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#welcome to the state house california
bythenarrative · 23 days
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Can you do fluffy CALIYORK HCs
ohhohoh yes i can !!! i have lots of thoughts about them !!!!!!!!! ouugghhhhg
CaliYork Fluff HCs!
Theater kids. Oh they are both theater freaks!!! (Projecting here but!) York is constantly cast in theater specifically, while California is an avid consumer! They're constantly singing together, and the entire statehouse gets annoyed.
Hollywood California. Ohhh Hollywood California. He was constantly starring in movies, he was one of the leading men. He typically played the love interest. The fan service was insane. And you know what York thought of all this?? Oh he loved it. Yeah, he'd get jealous that he was kissing other people, but DAMNNN he was kissing other people!!
They're often cuddling, California's love language is touch, so He's constantly clinging to York.
California is a YAPPER!! He'll have just sessions where he talks at York, and just rambles for hours on end. He infodumps a lot, about what he's hyperfixating on, and his special interests. York loves to listen ti him, he finds it genuinely endearing. He love's California's voice.
California had a "Phase" where he was a pop star.... he's embarrassed about it, but York actually loved it. He loved listening to California sing, and be so passionate about something.
Punk New York. He's got spikes, leather, battle vest, patch pants, crust pants!! He's a true punk, with his loser tendy boyfriend. <3
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goldengay49 · 10 months
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Uhm
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the-overgrown-states · 6 months
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heya, i’m California :33 i’m looking for friends / sourcemates- preferably from a military!wttt au like me, but i get those don’t exist much, and it’s not my only source!
basically welcome to the table alters dm us!! and feel free to ask me any questions you want about my time in source!! things about myself or the people i knew!
(faceclaim from a picrew i made below 👇 )
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landosjpg · 4 months
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‘tis the damn season | ln
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the one where you go back to your hometown just to end up in lando's bed.
lando norris x gender-neutral!reader
word count: ~1.3k
warnings: ex-bf!lando, little bit of angst & fluff, implied smut
note: part 2 of this blurb series i have going on rn, it’s not proofread so there might be some spelling mistakes!
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you looked at the screen of your phone absolutely perplexed, reading the simple conversation over and over again.
"heard you're back in town?"
"i'm sorry, who's this?
"lando."
you couldn't believe that was actually happening.
it had been years since you and lando had last seen each other, or even talked. growing up in the same town, you had been friends since early childhood, and you had grown together with your group of friends.
you also happened to date him for a year before you had decided to move to L.A for your studies, and with him also making his move up to f1, you had decided to call it quits.
and when you left, you never heard of him again.
you had been out of the country for a little over five years, and had never came back til that very christmas. flights from california to england were not only expensive, but also a lot of time; so you had never found yourself in the right state of mind to go back to your hometown, having your family and friends visit you instead some times.
from what your friends had told you, lando had lost contact with everyone in your old friend group, so how on earth did he even findd out?
"my parents told me, they saw your mum at the store yesterday."
the answer to your question came as he double texted at the lack of a reply from your side. you sighed, not sure where he was going with all that.
"just came back a few days ago."
"are you free tonight? haven't seen you in forever."
straight to the point, classic lando.
"can't, i'm staying with my parents. they probably want to have dinner together."
you knew it wasn't a great excuse, but you hoped he would accept it and move on with his life.
part of you wanted to accept his invitation, it had been so long since you had last seen him. as you looked at your screen, you reminisced your relationship with him.
you had dated other people during those years, but even on the other side of the world, you sometimes thought no one would ever make you feel the way he used to do, no one would even know you the way he did.
the rational part of you knew it wasn't a great idea. in the end, you were leaving again in just a few weeks. and you didn't want to go back to your new life with the "what would've been..?" question lingering on your mind.
୨୧
you knew lando could be persuasive. but you thought he wouldn't have much of an effect in you after so many years.
silly you.
he had convinced you to come over to his place in the matter of a few minutes, claiming that his parents were out of town for the weekend and he would appreciate some company.
you parked your car between your old school and the town's church, the place where you and lando would usually meet when you were younger.
sighing, you left your car and started walking the cold streets that led to his house.
the same path you used to follow every other day a few years ago, but this time you weren't sure what was waiting for you there. and it was too late to retreat when you knocked on the door and a smiling lando welcomed you inside from the other side of the door.
he looked different.
more mature, and definitely a lot more handsome than you remembered.
he had ordered something for you two to eat, and with a movie on the background, you talked for hours, time flying by without you even noticing.
you were sat on his couch, one bottle of wine gone during your joyful chatter; and with the alcohol getting to your head, you couldn't stop yourself from leaning into his body, sighing contently.
you looked up at him, a smile creeping up to your lips when you saw him staring back at you.
"what's with this?" you giggled, scratching his chin, amused at his attempt of growing a beard.
"hey," he pretended to be offended, poking on your side with his index, which made you squirm. "it's not that bad."
"i didn't say it was," you answered, "you look hot."
the words slipped out of your mouth before you could ever think about it, and a pink flush quickly painted your cheeks as you mentally slapped yourself.
"i'm sorry, i didn't mean to..." you tried to make the situation less awkward, but his hand cupped your cheek and forced you to look back at him again.
he was leaning into you, and your breath caught in your throat at the proximity between your faces. a deep, shaky breath left your lips as you looked into his piercing eyes.
"is this okay?" he asked, his voice low and husky. and fuck, was it inviting.
you nodded your head, not able to form a proper sentence, or even a word. and he broke the distance between your lips, crashing his mouth against yours in a soft, tender kiss.
you sighed against his mouth before you let you hands and lips do all the talking and soon he was guiding you into his room with his arms around your waist.
୨୧
a few hours later you found yourself walking back into his room, your hair messy as you put your clothes back on. he smiled at you from under the covers, having gotten in bed already.
you chuckled at the sight of him, tucked under the blankets with messy curls and sleepy eyes. and it reminded you of all the previous times you had spent with him in that very same bed, your heart growing fond of the sight before you.
"you're not staying?" his question caught you by surprise, making you stop gathering your things to turn to look at him.
"what?"
"you're not staying?" he repeated, as if you hadn't heard him the first time. but you were still as surprised.
"no," you simply mumbled, sitting on the edge of his bed to put your boots back on.
"come on, y/n," you felt his weigth shifting closer to you, his arm wrapping around your waist and his lips pressing a tender kiss on your hip, over your jeans.
it wasn't a good idea, spending the night with him. you knew that much.
"it's late and it's cold outside, you can leave in the morning," he added, not letting you reject his offer again.
and the softness of his voice with the puppy eyes he was giving you, could've made you do anything he asked for.
he smiled when you didn't reply, knowing that you weren't going to turn him down again. you rolled your eyes with a smile and changed into the shirt he was offering for you to be more comfortable.
his shirt.
and you knew you shouldn't have come to his house in the first place. you knew you shouldn't have slept with him and surely, you should've left instead of crawling back into his arms, letting the warmth of his body envelop you as you lied with your head on his chest.
because you knew you would leave again in only a few weeks; and having a taste of what could've been if you didn't run away years earlier would only lead to breaking your very own heart.
but you sighed and snuggled closer to him, nuzzling your face on his chest and allowing yourself to be his, just for the weekend.
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fluentmoviequoter · 21 days
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California Dreams
Requested Here!
Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!Nolan!reader (John's younger half-sister)
Summary: You move to California to be closer to your brother John after your mom dies. There, you meet Tim Bradford and begin dating. When your boyfriend and brother meet each other, you're surprised to learn it isn't their first interaction.
Warnings: r and John have the same mom, mostly fluff, brief angst, flirty and soft Tim
Word Count: 2.8k+ words
Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List
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Pennsylvania and California are completely different. When your older half-brother John flew out to Pennsylvania after your mom passed, he kept you at arm’s length. You were close growing up and stayed close into adulthood, so the sudden distance confused you. It wasn’t until after the funeral that you realized he was protecting you from the drama that may have tainted how you remembered her. More than what you already knew, at least. That wasn’t what shocked you the most, though. Most shocking was the question John asked before he left: Would you consider moving to California? We’re family. It took a few weeks, but once you were alone in the place where you grew up, you decided that John was right. So, you packed up your life and moved across the country. That change was the first of many.
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“John,” you groan over the phone. “You practically raised me, but you won’t help with this? You’re not a very good brother.”
“I’m an excellent brother if I made you the person you are,” he counters. “But I have work, so it’s not that I won’t help you buy a mattress, but that I don’t have time.”
“Bailey would help.”
“Bailey also has to work.”
“Fine. I guess I’ll just move back to Pennsylvania then.”
“You sound like Mom,” John says before he laughs.
“Hurtful. I have to go.”
“Enjoy shopping. Love you.”
“Clearly,” you mumble. “Be safe.”
You end the phone call and look around the neighborhood. Maybe walking aimlessly while talking wasn���t the best idea. Every house looks the same, and you don’t remember if you turn right or left to get back to your house.
“Excuse me,” you call to a man walking a dog across the street. “Sorry, I just moved here, and I don’t remember how to get back to my street. Could you help me?”
He nods before he jogs across the street to talk to you. “Sure. Which street?” he asks kindly.
You tell him and he looks toward his right to explain, “Turn left at this corner, go down two streets, make a right, and it’ll be on the right.”
“Left, two streets, right, right,” you repeat. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem.”
His eyes drop to your Penn State shirt, and you roll your shoulders to stand straighter. If you knew you were going to meet a gorgeous man on this walk, you would have changed out of your moving/cleaning outfit.
“Can I ask you a favor in return?” he asks.
“Uh, yeah,” you reply, pinching your brows together.
“Join me for lunch?”
Your brows unfurrow quickly to raise. He must feel bad for you, being new in the area.
“Or dinner, whichever works better,” he adds after a moment of silence.
“For what?” you inquire softly.
“A date, or a welcome, if you prefer.”
“You’re asking me out? Why?”
“Why not?” he counters with a heart-stopping smile.
“Are you going to keep answering my questions with questions?”
“Are you going to accept my invitation?”
You shake your head to clear it before answering, “I’d love to go out with you. Lunch sounds amazing. Give me a few minutes to change?”
“I’ll come pick you up in twenty. Meet you at your corner?”
“Okay, yeah, sounds good,” you ramble. You take a step to go past him before you stop. “Can you tell me how to get there again?”
He tips his head back to laugh before repeating the directions. As you walk, you repeat left, two streets, right, right; left, two streets- why did he ask me out? – right, right.
When you exit your house twenty minutes later, he is waiting at the corner just as he said. He leans against the driver’s door and smiles when he sees you walking toward you. Your decade-old Penn State shirt and paint-stained bottoms have been exchanged for a date-worthy outfit, yet he looks at you the same way as he had before.
“Before we go on a date, I thought I should at least introduce myself properly. I’m Tim,” he says, offering his right hand.
You shake it, surprised by how gently he touches you. He repeats your name softly after you introduce yourself, and as he helps you into the passenger seat, you know that moving to California was the right choice. For more reasons than John.
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“I’m stealing his best brother ever mug. He doesn’t deserve it,” you huff.
Your hands are on your hips as you look at the mattress on your driveway. When John said he’d drop it off for you after work, you thought he’d bring it in. No. He left it in the middle of the night and sent you a text to let you know it was there. Based on what he’s told you about being a cop, you should be grateful that it wasn’t stolen, but now you have to figure out how to get it inside and on your new bed frame by yourself.
“I can do this,” you tell yourself.
Someone clears their throat on the sidewalk behind you, and you turn quickly.
“Tim,” you breathe out, relieved to see him rather than a stranger. “Hi.”
He nods in place of greeting before he looks to the mattress. “Did your brother drop that off?”
“How did you know that?”
He points to a piece of cardboard taped to the end closest to the road. You walk toward him and sigh when you read it.
“Enjoy. Love, your favorite brother,” you read. “He’s such a jerk.”
“Really?” Tim questions.
“No,” you admit, rubbing your jaw briefly. “He had to work late and didn’t want to wake me up to get it in.”
“Do you want some help?”
“No, it’s fine.” You turn toward Tim to ask, “Did we have plans?”
“I was hoping we could make some. But seeing as you have a mattress to babysit, maybe I’ll come back later.”
“Give me twenty minutes,” you request quickly. You look at the size of the mattress and amend, “Thirty, tops.”
“Or…” Tim begins, leaning in. “You could just let me help.”
“You drive a hard bargain. Get the mattress inside and then we can go?” you agree.
Tim shakes his head, betrayed by his smile, as he steers you toward the mattress.
“Why are you here?” you ask.
“I just told you. I’m here to take you on a date.”
“No, I mean, why aren’t you at work?”
Tim shrugs as he squats. He flips the mattress on its side effortlessly, and you step back as you watch his arms flex under his sleeves. “Do you want to watch or help?”
You clear your throat quickly and walk to the other end. “Help,” you whisper.
“Do you trust me?” Tim asks dramatically.
“Run me into a wall and you’ll regret it,” you answer.
Tim scoffs before he instructs you to walk backward toward your front door. Within a few minutes, Tim has the mattress inside, out of its protective wrapping, and placed on your bedframe. He leans against the end of the mattress while you change, and rushes to hug you when you emerge.
“You’re happy today,” you murmur as you return his tight grip.
Tim hums in reply before he leads you to his truck. The bouquet waiting for you on the passenger seat makes you happy, but suspicious. His dropping by mid-morning to take you out isn’t inherently odd, but the rush to get you wherever it is he’s taking you is interesting.
Tim parks outside the restaurant he took you to the day you met. You said you loved the food, but Tim has been expanding your California taste by taking you to different restaurants on every date you’ve been on in the last two months.
“Are we going to go in?” you ask softly.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” he asks quickly.
You grab Tim’s hand as your smile grows. “Tim, look at me?” you request. When he turns his face and sees your smile, you answer, “I’d love to. Nothing would make me happier.”
“Really? Nothing?”
“Fine, not much would make me happier,” you correct with a chuckle.
“Thank you.”
“Is that the proper response?” you tease.
Tim rolls his eyes but leans across the console to kiss you before lunch. Moving to California was certainly life changing.
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“You’ve been busy,” John says as he walks into your house.
“I know we’re family, but there’s this thing called knocking. It’s all the rage in Pennsylvania, you should try it,” you call from the kitchen.
“Then why’d you give me a key?”
“Because California is scary.”
John shakes his head as he joins your side. You shove him away from the oven before he can touch the food, and he scoffs as his hand raises to his chest.
“After every meal I’ve made for you!” he exclaims.
“Thanks for the mattress. I think you could’ve dropped it off a little nicer, but I appreciate it.”
“Where is it? I thought I’d be helping you carry it in when I came over.”
“One of my neighbors saw me staring at it and mumbling about how terrible you are and helped me get it in.”
“You let a stranger into your house?” John asks loudly. “Have you learned nothing?”
“John-“
“This is not Pennsylvania. We don’t know everyone and their dads. That was incredibly stupid. He could’ve been casing the place!”
“I never said it was a man,” you mumble.
“Okay, she could’ve been casing the place!”
“Hello?” Bailey asks from the front door. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” you answer while John yells, “She let a stranger in here!”
“Let her explain,” Bailey requests calmly.
“Thank you,” you tell her. “John, I know you’re worried about me, but I wouldn’t let anyone that I didn’t trust into my house. You know that.”
“And you trust your neighbors after two months?” he asks.
“When he’s my boyfriend, yes, I do,” you answer, tired of arguing with him.
Bailey looks between you and Nolan, and mouths Good job when you meet her eyes.
“Since when?” Nolan asks after a moment.
His voice is back to its normal level, and he’s your half-brother again, not a protective cop who thinks you’re in danger.
“Officially? A couple of hours. We’ve been dating for two months, though. We met the week I moved in,” you explain. “He helped me out. I didn’t tell him anything personal until I got to know him better, I promise.”
“I trust you, I do,” Nolan assures. “Sorry for yelling and worrying.”
“I want you to meet him soon, John. Just give me a little time, okay?”
“That sounds nice, and I won’t pry before then. Promise.”
“I will,” Bailey interjects. “What’s he like?”
“He’s amazing,” you answer.
Nolan lets his head fall back; he hasn’t listened to you talk about boys since you were in high school, and he thought he would never have to again. That doesn’t mean he isn’t happy for you, and you know that.
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“Hey,” Tim greets as you open the door. “I brought your favorite snacks and popcorn.”
“I love you,” you sigh dreamily.
“Should’ve brought popcorn sooner,” he muses.
“I need to ask you something before we start the movie, though.”
Tim freezes in your kitchen.
“I didn’t say we need to talk, Tim. Just have something to ask,” you clarify. “It’s not bad.”
“Go ahead,” Tim agrees.
“Will you come over for dinner on Friday and meet my brother?” you ask, wringing your fingers together.
“Your brother?”
“Yeah. He’s- he’s all I have left since my mom died. I know that it’s a lot to ask-“
“Yes,” Tim interjects. “I’ll be here. Tell me what to bring.”
“That was easy,” you mumble.
“I have a hard time saying no to you,” Tim admits.
You smile, and Tim shakes his head. He points to the couch, and you walk away from him to get comfortable for movie night. You understand his dilemma completely. All you can do now is hope that John doesn’t do anything to push Tim away; you don’t think he wouldn’t do it on purpose, but he can be overbearing and protective.
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Tim parks on the street in front of the house beside yours. He sits in his truck for a moment before he gets out. You told him he didn’t need to bring anything (repeatedly, because he asked a lot), yet he carries a case of your favorite drink as he approaches your driveway.
“Bradford?”
Tim looks up from the sidewalk and sees a familiar truck and face in your driveway.
“Nolan?” he asks.
“What are you doing here?” they ask simultaneously.
Neither answer but square their shoulders and stare at one another. They’re both protective, for different reasons, and the surprise of seeing each other brings that out. As they continue evaluating one another, trying to think of a logical explanation but failing because they’re thinking of you, the front door opens.
You step out and see your brother and boyfriend staring at one another in your driveway. They don’t look up, so you walk toward them. Your smile drops as your excitement evaporates. Maybe one of them said something or they came in with assumptions. Whatever is happening between them, you can’t risk losing either of them.
“Why is Tim Bradford here?” Nolan asks suddenly.
“I’m her boyfriend. Why are you here?” Tim counters.
“Boyfriend?!” Nolan repeats incredulously.
“Stop, both of you,” you say. “Just- just come in and I will explain everything.”
Tim tears his attention from John and follows you inside. He whispers an apology as he sets the drinks on your counter. When John walks in, though, Tim goes back to the hardened cop John knows. You’ve seen Tim’s protective side before, so you aren’t surprised by his change in attitude.
“Tim, John is my big brother. Half-brother, technically, but we’re incredibly close, so I wanted you to meet him. John, Tim is my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for a couple of months, so I thought it was time to let you meet him,” you explain.
“Why didn’t you tell me I worked with your boyfriend?” John asks.
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t tell her you were a cop?”  he asks Tim.
“He did,” you interrupt. “But he’s Metro, so I just assumed you hadn’t met. That one’s on me.”
“Well,” Tim begins, “nice to meet you, John.”
“What are you talking about?” John inquires.
“I’ve only met cop John, not brother John. Does he talk less?”
“More,” you mumble.
“That’s enough out of you,” John tells you.
“I have to go finish dinner,” you say. “Be nice.”
“I’m not going to give you the whole talk, but don’t hurt her,” John says quietly.
“I wouldn’t,” Tim promises. “I promise you that.”
“She’s happy. Thank you.”
“She’s amazing.”
“That’s because I raised her.”
Tim presses his lips together and slaps Nolan’s shoulder as he says, “No it’s not.”
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“Thank you both for coming,” you say after you clear the table. “And I’m sorry for making everything awkward by not mentioning you to each other.”
“It’s not your fault,” Tim replies.
“You had no way of knowing,” John agrees. “We’ll stop fighting.”
“In front of you,” Tim says into his glass.
“I’ve got an early shift, so I have to head out,” John says as he stands.
He hugs you and says goodbye, and you walk him to the door before returning to Tim. You perch on his leg rather than sitting across from him now that you’re alone. He tilts his head to kiss you, and you relax against him. Dinner was both better and worse than you hoped. It worked out, though, and that’s what matters.
“I’m so glad you don’t act like your brother,” Tim says as you pull back.
“Don’t make this weird,” you reply as you lean in to kiss him again.
When you lean away and stand, Tim follows you wordlessly. You retrieve another drink from the case he brought but set it aside to wrap your arms over Tim’s shoulders.
“Who won the staring contest?” you ask.
“Clearly, I did. I wouldn’t have stayed otherwise,” he answers.
“You and John… you’re both protective, but you put that aside to do it together, or whatever that quiet conversation was. Thank you for giving me a chance.”
“I’m supposed to thank you. You’re the one who introduced me to your family. I just asked a yes or no question.”
“That’s not true. I met Kojo.”
Tim smiles as he pulls you closer. He and Nolan may not get along perfectly (who does? you remind yourself), but they both love you in their own ways. When Nolan said dreams come true in California, you thought it was a cheesy ploy to convince you to move, but he was right. Your dream is kissing you right now, and you’ve never been happier.
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batboyblog · 21 days
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Welcome to Infrastructure Week, Biden edition.
For the 4 years of the Trump Presidency it felt like every other week was gonna be "Infrastructure Week" but some piece of chaos derailed the Trump White House's plans.
well Yesterday, May 13th 2024, The Biden Administration declared this week Infrastructure Week to highlight ALL the major work they've done in the last 3 years.
Under the 2021  Bipartisan Infrastructure Law $454 billion in funding has gone to over 56,000 specific projects across all 50 states, the territories, DC, and tribal communities.
The White House launched a Map of all the projects you can look at
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The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is part of President Biden's wider Investing in America agenda, and together with the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the American Rescue Plan, all passed by Biden and Democrats in Congress has brought $866 billion dollars in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments.
They released a State by State factsheet to show projects in all 50 states, all the territories and DC
Roads & Bridges: The Biden Administration has launched improvements on 257,000 miles of roads, and repaired 13,000 bridges. This $300 billion investment in our roads and bridges is the biggest since President Eisenhower’s interstate highway system in the 1950s. The Administration has given special attention to addressing historic injustice in our infrastructure. Many minority communities have been divided by highway bypass projects from the 1940s forward, such as the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta Georgia. The Biden-Harris Administration is now helping reconnect divided communities and righting historic wrongs. The Department of Transportation put out a video highlighting the story of Philadelphia's Chinatown, how being split in half and have a multilane highway in the middle of their community effects them, and how the Stitch project will positively impact the people who live there who have fought for years for such relief.
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Rail: The Biden Administration has invested  $66 billion for rail, the largest investment in passenger rail since the inception of Amtrak. The President recently announced $16.4 billion for 25 passenger rail projects on the Northeast Corridor. This will improve service for riders from Boston to Washington DC. President Biden has also announced $8.2 billion in new funding for 10 major high speed passenger rail projects across the country. These include a high speed rail project to connect Los Angeles with Las Vegas, which broke ground April 22nd. Planned to be finished in 2028 in time for the LA Olympics, the train will take 2 hours to get from Rancho Cucamonga, California to downtown Las Vegas making it the fastest way between the two cities.
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Transit and School Buses: The Administration has invested $90 billion in public transit, the largest in American history. To date the DoT has helped replace 3,000 public buses with low or zero emission buses while the EPA has replaced 5,000 school buses with clean buses.
Electric Vehicle Charging, EV Batteries & Critical Materials: The Biden Administration is the first to directly invest in electric vehicle charging. the number of publicly available charging ports on America’s roads has surpassed 182,000, over a 90% increase since President Biden took office. The President has also invested in domestic manufacturing of batteries, already five manufacturing plants have broken ground.
Clean Water: The President invested over $50 billion government-wide for the largest upgrade to the nation’s water infrastructure in history. This funding places us on a path to meet the President’s commitment to replace every toxic lead pipe in America and works to close the wastewater gap for 2 million people who lack basic sanitation. These funds have already financed over 1,400 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country, including over 800 projects that will deliver clean water for Tribal communities that lack basic water services. To date, the Administration has deployed funding that will help replace up to 1.7 million toxic lead pipes. 
High-Speed Internet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $65 billion to help ensure that everyone in America has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet—regardless of their income, race, or zip code.  Over the last year, all 56 states and territories have developed their plans for how they will spend more than $40 billion in funding to connect every unserved location within their borders. That funding comes atop $1 billion for middle-mile infrastructure, which will build more than 12,000 miles of fiber across 370 counties. These projects, will connect 10,500 people, 1,600 farms, and 295 businesses directly to fiber networks. The Department of Commerce has also awarded 148 Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) grants, serving over 280 Tribal Governments, which will connect more than 65,000 Tribal households, subsidizing thousands of devices, and funding digital inclusion activities for Tribal communities. 
Deploying Clean Energy: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes more than $62 billion in funding at the Department of Energy to advance our clean energy future by investing in clean energy demonstration and deployment projects, developing new technologies, and modernizing our power grid. This includes an investment of over $20 billion to upgrade the nation’s grid—a critical component to achieve President Biden’s goal of delivering a 100% carbon-pollution free power sector by 2035. 
Legacy Pollution: Thanks to funding in the The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the EPA has been able to cap 8,000 orphaned oil and gas wells, with tens of thousands more to be plugged in the years to come. Over 100 Superfund sites have also been cleaned up or started with funds from the Law as well.
And More!
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bitchinbarzal · 6 months
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https://www.tumblr.com/bitchinbarzal/736733295226896384/do-it-lets-fuck-some-shit-up-cole-anon
At this point she was already pregnant (baby Luca) but she didn't know it
Mama Hischier was ready to raise this baby alone and in secret, i need drama
😮‍💨 oh bestie the angst. I know this doesn’t really fit with the original storyline but I’m going to make it because it’s too good.
Nico was in Switzerland for the summer with Naomi. You were supposed to fly Iris over half way through the off season before joining your girlfriends on a beach vacation in Greece then coming home to jersey.
However, plans change. You were sick, so severely sick.
You’d ended up calling Nico three weeks into the off season
“I need you to come back to jersey and get iris”
“What?! She’s not supposed to be here for another-“
“Nico, I can’t get into this with you can you do it or not? I can’t bring her there anymore”
You had it out on the phone, him accusing you of being difficult assuming it had something to do with Naomi being there or what he’d told you before he left.
It wasn’t, there was someone else you were too focused on.
Luckily, Timo’s girlfriend had shows in California so they were still in the states and they’d agreed to come to jersey after the shows were finished to get Iris and take her back to Switzerland with them.
You thought it best to let her go to her dads before it got bad.
Iris however was constantly watching you throw up, scared something was wrong. She was so worried.
You knew you were pregnant. Mom's intuition. And you were terrified.
You were scared, the fear from before was coming back up. Everything you’d been through four years ago was sitting at the forefront of your mind.
You were pregnant with Nico’s baby and he was trying to have a baby with someone else.
You hadn’t told him, after your conversations about him and Naomi you decided very selfishly, you’d do this alone.
In Switzerland, Iris was lapping up the love from her auntie, uncle, oma and opa.
All of them had watched her over the week and how Naomi interacted with her.
About a week into her trip, Iris was in bed ready to sleep when her grandma headed up to say goodnight. She stopped when she heard the little girl speak
“Is daddy coming to read to me?”
“No, your dad is busy. He doesn’t want to see you” Naomi snapped and his mom frowned listening to her tone “and Iris, I know your mommy sent you here to ruin our summer but please sweetheart just leave me and your daddy alone this week ok? You’re really bothering us”
She could hear the quiver in Iris’ voice “but mommy’s si-“
“I don’t care. she’s a pain in my side and so are yo-“
“Enough!” Iris scrambled out of bed to her grandma’s arms while Naomi tried to stumble out an excuse for what she’d clearly said.
“I think it’s best you leave Naomi, you’re not welcome in our house any longer”
They made off downstairs, Iris sniffling and Naomi yelling behind them about how they couldn’t kick her out, this wasn’t fair.
“Woah, what’s happening?” Nina asked, stopping the conversations she was having with her brothers and dad in the living room to focus solely on her distraught little niece.
Nico’s mom stared at him in a way she hadn’t since he was a child
“I want her out of our house, now”
He nodded, up out of his seat and straight towards Iris who shifted her head so she wasn’t looking at her father. Nico’s heart broke, he had no idea what was going on.
He left the house with Naomi and didn’t arrive back for almost two hours, by this time Iris was fast asleep in her uncles lap.
When he did come in the family were all waiting for him just as he’d left. He didn’t care about them, or what they had to say. He cared about Iris.
He approached her sleeping form and crouched down infront of her, kissing her cheek before lifting her up into his arms and taking her up to his bed.
He held her all night, still fully dressed in his clothes he’d worn all day. He just had to hold his girl.
When the morning came and Iris woke up she had to gather her surroundings before she saw Nico and cuddled into him some more
“Morning princess”
“Hi daddy”
He sucked in a breath before saying “You want to talk?”
Iris contemplated it for a minute before she said
“Are you and mommy fighting because mommy’s sick? Is that why Naomi doesn’t like mommy?”
Nico frowned “Mommy’s sick?”
Iris nodded "We went to the doctors home and she was crying" now Nico is internally panicking, a million thoughts running through his mind of what could be wrong with you.
"But the doctor lady gave mommy a present to take home and she was smiling after”
“What did she get?” He asks and Iris jumps out of bed, leaving the room momentarily before coming back in holding something.
He takes it from her hand and he is instantly relieved, it's just her sonogram. It takes him a moment before he quirks his head. That's not Iris. He knows her picture, it's in his stall, he sees it everyday.
Then he sees the name and date at the top.
You were pregnant.
Nico has a wave of emotions fall over him for a moment, anger, jealousy, hurt before he turns to Iris
“Mommy’s gonna be okay, ‘ris I promise”
She hums, still stuck into his side before she says
“Daddy?”
“Yeah squish?”
“I wanna go home to mommy”
“Yeah, me too”
So they travelled back to Jersey that night, the two of them needing your comfort.
You were in the middle of watching a movie when they came through the door, startling you
“Mama I’m home!” Iris shouted, jumping up onto the couch and into your arms
“Hi babygirl, what on earth are you guys doing back here?”you were looking at Nico to answer that.
He sat down next to you, pulling the blanket you had over him too then put down the sonogram on the coffee table infront of you both.
The smile on your face dropped and you looked at him, panicked.
“I hope it’s a boy” is all he says before grabbing your hand and squeezing it.
He knew. He knew it was his baby.
You squeezed his hand back “Not the baby mom you’d hoped for-“
“Hey” he grumbled “You’re the best mom and if I get the choice you’ll be the only mom to all of my kids”
“Neeks…”
“We’ll talk when she’s in bed ok?”
You nod, letting it go for now while watching Iris cuddle into your side to watch the movie and Nico’s hand spreads out across your belly.
He had everything he ever wanted under that roof
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idyllicbarb · 1 year
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teenage fever
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SUMMARY: following his first ever super bowl win, you and joe travel around the streets of los angeles.
WARNINGS: short + kissing + fluff!
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joe feels water get poured down his back while his teammates scream in his ear. the cinncinati bengals just won their first ever super bowl in franchise history. though last year's super bowl run ended in a devastating way, being able to come back the following year and prove he's worthy of winning the lombardi and mvp, means a lot to joe.
joe turns around seeing ja'marr smiling at him with tears running down his face, "we did it brother!" he yells, with his louisiana accent coming out. "i couldn't have done any of this without you, tee, or tyler." joe says before pulling ja'marr in for a hug.
he sees you walking towards him and opens his arms to hug you. "you did it babe," you scream with a smile on your face. joe picks you up spinning you around as you giggle. "i couldn't have done this with you baby." joe says in your ear, you kiss him without a care in the world.
"where are we going?" you giggle as joe drags you down the quiet sidewalks of california. you two decided to ditch the club after a few hours, wanting to see what else the state of cali has to offer. "i just want to spend time with you," joe smiles and your cheeks turn pink.
joe pulls you closer to his body, kissing you with all the breath left in him. pulling away from joe, you wipe your lipstick off of his lips. "woah buddy, someone is really happy." joe grins, "i'm just happy baby." you nod your head and wrap your arms around his neck. "i remember the start of our relationship like it was yesterday."
you and joe had been co-workers back when he was at lsu. he was the first person to actually notice you upon the day you started working for this firm. his smile and manners charmed you, but it was too risky to date a co-worker. besides, you were too scared to make the first move anyways. so here you were, two years later, dating your former colleague.
you giggled at that thought quietly. you love being able to wake up to joe each and every morning. you pinch his noise, causing joe to huff before a deep blush comes across his face and he hides it by pulling his hoodie down, to cover his whole head. you always laugh and make it up to him by saying a silly spongebob line.
"want me to do it again?" you ask in your best spongebob voice with a small smile on your face. joe doesn't say anything until you hear a small snort come from him and you two crack up.
you think it is oh so adorable how he still watches cartoons. once you two became really close friends, he started coming over to your house with two huge spongebob onesies. you smiled sheepishly, welcoming him with warm arms and a comforting hug!
now you two are standing in some dark alley kissing on one another after he won the super bowl. he should be with his teammates, but he has you in his arms, loving on him. the best gift joe could ever receive. "this is magical, honey, i'm happy to spend my time with you."
you hold joe's hands, standing on your tippy toes smiling at him, "oh joe, anything for you."
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bythenarrative · 13 days
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can you please do calaska headcanons?
omg. i've never rlly thought abt them until now, but heres my hcs!! :)
CalLaska HCs !
Alaska is one of the only states that is taller than California, so whenever Alaska hugs him from behind, he gets so so flustered.
Alaska will cling to California during the winter, because California is a natural heater! :))
California absolutely adores when Alaska grows his beard out. He thinks Alaska looks so handsome with it.
They call each other bear-themed petnames! Alaska calls California 'Cub' or 'Grizzly' and California calls Alaska 'Kodiak' !! The bear states <3
Alaska adores California's glasses, and loves when he changes the style of them to fit the current trends, even if he liked the previous frames!
On a similar note, California dyes his hair often, so Alaska will help out! He'll help pick colors, and bleach California's hair, and actually dye it for him!
Alaska's hair is white, and GOD California loves it! Alaska mentioned dying his hair and California protested so insanely hard
Alaska has a bunch of tattoos! Most of them are native, and hold meanings and culture. But some are less cultural, and stuff! He had his state flower, and California's state flower on his back <3
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g0ry0re0 · 4 months
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"One Love, One House", Josh Futturman (Future Man, 2017, TV Show) - Imagine
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Description: AU where Josh never beats Biotic Wars. Instead, he lives with you (his partner) in a cozy little apartment in L.A. / Josh Futturman x GN!Reader
General Notes: Established Relationship, Gender Neutral Reader, Pure Fluff/Comfort, Second Person POV, Lots Of Physical Touch (some a bit sensual/intimate?), Not A Lot Of Dialogue, Reader Has Some Internal Dialogue (“italics”)
Author's Note: Posting my first official imagine on tumblr, yippee! Also, my titles will almost always be inspired by songs ("Sweater Weather" by The Neighborhood, song link at the bottom of the post). Enjoy this short blurb!
Word Count: 1,031 Words
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California needs the rain, that's what everyone always says, and you agree. You love the rain...
Just not right now. You did not have the best day at work and leaving was all you could think about. On top of that, driving in Los Angeles was already terrible enough. But when it rained? God, you wanted to be home already.
Mental and physical state being in rough condition, you finally hop in your car at the end of the day and start the twenty-minute drive back to your apartment (though, in reality, it was an hour's drive with this weather and L.A. traffic). Your safe haven.
Walking into your apartment felt like the weight of the entire world finally lifted off your shoulders. Your back cracks as you roll your shoulders to slip off your jacket, the warmth of the room enveloping you as you leave your shoes by the door and walk into the adjacent room, the living room (a.k.a. The Game Room, as dubbed by you and Josh the moment you moved in).
You could see Josh's messy hair popping up over the couch, facing away from you with his headset on. He must've gotten out of work early. Not totally unusual, but still welcome nonetheless. You're not sure if he knows you're home as he seems very entranced by his game. Of course, he was playing Bio Wars again, he couldn't get enough of that game. Sure he played others, as well as some with you, but he was addicted to that game in particular.
You walk around the couch, him still not taking his eyes off the screen until you plop down across from him and put your feet up on his lap, immediately relaxing your sore bones by lying along the couch. He jumps a little but finally faces you, just for a brief moment, and flashes you a smile before turning back to his game.
"Hey, hun. How was work?" He asks distractedly, but still smiling, clearly happy that you're home now.
"Not great," you sigh and rest your forearm over your eyes. "Everything hurts. Happy to finally be home, though." You mumble, already feeling your eyes flutter shut from exhaustion.
Josh hums in response, seemingly hyper-focused on his game, but he was listening. He always listened to you.
You both sit together, basking in the contentedness of the moment. The warmth of the apartment was amplified by the warmth you felt from your feet resting on Josh's lap. The aches in your body were slowly melting away the longer you lay on the couch, your breathing starting to slow down. It was quiet, but the sound of rain could be heard faintly from the somewhat open (broken) window in your kitchen, gently watering the half-dead tiny plants sitting on the window sill. You could also vaguely hear Josh's game coming from his headset, the ambiance slowly bringing you a sense of peace.
You remove your arm from its resting spot on your face and cross both over your stomach, wrapping yourself up almost cocoon-like. Your eyes are still closed, and your breathing slows even further, despite your efforts to fight off the sleep you so desperately need. You can feel Josh set down his controller on the side of the couch and you can hear indistinct voices coming from his headset. Must be some kind of cutscene.
Suddenly, you can feel Josh's rough hands squeezing your feet. Your closed eyelids flutter a bit and you sigh out of appreciation. Josh seemed to appear distracted more often than not, but he always paid attention to what you communicated to him, both verbally and subtly. This man adored you, he practically worshiped the ground you walked on. He would do whatever he could to see you smile, and right now, the signals bouncing off your body were telling him that you needed a little more attention than what he was currently providing.
He promptly paused his game and took off his headset, placing it on the coffee table before looking over at you. You weren't asleep yet, but you were dangerously close. He gently smiled at how serene you looked, probably staring for a bit too long before he snapped out of it. He tapped your left knee, prompting you to open your eyes and maintain eye contact with him for longer than two seconds since you got home. He was still smiling gently at you as he brought his legs up on the couch and started crawling between yours. He slowly made his way to you, softly caressing your calves, your thighs, and your hips with his hands along the way before laying his head on your stomach and beginning to settle down.
He rests his hands on the sides of your waist now, tenderly squeezing while making the rest of his body comfortable between your legs and on the couch. Your arms untuck themselves from around your torso as he does this. You rest one of your hands on his head, scratching delicately, pulling a deep, contented sigh from him. He mumbles something unintelligible as he relaxes against you, pushing a quiet, single laugh from you.
"What'd you say, love?" You ask quietly, continuing to gingerly scrape your nails along his scalp.
"Nothin', just happy you're home." He slurred sleepily before pressing a delicate kiss to your clothed stomach.
He then resumed his position with the side of his head resting against the exact middle of your tummy, his hands still lovingly gripping your sides. You hum happily and close your eyes again, your and Josh's movements both slowing to a halt as you fall into a shared slumber. The warmth you felt earlier has only increased, Josh quite literally working as a weighted blanket, both your body heat keeping one another fulfilled. Any aches you felt before were gone, intertwined bodies relaxing against each other appreciatively. Breaths and heartbeats slowed and in sync, the downpour heard outside and the ever so quiet Bio Wars soundtrack playing from Josh's headset, lulling you and Josh into a tranquil sleep.
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Masterlist Link
Divider: saradika and saradika-graphics on tumblr
Gif: harryshumjjr
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omg an actual post from someone? i think we might start actually doing stuff-
sourcemates (wttt/wttsh) interact pleeeeease [California in front but there are so many of us]
ask us random questions- about the system, about source, about ourselves, whatever!
i might randomly post art- most of it will be of my (source) partners! mbmbmb mkay bye now
-California [☀️]
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hedawanheda · 10 months
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secret recipe- prologue
Clarke has been given six months to find a serious and genuine relationship or else her father will hand over the company to Cage Wallace. Lexa just wants to cook.
or
Lexa is the Griffin’s personal chef.
Clarke Griffin is a leader. She’s a girl who knows what she wants and she doesn’t care how she gets it. When she talks, people listen. When she walks by, people stare. She exudes a confidence and energy that makes everyone who knows her respect her, while also fearing her a little. Her life is dedicated to her work, the Fortune 500 company her family had built from the ground up.
So when her father announces at his retirement party (that she flew all the way from California to attend and moved back home for this promotion) that his temporary successor would be Cage Wallace, she is understandably pissed.
“Don’t cause a scene,” her mother whispered harshly to her as she watched Cage walk up and shake her father’s hand. Clarke was in utter disbelief, waiting for her to wake up from her nightmare or for Ashton Kutcher to come out and say she was punk’d.
Cage caught her eye, sending her a gloating smile as he posed for the papers. Clarke felt the heat rise to her cheeks as her anger began to take over, clenching her glass so tightly that she was surprised it didn’t break. That should be her up there.
As the applause for Cage continued, Clarke downed the rest of her drink. Then the rest of her mom’s. Then she flagged down a waiter who was passing out shots to celebrate Cage’s promotion and Jake’s retirement.
And then she doesn’t remember the rest of her night.
She wakes up in her childhood bedroom which she miraculously got to somehow in her drunken state. The sun shines into her eyes way too early, rousing her from her deep slumber. Her rumbling stomach, pounding head, and dry mouth are too much to ignore, so she dragged herself out of her bed and trudged her way down to the kitchen in search of a greasy breakfast and some aspirin.
She opened the refrigerator and let the cold air hit her, taking a deep sigh and rubbing her forehead before searching for the orange juice. When she found it, she took a swig from the bottle, letting the citrusy flavor cost her parched tongue.
“Good morning, Miss Clarke,”
Clarke dropped the bottle of juice, startled by the other presence in the room. She was so hungover that she didn’t realize that she wasn’t alone.
“Holy shit- Lexa?!” she gaped. Clarke hadn’t seen Lexa since the girl went off to culinary school in Paris a decade ago.
“Welcome home,” Lexa smiled, ignoring the blonde’s disheveled appearance. Clarke was grateful for that, considering she was in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and an old oversized college sweatshirt. Her hair was piled into a messy bun, and she undoubtedly had bags under her eyes from her late night. “Can I get something started for you?” Lexa asked politely.
“Huh?” Clarke was so shocked from seeing her old friend that she didn’t take in her appearance. Lexa was wearing a white chef’s coat and black pants, her hair tied back in braids. She was standing behind the kitchen counter, hands folded behind her back with an array of skillets and knives laid out in front of her.
“For breakfast,” Lexa explained patiently. “What would you like?”
“What are you doing here?” Clarke asked, answering Lexa’s question with one of her own. “The last time I heard you were at some Michelin star restaurant in the French Riviera.”
Lexa pretended that she didn’t hear that. “There’s pancakes or waffles, I could also do crepes if you wanted those. Omelets, eggs Benedict, frittata-“
“Wait, hold on-“
“Oatmeal, French toast, bagels-“
“Can you just stop for a minute-“
“Your dad has me hide his sugary cereal from your mom, I can dig that out-“
“Lexa! Stop listing breakfast food!” Clarke said, exasperated. “What are you doing in my house?”
Lexa paused, looked down and avoiding Clarke’s eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? I work here,”
“But… why?” Clarke was genuinely confused. Why would someone give up a great and promising career to cook for her parents?
She didn’t get her answer, because her father entered the kitchen with a bright and cheery smile on his face. Clarke instantly scowled. She may not have remembered how most of her night had gone, but she remembered being burned by the person she called her father.
“Good morning, sweetie. Good morning, Lexa,” he said gleefully. He walked over and kissed the top of Clarke’s head, ignoring his daughter’s sour face. “Isn’t today a glorious day?”
“I see you’re enjoying your first day of retirement, sir,” Lexa grinned at him. “Shall I prepare your usual?”
“Please. But add extra bacon, I feel like celebrating,”
“Didn’t you and your bestie Cage do enough of that last night?” Clarke grumbled. Jake turned to her, smiling, and placed his hands on both sides of her face.
“Lighten up, sweetie. I’m sure once you have some food in you, you’ll be happier,”
“Food won’t make me happy,” Clarke said through squished cheeks. She removed her father’s hands from her face, angrily crossing her arms. Jake chuckled at his daughter’s death glare.
“You’ve haven’t had Lexa’s cooking in a long while. She’s like a food Midas, anything she makes turns to gold,”
“What happened to Alie?” Jake’s smile fell while Lexa looked down at her hands. “What?” Clarke asked again, looking between her father and Lexa. It was weird seeing Lexa at the house and not having her mom there, the chef the Griffins had since before Clarke was born.“What are you not telling me?”
“My mother passed away last year,” Lexa said quietly, not meeting Clarke’s eye. “Cancer,”
This morning has turned out to be quite the surprising event for the blonde.
“Excuse me?!” Clarke said angrily, turning to her father. “You didn’t think of mentioning this to me over the past year? That the woman I’ve known for as long as I’ve known you died?”
“In his defense, she wanted to keep her illness private,” Lexa explained calmly. When Clarke looked at her, her gaze softened. She wasn’t the one Clarke was rightfully angry towards. “The funeral was a small affair. Just family,”
Clarke frowned. Wasn’t she considered family? “That still doesn’t mean it was okay not to mention it to me,”
“You’re right,” Jake sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, that was wrong of me. Why don’t we sit down and have Lexa make us a nice breakfast. I’m sure there’s something on your mind,”
//
“Why did you pass over me for the promotion?” Clarke asked as Lexa slid plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of her and Jake. “Why did you choose Cage of all people?”
“I know what you think of him, but he’s actually a brilliant man,” Jake started digging into his meal, talking with his mouth full. “Difficult, but brilliant,”
“But I don’t understand. You’ve been preparing me to take over for you since I started at the company. And I actually worked my way up from the bottom,”
“Cage is only a temporary solution,” Jake explained. “He will be interim CEO for the next six months before I decide if you’re fit enough to take over,”
“And what do you consider that to be?”
“How do I say this?” Jake rubbed his chin. “Clarke, you need a life,”
Clarke looked and felt offended. “What are you talking about? I have a life,”
“You’re a twenty eight year old workaholic who’s never had a serious partner before. Your mother and I are worried about you,”
“And where’s Mom now? Work.” Clarke snapped. “And the partner thing? A little misogynistic, don’t you think?”
Jake sighed. “Honey, don’t start. If I gave you the position right away, you would never find time to settle down,”
“So what are you saying? I can’t get the position I earned until I get hitched?”
“Not exactly,”
”Not exactly?”
“Well, not married per say, but a relationship, yes,”
Clarke stared at her father, eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re serious,”
“I am,” Jake nodded. “You need to get out there and actually live in the world, Clarke. There’s so much more to life than an office.”
“I do yoga,” Clarke pointed out. “Work’s not my entire life,”
“Honey, I don’t think you realize how sad that sounds,”
Clarke slumped down in her chair. “I could just hire someone, you know,”
“I know. But I’m using the honor code here. I just want you to be happy, to settle down,”
“I can be happy and not be in a relationship,”
“But you’re not,” Jake folded his hands on the table, pushing his empty plate away. “Just try. Put yourself out there. As long as I see you’re at least making an effort, the gig is yours.” This made Clarke sit up straighter in her chair.
“Really?” she asked. “So I have to just go on a few dates?”
“Emphasis on the effort, Clarke. And besides, six months is a long time, who knows? Maybe you’ll find your person,” Jake smiled warmly at his daughter, who rolled her eyes. “You’re a little too old for that now,”
“And I’m also a little too old for you to be telling me what to do,”
Jake sighed. “This isn’t a punishment. I really do want what’s best for you Clarke. Six months. That’s all I’m asking for,”
“Fine,” Clarke huffed, throwing down her fork on her partially eaten plate. She had lost her appetite, no matter how good it looked. “I’ll agree to this, no matter how dumb it is. It’s not like I’m actually going to fall in love just because you gave me a deadline.” Jake smiled, doing a little happy dance in his chair.
“I think this is going to be good for you, Clarke,” he said. Lexa came in and began clearing away the dishes as quietly as she could, trying to go unnoticed. Clarke watched her, not wanting to look at her father’s triumphant grin. She didn’t realize her eyes were trailing the girl until Lexa left and her father cleared his throat. When she turned back to him, his grin was faint, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he looked between Clarke and the doorway where his chef exited.
“Something amusing?” Clarke asked.
Jake chuckled. “No, nothing at all,”
read on ao3!
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andmaybegayer · 1 month
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/29/india-assassination-raw-sikhs-modi/
cool cool cool
(full text below the cut)
An assassination plot on American soil reveals a darker side of Modi’s India
Greg Miller, Gerry Shih, Ellen Nakashima
The White House went to extraordinary lengths last year to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a state visit meant to bolster ties with an ascendant power and potential partner against China.
Tables on the South Lawn were decorated with lotus blooms, the symbol of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. A chef was flown in from California to preside over a vegetarian menu. President Biden extolled the shared values of a relationship “built on mutual trust, candor and respect.”
But even as the Indian leader was basking in U.S. adulation on June 22, an officer in India’s intelligence service was relaying final instructions to a hired hit team to kill one of Modi’s most vocal critics in the United States.
The assassination is a “priority now,” wrote Vikram Yadav, an officer in India’s spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, or RAW, according to current and former U.S. and Indian security officials.
Yadav forwarded details about the target, Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, including his New York address, according to the officials and a U.S. indictment. As soon as the would-be assassins could confirm that Pannun, a U.S. citizen, was home, “it will be a go ahead from us.”
Yadav’s identity and affiliation, which have not previously been reported, provide the most explicit evidence to date that the assassination plan — ultimately thwarted by U.S. authorities — was directed from within the Indian spy service. Higher-ranking RAW officials have also been implicated, according to current and former Western security officials, as part of a sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies that has mapped potential links to Modi’s inner circle.
In reports that have been closely held within the American government, U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the operation targeting Pannun was approved by the RAW chief at the time, Samant Goel. That finding is consistent with accounts provided to The Washington Post by former senior Indian security officials who had knowledge of the operation and said Goel was under extreme pressure to eliminate the alleged threat of Sikh extremists overseas. U.S. spy agencies have more tentatively assessed that Modi’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, was probably aware of RAW’s plans to kill Sikh activists, but officials emphasized that no smoking gun proof has emerged.
Neither Doval nor Goel responded to calls and text messages seeking comment.
This examination of Indian assassination plots in North America, and RAW’s increasingly aggressive global posture, is based on interviews with more than three dozen current and former senior officials in the United States, India, Canada, Britain, Germany and Australia. Citing security concerns and the sensitivity of the subject, most spoke on the condition of anonymity.
That India would pursue lethal operations in North America has stunned Western security officials. In some ways, however, it reflects a profound shift in geopolitics. After years of being treated as a second-tier player, India sees itself as a rising force in a new era of global competition, one that even the United States cannot afford to alienate.
Asked why India would risk attempting an assassination on U.S. soil, a Western security official said: “Because they knew they could get away with it.”
The foiled assassination was part of an escalating campaign of aggression by RAW against the Indian diaspora in Asia, Europe and North America, officials said. The plot in the United States coincided with the June 18 shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver — an operation also linked to Yadav, according to Western officials. Both plots took place amid a wave of violence in Pakistan, where at least 11 Sikh or Kashmiri separatists living in exile and labeled terrorists by the Modi government have been killed over the past two years.
The Indian intelligence service has ramped up its surveillance and harassment of Sikhs and other groups overseas perceived as disloyal to the Modi government, officials said. RAW officers and agents have faced arrest, expulsion and reprimand in countries including Australia, Germany and Britain, according to officials who provided details to The Post that have not previously been made public.
The revelations have added to Western concerns about Modi, whose tenure has been marked by economic growth and rising global stature for India, but also deepening authoritarianism. A recent report by Freedom House, a human rights organization, listed India among the world’s practitioners of “transnational repression,” a term for governments’ use of intimidation or violence against their own citizens — dissidents, activists, journalists — in others’ sovereign territory.
India is part of an expanding roster of countries employing tactics previously associated with China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other repressive regimes. It is a trend fueled by factors ranging from surging strains of nationalism and authoritarianism to the spread of social media and spyware that both empower and endanger dissident groups.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to respond to detailed questions submitted by The Post or provide comment for this article. Responding to questions raised by a Post reporter at a news briefing last week, spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that India was still investigating the allegations and that the Pannun case “equally impacts our national security.”
Jaiswal referred reporters to previous ministry statements that targeted killings are “not our policy.”
For the Biden administration, which has spent three years cultivating closer ties with India, the assassination plots have pitted professed values against strategic interests.
Last July, White House officials began holding high-level meetings to discuss ways to respond without risking a wider rupture with India, officials said. CIA Director William J. Burns and others have been deployed to confront officials in the Modi government and demand accountability. But the United States has so far imposed no expulsions, sanctions or other penalties.
Even the U.S. criminal case reflects this restraint. Senior officials at the Justice Department and FBI had pushed to prosecute Yadav, officials said, a step that would have implicated RAW in a murder-for-hire conspiracy. But while a U.S. indictment unsealed in November contained the bombshell allegation that the plot was directed by an Indian official, it referred to Yadav as only an unnamed co-conspirator, “CC-1,” and made no mention of the Indian spy agency.
Justice Department officials who took part in the White House deliberations sided against those urging criminal charges against Yadav. Administration officials denied any undue influence. “Charging decisions are the prerogative of law enforcement alone,” said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, “and the Biden NSC has rigorously respected that independence.”
The only U.S. charges made public to date are against an alleged middleman, Nikhil Gupta, who is described in the indictment as an Indian drug and weapons trafficker enlisted to hire a contract killer. Gupta, an Indian national who has denied the charges, was arrested in Prague on June 30 and remains in prison. He is awaiting a Czech court ruling on a U.S. request for his extradition.
Even in recent days, the Biden administration has taken steps to contain the fallout from the assassination plot. White House officials warned the Modi government this month that The Post was close to publishing an investigation that would reveal new details about the case. It did so without notifying The Post.
Laying a trap
For decades, RAW was regarded as a regional player, preoccupied by proxy wars with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency. Under Modi, however, RAW has been wielded as a weapon against dissidents in India’s vast global diaspora, according to current and former U.S. and Indian officials.
The U.S. operation shows how RAW tried to export tactics it has used for years in countries neighboring India, officials said, including the use of criminal syndicates for operations it doesn’t want traced to New Delhi. It also exposed what former Indian security officials described as disturbing lapses in judgment and tradecraft.
After the plot against Pannun failed, the decision to entrust Yadav with the high-risk mission sparked recriminations within the agency, former officials said. Rather than joining RAW as a junior officer, Yadav had been brought in midcareer from India’s less prestigious Central Reserve Police Force, said one former official. As a result, the official said, Yadav lacked training and skills needed for an operation that meant going up against sophisticated U.S. counterintelligence capabilities.
Attempts by The Post to locate or contact Yadav were unsuccessful. A former Indian security official said he was transferred back to the Central Reserve Police Force after the Pannun plot unraveled.
The U.S. affidavit describes Yadav as an “associate” of Gupta who procured the alleged drug trafficker’s help by arranging for the dismissal of criminal charges he faced in India. Gupta had a history of collaborating with India’s security services on operations in Afghanistan and other countries, according to a person with knowledge of his background, but he had never been used for jobs in the West.
Petr Slepicka, a lawyer in Prague who represents Gupta, declined to comment on the case except to say that his client denies the charges against him. In court filings in India, Gupta’s family members described him as an innocent “middle-class businessman” whose arrest was a case of mistaken identity. They said he traveled to Prague “for tourism” and to explore new markets for a “handicraft” business, according to the court filings.
Yadav and Gupta spent weeks trading encrypted texts about the plot to kill Pannun, according to a U.S. affidavit filed in support of the request for Gupta’s extradition. To find a willing assassin, Gupta reached out to someone he had been in touch with for at least eight years and understood to be a drug and weapons dealer. In reality, according to the affidavit, the supposed dealer was an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The two were discussing “another potential firearms and narcotics transaction,” according to the affidavit when, on May 30, Gupta abruptly asked “about the possibility of hiring someone to murder a lawyer living in New York.”
From that moment, U.S. agents had an inside but incomplete view of the unfolding conspiracy. They orchestrated Gupta’s introduction to a supposed assassin who was actually an undercover agent, according to court filings. They captured images of cash changing hands in a car in New York City — a $15,000 down payment on a job that was to cost $100,000 when completed.
At one point, the indictment said, U.S. agents even got footage of Gupta turning his camera toward three men “dressed in business attire, sitting around a conference room,” an apparent reference to Indian operatives overseeing the mission. “We are all counting on you,” Gupta told the purported assassin on the video call, according to the indictment.
Yadav indicated that there would be more jobs after Pannun, including one “big target” in Canada. But a separate hit team got to that assignment first, according to the U.S. indictment, suggesting that RAW was working with multiple criminal elements.
Hours after Nijjar was gunned down in his car on June 18 outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, Yadav sent a video clip to Gupta “showing Nijjar’s bloody body slumped in his vehicle,” according to the indictment.
The message arrived as U.S. authorities were laying a trap for Gupta. Seeking to draw him out of India and into a friendly jurisdiction, U.S. agents used their DEA informant to persuade Gupta to travel to the Czech Republic for what he was led to believe would be a clandestine meeting with his American contact, according to officials familiar with the operation.
Gupta arrived in Prague on June 30 — 11 days after Czech authorities, acting at the behest of U.S. officials, had secretly issued an arrest warrant for him.
As he exited Vaclav Havel Airport, Gupta was intercepted by Czech police, who ushered him into a vehicle in which two U.S. federal agents were waiting, according to court filings submitted by Gupta’s family in India. He was questioned for hours while the car meandered around the city. His laptop was seized and his phone held to his face to unlock it, according to the family petition.
Gupta was eventually deposited in Prague’s Pankrac Prison, where he remains awaiting possible extradition. Seeking help, Gupta’s family tried to reach Yadav last year but could find no trace of him, according to a person familiar with the matter. After months of near-constant contact with Gupta, the person said, CC-1 had “disappeared.”
Engaging with the underworld
Though Yadav served as RAW’s point man, current and former officials said the operation involved higher-ranking officials with ties to Modi’s inner circle. Among those suspected of involvement or awareness are Goel and Doval, though U.S. officials said there is no direct evidence so far of their complicity.
As RAW chief at the time, Goel was “under pressure” to neutralize the alleged threat posed by Sikh extremists overseas, said a former Indian security official. Goel reported to Doval, and had ties to the hard-line national security adviser going back decades.
Both had built their reputations in the 1980s, when the country’s security services battled Sikh separatists and Muslim militants. They were part of a generation of security professionals shaped by those conflicts much the way their U.S. counterparts came to be defined by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Doval, 79, has claimed roles in undercover missions from the jungles of Myanmar to the back alleys of Lahore, Pakistan — tales that contributed to his frequent depiction in the press as the “James Bond of India.”
He also exhibited a willingness to engage with the criminal underworld. In 2005, after retiring as head of India’s domestic intelligence service, he was inadvertently detained by Mumbai police while meeting with a reputed gangster. Doval was seeking to enlist one crime boss to assassinate another, according to media reports later confirmed by senior Indian officials.
Before being tapped as national security adviser by Modi in 2014, Doval publicly called for India’s security apparatus to shift from “defense” to “defensive offense” against groups threatening India from other countries, especially Pakistan.
Goel, who was then rising into the senior ranks at RAW, shared Doval’s instincts. Police forces under Goel’s command in the early 1990s were tied to more than 120 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances or torture, according to a database maintained by Ensaaf, an Indian human rights group based in the United States. Goel was so closely associated with the brutal crackdown that he became an assassination target, according to associates who said he took to traveling in a bulletproof vehicle.
Former Indian officials who know both men said Goel would not have proceeded with assassination plots in North America without the approval of his superior and protector.
“We always had to go to the NSA for clearance for any operations,” said A.S. Dulat, who served as RAW chief in the early 2000s, referring to the national security adviser. Dulat emphasized in an interview with The Post that he did not have inside knowledge of the alleged operations, and that assassinations were not part of RAW’s repertoire during his tenure.
U.S. intelligence agencies have reached a similar conclusion. Given Doval’s reputation and the hierarchical nature of the Indian system, CIA analysts have assessed that Doval probably knew of or approved RAW’s plans to kill Sikhs his government considered terrorists, U.S. officials said.
A fierce crackdown
India’s shift to “defensive offense” was followed by a series of clashes between RAW and Western domestic security services.
In Australia, two RAW officers were expelled in 2020 after authorities broke up what Mike Burgess, head of the Australian intelligence service, described as a “nest of spies.”
Foreign officers were caught monitoring “their country’s diaspora community,” trying to penetrate local police departments and stealing information about sensitive security systems at Australian airports, Burgess said in a 2021 speech. He didn’t name the service, but Australian officials confirmed to The Post that it was RAW.
In Germany, federal police have made arrests in recent years to root out agents RAW had recruited within Sikh communities. Among them, German officials said, were a husband and wife who operated a website purportedly covering local Sikh events but who were secretly on RAW’s payroll.
In Britain, RAW’s surveillance and harassment of the Sikh population — especially a large concentration near Birmingham — became so egregious in 2014 and 2015 that MI5, Britain’s domestic security service, delivered warnings to Goel, who was then serving as RAW’s station chief in London.
When confronted, Goel scoffed at his counterparts and accused them of coddling Sikh activists he said should be considered terrorists, according to current and former British officials. After further run-ins, British authorities threatened to expel him, officials said. Instead, Goel returned to New Delhi and continued to climb RAW’s ranks until, in 2019, he was given the agency’s top job.
RAW’s record of aggressive activity in Britain has fanned suspicion that the agency was involved in the death of Sikh activist Avtar Singh Khanda, who died in Birmingham last year, three days before Nijjar was killed in Canada. British officials have said Khanda suffered from leukemia and died of natural causes, though his family and supporters have continued to press for further investigation.
A U.S. State Department human rights report released this month catalogued India’s alleged engagement in transnational repression. It cited credible accounts of “extraterritorial killing, kidnapping, forced returns or other violence,” as well as “threats, harassment, arbitrary surveillance and coercion” of overseas dissidents and journalists.
RAW’s operations in Western countries during Modi’s tenure have been overwhelmingly aimed at followers of the Sikh religion, especially a minority faction seeking to revive the largely dormant cause of creating a separate state called “Khalistan.”
That movement had peaked in the 1980s, when thousands were killed in violent skirmishes between the Indian government and Sikh insurgents. One brutal sequence beginning in 1984 included an Indian assault on the Sikh religion’s holiest site, the Golden Temple; the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikhs in her security detail; and the bombing of an Air India flight widely attributed to Sikh extremists. A fierce crackdown quashed the insurgency, prompting an exodus of Sikhs to diaspora communities in Canada, the United States and Britain.
As Sikhs settled into their new lives abroad, the Khalistani cause went quiet until a new generation of activists — whose leaders included Pannun and Nijjar — sought to rekindle the movement with unofficial referendums on Sikh statehood and with protests that at times have seemed to glorify violence. A parade in Canada last year included a float depicting Indira Gandhi’s assassination, and Khalistan supporters have stormed and defaced Indian diplomatic facilities in Western cities.
The effort has seemed to gain little traction beyond a minority within the diaspora communit
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afeelgoodblog · 1 year
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The Best News of Last Week - February 13, 2023
Hello there! Welcome to another edition of ‘Feel Good Newsletter’. I'm so glad you're here. Every week, I scour the web for the most uplifting and heartwarming stories to bring you a little bit of joy and inspiration. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive in!
1. Minnesota House passes "universal" school meals, providing free breakfast, lunch to students
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The Minnesota House of Representatives is considering a bill that would provide universal school meals to all students in the state, regardless of their families' ability to pay. The goal of the bill is to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals and are better equipped to learn in the classroom.
If the bill is approved, Minnesota would become the second state in the country, after California, to offer universal school meals. The bill has the support of education and anti-hunger advocates, who argue that it would help to address food insecurity and improve student health and academic performance.
2. Ukraine succeeds in bringing back 128 children forcibly removed to Russia
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Ukraine has succeeded in bringing back 128 children forcibly taken by the invaders to Russia.
Source: Yuliia Usenko, Head of the Department for the Protection of the Interests of Children and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, quoted by Ukrinform
Quote: "We have managed to bring 128 children back to Ukraine. More than 50 of them, together with their parents or guardians, are currently in EU countries.
3. Putting solar panels in grazing fields is good for sheep
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A study found that installing solar panels in grazing fields is beneficial for sheep. The study was conducted in the UK and found that sheep were more likely to spend time in areas with solar panels than in areas without. This is because the panels provide shade and shelter from the sun, wind, and rain.
The researchers believe that this could help to improve the welfare of sheep, as they are more likely to seek out shade in hot weather, which can reduce the risk of heat stress. The study also found that the solar panels had little impact on the growth and health of the grass, which is important for the sheep's diet.
4. Dad takes toddler son for a manicure after teacher says it's 'only for girls'
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The father and son were at a "Daddy and Me" event, where fathers were encouraged to spend time with their children doing various activities. The father chose to take his son to get a manicure, but was told by the teacher in charge of the activity that it was only for girls. The father was reportedly surprised and upset by the teacher's statement, as he felt that it was important for his son to be able to express himself however he wants, without gender stereotypes getting in the way.
The article notes that the incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender stereotypes and the importance of promoting gender equality and inclusivity, especially in children's activities.
4. More than half of new U.S. electric-generating capacity in 2023 will be solar, and only 14% will be using fossil fuels
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Information Administration (EIA), energy production in the country increased for the fourth consecutive week. The EIA data showed that the output of oil, natural gas, and coal rose by 1.6%, 2.2%, and 3.2% respectively. The increase in energy production is due to a combination of factors, including improved drilling techniques, favorable weather conditions, and rising global demand for energy.
5. Deforestation in Brazil falls by 60% in first month under Lula
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Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil fell for the first time this year, according to a report by Reuters. The decrease is attributed to increased enforcement of environmental regulations and increased monitoring of illegal logging activities. The Brazilian government has implemented several measures to reduce deforestation and preserve the Amazon rainforest, which is a critical component of the global ecosystem.
6. Cat returned to NJ shelter for being 'too affectionate' now happy in his new home
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A cat named Bruno surrendered to a shelter in New Jersey and was eventually adopted by a new family. Bruno, who was described as a friendly and affectionate cat, is now happily settling into his new home. The story of Bruno's adoption serves as a reminder of the importance of animal shelters and the work they do to find loving homes for abandoned pets.
7. A doggy day care was on fire. Neighbors helped save all 115 dogs inside.
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A fire broke out at a doggy daycare and resort in Seattle, causing significant damage to the building. No dogs or employees were injured in the fire, but several dogs had to be temporarily relocated to other facilities. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the resort is working to make repairs and get back to serving the community's four-legged friends as soon as possible.
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Have a great week ahead :)
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rafedaddy01 · 8 months
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I cant believe out of all places my parents chose Outer Banks to move too. This place is a shithole, except for the nicer part of town, where the rich live. This place is completely different from where i grew up, a small town In California called Nevada City. Man it was wonderful! the town pop was about 3,000 people and everybody knew everybody. it was home. but this place... in lack of better words; is a complete shithole.
of course my parents being the rich pricks they are, stayed back home to "deal with business" whatever the hell that means for them. so im staying with an old family friend of theirs, great! not..
the driver picks me up from the airport and as we drive to said family friend i admire the scenery. Houses, boats, shacks, homeless people, shops, that was all in the "poor side" as it call it, eye roll, i never enjoyed being rich. i was born into it. my father on the other hand was a made man. He opened up quite a few banks in our little city and recently they have evolved into bigger states/cities, hence the move.
we lived in a big manor on a secluded acreage back home, thats weird to say, i guess its not home anymore. we were close enough to town for me to be able to pop in everyday and work at the local museum, we always had lots of tourists come in and i enjoyed telling people about the history of our town.
i sigh in the back seat of the limo as i think about was used to be home and prepare to make acquaintance with the kings of the island. The Cameron's. my parents told me a little bit about them since id be staying with them until mom and dad could come down here permeantly.
There was Ward Cameron, the father. Rose Cameron, the stepmother. Rafe Cameron, the eldest. Sarah Cameron, the middle child. and Wheezie, the youngest of the bunch. They seemed noraml enough and i was kind of excited to make some new friends.
we pulled up to the house and man oh man. Ive seen some houses in my day but heck! seeing all the worn out building on the way over? the hosue has two stories and is white, it almost looks like the white house!
my eyebrows raise to my forehead as we drive up the long driveway and stop at the front of the house. the driver comes to my side and opens the door, ugh i hate being waited on, "thank you, Scott. You dont have to worry about my bags, i can carry them" i tell the older gentleman who looks like he should be in a retirement home with his white hair that is swiped back and covered by that redicioulse chauffer hat and that outift that sits loosely on his visible scrawny bones. "No worries Miss, Morales, its my pleasure." he smiles as he wobbles over to the trunk and takes my luggage.
"You must be Avery!" a feminine voice beams as she embraces me in a hug. Ugh, i do not like being touch. This town is just getting better and better. "im Rose Cameron, welcome to our home" she introduces herself and i take a step back examining her, she has blonde hair that comes down to about her shoulders and its pampered to perfection. She wearing a baby pink dress that hug's her curves magnificently. she has gold dangly earrings on and black thin heels, the kind that a sophisticated women would wear, shes beautiful but theres something about her i dont really like. "yes, hello" i smile back at her. "thank you for being so kind as to take me in" i tell her "oh nonsense, your parents are lovely people and we told them wed be happy to let you stay with us. as long as it takes"
As long as it take? what is that supposed to mean. does rose know something i dont, should i be worried?
i scratch the thoughts from my mind as we step into the estate, its beautiful, the twisting stairwell that leads upstairs and the gigantic chandelier that dangles in the middle. "wow, very beutiful Mrs. Cameron" i say as i take a look around "oh please, call me rose" she smiles, theres a viscousness in her smile, its fake. Ive seen it before, from my own mother none the less.
"let me show you to your room, the driver has already set your luggage in there" she says as she leads me up the staircase.
we walk into one of the many guest rooms, but this one is mine. the walls are a shade of gold and its oddly comforting. theres a large king bed in the center of the wide room and a balcony that hovers over the green grass and water thats seen in the distance. The bathroom is in the room and seems to connect to the room next door, i wonder whose room that is, probably another guest room.
"ill let you settle in and once your done you can come down for dinner and meet the rest of the family" rose smiles at me as she shuts the door and lets me settle.
i take a momment scanning the room, theres not much in it besides a closet, a bed, some nightstands, and curtains that fall along the frames of the windows. its much bigger than my room back home. i decide not to unpack everything, i dont plan on being her long, i hope.
I decided to take a shower, i was in a plane for 15hrs overall.
I wash myself with some shampoo that is in there, it smells like cedarwood and ginger, an odd mix but also strangly comforting. i lather my hair and body and let the hot water relax my built up tension.
once i hop out of the shower i wrap a towel around my body and head through my bedroom door, i stop and stare at the door across from mine, i wonder whose room that is.
i walk up to my luggage and pull out a mini plaid green skirt with a matching top, i dry my hair and let the pin-straight black strands flow down my back
i step out of the room at about 7:20pm and head downstairs, the smell of chicken infests my nostrils and my stomach grumbles, i hadnt even realized i didnt eat much today. i stride into the dining room and everybody is in there seats, except for two open ones, mine and i presume rafes, whose is empty.
"ah, there she is!' Ward speaks as he stands and rounds the table to me "Avery Morales, Sir" i say extending my hand. Ive learned my manners from talking to my father, he is a kind man when he wants to be but money changed him. he and my mother have both become vicious and would do anything to fill their wallets. its sad really, we used to be the perfect little family in Nevada and we still are, were, but with much darker secrets now, thats a story for another time.
"Im happy to welcome you to our humble abode Miss Morales" he says pulling my chair out for me. The empty chair is beside me while who i presume are sarah and wheezie sit across from me and ward and rose sit on opposite ends of the table.
"Im sarah" the girl to the left in front of me says. She is gorgeous, she has a tan that sticks to her skin like its her natural color and dirty blonde hair that flows down her shoulders and chest, her lips are plump and full and her eyes sparkle with kindness, i like her. "Wheezie" peeps the little girl next to her, shes young, maybe 13 or 14. She had black hair thats braided in two braids and glasses that frame her face.
"lets eat!" rose cheers as we dig in
we finish dinner and i insist on helping clear the table but ward says they have staff that do that and that i should get some rest because ive had a long day. Hes right im exhusted. I got to know sarah quite a bit, wheezie doesnt talk much. it seems like nobody really notices her and they all just ignore her whenever she trys to speak up. But sarah told me about the island a little bit and even said shed introduce me to some friends tomorrow.
I walk up the stairs and head for my room but i couldnt help thinking about the empty chair next to mine. why wasnt he at dinner? does he not live here, does he even exist. My mind is heavy with thoughts as i walk to the bathroom and turn the doorknob, that weird, i didnt leave the light on
"oh my god! im so sorry!' i squeal as i cover my eyes.
There is Rafe. standing. naked. in my bathroom, well, our bathoom. I guess i found out whose room is next to mine.
Pt2
@f4ll-for-you @v21sstuff @rafeysworldim19 @baby19sthings @eventualoptimism @drewstarkeysbae @sevenwivesofrafecameron @rxfecameronsslut @findapenny @r1vrsefx
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fatehbaz · 10 months
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County and city governments in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, etc.:
"Yea, totally, we're compassionate and humane. We're the enlightened 'Left Coast' after all, right? So we acknowledge that our homelessness and housing prices are so obscene that even people across the planet, in other nations, are aware of and horrified by the reputation of cities like San Francisco and Seattle, whose names have become notorious. Anyway. In the past two or three years, the situation has significantly worsened, because these cities have aggressively increased legal attacks and intimidation against homeless people, by increasing crackdowns on and criminal sentences for 'loitering' and for sleeping outside. Portland, for example, has aggressively cleared long-standing camps and unofficial traditional places of refuge while outlawing 'camping'. Our cities have been dramatically increasing the frequency of camp sweeps, trashing peoples' only belongings. This year in 2023, for the third consecutive summer in a row, temperatures will again be reaching above 105 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days, in these cities, like Seattle, where even 70% of rented households have no air conditioning due to the typically mild marine climate of the coast. The past year has been "the hottest on record" for the planet. Meanwhile, already earlier in July 2023, temperatures in Phoenix were above 110 degrees for 19 straight days. In the past year, the state of New Mexico saw a 48% increase in homelessness. The LA Times and LA Homeless Services Authority reported in June 2023 that on any given night there are over 46,000 people experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles, while on any given night L.A. County hosts about 75,000 (seventy-five thousand) people experiencing homelessness. That's a lot of people who will be subject to persistent extreme heat. Therefore, because we are compassionate and humane, we will be declaring an official state of emergency and temporarily halting our police enforcement of camp sweeps ... for the next three days. Until Friday morning or whatever. After that, we're coming back with the bulldozers and heavily armed cops to cleanse you filth and purge our streets."
(Reading about, for example, in August 2023, Portland mayor's office being like: "We had big raids on homeless camps scheduled for this week when temperatures will be above 100 degrees, but we'll postpone them until Friday! :) You're welcome!")
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