#And then goes on to fight his dad’s assistant to stop his contributions to the military industrial complex

[thepeanutbutterwizard]

Ninjago/Avatar au Pt6

The second half of Book 2 (hopefully)

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)

So Garm finally reads the letter from Wu. It starts off as a normal pseudo-journal entry, but after it mentions finding the Garms old armor, but no body, it turns into more of a normal letter. Wu says that he’s missed his brother since he was banished, and that he hopes that they’ll be able to see eachother again soon if Garm is alive, and ends with Wu saying that he normally burns the letters he writes to Garm, so that no-one else finds them, but that he feels hopeful that this one could actually get to him. It’s touching stuff.

Lloyd picks up earthbending almost immediately, unlike Aang. The element Lloyd is going to struggle to learn is fire (if you don’t count his airbending being self-taught. He picked up airbending really, really fast, but bc he’s been making stuff up and trying to do what Maya did with her waterbending [Maya’s had decades to hone her style tho, not just three-ish years, but he’s like someone learning ballet only from YouTube, for only a couple of months] since there are no more airbenders [or so they think, bc none of them saw Morro airbend at the North Pole]), and I’ll get into why that is when it comes up. They haven’t had Garm start to teach Lloyd any firebending bc they’re trying to go in the order as much as they can, but Garm has finally convinced Kai to learn more than just the basics, and he picks it up really quickly.

Meanwhile, Morro is taking care of an injured Wu (and accidentally making him suffer through poorly-made tea). Now, Morro is onboard with Wu wanting to leave the Fire Nation behind; unlike Zuko, Morro isn’t trying to win back the favor of some distant parent, the only family he’s ever known is Wu, and he’s not about to abandon Wu for a bunch of people who would probably kill him as soon as they could no matter what he did for them, and Harumi made it clear that no-one in the Fire Nation is going to be extending them any mercy.

Once Wu wakes up, Morro does yell at him for doing something as stupid as taking a hit from a well-trained firebender to protect a stranger (Wu hadn’t gotten around to telling Morro ‘hey, you know that guy with the big burn scar who’s traveling with the Avatar? That’s my dead-but-not-really-dead older brother. Pls stop trying to stab him’, and Morro wasn’t there when Garm revealed his identity in the North Pole), until Wu tells him that Garm is his brother. This leads to Morro yelling out ‘You mean to tell me that the Avatar is my cousin?!?!’ And that how Wu learns that Lloyd is Garms son (’wait, what?’ ‘Have you really gone this long without noticing that the Avatar calls your brother his dad?’ ‘I’ve had a lot on my mind, give me a break!’), and now he thinks that Garm and Maya are married with three kids, one of whom is the Avatar.

They make their way to Ba Sing Se, with the help of the White Lotus. Wu isn’t the leader of them (he isn’t super old in this au, imagine what he looked like in S9, with the mustache), but he is a fairly respected member. I still haven’t come up with a Jet character who would work, and I am open to suggestions. If I do find a good character, they will definitely throw hands with Morro (mb Shade? Just cut out the romance subplot in S1 and pick a couple of EM’s to be the other freedom fighters?). And yes, Wu does get his tea shop in the upper ring (Steep Wisdom), and Morro tries to be happy and supportive, but even though he is fine leaving the Fire Nation with Wu, it does still feel like he wasted years of his life, both in chasing the Avatar and just trying to prove himself to everyone back in the Palace, so he’s pretty grumpy.

Now back to Team Avatar: at Maya and Garms insistence the kids have been picking out their little mini-vacations. They know that they only have a limited amount of time before the comet arrives, but Garm and Maya want these kids to be able to be, y’know, kids, at least a little bit, in spite of the fact that they’re growing up in a war-torn world. Kai want’s to check out that glacier-spring place by the desert, it’s kinda underwhelming, but they get fruity drinks out of it. This whole time Kai and Cole have been getting closer to each other. Kai feels a little guilty, like he’s betraying Zane’s memory, but talking to Maya and Garm about it does help him start to feel better, and it helps his over-protectiveness start to abate a little.

Jay wants to pick a really cool mini-vacation to impress Nya, and he asks the people who are in the glacier place if there’s any place around those parts, and ends up learning that about a year ago some lady showed up saying something about a huge spirit library in the desert that she was looking for. They never saw her again after that, and figure that she must have died out in the desert. When pressed (and payed) one of the artistically inclined staff members roughly recreated the sketch of the library, and vaguely remembered the area on the map she said she was going to search, and with that Jay has his mini-vacation picked out.

They set off and find the library. Cole chooses to stay outside with Ultra (who can’t fit inside) bc he thinks they’ll be safer if the only earthbender stays outside incase something goes wrong, and if they need to get out of there fast he’d only slow them down with his legs. Everybody else heads into the library and meet Wan Chi Tong (did I spell that right? I’m too lazy to check), who agrees to let them use the library if they 1) don’t intend to use the contents of the library against anyone else and 2) contribute something to his library.

Lloyd and Nya both use their wanted posters (they both thought they were awesome [Lloyd bc he’s 13 and Nya bc you can’t convince me that Nya wouldn’t be thrilled to have a wanted poster bc she’s been fucking with a tyrannical regime] and incredibly accurate considering the art had to have been done by someone using other people’s descriptions, and they totally intend on framing and hanging at least a few of their posters up in their rooms when all this is over), Kai has a copy of a poem that Zane wrote for him, Garm has his brothers letter (he doesn’t want to give it up, but he has nothing else), Jay has a blueprint from one of his inventions, and Maya has a copy of a story in a series that Koko had brought back to the South Pole over the years. Wan Chi Tong comments that about a year ago a researcher had arrived and had offered him another part of the the same series. He mentions that they should be careful, as she never left, and has been primarily researching the Avatar.

Everyone has an idea of who this mysterious researcher could be (except Jay), but they decide to be cautious all the same, just incase she isn’t who they think she is. They all start discreetly searching for anything that could be used to help them fight the Fire Nation, and they end up finding and empty placard saying something about ‘the Darkest Day in Fire Nation History’, but when they go to check part of the section on Fire Nation (that library was enormous, y’all cannot tell me that Zhao was able to destroy absolutely everything that the library had on the Fire Nation. It could only have been the last few decades/mb centuries of Fire Nation history), as well as a campsite that was full of scrolls having to do with the Avatar and different bending techniques (and a few misc scrolls about random things like cooking, engineering, etc). As they’re poking around the campsite, who else comes around the corner but Koko!

She has her nose buried in a scroll as she’s walking, so she doesn’t notice them all until Lloyd happily calls out ‘Mom!’, and goes in for a hug. Koko drops the scroll and has a happy reunion with her son and husband, as well as with Maya, Kai, and Nya, and she and Jay are introduced to each other. Koko explains that she’s been able to stay in the library so long was bc she managed to get the fox assistants to like her enough to start bringing her food and water. She also explains that she’s been doing nonstop research into the Avatar State, the Air Nomads and airbending, and the Fire Nation (though she’s really quiet about that part so they don’t catch Wan Chi Tongs attention and ire) and shows them that planetarium thing and that she discovered the eclipse. (How did she make it out to the library without a flying companion or something? SHe’s just that much of a badass.)

Koko had been saving up supplies and charting a course out of the desert, and planning to leave the library as soon as she could, but now that they’ve showed up with Ultra she can just grab her things and go. Someone, probably Jay, gets a little too vocal about how they have a chance to beat the Fire Nation, and cue Wan Chi Tong sinking the library and trying to add them to his ‘collection of specimen’. Garm and Koko are a dynamic duo, with Garm distraction the angry spirit while Koko gathers all of her scrolls and supplies together while Maya gets the kids to the exit.

Meanwhile, Cole is holding up the library, and trying to help Ultra fend off the sandbenders that showed up to capture and sell the dragon. Cole is able to put up a bit more of a fight than Toph was (meaning that he was able to get one or two good hits in) bc being in the desert doesn’t impair his vision (the sand does tank his mobility just as much as it would anyone with prosthetic legs tho), but he isn’t able to stop them or even hold them off long enough for everyone else to get out. Cole, despite being initially afraid of the large dragon, had quickly grown to be one of Ultras favorite people in their group (like, third favorite. Kai will never admit that he’s jealous), and is pretty upset that he wasn’t able to save him. More on Ultra later.

So Lloyd is really upset about losing his companion, just as much as Aang was. He doesn’t act out (for lack of a better word) as intensely as Aang, since Ultra wasn’t the last thing he had left of his people like Appa was for Aang, but Lloyd is still rightfully pissed off. He takes off shakily on his glider, leaving everyone behind before trying to search for Ultra and the sandbenders, ignoring his families protests. Koko starts working on getting them out of the desert using the route she had plotted out (using the sun and shadows to orient them and get started in the right direction), and starts planing out how long her food and water (she had the good sense to bring those from the library) will last between all of them. The answer is: not long enough.

Kai (and mb Jay too) is the one who has the bright idea to drink the cactus juice, bc while Kai, like Sokka, (and Jay tbh) is smart enough to know that drinking a strange liquid out of an unfamiliar plant is a bad idea,but the fact that it is a stupid idea doesn’t stop him. Wait, y’know what? Jay definitely tries the cactus juice, but instead of acting as out-of-it and inebriated as Kai does, he acts like he does in S9, weirdly chill and disconnected from reality. He’s still tripping balls, but he’s reacting to it differently from Kai. Cole just ends up carrying Kai piggy-back, even though the sand makes it harder for him to move (he’s crushing, and he’s the only one [adults included] whose physically strong enough to carry him for long periods of time) (also Kai awkwardly and drunkenly flirts with him. Everyone pretends not to notice for Coles sake) and everyone else takes turns holding onto Jays wrist and leading him through the desert or else he would have wandered off and died.

Lloyd gets back to them, landing hard in the sand, holding back tears bc even though he’s upset and could use a good cry he knows that they need to conserve as much water as they can. He’s got his family there to comfort him (even if Kai and Jay are kinda incapacitated atm), which does help him a bit, but he’s still rightfully upset. They find the abandoned sandbender skipper thing, find the vulturewasp hive, and come across the sandbenders. Cole is able to pinpoint the sandbender (no idea who this guy would be, Ninjago character wise) who lead the others to take Ultra via his voice bc Cole a) was trained in a myriad of performing arts thanks to his father, primarily singing b) has perfect pitch and c) never forgets a voice bc of that.

Lloyd goes full Avatar State, but is comforted and calmed down by his parents while everyone else books it. The sandbenders tell them that they sold Ultra to some guys who were going to take him to Ba Sing Se, and then they take them out of the desert (with the sandbenders getting the Death Glare from all of Team Avatar the whole way. Koko totally punches the sandbender who lead the others to steal Ultra once they’re out of the desert.)

They make their way to Ba Sing Se on foot, with Lloyd trying to get a handle on his emotions (and worrying everyone in the process), and they run into a family with an expecting mother/wife (I am also taking suggestions for who these characters could be. I’m pretty tired while typing this so I can’t think of anyone) and try and get on a ferry to Ba Sing Se. Cole, whose father is well known and wealthy, uses that fact, his double amputee status (he ‘accidentally’ slips out of one of his prosthetics. Kai catches him before he hits the ground), and his acting skills to get them tickets without passports.

And we get best girl Pixal back! She helps Team Avatar help the pregnant family go through the Serpents Pass, and it goes pretty similar to cannon, except instead of a situation where Sokka is overprotective of Suki, Jay picks up on how much Pixal likes Nya, and sees that Nya, his crush, reciprocates those feelings, and gets a bit passive-aggressive w/everyone, but Pixal especially. It doesn’t last long, bc Jay is a hormonal teenager who realizes he’s being a dick fairly quickly, but it does help fizzle his crush on Nya a bit (sorry again to any hardcore Jaya shippers who were hoping for that in this au, but it’s really not my cup of tea).

They also help deliver the couples baby, but Maya and Koko are the ones helping take care of that. Team Avatar get to the outer wall, just to see a huge Fire Nation drill heading closer and closer to the wall, ready to start tearing through it...

[bubblytarts]

What about the rivals and friends in the Emissary Au? What are their stories?

Anon you’ve made me very happy for asking about my au *simp eyes emoji*

And oops, it has a lot of characters in it. Hope you don’t mind this going under the cut!

The stories and goals of protagonists, rivals, and other friends:

Red - As stated in a previous post, Red wants to go on a journey through the Kanto region. He would like to be friends with both Blue and Green, but they both seem to be fighting off his advances. While he originally elects to ignore Team Rocket, he can’t stand by once they start hurting Pokemon. (His starter is Charmander)

Blue - Blue wants to prove to his Gramps that he can be the strongest trainer ever. He and Red used to be friends, but Blue’s bluntness pushed the two of them apart. He sees Red as the only obstacle between him and greatness. Not so fun fact is that his greatest fear is ghosts - including ghost types. (His starter is Squirtle)

Green - Taking inspiration from pokespe, Green is a thief. She knows it’s wrong to steal, but doesn’t mind doing it in order to keep her head above water. She makes off with the last starter from Oak’s lab, and later runs into Red and Blue when she steals from them. While she seems open to being friends with Red, Blue gets on her nerves. (Her starter is Bulbasaur)

Ethan - Ethan wants to become the strongest trainer who ever lived. His goal is to beat Lance and become Champion, and then challenge Kanto after that. He gets caught up in Team Rocket not because of justice, but because Proton criticizes his battle skills. (His starter is Cyndaquil)

Lyra - Lyra originally just follows Ethan to help get an egg for Professor Elm, but then sticks with Ethan in order to raise Togepi herself and also to make sure Ethan doesn’t get himself killed. She ends up getting separated from Ethan and Silver when she decides to help Eusine hunt for Suicune, which rapidly goes wrong. (Her starter is Chikorita)

Silver - Silver, like Green, steals his starter. His goal is to stop Team Rocket at any cost. He reluctantly teams up with Ethan and Lyra at the Goldenrod Radio Tower, and gets dragged along. He’s reluctant to become Ethan’s friend, but even more reluctant to tell him why he hates Team Rocket so much. Silver also hates how Ethan has absolutely zero strategy in battle, and it gets them into many arguments. (His starter is Totodile)

Brendan - Brendan originally starts challenging the gyms to prove to his dad that’s he’s strong. But as time passes, Brendan realizes that Hoenn isn’t perfect, and through talking with Steven, decides that he’s going to become champion so he can make the world a better place for both people and pokemon. He also primarily fights Team Magma, and in the Battle of Sootopolis, fights with Maxie. (His starter is Treeko)

May - May is Birch’s daughter, and immediately inserts herself as Brendan’s new best friend. She travels with Brendan because Birch can’t handle her raw, chaotic energy. May has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up, but she’s okay with that. She’s more about enjoying the experience. In the Battle of Sootopolis, she fights with Archie, which is a much more dangerous fight than Brendan’s fight with Maxie. (Her starter is Mudkip)

Lucas - Lucas is Rowan’s assistant. He’s a bit uptight, and doesn’t appreciate Dawn and Barry’s antics. Originally, he was sent on a fetch quest by Rowan and Dawn’s mother to find her after she ran away from home, but then decides to play tour guide to help Dawn live her life the way she wants to. (His starter is Chimchar)

Dawn - Dawn’s mother is very rich, and very overprotective. Overprotective to the point that she’s having the family move to Kanto so Dawn can’t go on her journey around Sinnoh. So, she runs away from home with her friend Barry after stealing from Rowan on accident. Cynthia convinces her to actually try to make something of her journey, and Dawn gains a lot of confidence as she fights the gyms and Team Galactic. (Her starter is Piplup)

Barry - Barry convinces Dawn to run away from home. He wants to rush through all the gyms to get strong enough to fight his dad, but Dawn convinces him to slow down and enjoy the journey. According to his list of fines, Team Galactic should file for bankruptcy. (His starter is Turtwig)

Hilbert - He’s a genius. Hilbert is an excelling student, but has more of an interest in staying a kid than learning to be a businessman or politician. He goes on his journey with his twin sister, Hilda, and friends Cheren and Bianca. He’s also the first one of the group to trust N despite being the King of Team Plasma. Hilbert ends up becoming the champion of Unova, but ultimately meets a terrible fate. (His starter is Oshawott)

Hilda - If Hilbert’s the brains, Hilda’s the brawn. She’s very driven, and is striving to become an entrepreneur. But of what, she’s not sure yet. She also is very accepting of N, and realizes that he doesn’t quite realize how little power he has in his situation. After the defeat of Team Plasma when Hilbert goes missing, Hilda is the one to recruit Rosa and Nate to help find him. (Her starter is Tepig)

N - The King of Team Plasma. N asks the twins to join the team, and is slightly disappointed when they refuse, because they seem like nice people. That being said, N doesn’t get along very well with Cheren. Over time, he starts to realize that maybe Hilbert and Hilda are better people than his father. Once Hilbert goes missing, N goes into hiding to avoid being the next victim, all while searching for his best friend. 

Nate - Nate wants to be the new champion. Or at least, he thought he did. As Nate and his friend Rosa are forced to help Hilda fight off Neo Team Plasma, Nate realizes that battling isn’t really for him. Instead, he finds that he enjoys pretending to be someone else for stealth missions, and that translates afterwards to a love of acting. (His starter is Tepig)

Rosa - Rosa wanted a cute pokemon and to travel with her best friend. She didn’t mean to meet N, or later Hilda, or get caught up in Neo Team Plasma’s plot. But she finds that she’s a rather good leader. Plus, there’s Colress, who seems to be pulling the strings on the opposing side, yet doesn’t seem to believe in their goals himself. Rosa is the only one on her side to consider that Colress could be a hero if he tried - however, he disagrees. (Her starter is Snivy)

Calem - Calem has amnesia. That’s the problem with him trying to tell his story. Calem woke up passed out on the steps of Sycamore’s lab with Serena and Shauna staring at him. He accompanies them on their journey hoping that traveling Kalos will trigger his memories to return. All he remembers is that he needs to tell the professor something important. Maybe it has something to do with his irrational hatred for Team Flare. (His starter is Froakie)

Serena - Serena wants to be champion. She planned on traveling the region with her best friend, only to get two extra passengers. Calem, who is contributing nothing to her journey, and Victor, who wants to take photos of everyone but her. Over time though, Serena comes to appreciate both of them as her close group of friends - and Victor maybe more than friends. But Team Flare is awfully suspicious, and a passionate person like Serena isn’t going to let them get away with whatever they’re planning. (Her starter is Fennekin)

Shauna - Shauna, on the other hand, loves her new friends. She’s ready to make memories with Serena and the others, but is also one of the first to realize that maybe there’s a reason Calem showed up right when Team Flare really started to bother the region. (Her starter is Chespin)

Elio - Elio has always lived in Alola, and is thrilled to be hosting Selene for the summer. While they both start the Island Challenge, Elio quickly gets sidetracked by worrying about Team Skull and forming a rivalry at first sight with Gladion. Elio is much more interested in working under Nanu and getting him to arrest the gang members. He quickly realizes that won’t happen. (His starter is Litten)

Selene - Selene is Dawn’s younger sister. Dawn managed to stay in Sinnoh, but Selene was forced to move to Kanto. She convinced her mother to let her spend a summer in Alola with Elio and his mother, and then of course found a loophole with Kukui to go on her Island Challenge. Selene spends lots of time with Hau and Lillie, and also helps to convince Guzma that Lusamine is not going to provide him with the help she’s promising. (Her starter is Rowlett)

Victor - Victor actually makes his debut in Kalos. He’s a photographer trying to photograph famous people in the region, and follows the Kalos party in order to best find the gym leaders. Along the way, he falls in love with Serena, and when he heads back to Galar, she gives him a present that sets in motion the future. During his sister’s Gym Challenge, Rose recruits Victor to be his and Leon’s personal photographer, which puts Victor in incredible danger - even if Rose doesn’t realize quite how much power Victor brought from Kalos. 

Gloria - A feisty trainer ready to take on the Gym Challenge and Leon. She feels like something isn’t quite right in Galar, and willing to work with Sonia to figure it out, but not if it gets in the way of her training. Along the way, she becomes good friends with Marnie, and has a friendly rivalry with Bede. She may also have a slight crush on Hop, but that’s not her biggest worry. (Her starter is Sobble)

Hop - Hop has always wanted to challenge his brother, and doing it with Gloria by his side is perfect. However, as he continues to lose to his rival and fall behind, he loses confidence. It takes saving Leon and the world to make Hop believe in himself again. (His starter is Scorbunny)

In addition, there’s a little girl. She has a large straw hat and a Pikachu. She appears all across the regions, talking about things that have happened, and things that are yet to come. She seems kind, but perhaps she knows more than she lets on. If so, some terrible predictions may come to pass, but the return of old foes? That’s not possible, right?

[1kook]

rotten

‣Kim Namjoon x (F) Reader

summary⇁ How bold of him to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong, as if his presence alone doesn’t contribute to the distance your father places between the two of you. tags⇁enemies to lovers, strict but caring parents, daddy issues, bodyguard!au if u squint, mafia!au kinda, depictions of fight scenes, attempted molestation (nothing too traumatic), joon’s shady past that I don't even bother explaining lmao, teensy bit of angst, daddy kink, pillow talk, dry humping, unprotected sex, use of the pull-out method wc⇁12.3k !

this fic was....two moch..... also no i don't proofread I'm lazy :/ also ppl on mobile i swear theres a read more I'm srry

-

Despite your generally mild temper, nothing seemed to rile you up as much as the sight of Kim Namjoon on a Tuesday afternoon, easily breezing by the tight security that had been hassling you for over fifteen minutes now. He’d swept through the room like a spirit, not even a single eyelash batting his way, as they all seemed to be consumed with keeping you out of the bourgeoisie office that sat behind the rich mahogany doors.

Your father’s office, where he had explicitly warned you against visiting since you were a child, too busy to fret over you being in such an environment. Admittedly, it’s a concern many parents in his line of work have, but that doesn’t stop you from fighting tooth and limb every once and a while to come see him. He’d always been adamant that you stay away, desperately trying to isolate you from the terrors that usually came with his career in hopes of giving you the happy childhood you deserved. Despite how sheltered and spoiled he’d raised you, the curiosity that had first nestled its way into your brain as a kid never went away, which is how you find yourself stuck in this situation. 

Your eyes flicker over towards Kim Namjoon, casually glancing out the floor to ceiling glass panels that decorate the entire level of your dad’s building as he chomps on a donut, who is not technically the root of your strife, but someone who does play a pretty significant role in worsening your situation. 

He was your father’s prized protégé, a man not that much older than you, who had somehow been deemed worthy of being accepted into your very exclusive hierarchy, despite not having any blood connection to the family behind it. In fact, Kim Namjoon hadn’t had any sort of ties to anywhere when your father had first found him, so tragically young and broody after fighting in the underground (and winning) for the third night in a row. He was an oddity, everyone thought, because someone so smart and disgustingly handsome had no place among the heathens your father typically took under his wing. 

Unlike you, who strived everyday to finally be allowed into the family business, Kim Namjoon had easily slithered his stuck-up ass in, not necessarily becoming your father’s righthand man, but by the way your father treated him, he might as well have been. 

“Let me in,” you calmly breathe, the annoyance that had been caught in your throat doubling as you watch the fucker from the corner of your eye, his lean frame hugged tight by the custom pristine suit your father had gotten him for New Year’s. At your voice, his attention seems to finally snap in your direction, lips quietly munching through the donut as he analyzes your situation. 

Your can tell your father’s henchman are growing more and more anxious with every second you linger there, the strict orders from the boss weighing heavily down on them. Though you hadn’t inherited your father’s business—yet, you reminded yourself—you had certainly taken after his stubborn personality. “Sorry, Miss,” the absolute brute flounders, and the way he’s so gentle around you reminds you of the rampant sexism that goes on in this business, which only serves to fuel your anger. 

You’re about to spew off some degrading rhetoric about how people like him are only useful for their strength, when a smooth voice beats you to it. “Let her in,” Namjoon orders, and it takes everything in you not to jump when he suddenly appears beside you. Damn, he was good. 

Your jaw twitches as you watch him stare down the main guard, until the bigger man averts his gaze, stepping to the side. An awkward pause fills the room, and you should be grateful for Namjoon’s help, but instead, all you can think about is how you shouldn’t have to rely on him of all people for any type of assistance. 

He pushes the heavy door open, gesturing for you to step inside. You brush by without so much as a thanks, finally stepping foot inside your father’s office. Said man whirls around with a beaming smile on his face, one that is wiped off by the sight of you. Judging by the fact Kim Namjoon was lingering outside his office, you can more or less take a wild guess that your father was expecting him. 

“Sweetie,” your dad startles, jumping out of his leather seat as he rounds the desk on his charge to you. He grasps you by the arms, eyes analyzing over every part of your face for any signs of injury. “What are you doing here?” He interrogates once he’s completed his thorough inspection, eyes flickering back towards the door that Namjoon softly shuts. 

“I came to see you,” you say, voice meek and shy as you glance around the office you’ve so rarely visited before. You knew your father’s worries were justified, and the sheer terror that had consumed his face at the sight of you being in such a place fills you with both glee and guilt. 

Your father’s lips twitches upwards, only for a brief moment, before he’s schooling his features into the stoic expression he often wears around people he’s about to kill. You guess this is the same. “___, honey,” he exhales, stepping away from you as he adjusts his tie, “you know you’re not supposed to be here.”

Your mouth drop into a frown, and you try to protest. “I get it,” he cuts off, “and I’m flattered you want to visit me.” His words sound too formal and rehearsed, part of you wants to scream. “But you know you’re strictly banned from coming here alone.” 

Your lower lip trembles, because you’ve always naturally sought out your father before anyone else, a true princess from the get-go, and to see him push you away like this tears you apart. Before you can give some immature reply to defend yourself, someone else steps in for you. 

“If you don’t mind the interruption, sir,” Kim Namjoon says, face perfectly masked from any emotion as he carefully evaluates the situation in the same way your father does. Your father seems just as surprised as you to see him so calmly butt into your very intimate conversation, except he watches Kim Namjoon in awe. On the other hand, all you see is red. 

How bold of him to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong, as if his presence alone doesn’t contribute to the distance your father places between the two of you. He probably sees Namjoon as an adopted son, you presume, one he’s always wanted because he’s a thousand times more willing to thrust a boy into the mess that are his work affairs, than to teach his daughter the ways. 

You’re so caught up in your mental tirade against Kim Namjoon that you almost don't catch his next words. 

“I would not be opposed to escorting Miss ____ between your office and home,” he offers, and you completely gawk at his sudden charity. “Of course, only if you would like me to, sir.” You absolutely would not like him to!

You father, on the other hand, absolutely beams at Namjoon’s proposition, completely impressed by such a noble offering made by his star pupil. His detached expression shifts into an array of emotions, first impressed by Namjoon, before turning to send a softer, fonder gaze your way. 

“That won’t be necess-”

“I can always count on you, my boy!” Your father praises, slapping one arm down on Namjoon’s bicep, as the other lurches forward to profusely shake his hand. You don’t doubt this is a regular routine he has stored for whenever Namjoon does anything notable. 

His attention soon lands on you, and you’re surprised when he lunges forward to grasp your hands in his, eyes excited in a way you’ve never seen before. “Isn’t that perfect, sweetie? This way, you can come spend time with me without the possibility of danger!” 

Truthfully, you know Kim Namjoon’s offer is probably going to save the rocky relationship between you and your father. Namjoon wasn’t your father’s protégé for no reason; he was possibly the strongest fighter your faction had seen in years, though his strength lied beyond his physical capabilities. He was disturbingly intelligent, his ‘street smarts’ extending into professional education as well, both of which became valuable assets applicable to any situation he may encounter. 

But the same irritation builds in the back of your throat, so sick and tired of others babying you when you don’t need it. You’re perfectly capable of traveling between here and your house on your own. Screw some glorified bodyguard. 

You purse your lips in the most genuine smile you can muster, and huff out an overly cheery, “yup!”

You’d taken the train to come see your father, forgoing the option of one of your many personal driver’s because you knew they’d all refuse to bring you here. However, your father is quick to put Namjoon’s newest task in motion, ushering the two of you out of his office before you can hammer out any details of what exactly this new arrangement will entail. 

Kim Namjoon is as mysterious as ever as he leads you towards the elevator, waiting for you to step in first, before sending the two of you into the underground garage parking. You refuse to break the ice inside the elevator, instead taking in his stern reflection on the elevator’s mirrored panels. 

Ugh. 

He’s unfairly handsome, silvery locks casually brushed aside to perfectly frame the curves of his face. His skin looks pillowy soft, and had you not had a raging hatred for him harbored inside your chest, you would’ve stuttered at the pink tongue that peeks out to glide over his plump lips. 

The elevator dings and you follow him across the garage until you reach a sleek Mercedes coupe, the lights automatically flashing on as you step closer to it. Before you can make a move, Namjoon opens the back door, stepping aside to allow you in. You roll your eyes, huffing your way inside the seat as you watch him round the car and settle into the driver’s seat. 

As you’re tugging on your seatbelt, his silky voice fills the car. “Which home am I escorting you to today, miss?”

You grit your teeth, pushing the buckle into place with more force than necessary. “My apartment uptown,” you mutter, petulantly crossing your arms over your chest. 

For a moment, you catch his brows furrowing in confusion, as he chooses his next words carefully. “You do not wish to be taken to the family home in the suburbs?” He asks, and you roll your eyes at the way he manages to sound just as composed. 

“No, I have things to do tonight,” you frown, tugging your phone out to confirm the evening’s plans with your girlfriends. You’re immediately met with a slew of gleeful texts, which you take the time to respond to as Namjoon pulls out of the parking lot. He’s silent for the remainder of the car ride, save for when he asks you for your address. You wrinkle your nose in annoyance as you begrudgingly give it to him, before your attention returns to your buzzing device. 

You’d been planning on going out to celebrate your friend’s recent promotion at work, giddy at the thought of finally seeing all your friends for the first time in a few weeks. The plan was to head to the exclusive club downtown, in an area your father had strictly forbade you from visiting. But the rumors were too much for you to ignore, and you finally gave in to your friends’ invitations. 

Namjoon pulls up in front of your tall building, though he doesn’t immediately unlock the door for you to get out. He doesn't turn to face you as he informs you, “your father would like for you to visit at least once a week, and had requested that you notify me of any visits at least one day prior.”

You scoff, and tug the handle for him to let you out. 

However, it seems Namjoon has more to say. “He is also aware of your plans to sneak into a club on the south side tonight.” Your breath catches in your throat, and you whirl around to catch his steely gaze through the rearview mirror. “He says you are not allowed to go, but,” Namjoon says, and his monotonous tone of voice makes you want to punch him in that beautiful face of his. “If you do decide to go against his rules, just know that there are people there who do not take too kindly to our family, and would not hesitate to let you know as much.”

The door clicks in the background, and you waste no time throwing it open. You glare back at him once more. “You are not part of my family,” you spit.

“Damn!” Jisoo wolf whistles as she watches you step out of the apartment building Namjoon had dropped you off at not even five hours ago. You ignore your friend’s obnoxious catcalls as you hop into the backseat of Sojin’s car, immediately bombarded by the rest of your goofy friends’ exclamations. 

“You guys are annoying,” you laugh, buckling your seatbelt just as Sojin speeds off, ignoring the honks from cars around her. “How are we getting in?” You inquire, skipping over any formalities. 

Jisoo shrugs, toying with the radio before finally settling on a station she approves of. “Mm, I haven't thought of it yet,” she casually says, and your eyes pop out of their sockets. She knew how nervous to were about tonight, especially since your father had first warned you against going anywhere near this particular district. You’d been hoping she’d made some plans for the group of you to get in. 

“Jisoo, don't be mean” Sojin scolds, seemingly set on going as fast as she can without catching the attention of any late night police. “You know how ____’s dad is.”

You’re thankful someone understands, and Jisoo eventually relents, informing you all that she has some connections to the owners of the club, and that you would all be guaranteed access inside. You can finally breathe easy, settling into the backseat conversation as Jisoo continues pestering Sojin; you have no doubt in your mind that she had her own little pregame while getting ready. 

It’s not long before the car pulls up in front of the club, you and your girls stepping onto unknown territory for the first time. Or, at least, your first time. The exhilaration that comes with disobeying your father’s rules (real rules, not like the stupid don’t come see me rules) makes you vibrate in place, so giddy and excited that you almost stumble over the curb upon stepping out. 

“Chill out,” Sojin laughs, pushing you in the direction of the entrance line, before Jisoo guides you off path, towards where two mammoth bouncers check IDs. You don’t have to worry about any of that, Jisoo simply flashing the two men an innocent smile as they let your group shuffle inside. 

The moment the door swings open, you’re hit with the overwhelming aura that comes with almost every nightclub. The same old vulgar vibe that you’ve been mingling with since you’d first become an adult, the raunchy music a familiar tune as you pushed your way through the packed bodies, gliding and pushing against each other. 

Despite the pounding acoustics, you don’t miss the low whistle Jisoo lets out as she files closely behind you, dainty fingers gripping your arm. “Check that out,” she shouts, dragging one arm up to point at an absolutely gorgeous man sitting at the bar. He’s stunning, you think, and by the looks of it, everyone else seems to think so as well. His dark hair is fanned over his forehead, brushing over his brows as his eyes scan carefully across the dance floor. For a moment, you think they might’ve landed on you, but judging by the sultry chuckle you hear in your ear, you know the inviting grin he flashes is for the pretty girl behind you. “Well don’t mind if I do,” Jisoo mumbles, slowly slipping away from you to saunter over towards the beautiful man at the bar. 

Her departure leaves you by your lonesome, you realize, your friends immediately separating to find their own fun for their night. Just as you resign yourself to babysitting duty (which you don’t really mind), there’s a soft graze against your elbow, making you jump. 

“Smells like weed in here,” Mina huffs, button nose wrinkling as she seems to root herself in place beside you. You snort, mindlessly wandering towards the opposite end of the bar as you continue mingling with your friend. “You know, I think my expectations for this place where a little too high,” she sighs, swirling whatever drink she’d ordered in her cup sadly. 

“Why? I think it’s nice,” you comment, flagging down the bartender to ask for a stronger drink. You listen to her as she goes on to complain about the club, citing her past experiences in better places to prove her point. You can sort of understand her, her disinterest slowly convincing you that you too have seen better clubs, her arguments becoming more and more convincing with every drink she throws back, you slowly following her example. 

Just as she’s whining about the terrible music, her words are suddenly cut short. “Holy fuck,” she gasps, and your eyes follow her gaze, struggling to see whatever has managed to cut your usually chatterbox of a friend off, but all you see are the obnoxiously flashy strobe lights in your eyes. 

“What is it?” You ask, squinting into the far side of the club, near the VIP booths, but all you see are people you don’t recognize. 

“___,” she whines, doe eyes clouding over with want as she seems to have zeroed in on what is probably her dream man. Suddenly, she snaps to attention, determined eyes locking on yours. “I need to suck his dick.”

Your splutter, hand almost knocking down your drink as she tugs you out of your seat and towards whoever her mystery man might be. “This is a you thing!” You hiss, trying to pull out of her grasp, but the power of a tiny drunk girl seems ridiculously Hulk-like. 

“So? What if he likes you?” Your eyes widen. “I would never live with myself if I deprived you of such a fine dick.”

“You don’t even know him! I can’t even see him!” You screech, a sudden lull in the music making your words seem too loud inside the club. Your cheeks flame, though a part of you knows no one is paying you any attention. “Mina,” you whine, shaking her hand off of you to no luck. 

She shushes you, and you can finally begin to see the outline of a man as you near the VIP area, the back of a pale head of hair being your apparent target. You huff when Mina finally manages to come to a stop, immediately ripping your hand out of hers. You look every bit the fussy child as you cross your arms over your chest while Mina makes introductions. 

“Hi,” she giggles, morphing into the classic erotic succubus as she bends over the back of the couch the man sat on. “I’m Mina, and this is my friend-” you roll your eyes, refusing to look at the gag-worthy exchange, “-and we were hoping you’d let us sit on your cock tonight?”

You choke, whirling around with flaming cheeks and wide eyes, frantically trying to rip a drunk Mina away before she can embarrass the two of you even further. “Mina!” You scold in horror, tugging her away from where she’d been lounging across the back of the couch, desperate to ignore the man she’d been flirting with, until the back of your mind registers a very familiar presence. 

“Miss ___,” a deep voice says, and you flinch, blood running cold as you whip your head to catch sight of the same chocolatey eyes that had stared you down through the rearview mirror that afternoon. 

Every alarm goes off in your head as you recall Kim Namjoon’s warning, reprimanding yourself for not heeding his words as you stare into his emotionless gaze. “Namjoon,” you flounder, and Mina’s squeals fade into the background as your cheeks flush crimson from being caught in such an uncomfortable position. 

His attention briefly breaks away to glance at Mina’s intoxicated being half hanging off of you, half sending him the horniest gaze he’s ever seen. He levels you the most Mona Lisa-esque look, and, just like the painting, you’re unsure if he’s amused or disgusted. 

Slowly, he rises from the couch, body clad in an entirely black suit with a matching black button up beneath it. His full height towers over you, despite the heels you’d donned, and you feel small and insignificant under his gaze. He eyes flicker to the couch, and you get the hint, slowly settling down your inebriated friend before turning back to him. 

“I warned you, Miss ___,” he says, shoving his lithe fingers deep into his pockets. 

Though you’d initially been frazzled by his presence, his condescending tone of voice makes something snap inside of you, your vision melting into red as you step into his space, jabbing a finger into his chest, briefly catching a whiff of his cologne. 

“Fuck off,” you seethe, and though you have to crane your head to look him in the eye, your anger does not fade away. “I don’t give a fuck off about what you said, Kim Namjoon. And I don’t give a fuck about what my father has to say about this. As a matter of fact, fuck you and fuck hi-”

Namjoon snatches your palm away from his chest, completely dwarfing it with his own as he tugs you closer to him, steely gaze on yours. “Your father has no idea you are here,” he exhales, the close proximity and the seclusion of the VIP area making it almost unnecessary for him to raise his voice above a murmur. “As far as he knows, you’re safely tucked away in bed right now, Miss ___.”

Your insides are still boiling, but you cannot deny the confusion that washes over you from his response. You’d assumed Namjoon would rat you out the moment you got into Sojin’s car. He was your father’s favorite underling, and, accordingly, his loyalty to your father was unmatched. The fact he had come to retrieve you without so much as notifying your father of your disobedience came as a shock. 

Before you can get more lost in your befuddled thoughts you push him away from you, shaking his grip off of you with disgust. He seems unfazed as he watches you fume, your friend almost forgotten. He looks away from you for a second, eyes meeting Mina’s, before she’s suddenly getting up to scamper in the direction of the dance floor. 

“Mina!” You call, turning to trail her, but Kim Namjoon stops you with a tight grip on your forearm. 

“Miss ___,” he says, voice uncomfortably close, and you can faintly feel his broad form hovering less than a few centimeters behind you. Your breath catches in your throat, his deep timbre enveloping every inch of you. “I suggest you return home before someone else discovers of your disappearance.”

You huff, his unwanted advice pushing you out of whatever trance his presence had trapped you in, and you pull out of his hold for the second time. You face him, trying to hide your breathlessness as you fix him with the most furious expression you can muster. 

Kim Namjoon seems as disinterested as ever, meeting your angry gaze with his own. You’re in a stare down then, crossing your arms over your chest to try and shield yourself from his scrutinizing eyes, which seem to be boring into the very core of your being as he waits for you to back down. 

Your heart thuds in your ears, every inch of you tight as you struggle to maintain your sturdy facade. But the longer you remain caught in his gaze, the more vulnerable you feel, desperate to conceal yourself from him and his bored expression. Eventually you’re snapping your gaze away, cheeks blazing at the immature loss. “Where’s the car?” You mutter, refusing to look at him again. 

Had he not already melted you down with his eyes alone, the soft brush against the small of your back wouldn’t have made you jump as much as it did. You let him guide you towards the club’s exit, making a mental note to make up some excuse for your friends, and hoping they hadn’t seen you leave with Kim Namjoon of all people. God, that would’ve been embarrassing. 

Similar to the afternoon’s events, he tugs open the backseat door for you, even helping you stumble inside after watching you uneasily shuffle on your heels. The door falls shut behind you, the driver’s door swinging open not long after. 

You try to ignore him as best as you can, focusing your attention on informing your friend’s of your early departure with the smoothest lie you can conjure. Namjoon doesn’t seem to be feeling any sorrow for ruining your night, and for some reason, the embarrassment you’d felt earlier begins creeping into your bones for the second time. 

Mina’s shrill voice replays in your head, her vulgar words seemingly on loop. You briefly glance at Namjoon through the rearview mirror, grateful he hadn't said anything about Mina’s inappropriate behavior. You can feel the blood rush to your face, and you quickly avert your gaze out the window, the city’s scenery quickly flashing by in the form of blinding streetlights and concrete buildings. 

It’s not long before you draw closer to your towering apartment building, Namjoon’s voice finally filtering into the heavy silence for the first time. “Miss ___, please do not hesitate to call me the next time you wish to visit your father.” You roll your eyes, toying with your purse as you prepare to step out of the vehicle. 

He pulls to a stop in front of your building, and the doorman rushes forward to assist you out of the car. You’ve barely stepped one foot out onto the curb when Namjoon calls your name again. You turn back, catching his eyes in the same mirror you’d been viewing him through all day.

You’re surprised to see a rare twinkle in his eyes, as he says, “I hope your friend has better luck tonight.”

Before you can reprimand him for saying such a comment about Mina, the doorman is helping you out, and you’re left a bewildered mess on the sidewalk as he pulls off. 

If your father was going to treat you like a child, you were going to act like one. It was only right that you took absolute advantage of Kim Namjoon’s wishes to be an absolute kiss-up to your father, and both men had encouraged you to do as much anyway. 

After your first day with Kim Namjoon as your glorified chauffeur/bodyguard, you’d begun calling him for the most mundane of tasks. Truthfully, it was a childish streak inside of you that wanted to diminish the time he spent with your father. (And, maybe, you also wanted to see another glimpse of emotion on that ridiculously gorgeous face of his.)

He’d drove you to and from your family home, even though he knew as well as you did that there were plenty other drivers who's entire job description was exactly that. He hadn’t complained, showing up to your building exactly twenty minutes after any call you made with the backseat door held open for you. 

Jennie’s douchebag boyfriend had finally broken up with her one Saturday morning, leaving her a sobbing, lonely mess. You’d called Namjoon up to drive you over at eight in the morning, and he’d shown up right away. You might’ve pulled him away from his breakfast, you theorized, the tiniest fleck of white powder curling around the corner of his plump lips. 

You’d called him to drive you to the nail salon and had made him sit in the waiting area for an hour, because you wouldn’t be able to call him afterwards with wet nails, you’d whined. You’d taken great pleasure in seeing his threatening figure nestled among all the other nail care enthusiasts. If he was displeased, he hadn't shown it, taking absolute caution of your nails as he led you back to the car. The only downside to your petty plan was when he’d had to lean over you to buckle your seatbelt for you, his face hovering over your chest so intimately you’d refused to speak on the drive home. 

Perhaps the most immature stunt you’d pulled was calling him at two in the morning, ordering him to take you to the gas station for chocolate chip cookies. 

Usually Namjoon answered your calls after the first ring, silky voice clear as he asked you where to, not so much as a greeting slipping out. However, on that night you’d almost hung up after the fourth ring, when a raspy voice had suddenly filtered through your speakers. 

“Hello?” Kim Namjoon had groaned, and your heart had stopped in your chest as you floundered for a response. There was the shuffling of sheets in the background, and your brain hadn’t kickstarted back up until you heard the delicious pop of his bones as he stretched, you assumed. 

“I-I need you,” you’d stuttered out, all traces of the malice that usually tinged your phone calls suddenly whisked out of your system. You realized the horrible phrasing of your words a little too late. There was a pause, as Namjoon let out a half-asleep chuckle that filled your ears as he glanced down at the caller ID. 

You could pinpoint the exact moment he realized it was you, the line suddenly going completely silent, only the static of the line present. Suddenly, a harsh cacophony of sounds filled your ear, and you almost dropped your phone as he coughed, before his usual monotone voice filled the line. “Miss ___, where to?”

All signs of the groggy Namjoon were wiped clean, and it was as if you were talking to a completely different person as he patiently awaited your response. Your brain racked for a response, and you begun spluttering the first thing that you could conjure. 

“The gas station, I want cookies, like right now, so you better get your ass over here as soon as fucking possible, ASAP,” you rambled, trying to mask your own embarrassment with the annoyed tone you usually took on when speaking to Namjoon. He sent a formal confirmation your way, and you hung up as soon as he told you he’d be over soon. 

You’d been planning on changing into something more acceptable by society’s standards, but you ended up pacing pack and forth as you tried to calm yourself before Namjoon’s arrival. In the end, the elevator was halfway to the ground when you belatedly realized you had remained in your ridiculous pink booty shorts and oversized long sleeved t-shirt. You cursed, hoping Namjoon’s tired demeanor meant he wouldn’t step out of the car tonight to follow you like he usually does, and you could slip in and out undetected. 

Much to your horror, he was, like always, waiting for you outside the door. Though he looked every bit the stone-hearted mafia member, you couldn’t ignore the softness that curled around his figure, present in the way his eyes were swollen, his hair styled sans gel, and the fact he’d forgone his usual suited attire for a plain black shirt that stretched deliciously over his muscles. 

You ducked into the car, refusing to meet his gaze. Even while he drove, you kept your eyes set firmly on your lap or out the window. That vulnerable feeling you’d felt all those weeks ago crept up your spine, and you absolutely hated it, especially when it was caused by none other than Kim Namjoon. 

The car slowed to a stop in front of one of those twenty-four hour mini marts, and Namjoon shifted the car into park. “You didn’t specify where exactly, Miss ___. I hope here is fine.”

You nodded, throwing the door open and letting yourself out before he could even unbuckle his own seatbelt. He said nothing as he trailed after you, momentarily losing you inside the artificially lit store, before finding you near the snack aisle. 

Your heart thudded in your chest, as your eyes blankly scanned over the shelves. What were you here for again? Your mind was in complete shambles as you tried to ignore the want that grew in the pit of your stomach, pushing it down with other thoughts instead. 

You’ve been spoiled since birth by your parents, anything you wanted being placed in the palm of your hand. You could ask for the hottest celebrity to come visit you, and your sneaky father would somehow pull the strings together. You had cars and apartments and clothes that people your age wish they could have. So why was your stupid body craving the emotionless bodyguard—the same one that you feared was tearing your father away from you?

You’re jolted out of your consuming thoughts when a body brushes against you. You immediately move to shift away, only to feel the other person follow your movements. “Alone, sweetheart?” A gruff voice murmurs against your ear, and your body completely stills as you feel calloused hands brush against the sides of your very exposed legs. 

Years of self-defense classes trickle down the drain as you become paralyzed with terror, hands clutching at the bag of candies you’d grabbed sometime during your mental spiraling. Your brain faintly clicks into place, though it sounds muddled behind the fear that grips at every part of you, telling you to push yourself away, call for help, something. 

Just as your vocal chords finally begin working with you, the awful feeling goes away. You whip around, briefly catching sight of Namjoon’s furious expression as he drags the man planning to defile you out of the mini-mart. You’re frozen in place as you hear their scuffling bodies grow further and further away, until the tiny bell above the entryway gives one final innocent jingle and you’re enveloped in relative silence, the obnoxious overhead music running quietly. 

Belatedly, your legs spur you into action, and you drop the plastic bag in favor of rushing out after Namjoon. The cold air whips at your face as you shove the door open, glancing back and forth to no avail; they’re nowhere in sight. However, the sleek automobile is still parked a few meters away from you, so you begin sprinting towards that, past an alleyway where—

You come to a screeching halt, eyes trained on the two bodies tussling in the darkness. You stumble closer, eyes struggling to focus, before finally making out Kim Namjoon’s lean figure towering over the man who’d grabbed you. You gasp when Namjoon’s hand comes barreling into the man’s face, the weaker of the two struggling to fight back, but you’ve heard enough rumors to know what kind of fighter Kim Namjoon is. 

His fists move at an inhuman speed, jabbing at any part of the man he can get. Just as your eyes adjust to the darkness, you catch sight of Namjoon’s livid side profile, his silvery locks falling across his eyes as he continues to beat the living shit out of the man beneath him. 

You’re not sure if it’s the want to see the entirety of his expression face-to-face, or if it’s the fact that you knew Namjoon would literally kill this man if you let him, that has you rushing to stop him. 

“Namjoon!” You shout, footsteps thundering against the gravelly pavement before coming to a halt a meter away, careful of your own safety as you recall the rumors that surround Namjoon; he was a rabid fighter when provoked, which explains why he fought so desperately to maintain his emotions in check at all times. You step closer, wincing after a particularly hard punch that leaves the man wailing in pain, blood spluttering out of his busted lip. There’s a splattering of blood decorating Namjoon’s face and arms, and you can undoubtedly say it’s definitely not his own. 

You decide to suck it up and reach for him, part of your childish mind still thinking that hey, if he hurts you, at least he won’t be your father’s favorite anymore. 

Your hands shakily settle across his rippling shoulder blades, careful to avoid his elbows as they swing back and forth, fingers gently gliding around until they’re loosely placed around the base of his neck. “Namjoon,” you call out, daringly stepping closer, until your chest is almost pressed against his back. 

Up close, his ragged breath sounds animalistic, his chest heaving with each gulp of air he takes. He must be at least somewhat aware of your presence, because his arms slow down until he’s just grasping the man by the collar, and you gag at the sight of the bloodied face of your attacker. 

“Hey,” you say, finally slotting your body against his, fingers softly dancing over his skin. “Let go of him, Joon,” you murmur, the nickname absentmindedly slipping through your lips as you continue pressing your fingers into the tight muscle. You become more emboldened when the man goes slack in his grip, and you lift one hand up to tilt Namjoon’s wild gaze away from him. 

“Look, look,” you say, turning his chin until his wide, unstable eyes are on your own. “I’m okay, Namjoon,” you hum, using the hand not preoccupied holding his chin to slide down his arm, pressing down with a lot of force, until Namjoon lets go of the man. “It’s okay,” you add, trying to repeat the same process with his other hand. 

"I-,” Namjoon chokes out, body tensing beneath your touch when the man lets out a low groan, blood dribbling out of his lips. “He touched you,” he seethes, and though his face is pointed your way, his eyes are flickering to the side, desperately trying to see his punching bag. Namjoon’s own lower lip trembles with rage, and you have to run a palm down the side of his face, quietly shushing him. 

“I know, I know, but look,” you urge, stroking his cheek until his wild eyes finally meet yours. “I’m okay, it’s oka-”

“It’s not!” Namjoon roars, turning back to shove your assailant against the brick wall of the mini mart. You immediately try to tug him back to you and your terrible attempts at calming him. “He’s not allowed to fucking touch you!”

“Joon, calm down,” you beg, instinctively locking your arms around your neck, throwing any reservations about your own safety out the window, your attention solely focused on making sure Namjoon doesn’t kill this man behind your local family mini mart. 

Though he’s blinded by his own emotions, he’s still aware of your presence, and the fact you’re his boss’s kid probably. Namjoon pauses, watching the battered man slowly sink down to the ground, one of his split knuckles coming to clutch at the trembling forearm you’ve strapped across his chest. 

“I have to kill him,” he grits out, fingers squeezing around your arm gently compared to the absolute brute strength he'd used to drag the guy out of the mart a mere five minutes ago. You tighten your grip, struggling to keep your toes on the floor as he attempts to shrug you off. 

“Let’s go,” you huff, mustering up the strength to yank him backwards, the two of you flying into the opposite wall of the cramped alleyway. Your back hits the brick first, and you yelp in shock, the sound seeming to catch Namjoon’s attention and he whirls around, eyes wide and frantic as he analyzes your expressions. His worry intensifies as he becomes desperate to assure himself he hadn't hurt you.

“Joonie,” you pant, taking this opportunity to finally reach the logical part of him, cupping his face in your hands, forehead pressing together. His nickname slips past your lips without much thought, and his wild gaze finally calms down at your soft voice, slowly turning into long, drawn out blinks. “Let’s go,” you whisper, and he nods, eyes finally falling shut, lashes gently fluttering against his skin. 

It’s a weird feeling to finally be in the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, Namjoon silently sitting in the passenger seat. You fix the rear view mirror, pressing down on the gas, as you shift the car into drive, pulling away from the scene. 

The drive back to your apartment is mostly silent after you tell him you’re going to clean him up. Other than that, it’s awkward, you nervously drumming your fingers along the steering wheel as Namjoon seems to be staring blankly out the windshield. You don’t bother to make conversation, not really sure how to bring up the overwhelmed Namjoon of ten minutes ago to the emotionless one of now. His knuckles are swollen, the skin pinched around his rings, and resting on his knees. 

You’ve been forcing Namjoon to drive you around for so long, the path to your building’s underground parking garage seems unfamiliar to you as you pull into a parking space. You shuffle out of the car wordlessly, taking the elevator all the way up to your floor in the same practiced silence that’s plagued you since the events behind the mart. 

It’s not long until you’re letting him into your spacious apartment, gesturing towards the couch as you scamper off for the first aid kit shoved into your bathroom cabinets. When you return, Namjoon has yet to sit down.

“Sit down,” you order, and he does. You kneel down before him, taking his battered hands into yours as you give them a brief inspection, before reaching for the wet rag you’d brought down. 

If it stings, Namjoon doesn’t say anything, letting you wipe the dried blood off his skin. The fact it’s not even his makes you want to gag, but you suppress the feeling as you push through your job, dutifully tracing the rag along his veins. Tugging his rings off is where the real struggle comes, his minuscule winces making you hesitant to pinch his skin any further. 

“Let me,” he says, jiggling a ring back and forth, loosening it up until he can somewhat pop it off his finger without too much pain. You kneel back and watch him remove his collection of jewelry. 

He’s ignored your gaze since the moment you stepped out of the elevator, and you duck your head just the slightest in a cliche attempt to look him in the eye. “You didn’t have to do that,” you murmur, toying with the rag in your hands. 

He snorts, and you startle at such a blatant display of emotion from Kim Namjoon. “I should’ve killed the fucker,” he mutters, tossing his rings onto the couch beside him without much care. 

You take his hands in yours again, trailing the cloth between his long fingers silently. Every now and then, his fingers will involuntarily curl up, and he’ll exhale harshly through his nose. You presume it’s him trying to suppress the carnal anger that builds up at the memory. 

In an attempt to lighten the mood, you give up a wise crack. “Well now I can confirm you’re not an emotionless robot,” you joke, though you quickly shut up when he doesn’t reciprocate your goofy smile. You purse your lips, hurrying through one hand before moving onto the next, his fingers involuntarily curling around yours. Your heart thunders. 

Just as you’re calming your racing heart, Namjoon says, “your father is going to be so disappointed in me.”

Your jaw tenses, your movements pausing as the words register in your mind. Before you can completely blow up about it, you spit out a curt response. “He won't be. You’re his perfect little protégé.”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t be disappointed in me,” Namjoon retorts, and you roll your eyes, the anger and jealousy that had been the root cause of your and Namjoon’s servant-like relationship taking refuge in the back of your throat. 

“He literally won’t be,” you huff, too worried about how disgusted your father will be when he learns of your weakness, and how he’ll use your inability to fight back as a leverage, citing it as another reason why you can’t be around the family business. “He’ll be sooo fucking proud you saved me,” you croak, your heart wrenching with sadness. 

Namjoon says nothing. 

You wipe his hands clean and apply the antiseptic quickly, your throat constricting with every passing second as you imagine the utter disgust that will certainly cross your father’s features when Namjoon informs him of tonight’s incident. Your fingers tremble as you carefully wrap his knuckles with a thin bandage, eyes growing wetter with each loop around his hand. 

When you finally finish, it’s taking everything in you to hold back the flood of tears threatening your waterline, and you’re hoping Namjoon will simply thank you before disappearing off into the night. 

You don’t want Kim Namjoon, of all people, to see you cry. 

“All done,” you murmur, patting the back of his hands as you rise to your feet. You shuffle to return the items into the kit, lazily tossing the bloodstained towel on top of the closed box afterwards. 

His hand catches your wrist. “Why do you hate me?” Namjoon asks, and it’s the first time he hasn’t spoken so formally around you, addressing you so casually. You inhale a shaky breath, a resigned smile plastering itself across your face, though it doesn’t reach your eyes. 

“You have the one thing I actually want,” you admit, shaking your head at his confused expression. Now that you’ve seen Namjoon act like a normal human being, or, as normal as watching him nearly kill a man can be, the idea of him being some distantly stoic figure feels weird to think about. You sigh, placing the first aid kit on the coffee table. 

“I just wanna be close to my dad,” you huff, your words caught on a whimper that you bite back. You press the heels of your palms against your eyes, shoulders trembling with the sobs you fight to contain. “I’d do anything to spend time with him,” you choke out, rubbing at your eyes until you’re seeing stars, “but all he ever wants is to see you.”

A pitiful sob escapes your lips, and you don’t even bother feeling embarrassed in front of Kim Namjoon anymore. The feelings of uselessness you’d harbored for so long that they’d manifested into a raging jealousy release themselves into the silence of your apartment. You cry and Namjoon watches you. 

There’s a hand pressing into your shoulder after a few moments, and you wipe the fat tears away and look off somewhere to the side. 

“I didn’t know,” Namjoon murmurs, and you give an ugly sniffle in response. His hand drops from your frame to scratch at the back of his neck. 

You scoff, whirling around to narrow your teary eyes at him. “Of course you fucking didn’t, you were too busy kissing his ass every chance you got,” you spit, and Namjoon’s eyes blow out into saucers. 

“I was just doing my job,” he defends, the sympathetic aura he’d held quickly fading into a more defensive one. 

“Oh really?” You exclaim, not backing away when he stands from his perch on the couch, towering over you as you continue your onslaught. “Was your job being a fucking show off? Or was it purposefully making me look like a little bitch in front of my father?”

Namjoon steps into your space, grasping your wrists in his hands to stop your explosive way of talking. “You need to calm do-”

You cackle, fists clenched against his grip. “That’s real funny coming from you, Namjoon,” you mock, and his jaw twitches, a brief spark of that animalistic side of him listing his eyes before he’s tightening his hands around your skin. “Unlike you, I actually know how to control myself.”

“I just wanted to save you tonight,” he fumes, looking so indescribably wrong inside your apartment. Had it been the regular Kim Namjoon with his perfectly styled hair and schooled expressions, maybe you would have not questioned his presence. 

But this Namjoon is completely unknown. He’s bold and strong in a way only young men can be, his temper as untamed as his silvery locks that fall out of place, tickling his forehead. He’s normal, you guess, but admitting as much feels weird. 

“So you can go tell my dad about it?” You spit, desperately shaking your hands out of his grip to no avail. “Admit it, Namjoon, if it was any other girl you wouldn’t have batted an eye, because you only care about yourself and your dumb ass reputation to—”

Your back meets the cushioned seats of the couch, wrangled there by Namjoon’s own strength as he presses you down onto it. He towers over you, radiating pure, unadulterated anger as he stares you down. “You’re right, I fucking wouldn’t have,” he seethes, and you huff and growl as you struggle to pry your hands out of his hold for the nth time, before he eventually settles on pinning them beside your head in irritation. 

“But since it was your little princess ass, I fucking have to,” he growls, and you faintly register the knee he presses between your legs as you glare up at him. “Miss ‘I get everything I want because my daddy’s rich,’” he mocks, voice raising into an obnoxious imitation of what you must sound like. 

You scoff, thrashing beneath him. He pays you no attention, continuing to taunt you. “’I want to help him at work, but I can’t even defend myself against the weakest of strangers,’” he teases, and you keep squirming against him, only fueling his efforts. “You’re such a fucking bitch,” he spits, and you flinch under his gaze. “Is there anything you actually can do?”

Your anger is rolling off of you in waves, but as you move again, his knee brushes against your most sensitive of parts, and a horrifying whimper escapes from your throat. 

You immediately freeze, desperately wracking your brain for some sort of excuse, but the annoyed grunts and growls you’d been releasing sound nothing like the absolutely vulgar noise that had crawled out from between your lips, and by the way Namjoon’s furious expression melts off his face, you know he’s also realized this. 

You try to search your brain for how exactly this had happened. The heat that had been boiling inside of you—the absolute rage you’d been feeling—hadn’t actually been anger? Exactly when did your body decide now was as good as ever to feel like this?

For a moment, your apartment is silent. The only sound you hear is the rushing of blood in your ears, lips pressed together as you fight down the inevitable flush that decorates your face. Maybe if you hadn’t been so focused on controlling your breathing you might have taken advantage of the brief moment in which Namjoon had loosened his grip on you. 

“Listen,” you huff, tongue running over your lips. You try to ignore the way Namjoon’s clouded gaze glances down at them. “I’m still in a lot of shock from all that happened tonight and—” your words are cut short when Namjoon’s leg purposefully brushes against your core, another high-pitched whine ripping itself out of your throat.

Namjoon snorts. 

“So that’s what this is about,” he says, his looming figure somehow ten times more dangerous than before. You feel yourself grow incredibly small beneath him, even more so when he ducks down until your faces are close, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. 

“All this time, were you waiting for this, Miss ___?” He murmurs, his breath hot against your face. You say nothing, the muscles of your thighs clenched tight as you try to remain as still as possible. He presses a kiss to your cheekbone, and the simple gesture has you releasing a breath you hadn’t known you’ve been holding. “I need an answer.”

“N-No,” you cry out, turning your head away from him, though you desperately want to feel that witty tongue against your folds. That same stuck-up ego of yours tries to remind you, you hate Kim Namjoon, but to no avail. 

Namjoon smiles, the curves of his sinfully plush lips pressed against your jaw, giving a teasing squeeze to your weak hands. “Miss ___, I didn’t take you to be such a liar,” he breathes, kissing along your jaw and down your neck. Your sharp inhale pierces through the air, and your traitorous body has your legs tightening around his waist. The deep chuckle that leaves him has every part of you vibrating, eyes fluttering shut beneath the delicious feel of his mouth. 

“Stop being a little bitch and let me take care of you,” he reprimands, voice soft yet authoritative as leans closer, your chests brushing together. You bite your tongue too late, a pitiful whine leaving your lips. Namjoon lets out another soft huff of laughter around your neck, pausing his languid kisses. 

“I’m not a-a little bitch,” you weakly defend, trembling beneath him as he licks at a particularly sensitive spot on your neck. 

“Of course you aren't, Miss ___,” he agrees, though you feel he only does it to placate you. “But you must be so tired. Always trying to win your pop’s attention,” he sighs, and lifts his head up to level you with a heated gaze. You feel your lower lip tremble. He leans in, soft lips brushing against yours in a short kiss. “But you can have all of mine, princess,” he promises, gently nipping at your lip, enough to have your back arching into his solid chest. “I know I’m not your daddy but—”

You unexpectedly whine at his wording, and Namjoon grins against your mouth, swallowing the sound. He pulls off with a lewd pop. “Unless you want me to be, of course,” he propositions, and you don’t know what comes over you as you furiously nod your head. “Perfect,” he praises, one hand finally releasing you to trace down your body instead, his ridiculously large palm gliding over your thigh, hitching it higher up his waist. “Will you let me, princess?”

“Yes,” you breathe, your trembling hand stretching forward to wrap around his neck, forcefully pulling him closer to you. 

“Yes... what?” Namjoon tests, letting you manhandle him into another desperate kiss, and you wonder if your arousal has seeped through the fabric of those thin booty shorts. 

“Yes, daddy,” you say back, and the wicked grin is the last thing you feel before he’s looping his hands beneath you and tugging you into his lap. A tiny shriek leaves your lips, before you settle onto your new seat. 

Any traces of Namjoon’s smile are wiped clean as he stares up at you, fingers digging into your waist. “You’ve been really naughty tonight, princess,” he calmly says, and though you’re on top of him, you still feel like you’re below him. “Calling me in the middle of the night to come get you— what was that little thing you said to me on the phone again?”

Your cheeks tinge as you recall the words you’d uttered to him over the phone. Granted you hadn’t meant them in that way, it was somewhat relieving to know he’d been effected by them. “I need you,” you repeat in that same timid voice that had spoken to him earlier in the night. 

Namjoon lets out a low whistle at your words, basking in the embarrassment that swallows you. “How bold of you,” he says in a quiet voice, fingers gripping harder into you, pushing you down onto his cock, hardened beneath his jeans. You gasp, hands digging into his shoulders in surprise. 

“I wanna make you cum so bad,” he sighs, guiding you through the same motion again. “But, I was so fucking pissed off at you tonight,” he informs you, and your heart clenches at the irritated glance he shoots you. “Calling me in the middle of the night to get a pack of fucking gummy bears. Who do you think you are?”

“I’m sorry, daddy,” you gasp, letting him haul you onto his clothed dick again. 

“Did you want my attention that bad?” He asks. “Well you have it now.” His hands slowly release you, and you whine back arching as you rut into him again. He leans back into the comfort of the couch cushions, arms casually slung across the back as he watches you. “I know you’re already so spoiled , so why don't you actually work for something for once?” He suggests, and your mind blanks as you struggle to figure out what he means. “Get yourself off for me, princess,” he commands, watching you through hooded eyes. 

You whine, lower lip drawing to a pout as you realize he’s really waiting for you, eyes flickering off to the side in a bored manner. 

Pushing any last traces of self-respect aside, you dig your fingers into his shoulders once more, slowly grinding yourself against him until all the humiliation is replaced with pleasure, your panties caught against your wetness. “Daddy,” you cry out, pleased to feel his cock plumping up beneath you. 

Your movements grow short and stilted as you carry on, rutting against him like an animal. Your eyes squeeze shut, because the foggy haze of euphoria isn't completely enough to ignore the sneering expression he wears as he watches your desperate form. “Look at you,” he murmurs, almost in awe. 

There’s a soft brush against your side, and you flinch before realizing it’s his hand, pushing the oversized shirt up until his bandaged fingers rest against the soft skin over your ribcage. “Need more, daddy,” you whimper, your lower abdomen starting to ache from all the movement. 

“Nuh uh,” Namjoon teases, though his hands continue to pet you. “You’ve become so selfish, princess,” he says, leaning forward to nip at your jaw. Your breath catches in your throat at the gesture. “But I promise, once you do this, I’ll take care of you for the rest of the night.”

The idea seems all too agreeable, and with a renewed vigor, you begin your wild thrusting against him. The rough denim of his jeans brushes the undersides of your thighs, and you’re suddenly aware how close you’ve come to your orgasm. A moan catches in your throat when you feel a finger brush the underside of your bra cups, Namjoon’s cold hands tracing over the soft flesh of your stomach. “That’s it,” he encourages, voice low as he watches you move your hips back and forth, the speed picking up as your orgasm draws closer. 

It hits you embarrassingly quickly, your back arching as Namjoon’s soft hands hold onto your sides. There’s a sudden bloom of wetness across your panties, soaking through until even your shorts become tinged with your cum. Your words catch in your throat, cheeks blazing as you catch his eye. 

Namjoon smirks, cupping your jaw in his hands to draw you in for another steamy kiss. This time, his tongue licks into your mouth, the wet appendage reaching into the warmth as you struggle to catch your breath. That humiliating orgasm lingers in the back of your mind. 

“You worked so hard,” Namjoon praises, and you melt into his embrace when you feel a stray finger press against your core, dancing along the stained material of your shorts. “I’m sorry,” he suddenly says, and your heart stops at the sudden apology, uncharacteristic of Namjoon. “I would stretch you out but my fingers are too nasty to be inside of my princess.” The scalding feel of his finger against you leaves as he raises his hand to brandish his bandaged fingers, his digits wiggling as if to emphasize their appearance. 

You grimace, and he laughs at your reaction. “Can you take me like this?” He asks, and you bite your lip as you consider it. Truthfully, you hadn’t had sex in a while, so you were undoubtedly tight down there. But then again, you had just orgasmed, and naturally your body became more relaxed after such strenuous activity. 

“I think I can,” you murmur, your voice dripping with hesitation that he quickly kisses away. 

“You don’t have to if you don't want to,” he assures, his voice almost back to the normal Kim Namjoon you’d been seeing for the past few weeks. “But I’m serious about taking care of you, princess,” he adds, softly. 

With those words and a newly found resolve, you push away any doubts and shake your head at his new offer. “No, fuck me, please,” you nearly beg, nudging his nose with your own as you search for a kiss from those sinful lips. “I want you to, daddy.”

Namjoon placates you with one brief peck, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you into him. “Good girl,” he exhales, relief tainting every syllable that leaves his mouth as he holds you in his embrace. “Gonna fuck you so good,” he promises, his head deliciously nuzzled between your breasts. “But I need you to take off these cute little shorts first.”

He runs a finger along the elastic of your shorts, letting it snap back to your skin with a loud thwack. You flinch, Namjoon’s large palms soothingly rubbing over the curve of your ass, palming the two globes with much appreciation. His hands dip into your backside, pushing the garment off as he encourages you to rise to your knees. With a little struggle, he manages to tug those horrid shorts off of you, leaving you in a pair of cheeky lace panties, the pale blue considerably darker where your arousal had leaked through earlier. 

“You’ve become so dirty,” Namjoon scolds, using the least damaged of his two hands to trail one finger over the beginning of your womanhood, teasingly pressing over where he knows your clitoris is hiding. You keen, tugging your large shirt up higher in an effort to see what he’s doing. His fingers twitch as he presses them over your saturated undergarments, as if he were wishing he could do more but is prohibited by the state of his hands. Just as you’d thought, he utters out a strained, “fuck.”

“Daddy, need you inside of me,” you pant, your hips unconsciously jolting into his fingers. He nods, pressing a hand into your shoulder to move you away as he undoes his belt buckle. Anticipation catches in your chest as you watch his every move, nimble fingers tugging his belt through the metal buckle before he’s popping open the button of his jeans. An unconscious moan slips past your lips when he pulls them down to reveal his simple grey underwear, pulled taut around his erection. 

He flashes you one final grin before he’s letting his cock spring free, the flaming tip smacking against the planes of his stomach. Your thighs quiver at the sight, but Namjoon doesn’t let you ogle him for long. He pulls you into his chest, and you cry out when you feel his cock brush against your core, hands burying themselves in his unruly hair. 

“Promise I’ll be gentle,” he murmurs against your jaw, grabbing onto the base of his cock with one hand while you twist your arm backwards to tug your underwear to the side. Realistically, you know he can't be as gentle as he wishes, especially because you haven’t been stretched out properly. But you’re so caught up in the idea of finally resolving this unspoken of sexual tension that you don’t mind the pain that’s destined to come. 

His head pushes against your throbbing opening, and you can’t believe it’s actually possible to feel your heartbeat through your pussy, but here you are. You gasp, every part of you tightening as his head pops through that initial tight ring of muscle. Namjoon, for the first time, shows you how effected he is with a low moan. “So tight,” he chokes out, that stupid smile still adorning his features. 

The absolute girth of his cock has tears welling in your eyes, and you squeeze them shut in an attempt to push them away, your lip caught between your teeth hard enough to dry blood. Namjoon soothes you with kisses along your jawline, his hand rubbing soothing circles along your hip. “You’re doing so good for me, princess,” he murmurs, and takes advantage of the moan that rips out of you by shoving further into you. 

You scream when your knees give out, and you end up falling down onto the rest of his cock, back arching when his tip brushes against your cervix. Namjoon groans in unison at your sudden movement, and for a moment, the room goes quiet. 

“Shit,” Namjoon huffs, the end of his voice tinged with laughter. Your body is slowly pulling itself out from the sudden shock, spine going numb. Namjoon reaches out to catch you, laying you against his chest. “Good girl,” he praises, “daddy couldn’t ask for anyone better.”

Your pussy clenches at his words, and sensing this, Namjoon slowly grinds upwards into you. You whimper, still sensitive from that weak orgasm from earlier. “Gonna fuck you now, princess,” he informs you. “Want me to lay you down or are you good like this?” 

It takes a second for you to realize he’s asked you something, and you belatedly murmur, “lay down,” against his neck. 

Namjoon wastes no time, hauling you off the couch in his arms, fingers pressed into the backs of your thighs. He whirls around, carefully depositing you on the soft cushion. Each movement has him shifting inside of you, and you can feel your breaths become more and more labored by the time he finally covers you with his body, one hand pressing your leg against the couch beside you. 

The first official thrust has you wantonly moaning like a porn star, and you shove a hand over your mouth in embarrassment. “Daddy,” you whimper, gluing the heel of your foot to the base of his spine as you try to push him in deeper. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” Namjoon says, tugging your hand away from your mouth only to replace it with his lips. “We’re just getting started.”

Before you can say anything in response, he’s ramming his cock into you again, the sheer strength of his movements shifting you up the couch. You cry out, tangling your hands around his neck in an effort to anchor yourself to him. Despite you believing he was just starting off strong, he sets a similar pace to that thrust, his hips snapping into you with lethal force. 

“Fuck,” you sob, lips pressed against his temple as he continues his ministrations. He’s set a sort of pattern, you notice after a while, every few thrusts topped off with a lewd grind of his core against yours, your clitoris very much enjoying that little addition of his. “Faster, daddy, please,” you pant, arching into him as he pushes against you. 

Your walls convulse, your second orgasm drawing embarrassingly near, but it’s Kim Namjoon doing this, so what can you expect? 

“Look at you,” Namjoon huffs in amusement, slowing his movements until he’s shallowly thrusting into you, reveling in the way you whine for more. “So stuck-up and bitchy, getting your tight little pussy fucked by me, of all people,” he sneers, biting against your shoulder. 

“Sh-Shut the fuck up,” you breathe, hips pushing forward to meet his, desperately urging him to pick up his pace again. 

Namjoon snorts. “Don’t tell me what to do, ___,” he spits, pulling nearly all the way out, only his swollen head inside, just to slam back into you. You moan when your vision goes blurry for a second. “Look at the snobby little princess,” he mocks, fingers gripping into your hips tightly, “getting fucked like a little bitch.”

“If you don’t shut the fuck up, Namjoon,” you groan, digging your nails into his shoulder as a warning. 

Namjoon reaches his good hand down to toy with your swollen bud, and you hiss. “Sorry, who are you talking to?”

“I-I’m serious, Namj—”

He gives your clit a delicious little squeeze, your words cut off by a mewl. “Who?” He repeats, pushing the bundle of nerves back and forth between his fingers, mouth licking along the sensitive spot beneath your ear. “Weren’t you supposed to call me something else tonight?” He bites down on your skin, hard enough to bruise, but you suppose that was his intention anyway. When you don’t answer, he pulls away, that teasing gaze of his locked on yours. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten,” Namjoon murmurs, his hips rocking into yours. You whine, teeth clenching with every shift. “Just say it now and I’ll make you cum right away, princess.”

“Fuck you,” you spit, the residual hurt from his mocking words from earlier leaving without much of a doubt. 

Luckily, Namjoon doesn’t seem too offended, those plush lips of his tugging into a lopsided smirk. “Already am,” he murmurs, and you watch him shift from playful to animalistic, his hips picking up that same arduous pace from earlier. 

You don’t say much between the two of you after that, his attention zeroing in on your throbbing pussy walls as he rams into you like a dog in heat, your high-pitched whines and mewls filling the night air, occasionally accompanied by the low grunts that leave his mouth every time you clench around his length. 

You can feel the burn of his cock against your abused pussy, every drag leaving a burning feeling. You begin blabbering nonsense, a trait uncharacteristic of you, as your orgasm draws nearer. When you think back on it, you’re not exactly sure what you’d said, and Namjoon hadn’t dwelled on your incoherent thoughts either. 

Truthfully, this whole night with Namjoon had been humiliating. Arousing, but undeniably humiliating. He’d revealed new aspects of you that you’d never known of, had reduced you to a sobbing mess multiple times, and then had even had the balls to mock you while his cock was buried deep inside of you. It only makes sense that your orgasm is the same, the burning heat finally brimming over the edge disgustingly prematurely, your walls spasming around him with a loud, “daddy” falling from your lips.

“Fuck,” Namjoon grunts, his hips only seeming to pick up their already brutal pace as you coat his dick with your arousal, body quickly falling lax beneath him. His hips slap against yours, and the feeling has your already sensitive body quivering. 

“Come on, daddy,” you breathlessly murmur, trailing a hand down the side of his face, before pulling him into a languid kiss. It’s the first one you’ve been in command of, slotting your mouths together before slipping your tongue past those plump lips that have had you hypnotized all night. 

Namjoon grows restless, and you swallow every little sound he makes, before he’s hastily pulling out of you, giving his swollen cock a few harsh pulls before shooting across your open legs. Another curse slips through his lips, his member softening in his grip. 

For a few moments, your body seems completely okay with the idea of falling asleep right then and there, your vision going hazy as you stare up at Namjoon’s towering figure. Namjoon doesn’t seem to agree though, and your heart jumps into your throat when he pulls his shirt over his head, his never before seen body coming into view. Before you can get too excited though, he’s dragging the cloth along your thighs and between your legs, and you cry out from oversensitivity. 

“Shh, I’ve got you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the inside of your knee, dutifully cleaning you off before tossing his soiled clothing somewhere onto the ground. Your eyes flutter shut at the feeling of his large palms running alongside your thighs, his voice lulling you to sleep. “Where’s your room, princess?”

Your own voice comes out sleepily, giving him the most basic directions you can remember. There’s a pleasant buzzing in your chest when he gently picks you up, but the rest of your memories become fuzzy after he tucks you into bed. 

Your phone rings a little past noon, and you groggily reach out for it, swiping the answer button cross the screen. Your father’s voice greets you in a panicked frenzy. 

“Sweetie, I know you were supposed to drop by right now, but none of us can get a hold of that damn kid,” he rushes, his silence not actually silent as it fills the receiver with the bustling sounds of his office. “As soon as I get my hands on him, I’m gonna kill him.”

You yawn, running a hand over your eyes as you glance at the time. “It’s fine,” you murmur, “I gave Namjoon the day off.”

Your father chokes. “You did what? Honey, I know he’s technically working under you right now, but you can’t do that, especially not with one of my most prized pupi-”

“Bye, dad,” you drawl, hanging up before he can get another word in. You toss your phone off to the side, rolling over in your bed until your body bumps into another one, soft and warm, muscles delicious beneath your fingers. You rearrange their limbs until their arms are wrapped around you, your nose pressed against his neck. 

Namjoon snorts, tightening his grip around you. “Spoiled as fuck.”

[cynicaljapanophile]

Naruto Characters as Kids I Go To/ Went To School With P. I

Naruto Uzumaki

Is the same age as you but is probably 6 inches taller than you

Had a hella big growth spurt

Was a fire hydrant in middle school but the first day of high school he became a flag pole

Like I saw you three months ago how are you so fucking tall

Highkey annoys all the teacher

Is the reason why a teacher quit their job(this legitimately happened)

Really likes his teacher but his teacher highkey hates him

Roasts people but you can tell he never means it

Why is he always telling

Asta Naruto please stop yelling and speak normally for once

Never pays attention but he gets pretty decent grades

You see him everywhere you go

Probably knows who you are despite having never talked to you

Sasuke Uchiha

Highkey hates everyone

All his teachers accidentally call him Itachi

During lunch, he sits in the stairwell

Gets really good grades

Never talks to anyone

Is a rich kid

Is always wearing designer clothing

Highkey flexes on everyone

Is a teachers pet to the core

Is a member of the football team

He's the student that the teacher says to watch the class when they leave the classroom

Is always roasting everyone no matter what

But unlike Naruto's roasts, his roasts genuinely hurt

Like when he roasts they sound 100% genuine

Made a kid class once

Once called someone a peasant

His mom probably works in the office or something

Hangs out with the office ladies all the time

Has a resting bitch face

Just don't talk to him

Sakura Haruno

Gets along with everyone

Activities co-chairman

Doesn't have issues with anyone but is always fighting Ino

Probably shows new kids around

Gets good grades

Is always beefing with Ino

Like they could be on the opposite side of the campus and one of them would think an insult and others would just take offense

Parents are probably rich

Is highkey rude but doesn't know it

Probably takes college classes

Is always hanging out with the office ladies

Only watches reality tv

Claims she doesn't like drama but she always knows the drama

His phone wallpaper is Asuma Kousuke(don't ask he just is)

Shikamaru Nara

Gets terrible grades throughout the entire year but is always in the top 10 for tests

Sleeps in class all the time

Gets along with all of his teachers

Is on a sports team solely for the extra credit

Is a genius

Never studies but he always passes tests with flying colors

Diss any of his friends and he will roast you to death

Just don't do it okay just don't

Don't bring up his mom okay

He will false you if you even try

Had a horse phase

Is still in his horse phase

Never contributes during class projects

Has like three friends

Works in the office as a teacher assistant

Only became an assistant because he gets to chill in the office with the A/C

Choji Akamichi

Is a member of the cooking club

Gets mediocre grades

Is extremely popular

Is a member of the student council

Probably cried during his speech for being elected for his position in the SC

His dad probably works at the school

Has a Pokemon lunchbox

Will roast you if you make fun of his lunchbox

Still plays Pokemon Go

Doesn't have a job and his parents don't give him money but he is always okay

Gets a lot of sleep

His fashion sense is 2 out of 23

Takes remedial classes

Has been in relationships but no one has ever seen his s/o

Has a car

Leaves campus for lunch

Ino Yamanaka

Is a rich girl

Doesn't even try to hide it

Like Sasuke, she is always flexing on people

Is activities co-chairman with Sakura

Is always roasting Sakura

Like Sakura could be out of the country and she would still roast her

Like Ino chill out

Is also a member of the theatre club

Goes on a date every other day

Gets really good grades

She probably talks to people but unintentionally disses them

Drives to school in a Ferrari or a Tesla she just drives an expensive car

Is extremely popular

Gets a lot of valentines

Is really popular but has like six friends

Kiba Inuzuka

Is a member of the football club

Is always talking about anime

If the new episode of Dragon Ball Super comes out he will not shut up

Like please stop

You probably only see him in one class

He is a member of the football club and he skips class a lot but you never see him out of the one class you have with him

Has a lot of friends but only hangs out with two of them out of class and school

Is always trash talking

Gets into fights a lot

All of his fights are recorded

Lives by himself

He lives by himself but no one knows how he pays rent

He has a victory dance whenever he scores during games or practice

Has had parties at his parent's house before

85% of the reason he lives by himself now

Shino Aburame

Is always chilling

Never does anything

Is always in the top ten for tests

No one knows what his family does

Brings about random facts

No one knew what his voice sounded like until the third month of school

No one can hear him when he talks

Once spent $150 on an ant farm

Is always wasting his money

Always trashes Supreme

Says he has a job but no one can find out what his job is

Is always sitting in the corner

Also only has two friends

He is always roasting Naruto

Will ignore you if you interrupt him during conversations

He will just stop and stare at you

Hinata Hyuga

Is always roasting people to their face

She is nice to everyone and she is always smiling when she's roasting so people don't suspect anything

Always has money on her

Is hella rich

Is always roasting her sister

No reason for it she just does it

She has connections with upperclassmen

Not really she's just friends with some of her older cousin's friends

Is always top ten for tests

Occasionally tutors people

Secretary for student council

Is always roasting people behind their back

Is friends with Sasuke and roasts him the most

Has had the same group of friends for ten years

Everybody knew she was well off but nobody knew she was from a rich ass family

Is extremely rich but she doesn't know it

Appears at football games just to trash talk Sasuke

[stonyverse]

5 times Tony felt alone and the 1 time he didn't.

5 + 1 fic (or 5 times Tony felt alone and the 1 time he didn’t)

i

When Tony was four, he created his first circuit board. He was happy that he made something that could work so he went and showed it to Howard in hopes that the latter would be proud of him.

Get out, boy, I’m busy. Don’t come here showing me worthless things.

Maria said that Howard was just tired. He’s been out looking for Captain America. He’s busy running a conglomerate, creating new things for the future – contributing in order to help the world progress.

Jarvis said that maybe Master Stark was just not in the mood. You know how he is, young sir. Do not fret, there is always a next time. It was what he said before making Tony his favourite pasta partnered with apple juice which finally made him smile, again.

Tony held onto the next time over and over and over again until he realized that he will never be enough for Howard. He’s looking for something else – someone who he will never be greater than.

You will never be anything like Captain America was what he said.

ii

He doesn't know how many times he woke up with pain consuming his entire body. He doesn't know how many times he fainted from said pain. And when he was finally conscious, finally okay compared to the last few days he had, he saw that a car battery was attached to his body — his chest.

What did you do to me?

I saved your life.

He didn't expect to befriend Yinsen. He was a doctor, someone who save lives… very different to Tony's merchant of death. Yinsen has a family, he needs to get out of this damn cave. Both of them have to. Yinsen for his family and Tony to repent and become better.

So, you are a man who has everything and nothing?

Tony agreed to 'make’ the Jericho for the Ten Rings. He asked them for supplies and the first thing he did when he got those was to make his reactor. He needed something more stable. He can't keep carrying a car battery around especially if he's going to work. Also, a car battery attached to the thing keeping him alive is dangerous if they plan on dunking his head in water.

But the Ten Rings weren't stupid. They knew something was up. They tried to hurt Yinsen. I need him, great assistant. He was so scared but Stark men are made of iron. They don't break. The Ten Rings said that if he won't be able to deliver the next day, both of them will be dead.

I'm going to buy you some time.

He knew, then, that the chances of Yinsen surviving was even slimmer. But he had to be strong. He needed to be so he believed that his new friend will be safe. When the loading bar turned to a hundred, he schooled his face for the fight ahead and attacked.

This was always the plan, Stark. I'm going to see my family now. Don't waste your life.

He got out and was a different man.

iii

He was dying.

Isn't it ironic that thing keeping him alive is also the thing killing him?

After Afghanistan, after Obadiah, he thought he'll finally have a break. He thought that maybe, he will have peace but boy was he wrong. The world decided to kill him using his own tech.

Palladium on the chest? That's one way to die.

Tony was trying alright. He loked and looked but when JARVIS ran the scans, it's not a viable substitute for palladium. He was already a dead man walking. What will happen to him? What will happen to Stark Industries? What about Iron Man? He said he'll protect the world but it seems like he won't be able to do so.

That's when he had this idea, albeit, stupid. He answered the Stark Industries question by making Pepper the CEO. He knows she's more than capable of it. Tony figured if Pepper was able to put up with all the stunts he's constantly pulling and was able to deal with all his shit, she'll be able to run a fortune 500 company. Also, she's Pepper. No one will do better.

He asked himself, what about iron man? The government is already trying to take his property. They demand that it but turned over to the military. Rhodey's a liutenant colonel. Rhodey can pilot the suit, he has military training… he can be Iron Man once he's gone. Well, not Iron Man but another version. Yes, Rhodey can do it. He'll do it.

What would you do if this will be your last night?

I'll do everything and anything I want.

So, he did stupid things. He admits it, alright. He was a jerk to Rhodey and Pepper but in his defense, he's dying. He's entitled to do stupid things just for the sake of doing it.

What do you want from me?

No, what do you want from me?

He thought SHIELD was just some government agency handling government things. He never thought it's something more. He certainly didn't think his dad will be one of the founding members of the organization. They left him with things. They said he needs to figure it out. They said Howard said that he's the only person who can solve this thing that he left behind. Fury said that he should solve the riddle of his heart.

So, they left him in his partially destroyed mansion. He has to get to work.

iv

The Avengers were gone and he was back at the compound. A compound with only three avengers: himself, a sulking Vision, and a Rhodey undergoing physical therapy.

Rhodey said that it sucks but he's not regretting his decision. The Sokovia Accords fights for the right things but sometimes… it just sucks. Tony smiles (or at least, tries to) for Rhodey. He needs to be there for him, every step of the way. He needs to help his honeybear because he knows that Rhodey will do the same for him.

Delivery for Tony Stank!

He was annoyed but it made Rhodey laugh so Tony let it slide with an eyeroll.

Dear Tony.

And damn if that didn't hurt. He knew that it will be from St — Rogers. It was a shitty apology letter (can it even be called that?). He said that the avengers were Tony's more so than his but why does it feel otherwise? Every avenger who Tony formed a deep relationship with, who he thought of as family was with Rogers. Clint took his side; Natasha, who signed, left him and joined Rogers. Thor and Bruce were not here so they don't count. He isn't even sure if they would side with him.

He was back to where he started. With Rhodey and Pepper, the only difference from before was JARVIS. He's Vision, now.

He still doesn't understand. Rogers could have just told him. He would have reacted, sure, but at least, he would hear it from a friend. Sure, Tony was mad about what happened to his parents because he never got to say goodbye. The regrets of not being able to still haunts him. He knows this. He told him this. But he chose to hide it from him. Maybe that's what did it for him.

Don't bullshit me, Steve. Did you know?

Yes.

It was like Obadiah all over again. The betrayal from someone close stings more so than any physical pain they could ever make Tony feel.

If you need me, I'll be there.

He doesn't want to bank on it, anymore. He has to be prepared. He can't rely on the team of misfits.

Although, it doesn't stop him from carrying the phone wherever he goes.

v

Everyone's starting to turn to dust.

I'm sorry, Tony. There was no other way.

Tony shook his head, teeth clenched as he looked at Strange. Why would you do that? Why do you have to save me? Before shit went down the drain, he said that he will never give up the time stone to save Tony's life but he did and Thanos won.

Mr. Stark, please… I don't want to go.

He caught Peter in an embrace. The kid was looking at him — eyes wild with fear and hope that somehow, Tony will be able to save him. Peter hugged him. You're okay, kid. I got you. But Tony doesn't know what's happening. He was having a hard time breathing.

And if you die, I feel like that's on me.

Tony fell on the ground, kneeling while supporting Peter's back with his arm. He saw the kid swallow before looking straight to his eyes.

I'm sorry, Mr. Stark.

And then he faded.

Tony tried to hold on. He tried to get a hold of Peter but he already turned to ash. As Tony looked at the remnants of Peter, as the feeling of dust pass by his arm… he looked at it. He waited and waited but his body remained in tact.

Tony craddled his arm to his chest and cried. That was Peter. It was his kid. The source of life after all the shit he went through. And now, he's just gone. His kid is gone.

He did it. Thanos won.

+1

The Avengers are back.

It took one catastrophic event which resulted to half the universe dying for them to come back and forget their differences. Suddenly, the fight they had seemed petty. Suddenly, there was nothing to do but live up to their name. The only purpose they have now is to get back eveything they lost because of Thanos. Whatever it takes.

Tony looks at his old teammates. Everyone aged at least a decade. Natasha doesn't bother to maintain her poker face. Clint looks angry. Bruce was trying his best to think of different ways to restore what was lost because it's the only way he can cope. Thor, who was usually the jolly and talkative one, is now only speaking when needed to. And Steve… he looks so tired.

We all look straight out of the Breakfast Club. Capsicle and Point break has to get this. We spent that one week watching it on repeat.

Tony tried to joke but his voice came out raspy.

They all looked at him. Natasha's lips curled up to a barely noticeable smile. Clint bit his lip to prevent from doing so. Bruce was looking at him, greatfully. Thor shook his head before lightly patting his back and offering a small smile. And Steve gave him a hopeful look. He looked at Tony as if he was greatful that he's alive. As if Tony held the secrets of the world which Steve was trying to discover.

Bruce asked him what his plan was and everyone looked at him expectantly. He took a deep breath before looking at Steve.

Do you trust me?

He closed his eyes after realizing the gravity of what he asked. It's been years since they saw each other. They haven't talked about Siberia or the Accords… basically, everything they disagreed about. That's why, Tony thinks, it's okay for Steve to say no. There's still an unfinished business between them.

When opened it, again, Tony saw the way Steve was looking at him. He was giving Tony a look which speaks to his every being. It was hopeful, determined, and passionate. It was the unwavering look of Steve Rogers — the exact look he fall for.

I do.

Tony knew, then, that he won't  be alone.

We'll do this… together.

[broken--dreams]

Trauma History

I no longer care who knows. My shout from the roof tops.

What I know: When my sister was a baby, my mom shook her hard enough that she had injuries detectable by X-ray as an adult.

When she was a young girl (8?) my dad came home to find my mom trying to throw her through the wall.

When I was around age 2 my sister came home from school, and stopped my mother, who was screaming, from throwing me, who was shrieking, against a wall.

At age 3, my behaviour changed. Before, I had the toddler’s usual attitude toward clothing or lack thereof. After, I had to be fully dressed, including socks. Even in the house. Even sleeping. At age 3, I moved out of the crib upstairs to a second bed in my brother’s room, downstairs at the other end of the house. Age 4: I overhear mom yelling at dad about burning holes in his suit (pipe smoker). Dad goes ashen. Tight lipped. Says nothing. My sister says I echoed my father’s body language. Even now I cringe watching total strangers yell at each other on TV. Sister tells me that some kind of yelling match was a weekly or more occurrence. Mom tells me later that she and Dad had a policy of never argueing in front of the kids. This conflicts with above. Age 5: Primary caregiver (sister) sent away because she's pregnant. Nothing was said to me. Sister just vanished. Parents want to hide scandal. Age 5: On a holiday I often had to share a bed with my brother. I insisted on sleeping above the top sheet, so that, “Our parts won’t get mixed up” Age 6: I get a birthday party. About 6 friends come over. This is the only party I ever had at home, for birthday or any other reason. I went other kids' parties fairly frequently. Age 6: Brother requested, and got a 12 layer birthday cake. I helped mom make it. I didn't twig onto the irony. Age 6: I bathe alone now, refusing either parent’s assistance. Sometimes ears are sent back for redo. (May be age 7) Age 7: Sis says in hindsight, I'm dirty, clothing dirty whenever she visits. House is dirty, cluttered and coated in nicotine. My memory is of weekly bathing. Saturday night. I apparently don't mind or don't notice. It still doesn't bother me to wear the same clothing for extended periods of time. Age 8: Father has colon cancer. Surgery successful, but becomes more remote. Operation resulted in total erectile dysfunction. Parents show no physical affection for each other. Later I found that dad had really liked sex, and touching created the desire, but there was no ability. Age 12: I get a birthday cake. I think it's the last one. There would still be cake in the house, but not to celebrate my birthday. Age 12. I get paper route. Allowance stops. Now responsible for all clothing. I buy first rate outdoor stuff, and the rest I get at thrift stores. I deliberately dress in rags to embarrass mom. Increasingly an outcast at school. Total geek. Love science, math. Despise sports, pop music. Age 13: I learn to wash my own clothes. I dress in clean rags. Age 14: Father has open heart surgery. He comes home. His mind, not really. Flee takes over as default behaviour. I become increasingly feral. Age 14: Dad coming home unable to recognize me as often as not made me angry. In one way it was a message, “You are so unimportant to me that I can’t remember your name” But I knew that wasn’t true, even at the asshole age of 14. But I did wish that he had died in surgery. Cleaner death. . Then I would have one parent who would pay attention to me. Age 15: Fight back when mom grabs me. Shocked look on her face. She never hits or grabs me again. Age 15. I get my driver's license. Swap errands (picking up groceries, etc) in exchange for use of car. Age 15: I cry for the last time I can remember in gr. 10 French class. Age 15 Spend summer in Peru with scout post. Most parents contributed at least what their son would eat. I had to pay for the substitute lawn cutting. Age 16: Get summer work at university physics department as shop hand. Age 17: graduate from high school get 1525/1600 on SAT 800/800 on Physics Achievement test. Not enough to get me into MIT. Age 17-20. I pretty much live at the U. I leave the house before Mom is up, come home for supper, then return to my desk in the Physics storeroom, or to the library until 10 p.m. Age 21: Father dies. I don't grieve. Age 46: Mother dies. I don't grieve. Discussions between my sister and mother at a later time was they figured I’d been molested by a neighbour. My parents did not tell me of this

after I grew up. My sister says she tried twice to tell me, but I wouldn’t hear it. I don’t remember this. On 15 January 2022 I had a nightmare that left me awake for hours. Digging into it, I eventually asked my sister if anything odd had happened when I was a kid. On 28 January her reply mentioned the probable abuse.

My mother through my childhood had badly controlled diabetes. When her blood sugar was high, she slept – hibernating bear. When her blood sugar was low she was irritable – angry bear. She also suffered from depression, and would spend long period of time drinking coffee and chain smoking at the kitchen table. I think she like angry as better than depression. I have no memories of her being more than annoyed.Deductions:

Age 3: Became 13 yr old brother’s meat toy. Butt fucked or throat fucked for some unknown number of months. Deduced from reported behaviour changes and opportunity. I was probably told, “don’t tell, you’ll get in trouble and be punished” I'm left with the whole idea of sex is shameful, disgusting, not to be talked about. This would mess me up more in puberty.

While sister says neighbour, that neighbour had his own 3 year old. Didn’t need me. I think it unlikely that I would have been allowed free access to the neighbourhood at that age. Since I moved into my brother’s room (separate bed) at about that time, he had opportunity. He was 13. He had motive. My brother was big in my life. The best possible big brother. I worshipped him. So… his fan by daylight, his toy by night. Big source of disordered attachment.

Age 5: Mom starts using slaps and door counselling when she's mad. 1 incident witnessed, rest deduced. My default behaviour: fawn. Backup: flee. She would push me hard from a standing position about 2 feet from a door so that I body slammed the door, pick me up and do it again. Kitchen door was a hollow core. It had some give. Front door was solid fir, and 36" wide. It barely rattled. While my sisters stories say “wall” our house at the time had very few walls conveniently placed for child slamming. Either furniture, or book cases or pictures on most walls. Doors were handier.Physical abuse during my pre-teen, maybe early teen is only a possibility, but it does explain the paucity of memories in the house. (Ask me about my memory project)

Emotional neglect. There weren’t a lot of hugs in our house. There weren’t many, “Well done, we’re proud of you” No, “You’re looking down. Need to talk?” I had to ask them for the standard sex lecture kids get. Lots of embarrassment. This increased both my loner life, and the strong drive to get good at everything. If my folks weren’t going to take care of me, then I needed to.

Age 8: I’m losing a caregiver. This makes me push to become more self reliant. But at 8, I’m still a little boy. But in the basement, I’m growing crystals, inventing board games, making hydrogen balloons, experimenting with metal casting, electroysing water.

Age 14: Really, I lost both parents. My dad because he wasn’t really there any more. My mom because what energy she had was keeping Dad.

I think I basically became feral. I spent as little time at home as I could get away with and when I was there I was in the basement. Parents were ok with this because I was a “good” boy. Phone home if I’m going to be later than I said. I didn’t act out. Didn’t drink. Drinking as a teen requires socialisation. I didn’t do social. Part of this was that being “good” probably resulted in less slapping around. “Be Good. Be Quiet. Go down to your room. Unless Star Trek is on.”

[st-louis]

JEWISH PLAYERS IN THE NHL: 1/? JASON ZUCKER

(photo by Andy King, NHLI)

so this is going to be an ongoing series about Jewish players in the NHL because there are like... under seven of them. I’m starting with Jason Zucker because he’s one of my favorites. :> He’s talented, a little bit of a weirdo, and just seems like an all-around nice person.

He plays left wing for the Minnesota Wild. According to his official team bio, was born in Southern California but grew up in Las Vegas.  He’s Jewish but he doesn’t consider himself religious, he wasn’t bar mitzvah’d because he didn’t want to miss hockey (his mom does make kugel tho, so that’s legit secular Jew cred.)

His mom, Natalie, was a competitive figure skater, and his dad, Scott, is a general contractor who built both ice and roller rinks, and he got his start skating there at age 2 1/2. He’d practice for hours, played competitive roller hockey, and was known for his speed (playing defense originally because he could get from one end of the rink to another so quickly). He didn’t switch to ice hockey until he was eight or nine. At the time his skating was terrible; the toe pick in ice skates threw him off, and he didn’t improve until he got a skating coach.

He described his work ethic:

For me, I was on the side yard of my parents house. I had a little piece of roller hockey sport court where I wouldn’t ruin my sticks, and I would shoot pucks for hours and hours and hours a day. I remember we had a little wall on the side and I would do jump squats onto the wall and I would run sprints around the backyard. It was a terrible setup for working out but I would find myself out there all the time, because it was fun.

Still good enough to end up on UNDTP tho. In 2009 and 2010 Zucker helped the US win the World Junior Under-18, and the 2010 World Junior Championships. He committed to the University of Denver before being drafted by the Wild in 2010, and played two seasons there (45G, 46A in 78 games). He turned pro at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Right before the draft, his best friend, Nick Schaefer, died in a car accident. He has a tattoo -- “game time” on his chest in his memory.  On the draft:

I was thrilled, but I couldn’t shake the thought of what had happened to Nick. The fragility of life and the importance of even the smallest moments really hit me. Like everybody else, I sometimes stop and think back to those instances when, in a second, I had a choice to do one thing or the other. And ever since that summer night in 2010, Nick, in some way, has been with me every time.

He still writes Nick’s initials on every single one of his sticks, along with “Mom,” “Dad,” and “STS,” for shoot to score.

His first seasons weren’t super great and he bounced around between the AHL and the NHL during the first few years. He scored his first NHL goal against Detroit in 2013, but his season was cut short by a torn quadriceps. In 2014-15 things definitely improved with 21 goals in 51 games and a 16.9% shooting percentage.

Zucker had some interesting thoughts on the billeting system and leaving home so young. While he felt it was 100% worth it and he’d do it over again, he wouldn’t let his kids do it if they didn’t really want to--as a result of the unusual way he was raised he doesn’t have any friends outside of hockey, and that was “probably tough for [his] parents to see.”

Another great thing about him is his charity work: he and his wife, Carly, started a campaign to raise funds for a family suite at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, and raised more than $1,000,000 in nine months. But he’s been involved with the hospital since 2015, and the campaign was inspired by one of the children he met and befriended there. Tucker had been diagnosed with bone cancer but still had time to give Jason some advice:

He said, “Jason, I’ve been watching you a lot this year. I need to give you some advice, O.K?”

I kind of laughed him off.

“No, I’m serious, Jason. First, you need to backcheck harder. It will make things easier on the other end. And secondly, shoot more!”

After Tucker passed away, Zucker got his autograph tattooed on his wrist, along with that advice: shoot more.

Also, because I love dumb hockey player tattoos, he also has “USA” on his back (I know) and on his left arm, in Hebrew, “in pursuit of perfection.” I, uh, have to quote this article in a large part because of this story involving Charlie Coyle:

“Everyone always wants to strive to be the best,” Zucker said. “I’m no different. I want to be better than everybody in that locker room and they all want to be better than me. That’s just the way it goes. That’s the way our business runs. I’m always striving to be perfect and I may never reach there. Nobody ever will. But I’m always striving to get to that.”

The other meaning? Zucker says he has “a little OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder].”

“A little?” teammate Charlie Coyle, who lives with Zucker in Minneapolis, says with a chuckle. “Go in his room. He’s a big guy with watches and he’s got this whole case of probably 50 watches perfectly lined up, every one just perfect. Go in his closet and all his shirts are hung up, almost color coded. They’re all perfect. Same with his shoes, not one out of place.

“Just everything. Like everything. We go grocery shopping, and you open the cabinets, and everything is all perfect, labels facing out and spaced apart so evenly. I’m telling you, everything. I’m a neat person, so it’s fine, but it’s a little over the top.

“Heck, just watch him take off his equipment. He takes his laces and folds them perfectly down so it just sits there.”

Of course, there are few things Coyle enjoys more than messing with Zucker … by messing up his perfect stuff.

Listen, I know.

He married Carly Aplin in 2016, and they have two children together.

Anyway! He had an excellent season in 2017-2018. This July, he signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract after career highs: goals (33), assists (31) and points (64), mostly on the first line, and after being nominated for the King Clancy. In short:

Jason Zucker made significant strides in his game this season, both offensively and defensively. He was among the team’s top performers throughout the year, and although he was streaky at times, he contributed in some way on most nights. Without Zucker, the team may have actually missed the playoffs, as his improved offense carried the team for a few stretches of the campaign (one 7-game point streak and two 6-game point streaks).

Hockey Wilderness agrees.

JUST A GOOD TEAM GUY!!!! Here he is talking about his team when specifically being interviewed about his own awesome performance:

Asked after the game if he felt compelled to lift the team after a week of saying the leaders needed to, Zucker said, “Absolutely I did. I wasn’t happy with how I played the first two games. I thought I had some good spurts. It just wasn’t good enough. I know the way that I can play and (this) was much more like it. (Staal, Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, I think everybody would’ve said the same thing about the first two games. We all wanted to step up and play well.

“That’s what true leadership is. Just guys going out and showing it on the ice. (Ryan Suter) was phenomenal. (Matt Dumba) played really well. (Jared Spurgeon) was battling. On a night he said he didn’t feel great with the puck, I thought (Spurgeon) was one of our best defensemen. You can’t say enough about a lot of the guys in this room.”

via The Athletic

some videos:

very encouraging but extremely, unfortunately boring when mic’d up what are you doing how does this even happen scores in literally 10 seconds of play first hat trick!!!! trying to explain cribbage to charlie coyle lmao a highlight reel lmao fighting

SOURCES

Official Bio Rooted in Roller Hockey Who the Folk?! Wild Agree to Five Year, 27.5 Million Contract Player’s Tribune Words Will Last Lifetime For Wild’s Jason Zucker Perfection is Always the Goal Jason Zucker took giant leaps forward Jason Zucker puts his leadership on display

[roykent6]

What’s your take on baby Emmett???

oh man, this is a very good question. here we go!!

Emmett’s mother had him when she was like 17, and she dropped out of school to take care of him. his father was a few years older than she was, and he supported her for the pregnancy and maybe the first few months of Emmett’s life. I don’t think he lasted a full year, and before she knew it, Audrey Forrest was 18 and very much on her own with a baby. also, Forrest was her last name, and she started using it for him as soon as the dad was out of the picture, and had it changed legally as soon as she could. she also eventually got her GED, and then started a night nursing program, and started working as a pediatric nurse by the time Emmett was in high school.

until he started kindergarten (a year early), Emmett spent his time with a variety of different babysitters while his mom was at work. these included neighbors with playgroups, friends of his mom’s, or a big stack of picture books or magazines in the corner of his mom’s job. he was shy around other kids because he didn’t like playing the way they did; he liked reading or doing puzzles on his own. plus he was super attached to his mom, since they were really all each other had at the end of the day. absolutely everything she does is to support him, and he sees how hard she works from a young age. he knows all that she’s doing for him, and he sets the goal early to do whatever he can to return that favor to her however he can. he starts working on weekends and after school as soon as he’s old enough, and he bounces around restaurants and stores and assisting in the public library, among other things. all he wants is to feel like he’s contributing to the family, and for his mom to not feel like she has to take everything on herself since she’s on her own.

of course there was always a new boyfriend in the picture, and those guys usually meant a new apartment to stay in until things went bad. Emmett calls them bums, and they were probably guys who had never amounted to anything or made it out of the neighborhood, whose income generally came from less than legal activities. usually they weren’t interested in Emmett; he was just the byproduct of the girl they were dating. some were better than others, and they’d at least make an effort with him and try to make things nice, but others were really assholes and treated them poorly. he never forgets seeing some of these guys make his mother cry, and he makes a personal vow from a fairly young age that he’ll never treat another person like that, especially not someone he’s supposed to be dating and taking care of. these years shape Emmett into everything that he’s become by the time we meet him at Harvard.

in school, he was a shy, skinny kid, a year younger than all his classmates with second hand clothes that didn’t fit properly, so he was picked on a lot in early on. he tried really hard to just stay out of people’s way, to sit and read on the playground and not raise his hand in class, but he’d catch a lot of shit anyway. but he was scrappy and resilient, and after getting hit enough times, he stopped taking it and learned to fight back. after that he was pretty much left alone, which he much preferred anyway. he also started learning around this time that he could fight with his words, and he got good at saying exactly the right thing to put some obnoxious kid in their place. he also uses this to his advantage when he sees other kids getting picked on, which he won’t stand for, especially if it’s someone who can’t defend themselves. he gets suspended for fighting in 8th grade because he stepped in to defend an autistic kid from a group of bigger guys. he gets a busted lip and a bruised eye for his efforts, but he does worse to the other kids and he refuses to apologize for it.

everything changes for him when he gets to high school. for one thing, he starts going to a private school on a full scholarship, and it’s a much better environment for him. he still feels like an outsider at first, mostly because there’s so much disparity in wealth between him and his classmates, but he gets used to that quickly. he finds that he’s a natural fit for the debate team, which boosts his confidence in so many ways. he gets comfortable speaking in front of people and arguing for what he believes in. 

the debate coach is one of the most influential people in Emmett’s life. there are a lot of teachers who love him and motivate him over the years, but none of them connect with him the way Mr. Kasper does. Mr. Kasper becomes a father figure for him, someone who Emmett goes to for guidance and support that he can’t get in other places. he’s the one who plants the seeds of law school in Emmett’s mind, and the biggest cheerleader in Emmett’s journey to Harvard, through all the applications and scholarship applications and everything in between. 

but perhaps one of the biggest influences Mr. Kasper has on Emmett is something that seems insignificant but makes a big difference in his life. at the first debate tournament Emmett is in, he shows up in a shirt and tie, but with no jacket because his mom couldn’t afford to buy him one. Mr. Kasper notices that Emmett seems upset, and pulls him aside to see what’s going on. when Emmett, stammeringly and without looking up from the floor, mumbles that they couldn’t afford a jacket for him, Mr. Kasper says, “Then let’s get you in a jacket. Wear mine, and that’ll get you through this one at least,” and he hands him the blazer that he’s wearing. a few weeks later, when his mom takes him to goodwill to buy a jacket for the next tournament, he picks out a corduroy blazer, just like the one his favorite teacher lent him. the look sticks.

[jamesatkinson]

Union Editors & Universal Health Care in California

Above: nurses & activists rally the California Senate Health Committee to vote YES on SB562 - April 25th, 2017

Hi. My name's James Atkinson. I’m a union editor, I'm volunteering for Healthy California, a universal health care campaign, and I wanted to ask you for help.

Here’s the Deal

Healthy California (SB-562) is single payer health care bill in the California state senate. It's like a statewide version of "Medicare for all" - it would provide great health insurance to every California resident, and lower costs for about 90% of us. It's not a pipe dream - it has momentum & could actually pass, since California's state government has a Democratic supermajority. One crucial ingredient to making this happen is popular pressure - California Dems are more likely to vote in favor of SB-562 if they know their constituents want it badly.

So far, multiple unions have already endorsed SB-562 and I'd like to add Editor's Guild to that list! I've talked with the Editors Guild office a bit, and it seems like they'd like more info on the bill before making a decision.

I want to give them that info! I've talked with Labor For Health Care - they're kind of like the union outreach team for Healthy California. They'd love to send a policy expert to give a presentation to the Guild (this would also give the Guild an opportunity to give feedback on the bill). My plan is to send a very polite letter asking the Guild to hear them out, and alongside that letter, I want to include a pro SB-562 petition featuring union editors like you and me!

The Only Thing You Need To Do

If you're an Editor’s Guild member and you’d like to help, and all I need you to do is sign this petition (by signing it, you're basically saying "I support SB-562, and I'd like Editors Guild to meet with the campaign and explore the bill".)

Please feel free to forward this page to any other union editors who might be interested! Also, please email me if you want to get more involved with the campaign.

Thanks! - James

Okay, You Can Stop Reading Now

... but if you're curious here's a FAQ:

Q: Why should a union member support universal health care? We've already got a great plan. Here's 3 reasons:

1: Under Healthy California, you can keep your health coverage no matter what, even if you're too sick/injured to work. This is one of private health insurance's big weaknesses - if you get too sick to work, you lose your job AND your coverage! I have personal experience with this: When I was in high school, my dad got cancer. He couldn't work, and our family eventually declared bankruptcy.

2: Private health insurance eats your paycheck. American health care is expensive, and the costs are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. As these rates go up, the studios shift the costs over to us (which means we get raises less frequently). One example of this phenomenon: the recent WGA negotiation where health fund contributions were a central issue. Cost shifting is a widespread phenomenon in the US. A recent survey for University of South Carolina says 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies plan to raise employee contributions for their health insurance.

3: The Cadillac Tax (aka The Excise Tax) This sounds boring but it affects your life! It keeps getting delayed, but eventually (maybe by 2020) a 40% excise tax will be levied on all insurance costs in excess of $10,200 per year for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. As In These Times puts it: "These caps are set to rise at a much slower rate than the costs of health insurance, which means nearly all union-negotiated plans will eventually face the choice between radical cuts to coverage or paying the hefty tax."

Q: How much will this cost me? How is the bill funded? The California State Senate Appropriations Committee is discussing this right now (and an economist is preparing an impartial financial report due within a month or so), so soon there will be more precise answers.

For now, I can tell you that it would be funded by...

1) Savings: Public health insurance is more efficient than private plans, and a big patient pool of 40 million Californians will have the leverage to negotiate much lower prices from health care providers.

2) Already existing public funds: Taxpayers already pay for about 70% of healthcare expenses. Healthy California will consolidate these funds, and direct them to this new universal plan.

3) The remaining percentage will be covered by a new progressive tax mix: "Taxes" is a taboo word, but this would be a net savings for 90% of Californians. Instead of having a chunk of your pay go to Kaiser or Blue Cross (ie our current system), a smaller chunk would go to Healthy California. Also, there would be no out of pocket costs (like deductibles or co-pays) for anyone in the state.

Q: Are the benefits good? The benefits are great and compare well to our plan. (I copied the below section directly from the bill and bolded some of my favorites)

"Covered health care benefits for members shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Licensed inpatient and licensed outpatient medical and health facility services. (2) Inpatient and outpatient professional health care provider medical services. (3) Diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and other diagnostic and evaluative services. (4) Medical equipment, appliances, and assistive technology, including prosthetics, eyeglasses, and hearing aids and the repair, technical support, and customization needed for individual use. (5) Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative care. (6) Emergency care services. (7) Emergency transportation. (8) Necessary transportation for health care services for persons with disabilities or who may qualify as low income. (9) Child and adult immunizations and preventive care. (10) Health and wellness education. (11) Hospice care. (12) Care in a skilled nursing facility. (13) Home health care, including health care provided in an assisted living facility. (14) Mental health services. (15) Substance abuse treatment. (16) Dental care. (17) Vision care. (18) Prescription drugs. (19) Pediatric care. (20) Prenatal and postnatal care. (21) Podiatric care. (22) Chiropractic care. (23) Acupuncture. (24) Therapies that are shown by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health to be safe and effective. (25) Blood and blood products. (26) Dialysis. (27) Adult day care. (28) Rehabilitative and habilitative services."

[it goes on for a while longer, read the bill here if you're curious]

Q: Why do I care about this? I have a few reasons!

For one, last year, my Mom had a liver transplant. She's doing great now, and one thing that save her life (and saved us from another bankruptcy) was the fact she had a single payer insurance program - Medicare. I think more people deserve these kind of great benefits!

Also, at the hospital, I met a lot of transplant patients - and I learned they have to fight through debilitating, multi-year symptoms (like chronic pain, immobility, comas, childlike confused thoughts, etc). They also have very intense medical needs (for example, my mom takes expensive immunosuppressants a few times a day - if she misses a dose, or can't afford one, it could be fatal). These patients *already* face very difficult challenges - if Trump's AHCA goes through, it would literally be a death sentence for some of them. Healthy California could make their lives a lot better. Anyway that's one reason why I have a sense of urgency about this.

If you're curious, here's a good article on the nightmare that is liver failure under our current health care system.

Q: What happens next? The California State Senate health care committee just voted YES on the bill. The Appropriations Committee votes on it within a month or so. Right now the campaign is focusing on canvassing those senators.

Q: What's the long term time frame? This is a big campaign with a lot of variables. I've heard people estimate it could take 1-2 years to pass this bill.

Q: How can I help? 1) You can join the campaign and get regular updates on how to help (we'll be canvassing regularly)

2) You can donate to support campaign activities (like bussing supporters to Sacramento to rally Senators)

3) If you know anybody else in any other union who supports single payer, feel free to have them email me! I'm working with the campaign on a broader outreach effort.

4) If you want to train to speak/campaign for the bill, join the campaign, and contact your regional coordinator. Q: What if I have more questions? The flyers on Healthy California’s page answer a bunch of questions! Also, you can email me, or contact Labor for Healthcare!

[csrgood]

How Technology Is Protecting Endangered Species

Cambodia is home to 16 globally endangered species, like the Asian elephant, tigers, and leopards. Conservationists there are working with a Harvard computer scientist to stop the poaching that is pushing so many species to the brink of extinction.

It's just one of a growing number of collaborations bringing technologists and conservationists together to fight to protect wildlife from being wiped off the face of the planet. Environmentalists have long had a daunting challenge ahead of them when it comes to protecting animals from poachers, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. They're now hoping, though, that technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), drones, GPS trackers, smart cameras, and the cloud could give them the upper hand they've been looking for.

"It is horrifying to think about the possibility that we may be leaving a world behind where keystone species like tigers, elephants, and rhinos may just be gone," says Milind Tambe, the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science and director of the Center for Research in Computation and Society at Harvard University. "We don't want to have to tell our children, 'Well, they're all gone.' We don't want a world like that."

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, which coordinates the organization's environmental activities, the earth is in the midst of a crisis, with 150 to 200 species of plants, insects, birds, and mammals reportedly going extinct every 24 hours. Biologists say that's 1,000 times the rate that's considered natural extinction. And a 2019 U.N. report notes that approximately 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. More recently, research from the University of Arizona suggests that one-third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years.

Here are some more alarming numbers:

In 2018, three bird species vanished from the earth.

In Tanzania, the elephant population has dropped by 20 percent in recent years.

Because of widespread poaching for their horns, as of 2018, there were only two northern white rhinos—both female and incapable of natural reproduction—left in Kenya.

An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat, and body parts.

Fewer than 450 North Atlantic right whales, including a little more than 100 breeding females, remain. With so many dying and so few being born, scientists warn that the species may not survive more than another 25 years.

With numbers so staggering and dire, conservationists around the globe increasingly are turning to technologists and tech to protect endangered animals and hopefully save them from extinction. Seeing the plight of many species, tech-savvy people are offering their time and expertise to track animals, analyze their habitats and availability of food, and better understand population dynamics.

It's not new for wildlife conservationists to draw on technology like cameras and tracking collars. What's new is the explosion in technologies like AI, machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things, 5G, wireless, and the cloud. And that explosion is touching many industries, including conservation.

"Every industry is going to be changed by it," says Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst. "It's transforming so much. It only makes sense that it's transforming wildlife protection. Where before they could never really follow the animals and the paths they take, and the things they're eating, and how they're living, now we can see exactly where these animals are and what they're doing. And think about how much it will advance in the next 10 years." 

Outsmarting the poachers

Tambe, who for the past 15 years has been working on how AI can benefit society, made a slight turn six or seven years ago when he began to wonder how technology could be used to protect animals.

The computer scientist is the creator and driving force behind Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS), predictive AI software geared to analyze massive amounts of data and then use ML, game theory, and mathematical modeling to take on the poachers decimating many species of animals around the world, including Cambodia.

For instance, intensive poaching of both Cambodian tigers and their prey have caused a rapid decline in the big cats. Today, the World Wildlife Fund reports that there are no longer any breeding populations of wild tigers left in the country, making them functionally extinct there. As for wild elephants, it's generally estimated that only 300 to 600 remain in Cambodia, down from 2,000 in 1995 and 500 to 1,000 in 1999, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.

Normally, park rangers and environmentalists study maps trying to figure out where poachers may be laying traps or lying in wait to kill protected animals. The PAWS system goes beyond human gut instinct and crunches data to predict where the poachers will be working, where the animals are in the most danger, and the best patrol routes for the rangers.

Tambe has been extensively testing PAWS in Cambodia. Conservationists there are finding poaching traps five times more today than they were before they began using his AI-based system.

"I kept saying, 'I think AI can help,'" he says. "Where are the poachers going to hit next? There are thousands of square kilometers in national parks. There are hundreds of rangers. They can't be everywhere. If we can tell them where they need to be [to stop the poaching], that's important."

Now, Tambe's PAWS system is being adapted to work with 800 global national parks that use SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) software to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and wildlife law enforcement. With the help of an AI engineer from Microsoft, Tambe has been working for the past six to eight months to integrate PAWS with the SMART software and enable it all to run in the cloud. The system, which so far has been running only on an experimental basis, is scheduled to launch this spring.

"We are honored to be able to contribute," he says. "Some people think of AI being a technology that might be harmful in some ways, maybe taking jobs away. It's a surprise to people that you can apply AI to protect wildlife and use it for social good. The gift to us, as AI researchers, has been opening the door to new AI research challenges so we can advance the state of the art in artificial intelligence."

Saving the salmon

In the Northern California foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, a group of conservationists, the Friends of Auburn Ravine, has been working to protect the local wild Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon. The salmon's numbers have been slashed by logging, dams, overfishing, and pollution. Scientists estimate that 29 percent of the Pacific salmon populations have become extinct in the past 240 years.

The group of volunteers set up cameras to record video of the fish as they migrate upstream to spawn every fall and winter. They were trying to collect data on the number of salmon swimming through, to garner support to improve habitat and facilitate natural migration of adult and juvenile salmon.

The problem was that volunteers were sitting and staring at a seemingly endless amount of video to count fish swimming by.

"It's boring work looking at the videos," says Brad Cavallo, president of Cramer Fish Sciences and a board member of the Friends of Auburn Ravine. "It's easy to miss something because you just space out, but estimates are important so we know how to set harvest limits and how the fish are doing."

Eric Hubbard, a master technologist who has worked at Hewlett Packard Enterprise since 1999, came along and changed that boring, but important, work.

Hubbard says two or three years ago, his dad, who is a volunteer with Friends of Auburn Ravine, told him about video watch parties where volunteers ate pizza and counted fish.

"It was a cool volunteer effort," says Hubbard. "I saw their enthusiasm and effort, but it hurt me to see them doing it so inefficiently. It took huge amounts of hours to look at videos to count these fish. I knew we could automate this and make it so much easier on them."

Hubbard, using the annual 60 hours of paid volunteer time he receives from HPE through the company's community involvement program, HPE Gives, traded out the volunteers' security cameras, which used proprietary protocols that were difficult to work with, for new digital underwater and overhead cameras—dubbed salmon cams—with standard protocols and formats.

Using the Java programming language, Hubbard wrote 5,000 lines of code to create a software program, called FishSpotter, to detect and document passing fish. Raw digital video is uploaded to the cloud, where FishSpotter processes it. Using advanced image recognition to detect activity and identify salmon, FishSpotter automatically produces short GIF highlights of any passing salmon, so humans can then review it to confirm the fish species.

The 2018-2019 migration season was the first to be monitored with the new digital system.

By eliminating the need to watch this large batch of data, FishSpotter was able to pare down 1.6 terabytes and 2,416 hours of raw data into just 101 gigabytes and 20.4 hours of GIF highlights for volunteers to vet and verify as salmon (or other wildlife or activity). In future seasons, Hubbard hopes to further refine FishSpotter's image recognition capabilities to narrow this data set of possible suspects down even further to further accelerate insights.

"I live in a real tech bubble," says Hubbard. "Everyone around me is tech-savvy. I look at these nonprofits and they're outside that bubble. They don't necessarily have the expertise to know what's possible. It's been very gratifying. Initially, it started out as helping people more than the salmon. Then as I got more involved, I was drawn into how important these fish are."

Tech to protect polar bears and rhinos

Colby Loucks, vice president of the Wildlife Conservation Program at the World Wildlife Fund U.S., says technology is increasingly a vital tool in wildlife conservation. And as a leader in the organization's Wildlife Crime Technology Project, which focuses on using cutting-edge technology to fight poaching, he says tech advancements have opened doors.

That's what led the group to create WildLabs.net, a global online community joining conservationists with technologists, engineers, data scientists, and entrepreneurs. With more than 3,000 active users, the group's mission is to use technology to tackle conservation issues, like illegal wildlife trade and poaching.

"We had conservationists trying to use technology, but they weren't technologists by training," says Loucks. "There were a lot of technologists around the world who have the skill sets, knowledge, and desire to help in conservation. WildLabs.net is about connecting those communities. We're piecing together innovative ideas between people with a conservation background and a technology background."

For instance, Loucks says conservationists are combining cameras with ML software trained to distinguish between animals and people. When the system identifies humans, as opposed to zebras or rhinos, passing by a camera, rangers are notified so they can check to see if the people are poachers.

Others in Africa are using thermographic cameras that use infrared radiation to detect elephant and rhino poachers.

Loucks notes that the smart thermal camera technology was installed in 2016 in two different areas of Kenya's Lake Nakuru National Park, a site known for its rhino conservation work. The year before the technology was installed, there were 17 attempted poaching events in the park, he says. The year the system was installed, two poachers were caught, and after that, there were no poaching incidents for the rest of the year and none in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, the system was used to catch another four poachers.

"We feel like that is a big success," says Loucks.

Some scientists are even using environmental DNA (eDNA) technology, which can detect genetic material, such as traces of biological tissue and mucus, obtained directly from environmental samples like soil, sediment, and water. Loucks explains that scientists studying polar bears can scoop samples from streams or footprints in the Arctic snow. From that, they can pull up DNA and use that information to identify what the bears have been eating and even identify individual bears.

"The dream is that you might not see a bear, but if you get a polar bear footprint, you could still know quite a lot about it, which would be a big leap forward for tracking polar bears and seeing how climate change is impacting them," says Loucks. "It is an exciting time to be in the wildlife conservation space right now. We've seen a lot of developments and efforts using technologies to solve problems."

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/43983-How-Technology-Is-Protecting-Endangered-Species?tracking_source=rss

[mom1stqueen2nd-blog]

Why the mother of your kids may seem insane

In the wild, female animals choose their mates carefully. Through whatever form it is that they may decide. Be it who wins the fight, who has the best genes, or who shows themselves to be the best provider. Human females are no different. We choose the fathers of our children not solely based on how we feel about them. But what they show us they can or will provide our offspring with.

Now human fathers seem to forget a lot of things about moms that need to be understood in order to co-parent happily without fighting. A mom NEVER has any real time to herself, whether she’s single or not there is always someone that needs something from her ALL the time. I cannot remember the last time I went into the bathroom, closed the door and didn’t immediately have my son kick the door in like a swat team. But that’s not something his father has to deal with because I’m the primary parent.

Most moms have had that chemical change in their brains that turns us viciously protective of our children. I personally find it to be an unattractive trait in a man or a woman that doesn’t find their child(ren) to be the most important thing to them. Now I’ve had men tell me that if they go to work every day then it should be nothing for a woman to stay home with their children everyday. Well I’m here to tell you fellas...

... being a mom that has gone to work and be a stay at home parent... I would happily go to work everyday as opposed to being home with my son all day. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my son with every fiber of my being. But there’s something special about his joy when I come home from work that irreplaceable. Besides that, mommy likes making money. But being a full time mom at home, can be extremely draining. There’s that point after your 3 year old has been telling the same story for so long that you almost fall asleep. There’s always something to clean up. Nobody wants to take a nap but mom. But she has to go to the playground or the zoo, anything that burns a lot of energy.

Moms, at what point do you say “stop that” so many times that you feel your head pop off your body? And single moms? Who have “weekend” dads? What we deal with is hardest. You never have a day off, dad gets to be the “fun parent”, you’re ready to pull your hair out by Friday. And don’t get me started on the “I pay my child support” dads....

I’ve seen many men complain about the amount of money they have to pay their kids moms. Or whether or not the money should go directly to the children. Or how it should be put on cards to only buy specific things. *sigh* Listen, some of you guys may have knocked up rats, so you don’t trust them ( kinda your fault) but cut it out. If she provides for your kids 24/7, 365 days a year, and all you contribute is child support and occasional weekends off. She has a right to spend the money how she pleases, because she’s already done her part and yours, you’re just reimbursing her. She’s paid the rent/mortgage on the home your kids stay in, she’s bought their clothes, their food, health care, dental, extracurricular activities, etc... Whatever amount of money the court has ordered you to pay is what they believe you can afford and what your part of helping to raise the kids amounts to.

My next issue is the “girlfriend”. Woman to woman (and I call some of you women out of respect). I don’t care who you’re “dating”, until you marry that man, you have absolutely no input on what goes on between him and the mother or mothers of his kids as it pertains to the kids. It truly grinds my gears to deal with a girlfriend that doesn’t know her lane. I have a 3 year old. Until my son is old enough to make real plans with his father without my assistance, we will be in contact. Don’t call my phone telling me not to call him. That’s not going to happen. And carry yourself like a lady around my son. Don’t disrespect him, don’t touch him, don’t raise your voice to him. He has a father and a mother. Respect that people who make people together have an everlasting bond. There’s nothing to be done about it.

Still have yet to figure out why she’s mad? Well maybe you’re one of those guys that likes to play with the way she feels about you. I’ve witnessed this many times as well. A man won’t commit to his child’s mother properly, he cheats, lies, and does everything to make her not want to be bothered with him. Then he ruins every potential relationship she may have. He won’t go away but he won’t do right by her either. That has got to stop, it makes bitter women. Get your sh!t together. If I haven’t hit the nail on the head... well let’s hear why you think she’s mad...

[hollywoodjuliorivas]

Advertisement The Opinion Pages | OP-ED COLUMNIST Where’s Ivanka When We Need Her? Gail Collins MAY 5, 2017 Continue reading the main storyShare This Page Share Tweet Email More Save 1004 Photo Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, walking along the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday. Credit Carlos Barria/Reuters Ivanka’s got a new female empowerment book, and Dad’s going to war against women. Great week, gang. In just the last few days, the Trump administration has taken steps to restrict health insurance coverage for contraceptives, while bullying the House into passing legislation that could send insurance rates for maternal health care soaring. Meanwhile, the president picked a new official to disseminate the administration’s thoughts about public health, and it’s a woman who believes that abortions cause breast cancer. Triple score for the extreme right. I believe in hockey they call that a hat trick. And wait, there’s more: Trump’s reported choice to run the government’s programs on family planning is someone who doesn’t believe contraception works. And of course that House-passed health care bill is going to defund Planned Parenthood. The measure now goes to the Senate, where Republicans have put together a special 13-man committee to draft their version. It was, at minimum, deeply ironic that while all this was happening, Ivanka Trump released a new book that calls on readers to fight against “barriers that disproportionately affect women” at work. Everybody who thinks unwanted pregnancies are a barrier, please raise your hands. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Under normal circumstances, we’d give Ivanka’s slim tome, “Women Who Work,” a pass. Or link you to Jennifer Senior’s review in The Times, which calls it “not really offensive so much as witlessly derivative.” It’s stuffed with obvious tips and multitudinous inspirational quotes on leadership, one of which comes from John Quincy Adams, an unsuccessful president who nobody liked. His wife was so empowered she wrote a White House memoir titled “Adventures of a Nobody.” One of his sons called him “the Iron Mask.” Do you think Ivanka’s a John Quincy Adams fan? Or has another Trump ghostwriter been over-Googling? Sign Up for the Opinion Today Newsletter Every weekday, get thought-provoking commentary from Op-Ed columnists, the Times editorial board and contributing writers from around the world. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. SEE SAMPLE MANAGE EMAIL PREFERENCES PRIVACY POLICY Ivanka’s a major power in the administration, and she ought to be mobilizing support for things like easy access to contraceptives. “Women Who Work” isn’t exactly aimed at the people who have problems paying for their prescriptions — its target readers need tips on massage priorities and getting the nanny to send Mom pictures of how the kids are spending their day. But she’s not witless and she obviously knows that birth control plays an important role in working women’s lives. You think she’d put in a word. No sign. The president has directed departments like health and human services to consider whether the government should allow employers who cite religious objections to cut contraceptives out of their health care plans. What do you think said agencies will decide? Here’s a hint: The new head of H.H.S., Tom Price, is a guy who once claimed there was “not one” woman who had ever had a problem paying for birth control on her own. (Getting an intrauterine device implanted can cost $1,000 in some parts of the country.) The reproductive rights war is always promoted publicly as a battle against abortion. But many religious conservatives hate birth control in general. Some just want to stop sex outside of marriage. Some don’t believe even married couples should use artificial methods like pills or condoms. Some believe that all fertilized eggs are humans and that many forms of contraception, from IUDs to morning-after pills, cause the equivalent of murder. It’s a theological principle that most Americans don’t accept. “Personhood” amendments giving the eggs constitutional rights have been defeated even in very conservative states. Yet the president has just named, as one of the top officials in H.H.S., a woman who believes IUDs kill. Charmaine Yoest described intrauterine devices to Emily Bazelon in a Times interview as having “life-ending properties.” Yoest, who’s going to be assistant secretary for public affairs, also refuses to consider whether increased access to contraception will actually help reduce abortion rates. It would, she told PBS, “be, frankly, carrying water for the other side to allow them to redefine the issue in that way.” Teresa Manning, a former official at National Right to Life, is said to be Trump’s pick for another high post at H.H.S., deputy assistant secretary for — are you ready? — population affairs. Manning, who, like Yoest, has argued that abortions cause breast cancer, is going to be in charge of all federal family planning programs. She’s the one who once claimed in a radio interview that “contraception doesn’t work.” The idea that “contraception would always prevent the conception” was, she said, “preposterous.” 1004 COMMENTS Nobody thinks these appointees reflect Trump’s own personal convictions, and the president doesn’t need to go this far to satisfy his voter base. It’s just that he doesn’t care, and figures he can concede to the ultraright on women’s reproductive issues in return for stuff he really wants. So he’s working toward a world where low-income women won’t be able to afford contraceptives. And aren’t allowed to have an abortion if they get pregnant. Where there’s no Planned Parenthood to go to for help, or insurance to cover prenatal care or delivery. Other than that, no problem. I invite you to join me on Facebook. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. A version of this op-ed appears in print on May 6, 2017, on Page A21 of the New York edition with the headline: Where’s Ivanka When We Need Her?. Today's Paper|Subscribe Continue reading the main story TRENDING Kentucky Derby 2017: The Experts Make Their Picks When That Feisty Neighbor Becomes the President Macron Campaign Says It Was Target of ‘Massive’ Hacking Attack Opinion: Ivanka Trump’s Collectible Quotations 18 Penn State Students Charged in Fraternity Death Judy Woodruff, the Woman of the Hour Op-Ed Columnist: Where’s Ivanka When We Need Her? Police Officer Who Fatally Shot 15-Year-Old Texas Boy Is Charged With Murder Eliud Kipchoge Runs World’s Fastest Marathon, in Nike’s Special Shoes U.S. Far-Right Activists Promote Hacking Attack Against Macron View More Trending Stories » Gail Collins American politics and culture. Way Too Many Trumps Out of the blue, the president suddenly showed new sides of himself. The Trump 100-Day Quiz, Part 2 Thinking caps on! 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