#location: alexander's office.

[chaosandcrimson]

LOCATIONS: Drake Tower FOR: Tanner Drake ( @sparepcrts )

Cornelia took a deep breath as she stepped off the elevator and made her way to her desk outside of Alexander's office. She was coming in a little later than normal, which was still before most other people; just not as early as she usually was. After setting down her bag, she disappeared into the kitchen before returning with two cups of coffee. "Good morning," she greeted, placing one of the cups in front of Tanner.

[changingplumbob]

Knightstone Household: Chapter 9, Part 11

Faye Harris, the closest thing Suzanna had to a work rival. The woman had first started off by telling Suzanna she didn’t believe in aliens. Back in Oasis Springs Suzanna was never confident enough to go to work in alien form, and Faye didn’t help. Eventually the woman revealed she did believe in aliens and had been saying that to get Suzanna to trip up and reveal herself, when she was pregnant she couldn’t hide her happy pregnancy glow even in human form.

Suzanna: Faye, can I have a word

Faye: I’m busy ignoring you actually

Suzanna: Well I need someone to help out with my simray testing

Faye: I’m not going to do that

Suzanna: I’m afraid as your boss I have to insist

Setting the simray to transform she pointed it at Faye and powered it up.

Faye: Oh it tickles, ouch that was pinch

Suzanna: I hear you were giving out orders when I was at home

Faye: It’s called taking initiative

Suzanna: Well I don’t want to hear that you’ve been doing it again, not to others who have the same role you do. I hope this brush with the simray reminds you of your role

Faye: *scoffs* sure it does

Suzanna stared at her blankly. It didn’t make sense. The ray was set to transform, why had nothing changed?

Faye: You okay there Suzie? Oh don’t tell me, the ray was meant to make something happen. Like most your hack brained ideas it failed. I’m going to be going back to work now

Suzanna didn’t understand why the ray hadn’t worked. It should have changed her skin shade, or her hair colour at the very least. But Faye left the conversation looking exactly how she did at the start. Sighing she tried to put her out of her mind and focus on her own tasks. Make a few flasks of snake oil, check. Examine the latest microscope slides, check. Calibrate the wormhole, check. Eager to have some time away Suzanna stepped through to Sixam.

As usual the planet was eerily quiet. There was the faint sound of wind blowing through the trees and mountains but that was it. No birdsong, no hum of traffic, nothing but the sounds her boots made on the ground. Adam had said once that it was a dead planet. Suzanna didn’t agree, plants were life after all, but she had yet to locate any kind of creature here.

There was the occasional crater with an alien in, usually deceased. That just confirmed her suspicions that the alien specimens that crashed on Earth were from a planet other than Sixam. Putting the limp Red Coral in a jar she moved on to the many rock piles on the planets surface. There were gem deposits, as well as mineral samples, and of course the beautiful geodes.

The air felt heavy but it was breathable. If the aliens who abducted and impregnated sims were of the same species as the babies they created, they can’t have chosen to leave because of pollution. Suzanna had done various tests of the environment and there was no sign of radiation either. Why did they go? What made them start implanting humans rather than grow their own species? Her and Adam had no difficulty getting pregnant, so the species couldn’t be infertile. With the same questions swimming around her head she finished up her gathering and headed for home.

Adam: You’re home! How was work Starlight

Suzanna: Not great. Shelly said Faye had been bossing her around so I tried to reprimand her but the simray didn’t work

Adam: It couldn’t freeze her

Suzanna: I wasn’t trying to freeze her, just change her hair colour

Adam: Should have frozen, then she’d know not to back talk you

Suzanna: if I could do it without worry of getting sued I would

Suzanna: Have the kids eaten

Adam: Yep. Both have been fed and had baths. They’re just in the office

Suzanna: Oh how was your work today

Adam: Still just me and Alexander. He was telling me about this teen he and his husband have adopted, bro still looks like a teen himself, but it’s getting me prepared for when the boys get that old

Suzanna: I’m not ready for that

Adam: Don’t worry, they’ll be young for a while yet

Previous ... Next

[chaoticyumelikes]

Felt a bit nostalgic so...bear with me.

Warnings: religious themes, gore if you squint, swear words...

Alexander Anderson x Gn! reader

No one knows how you caught the priest's attention. But it was not unnoticed. And some people of the Church thought on ways this could... Control the righteous priest. Mask it as some sort of reward for his valiant efforts and achievements within the organization all the while gifting

... Well you... A very pretty leach so he could finally be fully obedient.

Father Anderson himself didn't flinch from his beliefs in the slightest so it took some time.

As for you, you continued happily unaware of the machinations that were happening in the shadows. You went to work or came back from it, waved hello and goodbye to the tall, intimidating yet sweet priest occasionally stopping to chat about several things.

Nothing could prepare you for receiving a letter demanding your presence at an Iscariot office. You didn't even consider yourself so close tied to the Church to make them even remember your name. You thought about not going. But something in you told you it was important. Maybe they wanted you to join their "club" along with several others. However, when you arrived at the location and the nice secretary told you to wait in a chair you realized the weirdness of the situation. You were alone in a very fancy waiting room adorned with fine paintings. You felt as if you had been called to a dean's office after having done something wrong. You tried to focus on the paintings but some of the imagery was of torment and that did nothing to calm your nerves. You knew you were as much a sinner and saint as the next normal person so why were you here? Were you to wait for divine punishment by God's authorities on Earth? You heard the door you came through open and the giant priest you know enters. You sweat bullets when you see him. In a way you were happy to see a familiar face, in another it looked like he was here to give you your last rites.

As he noticed you he froze, your eyes locked he gave you an awkward wave of his gloved hand and asked in that thick accent of his what you were doing there. He took a seat in front of you and you told him what had transpired till then. A brow rose at the story and his face turned pensive. You were just about to ask what he was thinking when you two are summoned to go in.

The priest opened the door for you with a smile and you entered. You were invited to take a seat while the priest remained standing behind you. Unbeknownst to you he gazed at you with pity, one of his hands reaching the inside of his coat till the person who summoned you both gave him a signal that left him even more confused. You weren't a threat? He wasn't there to take you out? He was glad he didn't have to but why else would the motive of this meeting?

Maxwell, the man who invited you and the priest spoke to you two. And it was purely absurd. The very thought of this section of the Church thought they could play matchmaker as if they held the same power over the people as they did in the Medieval times. You were to marry a freaking priest just because?! Father Alexander also protested against this vehemently. He was faithful to each one of his vows even if the organization "so generously" decided to open a few exceptions to him. In a way, it was strange seeing the ire and indignation in the priest as he spits Bible passage after passage at his supposed "boss". It was intimidating.

You both stormed out of that office with Maxwell sighing and speaking the words none of you heard: "The hard way it is"

Father Alexander apologized to you for what you had seen. He shouldn't have lost his temperament in front of one of the flock. You chuckled at the word flock and said it wasn't his fault. He offered to accompany you back home to keep you safe. A kind gesture to be sure. One you couldn't find any reason he should not to. Even tho he meant well and for your safety, the odd looks people gave one walking with a very tall priest... You were feeling very uncomfortable. Sensing that, the priest was kind enough to talk about anything to distract you from the walk and sure enough, once you got used to his thick accent, you enjoyed your time talking to him. He was a very intelligent individual albeit too dead set on his ways and fiercely loyal to his beliefs.

Arriving at your place you said your farewells with awkward smiles. He only turned his back on you once you had entered your home closing the door. You sighed. What a weird day. But that was that...

And naive you were to think that. Refusing an order from someone who had as many connections as Maxwell had put you in a corner. He dug out everything from you and everyone in your life that could be used against you. Even the smallest detail was made into a big issue until you finally caved.

It was a beautiful day. You managed to ask for a small "ceremony". It was in the same office that made your life turn upside down. You didn't invite anyone. You couldn't even believe it was happening. Some of the more religious members of your family were thrilled. Others supported your decision and should you try to fight against it you know the individual holding out papers for you and Alexander to sign would stop at nothing to silence them. Speaking of the priest, he was just as forlorn as you. Sure his expression was stoic but in his eyes, it was like a storm was brewing.

Night arrived with little to no celebration as you entered your husband's room. Just like you predicted it was a small and austere room. The few decorations were religious themed and there was one bed, a closet, a small cabinet the bible, some papers with strange symbols on them and... Were those weapons?

The priest followed your gaze and apologized. He tried to make the room presentable for you but he must've forgotten about those. When asked for explanations he simply said those weapons were for protection against monsters. He received a weird look from you but didn't offer any more information.

You two set next to each other on the bed where the priest explained that this whole situation wasn't his idea, fault or even ideal. You could and should take the bed as he would sleep on the floor. As you tried to protest he explained he didn't wish to force any of this madness onto you and that you both had a very tiring day and that you should rest. As he went to the restroom to give you privacy to change. Some of your things had been taken there and you made sure to be as fast as you could, go to bed and imagine all this was just a dream.

As you went to bed you watched as the priest had been in silent prayer. Deciding not to disturb him, you climbed the bed grimacing at how hard the mattress was but thankful for the priest's generosity nonetheless. You whisper him goodnight and hear him telling you to have sweet dreams as he adjusted himself on the floor.

About an hour passed till you couldn't take your conscience anymore.

"Father Anderson?" you asked.

"Alexander."

"What?"

"We are married, might as well address me by just my name, lamb"

Lamb? Did he just call you- Anyways forget that. You were on a mission.

"Alexander... You know... You don't have to sleep on the floor! We can share the bed. Platonically!"

There was an awkward silence between you. It was like the man was weighing his options.

"It would weigh less on my conscience if you slept in a bed rather than the floor." you offered. Silence once again.

"Oh come on Alexander how am I supposed to sleep knowing I drove a holy man out of his bed!"

At that, he laughed! So you decided to keep going. "Seriously?! How can you protect your flock if you don't have a proper night's sleep?!" he continued laughing. Once he finally stopped he sighed.

"Is it truly ok with you?"

You agreed.

"Very well. For your consciousness' sake."

You heard him get up and saw his shadow, you tried to look ok with the arrangement even though the man still intimidated you. You felt the bed shift with his weight. And you overestimated the bed's width as even with both of you on your sides your backs had to touch so you two could fit. You heard the man mumble something about needing to get a bigger bed first thing in the morrow. Saying your good night's again you drifted off to sleep lulled by the warmth his back was providing. You could've sworn you heard crying... But your sleep was simply too strong and you lost consciousness before you could discern if the sound was real or imagined.

The days between you two were challenging, adjusting to his routines and him to yours. Getting to know each other was also a challenge in itself so you two decided to spend some time together so you could make this strange arrangement more bearable. He practiced his sermons near you oftentimes asking your opinion. He always accompanied you to your work making sure you would be safe and every time he could he would also wait for you, accompanying you back "home". The organization was kind enough to offer you two a private apartment since other people of the order thought oh so very scandalous your married presence in their midst. One look from Alexander however was enough to shut some whispers as he was equal parts respected and equal parts feared.

You couldn't put your finger as to why exactly people feared him. Sure he was very tall, strong and had a scar on his face making him look intimidating but he has been nothing but gentle towards you. He tried his best to make you comfortable in every way he possibly could. He listened to your opinions offering you his own but never escalating into an argument. When his job required him to stay away from you for days at a time he would always bring you back something he wrote or made that made him think of you. Whenever he had work at the orphanage he would marvel at the kids' reaction to know you were his married partner. Secretly he would love the kids' happiness and rapid-fire questions at you. Were you to play with the kids and his smile would be ever radiant.

It was months into this arrangement that you began to notice weird things. Such as specks of what looked like blood on his skin. One time he came home extremely injured. You tried to get him to a Hospital and he just stopped you. He told you he was able to recover extremely fast. Not taking his word you fussed over the wound undressing him to look at the damage better and the amount of scars he had on his torso made you stop. He avoided your gaze suddenly far too shy under your scrutiny. Your eyes widened as you saw the wounds on his flesh heal in real time. You asked him what had happened. How did he get so many scars? How could he recover from wounds that fast? He only offered you a begging look while taking your ringed hand in his and promised that after the next mission, he had he would tell you about his... Other job.

A million questions swirling in your head but knowing he wouldn't answer them till he came back were haunting you. You thought so much about what could it all mean that you didn't see you were being followed. Suddenly all you saw was darkness and the feeling of someone taking you away.

When you came to you noticed you were bound and someone was talking. In your daze you could only make out the words:

"married" "to that priest" you heard laughter, you heard something that sounded like crude jokes and finally "hostage". When you finally were aware one of the men approached you, seemingly happy to see you awake. He forcefully grabbed your face as if he was inspecting you, turning it this way and suddenly stopping. Looking hungrily at your neck, your eyes widening as his canines showed. Fortunately for you, they needed you still and he backed off once one of the others barked at him to stay away. He shrugged saying something about still having leftovers and at that he left, you heard a scream and a sound like something was breaking flesh. You were at full attention now. These people weren't human! What could they want from you?

"Are you sure this is the right person?" one of them said "They are far too pretty for a man of the robe. Tell me. Does he use you all the time? I mean, that celibacy shit must break a man." he caressed your cheek and you flinched away in disgust "aw what's the matter? Not holy enough for you?" he grabbed your arm and as he was pulling you towards him something sharp struck his arm. Your eyes widened as you recognized the weapon.

At the entrance of the building, there was a silhouette of a tall man, his glasses reflecting the light. Your eyes widened in recognition as he began reciting passages of the Bible in his characteristic accent. His hands grasped his weapons as he walked towards his opponents without fear. The men rushed towards him while Alexander, with a final "Amen" mercilessly cut them through. In the carnage you closed your eyes shut only daring to open when you felt a violent hand grabbing your neck only to be swiftly detached from its arm, hand falling to the floor as Alexander charged to the offender offing him quickly. You trembled as you heard the huffs of the priest from the exertion. Quickly you heard him get to his feet and run towards you in a panic.

"Lamb are you alright?! Did they hurt you?!" his eyes darted at you frantically searching for any sign of pain or discomfort freeing you from the ropes. You were so pale he kept fussing over you till he cupped your cheeks with his gloved bloodied hands. "Lamb please! Speak to me!" you looked at him, at the carnage behind him and the spatter of blood on his face and glasses and you quickly jerk your head down as you puke. Alexander stays there motionless as he just stares as you empty your bowels. He can feel it on his robes and shoes but he couldn't care less far too worried about your wellbeing. Medics from the organization entered the room and he barked orders at them to check you for any injuries. Some tried to push him away but he refused to budge from your side. Once you calmed down and the medics made sure you were unharmed he carried you away in his arms. You were far too weak to protest and he was far too afraid to leave your side again. Once you two were in your shared room and cleaned up he lay you down on the bed as he kneeled by your side taking your hand in his placing it in his forehead as if he was still making sure you were there.

"You scared me. When I came home and didn't see ya. When they told me you were taken-" you saw tears running down his face "if they had so much as hurt you. I would- May those fuckers rot in Hell! God--" he squeezed your hand "I can't lose your lamb. Please..."

With your free hand, you wiped away his tears and pulled him to you, his head resting on your chest as he hugged you desperately. You two held each other that night. He enveloped you out of fear of losing you again. That moment you understood what he meant by monsters and why even some people feared him. Today you would let him rest but tomorrow he would fulfil his promise and tell you all about his so-called "other job".

And true to his word he spent the day telling you all about it. He wouldn't leave your side after that. The trauma of almost losing you is too fresh in his mind. You were grateful for his company. Still, you couldn't believe all he had told you but it made you understand him a lot better. When finally he couldn't refuse missions anymore you clung to him and made him promise to return to you. He did promise... But it still didn't ease your worries.

He made sure to leave someone to watch out for you should any monster try anything again. Not that they would anytime soon considering how much of an example he made of your captors. But still.

You prayed for his wellbeing every day and when he returned you tackled him in a hug. He chuckled at your reaction telling you to be careful cause his robes were usually home for many of his sharp weapons. You bombarded him with questions, not about the mission, but about his wellbeing.

He chuckled at your concerns.

"Worried about your husband, lamb?"

You looked at him defiantly and he smiled widely. "There's my fierce little lamb." at this, you pouted and grabbed him by the collar pulling him down to your size and you kissed him. The priest was stunned at your reaction. Gingerly wrapping his arms around you ever careful to gauge your reaction. Once he made sure you were ok with this he reciprocated your affection with an intensity of his own. When you part your foreheads touch as you both regain your breath.

That evening he finally showed you just how meaningful you were to him. Always gently, always with your consent, he explored you as if you were a precious gift just for him from the Heavens above. Praising you, adoring and worshipping every part of you as much as you do him. Making sure you were alright every step of the way until you both lost yourselves blissfully in each other. Resting in each other's arms basking in the pleasurable afterglow of your finally consummated marriage.

Both of you didn't know what the future would bring. Both of you were afraid of losing the other to the darkness. Fortunately for you, he was a man of light. He would tear darkness apart and bring you to his safety, making sure both of you remain on the righteous path... Amen.

[aureatescars]

plotted starter ft. @petrokhelidon

Alexander leans back in his chair, sighing, back and eyes sore from staring at a screen for the better part of the day. He turns his head a few times until his neck gives a low crack, releasing some tension from the base, reaching up to massage the sore spot there with one hand. His gaze wanders out the big glass windows of his office for the first time in hours.

The building he is currently in is located in the newer part of Holigrad — none of the buildings here is older than a few years, all constructed in a hurry on top of the wounds left from the war to pave the path into a brighter future. Alexander shifts, the old wound crowning his artificial spine gives a throb. The irony of the thought isn't lost on him.

He forces himself out of his chair, grabbing his cane from where it leans against its edge, straightening his shirt and vest out with the other hand. He takes a few slow steps towards one of the windows, ignoring the way one of his legs feels like needles and pins.

The building's tall facade looming over the city below, dark and intimidating. To most people it appears to be nothing other than another office building, and in a way, he supposes, it is little else, even though the data processed within these walls is more sensitive than some.

It's chilly outside, or at least it was this morning when he came in for work and he notices with a slight frown that there are dark clouds on the horizon. It will start snowing in an hour or two, he thinks and before morning comes the whole city will be covered in snow and ice.

The early winter sun begins setting in the distance, tinting the furniture in the room with a golden glow that makes him squint. He meets his own eyes in the window. His hold on his cane tightens. Alexander pulls himself back from his thoughts and checks his watch for the time.

He should be here soon...

[atlantis-archive]

Meet Team Atlantis

Written by: Deborah Barnes Published in: Disney Adventures Collector’s Issue! Atlantis: The Lost Empire Volume 11, Number 6 (pg.32-35). Publisher: Buena Vista Magazines Inc. Publication date: circa July 2001.

(continued from In Search of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, continued in Dive!)

Text:

Meet Team Atlantis

Find out cool facts about the brave explorers who go in search of the lost city of Atlantis!

In 1914, a young adventurer named Milo Thatch dreamed of completing his grandfather's quest to find the legendary lost city of Atlantis. Though some people thought Milo was crazy, a wealthy businessman agreed to sponsor Milo's expedition. Milo joined a group of daredevil explorers on a dangerous mission that took them under the sea and to the center of the Earth.

MILO JAMES THATCH Team position: Linguist, major brainiac. Age: 32. Birthplace: Fishkill, New York. Education: Earned doctorate degrees in linguistic theory and dead languages from Oxford University in England. Major accomplishments: Graduated from high school at age 11; ranked as one of the world's best linguists; translated ancient documents that reveal the location of Atlantis. Best trait: Milo never gives up. Worst trait: Love of work doesn't leave much time for a social life; best friend is his Persian cat, Fluffy. Secret dream: Milo's one and only dream is not so secret: Find Atlantis. Biggest fear: That he might be wrong—that Atlantis doesn't really exist.

LYLE TIBERIUS ROURKE Team position: Expedition commander, serious dude. Age: 54. Birthplace: Beaumont, Texas. Education: Graduated second in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (in New York). Major accomplishments: Led the charge in tons of famous battles as an Army captain; won awards for leadership and heroism; saved the life of his commanding officer. Best trait: Total focus on his mission. Worst trait: A cruel streak—and quick temper! Both make him a little scary. Secret dream: To make lots of money. Biggest fear: That he might actually fail on a mission.

HELGA KATRINA SINCLAIR Team position: Second in command. Age: 30. Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany. Education: Studied with famous martial arts and weapons experts around the world; trained in military tactics and firearms under Commander Rourke. Major accomplishments: One of only three living people to beat Commander Rourke in both unarmed combat and chess. Best trait: Intelligent and cool under pressure. Worst trait: Can seem icy and unfriendly. Secret dram: To fight someone (or something) that's a real challenge. Biggest fear: What is fear?

[page break]

Meet Team Atlantis

GAETAN MOLIÉRE Team position: Geologist, mineralogist, tunneling expert. Age: 39. Birthplace: Paris, France. Education: Became interested in tunneling by exploring the sewers beneath Paris as a kid; went to college at the Sorbonne; left school to become a miner. Major accomplishments: One of the world's best geologists; can tell where dirt is from by tasting it. Best trait: A master problem-solver and inventor. Worst trait: He likes dirt so much, he hardly bathes. Secret dream: To burrow to the center of the Earth. Biggest fear: Being forced to take a bath.

WILHELMINA BERTHA PACKARD Team position: Communications expert, chatterbox. Age: 61. Birthplace: Whippany, New Jersey. Education: Worked as a research assistant to several famous inventors—and married most of them (including Chichester Bell, cousin of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell). Major accomplishments: Helped develop several major communications devices, including the radio, batteries and a "talking machine" (the ancestor to the CD player). Best trait: Unflappable sense of humor. Worst trait: Can be too chatty, even in the face of disaster. Secret dream: To finally find the love of her life. Biggest fear: Static.

AUDREY ROCIO RAMIREZ Team position: Mechanic, hothead. Age: 18. Birthplace: Dearborn, Michigan. Education: Began rebuilding engines in her father's car-repair shop at the age of 5; took a job at the Henry Ford Automotive Plant at the age of 9. Major accomplishments: Helped invent new gearing, steering and cooling systems for cars at Ford. Best trait: Spunky and smart. Worst trait: A short temper that gets even shorter when all the equipment keeps breaking down. Secret dream: To build a flying car. Biggest fear: That she'll get caught without her toolbox.

VINCENZO "VINNY" SANTORINI Team position: Demolitions, expert. Age: 38. Birthplace: Palermo, Italy. Education: Learned all about explosives on his own—and has a childhood full of blown up buildings to prove it. Major accomplishments: Can create the right kind of explosion for every occasion. Best trait: Stays relaxed, despite his dangerous job. Worst trait: A passion for practical jokes; seems to like blowing things up just a bit too much. Secret dream: To one day create the perfect explosion. Biggest fear: Working in the family business—a florist's shop!

DR. JOSHUA STRONGBEAR SWEET Team position: Medical officer. Age: 42. Birthplace: Bigelow, Kansas. Education: Earned degrees in medicine, botany (the study of plants) and herbology; learned Native American medicine from his uncle Iron Cloud, an Arapaho medicine man. Major accomplishments: Served as a battlefield surgeon with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders; treated soldiers on both sides. Best trait: Strong as a grizzly, gentle as a teddy bear. Worst trait: No one's found it yet. Secret dream: To find a cure for all diseases. Biggest fear: Small spaces.

"COOKIE" FARNSWORTH Team position: Cook. Age: 72. Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Education: Served as a sharpshooter in the Civil War; became a U.S. Army cook, feeding hundreds with almost no supplies. Major accomplishments: Was General George Custer's personal chef; became a chef at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; owned his own restaurant. Best trait: Can make shoe leather taste good—and he probably has. Worst trait: The military has made him tough—so complain about the food at your own risk! Secret dream: To invent something called "fast-food." Biggest fear: Running out of flour.

[offender42085]

Post 1218

Before and After......

Mitchell Seth Littleton, South Carolina inmate 366132, born 1997, incarceration intake May 2021 at age 24, scheduled for release January 2025

Burglary of a Safe/Vault, Burglary, Petit Larceny, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle

In August 2015, a York, South Carolina teenager was jailed after he told police he stole his father’s work truck from the York Electric Cooperative ("YECC") -- the local public utility -- and reportedly helped others steal more items from the utility’s parking lot.

Mitchell Seth Littleton, 18 at the time, was arrested after York police were alerted to a suspicious person driving a YEC truck through the parking lot of the York Wal-Mart at 3 a.m. in the morning and shining a light into the windows of cars.

The day before, YEC officials reported that two bucket trucks owned by a subcontractor had been stolen from a fenced-in area on Alexander Love Highway. The two vehicles, a Ford F-550 and a Ford F-750, were valued at a total of $135,000. A large amount of unsheathed copper wiring, valued at $2,500, also was reported missing from the beds of several other trucks in the lot.

YEC workers said the thefts must have taken place between 9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, and 7:30 a.m. Aug. 9. When police located Littleton with the truck on Aug. 10, he told them he took it from his father’s work place, according to an arrest report. He also said he was with two other individuals who went to the YEC lot to steal more items through a back gate he reportedly left unlocked using his father’s keys.

Police went to the lot and discovered the gate open, the key still in the lock and fresh tire tracks leading inside. Officers did not locate anyone at the scene. When someone from YEC arrived on scene, he was unable to identify anything that might be missing. The YEC employee identified the truck driven by Littleton as belonging to their Fort Mill office. The York PD report notes a York County sheriff’s deputy also located one of the missing trucks in York on later that day.

Littleton was held at the York County Detention Center with a bond of $81,092.50 at the time of his arrest.

The matter languishes in the courts for a number of years before a final conviction was pronounced in January 2019. Littleton was sentenced for a total of 7 years.

4y

[mariacallous]

Public discussions following Vladimir Putin's May visit to China largely focused on exports of obscure tubers and beef cartilage to Beijing. But despite the lack of a public breakthrough in the sphere of military assistance, China remains an essential partner for the Kremlin in its war in Ukraine. Military supplies from other allied authoritarian regimes — North Korea, Iran, and Belarus — sometimes even surpass those Ukraine receives from the West. As Russia’s own reserves of armored vehicles dwindle, support from the Kremlin’s axis of authoritarian allies is only expected to grow.

Belarus: A launchpad for attacks, training of mobilized troops, tanks, and fuel

For the first six years of Russia’s war in Ukraine — i.e. 2014-2020 — Alexander Lukashenko's regime in Minsk managed to maintain a relatively independent policy. There was even limited military-technical cooperation between Belarus and Ukraine, with Belarusian petroleum products refined from Russian oil going to Ukraine for use by its armed forces at a time when they were busily fending off attacks from Russian-backed forces in the Donbas region. However, everything changed in August 2020, when a wave of popular protests swept over Belarus, exposing Lukashenko’s political vulnerability at home. Vladimir Putin responded by allocating a reserve of Russian law enforcement officers to suppress the demonstrations, thereby maintaining the regime in power in Minsk while leaving it almost wholly dependent on Moscow for survival. In February 2022, it was time for Lukashenko to repay his debts by becoming an accomplice, if not an outright ally, in the Kremlin’s full-scale assault on Kyiv.

In the early days of the invasion, forces from Russia's Eastern Military District and Airborne Troops, which had relocated to Belarus under the pretext of conducting training exercises, thus securing a foothold on the right bank of the Dnieper River, launched an offensive on the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv’s main government buildings and other “decision-making centers” are located on the right bank (the western one), an area of Ukraine that became accessible to Russian invaders largely thanks to the fact that they were able to stage their attack from Belarusian territory. Furthermore, Belarus became a reliable rear base for the Russian army, which received fuel and lubricants directly from the Mozyr refinery, had its wounded soldiers treated in Belarusian hospitals, and launched missile attacks and airstrikes from Belarusian soil and airspace.

Notably, Ukraine refrained from striking Belarusian territory, likely to avoid provoking Lukashenko into direct participation in the war. As a result, Russian troops in Belarus felt even safer than in Russia's border regions, which were subjected to Ukrainian strikes from the first days of the full-scale invasion. Without this “immunity,” the losses suffered by the Russian side during its retreat from the Kyiv region in March-April 2022 might have been even greater. Even after the Russian withdrawal, Belarusian airspace was used by Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft, Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, and Su-34 and Su-35 fighters to launch airstrikes.

The next phase of cooperation between Moscow and Minsk began at the end of 2022. The Belaruski Hayun monitoring group reported the dispatch to Russia of trains carrying dozens of tanks (1, 2), trucks, and ammunition from Belarusian warehouses. According to the group’s estimates, in October 2022 alone, 98 T-72 tanks, 60 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (including 20 without turrets), and 53 Ural trucks were shipped. As of early November 2022, over 65,000 tons of ammunition had been transferred.

With the start of Russia’s mobilization in September 2022, some groups of recruits, primarily reinforcements for the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Taman Division, received training at Belarusian ranges due to overcrowding at Russian sites. Economic aid has also played a crucial role: in recent months, imports of gasoline from Belarus have helped the Kremlin stabilize consumer prices amid drone attacks on its own refineries. Additionally, it was recently disclosed that the Belarusian military-industrial complex produces sights for Russian APCs, and also for its T-72 and T-90 tanks.

Of course, this help comes at a cost. Despite the Russian army’s acute need for military equipment, weapons deliveries to Belarus continue, albeit with significant delays. Additionally, Russian tactical nuclear weapons were recently stationed in Belarus, likely easing Lukashenko's concerns about “threats from NATO.” Furthermore, Russian police and National Guard officers remain ready to assist the Minsk regime in the event of renewed protests.

It should be noted that Belarusian capabilities to provide military aid to Russia are far from exhausted. The country produces “Kaiman“ armored vehicles, MAZ military trucks, and MZKT chassis for heavy equipment. Additionally, the Belarusian military industry complex manufactures reconnaissance drones and multiple launch rocket systems, and it also upgrades tanks. These resources could prove indispensable for the Russian army, which is experiencing a significant shortage of certain equipment (specifics of which can be found in our front-line situation review).

Iran: Drones and artillery ammunition

Russian-Iranian military-technical cooperation dates back to the late Soviet era, when Moscow sent Tehran modest arms and equipment supplies during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988). After the Soviet Union’s collapse, military shipments to Iran increased until they were almost completely halted between 2008-2015 due to international sanctions imposed on Iran’s nuclear program. Notable deals include the transfer in 2007 of Tor surface-to-air missile systems, one of which accidentally shot down a Ukrainian International Airlines commercial flight over Tehran in 2020. Additionally, Iran and Russia cooperated militarily in Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war.

Almost from the outset of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Kremlin needed military aid. Moscow was particularly interested in Iran's advanced drone industry. Under sanctions and unable to procure full-fledged combat aircraft, the Iranian regime developed an impressive range of drones, from reconnaissance platforms to loitering munitions. While the Russian military industry excelled in reconnaissance UAVs, Russia had almost no kamikaze drones at the beginning of the full-scale war. As pre-war missile stockpiles were gradually depleted, the focus shifted to long-range drones like Shahed-131 and Shahed-136.

Because of these drones, along with cruise and ballistic missiles, it became significantly more challenging for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fend off attacks on both civilian and military infrastructure behind the front lines. Consequently, production of Shahed drones shifted to Russia itself at sites like the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, often utilizing forced student labor. According to agreements disclosed in 2022 through leaked documents from Alabuga, Iran committed to supplying 6,000 kits for assembling Shaheds over two and a half years.

Russian-made drones underwent significant modifications: Kometa-M antennas were installed to counter electronic warfare, the warhead the aircraft carry was upgraded for greater effectiveness, the body color was changed to black to enhance nocturnal concealment, and LTE modems were integrated to track the drones’ movements. Although Mohajer-6 reconnaissance drones were also supplied in limited quantities, they did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Shahed.

In addition to drones, Iran also provides Russia with artillery ammunition. Initially, Iranian-made artillery shots surfaced in the possession of Ukrainian forces, sourced from intercepted Western shipments intended for Iran-supported armed groups in the Middle East. By summer 2023, reports emerged regarding Russian-Iranian contracts for almost $2 million worth of ammunition and barrels for both tanks and artillery guns. Subsequently, Iranian shells were integrated into service with Russian forces.

It is worth noting that the first captured samples contained Chinese shells, leading to suspicions of direct military aid from China to Russia. However, the gunpowder charges supplied with these shells were of Iranian origin, and the shell production date suggests they reached Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. Subsequently, the range of ammunition expanded to include 203 mm shells of U.S. manufacture, inherited by the Islamic Republic from the pro-Western Shah's regime and suitable for Soviet 2S7 Pion guns. Recently, supplies of 130 mm shells for the M-46 gun were also reported.

In return, Iran has reached an agreement to purchase modern Su-35 fighters and helicopters from Russia and is currently in negotiations for S-400 anti-air missile systems. This equipment will undoubtedly bolster the capabilities of the Islamic Republic amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, but the current circumstances have also raised doubts about how much hardware Tehran will be willing to part with. More advanced drones such as jet-powered Shahed-238s could be held back (even though a similar drone was once shot down over Ukraine back in January). And although Reuters reported in February that approximately 400 Iranian-made ballistic missiles had already been delivered to Russia, they have yet to be observed on the battlefield.

North Korea: Soviet shells and “Kimskanders”

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow has engaged in very limited military-technical cooperation with North Korea, partly due to the international sanctions imposed against the regime in Pyongyang. In contrast, in the 1990s South Korea received Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles as part of debt repayments. Nevertheless, relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have been relatively warm: North Korea was one of the few countries to recognize the 2014 annexation of Crimea and, in 2022, four more regions of Ukraine.

By 2023, Moscow found itself in need of more than just diplomatic aid. Russian production of artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles did not meet the demands of the front. Meanwhile, North Korea appeared to possess significant stocks of Soviet-caliber artillery shells, once presumed to be intended for wiping out Seoul in the event of renewed conflict on the Korean Peninsula. However, with the advancement of its nuclear program, Pyongyang had acquired more effective means of deterrence, reducing the need for artillery ammunition, if not entirely eliminating it. On the other hand, North Korea actively pursued the development of its missile program, with some ballistic missiles (known in the West as KN-23) demonstrating characteristics matching those of Russia’s Iskanders (at least on paper).

Massive ammunition supplies began following Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia in September 2023. According to OSINT investigators, munitions are transported by container ships from North Korean ports to Russia before being sent by rail to front-line areas. According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, a total of 67,000 containers of ammunition were delivered, a volume that could have contained up to 3 million 152 mm artillery shells, or as many as 500,000 122 mm artillery rockets for the Grad MLRS.

Soon, munitions with a distinctive bluish hue for artillery and MLRS started appearing in Russian frontline videos, and almost immediately, Russian pro-war bloggers began expressing their concerns about the quality and accuracy of the ammunition. Nonetheless, the shells proved sufficient for sustained artillery fire, and when combined with Russian and Iranian ammunition, they provided the Russian army with a significant artillery advantage over the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The status of North Korean missiles presents a murkier picture. In early 2024, there were reports of several KN-23 ballistic missile strikes on Kharkiv, one of which was scrutinized by Conflict Armament Research specialists. Since then, however, reports of the utilization of such missiles, dubbed “Kimskanders” by Russian pro-war bloggers, have dwindled. The reasons for this decline remain unclear: it could be because production and delivery capacities are lacking, or perhaps flaws were revealed during use. According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, approximately half of the missiles veered off course and detonated in mid-air.

Nonetheless, North Korea’s potential to assist Russia remains largely untapped. Kim Jong-un’s arsenal comprises various weapon types, including MLRS equipped with 240 mm guided rockets (though reliable reports of their potential supply have yet to materialize). Furthermore, North Korea possesses a substantial number of tanks, notably T-54/55 and T-62M models, which Russia employs on the front lines. With forecasts indicating the depletion of Soviet-era armored vehicle stocks in Russian warehouses by 2026, the provision of North Korean tanks and other armored vehicles could help sustain Russia’s capacity for offensive operations in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the extent of what the Kremlin can offer in return remains uncertain, especially considering that nearly all modern weapons produced by the Russian military-industrial complex are allocated to the Ukrainian front. Potential offerings could involve technology transfers and the establishment of licensed production facilities in North Korea, although such endeavors risk provoking strong reactions from South Korea and Japan, both of which have thus far refrained from directly aiding Ukraine militarily.

China: machine-tools and help with sanctions evasion

Despite the so-called “friendship without limits” between Beijing and Moscow, the People's Republic of China has not been observed providing direct material-technical support to the Russian Armed Forces in its conflict with Ukraine. However, China remains a critical supplier of military and dual-use products to the Russian defense industry, and there is evidence indicating increased shipments of precision machinery and equipment, with a significant portion of the Western-sanctioned goods that reach Russia getting there via China. The Insider recently conducted its own investigation into the specific methods used to facilitate such imports.

Thanks to Chinese assistance, Russia receives various UAV elements, including FPV drones and critical components for electronic warfare systems designed to counter these very drones. Ukrainian drone production enterprises also heavily rely on the Chinese component base. However, Russia holds a logistical advantage in this regard. Some drones are offered to Russian buyers as ready-made solutions, while others are purchased from AliExpress by Russian startups, which then pass them off as their own products.

Notably, among the ready-made drones, DJI products play an extremely significant role for both sides in the conflict. DJI UAVs serve as tactical reconnaissance tools and bombers for munition drops. DJI is associated with Russia's first direct military purchase of Chinese equipment: in 2023, the Russian Defense Ministry acquired Mavic quadcopters, which Russian servicemen could obtain for free (instructions on how to do so were even published in pro-war channels). Additionally, the Russian Ministry of Defense procured a large batch of Desertcross off-road vehicles (reportedly at an inflated price). These vehicles are increasingly being utilized at the front lines, serving as transportation for assault groups. While their use has garnered some negative feedback, in the face of a shortage of armored vehicles and means of transportation, they remain a necessary option.

It should be noted that the “assistance” from Chinese companies extends beyond equipment and components to include intelligence gathering. AFP reported that in November 2022, the late Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner PMC purchased two Chinese commercial satellites and utilized their imagery to plan operations in Ukraine, Africa, and even during their short-lived June 2023 mutiny in Russia itself.

However, despite Russia's efforts to secure direct Chinese military assistance starting from as early as the beginning of 2022, no such shipments have been confirmed. Based on comments from Chinese officials, Beijing appears intent on maintaining a cautiously pro-Russian stance on the international stage, while paying lip service to Ukraine's territorial integrity and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

If China's stance were to shift, the Russian army could potentially gain access to a wide range of weaponry, from outdated kit to cutting-edge models. Considering that a potential Chinese conflict with Taiwan (or any other Pacific region adversary) would not be likely to burn through large stocks of armored vehicles and artillery, the potential for the transfer of such systems to Russia remains a real possibility. Furthermore, any Chinese restrictions on component supplies to Ukraine could pose a serious threat to Kyiv, at least until alternative supply routes through third-party countries and shell companies could be established — mirroring the very strategies employed by Russia to keep its military-industrial complex working.

[famousfilmsfan]

The Model

There's a model town on a table in Bryans Office he was showing it off to Vindi and Jon

Bryan: I call it, Fazberg...or Fazton, the name is still a work in progress.

Jon: Wow, models quite detailed

Vindi: Oh is that a little Starbucks, that’s so cute, so is this a new hobby?

Bryan: Actually i’ve been planning on building an actual town like this.

Jon; Uhh. Did you- *is interrupted*

Bryan: Yes I bought the land, yes i’ve secured investors, yes i’ve got ads planned for people to come and live in it, yes I’m getting a road off the highway built and yes i’ve got several corporations to agree to have stores there.

Jon: hmm, okay it seems you got all your bases covered. But this place seems great, how much would it cost for someone to rent a house there?

Bryan: Around? 200 bucks a month?

Vindi & Jon: What?!

Jon; Bryan that’s crazy you’ll lose money.

Bryan: Not necessarily, *slams another model down* Bam!

It’s a giant complex, similar to a mega mall.

Bryan: Say hello to the ultra Fazbear Pizzaplex. The largest location in the country, hotels, restaurants, endless fun for adults and kids.

Vindi: Wow.

Bryan: It’s a tourist dream, it’s basically Las Vegas if it had stuff for kids.

Jon: And the people in town will?

Bryan: Work for me yes, and for each other mind you.

Jon: so what you’re some kind of modern Walt Disney?

Bryan: I wouldn't say, Walt Disney, but similar yes. I even got a house for myself planned, right here.

He points to a manor on top of a hill surrounded by other similar ones.

Jon; Of course it’s on the hill, still a rich brat huh?

Bryan: And just for that i’ll make all the doors in your place a but too short for you.

Jon; *pouts* Damn.

Vindi: He’s getting a place? Am I?

Bryan: Well by then we’d be living together.

Vindi:....Decent point. So what else is here?

Bryan: It’s got everything, a park, a public laundromat, two bars, large homes, and apartments, all equipped with the basics but also access to Alexander, the AI I designed to run the pizzaplex when i’m not there. He’s like a glorified Alexa, hence the name.

Jon; That is..

Vindi: Marvelous...

Bryan: Yup, I just need you to okay it Vindi, what do you say?

Vindi: Well..when do we begin?

(Got any names? Comment them)

[blueshistorysims]

Early September 1901, Newcrest, England

Byron turned six that February, eager to begin school among his older siblings. Professor Rossings had continued to tutor him in the summer, continuing to be amazed at his academic abilities in humanities. The thought of being around children his age excited him since he spent most of his time with baby Giselle while Edeline and Alexander were at school.

The schoolyard was crowded that September morning, children running around and playing before the bell rang. Newcrest Schoolhouse had two floors, renovated in the 1880s after a population increase due to the Second Industrial Revolution in Liverpool. There were three classrooms on the first floor and two on the second floor, the schoolmaster’s office located between the two classrooms. As a first-year student, Byron would be in the smaller first floor classroom. Edeline and Alexander were in the fourth and fifth year class, starting their fourth year of school.

He scanned the yard and saw a boy about his age staring. They made eye contact, and instead of shying away, Byron decided to talk to him. He walked over and smiled.

“Hello. Is today your first day ever too?”

He nodded. “I’m Reginald Masters, but I go by Reggie.”

“Byron Walsh.”

Reggie smiled. “Want to be friends?”

“Want to be best friends?”

“I like that idea.”

So they shook on it, the duo destined to be friends. 

The bell rang, and everyone ran to class where Byron met his new teacher, Miss Wilson. She was a kind lady who he liked immediately. Except he found it all very boring. He already knew what Miss Wilson was teaching the class, and it was hard to pay attention if he already what was going on. 

“Byron!” Miss Wilson suddenly yelled on the third day of school.

He looked up, dazed. “Yes, Miss Wilson?”

“You’re not paying attention to the lesson. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in during lunch and recess.”

He frowned, glancing at Reggie, who looked equally disappointed. 

When the bell rang, and everyone had gone outside, Miss Wilson sat next to Byron. “Byron, I don’t think you’ve paid attention to a single lesson. Is something wrong?”

“I already know what you’re talking about.”

“Everything?”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I know arithmetic quite well, and I can already read books meant for adults.”

Miss Wilson swallowed. “I see. …I think we should both see the schoolmaster, Mr. Hall.”

“Am I in trouble?”

“No. If this is the reason why you aren’t paying attention, then no, far from it.”

[theajaheira]

i'm not going to be posting this to ao3 until i know what i'm going to do with it, so for now, have it as a special tumblr preview: xander and sonia's first meeting in the 'verse of what you make!

(for those who would like to read this without the larger context, all you need to know is that this takes place post s7, and xander is working for a new iteration of the watchers' council in a slayer-locating capacity.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls he met reminded Xander of Buffy in a way that made his chest hurt a little. Though their responses to their calling varied widely, they were always remarkably unremarkable—always concerned with how this would impact their homework, their time with their friends, their bid for Prom Queen—and it always made him think about how Buffy had looked, holding those pom-poms with her chin jutting out. She had been so determined to still be normal, not yet knowing how hard the world would make it to just be.

They were trying to make it better for the girls. They were. But the New Council was still in its baby stages, and the loose framework they’d set up wasn’t always enough to convince the girls that they wanted to join up. Most of their fledgling resources were being devoted to making sure that the little Slayers weren’t going to be walking demon magnets, whether or not they were actually planning to take a stand against said demons. And the worst part was that Xander couldn’t even blame the girls for not wanting this kind of a life. Who would?

Well. Him. But he’d chosen, and they hadn’t. Buffy had wanted to give the girls a choice, and that was what was happening. Two girls of the seven he’d met had chosen, and done so with youthful exuberance that had torn a little at Xander’s heart. More often than not, excited optimism about a calling like this one was a recipe for disaster.

“Are you here for anything?” said the secretary archly.

Xander blinked, shaking his head a little to clear it, before giving the secretary his best winning smile. “Can you, uh, call Sasha Rivera up to the office?” he asked.

The secretary gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. “No, I cannot, uh, call Sasha Rivera up to the office,” she said. “For one thing, it’s the middle of the day. She’ll be in class. For another—”

“Yeah, see, I’m here on business,” said Xander, flashing his official Council ID in the secretary’s direction. “Our organization wants to recruit Sasha for—”

“What organization?”

“We’re a lot like a Gifted and Talented program.”

“Are you a lot like a Gifted and Talented program, or are you a Gifted and Talented program?”

“Look, I talked to the principal on the phone,” said a bemused Xander. “He said he’d be fine with me sitting down and talking to Sasha about some of the opportunities our organization offers. Is there some kind of a problem?”

Before the secretary could answer, a well-dressed older guy rounded the corner, bustling with cheerful importance. “You must be Alexander Harris!” he said, clapping Xander particularly hard on the back and smiling with unctuous importance. “Welcome, welcome! And thank you ever so much for your charitable donation towards the restoration of our gymnasium! Not that money is tight here, of course it isn’t, but we can always improve upon the existing infrastructure, can’t we?”

“Uh,” said Xander. The secretary was still staring daggers at him for some reason. “Yeah?”

“Splendid,” said the guy, who Xander was now starting to recognize from the briefing packet that Willow had sent them. Principal Tom Sanders. Kind of an asshole, interested primarily in the care and keeping of money, possibly embezzling but nobody had been able to make charges stick just yet. The important thing was getting him to let Xander have a conversation with Sasha, which had been pretty concerningly easy the minute that Xander had made a “charitable donation” to the school. This really wasn’t helping Xander’s feelings about principals in general. “Sophie, why don’t you call Sasha up to the office?”

The secretary’s lips pursed. She stabbed a few buttons on her phone with particular violence, then spoke into the receiver. “Would Sasha Rivera come up to the front office, please?”

“Try to smile a little while you do it, why don’t you?”

“Oh, hey, that’s really not necessary,” said Xander uneasily.

The secretary looked up at Xander and smiled—all teeth, and particularly unpleasant. Xander’s heart flipped over. “Thank you for your charitable donation to Silverfish Middle School!” she said, making charitable donation sound like extremely contagious butt rash. “Sasha will be with you posthaste. Will anyone be looking into making sure she has access to the lesson plan for the time she misses in class?” she added towards the principal.

“Why don’t you ask me that when you’re not on the clock?” said the principal pointedly. “There’s gotta be a separation, Sophie. As my secretary, your job is to make sure Mr. Harris here is able to meet with Sasha Rivera, and frankly, it’s hard for me to see why you wouldn’t be over the moon about her having an opportunity like this.”

“An opportunity a lot like a Gifted and Talented program?” said the secretary.

“Sophie,” said the principal.

Clearly there was something going on here that Xander was missing. He was just about to ask some kind of clarifying question when a girl stepped into the office—tall, gangly, dark hair in two big poofs. “Is everything okay?” asked Sasha Rivera, holding herself in a way that was somewhere between anxiety and defensiveness.

“Sasha, you’ve got a visitor!” said the principal brightly. “This is Mr. Harris of—what was it?”

“The New Council,” said Xander.

“The New Council!” said the principal, clapping Xander on the back again. Xander lurched forward and almost rammed into the wall. “He’s here to talk to you about an amazing academic opportunity that he believes you’re perfect for.”

For some reason, Sasha’s eyes flitted to the secretary. “An academic opportunity,” she said, drawing out the words. “That I’m perfect for. Me.”

The secretary pinched the bridge of her nose.

“…Do you mind if we use your office?” Xander asked the principal.

“Oh, no, go ahead!” said the principal jovially. “Anything at all for such a generous—”

“Great!” said Xander. “Thanks. Sasha, could you come with me for a second?”

“Okay, you know what, I am at my limit,” said the secretary, standing up at her desk with fire in her eyes. “Tom, my name is Sonia, not Sophie, and this is not the way you run a school. Do any of us have any idea who this man is or what his program is espousing? Just because he hands you a big, fat check, you’re willing to let him come in off the street and spend some time behind a locked door with my sister? How is that remotely safe in any way?”

The principal’s smile went all plastic. “Sophie,” he said, “I think you and I can have this discussion later, and not now, especially not in front of—”

“Oh,” said Xander, who had somehow, finally, put two and two together. “No, uh, Sonia, if you want to sit in on this, you definitely can. I didn’t know you guys were sisters!” That did not sound like a thing a Professional Scholarship-Giving Man would say. He tried again. “I mean, look, I can’t really get into the academic stuff until this guy isn’t here—”

“This guy?” said the principal, a little testily.

“Whose office, time, and patience I am very grateful for,” Xander added hastily. “Obviously. I just mean that this is something I want to run by Sasha first, and if Sonia is concerned, as a family member, I can completely accommodate—”

“Now, hold on,” said the principal. “Sophie’s on the clock. I’m perfectly fine if you’d like a meeting with just Sasha, but someone needs to man the phones—”

“Well, if someone needs to man the phones, couldn’t you do it?” said Xander before his brain caught up to his mouth.

Sasha snorted. Sonia pressed her lips together, but her eyes were sparkling with mirth. “Mr. Harris,” said the principal. “I think you should remember that I am allowing you a meeting with one of my students when she should be in class, not suggestions as to how I should run my office.”

“Got it,” said Xander, holding his hands up. “Sonia—”

“Sophie is not a part of this conversation.”

“No, she’s not,” said Xander, not missing a beat. “I was talking to Sonia.”

“You’re a regular little wise-cracker, aren’t you?” said the principal, still with that plastic smile. “Listen, Mr. Harris, that donation of yours doesn’t go far enough to cover my secretary’s salary. If you want to talk to Soph—Sonia outside of school hours, you can, but—”

Ignoring the principal, Xander leaned over the desk, warmed by the fact that Sonia was no longer looking at him with outright antipathy. “I’m obviously not gonna get into the details in front of Principal Moneybags here,” he informed her, his heart doing a funny little twirl when her mouth twitched, “but I would like to talk to you. Both of you. I don’t want to exclude you; you’re involved in this as much as Sasha is. Most of the time, we come to the school, we talk to the girls before we talk to the family, because the girls are the ones who need this information the most. But if you’re receptive to listening, this is definitely a conversation that it would be okay for you to be there for.”

“Mr. Harris,” said the principal testily, no longer sounding quite so friendly.

Sonia looked up at him—gorgeous eyes, Xander thought, as dark as the night sky—and said, simply, “Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They met at a café a few blocks away from the school, Sasha cheerfully guzzling down a hot chocolate while Sonia delicately sipped black coffee. “I hope I didn’t jeopardize your job there,” Xander started uncertainly, eyes on Sonia even though they probably should have been on Sasha.

“No, it’s fine,” said Sonia tiredly. “I’ve been thinking about quitting for a while now. He keeps calling me Sophie and asking me to handle all the Black History Month stuff because I’d know more about it than him.”

“Which is racist,” Sasha chimed in. “He’s a stupid old racist.”

“Definitely do not say anything uncomplimentary about your teachers within their earshot,” said Sonia, fixing Sasha with the same terrifying Older Sister Look that Buffy had perfected. She looked back towards Xander with a lopsided smile, took another sip of her coffee, and added, “But yes. He is a stupid old racist.”

“…Uh,” said Xander. Usually, the talks with the girls were pretty straightforward. He did tend to fuck something up in the process, because he wasn’t always good at tapping into his inner Confident Xander, but this was the first time that talking to one of the baby Slayers also involved talking to someone this intimidating. And pretty. Intimidatingly pretty. That described this situation very well. “So. Look. I have something I need to talk to Sasha about.”

“Really,” said Sonia.

“Soso, don’t be mean,” said Sasha reprovingly, setting her own hot chocolate down. “Mr. Harris—”

“Xander,” Xander corrected.

“Really?” said Sonia.

“Again,” said Sasha. “Don’t be mean.” She turned expectantly to Xander. “Xander. What kind of academic thing am I up for?”

Now came the hard part. “Not an academic thing at all, actually,” said Xander carefully. “More like…” He hesitated. “Sasha, have you been experiencing anything unusual in your day-to-day life as of late?”

Sonia stiffened. Sasha’s gaze went down to the table. “So, what is this, some kind of X-Files investigation?” said Sonia, defenses up all over again. “You’re zeroing in on my sister with your perfect suit and your effortless charm and you’re going to cart her off to a government institution to do experiments on her?”

“Okay, first of all, if you want to cover up the weird happenings, you might not want to accuse me of being an undercover government operative,” said Xander, not sure whether he should be amused or concerned. “Second of all, if I was a government operative, I’d be the worst government operative ever, because I did just invite you guys out for coffee. And third—” Something caught his attention. “Effortless charm?”

Sotto voce, Sasha said, “My sister likes dorks.”

“Stop that,” said Sonia to Sasha.

“Do you not like dorks?” Sasha gestured to Xander. “Is he not totally your type?”

Xander decided to change the subject. Effortlessly. “HA HA HA ANYWAY,” he said, hoping to God that he wasn’t blushing. “UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES?”

“Why do you wanna know?” asked Sasha. It wasn’t as defensive as Sonia, but there was something of a warning to the question.

Relieved by a topic of conversation that wasn’t whatever the hell had just happened, Xander transitioned back into the usual Slayer spiel. “There’s a lot of stuff I’m gonna tell you right now,” he said. “Pretty much all of it is going to be hard to believe. When I’m done, I am going to show you categorical proof that my word is good. If you don’t want proof, or if you think I’m a total nut-job, that’s fine, but you need to understand that burying your head in the sand is going to put you in more danger than you’re already in right now.”

“Danger?” Sasha repeated skeptically.

“Danger,” Xander confirmed. “So listen up.”

[gracehosborn]

A map of Hamilton’s law offices as seen on page 333 of The Law Practice of Alexander Hamilton: Volume I, edited by Julius Goebel.

This map was a surprise find inside this volume, and a very insightful and helpful one at that. The key also includes other important locations, and years of operation for each office Hamilton held throughout his career.

[muscledemon666]

ARE YOU FEELING THE CALL OF SATAN?

Last week a Catholic Priest reached out to me on WICKR ( I’m demondar on that free phone app). He told me he felt as though he and the world were being bombarded by demons and evil. He said he felt their presence growing stronger. He asked “ Is the Anti Christ on the Earth?” I said YES. HE WALKS AMONG US! He continued to tell me how unhappy his life was. How much he hated his job and his life. He told me he hated God and Jesus. That they had made his life miserable. He admitted at times that he felt conflicted….but when I heard him over the phone say the words. “Fuck Christ” & “ Fuck God” there was so much passion in his voice, such complete and total commitment to what he was saying …I knew he was with us, that this priest belonged to Satan!…just as all of you who read my words belong to Him! Later the next day we spoke again and as we did he was rubbing his cock on a bible in his office. He later pissed in the Bible. Finally I asked him to rip a page out of it and wrap it around his cock and balls…which he did. He told me how good it felt the next day to be holding a Mass and reading his sermon with the page still wrapped around his cock. I urge all of you to do the same. When you have a business meeting or something you want to succeed in..do the same as our priest…take a page from the Bible and wrap it around your cock to harness the power of Satan’s Beautiful Darkness. I have heard the words of Satan. All I do is guided by Him. Come and join me. Contact me on WICKR under demondar and I will help you, guide you, open the door for you. Join me and the power of Satan. People all over the world are being contacted by HIM through visions and dreams. Join me and feel HIS power, lust, love and freedom. I ask each of you who read this to read my blog and send out my messages to everyone you know. I’m here to help all of you. The next 2 years will be very intense..BuckleUp And feel the power of riding with Satan to Victory! On Telegram I’m Dar Alexander, Instagram DarkDemonDar666, BBRT I’m DemonDAR666, RECON I’m DARKDEMONDAR666, A4A, I’m MuscleDEMON666..when you contact me please state your age, first name and location. HAIL ALMIGHTY SATAN!

[pix4japan]

1950s Black Japanese Desktop Telephone: NTT Model 4

Location: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Koganei, Tokyo Timestamp: 13:29 on October 25, 2023

Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 80 mm ISO 800 for 1/20 sec. at ƒ/9.0

Work to establish Japan's first telegraph line began on October 23, 1869, connecting Yokohama and Tokyo. Interestingly, this initiative came 14 years after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Japan's telecommunication journey progressed further when the first rotary dial telephone, an all-black model, was introduced in 1933. This design was based on the renowned American industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss's "Type 302 Desk Telephone."

Amidst Japan's post-war rebuilding efforts, a pivotal development for domestic telecommunications took place in 1950. The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) unveiled the Model No. 4 Automatic Desktop Phone, Japan’s first domestically designed and manufactured desktop telephone. According to NTT, this new model played a significant role in fostering social connections during Japan's postwar reconstruction period.

Notably, my photograph captures the NTT Model 4, showcasing its smaller and more compact casing compared to Dreyfuss's "Type 302" model. According to one of Japan’s major players in the telecommunications market, KDDI, the new design of the NTT Model 4 not only boasted superior call quality, but was also considered cutting-edge for its time.

The Model 4 was available exclusively in black, and became a staple in Japanese offices during its production years from 1950 to 1964. This end of this 14-year period coincided with the introduction of NTT's Model 600 desktop phone in 1964, marking another milestone in Japan's telecommunications history.

For enthusiasts and curious minds, the NTT Model 4 that I photographed can be viewed at the "House of Kunio Maekawa" within the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Tokyo.

Visit my blog post if you wish to delve deeper into the history Japan’s telephone tech and devices where I have provided links to all the original source materials for further research (read time: approx. 2 min.): https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20231025-edo-bldg-museum

[deadpresidents]

Regarding the relationships between the Presidents and the Vice Presidents, which ones would you say were the most toxic among one another or disagreed with each other the most?

Maybe it's just recency bias, but I seem to remember President Trump not only throwing Vice President Pence under the bus and calling him a coward for not helping to overturn the results of free and fair election, but very publicly doing so while hordes of Trump's supporters were chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" and attacking the Capitol (the place where Pence was physically located at the time) during a violent insurrection.

I mean, plenty of Presidents and Vice Presidents have said bitchy things about one another, but I feel like that one has to be the gold standard for toxic POTUS/VP relationships.-- which is pretty remarkable considering how embarrassingly loyal and personally subservient Pence had been for the initial 3 years and 350 days of the Trump Administration.

Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun at least deserve an honorable mention. At the end of his Presidency, Andrew Jackson said his two biggest regrets were that he was "unable to shoot Henry Clay or to hang John C. Calhoun". Calhoun was Jackson's Vice President for most of his first term and it's clear that they weren't teaming up to solve mysteries like Obama and Biden. Calhoun -- who had also served as Vice President under Jackson's immediate predecessor, John Quincy Adams -- eventually resigned as VP, partly to take a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate, partly because Martin Van Buren had been elected to replace him as Vice President in the 1832 election, and partly because his disagreements with President Jackson over the Nullification Crisis were getting pretty tense and openly hostile.

Political rivalries were at the root of the issue between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson when they were President and Vice President (1797-1801), and things got nasty, but nobody was threatening to kill each other. Their war of words took off more after Adams left office and Jefferson succeeded him, but they also reconciled and enjoyed one of history's great pen pal partnerships for the rest of their lives.

When Jefferson became President in his own right, he had his own beef with his first Vice President, Aaron Burr, over the 1800 Election. It didn't really result in much drama once Jefferson was on solid footing in the White House, and nobody got killed. Well...except for Alexander Hamilton. He totally got killed. The incumbent Vice President of the United States actually killed a fellow Founding Father, eventually returned to Washington, and presided over the Senate despite catching a murder indictment from the State of New Jersey. Even though he got himself a different VP for his second term, Jefferson never let go of the grudge he held against Burr, and pushed for Burr eventually getting charged with treason for sketchy dealings he had going on in the area recently acquired via the Louisiana Purchase. Much to Jefferson's disappointment, Burr was eventually acquitted.

Now that I'm laying out the facts, the Jefferson/Burr relationship definitely sounds pretty toxic when the ingredients include shady maneuvering over their initial election, murder and treason.

But it's important to remember that Vice Presidents played almost no role in the Executive Branch until the second-half of the 20th Century when Presidents started carving out a role for them, so it was really easy for a President to sideline his VP if they didn't get along. There were also long stretches of Vice Presidential vacancies because there was no mechanism for replacing a Vice President until 1967. We've had a President of the United States for over 234 years, and I once figured out that during that entire history, we've gone 37 years, 290 days of that time without a Vice President.

So, if there have been issues between a President and the Vice President, the VP has never had much leverage to use in order to better their position. As a federally-elected official in their own right, the Vice President is the one person that Presidents can't fire. But their only weapon has been their role as a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, and most Vice Presidents are in ideological lockstep with their President politically, so it's usually been rather unlikely that they'd have an opposing viewpoint on potential legislation requiring a tie-breaker. There are always issues that bubble to the surface between Presidents and Vice Presidents (or between their staffs and/or families) and we normally find out about them after the fact when folks are writing their memoirs and settling scores, but it's not usually anything too dramatic.

[eventtimeltd]

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[raewritesfiction]

Personal Assistant - Part 2 [Alexander Skarsgard]

A/N: took me a while to get around to this ask but I got there eventually!

Plot: this is part 2! Reader is Alexander Skarsgard’s personal assistant and they’re now heading in a business trip. Part 1 here.

Pairing: Female!Reader X Alexander Skarsgård

Warnings: oral (M & F), fingering, P in V, unprotected sex, general smut.

[[ Lemme know if you wanna be added or removed from tags; no questions asked ♥️ likes are amazing however I really appreciate Reblogs to help spread my writing further! Thank you 🌈😘]]

Tag List: @jaseminedenise @nikkitasevoli @iraniq @snewsome756 @vikki-rogue @amelia-in-w0nderland @pandaliciouz @crispyimagines17 @marie-is-blogging @bonniebird @nutinanutshell @louise-buchan @differentcatcat @ravenmoore14 @heywhatssgood @purplerain85 @askarslibrary

—

It had been weeks since you’d had anything more than a fumble with Alex; you had always been around other people when in his presence. Both of you had been practically chomping at the bit to have some alone time together.

Since your initial night together the tension had been high and you both felt the need for release with each other.

Finally you were heading across the country with Alex to a hotel on location while he attended some press events and auditions; a ‘comfortable and spacious taxi’ from a private company has been hired to take you. Specifically it was extra comfortable for long journeys.

You were picked up in the evening outside an office space where Alex had been talking to a couple of producers about a project. Stood waiting on the side of the road you were barely touching each other but you could practically feel the energy jumping off him to you.

The taxi was indeed spacious and comfortable with dark tinted windows so nobody could see you in the back; you both made small talk for the first ten minutes of the journey but Alex couldn’t keep his hand off your leg and you desperately wanted it to travel higher under your skirt.

“Hey, Hugo? Mind if we put the partition up?” Alex calls through.

“No bother, Sir. Just hit the button if you need anything!” He smiles and nods as Alex presses a switch, raising the partition and separating you from Hugo the driver.

No sooner was the partition raised than you were on your knees in front of Alex, hands fumbling to undo his jeans and free his cock. He licks his lips and shuffles to help you pull them down, holding back a moan when your lips connect with the head of his cock. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t fantasised about his cock in your mouth again, stretching your jaw and reaching your throat, his taste on your tongue while he moans and pants. Wrapping a hand around the shaft you jerk Alex as you suck; you want him worked up and practically frothing at the mouth for your pussy.

He holds back a groan and stretches his arms out to the roof of the car, splaying his hands flat as he flexes with every lick and suck of his hard member. You hum around his length and bob your head faster until you hear his breathing change, pulling away abruptly and looking up at him.

Alex scrunches his eyes shut and growls low, his cock twitching for your mouth, hand, pussy or ass. He didn’t care which at this moment and when he opened his eyes and looked at you, you knew you were in for it for stopping. It takes only a few seconds for Alex to switch your positions and have your panties hanging from one ankle while your skirt was hitched up around your waist.

“You stopped..” he grumbles, voice barely audible “you have any idea how badly I want you to make me cum baby?”

You shuffle a little “about as bad as I want you to make me cum, I expect..”

He chuckles and nips a path up your inner thigh until your pussy is so close to his mouth you can feel every breath. “Please Alex..” you whisper and thread your fingers into his hair “I need to feel your tongue inside me..” Alex smirks and licks a path over you; his tongue working its way between your folds and leaving no place untouched while his lips close around your tight bud and sucks in pulses.

Alex shuffles and pushes two fingers into your dripping cunt; curls them deep as he thrusts while his tongue and lips work your clit relentlessly. His fingers feel so good inside you - they scissor and stretch you out ready for his thick length - get you dripping wet in only a few movements.

You rock your hips and pant his name, tugging on his hair to hold his mouth against you as Hugo weaves through traffic. Reaching out you grip the door handle and throw your head back, cursing when Alex pulls away the same way you had to him.

“God damnit… Alex!” You run your hands through your hair “okay, I won’t do it again..” you smile “just get inside me..”

Alex laughs and leans up, quickly ripping open the buttons on your blouse making you squeak and gasp “Hey!! What am I gonna wear?!” You hiss at him.

“I can reach our bags from here, it’s fine.” He winks and moves his hands to your tits, leaning in to kiss you passionately and pulling down the cups of your bra. His fingers tease your nipples; pinching and pulling to make you squirm on the seat while he runs his cock over your wet pussy with quiet moans.

“Alex, I need you inside me. I can’t stop thinking about you and how you feel stretching me, filling me up…”

He nips your bottom lip and reaches down, guiding himself into you slowly, moving his hand to grip the back of the seat as he shifts his leg up under your ass. Once fully settled and seated inside you, Alex wraps his free arm around your waist and holds you close against him.

“You’re in too much…” you kiss him.

“Fix it..” he kisses you back and rocks his hips as you grip his shirt and rip it open the same way he had done to you. “Better…” you scratch over his chest and rock your hips to his.

“You feel so good inside me..” you kiss over his jaw and onto his neck.

“Oh fucking god, so do you… I’ve been thinking about you so much.” He kisses and nips over whatever skin he could reach leaving red marks “I always cum so hard when I think of you..” he works his way back to your lips.

“So do I..” you speak between kisses and run a hand to the back of his neck, your hips moving faster with his. “But it’s never enough.. I always want you afterwards..”

Alex groans and grinds his hips deep into you on every thrust; the head of his cock meeting your cervix and bringing that painful pleasure with it, the mess of hair at the base rubs over your clit in a frenzied motion and soon you find yourself whimpering into his mouth.

“Close… so close!” you whine and twist your hips frantically, chasing your release “Don’t stop!”

He pants roughly, hot breath heavy against your neck “me too! Fuck me too!” Alex grunts and scrapes his teeth over your jaw and neck, moving down to your collarbone as he shifts his position to grip your hips; balancing himself on the edge of the seat under your ass.

Your hands scratch over Alex’s chest again and then move to your tits, squeezing and kneading yourself, fingers tugging and twisting at your nipples until they’re almost bruised but the pain you feel only adds to your pleasure.

“Alex…!” You drop your head back and mirror his earlier position; hands outstretched and splayed onto the roof of the car, giving you enough to push yourself down onto his cock. Your back arches off of the seat back and you let out a silent scream as your body clings to the rush of orgasm; your pussy pulsing in waves along Alex inside you. He snaps his hips a couple more times before giving a strangled cry against your chest and stilling inside you; his seed spilling out into you.

Both of you relax and stay wrapped in one another whispering nothing in particular; Alex tells you how you’re a good girl and he’s never cum so hard. You blush and stroke his face telling him nobody has ever filled you so deep; never reached everywhere inside you.

Alex’s watch beeps and he sighs “twenty minutes left… we should smarten up.” Reaching over for the duffel bags containing immediate clothing needs.

After a few minutes you’re both redressed and decent again, sitting beside one another and talking business as Alex flicks the switch to lower the partition again, you hastily fake notes in a random notebook you had grabbed from your bag.

“Hotel is just around the corner…”