stuck here for a little bit helping to get ready for our trip.”

“Boo, you whore.”

“Don’t Mean Girls me!” Kara shot Lucy a look of mock indignation that couldn’t last as she broke out into a grin. “I expect text updates if Alex doesn’t stay in line.”

“Gonna tattle on her to Eliza?”

“I am the campaign manager.” Kara puffed out her chest slightly. “It’s now my job to make sure the team runs smoothly, and if that means keeping my sister in line, so be it.”

“I can’t wait to tell Alex you think you’re in charge of her,” Lucy cackled. “Have fun strategizing with your crush!” Her voice was low, but Kara still let out a squeak of protest. Lucy grabbed her coat and darted out of her office before Kara could say any more.

Determined to have a sit-down chat with Lucy about what could and could not be said around the office, Kara headed back to her desk to respond to emails until the food arrived. When it did, she nearly sprinted down to the door and left a generous tip for the speedy delivery.

Popping her head into the doorway of Cat’s office, Kara held the bag aloft. “Food’s here!”

“Perhaps we move our meeting down to the smaller conference room? Wouldn’t want another catastrophe…”

“It was one time,” Kara grumbled, dutifully toting the bag of takeout down to the conference room anyway. “Seven years ago!”

“It took almost as long to get the syrup smell out of my carpet,” Cat shot back.

“Okay, but at least maple syrup smells amazing.”

“No, Chanel No. 5 smells amazing. Syrup smells like the floor of a Denny’s.”

“Have you ever even been inside of a Denny’s?”

“Depends. Does it make me sound more like a relatable, everyday American if I say yes?”

Kara laughed loudly as she popped open the various containers and boxes. “I don’t think anyone would believe you went voluntarily. Or sober.”

“Does anyone go to a Denny’s sober? Or voluntarily, for that matter?”

“Wouldn’t know,” Kara shrugged. “I’ve always been a bigger fan of the all-you-can-eat pancake special at IHOP.”

“Well there’s that down-home charm I hired you for,” Cat teased, feeling almost human for the first time since Friday.

---

Within the hour, Lucy, Vasquez, Alex, and Maggie were settled in at a booth at The Diner, four mugs of steaming hot coffee settled in between menus on the table. Lucy had crammed in next to Alex, though Vasquez moved too slowly to get in the booth first, leaving Alex and Maggie facing one another. Figuring she had done enough to prevent carnage and deserved a relaxing meal, Lucy ordered a bloody mary with her eggs benedict and sat back while the rest of the table ordered.

“I need to start biking or something if I’m gonna keep eating like this,” Maggie groaned, looking around the restaurant at plates piled high with delicious food.

“Oh please, you got the tofu scramble. It’s like you went looking for the healthiest item here,” Alex scoffed.

“You got an omelet,” Maggie shot back.

“Duh, I’m not trying to throw up on my run later.”

“Where do you run?” Maggie asked, looking genuinely curious.

“The better question is: where doesn’t she run?” Vasquez chimed in between sips of coffee.

“Normally in Rock Creek Park,” Alex answered.

“Ah yes, she likes to go show the Cross Fit boys how it’s done.” Maggie tilted her head until Lucy elaborated: “They meet up at that old-school gym equipment down by my apartment and go all macho bro mode. One time one of them made the mistake of trying to tell Alex she was in the wrong form to do a pull-up and would hurt herself.”

Leaning in as if she were divulging a secret, Vasquez whispered, “So obviously she waited until he’d started at one of the other bars, then matched him until he collapsed.”

“And then did ten more for good measure,” Alex added, looking beyond pleased with herself.

“So wait, where is this workout equipment? The gyms down here are so expensive.” Even with the pretty generous salary she was making working for Cat, Maggie didn’t want to spend her savings on exorbitant gym costs when her rent was already startlingly high compared to what she’d paid out in Chicago and Nebraska.

“Just follow Alex on a run—she’ll lead you right to it,” Lucy teased.

To Maggie’s surprise, Alex just shrugged. “If you want help figuring it out the first time, I can show you.”

“Really?”

“Why not?”

Maggie could think of about a dozen reasons already. Instead she agreed, “Okay. Just tell me when.”

“It should be quiet with Cat and half the office out on travel this week. Tuesday morning work for you?”

“Sure.”

“And ya know, Luce, we’ll be right down the hill from your apartment…”

“So tempting,” Lucy drawled. “And yet, I think I’ll sleep in like a normal person.”

“Sometimes I see James there… It could be a slightly less terrible version of those office bonding activities we’re supposed to do.”

Lucy didn’t add that most mornings she woke up with another staff member in her bed and they did plenty of bonding on their own, thank you very much, though she did smirk at Vasquez from behind her coffee mug. “Hard pass.”

“Alright then, Sawyer, it’s just you and me. Hope you can keep up.”

Holding Alex’s gaze, Maggie arched an eyebrow. “It’s on.”

Pulling out her phone under the table, Lucy texted Vasquez: “Dude. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear this was flirting.”

A few seconds later, Vasquez coughed and choked on a mouthful of coffee. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Just gonna…run to the bathroom.”

After a moment, Lucy followed close behind. “I’m gonna go make sure she didn’t die.”

“So…” Alex trailed off, looking significantly more awkward than she had a few minutes ago.

“Think they’re hooking up?”

“What?”

“Or is that just a drunk thing?”

“What?” Alex repeated, blinking slowly.

“Oh shit, do people not know? Fuck, okay, act like I didn’t say anything! Maybe it was a one-time thing.”

“What? Lucy…and Vasquez?”

“Sorry, god, I don’t want to be the one spreading gossip this early. I’m sure it was just that once.”

Alex nodded slowly, trying to figure out how many things she’d apparently missed over the years. Ever since Cat had suggested she might be gay—not that she was, of course—Alex felt like suddenly everything around her was designed to bring it up. There was the fact that she apparently worked in the gayest office ever, but then smaller things started appearing too: the line of rainbow flags strung up outside of restaurants and bars all around Dupont and Logan Circle; the background character in one of her favorite shows had come out last week; some Facebook event for National Coming Out Day this week kept popping up on her timeline.

“Are you okay?” Maggie asked, growing increasingly concerned at the way Alex seemed to have completely checked out of the conversation.

“Oh, yeah, fine!” Her voice was higher pitched than she would have liked, but at least Maggie looked less concerned. “Sorry, I just—took me by surprise about Lucy.”

“What about me?” Lucy asked, throwing herself dramatically back into the booth and looking up at Alex.

“Uh, that you aren’t going on the trip,” Alex tried, wincing slightly at the stupid comment.

“Oh, nah. They can always call if they run into legal trouble. Sadly it’s just Vasquez we’re losing for this one.”

The words seemed to have all sorts of new connotations, and Alex forced herself to nod and smile. “I’m sure Kara will have plenty of fun games for you to play on the ride.”

Their food arrived then, giving Alex a bit of time not to worry about saying the right thing as she shoved eggs into her mouth and tried to ignore the vague sense of anxiety that had been nagging at her since Friday.

[zionwjnh825-blog]

Biggest Errors People Make After a DWI Arrest

What You Required to Learn About DUI Classes

Penalties that are related to Driving under the Impact (DUI) cases can be serious. A wrongdoer may even face a court trial and be sentenced in a rehabilitation phase along with the necessary research study of DUI classes in an accredited and genuine institution.

Driving under the Influence is sanctioned when a driver is caught since of a driving violation, plus the truth that he or she made the violation under the effects of unsafe drugs or alcohol. The wrongdoer would not just spend for his very first offense however for the branch offenses too. DUI now relies on his primary offense; depending upon the state the driver is captured.

A transgressor's license will be taken and she or he will be accompanied to a local cops precinct where he or she will be charged officially. He would then need to call a lawyer that would hear his case and serve as his counsel till the case is formally attempted or acquitted. Generally, the legal representative will supply the place of a trustworthy DUI class and make sure that the culprit will participate in all the variety of classes that the court has offered.

Exactly how to Pick and Locate The Most Effective DUI Courses

Attending DUI classes is not a simple thing to accept and suit to one's stressful schedule. However, this is really essential to ensure that a wrongdoer's driving is in shape and acceptable on the road. Security measures will be learned therefore, avoiding unwanted mishaps and conserving innocent lives. Many DUI class participants provided their favorable comments concerning their classes - specifically their DUI alcohol class which gave them insights about alcohol and its harmful effects on the health and judgment, not just on the roadway but on other phases of life also. The experience will be worth it.

With the condition that you have been charged with a first time DWI test failure or test refusal, and are 21 years of age or older, there is a way to shorten the duration of your motorist's license revocation by pleading guilty to the DWI. Prior to you consider this choice, it is very important to very first seek the advice of your attorney relating to the strength of the state's case against you. Your attorney may advise you, for instance, that the police stop of your automobile was illegal and that a defense movement should be submitted to dismiss the criminal charge and that a petition ought to be filed to reinstate driving advantages. Your lawyer might likewise inform you to other grounds that can be used to look for the dismissal of the criminal charge and the reinstatement of your driving advantages such as when the law enforcement officer does not have possible cause to detain you for DWI or when your refusal to submit to chemical testing was reasonable.

If you are arrested for a very first time 3rd Degree test refusal, a gross misdemeanor, and you are 21 years of age or older, you may desire to consider entering a guilty plea to the Third Degree DWI. This strategy will permit you to reduce the period of your driver's license revocation from one year to 90 days. The much better outcome would be to get the district attorney to enable you to plead guilty to the amended charge of misdemeanor 4th Degree DWI. This technique would lower the duration of your chauffeur's license cancellation even further; from one year to thirty days.

Will I Shed My Certificate If Convicted of DUI in Tempe, Arizona?

Possibly among the reasons Driving While Impaired (DWI) is managed so seriously in United States of America is due to the fact that thousands of individuals a year pass away from alcohol related mishaps. U.S.A. is at the leading edge in the nation for alcohol related accidents and deaths.

Every time a driver is pulled over and suspected of driving under the impact of alcohol, the driver has rights and may refuse a breath test which evaluates their blood alcohol material (BAC). Nevertheless, upon rejection of the breath test the drivers' license will most likely be instantly suspended for 6 months in addition to the repercussions of a conviction.

Driving While License Put On Hold Can the State Prove Understanding?

If a person is of the legal drinking age (21 years of age or older) and has a BAC of.08% or lower than they are within the legal limitations. However, if it is any higher than.08% the driver might be founded guilty. Otherwise, anybody under the legal legal age with a BAC of.01% or more will automatically be convicted of a criminal activity and have penalties to deal with.

Various lengths of suspension depend upon how lots of times you have actually been founded guilty and how old you are. If a person is 21 years of age or older and convicted of a DWI their license can be suspended for anywhere between 90 days to 2 years depending on whether it is their first, second, or 3rd offense. If anyone under the age of 21 is captured driving with any measurable quantity of alcohol in their system they are needed to comply with a series of effects in accordance with the Texas' "no tolerance" policy of underage drinking. A sixty day license suspension is part of these consequences.

The Alcohol Verification training class is a 15-30 minute one on one dialogue with an alcoholic beverage counselor who will ask you questions about your drinking practices and then recommend a treatment plan which you are not obligated to follow unless you are convicted of DUI. Common treatment strategy recommendations are 16 hours for very first time culprits and 36-72 hours for several, extreme, extremely severe or intensified DUIs.

Beginning your Arizona FREE MVD Alcohol Testing Today

It would be an excellent concept to complete/schedule your MVD required alcohol screening as soon as possible. This is due to the fact that the expense is relatively low ($20-50), and if you will be serving a standard DUI 90 day license suspension it will minimize the suspension to 1 month of no driving and 60 days limited driving. Once completed your supplier ought to electronically publish a certificate of completion to the MVD.

The other advantage of completing the Alcohol Screening early is that if you are ultimately founded guilty of DUI the Court will almost certainly sentence you to Alcohol Screening in exchange for less prison time. If you currently completed the screening and/or any follow up classes you will get credit for doing so.

What to Expect When It Comes To DUI Attorney Fees

Driving under the impact (DUI), as we know, is an act of operating a vehicle while an individual is intoxicated either by alcohol or drugs. In 2008-09, there were almost 38,000 DUI cases in the United States alone, with states like California, Georgia, Florida, and Texas recording the greatest number of DUI cases. Considered to be a crime in the United States and a number of other parts of the world, this phenomenon has actually prompted lawmakers to break down on DUI offenders, purchasing harsh penalties for the convicted motorists.

There are criminal law companies that have actually specialized lawyers who manage DUI-specific cases. You ought to look for a educated and skilled DUI lawyer, who knows the DUI laws and make sure that you avoid the extreme penalties following a drunk-driving conviction. Look for the number of DUI cases he has actually managed before and how those trials were dealt with.

DUI Conviction, Remedies, penalties and effects

For first time DUI offense, charges are less serious than 3rd or second time DUI cases. He will be your finest guide who knows the tricks of the prosecution and in lots of circumstances will help you get a DUI expungement.

Understanding the Problems of AZ DWI Regulation

Where the chauffeur of the vehicle is checked with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of more than.08 which is the defined level of allowed alcohol material in the body of the chauffeur of the car, he is stated to have actually dedicated a DWI offense. Even a suspicion is adequate to arrest a person under the DWI offense.

A DWI attorney is a legal professional who safeguards his client of the intoxicated driving offence said to have devoted by him. The main location of practice of a DWI lawyer is intoxicated driving and other related cases. The experience in such cases allows him to check out the loopholes and comprehend the practical procedures of dealing with a DWI case.

How Rising Blood Alcohol can lead as a DUI Defense

The intensity of the crimes vary type one state to another. A DUI is thought about to be a serious criminal offense in numerous states in US, whereas it is treated as a less severe criminal activity in some portions of USA. The main reason behind thinking about the DUI as less severe and sever criminal activity is because of merely under the influence and really being intoxicated. Based on the above factors DUI and DWI charges will be imposed on the intoxicated chauffeurs depending on the level of impairment.

If you are adjured under DUI or DUI, then finding a good DUI Lawyer assists you in decreasing the charges. A good DUI Attorney helps you in discovering the best possible outcome for the DUI charges. DUI charges can be imposed based upon your previous driving while intoxicated convictions likewise. The consequences can be prison time or social work for operating an automobile while intoxicated.

How Much Does a Very First Offense DUI Expense?

This question depends upon a couple of different aspects. Let's say you were pulled over right after leaving a bar after having a couple of too many beers. After you're done paying lawyer charges, court expenses, license costs, probation costs and raised insurance rates, you can expect to fork over about $10,000. 10 thousand dollars for one night of enjoyable, hardly worth that extra beer. And you might also lose your job, have difficulty discovering brand-new work and far more that can put you in a monetary stress.

Every DUI death costs $3.6 million dollars. $1.1 million in financial expenses and $2.5 million in quality of life losses. Colorado lost $2 billion dollars in the year 2000 due to these expenses.

What Happens if I Fail to Attend My DUI Classes? How Difficult is it to Take On-line DUI Courses for Out-of-State Citizens

Additionally, you can browse the Behavioral Wellness Solution Services Locator maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Providers. The service providers noted in this database all have been approved by their respective state substance abuse firms, but make sure they particularly meet the requirements of your state's DUI program.

Intoxicated driving charges are rather typical, however that does not suggest they aren't taken critically. If you're convicted of a DUI, you'll lose your driving advantages for a particular amount of time, pay fines, and maybe even invest some time in jail. The best method to safeguard your interests is to talk with a DUI attorney, who can assist you find DUI classes online and usually "soften the blow " from a DUI charge.

[newssplashy]

Entertainment: Coming of age in the loft jazz scene

NEW YORK — In the early 1970s, my uncle, jazz musician Alan Braufman, was a lanky young man with a bushy mustache and a wavy pile of black hair.

My earliest childhood memories are musical, like playing worn-out John Coltrane records with my mother and Alan on a delicate wooden turntable;

listening to Alan practice his saxophone for several hours each day, ingraining in my head melodies that would later become songs of his; and banging on pots and pans incessantly until Alan bought me a beat-up but real orange-and-silver-splotched Ludwig drum set when I was 2 1/2 years old.

In 1973, Gene Ashton, my godfather — a pianist and multi-instrumentalist who still performs as Cooper-Moore — found a rundown four-story building at 501 Canal St., far west of the abundant junk stores and discount electronics shops.

He persuaded some fellow Berklee College of Music colleagues to move from Boston to New York City. Alan lived on the second floor with one roommate, David S. Ware, the acclaimed saxophonist who went on to play with pianist Cecil Taylor and make many celebrated records of his own.

In 1974, 501 Canal’s storefront became a performance space known for its Friday night concerts. While the venue didn’t have a name, it became a seminal part of New York’s downtown loft jazz scene.

The Village Voice ran a piece titled “Taking Chances at 501 Canal” in its June 13, 1974, issue.

The Voice jazz columnist Gary Giddins, an ardent supporter of the scene, wrote: “The fact is, these are the musicians who are taking the chances today and their gifts and commitment ought to be attended.”

“We had about 30 of these really cheap chairs that buckled if anyone overweight sat on them,” my uncle recalled, laughing at the ragtag operation. “It was really casual — people sat on the floor, too. I think we charged $3 to get in.”

Little Italy, Chinatown and Greenwich Village were a 15-minute walk away, but they felt like different cities entirely. SoHo wasn’t far, but was still in its artistic infancy. Three blocks west, the Hudson River separated New York from New Jersey and signified the edge of the earth.

My mother and I never lived at 501 Canal. We moved around: Amherst, Massachusetts, or Boston or Greenwich Village. But I spent at least a few months of each of my first 10 years there. Alan and I often played music together in the performance space, which was made to feel small by thick curtains that covered its glass door and windows. A psychedelic purple, green and black cloth print obscured wood paneling and served as the backdrop to a small, 6-inch-high stage. Recordings of us from those days reveal a bossy-but-not-rhythmless child drummer and an unbelievably patient saxophonist who considered our sessions part of his several-hours-per-day practice regimen.

The total rent for 501 Canal was $550 per month, which allowed its four occupants to work very little and focus on playing music. But life in the building shouldn’t be romanticized. It wasn’t a high-ceilinged fortress or an industrial-chic, metal-and-cement compound. 501 Canal was an off-the-grid, dilapidated, prickly splinter of a building that should have been condemned years before these musicians discovered it.

Opening the door was like entering a haunted house. Even at night, it took time to adjust to the extreme darkness of the space, which was lit by a single fatigued, yellowing bulb that hung high above the stairs. A pay phone stood immediately inside the door, tucked into a wooden alcove. Sometimes it rang and rang, but nobody answered. Outgoing calls were somehow free — every dime that went in came back out like a slot machine spitting out a tiny jackpot.

The air felt cold and smelled of dust, as if the building had been unoccupied for 20 years, which it had. A steep wooden staircase visibly slouched to the left, almost floating, barely attached to the wall that somehow supported it. Every step whined and complained under human feet. Even as a child, I had contemplated if I would have been better off running up or down when the stairs finally collapsed under me. As I grew older, I became more conscious of the building’s eccentricities and the fact that nobody else I knew lived in conditions like these. Though my mother and I were on welfare, our rent-subsidized apartment in Amherst felt luxurious compared to Uncle Alan’s.

Con Edison neglected to send a bill to 501 Canal, so the tenants, aware that their services were free, feared any attention from the utility company, but also had no recourse against the building’s many issues, the biggest of which was that there was no heat.

During the winter, Alan sealed his windows with large sheets of foggy plastic that puffed inward like dirty balloons. On the coldest nights, liquids froze solid if we forgot to put them in the fridge, which was warmer than any room.

During the summer, Canal Street smelled of pungent, sweating garbage. I sometimes sat in the open window — there was no air-conditioner — as a fan blew hot air past me. Herds of cars sat at a dead stop, trying to enter the Holland Tunnel. Why do so many people need to drive to Holland? I sometimes wondered. Only later did I learn that the two-lane tunnel under the Hudson River led commuters home to New Jersey. Drivers slammed on their horns and banged on steering wheels. The visible heat waves and gray puffs of smoke slowly lifting toward me from the street were sometimes so thick that they rendered taxi markings illegible.

New York in the ‘70s was a dangerous, desperate city on the brink of bankruptcy. Even in nice neighborhoods, there were specific blocks to avoid because of muggers, drug dealers and gangs. But as dingy and desolate as it was, the area around 501 Canal never felt unsafe. It was a quiet, underdeveloped zone of the city that went unnoticed until it boomed two decades later under its new name, Tribeca. Many of the buildings had been printing houses that lay dormant awaiting their eventual renovations into luxury lofts. Until then, artists and musicians continued to occupy the neighborhood in search of the same inexpensive, creative solitude offered at 501 Canal.

Other than a gas station across the street, the only nearby business was the Ear Inn, a dimly lit tinderbox of a bar that recently celebrated its 200th birthday.

So 501 Canal existed in quiet isolation in the midst of one of the biggest, most vital cities in the world. This was, and will always be, my New York. And in fall 1974, this is where Alan Braufman recorded his debut album, “Valley of Search,” a free jazz offering that embodies the city during this time.

Although the music was rather complex, the recording itself was fairly simple. Bob Cummins, who owned the India Navigation record label, brought his gear down to 501 Canal and recorded the band. “It was just Bob and the five of us in the room,” Alan recalled. “We just played it.”

I wasn’t present for the recording, nor did I understand what it meant to document the music I heard every day. But I was often able to participate. There’s even a track in my honor, “Little Nabil’s March.” It’s a song that Alan and I played together regularly. Four decades later, my participation resumed this year, when I helped Alan reissue his album.

Listening to the music now brings me back to an exciting, often intimidating city overflowing with creative energy. But while the feelings I associate with “Valley of Search” are uniquely New York, the sounds are distinctly 501 Canal: At once dissonant and beautiful, spare yet cacophonous, the recording inhales and exhales the chaos of a gigantic populace.

After “Valley of Search,” Alan went on to release two more albums as Alan Michael and tour the world, playing saxophone with a very diverse group of musicians, including composer and pianist Carla Bley and the Psychedelic Furs, a post-punk English band. But 501 Canal’s future was short-lived. In 1983, after 10 years, Alan, the last of the original residents, left the building. It was torn down in the 1990s, and the lot remained vacant until recently. These days, 501 Canal St. has heat, air-conditioning and a nicely lit lobby — because it’s now part of a luxury hotel.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Nabil Ayers © 2018 The New York Times

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/entertainment-coming-of-age-in-loft_12.html

[love-transparentstudentarca-blog]

My car was rear-ended but I don’t have car insurance?

"My car was rear-ended but I don't have car insurance?

Someone rear ended my car today. My insurance has been expired for a while now but I still called the insurance company and they filed a claim for me. When I mentioned that my insurance had expired, the lady who filed the claim said that the adjuster will call me on Monday and give me the details. Though the accident wasn't my fault, I am worried about not having insurance at the time.     Also, nobody was injured in the accident but my back bumper had a very minor scratch.     Was what I did wrong? And should I be worried about anything?

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

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Iam 27 years old and married.I have my father,mother and wife as my dependents and our kids in future.i want to get life insurance for me and Health Insurance for my whole family as they are fully depending upon me. - I already have Jeevan Anand from LIC Sum Assured : 5,00,000.00 Policy Term  74 (Premium payment term  17) - i am ready to spent another 20-25 thousand as annual premium for Health and any other good policies.It will be better if its consider as a good investment also. So please suggest me good policy from LIC and a Health Insurance policy available now. Your advises will be highly appreciated. Thanks.""

Motorcycle Insurance in Oklahoma?

Am I interpreting this correctly? Motor vehicle with a seat/saddle for the use of each rider, with not more than three wheels and a combustion engine with a piston or rotor displacement of greater than 150 cc. is a motorcycle. Does this mean if I were to buy a 125cc Honda CBR or something of the likes, that I wouldn't have to get motorcycle insurance, and I could use my Class C license and not have to get a Class M license as well?""

Car insurance am I covered?

My 5yr old son got in driver seat and mashed my gas and held it and it blew up my engine.I have full coverage and wondered would this be covered.I know it sounds dumb but its gonna cost me over 3k to fix.

""So what would you suggest for my 1st car? has 2 b 5 door,cheap 2 run yet reliable & cheap on insurance??""

So what would you suggest for my 1st car? has 2 b 5 door,cheap 2 run yet reliable & cheap on insurance??""

Car loans and insurance?

Okay, I recently took out a loan for a car, and I got liability only on the car. The bank just contacted me saying they need proof of insurance. When I take it in, and they realize that it is liability insurance only, what will they do? Because, I heard you need premium insurance when you buy a car with a loan. So am I gonna have to go premium or what will happen? I have a 1990 Nisasn 240sx. My bank is Great Plains Federal Credit Union. My insurance is American Family Insurance.""

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

i want to get a camero but i heard that 6 cylinders cost more on insurance....i live in texas and i would like to know if auto insurance is based on how many cylinders ur motor has

Motorcycle insurance for 16 year old?

Just wondering, how much would motorcycle insurance be monthly for a 16 year old, living in NY, say with a 500-600 cc engine bike?""

Where to find low cost medical insurance?

Where to find low cost medical insurance?

""Under Obama's socialized medicine, what would happen to those that work for health insurance companies?""

What would happen to those who work in medical billing & coding, claims departments for insurance companies, underwriting, etc... Wouldn't this just raise unemployment?""

Insurance on SUVs?

How much is insurance on SUVs usually... like a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo or a Chevrolet.. anyone know?

How much will insurance cost for a 17 year old in london riding a 125 motorbike ? (around)?

How much will insurance cost for a 17 year old in london riding a 125 motorbike ? (around)?

What does a term life insurance medical exam consist of?

And what companies do people recommend.

I need to get health insurance. What's affordable and good?

I live in Southern California. Recently, my neck has really started to hurt and I think I might need an xray. I haven't had health insurance in so long. What would be the proper steps to take? I need something affordable.""

Car insurance?

my spouse has never had a drivers license and took my car while i was at work and had an accident . my spouse is not excluded on my policy will my insurance cover damage to other property

My insurance is too high?

I'm 19, in ireland (south) i pay 300 a month and i just changed address to the next county, my ins. has gone up to 450 a month.. Is there a speed restrictor policy i can get or has any1 my age managed to lower insurance somehow? My engine size is 1.2 also is that too high for my age? Thanx in advance ;)""

How much do you think insurance would be for me?

I'm turning 16 and honestly don't know where to even start when it comes to insurance. Right now my parent don't have insurance.. Do They need to have insurance so I can get insurance? I live in tennessee I'll be driving a 2006 black jeep liberty and insurance just seems really confusing and scary.

Would insurance consider a 6 cylinder Pontiac grand am/prix a sports car?

i want a grand am/prix as my first car but my parents cant afford sports car insurance for a brand new 16 year old driver, also what could my parents expect to pay up to on insurance. ...show more""

Insuring a scion tc with collision for a 17 year old?

Im just wondering if anyone out there is around 17 with a scion tc and how much their insurance cost every month if they have collision. An older man totaled my 2000 Mitsubishi mirage and i got a lot of money for it and a lot saved up so im in the market for a new car. I currently pay 1900 a year.

Are Companies Required to Offer Health Insurance?

Are companies with a certain number of employees required to offer health insurance?

Where can i find cheap car insurance?????

im 19 and have a vectra any one know where i can find cheap inssurance and is it better to do me or another family member as the main driver

Speeding ticket in california with no inssurance?

My friend jst bought a car from sacramento and i was driving it since it was manual he was jst learning and i was speeding in the freeway on a 70 went 86 and i got pulled over .. with no insurance since we were going to transfer hes old insurance in hes old car to this new one toyota xrs 06... how much will it cost me for the ticket and the no insurance please help me i have no idea what to do ?

What will happen because my auto insurance lapsed 2 months in Virginia?

We accidentally let our car insurance lapse for 2 months in Virginia. We paid the insurance company to get coverage again. What should we do with VA DMV? What kind of fine should we expect? Should I contact them? I'm mainly concerned about avoiding a suspended license.

How much have you paid for classic car insurance?

I have just bought merc e220 1993 and looking for cheap policy. Im over 30 female and got a wicked quote for fully comp with a named driver for 180. What have you paid?

How much will it cost to insure a motorbike such as cbr600f if im 23 and just passed my test?

And are there ways of cheapening the cost - I really have no clue of how much motorbikes cost to insure. the cbr600f is group 14,which sounds reasonable. Can i lump the insurance with a car thats group 11? i live in the uk.""

How much would insurance be for a Porsche Baxter?

My parents will but me a new porsche boxter if i pay for insurance? How much will it cost?

My car was rear-ended but I don't have car insurance?

Someone rear ended my car today. My insurance has been expired for a while now but I still called the insurance company and they filed a claim for me. When I mentioned that my insurance had expired, the lady who filed the claim said that the adjuster will call me on Monday and give me the details. Though the accident wasn't my fault, I am worried about not having insurance at the time.     Also, nobody was injured in the accident but my back bumper had a very minor scratch.     Was what I did wrong? And should I be worried about anything?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-car-insurance-cost-change-depending-area-you-live-douglas-knight/"

[fancycollectionfury-blog1]

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

"Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

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

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Lexus Tail lights and Angel Eye front lights - Insurance?

So im thinking about getting these for car my, does anybody know how much the insurance will go up by if i get them, thanks""

I have full coverage insurance n my car was stolen n impounded should yhe insurance pay inpound fees?

I have full coverage insurance n my car was stolen n impounded should yhe insurance pay inpound fees?

Car insurance rates go up after accident?

Ok, so this is really stupid in my mind. But I got rear ended the other day, and it was obviously the lady's fault since I was waiting at the stop light and she hit me. Anyways, the damage was minor. There was a hole from her screw/bolt that held her front license plate and part of my rear light got cracked. Anyways, she offered to pay us 350 after we got 2 estimates saying it would cost around 700 to paint by bumper and replace the light. she and I were fine with that since my bumper already had noticeable scratches on the side and her damage wasn't that major. But my dad (I'm 19) wanted her to pay 400 or tell her to report it to her insurance. So I thought this was ridiculous since he would have pocketed the 400 instead of fix it (like I said, it was a small hole in the bumper...).So now, I am worried that my insurance will go up. I am a college student, a guy, and a teenager which I feel like would raise my rates, a lot, but he reassures me that our rates won't go up since the lady's insurance will pay for it and that we arent claiming our insurance. So what happens now in the insurance process? All I know is that she has to call her insurance and they send an adjuster to assess the cost of the damages made to our car. Do we have to report it anytime to our insurance company? If not, is there a chance that our insurance company will find out and raise our rates?""

17 soon. just wondering about car insurance?

whether when i pass n get a car if il be able to pay insurance monthly? and does it cost more tht way (uk)

Best Health Insurance For Self Employed?

I really need help finding a good health insurance option. I started my own company in 2009 and have kept it active and grew it slowly ever since. I was, until recently, employed at a large bank where I had good health and dental benefits. I recently left the job to take my business full time and scale it up. I am doing that full time now and it's been about a month since I left my job. I elected to keep my dental insurance through COBRA, because it will only cost me about $23/month. However, to keep my health insurance through COBRA would cost me almost $500/month and I felt that was too much. I have read all the paperwork and believe that I can still elect COBRA for my health insurance for about another month. They give you 60 days from your last day. However, I believe there has to be a better/more affordable option. I am 26 years old and healthy, but God forbid anything ever happened, I want to be covered. Also, if my girlfriend ever got pregnant and I had a child, I would want to be able to sleep at night knowing that I have the health insurance for this. What are my options here? Are there good companies out there that are more affordable than the $450+/month I would have to pay if I kept the United Healthcare plan that I had at my previous job? All advice is appreciated. Thanks!""

Why isnt health insurance free.. (taken out of taxes)? like other countries?

with all the taxes taken out ud think that would be the most important thing... i presume its because it would hurt companies that sell insurance in some kind of way... but im not sure... can any explain to me why? will it ever change? i think of all the things our taxes pay for ... it should at least pay for health insurance ...

Tips for a 17 year old MALE driver to get his CAR INSURANCE premiums below 2000?

In all seriousness, it takes the absolute Michael how much it costs a 17 year old male to get insured.... on my mums insurance on an Insurance band 1 car i'm looking at 2400. I'm a student, my mum has over 20 years no claims, and still i'm getting ripped off. Any tips other than doing driving courses? Am I just doing something wrong with the insurance websites?""

How much does Auto insurance cost in Mass?

I am moving to Mass, and am curious if someone can give me an idea about how much it would cost to insure a 97 Acura CL 4 cylinder car. I am having a hard time finding quotes online. Round about numbers would help.""

How much is insurance for a 2005 V6 mustang for a 49 year old women?

My mom wants a mustang for her birthday just to drive back in forth to work. What will the insurence cost for her

Car insurance cost for 17 year old?

Im 17 and ill be needing to pay for car insurence the car and th insurance compnay is in my parents name righ tnow they pay 150. my parents are putting me on the insurance policy and they are making me pay whatever is above 150, how much will i be paying. I live in virginia if that helps""

Unemployed 18 to 25 year olds forced to have health insurance under Obamas plan?

if you where laid off, then your ok. But if you quit your last job you will be required by law to keep health insurance or be fined $2700/yr. And by the way thats $225/mo. for the ...show more""

""I lower my car insurance deductible a week ago, would the insurance company accept my claim today?""

Because of the bad snowy weather we been having, I recently lower my car deductible from $1000 to $250 . My car just sliped today and hit a curve. I took it to have it checked, and the shop told me it would be around $3000 to get the car fix. Would my insurance company think that i lower my deductible after the incident happened? Would they cover the damage? Should i wait before trying to file the claim?""

Is buying insurance where i go to college ok?

I live in new york city where insurance is high as hell but i go to school where it is much cheaper. i also live on campus. am i allowed to buy insurance where i go to college? i spend alot more time at college than i do in the city anyways.

Impounded Car Insurance Payment Method.?

Hi Everybody, Just asking everyone if any one ever paid for the insurance for an impounded car by police? What happened is my car got stopped over by police and towed away by their recovery van. Now i am getting an insurance to get it back ( Long story short , the car i was driving was without insurance as i had not received letter of my insurance cancellation and i was under the impression that i had insurance ) I have searched and able to get a quote from two well know car insurance companies ( One of them is impoundedcarinsurance.com and other is seizedcarinsurance.co.uk ) and both companies are asking for DIRECT TRANSFER OF MONEY IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT as they dont accept Credit Cards and Debit cards for the payment. Has any one paid by this method ever ? Is it secure ? Am i being suspicious wrongly or there is some thing fishy in it ? Many thanks in Advance !""

Best overall car insurance company?

In your opinion (or based on any experiences) what is the best kind of car insurance?

Who has cheapest car insurance in florida?

Who has cheapest car insurance in florida?

Car insurance price? ?

I am nearly 16 and looking at cars. I was wondering what a ballpark cost would be for me to get a 2000 to 2002 mustang GT. I know the V8 will make it more. I will be 16, a boy, I have a 3.5 GPA.""

Should I pay my car insurance premium?

I purchased a car for my daughter last August and paid the annual premium. In November the insurance company said I cancelled her coverage and they issued me a refund for the remainder of the policy year (thru July). I didn't know what the refund was for, but deposited the check anyway. I don't know what I did to cancel coverage (for just this vehicle, all my other vehicles remain covered.) I don't dispute that I must have done something.... In April I found out I didn't have coverage for this car by my accidentally calling the insurance company about another question. I asked for them to reinstate the coverage immediately. They did and sent me a bill for the full amount of the refund, plus another $176. I feel I should only pay insurance for the remaining two months on this year's policy since, if I would have had an accident, the insurance company would not have covered me. They say they can't charge me for just the remaining two months, but that they have to bill me the full amount (plus what's with the additional $176 charge?) I'm thinking that I should just go to another insurance company and get the car covered. Any thoughts?""

Were can you get cheap car insurance?

i am 17 years old. i have ford kA and i am trying to look for cheap insurance cn any one help? xx

Got a ticket and insurance doubled NJ?

I got a ticket on my very first day of driving for an illegal left turn (one of those that you cant make during certain hours unless you are a resident of the street). I got the ticket with 3 points, i went to court and paid off all 3 points and got unsafe driving under my name hoping that it wouldn't affect my insurance, which was under my dads name (Allstate). Even with paying off the points my insurance still doubled. Now my question is, is there anything I can do to lower my insurance? Maybe I can take a course somewhere. Are me and my dad better off looking for a new insurance company? Maybe i should drop my car from my insurance and taking the bus again? If there isn't anything I can do, how long will it take for my insurance to drop again? Right now we are all in hard times and i made it much worse for my family, any help would be greatly appreciated.""

Do out of state residents need California SR22 insurance if they dont go back to California?

I am a permanent resident of AZ and have an AZ drivers license. While visiting California I had a DUI. I settled out of court but an insurance broker wants to sell me a California policy. Do I need California SR22 insurance if I don't plan to return to California? Is there any benefit?

What should I buy for my first car? Preferably something with cheap insurance!?

Okay, so I'm a 17 year old male in the UK. I'm looking to buy my first car fairly soon, but I realise I'm absolutely clueless about cars. I have quite a bit of money saved, but I would love to spend as little as possible on the car and insurance. I'm looking on auto trader and other second hand websites, but I really have no idea. Any suggestions of where to look, what make to buy, where to get insurance would be great. Thanks""

Does having back up sensor's help your insurance cost?

Does having back up sensor's help your insurance cost? I am wanting to have some put on my car, but didn't know if it would help with insurance!""

Does a roommate have to be on my car insurance in Fl?

I rented a room to a lady with no car she is going for a.Florida drivers license soon she moved here from another state where she had a drivers license. Am I required to put her on my car insurance?

Insurance pricing?

i bought a car and need to put plpd insurance on it but i do not have much money and have a lot of points on my lisence i am over the aloud amount in my state. how much would it cost for plpd insurance? i need the cheapest possible and my car is 17 years old and is only worth $200.

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Do I need car insurance here in Florida?

If i have my own car...paid off..it's mine....do I need insurance on it here in Florida? How does that work?

I don't know what to do with my auto insurance coverage... can someone help me??

I got a new auto insurance last November and it expires end of May. I paid $320 for 6 months. The rate was higher due to a moving violation. Well, the violation is off my record now.... and when I got a quote today with another insurance company, it was $150 for 6 months. So would it be cheaper for me to cancel my current coverage ($50 early cancellation applies) and get the new coverage? Or just keep the current coverage and apply again in June?""

CHEAP Car insurance company UK ???

I need the cheapest quote from somewhere and preferbly without deposit. im 26 and had a licence for 3 years

Citroen Saxo Insurance?

Hello, im a 17 year old currently learning to drive, once i have a Full UK driving license,think i would be able to get insured on a citreon saxo? As far as i know there are a few types of saxo's, the 1.1, the 1.4 furio, and the vtr 1.6 i think! Many people have told be they are classed as a boy racer car so the insurance will be high but surely if i buy a standard 1.1 or 1.4 saxo i will be able to get insured. What do you guys think? What saxo best for first car? Any other first cars recommened? How much round about do you think it will be to insure? Thanks""

How much will my insurance go up?

I accidentally backed up into the corner of someones parked car going about 3-4 mph and there were some paint scuffs and a 4-5 inch crack.

""Can i get my medical insurance to pay for surgery to correct a covered surgery, if coverage lapsed meantime?""

In 2008 I had insurance in California, through my employer. I got laid off in June, but was on COBRA in Sept. 2008, when Blue Cross authorized me for gastric bypass surgery. In Oct 2009, owing to a dispute over COBRA payments, my insurance lapsed. As of Nov 1 I have no coverage, and new insurance through my wife's Kaiser won't start until Jan 1. Yesterday (Dec 23 09) I had to go to the ER due to abdominal pain that turned out to be a complication of the 2008 gastric bypass. Last night I had a CT scan and emergency surgery to correct the problem. Blue Cross rejected the claim, which of course makes sense and pushing it through was just a formality anyway. But today I wondered if, since the procedure was covered originally, would surgery to correct a complication be covered by law even if my insurance lapsed? I know I'm grasping at straws here, but it seems like it might be worth a consultation with an attorney to find out. I think this surgery is going to run to $40K or more. It was a simple laproscopic procedure, but y'know nothing's cheap. The original bypass was billed to Blue Cross at $38K. I know it's not like defect liability, since a surgeon can't guarantee there will not be complications. Also, I know I can't expect free legal advice here. But if someone knows for sure or has thoughts one way or the other would be helpful.""

How to get insurance coverage when between jobs?

My wife had her own health insurance with her previous employer, and I have my own with my employer. We do not have kids. She started a new job, but probation period for benefits is 3 months. She worked for a dental office of 5 employees, so I don't think COBRA is an option for her plus it's really expensive. Is it possible to add her to my work insurance plan for only 3 months mid calendar year?""

Where can i get visitor health insurance at affordable rate?

is there any good co where i can get affordable visitor health insurance thanx for suggestions

Why is it important to carry car insurance if the odds of a major accident are quite low?

Its a stats question

""Car Insurance, should I go as a named driver?""

I am 25, just passed, I got a quote from the post office for a 2001 MITSUBISHI Colt 1.3 Equippe at 2500 for the year... I live in a posh area (my nan n grandads) and the car will be parked on the drive. If I go as a named driver on my Grandad's insurance, who has plus 10yrs no claims how much cheaper do you think it will be? Does my Grandad have to buy the car in his name? What's the best way I can do this? Or should I just drive his punto 1.2l as a named driver, as a guess how much do you think i will have to pay extra so my grandad is still paying the same he usually does?""

Road trip without car insurance?

So my girlfriend and I want to go to Las Vegas with some friends. We don't have a car, but it friends does, however, he doesn't have car insurance. Would it still be ok to go? Why or why not? Well be traveling from SLC.""

Is Matrix Direct a good ins company?

Is Matrix Direct a good ins company?

How much more will the insurance go up? From Ford Ranger to Ford Mustang.?

I saw my dad right a check for my ranger to the insurance place for $75.. im about to get a 2003 mustang. How much will it cost for that on estimate just liability and it'll be on my parents insurance? Im 16 year old male with a 3.0 gpa. I have my own job too.

How much would my insurance cost?

hi i am 18 and looking for a vauxhall corsa the old one or a ka the old version i wanted to know from my age and the car on average how much would my insurance cost a month i am from england so could you tell me in pounds please p.s. i know it depends on a lot more things but it will be my 1st car could anyone please give me an average thank you

Does anyone know where i can get cheap and affordable health insurance from in wisconsin?

Im looking for cheap or affordable health insurance ,, sure cant seem to find any .. does anyone have an answer""

Insurance Question for lawyer?

i have an insurance that i paid full for six months and it still has two months left however, someone called the insurance place and cancelled my insurance. they didnt pretend to be me, they just know somebody that works in that insurance place, it was the same person who had recommended me to that place. what really bothers me is that this person now knows my information, what car i drive, address, color of car, any and all information that the insurance place has. i know i can get my insurance reinstated because i paid it for six full months and everything is under my name my question is if their is anything else i can do, or does anyone know of any laws that this breaks. im sure that its illegal i just dont know the laws, help anyone?""

How much time do you have to get car insurance after buying a car?

I'm considering buying a car insurance, I've been driving for years but none of the cars have actually been in my name and my mom has me on her plan. If I buy a car I'll need insurance, how much time would I have to get it?""

Are annuity health insurance premiums deductible?

My husband gets a government pension. His health insurance premiums are deducted from the annuity payments each month. (I don't know yet if the premiums are paid with pre-tax or post-tax dollars, looking into it.) Are those premiums deductible in the medical expenses area of our federal income taxes?""

""If I fill in a online Auto Insurance quote ,give them information like my SS# am I at risk for Idenity Theft?""

If I fill in a online Auto Insurance quote ,give them information like my Social Security number and the rest of my personal information that I am I asked for online am I putting myself at risk for Identity Theft?""

Will my insurance cover Invisalign?

My doctor recommended me using Invisalign cause i have 2 crooked eye teeth (not bad...) and my insurance covers 90 percent of what i get done. But wouldn't Invisalign be under cosmetic?? So my insurance wouldn't cover it... Just wondering if somebody might know the answer to that...

Car burned in fire with no insurance.?

My car was at the mechanic's shop in my local town and was parked behind a house that sat in front of the shop. The house caught on fire throughout the night (we don't know ...show more

Cheapest Auto insurance?

Cheapest Auto insurance?

How much would insurace cost monthly?

Im 16 and im gettin a 2003 cadillac CTS when i get my licences and i have a few questions. The car is $10,932 how much would the down payment be also how much monthly plus insurance?""

Where the best place to get a good deal on cheap insurance?

I have a 98' cadillac sedan deville that I just paid off but i still want full coverge for it, if something would of happen to it.""

What is the average cost of car insurance?

What is the average cost of car insurance?

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

""No health insurance, what can I do?""

My ex is responsible to provide health insurance for our 9 year old daughter but due to switching jobs no longer has insurance and hasn't since November. If our daughter got sick what are my options for healthcare, could I have them send the bill to my ex? I live in California.""

Any suggestions on first time driver insurance in the nyc area?

I need suggestions on good affordable insurance, keep in mind Im a first time driver.""

What is the best insurance company to have if you need to go into a rehabilitation center?

Which insurance covers the most??

""If my friend owns a car, can I have full insurance on it?""

If my friend owns a car and I am making payments to him to eventually own it, is there a way that it can be fully insured in my name?""

I am 17 and pregnant and don't have health insurance?

i just found out i am pregnant and i am 17 ill be 18 in june. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ABORTION!!!! i don't live with my mother or father i live with my aunt and grandma.... i have no health insurance and that is a big problem because how am i going to pay for the doctors and delivery.... can some one please help me finding some place that can help with insurance for the baby and me. P.S i live in california . and please don't even bothers answering me if u have nothing good to say because i do not need your immaturity. Thank you so much for you help :)

Fronting car insurance?

I made a separate thread about me being a second driver but owning the vehicle,i wont actually be using the vehicle as much as the main driver,Hence me being the second driver.The answers i got back were You're fronting and its fraud blablabla . Is it fronting if i am a second driver but own the vehicle?Surely if i dont use the vehicle as much as the main driver then reguardless of who owns it thats correct..?""

I am moving to California on a J1 visa do I need to get a californian driving licence?

Hey, Im moving to Los Angeles for a year this month on a J1 visa. I need a car for the internship I am doing. I was wondering would I need to get a californian driving licence. I checked the dmv website and it says that If I am becoming a residnent I would need to get one. A resident is considered someone voting in an election or paying homeowners tax which I won't be. I just need it set clear whether or not If I need a california licence to drive or will my British one be ok? Also will insurance companies insure me on a foreign licence.""

Which car is the cheapest to insure for a newly qualified 17 year old driver ?

My daughter wants her own car but insurance costs seem very high - can anyone sugest a suitable car for a new driver that won't cost her a small fortune to run or maintain ?

What is the most affordable Health insurance that covers maternity?

My wife and I want to have a baby and we are trying to find an affordable health insurance that covers all the prenatal costs and the birth. Which company offers the best and most affordable plans? For how long do we have to have the plan before my wife gets pregnant?

No insurance not my car?

Hi, my friend bought a car of some random guy on 3-19-09 and she has not registered it under her name yet, as the tags are not expired until late Dec 2009. Now i was doing repairs on the car, took it for a test drive, and got cited over by a peace officer for being on the cell phone. Now, since my friend hasn't registered it or no gotten insurance. My ticket says No proof of insurance...Am i financially responsible for this ticket? i am guilty for being on the phone, but the insurance? Ticket was issued on 4-11-09 I live in CA Thanks guys""

How much does business car insurance cost?

How much does business car insurance cost?

Change in Health insurance? Or not?

First, I hate insurance companies. I really don't understand how they can continue to get away with the cherry picking of clients to minimize their losses...I myself have health insurance through my employer, however when I was between jobs at one point I applied for short term coverage and was denied because I had previously had an abnormal pap smear...I was furious!!! My quesiton is - how do you think private health insurance will be impacted, IF AT ALL, if Obama gets elected this fall?""

What is a good website for getting non owner sr22 insurance?

Non owner sr22 insurance. I don't own a car and I do not have the time to make calls for insurance quotes. So I'm looking for a good website for getting cheap non owners sr22 insurance. Anybody knows someone? Thanks

""Someone else got a speeding ticket in my car, does my insurance rates go up?""

My fianc was driving my car when we were coming home from dinner, he was doing about 17 over I believe and got a ticket, however he's a permit driver.. The car is mine and is insured and registered in my name, I gave my license and registration to the cop when he took my fianc permit, the ticket only had his info on it, my plate number and the date my registration expires. No other information of mine is on there. He didn't ask to see my insurance card. So question is, are my rates going to go up because my fianc was driving and caught speeding?""

How much am I gointo pay for car insurance?

I am 17 turning 18 soon and when I graduate I plan on getting a 2011 Subaru WRX STI or a 2012 Mustang GT . I was just wondering how much I am going to be paying for insurance on either one. I will be 18 when I get it, I am a male and have a clean driving record. Please help, this will most likely be the deciding factor for which car I get. I would also like to know which car you would get. Thanks!!!""

Homeowners insurance quotes?

is it true you have to pay upfront 1 year homeowners insurance when buying a home.

What insurance do you have ?

we are looking for a good family insurance that could have dental coverage and eye care coverage as well as health any suggestions ? (ps family of four)

Does anyone know a good insurance company that will insure a young driver on a sports car?

i'm buying a convertible with a 1.8 engine i'm having trouble finding quotes below 4000, if anyone could suggest some cheap insurance companies that would be great!""

Best Health insurance for a young mom and college student?

I'm looking to find a health insurance suitable for me, a young mother (20) and college student. I did have Medicaid but they're saying I make too much and I'm only allowed to make 188 a month.. O_0 So I decided to just stop wasting my time and invest into my own insurance. My fiance said maybe I can get on his after we get married but Idk about that. What are some good affordable Health insurance for someone like me?""

What is the cheapest auto insurance company?

looking for a very affordable auto insurance quote/payment per month. Anyone knows? please and thank you.

How is the auto insurance for a Mazda 3i?

My first car, I have 1 speeding ticket on my record and two accidents, both not my fault. I have USAA insurance through my dad. How much do you think I'll pay a month?""

Good Insurance Policy for Newly Married Couple?

Me and my wife just for married. We are both 21 years of age and are in college. We know what having a good health insurance policy should be our highest priority. Is there any affordable and good insurance policy someone can recommend? Thank you.

Question about healthy families health insurance?

is it true healthy families cuts off the insurance for you when you turn 18??? im gonna turn 18 in a week and i need to go to the doctor. will they cut off the insurance?

Auto Insurance Experts: How much will I be penalized for lapsed insurance due to non-payment (I'm unemployed)?

I have been without insurance for nearly a month now. I have been unemployed for 5 months, but I will start a new job next week! Yay! Since I will start working soon, I will be able to afford to pay again. My car will also be paid off next month. I plan to go with a new company. (I do not have loyalty to the current company.) I used to have a well-known national company for years. When I first lapsed six months ago, my long-time company DOUBLED my monthly premium. I went for a low-budget, local company. Will the new company force me to pay for the time I did not have insurance? Or will I face a penalty? Will they charge me a higher rate? **Believe me, I know that I am taking a terrible risk driving around without insurance. I know that it is illegal...but I have been unemployed for 5 months, and have used the little money I had to pay rent, utilities, my car, groceries for me and 3 kids. I just had no other choice... I just want to be prepared for fees, higher rates, penalties, etc. Can you please give me some advice and suggestions on how to get myself back on track? Thanks.""

Estimate on drivers insurance?

Hello, i'm 16 years old and about to get my license any ideas on how much insurance would cost me? My family has Allstate and i can qualify for the good student discount.""

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Do I qualify for unemployment insurance in California?

I worked a full time temp job that only lasted 4 months. From May to September. I m wondering if that is enough to qualify for unemployment insurance in California?

Can someone give me advice on good health insurance that offers maternity coverage??

I am looking into individual health insurance because my hubby and I are trying to conceive and I don't have any. I know I need to have it BEFORE i become pregnant. I don't know a thing about insurance and can't seem to find any insurance companies that offer maternity coverage.......I work for a temp agency and have worked for them for a year and a half and their insurance is astronomical so I'm looking on my own. My hubby doesn't have insurance where he works as a mechanic so i can't get it through his insurance. Any advice would help!!!!

""Accidents, car seats and insurance?""

My son's father had an accident tonight. I realize the car seat now needs replaced. Does insurance pay for this? Do they send a check or reimburse? Do insurance companies balk at paying for new car seats in accidents that weren't 'that bad'? He hit a deer but did not total the car, but had some damage to the fender and was unable to drive the car away from the accident.""

How will canceling my auto insurance effect my credit?

I have insurance right now on my car that is quite expensive. I've had it for a month but I found a cheaper one I'd like to switch to. Will it effect my credit or anything of that matter in any way?

How much does it cost to go for an eye exam in new jersey without insurance?

I want to get my eyes checked and have no insurance.I was wondering how much it would cost? Is lenscrafters good or more expensive? pearl vision?

Insurance?

isnt an insurance company suppose to cover your car regradless the person driving it? well my boyfriend was driving my car-just bought-brand new car- and got into an accident. Now my insurance company denied my claim cause they say he wasnt under the insurance. but should my car be cover regradless if the person driving wasnt? I mean I pay monthly payments and then they are just gonna deny me after an accident. could anyone help me? any advice?

How can you justify paying this much for insurance?

my insurance was canceled on my a month ago so im shopping around. i have a friend who is a broker who recommended using progressive - for $711 a month. wtf. i have 1 speeding ticket, 1 minor traffic violation, and one comp claim. i used to have state farm and the most i ever paid was $240 a month. this is just wrong in all respects. how do they expect any 21 year old to pay that much? thats a rent payment. i have an 05 scion tc, im wondering if buying a cheap beater would affect the price at all.""

Rental car insurance -- what does it cover?

We are going to Vegas in a few days and are renting a car. Since this car is going to be in and out of parking garages, I think it's a good idea to buy the rental car insurance @ $ 10.99 a day. Say while the car is in the parking garage and someone scratches or dings the door, would this insurance cover it? That's all I'm really worried about.""

Where i can get car insurance groups explain?

Where i can get car insurance groups explain?

What is an affordable life insurance for a cigarette smoker?

What is an affordable life insurance for a cigarette smoker?

Car accident and insurance/how much in repairs?

I got into a minor car accident yesterday afternoon while I was parallel parking on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. I was backing up and I hit the curb. The front end of my vehicle was still sticking our quite a bit, so I pulled out a little bit so I could pull in the rest of the way. The person behind me thought that I was done parking so pulled around me and I ended up hitting her. Her fender and her door skin need to be replaced. Does anyone know around how much this would cost to repair? She had the police come so I am assuming that she wants the insurance company to cover the damage, however I would rather pay for it out of pocket. Obviously, my insurance company is going to find out about the accident, but after the insurance companies decide the breakdown of the fault, would I be able to pay for my part of the damages without my rates going up? Or at that point would it not matter, my rates are going up anyways? I ask this because I'm 19 years old and would prefer to not have my rates go up.""

Do you have to be a licensed insurance agent to do this?

Do you have to be a licensed insurance agent to quote Medicare Supplement rates in Texas? Please cite a source of your information.

""What would you do? Really want a baby, but afraid of losing insurance.?""

I know this is just for my husband and me to decide, but I'd like to hear what other people would do. We really want to have a baby (we've had two losses in the past). We've paid off our bills and have some savings for a house (we'd like to buy one in about 5 years). The only thing stopping us now is that his job can be unstable and, although we'll continue to be fine financially, I'm afraid of losing insurance. Would you take the risk?""

Is health insurance worth the money?

I have been with Bupa health insurance for years but have never used them. I'm 21, Do you think I'm to young to need insurance as I will most likely not need any untill I'm in my 40s. Is it a wast of money? Its only 52 a month so not to expensive but I suppose I could spend the money on things I enjoy. What do you think.""

""I am getting ready to get homeowners insurance in Indianapolis, IN. Anyone have a good place they go?""

I am going to be in the Speedway area but it doesn't have to be in that area, just someplace around Indy. Just looking for an affordable and reliable place. Hopefully you guys have some good suggestions. Thanks in advance!""

""My Dad has cancer, and my parents can not afford life insurance for him. Can I get it to help out when the time comes?""

My Dad has cancer, and my parents can not afford life insurance for him. Can I get it to help out when the time comes?""

Car insurance for 27 male?

Hello, Im 27 year old male, driving a 2003 mazda protege with 170 000 kms. I live in London Ontario. How much will car insurance be with a clean record?""

How much money have you saved on insurance rates because of seatbelt laws?

Please give me a figure and proof that insurance costs have been lowered since the mandatory seatbelt laws. Or helmet laws. How much money do you save per year since you have given up your right to choose?

Who should I trust when it comes to auto insurance?

I am looking for Auto Insurance but want to deal a company I can trust.

Is it covered under insurance?

i want to change my old cavities to the white cavities to match my teeth. i hate to open my mouth in front of people because i have so many cavities. the thing is, is it covered under insurance and is it expensive?""

Health insurance?

is there any other form of low income insurance in south carolina besides medicaid? im 19 with a baby. i cant work because i dont have anyone to take care of the baby and cant afford daycare. i rely on my parents support. also i live with them. my baby is on medicaid but i am no longer eligible because of my age and i am not disabled

Where can I add my name to health insurance waiting list and what are average waiting times?

In our state we imposed rent controls 10 years ago to help the poor with more affordable housing, and apartments available for rent disappeared from the market for some mysterious reason. I spent 6 years on a waiting list and still my turn never came. To tell you the truth almost all vacancies are filled either through bribes or nepotism. One week ago our Governor imposed price controls on health care insurance premiums to help the poor with more affordable health care, and policies available for purchases disappeared from the market for some mysterious reason.""

Affordable health insurance?

I am a married woman and am looking for health insurance just for myself. My husband does not want to get it for both of us just yet. I get birth control every month and I have contacts, so I would like affordable health insurance that would include vision and lower my yearly visit to the gynecologist. It should also be good for the possibility of my birth control failing and I get pregnant. I live in Alabama. Do you have any ideas? I'd like it to be under $100 a month.""

Getting married early for health insurance?

I'm wondering if there are any risks to getting married early in order to qualify for future spouses health insurance? For example, what are the tax implications to getting married? Were already engaged and were planning to marry later next year, but now that Im between jobs it would be much more affordable to access spousal health insurance rather than COBRA.""

17 year old male car insurance?

Hi, I'm 17 year old male looking for car insurance - I know that the insurance is going to be expensive, but the cheapest I can find is just over 6000! It's for a 1 litre citroen C1, I don't live in a rough area or anything. What am I doing wrong? My friends are driving cars, and they're paying around 2000. I tried everything; pass plus, third party only, low annual mileage, high voluntary excess - what am I meant to do? I've tried all the price comparison websites.. Thanks for your help!""

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

Milan Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63556

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/car-insurance-cheap-21-year-old-patrick-rice/"

[newssplashy]

NEW YORK — In the early 1970s, my uncle, jazz musician Alan Braufman, was a lanky young man with a bushy mustache and a wavy pile of black hair.

My earliest childhood memories are musical, like playing worn-out John Coltrane records with my mother and Alan on a delicate wooden turntable;

listening to Alan practice his saxophone for several hours each day, ingraining in my head melodies that would later become songs of his; and banging on pots and pans incessantly until Alan bought me a beat-up but real orange-and-silver-splotched Ludwig drum set when I was 2 1/2 years old.

In 1973, Gene Ashton, my godfather — a pianist and multi-instrumentalist who still performs as Cooper-Moore — found a rundown four-story building at 501 Canal St., far west of the abundant junk stores and discount electronics shops.

He persuaded some fellow Berklee College of Music colleagues to move from Boston to New York City. Alan lived on the second floor with one roommate, David S. Ware, the acclaimed saxophonist who went on to play with pianist Cecil Taylor and make many celebrated records of his own.

In 1974, 501 Canal’s storefront became a performance space known for its Friday night concerts. While the venue didn’t have a name, it became a seminal part of New York’s downtown loft jazz scene.

The Village Voice ran a piece titled “Taking Chances at 501 Canal” in its June 13, 1974, issue.

The Voice jazz columnist Gary Giddins, an ardent supporter of the scene, wrote: “The fact is, these are the musicians who are taking the chances today and their gifts and commitment ought to be attended.”

“We had about 30 of these really cheap chairs that buckled if anyone overweight sat on them,” my uncle recalled, laughing at the ragtag operation. “It was really casual — people sat on the floor, too. I think we charged $3 to get in.”

Little Italy, Chinatown and Greenwich Village were a 15-minute walk away, but they felt like different cities entirely. SoHo wasn’t far, but was still in its artistic infancy. Three blocks west, the Hudson River separated New York from New Jersey and signified the edge of the earth.

My mother and I never lived at 501 Canal. We moved around: Amherst, Massachusetts, or Boston or Greenwich Village. But I spent at least a few months of each of my first 10 years there. Alan and I often played music together in the performance space, which was made to feel small by thick curtains that covered its glass door and windows. A psychedelic purple, green and black cloth print obscured wood paneling and served as the backdrop to a small, 6-inch-high stage. Recordings of us from those days reveal a bossy-but-not-rhythmless child drummer and an unbelievably patient saxophonist who considered our sessions part of his several-hours-per-day practice regimen.

The total rent for 501 Canal was $550 per month, which allowed its four occupants to work very little and focus on playing music. But life in the building shouldn’t be romanticized. It wasn’t a high-ceilinged fortress or an industrial-chic, metal-and-cement compound. 501 Canal was an off-the-grid, dilapidated, prickly splinter of a building that should have been condemned years before these musicians discovered it.

Opening the door was like entering a haunted house. Even at night, it took time to adjust to the extreme darkness of the space, which was lit by a single fatigued, yellowing bulb that hung high above the stairs. A pay phone stood immediately inside the door, tucked into a wooden alcove. Sometimes it rang and rang, but nobody answered. Outgoing calls were somehow free — every dime that went in came back out like a slot machine spitting out a tiny jackpot.

The air felt cold and smelled of dust, as if the building had been unoccupied for 20 years, which it had. A steep wooden staircase visibly slouched to the left, almost floating, barely attached to the wall that somehow supported it. Every step whined and complained under human feet. Even as a child, I had contemplated if I would have been better off running up or down when the stairs finally collapsed under me. As I grew older, I became more conscious of the building’s eccentricities and the fact that nobody else I knew lived in conditions like these. Though my mother and I were on welfare, our rent-subsidized apartment in Amherst felt luxurious compared to Uncle Alan’s.

Con Edison neglected to send a bill to 501 Canal, so the tenants, aware that their services were free, feared any attention from the utility company, but also had no recourse against the building’s many issues, the biggest of which was that there was no heat.

During the winter, Alan sealed his windows with large sheets of foggy plastic that puffed inward like dirty balloons. On the coldest nights, liquids froze solid if we forgot to put them in the fridge, which was warmer than any room.

During the summer, Canal Street smelled of pungent, sweating garbage. I sometimes sat in the open window — there was no air-conditioner — as a fan blew hot air past me. Herds of cars sat at a dead stop, trying to enter the Holland Tunnel. Why do so many people need to drive to Holland? I sometimes wondered. Only later did I learn that the two-lane tunnel under the Hudson River led commuters home to New Jersey. Drivers slammed on their horns and banged on steering wheels. The visible heat waves and gray puffs of smoke slowly lifting toward me from the street were sometimes so thick that they rendered taxi markings illegible.

New York in the ‘70s was a dangerous, desperate city on the brink of bankruptcy. Even in nice neighborhoods, there were specific blocks to avoid because of muggers, drug dealers and gangs. But as dingy and desolate as it was, the area around 501 Canal never felt unsafe. It was a quiet, underdeveloped zone of the city that went unnoticed until it boomed two decades later under its new name, Tribeca. Many of the buildings had been printing houses that lay dormant awaiting their eventual renovations into luxury lofts. Until then, artists and musicians continued to occupy the neighborhood in search of the same inexpensive, creative solitude offered at 501 Canal.

Other than a gas station across the street, the only nearby business was the Ear Inn, a dimly lit tinderbox of a bar that recently celebrated its 200th birthday.

So 501 Canal existed in quiet isolation in the midst of one of the biggest, most vital cities in the world. This was, and will always be, my New York. And in fall 1974, this is where Alan Braufman recorded his debut album, “Valley of Search,” a free jazz offering that embodies the city during this time.

Although the music was rather complex, the recording itself was fairly simple. Bob Cummins, who owned the India Navigation record label, brought his gear down to 501 Canal and recorded the band. “It was just Bob and the five of us in the room,” Alan recalled. “We just played it.”

I wasn’t present for the recording, nor did I understand what it meant to document the music I heard every day. But I was often able to participate. There’s even a track in my honor, “Little Nabil’s March.” It’s a song that Alan and I played together regularly. Four decades later, my participation resumed this year, when I helped Alan reissue his album.

Listening to the music now brings me back to an exciting, often intimidating city overflowing with creative energy. But while the feelings I associate with “Valley of Search” are uniquely New York, the sounds are distinctly 501 Canal: At once dissonant and beautiful, spare yet cacophonous, the recording inhales and exhales the chaos of a gigantic populace.

After “Valley of Search,” Alan went on to release two more albums as Alan Michael and tour the world, playing saxophone with a very diverse group of musicians, including composer and pianist Carla Bley and the Psychedelic Furs, a post-punk English band. But 501 Canal’s future was short-lived. In 1983, after 10 years, Alan, the last of the original residents, left the building. It was torn down in the 1990s, and the lot remained vacant until recently. These days, 501 Canal St. has heat, air-conditioning and a nicely lit lobby — because it’s now part of a luxury hotel.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Nabil Ayers © 2018 The New York Times

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