#Details about Lexus

[umathurwin]

get what i want ’cause i ask for it (not because i’m really that deserving of it)

rafe cameron x f!reader; nsfw 18+

Summary: Rafe is so close to receiving the CEO title of his father’s company, he can taste it. But before he can have his dream job, he has to complete the most grueling task he’s ever been given: watch over the bratty heiress of their partner company, who’s decided to make his life hell.

He’s persistent. But so is she.

A/N: tags, warnings, and more on ao3!

“So,” Rafe started, striding into his father’s office and getting way too comfortable in the chair. Ward’s clients would expect nothing less than Memory Foam under their pompous asses, of course– how could you not sink down and kick your feet on the desk? “What’s next for me? Corner office with big windows? Company Lexus? A solid-gold bathroom?”

“I’ll be frank. What the hell are you talking about?”

“When I’m CEO of Cameron Development. Duh. I’ve been hearing the rumors about Maurice retiring, and you’re gonna need someone to fill his role…”

“Easy . You haven’t even been working here a whole year,” Ward reminded him, smacking the peppermint gum Rafe hated. “And your office has big windows!”

“I’m just being cliche. It’s the title that I really want, Dad.”

“Why should I give it to you, though? You’re barely even old enough to be out of college, if you’d gone.”

It stung, when his father reminded him that he hadn’t gone to school. He swallowed anyway. “Don’t need to, not with my work ethic. I take the job you gave me really seriously. All the departments love me, we’ve had great numbers the last three quarters, I’ve secured five deals that we’ve missed out on in the past,” he ticked off. “Tell me why you shouldn’t give it to me.”

Ward leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen on the desk rapidly. “Okay, you’re right. I agree. And I actually think I have something in mind that’ll really prove to me you’re worthy of totally running this company with the CEO title.”

Rafe all but purred. “Name it.”

“I should warn you, this is… probably gonna be the ultimate test of how loyal you are to Cameron Development.”

“Jesus, am I gonna have to fight a Jedi, or something?”

“Remember when I ran errands when you were younger, and you acted like it was inhumane torture to watch Sarah for 45 minutes?”

He sulked, already rubbing at the space between his eyebrows. “Oh God. You hired her, too, didn’t you? And here I thought my job was a special offer. Are you giving one to my cousin Tristan, too? Y’know he sits down when he pees?”

“I’m not hiring your sister. Or… your cousin,” Ward sighed. “We have a huge offer coming up soon. We’re teaming up with Kerrington Design to build on the northern side of the island, meaning we’d have properties in every zone. I cannot stress enough how important this bid is, Rafe. Josephine Kerrington will be working with us for the next month or so while we iron out details.”

“This all sounds great so far,” Rafe said. “Where do I come in?”

“Josephine mentioned that she was bringing her young daughter, and that she doesn’t feel comfortable with her being alone. I offered for you to watch over her while she’s here.”

“What?!”

“Look, I know you—”

“Hate dealing with kids? Yeah, I do,” he groaned. “Dad, you realize I have actual work to do around here? I have that O’Brien meeting coming up! How am I supposed to get stuff done with someone playing Webkinz in my office?”

“You love Webkinz.”

“Good Lord. Sure, when I was six!”

“Like I said before,” Ward started, tone carrying a warning out to his son that matched his tilted head, “this is an ultimate test. I’m counting on you to be a good babysitter.” Ward’s phone trilled, forcing a wince onto Rafe’s face, and the older man leaned forward to glance at the screen. “Ah. That’s her now. They’ll be arriving today, so be on the lookout for them, eh?”

Rafe stood up, smoothing out his pants. “Yeah, well, if there’s gonna be a child on the premises, I’m getting a cup of coffee right now.”

“Probably a good idea,” Ward conceded lowly, waving his son out of his office. “Mrs. Kerrington, good morning, it’s so great to hear from you…”

Rafe stepped out and went to the floor’s coffee station, noting an unfamiliar young woman getting herself a cup from the stack of thick cardboard. The company rarely hired people under the age of 25, so he was pleasantly surprised to see someone his own age.

“Morning,” he greeted to get her to turn around, and fuck, she was cute. “I don’t recognize you. New here?”

“You could say that,” the girl cocked her head a little. “Do you know every person who works here?”

He smiled. “Oh, I do a lot of paperwork on all levels. Surely I would’ve remembered you.”

She returned his grin. “You’re sweet. I’m Y/N.”

“My name’s Rafe. Your morning been good so far?”

“So far,” she repeated him in response, returning to her empty cup. “How about yourself?”

“Fine. Just dreading later,” he sighed, reaching behind the supplies in the cabinet to find the mug he’d hidden back there.

She made a little humming noise. “Why? What’s later?”

“Ah, nothing, I just have to babysit some CEO’s daughter for a few weeks. I hope to God I’ll be able to get any work done with a kid running around here, but I’ve got a little sister. I think I’ll be fine.”

The girl nodded, a little slowly to be seen as normal, but she was cute enough that he brushed it off. His eyes trailed down to where she was about to pour the coffee into her cup and he reached out to hold her wrist and stop her actions. “Wait, whoa!”

She gasped, jumping back. “Hey, watch it!” she shook her head, pouring her cup while still a few feet away from him. “It’s hot coffee, dude. What’s your deal?”

“If you pour the powder creamer first, it dissolves when you pour the coffee in,” he explained, shaking his head. “Too late now. You shoulda listened to me.”

“Well, it really doesn’t matter when y’all have thousands of these,” she reached for a coffee stirrer. “You micromanage a lot of shit around here, or am I special?”

He scoffed. “I practically run this place, sweetheart. You should be thanking me for bestowing my wisdom on you. Now, don’t you have something, I dunno, administrative to do?”

“Administrative?” the girl parroted, setting down the stirrer. Her tone was amused, but her eyebrows were still in her hairline. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to talk to women like that?”

“My step-mother,” he corrected, “is a useless witch. So, no.”

Her mouth fell open. “I guess this company is run by an absolute pig.”

He clenched his jaw. Who is this girl, and how dare she speak to him like that? “You better watch how you talk to me before I–”

“Rafe!” Ward called, interrupting his son’s threat and joining the two young adults at the coffee bar. “I see you’ve already met your partner for the next few weeks. How are you, Miss Kerrington?” he turned to warmly address her, reaching out to take her hand politely and shake it. He either didn’t notice the horrific tension between them or was desperately trying to cut it.

The girl smiled. “I’m doing just fine, Mr. Cameron.”

“Please, call me Ward,” he insisted, stepping aside to grab a cardboard cup.

Rafe finally found his voice. “So, Josephine Kerrington…” he started, anxiously looking between her and his father.

“Is my mother,” Y/N finished, tilting her head smugly. “Rafe, was it? Why don’t you show me to your office?”

***

He tried to keep his back straight as he showed her where he worked, and she looked around nosily the second she was inside. While she snooped around his belongings and photos, he took another look at her.

She was wearing a lavender floral dress that was just too short to be considered professional, though those rules clearly didn’t apply to her. When she spun back around to look at him, he had to snap his gaze back up quickly to not reveal he’d been staring at her ass.

“So, Y/N,” he started sheepishly. She set her coffee on the table and he ran over to put a coaster under it. “I think we got off on the wrong foot—“

“Water under the bridge,” she interrupted. “Could you Airdrop the Wifi?”

Rafe stared at her face, expecting her to burst out laughing at him. “I understand all of those words, separately.”

She sighed. “You have wireless internet here, no?”

“We do.”

“And I assume it’s password protected?”

“That’d be a correct assumption.”

“And I also bet it’s harder to type than ‘cameronwifi’?”

He scrunched his face. “It’s some combination of letters and numbers, so yeah.”

She pressed her lips together. “Figured. Open up contacts on your phone.”

Rafe obeyed, though he didn’t know why. Curiosity, maybe? She put in her number then guided him to the Wifi tab and held her phone up. The password to the internet auto-filled on her device and she was already skipping away to use it.

“What? I don’t get a ‘thank you’?” he snorted, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“Why? You didn’t even do anything!” She flopped on the couch. “Feel free to text me, now that you’ve got my number.”

He scoffed. “Are you hitting on me?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, nerd. If I did hit on you, I’d probably comment on your Marlon Brando slicked hair. Heavy gel, in this decade, it’s a sexy and modern choice.”

There was no holding back now. “You’re a brat.”

“Get used to it.”

“Why should I? It’s not like you do anything.”

“You say that like I’m not important.”

“Of course you’re not important here. You—You don’t even have a title!”

“Ah, that’s just not true,” she corrected. “I’m a CTA. Chief Tactics Associate.”

Rafe rubbed at his forehead. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means what I say, goes.”

He snickered. “Is that so?”

“Glad you find it funny. Why do you think I’m even here? My opinion means a lot to my mother, and if I run to her and tell her I don’t like how things are run at your company, she’ll pick up her business and run to the next development firm that’s eagerly waiting to spring properties up on the island.”

Rafe’s stomach turned. With how important this deal was to Ward, she really had the upper hand on him. “Fine. Just stay out of my way while I work, and we should get along alright.”

A smile curled up on her face. “I’ll try my best, sir.”

***

She did not.

When confronted by his son, Ward was not sympathetic. He eventually gave a half-hearted apology but not before bursting out laughing in Rafe’s face. His only defense was something like, “Josephine’s exact words were ‘young daughter’. How was I supposed to know she’s able to vote?”

“I sure love finding you in my office all the time,” Rafe announced sardonically to the girl lying on his comfy leather couch watching loud Tik Toks.

He knew why she hovered, of course. Even if his father hadn’t twisted his arm into watching her, he was one of the few people in the building within ten years of her age. It made sense that she’d linger around him, even if she was a nuisance most of the time.

She didn’t look up from her phone. “It has the best view. Big windows.” She reached into her shirt, dipped into her bra and pulled out what looked like a USB until she brought it to her mouth and sucked.

Rafe reached down to snatch it from her hand and stuck it in his lapel pocket. “Not in my office.”

She waved her hand around annoyedly, letting the tiny wisps of smoke escape from her lips. “Vibe killer. I’ve got another one at home.”

“I’m sure you do,” he muttered, sniffing the air. “Wait. Is this mint? They don’t make JUUL pods in that flavor anymore.”

“I get ‘em from Europe,” she explained impatiently.

He huffed. “How stupid of me,” he noted before stalking over to his computer. He looked around his desk and noticed things were not as he left them. “Goddamnit, quit messing around with my stuff! I’ve told you before, I care ab–” he stopped himself, and the pause actually garnered her attention.

Rafe picked up a stack of documents and inspected them carefully. “Wait. These are the quarterly verification logs?”

“I know what they are. Title at the top and everything.”

“Y/N, I’ve been trying to get these back from credentialing for months. I email them twice a day, they don’t even blink at me. Is this what you did during my meeting?”

“Yeah. I saw you typing one up earlier, so I paid their department a little visit when I was bored. Can I have my JUUL back as a prize?”

Rafe laughed. “I thought you had another one at home.”

“You called my bluff.”

He rolled his eyes, but still reached into his jacket and tossed her the stick. She caught it and took another rip, looking behind him and shaking her head wistfully. “Just imagine what else you could get done if you had a pair of tits to weaponize with every half-witted employee you have crawling around here.”

Hmm. Maybe he didn’t have to imagine.

***

His least favorite part of what he did was dealing with the shareholders, by far.

He gets it. A critical part of the job was kissing rich ass despite them knowing the least about what’s best for the company, because money makes the world go round. But the meetings he was forced to sit in on were like pulling teeth, and every minute he sat in those rooms was a performance. He nodded along, looked over papers and presentations, pretended not to notice the older men had no idea where they were, and shook hands until they slapped their thighs and announced it was time to head out.

Today, the meeting ran over, because none of those antiquated bastards have any concept of time. His skin itched, watching the clock tick minute after minute when he should already be getting back to work. When they finally noticed, Rafe pretended to receive a critical phone call to escape without dealing with their falsely pleasant goodbyes.

Rafe rested his forehead on his office door before going inside. For a moment, he forgot everything that was going on in his life, and prepared himself to enjoy the rest of the day in peace and quiet.

Except, he couldn’t, because Y/N was sitting in his chair, feet kicked up on his desk, with one of his lollipops in her mouth. He deflated, walking over to see what she was doing. Rafe groaned when his eyes landed on a coloring book and some crayons in her lap, and was especially peeved that she was too focused on Aurora’s hair to look up at him.

“What are you, five?” he sneered, picking up a completed Ursula and Ariel sheet off his desktop. “That’s you,” he said, pointing to the villainous witch.

Y/N’s eyes flicked up annoyedly and she took the sucker out, letting it clack on her teeth. “Yeah, and you’re so mature.” Without breaking eye contact, she placed the glistening lollipop right on his desk.

“Damnit, you–,” he sputtered, picking up the candy and remorsefully throwing it away. He swiped at the wet spot that remained and brought his fingers to his lips without thinking. It looked like the wood was too dark to show a stain anyways. “You win. Just, please get up.”

She waved around to the many empty chairs in his office. “Sit somewhere else.”

“It’s my office,” he scoffed. “Get up. Or you can sit in my lap, if you want,” Rafe added with a smirk.

Y/N grimaced. “Do I need to go to HR?”

“Best of luck with that, doll. The Lead HR lady is my godmother.”

She paused her coloring to look up at him. “Tell me, is there anyone in this building you don’t have a familial relation to?”

“Our CTA.”

“You’re funny.”

“I know. That’s why I thought you’d jump on the offer to sit on my lap.” She ignored him again, returning to coloring the pink dress. Rafe glanced at the stack of manila envelopes on his desk and an idea popped into his head. “Say, has my father shown you the mail room here?”

She lifted an eyebrow–he almost laughed at how easy she was to entertain. “Mail room?”

He nodded. “Yeah, real shiny place. There’s tubes all over the building that we shoot letters into that all lead to the mail room downstairs. It’s a really cool set-up, and I think you’d like it.” He looked at his desk again, feigning surprise. “Oh, hey! And these need to be sent out anyways. They don’t fit in the chutes, so you have an excuse to snoop around there.” He picked up the stack and held them out to her, fully expecting her to snort and tell him to shove them up his ass. It’s what his sister would do.

But to his complete surprise, she nodded wordlessly and set her colors down. She took the envelopes and skipped out of the office on a mission.

Shit. Maybe he could make this work.

***

Two hours later, Rafe burst out of his own office, crashing right into his father.

“Hey, I was just coming to check on you,” he greeted before noticing Rafe’s sour expression. “Whoa, what’s wrong?” Ward asked, holding out a hand to his son’s chest to slow him down.

“Oh, nothing. Just that Y/N painted her nails in my room earlier,” he huffed. Likely because she wanted to cover up the scent of her dab pen, he really wanted to add on. “I made her count reams of paper to make her leave, but the room still smells like chemicals. Getting a migraine.”

“Did you open a window?”

“No, Dad, and I also didn’t try spraying Febreze, so don’t ask,” he snapped.

Ward pressed his lips together, eyebrows lifting softly. “Come sit in my office for a little?” he offered.

Rafe nodded, pressing the up button himself. His phone in his pocket chirped to indicate a text message, but he didn’t move. The phone buzzed over and over, beeping so many times that they were cutting themselves off.

Ward blinked. “Gonna check that?”

“Nope. I know it’s just Y/N.”

“Why is she sending you so many texts?”

“I made the mistake of giving her my number in case she needed anything. Now, she sends me fifty iMessage games if I’m not paying attention to her.” The elevator doors opened again to the top floor. “Dad, you don’t realize. She’s the most annoying pest I’ve ever had to deal with.”

“Worse than your sister?”

Rafe hesitated. “She gives her a run for her money.”

***

Y/N bounded up to Rafe the following day, looking from the phone nestled in the crook of his neck to where the cord led back to the desk. She brought a freshly pink-tipped finger to the hook switch and pressed it, ending his call.

“I got the signatures from the guys in accounting,” she announced, pulling the papers out to show him. “Have you actually seen them? They are literally the palest people I’ve ever met.”

Rafe sputtered with anger, slamming the phone back in the cradle. “You didn’t have to do that! I was on hold with a stupid robot.”

“I wanted your undivided attention,” she shrugged.

He massaged at his temples. “Whatever. Thank you for the signatures, I suppose. Say, are you having any trouble with the Wifi?”

To his dismay, her face brightened. “Oh, right! I wanted to ask IT if you can change the password for only the router in your office, and the answer is yes,” she giddily explained, pointing to the white box pinned to the ceiling above her.

“Um, okay. What’s the new password?”

“It’s ‘misskerringtonlovesanal420’, no caps, no spaces.”

He sighed. “Are you serious?”

“Well, I’ve never actually tried doing it. But I wanted to see if I could make the IT guy squirm and he totally–”

“I meant, is it seriously the password?” he stopped her, tired of being reminded that every touch-starved man on the premises was at the sheer whim of this girl.

“See for yourself.”

Click click click. “Ugh, really?”

“Tell me you wouldn’t do this shit if you had the freedom to.”

He didn’t respond to that. It seemed he’d have to try a little harder to keep the girl busy and out of trouble. Rafe slipped a hand into his lapel pocket and pulled out a folded $20, extending it out for her. “If I give you this, will you go to the cafeteria downstairs and get us both turkey sandwiches?”

She took the money and slipped it in her bra, already on her way out. “Yes, but we’re getting rotisserie chicken. They’re so much better.”

“Wait, I want turkey!” he called after her.

“Too bad!”

***

Rafe woke up late.

He’d spent the last week working double time to make sure Y/N stayed out of trouble and his normal tasks were fulfilled. It was no wonder that at some point he’d break and the back-up Pinball alarm would fail him. Why the fuck this had to happen the morning of his O’Brien meeting, he’ll never know.

He ran into his building in such a hurry he felt the soles of his shoes wearing down. He didn’t stop for the doorman, the HR intern, and sure as shit not for his father, who all tried to strike up a conversation.

“Dad, please, I can’t talk right now,” Rafe huffed out to the last one, clicking the elevator button over and over. “I’m super late to a meeting with–”

“This is slightly more important,” Ward insisted. “There was a cyber attack. IT is taking care of it, but something got in through our Wifi, and our emails have been a mess all d–”

“Wait,” Rafe interrupted, ignoring the car arriving at the ground floor. “You said the Wifi?”

“Well, yeah. They said there was a leak at our security company, and any routers with passwords that haven’t been reset in the last month were affected. They’re routinely reset four times a year, so we just got unlucky.”

Rafe was so stunned he had to be pulled onto the elevator by his father. “Is everything alright?”

He tossed around what to do here. If he admitted Y/N dicking around had accidentally protected his router, he’d run the risk of exposing not only how he’d been getting her to do his work but also how he really hadn’t been monitoring her too strictly. Hell, she could’ve done the opposite and totally fucked over their security if she wasn’t careful.

“Yes, actually, I was having trouble and changed my own router last week,” he lied, words fumbling out in a jittery string. “Guess I just got lucky. God, how is this elevator so slow?”

Ward raised his eyebrow at his bouncy son. “Is everything alright?”

“O’Brien meeting in negative two minutes,” he shouted, looking at his watch and slipping through the crack between the barely-open doors. “Damn Irish.”

“It’s funny because we’re actually Scottish!” his father called after him, but Rafe really didn’t care.

He threw open the doors to his own office and waved off a dazed Y/N to run behind his desk. “Hey, Bossman,” she greeted him, clearly oblivious to the rush he was in. “I had a great idea for us to do.”

Rafe dug through his desk drawers, sorting through Sharpies and Post-Its looking for the USB drive holding the O’Brien floor plans. “Lemme get back to you on that.”

“Are you sure? It’ll only take a minute.”

“Y/N, I can’t right now. I’ve got a meeting that I’m already late for, and it’s really important that I–”

“Oh, that? I moved it.”

He halted in his tracks, blood colder than ice. “You moved my meeting with the O’Briens?!” he asked, wiping sweat off his forehead.

“Yeah,” she answered bubbly. “I wanted to get a chocolate croissant at that bakery down the street but they close early in the day, so I called and asked those guys if they’d be okay with the same time tomorrow. All I had to do was say it conflicted with Kerrington business, and they were cool with it. Ready to go?”

Rafe was… fucking flabbergasted. Not only did she take it upon herself to move a career-altering meeting without his permission over a fucking baked good, but she’d used her name to persuade the O’Briens into compliance. He thought back to the wifi– she’d just unintentionally saved his ass, twice, in the same fucking day.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I looked at your calendar first. You’re not busy.”

He couldn’t help himself. Rafe lunged forward, taking her face into his hands and planting a big kiss on her lips. She made a surprised squeak before relaxing into his touch and returning the favor.

When he pulled away, her eyes were still shut for two seconds too long. “Yeah, I could go for a Kouign-amann. After you,” he said, waving his hand out to the door.

***

Rafe had just finished the yellow cross on his Rubik’s cube when his father knocked on the door of his office. He waved him in with two fingers but went right back to diligently solving his puzzle.

“Where is Y/N?” Ward asked, taking a seat in front of his son’s desk.

“Out to lunch with her mother.”

“And you didn’t go with her?” he teased.

This got Rafe to look up from the cube, but he still shot his father an exasperated glare. Not only did that sound like a nightmare and a half, he was a little uneasy about being around her.

He’d acted a little rash yesterday when he was pumped full of adrenaline and stress, he’ll admit it– though, if he had made her uncomfortable with the kiss, she didn’t act like it. She went right back to the hellion force of nature she was before (like forcing him to play 20 Questions with her, and when the person was revealed to be Ghandi, going on a long rant about his problematic behavior as if she hadn’t chosen the man herself). Kinda why he was enjoying the rare peace and quiet he just lost.

“Why’d you stop by?” A much more pleasant way of saying why oh why are you in my office and what’s the quickest way I can get you out.

“At some point I want you to complete the follow-up for the Carroll’s. I know they’re a-holes, so feel free to not put this high on your priority list. I could care less if it gets done by the end of the week, if I’m being honest.”

“Oh, so you haven’t been honest before?” Rafe snapped, getting too frustrated and slamming the Rubik’s cube back down on the desk. “And you mean you couldn’t care less,” he tacked on.

Ward pursed his lips together and tried to hold back a snort. “Okay, let’s make a deal. I won’t use either of those phrases anymore, and you quit taking out your annoyance with Y/N on me.”

“Not really fair, since her antagonism in my life is very much your fault.”

“C’mon, you’ve been doing a great job so far! Is she that hard to get along with?” Ward sighed. “She’s a cute girl who could charm birds out of trees and y’know, she reminds me a lot of you.”

Rafe winced. “That’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Oh, hush. You’re both hardworking, loyal, and heirs, obviously.”

“How is she hardworking? All she does is traipse around the office and make messes for me to clean up.”

“Really? Because, from what I’ve heard around the office, you’ve turned her into your little administrative assistant. Are you sure that’s what Mrs. Kerrington wants?”

“I don’t know what Mrs. Kerrington wants!” he groaned, rubbing at his forehead. “If you didn’t notice, she kind of dropped a teenager off at my doorstep and made me figure out how to balance watching her and work.”

“She’s an adult,” Ward muttered, sinking down in the chair.

“Those are not mutually exclusive,” Rafe snapped back, then shook his head. He leaned forward and started working on the Rubik’s cube again. “Whatever. I’m over it. Not really, but I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” His eyes darted up to the clock on his wall. “You’ve got a Zoom call with the West Coast in ten minutes, anyways.”

Ward checked his watch and jumped up when he realized his son was correct.

***

“How did you even manage to get into my computer?!” Rafe shouted, slamming his hands on his desk and standing up.

“Your password was literally your last name and birth year, doll,” she explained, far too casual for someone who hadn’t just turned his entire desktop set-up to various shades of pink and purple. He didn’t fail to notice how she was picking up on his mannerisms these last few weeks. “And the password hint was ‘name and year’. Have you ever taken a computer safety class in your life?”

“Stop talking to me like I deserve to have you snooping around my stuff! Change it back!”

“Absolutely not. How could you work with it before? It was so dull and… default settings.”

Rafe scrubbed his face with his hands, realizing it didn't relax him at all. “I am genuinely so tired of your presence,” he admitted, waving a hand and trying not to clench it in a fist when she giggled at him. “I’m serious! You constantly get in the way. I don’t even know why I put up with you.”

“Because my say is the last stop in this agreement, and you’re in charge of keeping me happy.”

He grimaced at the reminder. “Right. You’re the gleaming epitome of nepotism. I get it.”

She all but gasped. “Are you joking? And just what does that make you?”

“Hey, I actually work here. I’ve put in effort to get where I am.”

She barked out a laugh. “Yeah. And I’m sure daddy had nothing to do with it.”

“I’m on the Board of Directors here!”

“Which your father also assembled!” she shouted, then shook her head with a smile. “Actually, y’know what? I get it now. You hate me because I’m you.”

He spat at the assumption. “We are completely different.”

“No, we’re not. We’re both spoiled nepotism babies who overvalue our importance. I just don’t give enough of a fuck to lie about it. Tell me, do you hate seeing yourself when you look at me? Is that it?”

Rafe exhaled heavily through his nose, trying to refrain from storming out and knocking over a vase on his way out. “Is there any particular reason you’re always such a pain to me and an angel around everyone else?”

Y/N raised herself up on her tiptoes to (unsuccessfully) get closer to his height. “Because I like making mean guys suffer. And because you’re so cute when you’re mad.”

“And you’re just cute enough to get my shit done for me.”

Yeah, that was fucking dumb to say. Her jaw dropped the moment the words regretfully tumbled off his tongue and not even slapping his hand over his mouth could save him.

“Wait, that’s what you’ve been doing? You were using me to get your fucking work done?”

“Y/N, no, I–”

“And just when I thought we were kind of getting along for a minute. Do you think I’m just a tool for you to use?”

Kind of. His mouth hung open dumbly for too many moments, because she scoffed in disgust and pushed past him.

He called at her and tried to grab her arm, but she yanked away again. “If you follow me, I’m telling my mom what a chauvinistic louse you are.”

Rafe waited for the mischievous grin to creep on her face, but it didn’t. She was cold. He’d fucked up.

In immaculate timing, a new secretary hire knocked on the barely open door of his office. “Mr. Cameron? Miss Kerrington? The board meeting starts in four minutes,” the intern informed the two, just poking his head in enough to get the words out before disappearing.

She huffed one more time, spinning around and marching out of the room. He was conflicted, since he was mandated to be at the meeting but was terrified of pissing her off. He chased her down the halls, wanting to at least be present for his own damnation.

He only caught up to her just as she joined the groups of execs, far too late for him to attempt to stop her again. He held his breath as he watched her take her seat next to her mother. His face was hot, waiting for her to spill the beans and get his ass in immense trouble.

She… didn’t, though. She just sat down, looked at her phone under the desk, and shifted in the chair to get comfortable.

“Rafe? You alright?” he heard, and he looked down to see his dad waving him towards the table. “Let’s get this started.”

***

“And to recap, these are the outsourcing companies we plan to use. Contracts are already underway…” Mr. Henthorn droned. Or… Hawthorn. Who gives a crap.

“Why isn’t Upwards Lumber on this list anymore?” Josephine asked. “I thought we agreed on them in our earlier phases.”

Ward hesitated, looking around to his team before answering. “Well, last week we were informed Upwards wasn’t able to handle projects of this size anymore.”

Josephine’s eyes narrowed. “I thought they worked with the Ambetter building downtown?”

“They did. But apparently a year and a half ago, they were heavily audited and half their workers were laid off due to failed drug screenings. Upwards is really only able to handle small commercial projects until they rebuild their crew.”

Drug screens are just elitist, targeting bullshit, Rafe thought, and Ward looked over with a stern blink as though he could read his son’s mind. Probably not the time to be making any kind of statement anyways.

Josephine stiffened. “Well. Bullet dodged, I suppose. Kerrington doesn’t tolerate drug use of any kind, at any level.”

Ward agreed with her imperative demand, but Rafe had to hide a smirk behind his fist. It was one thing for Y/N to obnoxiously hit her JUUL in his office, but if mommy saw the dab cart that sometimes stuck out of her bag, it’d be a little harder to explain.

He looked up to Y/N. Sure, she was fuming and likely going to snitch on him any minute now, but she still had a sense of humor, so he expected to share at least a moment of amused, knowing eye contact. To his surprise, though, she was completely slumped down in the chair. Her gaze was down on the table and she picked at her fingernails, hiding from everyone else in the room. Rafe’s eyebrows furrowed, and he looked over to Josephine, who was shooting her daughter a fiery glare.

The daughter who was a bratty, uncontrollable mess. The one who had pretty condemnatory dirt on Rafe and, knowing her character, was being oddly silent about it. The one who’d been dropped off for him to essentially babysit for the last few excruciating weeks.

Babysit.

The pieces assembled themselves in his brain so quickly he nearly got vertigo in the swivel chair. That’s why he’s had to fucking watch her this whole time– because she needed watching. No wonder she didn’t snitch on Rafe for whoring her out for paperwork. She was never there for him to entertain and keep happy; he just had to make sure she wasn’t sneaking off to do drugs. And really, he hadn’t done a great job at it.

He didn’t bother beating himself up, since his directions were incredibly unclear and he’d been expecting to watch a fourth grader to begin with. Regardless, the tension in the room was palpable and the respective girl’s face had already turned a burning pink.

The moment the meeting was over, Y/N did the least annoying thing she’d done since the first day she stepped into the building. She stood up, stormed out of the meeting room, and disappeared for the rest of the day.

***

Showing up to the office in the dark had a much different energy than during the daytime. The area was quite nice, so it wasn’t like she felt particularly unsafe going in, but without the doorman greeting her and pulling open the massive front door, something felt off.

Although, it was nice that no one was there to watch her vomit in the receptionist’s trash can. Helena would be pissed come Monday morning, but Y/N was currently more concerned with how much better she felt after getting that out of her system.

Muscle memory is the only thing that got her in the elevator and pushing the right button. When she reached the desired floor, a wave of his aftershave and cigarette smoke hit her nose. She floated on the scent, lost in the way it wrapped around her, until it carried her right into the office of the man she was looking for.

Of course, she didn’t barge in. Rafe didn’t notice her arrival right away so she remained in the shadows to watch him work. It was outlandish, how attractive he was—he was focused hard on some stack of papers with one hand scrubbing at his temple and the other occasionally taking the cigarette that rested between his lips and ashing it. The smoke escaped his mouth in aggravated sighs, curling around his head before disappearing into the room. He’d cracked open a window in some attempt to hide the smell, but it only breezed its way into the hall. This close, it wasn’t even nauseating, but more like a cologne.

From her spot, she could see that he’d unbuttoned some of his shirt to reveal his lean chest. It was strange, seeing some indicator that he was capable of relaxing. He’d had a stick up his ass since the day she met him, so imagining him exhausted and popping the top few buttons on his shirt was almost… endearing.

Her balance was, as expected, not up to par. She leaned a little too far one way, and before she knew it, she stumbled right into the light as well as Rafe’s eyeline. He called her name confusedly, and when her head snapped up, she caught him stubbing out the cig as he stood.

“It’s cute,” she noted, nodding at the ashtray and trying not to trip over her own feet as she got back up. “You, putting out the cigarette. Like I don’t smoke in your office when you’re not here.”

Rafe waved his hands around and tossed the window open even further. “Lighting a cigarette is more serious than hitting your stupid Brass Knuckles pen. What are you doing here so late?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I work here,” he bit back. His gaze trailed down her body, taking in her immodest party dress and heels. “I see when you go out, you wear even less than you do at work. Astonishing.”

“I can wear even less, if you’d like.”

His eyes narrowed, and he ignored her flirting. She was speaking far too quickly and clearly to be just drunk. Rafe took a step forward and inspected her eyes. Sure enough, her pupils were blown wide to accompany her pink cheeks. “You didn’t only drink, did you?”

Y/N’s lips curled up gently. “Would you be mad if I didn’t?”

“Of course not, sweetheart, but…” he straightened her clothes and made sure she was okay otherwise, “were you planning on going home like this?”

She shook her head. “I was out with my friend Mona and figured I’d crash at her place. Which I was going to do, until I noticed I was near your office and decided to pay a visit.”

He sighed. “Well, I’ve got to get you home safely.”

Her eyes flew to the back of her head. “What’re you, my dad?”

Rafe bristled. “No, but mine is in the building, and so is your ball-gripping mother. We kinda need to get you the fuck out of here.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, they’re not on this floor, though. That’s why you felt comfortable doing this.” Y/N reached into his lapel pocket and pulled out a solid red Bic lighter. She brought her thumb up and spun the dial, sparking it just a little too close to their faces.

He annoyedly snatched the lighter out of her hands. “Why did you come here?”

She bounced up on the tips of her toes and pulled at the back of his neck for a kiss. It felt good, charged, but his rational brain pushed her away immediately. She pouted.

“Y/N, stop. We absolutely cannot do that.” He wasn’t sure how to finish his sentence, but a Rolodex of options cycled through his mind. Because you’re barely 18 and I’m about to be 22. Because I’m basically your babysitter. Because our parents would kill us. Because you look like you’ve taken both cocaine and molly and it seems you’ve forgotten you were quite mad at me eight hours ago. Because the charge I would catch would be astronomical. Take your pick.

“Why not? We’ve kissed before. I thought it was a good kiss. I think about it a lot. Don’t you?” She still had a firm grip on the nape of his neck, so she toyed with the hair that brushed against her fingers.

Rafe weighed his options, quickly doing the math of when she’d probably started partying to when it should wear off and she’d crash. “Of course I do,” he admitted, honestly, because there’s a chance she’d forget half of this night anyways. “But not here. Is it alright if we go to my place?”

She smiled, letting her hand fall around his shoulder and down his chest. “You don’t still live with daddy, huh?”

He let out a soft laugh, reaching behind himself to grab his wallet and keys. “Nope. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

***

By Rafe’s estimation, she only had about five more minutes of hyperactivity before she crashes and the alcohol takes over her system. She’ll lose interest in trying to get in his pants, and want nothing more than a warm bed, which Rafe conveniently had to spare. His apartment was seven minutes away, so the timing should work out perfectly.

But that didn’t mean she was going to make it easy for him.

She was relentless. Playing with his tie in the office elevator, winking at him when he opened the car door for her, reaching to rub his thigh while he pulled out of the garage onto the streets. He couldn’t very well stop her without revealing his plans to dump her off and go right back to work, but holy fuck she was making it really hard to focus on driving.

Getting her inside his apartment was easy enough, like she was trying to remain casual in public. As soon as they were inside, all bets were off and she was back to being the horny brat she was in the car.

He got her in one of the guest rooms, and she seemed oblivious to his attempts to get her asleep. Y/N tried pawing at his clothes, but he stopped her, taking her wrists with a tight grip. “Ah-ah. Listen to me,” he ordered, and she obeyed with an impatient sulk. “I have some questions. Can you answer me, sweetheart?”

Y/N nodded impatiently, and he smiled when she held a long blink. A good sign.

Rafe guided her backwards, switching her wrists into only one of his hands. “Which of your friends does your mom like the best?”

She froze. “I– what?”

His now-free hand came up to stroke her cheek, gently moving back to card through her hair. “Just answer me, pretty girl.”

“Her name is Samantha.”

Rafe nodded, pushing once more until the back of her knees hit the bed. “Good girl. Does she live in town?”

Y/N nodded, eyes big and innocent. “Yeah, uh, she does.”

He finally led her down until she sat on the mattress, and she took the initiative to climb in herself. He carefully joined her, not lying down with her but remaining close to keep her on the line. “Have you seen her in the last month?”

“Yes… why are you aski–?”

He shushed her, having her get comfortable and continuing to pet her hair. “Don’t worry about it. I’m trying to help you.”

Fortunately, she was already shutting her eyes and wiggling down further into the bed. He placed a kiss on her forehead and brought the throw blanket from the foot of the bed to her body. It probably wasn’t comfortable to sleep in that dress, but it did not feel right to undress her in this state.

And now, it was back to the office.

***

The elevator stopped at the third floor, which confused Rafe, since most everyone on that level should be home. His back stiffened when the doors opened to reveal Josephine Kerrington. She looked exactly the same as she did during the day, not a pin out of place. It almost amazed Rafe, how kempt she looked even this late at night.

“Oh, hello, Rafe,” she greeted, a warm yet hollow smile on her lips. “You’re here quite late.”

He hummed, watching the doors shut and ignoring the air between them warming up. “As are you.”

“Well, your father is a busy man. He loses track of time so often you’d think he doesn’t know what it is. I had to use a bathroom on another floor or he’d try to pitch ideas while I pissed.”

His eyes widened, and he didn’t try hiding the chuckle. Damn, Y/N’s mom was pretty funny. “Yeah, working with Y/N has been the least intense job I’ve gotten from him since I was fifteen.”

She looked at him. “How is she doing, by the way?”

Rafe inhaled, thinking back to the last couple of weeks, and to the last hour and a half he’s had. “Y/N… is a delight. She’s fun to be around, but sometimes distracting because of her charm.” Okay, okay, dial it back. “Fortunately, she’s out of my hair for the night so I can get some work done. Said she was at a friend’s house, a… Sarah? Savannah? Samanth–?”

“Samantha?” Josephine asked, turning back with a pleasant nod. “Good to hear. She’s got some terrible influences, like that friend Mina.” Damn, can’t even get the name right, Rafe thought. “You’re a lovely young man, and I hope you’re rubbing off on her.”

He winced at the innuendo, but smiled politely. “Thank you Mrs. Kerrington.”

When the doors shut, he all but clicked his heels together in glee. “Rafe Cameron, CEO. Good ring to it.” The elevator beeped in agreement.

***

Y/N wasn’t in much after that. Josephine made semi-regular appearances, but the deal seemed to be coming to a close and there was little reason for them to be around anymore. He would rather rake hot coals over his body than admit this, but he really missed the chaotic energy she brought. Things almost felt dull without needing to chase her around the building making sure she behaved.

And, y’know, without his unpaid intern.

It was Ward’s idea to have a celebratory closing banquet in the office building, but Rafe was almost certain that it was Y/N’s idea to make it casino night-themed.

Some poor team of interns had been tasked with turning the office into a Vegas-adjacent venue and knocked their job out of the park. Employees were given chips and sent out among the poker, craps, and roulette tables stationed with stiff-standing dealers clad in maroon bow ties. Cocktail waitresses went around taking drink orders and accepting chips as a tip (playing along pointlessly, as the chips were clearly from a children’s game).

He heard her before he saw her– a fake laugh laced with discomfort only he could detect in her voice. His head whipped over to see Y/N, clad in a ridiculously fitted red dress, clutching her clear plastic cup tight enough to force the color out of her knuckles while she spoke with her mother and others.

He grabbed his drink and abandoned the Texas Hold ‘Em table to pull her into the shadows. Josephine was so wrapped in her conversation he didn’t even need to request he borrow her daughter– no wonder she was so out of control.

If she didn’t want to be alone with him, she didn’t make a point of it. She was quiet in the elevator as he observed her and sipped his drink, leaning against the railing in the car, nervously bouncing her toe in her heel. When they arrived at the floor, she skipped out in front of him and beat him to the unlocked door.

Rafe drained the rest of his vodka soda and tossed the cup into his trash, pushing his hands into his coat pockets. “You lied to me,” he started, and she lifted her shoulders. “About why you were here.”

She didn’t waste a moment denying this. “And? You would, too.”

“No, I would not!”

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow. “If you were in my shoes, you’d run right to your caregiver and tell him how your mother won’t allow you to be alone for literally five minutes? That she’d requested a watchful eye on you? Or would you find a way to get them to tolerate your every whim without pushback? Frankly, the idea kinda handed itself to me when you were a misogynistic dick to me the first time we met. That was just dumb luck.”

“Dumb luck, huh?” he asked, stepping towards her. “What would you call having a coked-out teenager stumble into your office and beg you to fuck her? Is that just luck?”

She didn’t respond. He could see in her eyes she was trying not to look away, to show any apprehension, but he’d spent just too much time around her to not notice.

“Had anything to drink tonight?” he asked, taking one more step towards her until they were less than a foot apart.

Her attitude was back in a flash. “With my mom around? Yeah, a Coke Zero.”

He smiled even though he’d just been snapped at. “Good. You don’t need to be using that kind of stuff anyways.”

“Okay, Father Holy,” she rolled her eyes, and he had just about had enough of her shit.

Rafe grabbed her shoulders and pinned her between his body and the wall forcing a gasp from her. “I try to help you, over and over,” he sighed, almost disheartened. “And you’re still a little brat.”

His hands were all over her and she whined, arching into his touch and trying to get a feel of her own. He held her wrists tight and shook his head. “Yeah, right. Try behaving for once in your life and maybe you can touch me.”

Her hands fell down to her sides without fighting, and he ran his hands along her nearly-bare chest. His fingertips slipped under the straps and hem of the fabric as he savored the feeling of her skin under his palms, and he watched as goosebumps erupted over her collarbones. “You want this?” he checked, another chance for her to back out before he began to ruin her.

She nodded fervently, but when he just raised an eyebrow, pleading affirmations spilled out of her lips like a stream.

With the green light, Rafe tugged down the top part of her dress until her breasts were exposed in the cool office air. He played with her tits, switching between sucking on one nipple and using his fingers to toy with the other.

This wasn’t enough for either of them, so his attention and desperate hands went downwards. He got sick of trying to pull down the panties without undressing her fully, and ripped them right off her legs. He stuffed the torn fabric into his coat pocket and she gaped. “You owe me a new pair,” she breathed, moving her legs apart for him anyways.

“If only I could afford it,” he muttered, bringing his fingers to her now-exposed clit. “Do you know why I put up with your shit?”

“‘Cause I’m cute?” she smiled, but it quickly dissolved when his movements sped up.

“Oh, yeah. But also, I got a little promotion this morning,” Rafe said, leaving a fat wet kiss anywhere his lips could reach on the exposed skin of her collarbone. “You inadvertently made me CEO. Everything in this building is mine.”

Rafe used his legs to push hers even further apart, open her up for him even more.

“And in this moment,” he smacked her clit, and she cried out. “That includes you.”

He expected a snarky comment at this point, but he seemed to subdue her enough to continue rambling.

“I’ve dreamed of how I’d handle your ass for weeks,” Rafe admitted. “I think the only solution is to keep you under my desk with my cock down your throat. Put that smart mouth to some good for once, mm?”

She whined, pushing back against him for more friction.

“Fuck, you like that?” he asked incredulously. “It’s one thing for you to let me tame you, but you’re taking enjoyment in this? Kinda makin’ it hard for me. Never would’ve guessed you like being used like a doll so badly.”

“You’re mean,” she pouted, actually pouted at him and he grinned wolfishly.

Rafe shook his head. “No, baby, being mean would be binding your hands together with my tie and forcing you to cum until you cry.” She had no counter to that.

The fingers on his other hand pushed into her mouth, past her teeth, and she involuntarily sucked. “Good girl,” he cooed, not letting up on the strokes to her clit. “That mouth has done nothing but cause me trouble the last few weeks. Show me what good it can do, hmm?”

She nodded softly, obediently, and flicked her tongue over the digits, allowing him to pet at the inside of her cheek. She whimpered when he dipped his other fingers into her cunt, bringing them right back to her clit to keep her on the edge.

He thrusted against her thigh and gave her another little slap right where she was most sensitive. Rafe toyed with her swollen, glistening clit until she was breathing heavily and her legs were losing their stability. Had he not pinned her body tight against the wall, she’d collapse into a shaky pile of pleasure. He noticed her eyes rolling back into her head and pulled his fingers away, watching her gasp and whine at the loss of contact.

“What?”

“Need more,” she sniffled.

Rafe shook his head, almost chastising. “I know what you need.”

He was going to return to what he was doing, he wasn’t that mean. But he must’ve had her closer to orgasm than he’d anticipated because she got shameless.

“Please, please, Rafe, oh my God,” she whined, squirming under him. Her hips bucked up to try and get traction against his hands but he pulled away just in time. “Touch me again, please, I’ll do anything. I need it, please.”

His eyebrows had never been higher. He pushed his tongue along his bottom teeth amusedly. “Sweetheart, I didn’t even have to ask you to beg,” he pointed out, voice light and adoring. “But since you did anyways, I’ll help my girl out.”

She preened again, this time allowed to make contact with him. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled his cock out, already flushed and leaking and really fucking hard. Rafe dragged the precum on the tip along the entire head before bringing it to her cunt, dragging them together slowly. She cried out again at the new contact.

“Doesn’t this feel good, pretty girl?” he asked, angling just right to apply pressure on her clit. Judging by the full-body shudder he got out of her, the answer was yes.

“I want– oh fuck– more, please,” she said. He laughed a little. She knows what she likes.

“Tell me exactly what you want me to do, baby.”

“I want your cock inside me,” she begged, blinking up at him with long, fluttering lashes. “Wanna feel you stretch me open. Don’t you wanna use my cunt however you like? That’s all I want.”

Good fuck, who could resist that? He buried himself to the hilt, sending his brain to a skittering halt and hers into a frenzy. She grabbed at his back, whimpering with every inch, every drag that he stretched her open. He didn’t even register that he was getting scratched by the same nails she’d obnoxiously painted in his office just a couple weeks ago.

“Oh, wow,” he finally groaned, withdrawing and thrusting back in, letting his brain adjust to the feeling of holyfuckI’minsideherwereallyshouldn’tdothis. “I could fuck you forever. You sure you don’t want an administrative job around here?”

Her fingers made their way back up to his shoulder, head thumping against the wall. “Bite me.”

“If you insist.” He leaned in and gently sunk his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck, kissing the skin right after. He led all the way up to her ear until she was shivering and his strokes didn’t miss a beat.

Y/N’s cunt clenched around him, and he saw white. “Goddamn, sweetheart, if we’d been doing this sooner, I would’ve let you do whatever the hell you want,” Rafe groaned, moving her hair out of her face.

She can’t let anything nice stay nice, though. “Slut,” she teased, smirk disappearing with a deep stroke.

His eyes narrowed. “I’m the slut?” he asked, pulling out and forcing a whine from her.

He moved her over to his desk, shoving her over the edge and pinning her there. Rafe pushed her head against the solid wood by the nape of her neck. “I’ve wanted to bend you over like this since I laid eyes on you,” he muttered, removing his hand and sliding it down her back.

She turned back, batting her lashes at him as he lined up his ruddy tip at her core. “Mm, you should’ve. So forbidden, would’ve been so hot.”

Rafe didn’t answer, just pushed his cock into her and a soft cry escaped from her lips. She tried to bite down on them but he laughed and sank all the way in until his hips were flush with hers. “We’re over three floors away from the rest of the office. Be as loud as you want, princess.”

And she did. Honestly, it wasn’t the best advice, because hearing her cries and whimpers for his cock further in her was only making him lose his rhythm and chance of lasting more than five minutes. He felt her reach down and play with her clit, and normally he’d reprimand her for doing this without permission, but it seemed like torture with how close she already was.

Feeling her cum around his cock was un-fucking-real. He finished shortly after, pulling out to paint her inner thigh with his own spend. He amusedly watched it drip down her skin, down the legs she could barely even stand on.

“Job’s still on the table, baby,” he reminded her, tucking himself back into his trousers. “Anything to keep you here and doing that more. Blackjack next?”

[endogenesis-evangelion]

Hey, the acid spider was pretty terrifying!

"redditor spittin truth" of the day

[glitchyartist]

HELP ME ESCAPE CALIFORNIA!!!

So I've been hesitant to talk about this on the socials, but I'm getting desperate. My parents are conservative Christians and my dad is starting to get more extreme and delusional in his beliefs and I'm genuinely afraid of what he'd do if he found out I was bisexual and have secretly had a girlfriend for two years. I feel so much more relaxed and mentally stable when I don't have to hide such a big part of who I am and how I feel about the most important person in my life.

The transmission in my car picked the worst time to break down on me and I need to get it fixed as soon as possible. It's a 2001 Lexus so as well as needing already hard to find parts, those parts are also fucking expensive. I'm hoping to get by just rebuilding the transmission, which while still pricey, is far less expensive than fully replacing it.

I also need to get my cats fixed as soon as possible. Link needs to be neutered, and Lucy needs to be spayed. Of course she had to wait until right after I made the appointment to get their initial physicals to get pregnant, so it's gonna take a while longer to get her fixed.

I'm willing to offer commissions in exchange for certain donation amounts. You can get multiple commission pieces for larger donations, details can be discussed in the DMs.

My goal is to move out before the end of August. Any and all help is appreciated.

[inkandguns]

I watched my first episode of Top Gear with my buddy Ken Copelin at his apartment near Fort Carson. He was our platoons designated driver and a solid guy. As I went to sleep cuddling his dog on her bed, drunk as fuck on a Friday, we watched the Lexus LFA episode.

I didn’t realize how big a part of my life that show would become, and how it would help me recover from the Afghanistan deployment. While deployed I drove 55k miles in my Land Cruiser and rode 55k miles in an MATV. I had loved driving my entire life but when I got back it just enraged and terrified me. To add insult to PTS symptoms, the Army denied my Driver’s Badge because we were on a ‘somewhat secretive’ mission and my vehicle was rented from the locals.

I didn’t lose an arm or a leg, but something that I had previously loved was now horrific to me. I got some therapy, recovered slightly, and tried to move on. I couldn’t enjoy a road trip and any trip in the car made me furious. After I separated from the Army I told myself I would conquer this fear and fall back in love with driving. I started driving for Uber, and tbh it was not comfortable.

I could suppress my PTS symptoms on the road for a few hours at a time, and it still felt like torture. The Texans in Colorado Springs must have all attended Muhammad’s VBIED academy in Texas before moving to my town. It was horrible. And then I started watching Top Gear.

I started fixating on vehicle makes and models, and the sensations I felt in my body as I drove, like they taught me in Army Therapy. I engaged in sensory perception therapy. I felt the road beneath my tires and learned every tiny detail about my Jeep WK. I started chasing the coveted 4.9 driver rating, and cherry picking long, calm, profitable rides.

But every night I’d go home and blaze down a few joints and watch the boys on the BBC, telling myself that I could be a professional driver. I still don’t enjoy a long road trip, but I made it through that phase of my life. Through my 8 months of civilian professional driving I proved to myself that I could reclaim something I had lost in the war. And I could not have done it without the help of Top Gear.

[strictstandards]

Fresh Ceramic & Polish for Raven's Lexus IS250 ✨

Modified Lexus IS250 on BBS RI-A Wheels & KSport Kontrol Pro Coilover Suspension

Full Protection 🛡

Kudos to those doing it right 🥂

As much as it is about breaking our vehicles- as much as it is about the upkeep and care 🫰🏻

Our collaborative support of @raven_2is kicked it off with a new vinyl wrap and recently pushed through the investment of full Ceramic, PPF, and detailing services ✨

Making it out in time to enjoy car culture in the UAE in 2024 with his newly acquired Lexus IS250 on BBS RI-A Wheels 🤙🏻

@2joey2ze • @raven_2is • #STRICTSTANDARDS 🇦🇪

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — June 4-10

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

06-04 → Nothing of note.

06-05 → Flora made a tweet showing that On Aura Tout Vu, the design company that posted the previous week about making one of the outfits at the Zhang Sanjian concerts (“for the amazing new collaboration ... for Zhang Zhehan”), had posted photos of the same outfit almost a year ago being worn by a showgirl. Their older posts (plural) are still up. In fact, the oldest post they have of the outfit is from March 2020, advertising it as part of their summer collection for that year. The black suit that On Aura Tout Vu also posted about was likewise a re-embellished older piece and the jewelry they’re advertising as “custom-made” for him is also from 2020.

→ 361° posted a video using Gong Jun’s travel photos to tease the video they would post the following day.

06-06 → Gong Jun posted nine scenery photos to Weibo. Caption: “The heart is steady, the results are good, and the seven-coloured clouds* are for everyone, jiayou!” The caption is presumably because it was national exam day. *symbol of good fortune Fan Observation: The post as a whole, especially the photos, are very similar in style to the 不想匿名 account (see the bottom of this post). The previous day, the account had been restricted by Zhihu and required to change its username; the specific reason is not known at the time of this post, but it was noted that another account with “匿名” in its username had the same happen.

→ 361° posted a video celebrating the second anniversary of their endorsement with Gong Jun.  

→ The Instagram posted a video of “Zhang Zhehan” playing guitar.

→ #ZhangSanjian trended on Twitter.

06-07 → #TheRealZhangZhehan trended on Twitter.

→ A post was made by Sina TV announcing the passing of Ma Tao, Word of Honor’s producer, reportedly from liver cancer. A number of other staff who had worked on the show made posts in mourning. 

#Word of Honor producer Ma Tao passed away# and #Word of Honor# got on Weibo’s entertainment hotsearch, Word of Honor and Ma-jie trended on Twitter.

→ The Instagram posted three photos of “Ma Tao” and “Zhang Zhehan” because these people have no fucking souls.  Fan Observations: None of the photos are real, just fyi—obvious signs of photoshopping and “Ma Tao’s” teeth are wrong. Zhang Sanjian’s hair in the photos is the same as in the 2022-05-04 divorce video, so it’s suspected that these were prepared last year but weren’t used for some reason (likely because Ma-jie would have dragged their asses through the mud for trying to use her in their scam.)

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo account posted a group promotional image featuring Gong Jun.

06-08 → Lexus posted a fake chatlog with Ma Tao in his Instagram story “in mourning” that claimed Zhang Zhehan had stayed with her while registering his case in 2021. Lexus is reportedly in Japan right now if anyone wants to go punch him in the gut.

06-09 → Tiffany & Co. announced a jewelry line using jellyfish imagery and whalers embarrassed themselves trying to claim that one of the most famous luxury brands in the world is trying to appeal to haizhes. The jellyfish brooch at the centre of the line was designed in 1967.

→ 361° posted three photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ A private wake was held for Ma Tao’s funeral, attended by Gong Jun. It is rumored that Zhang Zhehan was also in attendance, but this has not been confirmed in any capacity.

→ Zhang Sanjian paraded around the Shanghai airport in black, nominally “on the way to the wake,” because the scam gang have to make every moment about him. Fan Observation: It’s reported that the wake was held in the morning, while this Zhang Sanjian appearance was in the afternoon. The scam gang either didn’t know the time it was to be held at or they were trying to avoid the possibility of running into Gong Jun, who flew back to Haikou via the same airport after the wake.

6-10 Addition 06-14: The Singaporean paper Shin Min Daily News published an “email interview” article about Zhang Zhehan, taking the Zhang Sanjian scam and concerts as legitimate, with the first line of the article saying that Zhang Zhehan visited Yasukuni Shrine. This article was celebrated by whalers, with some blatantly omitting this first line—when confronted about this, they claimed it was no big deal for the very smears at the centre of 813 to be repeated here. The article also went on to say that Zhang Sanjian was “grateful for the opportunity” that his cancellation gave him.

→ Gong Jun posted a promotional video for 361°. (1129 kadian) Caption: “Walk in love, act in life, and protect beauty with green life. Be a green guardian with @ 361 Degrees” The same was also posted by 361° ten minutes later along with the catalogue of their new line.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a video of behind the scenes footage from his recent endorsement ads. Caption: “Happy weekend! A wave of @ Gong Jun Simon's small daily work, gaining a moment of indulgence in a hurry~” BGM is Babe by Evenings.

→ QuelleVous tweeted a thread about Xiao Chu, Word of Honor’s scriptwriter, explaining that her husband has connections to 6Rooms (a livestreaming platform tied to CAPA) and that she has not had a script project since Word of Honor due to a contract dispute at the company she works for.

→ Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

Additional Reading:  → N/A

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This post was last edited 2023-06-14.

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

What would you consider the best, most reliable, low maintenance car? Bonus points for affordability. After having to take my 2011 Corsa to the garage for the fourth time this year due to a faulty temp sensor (this car just runs on a constant fever I swear. I'm in the UK for goodness sakes it shouldn't get that hot!!!), I'm curious as to whether there are any cars that don't have expiry dates outside of carefully maintained classics.

Well someone's not read my shooting brake post that thoroughly eh! :P

Jokes aside, I've touched on reliability a couple of times so those could be interesting reads for you, but I can tell you that, you'll hear it a lot, Toyota Land Cruisers are usually what you see when a dozen people need to cross a desert and camels aren't an option. And I cannot talk about the durability of old Toyotas without bringing up a piece of television that has been burned into my mind from when I was six or seven to this day and has never faded or faltered in clarity for a single of the seconds between them. Like, genuinely, you go pay me a visit eight years since I last saw it to hit me with a trick question about shot composition details and as you open the door shouting it you walk in on me losing my virginity and I shoo you away yelling "Piss off with your trick questions, I'm getting laid here".

But in terms of advice that is more actionable for you, I would as noted in other posts advise Toyotas and Hondas, and by extension Toyota's luxury brand Lexus (but please don't consider this advice against anything else, especially because these brands, Toyota and Lexus especially, have in some contexts developed a bit of a premium due to their reputation). And I know what you're thinking: "Mate I've a Corsa ya think I could get me a Lexus?" And the answer is yes. And other positively splendid pieces of kit.

I mean, you can find yourself plenty of first generation Lexus LSs in various states of rattiness, and one of those most famously did literally a million miles so I'm pretty sure you're going to be good on that front.

...but if you're not in the extremely lucky position of ULEZ compliance not being a dealbreaker, while looking for those, I also found some second generations...

...and I saw an ad for a third generation, and you know when you see an item and a price and you go through the description just to find out what the deal is and as you comb through you slowly realize that the part where they explain how this is not actually a functioning, usable product isn't there you start whispering "what the fuck? what the fuck?" and you put your hands in your hair and- yeah this is that level. Like genuinely I do not CARE if you were not asking purchasing advice and are not interested in changing your car you go phone your insurance for a quote and if it is anything below "This insurance price will actually ruin my life" you go click on that "Buy it now" button before someone else does.

But of course you may want a smaller car, what with coming from a Corsa and all that. Well, if that's the case, there's a little beauty that you're going to love love, and needs no TLC you and my help can't tackle. Remember my kei sportscars post? Well guess what it just so happens to turn out:

(if you are actually interested in getting a new car but have requirements these don't fulfill don't hesitate to drop me a line, there is little I love more than window shopping car ads and I have plenty other great ideas. If you want a new car you are going to end up with something cool whether you like it or not.)

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[bluebirdmuppet]

The inconsistent way Zhang Sanjian (i.e. the Zhang Zhehan persona that appeared after 813) behaves from the old Zhang Zhehan is one of the biggest giveaways that he is not the real thing. This includes Zhang Sanjian's "return" to basketball, which first appeared on the Super_3 IG in July 2022 and then resurfaced on multiple occasions afterwards, the most recent being last month.

It should be noted that Zhang Zhehan had said on multiple occasions that as a result of his injury, he is unable to return to basketball and chose golf instead. Zhongwans' blog here includes a detailed explanation of this injury.

Bottom line is that 80% of Zhang Zhehan's meniscus was removed, and despite attempting to recover, he had to face the reality that he would not be returning to basketball. Zhang Zhehan gave multiple interviews about this, including this one on IFeng where he talks about how he had to give up his obsession with basketball because to continue would impact on his career and life.

So it was extremely surprising that Zhang Sanjian would appear for the first time in July of last year with photos and videos of "him" playing basketball. At that time, the Super_3 IG posted pictures of Zhang Sanjian playing with his new "best buddy" Lexus (there are many problems with this character), and someone who appeared to look like Xiaoyu.

The July photos were accompanied by a 46 minute CCTV of him playing basketball, which was spread among fans as "proof" that he was "back" playing basketball.

That CCTV video was interesting. I watched the entire thing and it was apparent how different this Sanjian character played basketball in comparison to Zhang Zhehan. In the entire 46 minutes:

Zhang Sanjian attempted 113 baskets; made approximately 33.

There were two makeup artists who touched up his make up 6 times.

There were no successful baskets from the 3 point line.

Most attempts were from the free throw line or closer.

There was no team play

He was mostly shooting by himself at the free throw line or with one other person.

It was apparent that this was not someone who had once played basketball at the level of almost a pro, winning a MVP award in the 2017 Tencent Super Penguin All Star Basketball Game.

Listening to Zhang Zhehan's old interviews, this is a man who demands excellence of himself. Whatever he does, he will do to the extreme to do the best he can. It is baffling that this mediocre player would be him, particularly when he has said in multiple interviews that he would no longer play basketball.

Last month, pictures of Zhang Sanjian playing basketball were again posted on the Super_3 account, accompanied by a video. Strangely enough, these photos showed Zhang Sanjian playing with his shoelaces untied. One can only assume it was deliberate given the poses. The message here is his knee is so much not a concern that he is able to play basketball... without properly tying his shoes. Who does this?!

Even his scar from his surgery can no longer be seen!

Meniscus removal is a long-term injury which is very painful. It does not grow back, it does not heal, and continued improper use of the knee and re-injury could be devastating for him. Would a person whose primary career is in acting put himself at risk of permanent disability - to the point of being unable to do the work he loves as an actor in the future - for mediocre basketball?

It should be noted that antis on WB have already claimed that these new Zhang Sanjian pictures and videos show that Zhang Zhehan was previously lying about the extent of his injuries and had used pity to get fan sympathy prior to 813. For example:

Would a person like Zhang Zhehan, who was subject to a smear like 813 deliberately give black material to antis to smear him back? This and many of Zhang Sanjian's other actions make no sense, and indeed, are used by antis to paint him as an immoral person (note this was what he was cancelled for; being an "immoral" actor), a liar, and a person who rips off fans.

There is no way Zhang Zhehan is Zhang Sanjian.

[flower-zombie-rob]

where were they now? - irissona altr R fic

People said they’d be interested in an angsty R fic, so here you go!

CW: amputation, themes of abandonment, themes of human(ish) experiments, breif blood mention, injury, general angst stuff(tears, sadness, etc)

Also i didn't include any sona names cuts this shiz is mean as hell and all your sonas are too good for this moment.

It had been like any other day in the facility, in the sense that there was nothing different in the procedure. The same old set of lab coated reapers coming to collect their dues. The same set of sympathetic smiles lining the hall as they walked hand-in-hand with someone assertive to the testing room. There was nothing different about the shining, grey floors that scuffed shoes in a sharp screech every time someone lazily shuffled across them. There was no change in the casual way they would coerce R with some sort of teddy bear or snack they could swallow without choking. Everything was standard procedure and there was nothing to indicate that day would be any different from the rest. Nothing could’ve prepared anyone in that room for what would’ve happened and no one would have begun to predict the diar mistakes that would be made in the next few hours. Evidently, no prediction would’ve been a nice enough precursor for it either. Anyone could’ve given R all the full details of what would happen in the next five hours, the next six weeks, the next however many years of their life, and it wouldn’t have changed their shock in the slightest. No. Whether anyone knew it, that day was going to be the worst one R would ever remember. The day that I.R.I.S wishes R could forget…

They must’ve woken in the dead of night, with darkness plaguing everything once visible, putting a blackened sheet over the normally sleek and artificially lighted facility medical room. Instead of the normal, polarising blue light above their head, R awoke to complete blackness and a lonely room, too open to provide any sense of comfort. Although words escaped them most days, the lexus to describe this room was something along the lines of daunting unfamiliarity, and with a foreboding sense of dread in their mind, the pain kicked in.

An explosion of nerve sparks ripped through their left arm, causing them to squirm in discomfort and squint their watery eyes. It completely enveloped them in agony, a visceral tearing agony. R felt like their entire hand was convulsing and throbbing, the blood being ripped from under their nails and a fire crawling from their shoulder and downwards. R sat up to get a better look at the damage. They tried, and failed, to move their, probably wrapped, fingers to test how badly the scientists had roughed them up this time in the durability test. They were expecting dramatic scarring, as usual, but nothing that wouldn’t go away once the pain had subsided. A similar searing pain crawled under the skin of their right leg, R biting their shirt to stop grinding their teeth. They were feeling the burns from the explosive fire they'd come into contact with only hours earlier. It took them a moment of laying back down to collect themselves despite the terrorising heat of a (likely third degree)burn, and the darkened state of the room didn’t help. They felt an IV drip hooked up to their less burnt-feeling right hand and thought to themselves about how wrong the most recent experiment must’ve gone for them to turn off this badly. It’d been ages since they’d been forced to sleep in the medical wing, with only a hazy memory of the previous events. After losing the will to wait out the pain any longer, they moved their right hand across the bed to feel their left. Reaching out forcefully to grab their own limb, they were met with nothing but the same cold air that filled the rest of the empty room. And to their delirious horror, they discovered the full extent of the most recent experimental accident. They discovered the reason they were here, alone, in a dark medical wing and unattended. The reason no one would be able to give them anything but a pitiful look tomorrow, and the reason they’d never be able to, deep down, trust another iris employee like they could innocently do before. Not for a while, anyway. At the side of their abdomen, where a left arm was mere hours ago, there was nothing but dead space and a bandaged stump just above where an elbow should be. And with that, their blissfully ignorant and adolescent world caved in.

Their breathing hiked instantly as they began to feel their heartbeat pounding in their head. They looked down to see the same sight, simply larger, underneath the thin sheet of the hospital bed that hid their lower ailments. Their pristine purple trousers were cut off finely at the site of the wound wrapped in leaked-through, bloodied bandages. Four functional limbs halved to two. They searched in panic for some kind of button or phone, something to call someone, anyone, with, but found nothing in the blackness of night. There was no one, no contact, no scientist, doctor or guard even willing to hold their hand as they awoke to the sight of a significant life change they weren’t sure how they would live with. No apology for the incident, no words of endearment or reassurance yet. They were given only silence. They had no words for R, and R had no words to give. So, without a word of comprehension for the panicked ALTR to say, they lay back on the cold bed in the dark, the bandages wound tightly around their amputations providing the only hug-like closeness they’d receive that night. Then, they let out a series of long, harrowing cries to the empty halls surrounding them. Cries to no one, heard by no one. As they cried out in excruciating pain, they wondered where everyone was, if it was truly their place to wonder that. They thought of the scientists that had praised them in the lunch hall, hugging them and giving them gifts for their sweetness. They shed tears while thinking of the guards who had given them wistful smiles as they walked past and given them little nicknames like “buddy” and “honey”. They imagined the faces of the interns they’d gotten coffee for, the doctors who’d held their hands tightly through eye tests and cranial nerve exams, the speech therapists who’d tried to help them put their racing thoughts into words, the “friends” who’d been overjoyed at them just completing a simple sentence. They visualised the individual faces of all those who'd lied to them with the promises of I love you, we love you, they all love you. I love you, they'd say… so where were they now?

Tagging those who were interested

@intothebutterflyburrow @glass-trash-bab @geekyfox2 @an-idiot-in-a-trenchcoat @tahcoo

[lexus-of-englewood-darcars]

Have you noticed signs that your car may need a new battery in Englewood, NJ? What are the signs of battery replacement? In this service tips and tricks blog at our Lexus dealership, we go into detail about 3 top signs that a new battery may be needed, from the age of the battery to a draining battery.

Where can you find quality battery replacement in the Englewood area? Schedule a service with us online!

[weep1ng-will0ws]

Ooooh I'd like to hear about Cotton and Smiley!! Who are these chaotic dudes-

For some reason I get the vibe that they'd dare each other to do increasingly reckless and dangerous things akjfsklgdjg-

Oh my oh my are you in for a treat! It's been ages since I've gotten to infodump about these fellas, but I'll spare you the grueling details. Mortimer Lexus Fay (Cotton/Lex) and Kegan Emmett Loyola (Smiley) are not from the same universe but do have the possibility of crossing paths. If they did, it would be catastrophic. Smiley is an energetic person with impulsive violent tendencies (which have been a serious issue in the past, though he's gotten better. They are not his fault and are the result of something else entirely.) He's more likely to try and tear out your throat if provoked. When he was younger he was almost the complete opposite of how he is now. Cotton is as violent, if not even MORE violent than Smiley is, he just has more control over himself but has always been this way. He's more malicious, egocentric, and narcissistic. He's completely candy themed and has a giant fucking MALLET, which one end has giant rock candy crystals stuck to it. Despite how fucking... Toxic he actually is, he cares a lot about his younger brother and does his best to prove himself to him. Smiley hates his older brother with a burning passion, along with his entire family (except his younger sister) because they've all wronged him for things out of his control. If Cotton and Smiley were to meet, Smiley would be able to feel the energy of his own older brother radiating from Cotton. He'd... Probably maul Cotton immediately.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

U.S. eavesdropped on U.N. secretary general, leaks reveal (Washington Post) The United States has eavesdropped on United Nations Secretary General António Guterres’s conversations, according to four more leaked documents. One intercepted conversation details Guterres’s “outrage” over being denied a visit to a war-torn region in Ethiopia. Another said that Guterres’ reported that he was “really pissed off” about a surprise public ceremony in honor of International Women’s Day during his March visit to Ukraine. Aides later said Zelensky had sprung the event—which included the presentation of medals to uniformed soldiers—on him without warning and posted photographs and videos of the event that implied the secretary general was congratulating military personnel on one side of the Russia-Ukraine war.

While some students skip college, trade programs are booming (AP) It’s almost 4 p.m. at the Nashville branch of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, and the students in the auto collision repair night class are just starting their school day. One is sanding the seal off the bed of his 1989 Ford F-350. Another is patiently hammering out a banged-up fender. A third, Cheven Jones, is taking a break from working on his 2003 Lexus IS 300 to chat with some classmates. While almost every sector of higher education has fewer students registering for classes, many trade programs are thriving. Jones and his classmates, seeking certificates and other short-term credentials—not associate degrees—are part of that upswing. Trade programs are often more affordable than a traditional four-year degree, students note, and, for many, skilled trades offer a more obvious path to a job.

Many Older Americans Haven’t Saved Anything for Retirement (Bloomberg) More than a quarter of Americans have no money saved for retirement. That’s according to a new survey from personal finance site Credit Karma, which found older respondents are even less prepared by some measures than their younger counterparts. Nearly one in five people aged 59 and older said they didn’t have a retirement account and 27% of respondents said they haven’t set anything aside for their later years. That compared to a quarter of Gen X respondents.

Antisemitism festers in current US political and social climate, report says (Reuters) The social and political climate in the United States has become fertile ground for antisemitism in recent years, according to a report released on Monday by advocacy group Anti-Defamation League and the Tel Aviv University. Expressions of hatred against Jews have become “mainstreamed and normalized,” and incidents of violence, vandalism, and harassment of Jews have increased, the report said. The report linked the rise of antisemitism to trends such as growing populism, political polarization and an increase in hate crimes nationwide.

Mexico feels the strain as Haitian migrants, caught in limbo, mark time (Reuters) Asylum claims by Haitians in Mexico are on track to hit a record above 50,000 this year, a top official said, further pressuring the country’s already strained migrant services as many begin to contemplate a future there rather than in the United States. In the year’s first three months, 13,631 applied for refugee status, dwarfing claims from other countries and compared to 17,153 in all of 2022, according to data from the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR). Part of the explanation for the increase may lie in a toughening of U.S. border controls in January that has made it harder for many migrants to cross by land into the United States, together with a parallel U.S. program allowing a monthly quota of Haitians to cross by air. Haitians without sponsors or who have irregularly crossed into Mexico or the United States would not qualify for the latter program, leaving many effectively stranded in Mexico.

Brazil’s welcome of Russian minister prompts US blowback (AP) Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday expressed gratitude to Brazil for its approach in pushing for an end to hostilities in Ukraine—an effort that has irked both Kyiv and the West, and by afternoon prompted an unusually sharp rebuke from the White House. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine while proposing a club of nations including Brazil and China to mediate peace. On Sunday, Lula told reporters in Abu Dhabi that two nations—both Russia and Ukraine—had decided to go to war, and a day earlier in Beijing said the U.S. must stop “stimulating” the continued fighting and start discussing peace. Earlier this month, he suggested Ukraine could cede Crimea to end the war, which the spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, and others rejected.

Flower power draws crowds to Low Countries (AP) Rain or shine, there is no way to keep budding flowers down. From the world-famous Keukenhof garden in the Netherlands to the magical bluebell Hallerbos forest in Belgium, they are out there again, almost on cue to enthrall, enthuse and soothe the mind. All despite the cold and miserable early spring in this part of Western Europe. The beauty is not lost on tens of thousands of visitors thronging the pathways through the riot of color and fragrances. And if the COVID-19 pandemic left the sights eerily deserted for a few years, the challenge now has become how to manage the masses. Gardeners plant and nurture the staggering 7 million bulbs to ensure visitors who flock to The Keukenhof from around the world all get to see a vibrant spectacle whenever they come during the opening season from March 23-May 14.

Putin rallies his troops with 2nd Ukraine visit in 2 months (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday visited command posts of the Kremlin’s forces fighting in Ukraine in an apparent effort to rally his troops as the war approaches its 14th month and Kyiv readies a possible counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons. A video released by the Kremlin and broadcast by Russian state television showed Putin arriving by helicopter at the command post for Russian forces in the southern Kherson region and afterward flying to the headquarters of the Russian National Guard of the eastern Luhansk region.

Killing of jailed lawmaker on live TV puts spotlight on India’s extrajudicial violence (Washington Post) The slaying of a former lawmaker and his brother in police custody in India’s Uttar Pradesh state over the weekend has placed a spotlight on extrajudicial attacks and killings, driven in part by ethnoreligious divisions fomented at the highest levels of government. Assassins posing as journalists shot and killed at point-blank range Atiq Ahmed, 60, a mobster-turned-lawmaker, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, a former state lawmaker, as they answered questions on live TV Saturday. In the footage, gunmen continue to shoot the men as they slump to the ground. The Ahmeds, members of India’s Muslim minority, were killed amid a huddle of reporters asking questions. Police moved swiftly to restrain the apparent assailants, including at least one who was chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” or “Hail Lord Ram”—a religious phrase that has become a Hindu nationalist slogan, sometimes heard in crowds carrying out attacks on Muslims. Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, has developed a notorious reputation for gangland violence as well as a long history of extrajudicial vigilante violence carried out by local authorities. Under the rule of Yogi Adityanath, the state’s right-wing Hindu nationalist chief minister, Uttar Pradesh has seen a surge in such encounters with police.

21 die in Beijing hospital fire (ABC News) A fire killed at least 21 people at a hospital in Beijing on Tuesday and forced dozens of people to evacuate, Chinese state media reported. As clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky, people trapped in the multistory building apparently tied bedsheets into makeshift ropes and escaped by climbing out windows. Others took refuge by perching on air conditioning units just outside. Emergency crews extinguished the fire, which broke out in the Beijing Changfeng Hospital, and at least 71 patients were rescued.

Bangladesh to pay off Russian nuclear plant loan in Chinese currency (Washington Post) Bangladesh has approved a payment of $318 million to a Russian nuclear power developer using the Chinese yuan, according to a Bangladeshi official. The decision offers the latest instance of countries bypassing the U.S. dollar and using the Chinese currency to conduct international payments.

For Palestinians, holiest Ramadan night starts at checkpoint (AP) For many Palestinians, the journey to one of Islam’s most sacred sites on the holiest night of Ramadan begins in a dust-choked, garbage-strewn maelstrom. Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers from across the occupied West Bank on Monday crammed through a military checkpoint leading to Jerusalem to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Laylat al-Qadr, or the “Night of Destiny,” when Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad centuries ago. The noisy, sweaty crowds at Qalandiya checkpoint seem chaotic—but there was a system: women to the right; men to the left. Jerusalem residents here, disabled people there. And the grim-looking men stranded at the corner had endured the long wait only to be turned back altogether. For Palestinian worshippers, praying at the third-holiest site in Islam is a centerpiece of Ramadan. But hundreds of thousands are barred from legally crossing into Jerusalem, with most men under 55 turned away at checkpoints due to Israeli security restrictions.

Religious Pop Star Singing of ‘God and Faith’ Wins Over Secular Israel (NYT) The singer and his songs were highly religious. His concert venue, on a kibbutz developed by secular leftists, was definitely not. His audience of many hundreds? It was somewhere in between: some secular, some devout, an unusual blending of two sections of a divided Israeli society that rarely otherwise mix. Ishay Ribo, 34, is among a crop of young Israeli pop stars from religious backgrounds, some from Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, whose music is attracting more diverse listeners, and featuring prominently in the soundscape of contemporary Israeli life. In less than two decades, religious singers have moved from the cultural fringe to widespread acclaim, “not only among their people, but in all Israel,” said Yoav Kutner, a leading Israeli music critic and radio presenter. Mr. Ribo is perhaps the clearest example of this shift. Forgoing the erotic and the profane, his wholesome songs are often prayers to God—but sung to pop and rock music played by his band of guitarists. “Cause of causes,” he addresses God in one of his biggest hits. “Only you should be thanked for all the days and nights.”

Hospitals and Aid Groups Become Targets as Sudan Fighting Intensifies (NYT) As two rival generals, each with his own army, grappled for power in Sudan on Monday, even hospitals trying to tend to the swelling numbers of wounded were no longer havens. At one overwhelmed medical center, the morning began with shelling. Then, members of a paramilitary force barged inside, ordered newborns and other patients to be evacuated, and began taking up positions, one doctor said. “The hospital turned into a battlefield,” said the doctor, Musab Khojali, an emergency room physician at the Police Hospital in Burri, northeast of the capital, Khartoum. Many other hospitals were also reported to have come under attack on Monday, the third day of fighting in Sudan. The death toll has risen to at least 180, with about 1,800 others injured. Amid growing reports of random violence and looting, concerns grew that the fighting might embroil other nations in the region, including Egypt, which has troops in the country, as well as Chad, Ethiopia and Libya. Russia has also been trying to make inroads in Sudan, and members of the Kremlin-affiliated Wagner private military company are posted there.

[bluasterisk]

Uploaded the video before I left, I thought you guys might have wanted to know about the car more in detail! https://youtu.be/YOaI-h1f_-I #愛車紹介 #soarersunday #トヨタ #ソアラ #レクサス #SC400 #SC300 #lexus #goodfeeling #fittedtho #vertex #vertexusa #vertexridge #uras #workwheels #workmeisterm1 #5zigen #fireballmega #bridejapan #bridevios3 #roughworld #idlers (Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp9J1Fdv4jI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[glitchyartist]

HELP ME ESCAPE CALIFORNIA!!!

So I've been hesitant to talk about this on the socials, but I'm getting desperate. My parents are conservative Christians and my dad is starting to get more extreme and delusional in his beliefs and I'm genuinely afraid of what he'd do if he found out I was bisexual and have secretly had a girlfriend for two years. I feel so much more relaxed and mentally stable when I don't have to hide such a big part of who I am and how I feel about the most important person in my life.

The transmission in my car picked the worst time to break down on me and I need to get it fixed as soon as possible. It's a 2001 Lexus so as well as needing already hard to find parts, those parts are also fucking expensive. I'm hoping to get by just rebuilding the transmission, which while still pricey, is far less expensive than fully replacing it.

I also need to get my cats fixed as soon as possible. Link needs to be neutered, and Lucy needs to be spayed. Of course she had to wait until right after I made the appointment to get their initial physicals to get pregnant, so it's gonna take a while longer to get her fixed.

I'm willing to offer commissions in exchange for certain donation amounts. You can get multiple commission pieces for larger donations, details can be discussed in the DMs.

My goal is to move out before the end of August. Any and all help is appreciated.

(Fundly flipped my vertical pictures on their sides dw about it)

[vivekbsworld]

The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Car Rentals

A wedding is one of life’s most cherished moments, filled with love, celebration, and unforgettable memories. Among the countless details that make up this special day, transportation is a key element that often goes overlooked. Wedding car rentals offer not only convenience but also a touch of elegance and sophistication to your big day. Here’s everything you need to know about selecting the perfect wedding rentals car.

Why Choose Wedding Car Rentals?

Elegance and Style: Arriving in a luxurious car like a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or even a classic vintage model adds a grand entrance to your wedding. It enhances the aesthetics and aligns with the theme of your celebration.

Comfort: Weddings can be hectic, and having a comfortable ride ensures that the bride, groom, and family members travel stress-free.

Memorable Photos: A beautifully decorated car serves as an exquisite backdrop for your wedding photographs, making your memories even more special.

Convenience: With professional drivers and well-maintained vehicles, wedding car rentals eliminate the stress of managing transportation logistics.

Popular Wedding Car Options

When choosing a car for your wedding, consider the following popular options:

Luxury Sedans: Cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Audi A8 offer unmatched comfort and sophistication.

SUVs: Perfect for transporting larger groups, SUVs like Range Rover or Lexus provide space without compromising on style.

Vintage Cars: If your wedding theme leans toward a retro vibe, vintage models like the Rolls-Royce Phantom or Classic Beetle are excellent choices.

Convertible Cars: For an outdoor or destination wedding, a convertible car can add a touch of romance and glamour.

Tips for Choosing the Right Wedding Car Rental

Plan Early: Start researching and booking your wedding car at least 3-6 months in advance to ensure availability.

Consider the Theme: Choose a car that complements your wedding theme, whether it’s modern, vintage, or traditional.

Check the Capacity: Ensure the car can accommodate the required number of passengers comfortably.

Inspect the Vehicle: Visit the rental agency to inspect the car’s condition and discuss decoration options.

Read Reviews: Look for reviews and testimonials to gauge the reliability of the car rental service.

Decoration Ideas for Wedding Cars

Floral Arrangements: Use fresh flowers to create a stunning garland or bouquet for the car hood.

Ribbons and Bows: Elegant ribbons in matching wedding colors can add a sophisticated touch.

Customized Signs: A “Just Married” sign or personalized initials add a special touch.

Lighting: For evening weddings, soft LED lights can create a magical ambiance.

Why Choose Southgate Travels for Wedding Car Rentals?

At Southgate Travels, we understand the importance of making your wedding day seamless and extraordinary. With over 24 years of expertise, our licensed self-drive and chauffeur-driven car rental services offer:

A wide range of luxury, vintage, and premium vehicles.

Professional and courteous drivers.

Customizable decoration options to suit your preferences.

Reliable and punctual services to ensure smooth transportation.

Let us be a part of your special day by providing you with the perfect wedding car that matches your dreams.

Conclusion

Your wedding day deserves nothing but the best, and a carefully chosen wedding car can elevate the experience for you and your guests. Whether you prefer the elegance of a luxury sedan or the charm of a vintage car, planning ahead and choosing a trusted service provider will ensure a smooth ride to your happily ever after.

Contact Southgate Travels today to book your dream wedding car!

[lexus-is-problematic]

You know all the drama that happened between her max matt good and Ronnie radke there in 2010-2011 I think I never understood it right and then there are photos of her with max in 2015

Let’s do a detailed recap of the drama between Max Green, Matt Good, and Ronnie Radke. This is going to be long so I apologize in advance.

From what I can recall Matt and Ronnie didn’t have any drama but if I’m wrong someone can correct me and I will edit. Thank you.

So Ronnie got arrested and was kicked out of his band Escape the Fate, which caused beef between Max and the other band members since they replaced him with Craig Mabbit. Also, ETF was created by Ronnie and Max which I do believe played a huge part of their beef.

A lot of fans of ETF knew that Max was a drug addict and that caused problems when ETF was touring/playing shows, where Max even got sick on stage at one show due to the drugs; the band was getting fed up with it and wanted Max to get help so he went to rehab.

At this time Matt Good was in the band D.R.U.G.S (Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows) and he was dating Ivy Levan and she’s friends with Max.

A lot of fans of Max and Lexus Amanda knew that they had an on/off relationship and that it was toxic; when Max went to rehab Lexus cheated on him with Matt Good, who cheated on Ivy with Lexus. Matt and Ivy broke up and Max broke up with Lexus, which she started to date Matt.

For the record, Max and Ivy have both said they never hooked up/dated, they were just friends and were there in support for one another when they both got cheated on. I wanted to share this because people at the time assumed that they were hooking up/dating which they never did. Max also confirmed this when he got asked on formspring about Lexus cheating on him and I believe either in the same question or a separate one that he also said that he got back at Matt by hooking up with Lexus while she was dating Matt. Basically, Max confirmed that Lexus is a cheater.

While Ronnie was in jail he was forming a new band, they were originally names Behing These Walls (there are some demos of songs on YouTube under this name) later when he got out changed the name to Falling In Reverse and Lexus was reaching out to a band member, Nason where they would video chat on stickam at times and Nason was giving updates about the band and Ronnie. Once Ronnie got out of jail and went on live on Stickam, he saw Lexus and thought ‘she’s got’ and allowed her to be on the camera while live. They were talking and openly flirting with one another; I do believe that Ronnie knew who Lexus was, his best friend’s ex-girlfriend and what she’s all about band slut/whore, which is why he most likely hooked up with her because he wanted to get back at Max at that time. Lexus also wanted to get back at Max and what better way than dating his best friend; do we see where I’m going with this? Ronnie most likely told Lexus whatever she wanted to hear to make it seem like they would date, he hooked up and used her then dipped. If you have ever listened to FIR song Caught like a Fly, it’s a diss track to Max because there’s a line “I will have slept with the girl that you loved most” at the time Max was still in love with Lexus.

Before we get into the pictures of them together, Lexus did hook up with Twiggy and did some things (we don’t know the details) however, Max did get asked on formspring if he would ever get back with Lexus Amanda and he said “No” where he talked about her hooking up with Twiggy and doing some things which made him fall out of love with her, hence he’s moving on with his life at that point. In 2015, the pictures of them together is when Max was trying to be friends with her and nothing more, but his fans freaked out about it which he reassured them that he wasn’t getting back with her and kept true to that. He mainly went to her to get his haircut because she went back to beauty school but before that she had unhinged behavior going on where she would repost/re-upload old pictures of her with Ronnie, Nick, any famous person she dated or was friends with because she was losing relevance at this time.