#24 LI Health and Beauty

[queering-ecology]

Chapter 7. Polluted Politics? Confronting Toxic Discourse, Sex Panic and Eco-Normativity by Giovanna Di Chiro

“Stereotypes and lies lodge in our bodies as surely as bullets. They live and fester there, stealing the body.”—Eli Clare

Queer ecology as defined by Mortimer-Sandilands (2005, 24) “both about seeing beauty in the wounds of the world and taking responsibility to care for the world as it is”. (200)

Environmental justice constructs an eco-politics that defines the environment as our communities: the places where ‘we live, work, play, and learn’ (200). Environmental justice activists embrace inhabited/built places---cities, villages, reservations, agricultural fields, workplaces, poor and low-income neighborhoods next to hazardous industrial facilities as environments worthy of recognition and protection (Di Chiro 1996)

There has been rising environmental anxiety that surrounds cultural fears of exposure to chemical and endocrine-disrupting toxins especially as it relates to the troubling and destabilizing of normal/natural gendered bodies of humans and other animal species aka the “chemical castration” or the “feminization of nature” (Cadbury 1998; Hayes 2002)--rising fears that we are “swimming in a sea of estrogen” (Raloff 1994b, 56; Sumpter and Jobling 1995 173) as a consequence of rising levels of estrogenic, synthetic chemical compounds emitted into our water, air and food known as estrogenic pollution (ova-pollution). (201)

Pop-science warning about the ‘instability of maleness’—warns that the rising incidences of male-to-female gender shifts and intersex conditions observed in the ‘lower’ species of animals, such as frogs, fish, and salamanders, represent the newest ‘canaries in the coalmine’ portending an uncertain fate for human maleness and for the future of ‘normal’ sexual reproduction (Robert 2003) (201) also anti-toxins discourse has concerns about estrogenic chemical toxins disrupting/preventing/disturbing ‘normal’ prenatal physiological development and natural reproductive processes, leading to rising cases of infertility and producing disabled, defective, and even monstrous bodies (201)…

What can develop is a “sex panic” that resuscitates familiar heterosexist, queerphobic, and eugenics arguments classifying some bodies as not normal: mistakes, perversions, burdens (I would add ‘freaks’)…under the guise of laudable goal/progressive goals, a certain type of anti-toxics environmentalism mobilizes knowledge/power of normalcy and normativity and reinforces compulsory social-environmental order based on a dominant regime of what and who are constructed as normal and natural (Davis 1995; Garland-Thompson 1997; McRuer 2006).

Disability becomes an environmental problem and lgbtq people become disabled—the unintended consequences of a contaminated and impure environment, unjustly impaired by chemical trespass. (202) The true scope of the mortality and morbidity of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) becomes distorted by alarmist focus. This fixation ends up de-emphasizing and worse--naturalizing and normalizing other serious health problems associated with POPs that are on the rise: breast, ovarian, prostate and testicular cancers, neurological and neurobehavioral problems, immune system breakdown, heart disease, diabetes and obesity (202).

There is good reason for alarm concerning the continued use and accumulation of toxic chemicals that are wreaking havoc on the health and reproductive possibilities of the living world. Our cumulative exposures to endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, neurotoxins, asthmagens, and mutagens in our normal, everyday lives from our daily contact with plastic water bottles, shampoos, and kitchen cleaners to insect repellents, food preservatives, and factory farmed meats, among others, are most certainly putting at risk the health of our own bodies and our earth. (210) But where should the critical attention lie?

The hyperfocus on the world turning into hermaphrodites participates in a sexual titillation strategy summoning the familiar ‘crimes against’ nature’ credo and inviting culturally sanctioned homophobia while at the same time sidelining and naturalizing ‘normal’ environmental diseases such as cancer (211).

--

Environmental theory and politics in the US have historically mobilized ideas of the normal, to determine which  bodies and environments/landscapes embody the distinctly American values of productive work, rugged individualism, masculinity, independence, potency, and moral virtue upon which environmental advocacy movements should be based (Haraway 1989; Cronon 1991). Critical histories of U.S. environmentalism have revealed the capitalist, patriarchal, colonialist, heteronormative, eugenicist, and ableist histories underlying its “progressive” exterior (Boag 2003; Darnovky 1992; Evans 2002; Gaard 2004; Jaquette 2005; Sutter 2001).

Eco-normativity (or eco[hetero]normativity) appear in alarmist discourse in the anti-toxins arm of the environmental movement. Their alarm about contaminants effect on sex/gender appeals to preexisting cultural norms of gender balance, normal sexual reproduction and the balance of nature. The use of “anti-normal” “anti-natural” in antitoxins discourse is highly questionable and risks reinforcing the dominant social and economic order (the forces actually responsible for environmental destruction and toxic contamination of all our bodies and environments) by naturalizing the multiple injustices that shore it up”…and thus creates what the author terms, polluted politics.

#queer ecologies: sex nature politics desire #econormativity #heteronormativity #critical ecology #queer ecology #ecology #environmental contamination #persistent organic pollutants #toxins #anti toxins #eugenics #ecofeminism #environmental politics #ecological science #environmental science

[btswrckd]

Secrets and Lies

Mafia member!Namjoon x Fem!Reader

Summary: Part of the War of Hearts universe! You've spent the last 10 years not really knowing just who your best and only friend actually is or just obsessed he is with you, but when an unexpected threat emerges from your mother's past, he's given an opportunity that he just can't pass up.

Warnings: mentions of violence, mentions of guns and other weapons, mention of death, mention of obsessive behavior, Namjoon's kind of a prick to an old one-night stand

A/N: Ta-da!! It's here!! I'm sure there's more warnings I missed and I'm sorry!! As you guys may know, I've been working on 3 separate fics for the War of Hearts verse and I'm still working on them, but I wasn't sure whose story I wanted to put out first. As I'm bouncing back and forth between the stories, I've finally figured out the order in which I want to put them out. Please enjoy guys!

“Are you going to tell me what, exactly, we’re doing here?” Hoseok yawns from the passenger seat of Namjoon’s sleek black Hyundai. Why Namjoon thought of such a car as “inconspicuous”, Hoseok will never know. Honestly, he was pretty pissed that Namjoon had dragged him out of the house at 4 o’clock in the morning to watch random people come and go from some 24 hour diner that sits just before entering city limits. But when the door opens for the hundredth time and a pile of messy hair sitting in a bun atop the head of a beautiful girl comes bouncing out, he rolls his eyes. Now he knows what the hell they were waiting around for. 

“Seriously, Namjoon,” Hoseok groans and burrows into the heated seat. “Can’t you stalk your girlfriend without me?”

“Shut up,” Namjoon hisses at him. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“But you are stalking her, correct?” 

“Hobi,” Namjoon warns again, “shut the fuck up.”

He doesn’t hear whatever it is that Hoseok mumbles under his breath, simply shaking his head and turning his attention back to the waitress who’d just finished a 12 hour shift. Without the top of a messy bun flouncing about, he’d have lost you in the mass of cars you were weaving through. You look tired, he notes, exhausted as you slump against the driver door of the beat up old car that you’d been saving up for. He never liked when you took the bus; too many strange men would look your way far too long for his liking. But he didn’t think a car like that would suffice either, even though it meant tracking you was a little easier. 

Your head thumps against the steel door of the small car you’d salvaged from a junkyard. “Still,” you remind yourself, “a junker car is better than no car at all. Definitely smells better than the bus.” It was the third 12 hour shift you’ve worked in a row and still had another 3 to go. To say you were exhausted would be putting it lightly. You’re worn out, both physically and mentally, but you have to keep going. Have to keep making money. Have to pay off the medical bills that only seem to keep racking up. The sound of an obnoxious ringtone blares in the dark parking lot and you jump in place as you recognize it as your own. 

“Shit,” you hiss, fumbling for your cell phone only to find the caller I.D. belonging to none other than your ex-boyfriend. It’s not that you’re ungrateful for him taking on the task of being your mother’s caretaker, it’s that you wish he’d stop trying to use her dwindling health as an excuse to try and get back together. “Minseok,” you answer, vexed. “What is it?”

“Good morning to you too, sunshine,” Minseok snaps back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. After all, catching an attitude with you when he’s trying so hard to get you back is not going to earn him any brownie points. “Hey, so, you just got off work right? Why don’t you stop by and we can have breakfast? Your mom’s been asking to see you.”

“In time,” is all you can say. It’s all you’ve been saying since you were a teenager. Your mother is all you have left and to keep blowing off chances to visit her breaks your heart a little more each time. You love her so much, but the thought of seeing the frail body in place of what once was a strong and healthy woman makes you want to cry. You don’t know how long she has left or why you keep avoiding her, knowing damn well that she’ll be gone soon. You only know that distracting yourself with work doesn’t make you feel as helpless as sitting at home waiting for the inevitable phone call. Minseok is babbling about something, but you don’t catch what it is when the sound of approaching footsteps has you reaching for the pepper spray attached to your key ring. 

Namjoon is amused when you whirl around, pepper spray at the ready even if it is with a shaking grip. He laughs as your shocked face morphs to one of anger and embarrassment. Clearly, you hadn’t expected to be snuck up on in the middle of the parking lot of your job, and that makes him uneasy. You should always be aware of your surroundings. “What are you doing with that, you nut case?”

“Shut the hell up, Joon!” You kick at the loose rocks on the pavement, sending them flying in his direction. “You scared the crap out of me, asshole. What are you doing lurking around a dark parking lot anyways?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” He tilts his head playfully, though there’s no hint of amusement in his tone anymore. You should have gotten in your car and left a long time ago, yet something or someone, namely Minseok, kept you from doing so. He recognized the look on your face when you’d looked at the phone screen. Even from across the lot, he knew who was stupid enough to bother you after a long week of working. With a roll of his eyes, he takes the phone from your hand and ignores your protests.

“Minseok,” he says into the phone, skillfully dodging your attempts to pry it away from him. “How are you?”

“I’m uh,” Minseok sputters, “good. I’m good, I guess. What are you um, what are you doing with Y/N?”

“Me? Oh, nothing really. Just came to pick her up from work. Yeah, she finally scrapped that heap of junk and decided to ride in style. With me. Goodbye, Minseok.” Namjoon ends the call, carelessly tossing the phone back into your waiting hands. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, he nods down at you. “Heading home?”

“Trying to.” You prop a hand on your hip and he groans because he knows exactly what’s about to come. “You know I hate it when you do that. Getting under Minseok’s skin does absolutely nothing for you, so why do you do it? And you know he’s the primary caretaker for my mom. Stop trying to piss him off.”

“You never get after him when he pisses me off,” he points out. It was never a secret how much he despised Minseok, especially when you dated that little prick. Nothing makes Namjoon’s blood boil more than the image of Minseok taking you on dates, holding your hand, kissing your skin, touching you wherever he pleased and you allowed. “Anyways, I wasn’t trying to get under his skin. If he feels threatened by me then it’s not really my fault. And what the hell is he still doing taking care of your mom? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

“Not everyone at the rehab center knows we dated,” you explain, missing the flash of anger in his eyes. “He’s the only one that mom trusts.”

“You know I can take care of her too.” He braces his large palms against the car door, trapping you between the metal and his body. “I’ve offered a thousand times, Y/N, you always say no.”

“I’ve burdened you enough.” 

Namjoon sees the brief downward tilt of your lips, a frown you try so hard to hide from him. He won’t have it. Tucking his finger beneath your chin, he tilts it up to look you in the eye. “You’re not a burden. Neither is your mother. I’ve told you before that all you have to do is ask and I’ll give you anything you want, Y/N.”

“I just want her to be better,” you whisper, casting your eyes to the floor as they flood with tears. There’s no doubt in your mind that if you were to ask Namjoon for private care, he would gladly take care of it without expecting anything in return. That’s how it’s always been with him though. Always giving but never taking. According to his close friend, Hoseok, that’s how Namjoon’s grown up. You’re not entirely sure what his home life was like when he was a child, but his parents seemed to have done a wonderful job raising him. You can’t honestly say you’ve ever met anyone like him in all your 28 years of life. 

Namjoon’s finger becomes firm in making your eyes meet his once more. His mouth tightens into a thin line and you know he’s trying to hold back his frustration. When he met you in the hallway at the hospital nearly 10 years ago, you’d just learned of your mother’s diagnosis. To say you were distraught would be sugarcoating it. You were absolutely devastated. He remembers how 18-year-old you had slid down the wall with body wracking sobs, but you’d tried to hide it as your mother was just a few feet behind a closed door. You had wailed into your knees after drawing them as close to your body as possible. He had just rounded the corner of the hall, hissing into his phone about the absolute fucking disaster that was Hoseok’s assignment, when he’d seen you and he felt like time had slowed. Something about you, about the heart wrenching way your body curled up that made him feel…protective. It was his job to protect Taehyung, sure, but you were an entirely different story. You had nothing to offer him. No kind of incentive for his comfort. And yet, when he’d walked over and reached out his hand, you’d taken it. Taken it so damn easily and allowed yourself to be comforted by a complete stranger. It was always a mystery to him, how you’d melted into his body without noticing the blood staining his white dress shirt.

“Joon?” your voice cuts through the hazy fog that was his trip down memory lane. Blinking back your tears, you cup his face to bring him back to reality. It hadn’t taken you long to figure out that when Namjoon spaced out, it took a great deal to bring him back. But not with you. Never with you. Because, somehow, your voice and touch, and yours alone could bring him back in a matter of seconds. When his brown eyes finally clear, you smile softly at him.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” he says, taking your wrists in his large hands and running his thumbs along the veins of them. A smirk plays on his lips when he notices you shiver. Not from the cold, but from him. “I’m supposed to be the one comforting you. Not the other way around. What was it that Minseok wanted anyway?”

“To have dinner. Or breakfast. Or, I don’t really know, but I know it had to do with eating in the same vicinity as each other,” you sigh and slump against the cool metal of your car. “I’m not exactly up for it, but I guess I should go. He says mom’s been asking for me, but I–.”

“What an asshole,” comes a familiar voice. One you aren’t exactly expecting, so when you jump, Hoseok’s deep chuckle cuts through the parking lot. You always wondered how he managed to stalk around without making a single noise. You feel Namjoon tense and tighten his hold on your wrists. 

The taller man turns to his friend with a snarl on his face. “A little warning next time, jackass.” 

Hoseok shrugs and purses his lips in an innocent way that makes you giggle. A grin splits his face as Namjoon scowls at him for being able to make you laugh when he himself couldn’t. “It’s late. Or early. Or fucking…whatever. Can we just go now? We kind of have someplace to be, you know.” 

And by someplace, Hoseok means waiting outside of Choi Hyunwoo’s apartment to grab his ass and get back to Taehyung. He quirks his brow up at Namjoon, rolling his eyes when Namjoon ignores him to face you. He turns his back to give you guys some privacy, but fuck if he’ll stand there all day watching Namjoon make goo goo eyes at you. 

“Don’t let Minseok guilt you into seeing him,” Namjoon says, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “I understand that you feel it over not seeing your mother as often as you think you should. It’s why I’m more than happy to set her up with private home care. That way you can also cut down on your part time jobs. They’re wearing you down.”

“Real charming, Joon,” you snort and shove him away. “But you know I can’t take you up on that offer. It wouldn’t feel right if I couldn’t at least help you pay for her care.”

“Then, for the time being,” he says through grit teeth, “at least let me stave off Minseok.” He’s quick to wrap his arms around your waist and haul your chest to his. Your squeak of surprise makes him chuckle and you blush. “Hobi, do me a favor. Take a picture of this.”

You don’t have time to question what the hell he was talking about because he winds his fingers through your hair, tilts your face up, and pretends to slants his lips against yours. You inhale sharply at the contact, fingers digging into his jacket in a death grip, and oddly, found it far too easy to lean into his faux kiss. Your eyes meet the intensity of his brown orbs, bouncing back and forth as if searching for something. Reason, perhaps? Or signs of insanity. Because why the hell else would Namjoon go to such lengths just to get Minseok off your back? 

Namjoon’s gaze deepens, his pupils dilating from the proximity. He can’t seem to remember that it was meant to be fake. He was meant to look like he was kissing you, not actually doing it. But he’d be lying if he told himself he didn’t want to know what your chapstick tastes like. If it’s the usual, nauseating taste. Or if this is one of the rare times you’d reached for the strawberry flavored lip balm. He almost chuckles as he imagines you rummaging through your bedside drawer and plucking your least favorite flavor in your haste to get to work on time. He always tells you to toss the hated flavor in the trash, but you, for whatever reason, never do. Apparently, you only keep it in “just in case” situations. Situations such as running late for work and not having the time to turn your apartment upside down in search of the usual, worn down tube of chapstick. 

Distantly, you recognize the faint sound of a cell phone camera going off, but when Namjoon sweeps the pad of his thumb along your bottom lip, your thighs clench together as the feel of the roughly callused finger sets your body on fire. It’s such a simple gesture and yet, you find yourself unable to catch your breath. When he pulls on your lip as he traces a path down to grip your chin, you rise to the tips of your toes in anticipation. You’re far too ready to kiss him, and a part of you panics when a deep chuckle rumbles in his chest. You flush, embarrassed to have been caught leaning into his touch so shamelessly. You consider punching him as you usually do when he manages to fluster you, but then he presses in further, his own plump lips skimming across your mouth in an almost kiss that has you panting with need. Your eyelids become heavy and they close as pure, unadulterated desire pounds deep in your bones and your fingers card through his soft hair. You feel him shiver against the feel of your nails gently scratching the hair at the nape of his neck. 

Namjoon knows he has to gain control of the situation soon. It was spiraling, and quickly, and he was more than willing to allow it to happen. But he doesn’t want the first of many kisses to come, be one that stems from him trying to piss off your ex-boyfriend. Because there will be more to come. He will taste you properly and he will continue to do so until you say otherwise. You, and only you, have the kind of control over him that no one ever has. Not even Taehyung. 

“Namjoon,” you whisper and you swear an actual groan leaves his mouth because your lips bump against his as you speak. “Please,” you beg even though you’re sure this is an entirely bad idea. Heat pools in your lower belly as you press up against him, his thigh slotting between the apex of your legs, a noise of excitement leaving your throat as he leans in.

“I’m only going to stand here for so long to watch you guys pretend to swap spit,” Hoseok comments in irritation. “It’s hot, sure, but we’ve got more important things to do, Namjoon.”

When Namjoon parts from you, the both of you are panting, breaths mingling in the cold night air. His hand moves from the nape of your neck to slide down along the line of your jaw. His thumb sweeps across your cheek softly and he takes his time to look over your flushed face and heaving chest. Your eyes are still closed, making his chest swell with pride when one shift of his body makes your fingers tighten in his hair. 

You don’t even notice you’ve done it, not until you finally open your eyes to find that you are the one keeping him in place. Quickly, you release him and try to create some distance, but you only bump into your car door. You want to be angry with him. You want to question what the hell he was thinking. But most of all, you want to understand why it didn’t bother you nearly as much as you thought it would. You’d known him since you were 18 and never once had it crossed your mind that he’d ever find you attractive. The same couldn’t be said for you, though, because you’d always harbored a small crush on him. You’d thought dating Minseok would quell that ache for Namjoon’s attention, but it really didn’t and you kind of felt bad when a small part of you wondered what Namjoon’s hand would feel like in place of Minseok’s on your skin. 

“Send this to him,” Namjoon’s deep voice startles you while he holds out Hoseok’s phone. He watches, amused, as you stare at the picture on the phone. He can see your mind working in overtime as you process the seemingly loving embrace Hoseok managed to capture. “Minseok’s always thought you and I were together at some point, or even hooked up, so it’s not that odd to see us like this.”

“No, you can’t!” you squeak and try to snatch the phone from his hand. That attempt fails as he easily maneuvers out of reach. “Don’t send that, Namjoon!”

Hoseok snatches the phone from Namjoon’s hand and stalks off back to the car. He’s mumbling something under his breath that you can’t make sense of and slams the car door once he’s inside. Sinking down into the seat, he leans his head against the window to rest comfortably in hopes of getting some sleep. 

“I have to go.” Namjoon sounds reluctant to leave as he steps away. He knows Hoseok already sent the picture to Minseok so there was no backing out now. In fact, Minseok should be calling you any second and he wishes he could stick around for that conversation, but Hoseok was right. If he didn’t leave now, then they’d miss Hyunwoo and the last thing they need is Taehyung tearing into them for screwing up. “Minseok will be calling soon. Ignore it, go home, get some sleep. I’ll check on you later.”

“But, I–.” you try to protest as he walks off and right on cue, your phone rings with irritating familiarity. “Damn it.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Why are you fucking with your own feelings just to piss off Minseok?” Hoseok questions Namjoon on the ride back home. He pays no mind to the muffled groaning coming from Hyunwoo lying on the floor of the van they’d swapped into later that morning. “It’s only going to get worse from here now. You know that, right?”

“Shut up,” Namjoon grumbles from the driver seat. He can’t say Hoseok’s wrong, he hardly ever is, but Namjoon isn’t willing to admit that. His grip on the steering wheel tightens as the memory of your lips and your touch, it all comes to the forefront of his mind and makes his chest tight. He had hoped that you did as he said and went home to get some sleep, but one quick peek at your Snapchat story revealed a breakfast plate filled with eggs and toast smothered in strawberry jam. Your mother’s favorite.

“You’re still pissed off that she went to breakfast with Minseok?”

“She didn’t go with Minseok. She went to see her mom.”

“Right,” Hoseok hums delightedly, “her mother. Who is currently being taken care of by who, again? Oh, right. Minseok.”

Namjoon uses the rearview mirror to glance back at his friend with a scowl. He knew he should have left his dumb ass back at home with Yoongi after he helped them pull the van from one of his family’s many junk yards. “You can join Hyunwoo in his misery, or you can shut the fuck up.”

Hoseok tosses his head back in howling laughter as Namjoon pulls through the security gates of Taehyung’s home. Pulling up to the front of the house, he gets out of the car to meet Taehyung and Yoongi at the passenger side door. He draws open the side door to reveal Hyunwoo bound, gagged, and covered in bruises. “Hoseok went a little…overboard.”

Yoongi’s low toned whistle makes him wince because he knows that Yoongi knows his lie was complete bullshit. “Damn, RM, you really did a number on this guy.”

“He tried to run,” Namjoon says as if it’s that simple of an explanation. When Yoongi shoots him a knowing look, he rolls his eyes towards the sky. That was, in fact, not what had happened and he had used it as a not so believable excuse to beat the shit out of Hyunwoo. It was a means to vent his frustration and Hoseok had let it happen without complaint. Then again, Hoseok never really complained about any  kind of violence. Save for the few domestic ones he’d seen over the years. Oh, he’d always let his knife or gun do the talking then. 

Taehyung climbs into the passenger seat and taps on the window as a sign for them to hurry the hell up before his wife comes storming outside. His phone rings while Yoongi jumps in the back with Hoseok and Hyunwoo. He answers it with a smirk on his face while Namjoon reclaims his seat behind the wheel. 

Namjoon isn’t entirely sure what the conversation is about but it was pretty amusing to watch Hyunwoo lose his shit. When Taehyung throws out an innuendo that clearly has his wife panicking, he tries to hide his smile as Taehyung pulls the phone from his ear and stares at it.

“She hung up on me,” Taehyung comments in disbelief. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Nabi would hang up on him after his little quip, or the fact that she hadn’t entirely forgiven him for their fight last night. But if there’s one thing Namjoon’s come to learn in the decades of friendship with his six brothers, it’s that they’re all the smartest people he knows…and the dumbest. It’s a good balance of brains and stupidity, it keeps things fresh. 

“I’m shocked she didn’t do more than yell at you last night,” Namjoon laughs. “Or that you didn’t kill Yoongi for being an instigator.”

“What good would it do me to be rid of him?” Taehyung catches Yoongi’s eye in the mirror. “But he is lucky I didn’t at least shoot him for it.”

“Jimin was the one who made it worse by giving you the spare key to your guys’ room,” Yoongi defends himself with a roll of his eyes. “Did it not get worse after you opened that door and Nabi nearly tore your head off?”

“Jimin’s not out of the woods either.” Taehyung scrolls through his phone, swiping through picture after picture that Hoseok had sent him earlier. Each of them include Hyunwoo stalking down various streets in his attempt to follow one of Nabi’s best friends. He thumbs through each one until…

“Is this a picture of you kissing Y/N, Namjoon?” Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot so far up that they nearly disappear into his hairline. 

“Hoseok!” Namjoon barks back at his friend. “I said send it to Minseok, not broadcast it to everyone we know.”

Hoseok shrugs from his spot in the back. “As I recall, I said I wasn’t going to stand around all day while you guys made out. But you made me wait anyway. So, that’s on you.”

“My god, Namjoon, you really didn’t hold back, did you?” Yoongi is too busy peeking over Taehyung’s shoulder to notice Namjoon holding up his middle finger. 

“Clearly, she didn’t either,” Taehyung notes, turning slightly so Yoongi can get a better look. 

“Stop it,” Namjoon hisses, reaching out to take the phone from Taehyung. “You guys are like fucking children. It’s a wonder how Nabi can stand the two of you.”

“You’re awfully angry for someone who kissed the girl he’s been pining after for 10 years,” comes Yoongi’s voice.

“I didn’t really kiss her,” Namjoon growls low in his throat and contemplates shoving Yoongi out of the moving van. “And I haven’t been fucking pining, you prick.”

“Someone’s pretty fucking testy this morning,” his senior hisses back, having had enough of Namjoon’s pissy attitude. 

“He’s just pissed that she spent the morning with Minsoek,” Hoseok not so helpfully supplies. “Apparently the picture didn’t do much to deter the poor bastard from asking her out again. Remind me why it ended between them again?”

Namjoon grips the wheel so tight that his arm shakes with barely restrained anger. Your relationship with Minseok ended on a relatively civil note. Something that always bothered Namjoon because it would have been easier for you to let go of him, or for Minseok to let go of you if things had just ended badly. But that hadn’t been the case. At least not from what you’d told him. You’d called him one night and, in an eerily calm voice, explained that Minseok had broken up with you. All of the time spent apart because of your part time jobs and having to tend to your mother had finally made him snap. You’d gone on to say that you weren’t really sure why you’d been so surprised. After all, Namjoon had been hinting at it for months but you’d never taken it seriously. It hadn’t bothered you that Minseok chose to part ways, maybe that’s why it angered Minseok when you didn’t want to reconcile. Maybe a part of him thought and still thinks that you didn’t care for him as much as he was led to believe. 

Good, Namjoon thinks to himself. Good, because fuck Minseok and fuck his selfishness for leaving you at your most vulnerable, and then turning around and hoping to get back together. Namjoon will be damned before that ever happens.

He tunes back into the conversation when it steers to Nabi’s best friend, Soyoung, whom Hyunwoo had been tailing. They inform him that Soyoung can be just as cruel as Nabi if not more, and Hyunwoo seems caught off guard. Namjoon finds it easy to fall into the cruel amusement his boss and friends have at Hyunwoo’s expense. That is, until Yoongi brings up the subject of what you and Minseok could have possibly been up to if you weren’t answering Namjoon’s calls or texts. Namjoon quickly shuts down once more, sneering at Yoongi’s reflection in the mirror.

“Damn,” Hoseok sighs and pockets his switchblade as they come up on Taehyung’s father’s building. “Now you guys have done it. He’ll be pissy the rest of the day now.”

“Us?” Yoongi hisses, pushing Hoseok’s shoulder roughly as they scramble out of the van. “You’re the one who brought it up first, dumbass.”

“You didn’t have to mention that she hasn’t responded, dipshit.”

“Enough,” Taehyung hushes them as they walk through the back doors of his father’s building. He doesn’t often use them, but given how they’re still holding Hyunwoo hostage, he doesn’t really have a choice now. “We’ll talk about this later,” he addresses Namjoon after stepping into the elevator.

------------------------------------------------------------

Namjoon thanks whatever higher power that keeps Taehyung occupied with the Seong brothers at lunch so he can thumb through his phone once more. He’s been waiting all fucking day for you to answer his call, which is yet to happen. He knows he said you needed to get sleep, but damn it, he wishes he could go and check on you. That, and the fact that he and Taehyung are still reeling from their earlier argument is on his mind. Taehyung’s plan to put Nabi and Hyunwoo in the same room as each other while giving Hyunwoo the freedom to move about honestly scares Namjoon. It’s clear that Nabi is capable of handling herself against any normal person, but Hyunwoo has grown up in the center of the mafia, being spoiled and coddled so much by his father that he believed he was entitled to anything he wanted. This included Nabi. It makes Namjoon’s stomach turn sour at the thought of putting Nabi in a situation that could potentially destroy her strong mindset. But Taehyung has all the faith in the world in his wife and Namjoon can’t blame him. Nabi is the furthest thing from timid and weak.   

Thunder crashes in the sky above and lightning follows, leaving their entire party to rush inside the cafe Nabi’s chosen to eat at. As they filter inside, Yoongi is hissing underneath his breath about getting caught in the rain while he shucks his jacket off to lay across an empty table. Jungkook and Jimin don’t miss the opportunity to piss him off further by shaking their hair about and spraying water everywhere. 

“Damn it,” Hoseok seethes at the two youngest, resisting the urge to slap one or both of them upside the head. “Can you two be any less civilized?”

“Jungkook!” Namjoon slaps his shoulder after the youngest wrings out his jacket over top of Hoseok’s head. As if Hoseok wasn’t one of the most dangerous men in the city. “Behave.”

Jungkook snorts in response and sets his jacket flat over the same table Yoongi has his splayed about. He’s the only one of them to not notice Taehyung drag Nabi off towards the bathrooms and Namjoon’s eye twitches when the Seong brothers do notice and 4 out of the 5 men move to stop them from following Taehyung and Nabi. It would be alot easier if Jungkook would pull his head out of his ass and get it together. 

“You can’t really expect us to stand here and do nothing?” Joongki, the oldest Seong brother and Nabi’s cousin, tries to shove past Namjoon.

“Unless you want to walk in on a very intimate moment,” Hoseok warns him while wrangling Jeonghan, Nabi’s other cousin, to an empty booth. “I suggest you sit the hell down and leave them be.”

“Nabi will be embarrassed enough without the two of you storming in there.” Yoongi grips Joongki’s shoulder and helps Namjoon shove him into the other side of the booth. “Know and understand this, Taehyung cherishes your cousin more than any of us here. There’s not a damn thing in this world that could stop him from giving her anything and everything she wants and needs. He will not hurt her, he will not coerce her into what’s happening, and he for damn sure will absolutely not touch her without her express permission.”

“Joongki,” Namjoon catches his attention, “I know you’re smarter than this. I know you would not have let Taehyung put Nabi under our roof if you thought we couldn’t keep her safe. None of us would let Taehyung hurt her. Jungkook nearly got himself killed multiple times just for stepping in between their arguments. Don’t lose your cool because you can’t handle that Nabi’s a grown woman.”

Finally, the Seong brothers seem to accept the words Yoongi and Namjoon speak, and Namjoon sighs in relief now that he can check his phone again. Still, nothing from you and it makes his blood boil. “Son of a bitch,” he grumbles, dialing your phone number and pressing it to his ear. “I swear to God, if you don’t fucking pick up…”

“Yeah?” Your breathless voice hits his ears like a symphony and all of the blood rushes to his groin. You’re met with absolute silence and pull the phone back to check if Namjoon had hung up. “Joon? You there?”

He coughs as his throat dries up and attempts to clear it in hopes of not sounding so gruff when he answers, “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“Just a little,” you huff out another breathless laugh. “It’s okay though. I had to get up and get some grocery shopping done before my shift at the diner tonight.”

“You should have done that after your breakfast with Minseok,” he growls, letting his temper get the best of him. “Then you could have slept longer.”

“I slept long enough.” You know he can practically hear your eye roll. “Joon, I didn’t have breakfast with Minseok. I went to visit my mother and he was there. He does happen to work there, you know.”

“Didn’t seeing my tongue down your throat scare him off?” he snaps back in response. “Didn’t it piss him off the way it pisses me off that he really thinks he has a chance after I sent you to him wet and ready for me?”

“Namjoon!” you gasp, clenching your thighs together as you had earlier that morning. What had gotten into him? He’s never spoken to you this way and while it did get you a little hot and bothered, it also reminds you of the almost kiss you’d shared. Something that most definitely should not have happened. It left you wanting much more and knowing you can’t have it. It’s a line you swore you’d never cross with Namjoon, not when he was your oldest and only friend. It would complicate things and you couldn’t handle losing him if it tore the friendship apart.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” his voice cuts through your thoughts, making your heartbeat skyrocket. “I’m so sorry, Y/N, that wasn’t okay for me to say. I’m just—.”

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, not wanting to hear whatever explanation he has for momentarily forgetting you were his best friend, not one of the usual girls he sleeps with. “Look, Namjoon, I have to go. It’s going to get late and I won’t be able to get everything done that I need to.”

“Y/N, wait. I—.”

“And don’t stop by the diner tonight.” You’re adamant in this because a few of your co-workers had spotted him this morning and texted you to ask if you’d been dating again. You don’t need them to think you’re attached to anyone, especially not Namjoon of all people. It would only make things awkward when he inevitably got a long time girlfriend and you were stuck having to explain everything. 

“Why the fuck not?” Namjoon tries his best to keep his voice down, but he’s not doing a very good job as Mr. and Mrs. Kim’s heads whip his way. “The area around the diner is dangerous, Y/N, I’ll be damned if anything happens to you.” He’s seething and it shows in his voice after hearing his full name from your lips. He’d learned long ago that if he made you angry enough, you would forgo his nickname in favor of his full name, and he never realized how much he hated hearing you say it until right this moment. “Where is this coming from?”

“People will talk, Namjoon,” you mumble, scooting to the edge of your bed in search of your pajama shorts. Your air conditioner has been on the fritz lately and it picks and chooses when to work. Today, it decided it did not want to work. Though it was still nice and cool outside, your apartment was like a damn furnace since the window latch had been broken. Admittedly, you don’t live in the greatest building with the greatest landlord. Or the greatest part of town. But it’s a roof over your head, so you can’t really complain. Namjoon had lost his shit time and time again when it came to your apartment so you decided to stop telling him all of its issues entirely. 

“So, let them talk,” he growls, turning away from Yoongi’s questioning gaze. His stare, in turn, had the rest of the guys and Taehyung’s parents staring as well. It makes Namjoon tense up when they notice he’s losing this argument. “Don’t take that chance just because I pissed you off, Y/N. Don’t push me away and shut me out because I’m being an asshole. That’s my fault and I’m sorry. But don’t…” he sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of his nose. He can hear the rustling of your sheets as you move about your bed. His throat bobs at the thought of what the hell you could be doing to make that much noise. “Just don’t, baby, please.”

Baby.

He called you baby and a part of you softens at the pet name. The other part of you gets angry that he would try to manipulate you by saying it. You’ve watched him charm girl after girl when he got bored enough and every single time, they fell for it. You hated it. Hated how they got to see a part of him he would never show you because of your friendship. Hated that he was using those same tactics now to manipulate you into forgiving him. Your chest feels tight and there’s a hitch in your breath when you tell him, “I don’t want people to think we’re together. It’s bad enough Minseok bought into the picture Hobi sent him. I don’t need my coworkers thinking I’m ready to date again. Especially not you.”

He takes offense to that. So much so that his knuckles curl into a fist, one that’s two seconds away from meeting the wall in front of him until Jimin taps his shoulder. It’s enough to make him look up and find that everyone was ready to go after the rain finally settled. Poor Nabi looks ready to combust, her entire face as red as a tomato, and Taehyung looks too fucking smug for Namjoon’s liking. He hangs up without bidding you goodbye because if he opens his mouth to say anything at all, it’ll only upset you even more. Especially not him? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? 

His life was never meant for someone permanent or special to be invited into. Not with the constant danger lurking around every corner, or the men he regularly spends time around because of Taehyung and his own family ties into the mafia. While his father treats his mother like a goddess, and Taehyung does the same with Nabi, Namjoon couldn’t see himself treating anyone with that kind of respect while you were around. You occupy too many of his thoughts. He’s aware that all of this falls on him. His unyielding thought process of never fully committing to someone because of you, is entirely his own fucking fault, and he knows it. His parents would be ashamed of him if he were to ever marry and be unfaithful. Then again, who would he be unfaithful with if not you? You’d never allow it. You have too much self respect to ever be the other woman. It’s one of the things Namjoon respects the most about you. Some women didn’t care if they were some man’s side piece in the mob. It meant expensive gifts, expensive trips, hell, some men even bought their mistresses homes in order to keep them happy. It wasn’t odd for it to happen, but Namjoon had taken great care to surround himself with people fully devoted to treating women as more than just play things. He never thought he’d ever actually find friends like that, until he’d met Taehyung, and then Yoongi, and Hoseok, and so on. 

He’s never told you what he does for “work” and you’ve never really asked. He can never truly tell you the truth unless he was willing to drag you into his life completely. Obviously, he really is ready, but you’d never plunge into this life head first without thinking of the consequences. It’s a dangerous line to toe and he knows he shouldn’t push, but clearly Minseok had said something to make you doubt him. Minseok had always made you second guess the things Namjoon did and said, and you’d cave under the guilty weight of taking Namjoon’s side over your boyfriends. Minseok had been able to weasel his way into your life and shove Namjoon out to the brink of Namjoon nearly storming to Minseok’s house with Hoseok and Jimin in tow. 

Damn. He has to get you away from Minseok. And soon. Because if he wormed his way underneath your skin, Namjoon would well and truly kill him this time.

Parting ways with Mrs. Kim’s car filled with Nabi, her cousins, Jimin, and Jungkook, Namjoon plopped into the driver's side of the van they’d arrived in. Taehyung, Yoongi, and Hoseok follow suit, all silently climbing into the car in a much more gingerly manner than Namjoon himself had. Taehyung, while still sexed out of his mind, still had the decency to ask if his friend was alright.

“Sounded pretty intense,” Hoseok said from the back seat, eyeing Namjoon’s rigid form. “What did Y/N say to piss you off so much? Because the last time I saw that look in your eye, we nearly wiped out the entire Lee family. They still haven’t forgiven us, by the way. Mr. Kim’s got them nearly beating down his door to get to you, Namjoon.”

The tall man pretends not to hear a word Hoseok says because of course he remembers. He’d gotten into a fight with you then too. He vividly remembers how you’d questioned his lengthy absence when you never had before. You’d always figured his business was his alone and you shouldn’t butt in. But that time, Minseok had managed to convince you that Namjoon simply didn’t want to be around because of Minseok’s presence. While that rang true, Namjoon couldn’t exactly tell you that he’d been sent on an assignment to the Maldives with Hoseok to deal with a shipment the Lee family was in control of. He’d been gone for almost an entire month when you finally called, only to ask if he’d tired of you. He could remember the sound of your voice cracking as you tried to hold back tears. He had tried to explain, tried to tell you that it was for work, but he could hear Minseok’s mousy fucking voice in the background, taunting you in a sickeningly sweet way that only he could. You’d said your goodbyes to Namjoon, almost sounding final, and Namjoon. Had. Gone. Feral. Absolutely apeshit and cut down a good portion of the Lee men because he’d been pissed. Later, he’d told Taehyung that the family was indeed skimming some of the product, which was why he’d been sent to the Maldives in the first place. He’d silently cursed Taehyung back then, well and truly hated the man that had become his brother, and for what? A stupid argument that Minseok had incited? 

Taehyung clocks Namjoon’s grip on the wheel and winces at how his friend is about to lose all self control and possibly kill what little is left of the Choi family. For Namjoon to completely lose himself again, means that whatever is bothering him has to do with you. Taehyung almost feels bad for him, and he would offer some advice if he didn’t have bigger problems at hand. What he can do is try to free up some time for Namjoon to work things out however he needs to. Though, if this is anything like the situation with the Lee family, Taehyung can’t imagine the hell Namjoon will rain down on the poor sucker stupid enough to even so much as slightly push the wrong button. It would be a bloodbath of epic proportions and Taehyung runs a hand down his face at the thought. They can’t afford for Namjoon to be distracted right now, but it was inevitable. Every so often, Namjoon loses focus and becomes completely and utterly consumed by you. Even if you don’t know it. 

Yoongi watches Hyunwoo raise a curious brow at Namjoon’s behavior and the tense silence compared to the friendly banter earlier. When he turns to meet Yoongi’s stare, Yoongi sneers at him so viciously that it makes Hyunwoo visibly recoil. He smirks and looks out the front windshield, watching the buildings pass by in a blur. He can see the cogs in the machine that is Namjoon’s genius brain turn and turn. Something had to have gone completely wrong with you if it’s gotten this bad again. He can see Namjoon’s pupils dilate with the rush of adrenaline he’s sure to unleash on Hyunwoo if he makes one wrong move. He’s quite sure that Namjoon almost hopes the Choi family fucks up so it’ll give him a reason to go nuts. Namjoon lives on fear and chaos, it’s one of the things that made him so frightening and dangerous. It’s one of the many things Taehyung had sought him out for as teenagers. By that age, Namjoon had quite the body count and truthfully, if he and Hoseok had to go toe to toe, everyone knows it would be pretty damn close. What makes him even more scary is that no one would ever be able to tell how much blood stains his hands because of his cool and calm demeanor. 

Hoseok almost pays no mind to Namjoon’s disheveled state as he plays with his switchblade, every so often leaning over to knick Hyunwoo’s skin. It was almost torture and Hoseok knows if anyone could appreciate it, it’s Namjoon. However, with Namjoon’s lack of self awareness, Hoseok finds that he must enjoy this by himself. Really, he’s worried that Namjoon’s going to go on a rampage again. It took them forever to clean up the mess in the Maldives. Not to mention the complete shitshow that followed and Mr. Kim had to sort out enough for there to be some sense of civility. Goddamn it, he really doesn’t need another disaster on his hands. The Choi family better pray for themselves because God only knows what Namjoon is cooking up in his head. 

Namjoon’s phone rings in the silence and actually makes Taehyung jump a little. He glances down to find the name “Hana” in bold letters taking up the screen. Namjoon lets it go to voicemail because Taehyung’s sure that it isn’t exactly the name he wants to pop up on his phone right now. He doesn’t know who the girl is, but if you catch wind of it, then it won’t be good. The phone rings again and Namjoon picks it up with some bite in his tone.

“What?” Namjoon snaps.

“Oh, hey,” Hana purrs back, giggling even though she can tell how mad he is. “Are you busy? I’m kind of bored and thought—.”

“We fucked once, Hana,” he sneers, “and it wasn’t exactly memorable for me, so find a different dick to suck.”

“Fuck you, Namjoon!” she screeches at his audacity. “You know, I don’t exactly remember you complaining when I sucked your dick, you asshole! Here’s a tip, Namjoon, maybe don’t be a complete prick the next time a woman reaches out to satisfy you. There won’t be many left if you continue on like that.”

“You’re a placeholder, Hana.” Namjoon smirks and the guys in the van inwardly groan because now some poor girl is about to get the brunt of his wrath. “I don’t want anyone else, just one girl, and she’s not you. Maybe some small, pathetic part of you had hoped you were special but you’re really not. I was drunk and bored and you were willing to spread your legs for me, so fuck off.”

Taehyung winces as Namjoon slams his phone back on the center console. Jesus fucking Christ, that was brutal. Namjoon’s not exactly a saint but he’s very rarely crude to a girl. Whatever you’d argued about must have messed him up good if he was speaking that way to someone. They reach the house just after Nabi’s car gets there and Taehyung basically leaps out of the van to usher his wife from the car. 

Namjoon locks eyes with Nabi for a second before he turns his glare to Taehyung because not only does he have to deal with the Choi family, he’s still steaming from his conversation with you. He doesn’t see Nabi frown, only concentrating on getting Hyunwoo into the house without her seeing. He shoves Hyunwoo harder than necessary when Yoongi has to prod him forward with a gun. God, he can only hope this was enough to release some of the tension simmering beneath his skin.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

You’re almost halfway through grocery shopping when a sense of dread settles in your chest. You don’t know what it is or how it was even brought on, but you know there’s something not right. You round the corner of the canned food aisle, determined to get away from whatever it was when you bump into a firm chest. Strong hands reach out to steady you while your breath catches. You look up to find a handsome stranger with the oddest smile on his face. It’s not menacing but it certainly isn’t friendly either. “Sorry,” you mumble, taking a step back to create some much needed distance. 

He only smiles wider, raking a hand through his dark hair and waving his hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s not a problem at all. It’s my fault, actually. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?”

“Um, yeah, I’m fine.” You blink up at him, unsure of whether or not you should even keep talking to him. Namjoon always hated the way you’d become friendly with anyone, especially strangers. You’d called him out on it once, insisting that he was just being paranoid, but he didn’t budge. He always says no one can be trusted, but then you wonder what exactly makes him so trustworthy, or why he trusts you at all. The thought of your best friend sends a pang through your heart and you frown. Maybe you shouldn’t have been so harsh with him earlier. He was only trying to help, but you let your insecurities shine through and lashed out at him. 

“Kang Chunghee,” he says, offering his hand in greeting. He can see the apprehension on your face even as you take his hand in yours and shake it. Taking a step too close, he towers over you in a way that almost makes you cower away. His eyes roam down your body from head to toe, but you’re so busy looking everywhere but him that you don’t notice. Your hair, he notes, and face look so much like your mother’s that it’s a wonder why you hadn’t been spotted before now. Then again, his father wasn’t exactly looking to make trouble with the Kim family, but he’d found out about your mother’s illness and insisted on seeking you out. His hand tightens briefly, making you wince, as the memories of his own mother begging his father to leave “that woman” be and come back home to her. He never did, of course, and soon sent Chunghee’s mother spiraling into a world of drugs and alcohol. Both of which killed her not long after your birth. 

“Cho Y/N,” you reply with a hiss, trying to pull your hand from his. It takes a moment for him to realize he’d been holding on too tight and quickly drops your hand. You take this chance to scan his face and realize he looks vaguely familiar but you can’t quite place it anywhere. He could just be one of the many patrons that have come and gone from the diner. You meet so many people at your job that it’s not entirely out of the ordinary to run into someone while out and about. As if on cue, your phone rings and you scramble for it in hopes that it’s Namjoon and you can apologize, but you’re disappointed to find that it’s your manager instead. You give Chunghee a polite smile before stepping away to answer the call. She only asks if you can come in a bit early as one of the other waitresses has called in sick. You sigh and check your watch to ask for some extra time to go home and get ready. Throughout the entire conversation, you notice that Chunghee hasn’t left your side at all, and you tense up when he steps closer once more after ending your phone call. 

“Ah, I have to apologize,” he says and takes a step back to give you some space. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Um.” You shift on the balls of your feet, clutching your phone tight in your hand and contemplating calling Namjoon. You shake your head. No. His paranoia is simply rubbing off on you and this guy hasn’t really done anything to offend or scare you other than being a little too interested. You remind yourself that at one point, Minseok had been the same way before he finally worked up the courage to ask you out on a date. “I really should get going.”

“Oh, of course.” Chunghee gestures for you to go ahead and walk on, bidding you goodbye with a simple wave. Once you round the corner to the registers, his smile slowly fades into a grimace. If your mother is as beautiful as you are, then he can see why his father was tempted by her. His chest grows tight and bile rises in his throat that he has to swallow down. As a child he’d always wondered why his father could so easily cast him and his mother aside. Looking at you now, he sees exactly why. He’s only ever seen photos of your mother and none of you, but his father had told him it’s because he didn’t even know you existed. Not until your mother had grown sick and you’d somehow gotten tangled up in one of the notorious Kim family’s webs. Fool, he thinks of you. If only you had never come up on the Kim family’s radar then you never would have come up on his father’s. Or, he supposes, he’s your father as well. 

He gives you all of 2 minutes to get ahead of him before he stalks out of the grocery store to see you climb into a junker car that he can’t even fathom why it would even still exist. He slips into his own car, a much nicer one, and peels out of the parking lot just a little after you do. He takes turn after turn and a muscle in his jaw ticks when it dawns on him that you don’t even notice you’re being followed, and even worse, his eye visibly twitches after parking down the street from a rundown building that you seem to be living in. “For fuck’s sake,” he sighs to himself, running a hand down his face. He’s meant to hate you, to loathe your mother for stealing away his father’s attention and causing his mother to lose her damn mind. But a twinge of guilt eats away at him. His father was never the greatest man, but Chunghee’s certainly lived a much more lavish life than you have. His father may have laid his hands on him quite a few times during his childhood, but you’re so carefree that he’s actually envious, and even still, he feels bad that you’ve had to go nights hungry while he was gifted with so much food that he didn’t know what to do with it. He was 28 when he’d learned of your existence and by then you were already 18, living paycheck to paycheck and working yourself to the bone to afford your mother’s medical costs. Until that point, he and his father had always wondered where your mother had disappeared to. According to his father, she’d up and left one day, leaving behind most of her belongings for the obvious reason that she never wanted to be found again. She’d even changed her name and lived 18 blissful long years in the shadows. 

Chunghee can only wonder how she’d never figured out who his father was until it was too late. If he’s correct in his math, she’d already been pregnant with you when she skipped town. Which means she had to have found out that his father was both married and a dangerous man. He can commend her for wanting to protect you, which was far more than his father was willing to do for him. If you weren’t somehow tied to the Kim family, then Kang Himchan would have swooped in and stolen you away long ago. But with Kim Namjoon hovering around so often, the older Kang could only grit his teeth and turn a blind eye if he didn’t want to overstep and start problems. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts when you emerge from the building, basically running, and jump in your car to speed off. He looks at the clock on his dashboard, guessing that you took far longer than you thought you would to get ready. He gives you a few extra miles before he starts down the same road you’d gone, following along until he reaches the diner just before exiting the city. It’s far, he realizes as another glance at the clock shows that it took almost an hour to get there. He’d paid no mind to the time when he’d scouted out the diner last night. He’d come out on a whim, wondering if you were well and truly under the Kim family protection, and snorted when you’d gone the entire night without so much as a hint of the Kims around. When you’d left for the night, he’d gotten out of his car to confront you, but then Namjoon had shown up, and Chunghee had frozen in place. He’d been wrong because not only had the Kims been hidden in the literal dark, Jung Hoseok had been lying in wait as well. Anyone in this line of work knows who Hoseok is, and if he’s hovering around you, then this is going to be far more complicated than he first thought. He’s tempted to go sit in the diner, but after the disaster that was the interaction in the grocery store, he doesn’t want to give you a reason to contact Namjoon. So he waits. For hours. 14, to be exact, and he finds himself shifting in his seat every 10 minutes. Why the hell he feels so inclined to sit around for your entire shift, he doesn’t know, but you have to be tired out by now. How the hell would it look if he’s the one that’s exhausted when you’re the one who’s been running around on your feet all day?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

You can feel it. You don’t know what it is or where it’s coming from, but you know you’re being watched. It’s unnerving, and while you’re trying your best to get through your shift, you also want to find out who could be watching. Not wanting to let them know you’re on to them, you keep plowing through orders and customers, running hot plates from the kitchen, cleaning off tables and kitchen utensils, and itching to reach for your phone to text Namjoon. But he hasn’t reached out to you either, making a small part of you actually want to cry because you’ve upset him. It’s not often that he gets angry with you, but when he does, it never takes very long for you to apologize or for him to check on you even if he is mad. So for him to go the entire day without contacting you is terrifying. Especially when you know something is wrong. When your shift is finally over, you say your goodbyes to your coworkers and check your phone as you head to your car. Your shoulders deflate with disappointment, thoughts swirling in your head, so much so that they drown out the sound of approaching feet. Fingers tap on your shoulder, and you whirl around with an ear piercing scream, only to have someone slap their hand over your mouth.

Hoseok looks at you with a raised brow, a little concerned with your pale face and the sweat beading down by your temples. You’re scared and he doesn’t like that. He removes his hand from your mouth, watching as your bottom lip wobbles in an attempt to hold back a sob. He grips your arms tighter than he means to. “What happened?”

You heave out a sigh of relief, shaking your head to clear your thoughts. “Oh, Hobi. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scream like that.”

“You obviously had a reason to, so help me out here, and tell me what could have scared you so much.”

“It’s nothing,” you promise even though you know you shouldn’t lie. Hoseok’s always been good at telling when someone’s lying and you’re not entirely sure why you even tried. You watch him scan the dark parking lot anyways, fingers nearly bruising your skin with the force of his grip. You wince out loud, regaining his attention and he lets go of you. 

“I’m sorry.” He frowns, reaching up to pat down your messy hair. “I came to check on you. Namjoon’s been out of it all day and I know you guys fought.”

“It was stupid,” you whisper, casting your eyes to the ground in shame. Hoseok showing up on Namjoon’s behalf means that your best friend isn’t anywhere near ready to speak to you again. You really screwed up this time if he sent Hoseok all the way out here when he could have just called you himself. You feel awful that Hoseok even drove all the way out here in person just because you’re having a difficult time processing everything from the day before. The way Namjoon held you and looked at you, it was far better than you ever imagined, and you let your insecurities get the best of you. You’re doing what you’ve always done when someone gets too close. You’re pushing him away like you used to when you were dating Minseok. The two of you had fought more than usual while you were with Minseok, and this fight reminds you of those times. 

“It can’t be that stupid if you guys are this messed up over it.” Hoseok keeps petting your hair with affection, but he’s not fooled. Something else is going on here and you’re not being honest with him. He’s scared you before, albeit playfully, but even when he’d done it in earnest, you’ve never reacted that way. He’ll have to bring it up with Namjoon and hopefully it’ll be enough to pull his head out of his ass. After the disastrous confrontation between Nabi, the Choi family, and Taehyung, Namjoon had been even more on edge and left the house. Hoseok had assumed he’d come to tail you, but he wasn’t picking up his phone, so Hoseok drove out here to check. He’d grown worried when he got to the diner and didn’t see Namjoon’s car anywhere, so he’d gotten out to come ask you when his phone pinged with a message from Namjoon. He’d told Hoseok that he just needed air to clear his head and he was on his way back to the house. Hoseok was ready to leave it alone and go back himself, but his instincts had kicked in, and rightfully so. He considers memorizing the license plates currently in the parking lot to have Yoongi run when he gets back, but decides against it when he hears your car door open. 

“It is,” you remind him. “It’s a stupid fight over a stupid thing and Namjoon wouldn’t get it, and I said some things I shouldn’t have. I just want some space, Hobi, is that too much?”

“Yes,” he growls, holding out the car door for you to climb in. “It’s too much for Namjoon and you know that, Y/N. He doesn’t like space when it comes to you and this fight is affecting all of us. We’re his friends too, Y/N, and it’s out of the ordinary for us to see him this way.”

“Then space is exactly what we need.” You slam the door shut, leaving Hoseok pleasantly surprised by your outburst. You’ve never taken that much attitude with him and he’s a little amused by it. You’re careful not to run over his feet as you back out of the parking space, giving him a small wave before driving away. Peering in the rearview mirror, you watch him fade into the background and miss the way his body locks up.

Hoseok turns slightly, meeting the eyes of someone he’s not quite familiar with, before the person rolls up their car window. There, he thinks. That’s what, or rather who, was bothering you. He glares at his reflection in the window as the car drives away, pulling his phone from his pocket to dial Namjoon’s number.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Namjoon sits in one of the lounge chairs in his small library at the house, his hair sticking up in every direction after running his hands through it. After the confrontation earlier with Nabi and the Choi family, he’d gone out for a long drive. He was tempted to drive up to your apartment, or even stake out the diner, but he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing you without forcing a conversation. The last thing he wants is to disrespect your boundaries, but his skin prickles at the thought of not checking up on you. He could never forgive himself if something were to happen to you. A light knock on the doorframe gets his attention and he looks up to find Nabi leaning against it. 

She gives him a soft smile when he gestures to the empty chair across from him, striding across the room to sit. “Are you alright?” “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” he snorts in response, pinching the bridge of his nose as the tension in his neck travels up to the base of his skull. “It was a hard day for you.”

She nods slightly. “Namjoon, can I…” she trails off, fiddling with her thumbs anxiously but he doesn’t push, only giving her the time she needs to gather her thoughts. “What I did today, with Hyunwoo, and the gun. How did it look to you guys?”

“What do you mean?” He’s obviously confused because she can’t really mean to think his opinion of her has changed to a bad one. 

“Did it look like I was hiding something from you guys?”

“No,” he answers immediately. “Nabi, Hoseok told us that he suspected you weren’t exactly timid a long time ago. None of us really thought you were to begin with. Taehyung didn’t scare you, Jungkook and Jimin didn’t scare you. Hell, even Hoseok couldn’t scare you off even when you know the kinds of things we do.”

She inhales sharply, taking his hand when he offers it in support. “Growing up in this life definitely hardens a person, but sometimes I think I take it too far.”

“We’ve all had to do some unforgivable things to survive this life.” Namjoon’s thumb skims across her knuckles. “I think the way you kept that part of yourself closed off was just a way to protect yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that, even if Taehyung was angry about it. I’m glad you opened up, Nabi, it means you trust us enough to be comfortable.”

“Comfortable enough to ask what’s going on with you,” Nabi quickly changes the subject, jumping right into what she came to the library for in the first place. 

“It’s Y/N,” he sighs, dropping her hand and sinking back into the chair. “I may have had Hoseok send a picture to her ex that made us look like more than friends, and she got angry with me. She said she didn’t want me hanging around the diner for awhile to avoid her coworkers asking questions. For whatever reason, she doesn’t want them to think she’s in a relationship with anyone, but before we could really get into it, I had to focus on the situation here and I haven’t called her since.”           

“Namjoon,” Nabi admonishes him, slapping his arm lightly. “First of all, as much help as you think the picture was, I can promise you, it wasn’t. Secondly, how do you think she’ll feel if you start showing up around her coworkers and she has to explain that you’re just friends even though they’ve seen more? Honestly, Kim Namjoon, did you even fully think of the consequences that picture could bring?”

Namjoon opens his mouth to argue when his phone starts to ring and Nabi takes that as her victory before slinking out of the room. He shakes his head, amused but doesn’t want to admit it, before answering Hoseok’s call. “What is it?”

“Y/N’s being followed,” Hoseok wastes no time getting to the point. He’s already in his car, speeding after you and your stalker, but he was too far behind to begin with. His palms begin to sweat with what he can only describe as fear when he has to slam on the brakes at a nearby intersection. “Fuck!” he curses, slamming his hands against the steering wheel, losing sight of your car. “I lost them.” “Where?” Namjoon is up and in the garage, car keys in his shaking hands as dread fills his entire body. 

“Not far. If you leave now, you should meet her just as she’s getting home.”

Shit, Namjoon seethes to himself. His hands tighten on the wheel as he speeds down street after street. Shit, shit, shit! He tries calling you, but you don’t answer, and he doesn’t want to panic. You’ve just worked another double, he reasons, you always forget to take a phone charger with you so your phone had to have died. That has to be it. For the sake of whoever is stupid enough to follow you, that had better be what happened. The automatic voice echoes in the car as he gets your voicemail one more time. “Baby,” he says after the beep, “I know you’re angry with me, but I need you to pick up the phone.”

Three more unanswered calls later, his body is wound tight as he pulls up to your apartment building, not seeing your car anywhere in sight. He jumps out the driver’s seat and bolts up the stairs to your apartment, pounding on the door, but he’s met with more silence. He has to call his father, has to get their men out there in search of you, he has to. Has to. Has to. Has to.

“Joon?” your voice reaches his ears, but you’re not sure he actually hears you. You take in his heaving shoulders and chest, the shaking of his hands, and lay your palm on his shoulder to get his attention. You gasp in pain when he rounds on you, shoving your back into the wall with his long fingers wrapped around your neck. Your hand wraps around his wrist to try and pry it away, looking into his eyes to find them nearly black with rage. “Joon! Namjoon, it’s me!”

Namjoon’s eyes finally clear, blood still roaring in his ears as he seems to recognize you. He glances down to find his hand around your throat, quickly releasing you. “Oh fuck, Y/N, I’m so sorry!” He holds on to your shoulders as you cough violently, trying to take in all the air you’ve lost, sliding down the wall as if to ground yourself. He falls to his knees in order to maintain eye contact, spearing his fingers through your hair to keep it out of your face, touching his forehead to yours. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby. Are you okay?”

The hold you have on his wrists never loosened, and you use it now in support as the spots in your vision begin to disappear. You’re gasping as you brace your free hand against his chest, unsure if you want to push him away yet. “Jesus fuck, Namjoon. What the hell?” 

“I’m sorry! I thought…”

“What could you possibly have thought?” You finally shove him away and stand up, fishing the apartment keys out of your pocket. You shove them in the keyhole, unlock the door, and throw it open as Namjoon follows you inside. Reaching up to your neck, your hand shakes as it feels around your sore throat. “As if Hoseok popping up wasn’t scary enough.”

“Hoseok scared you?” Namjoon’s body grows tense all over again, turning to close the apartment door.

“He didn’t mean to.��� You shake your head, shucking off your jacket and tossing it onto the kitchen counter. “I was just a little off tonight, that’s all. Hoseok snuck up on me after work.” Making your way to the cabinets overhead, you pluck out a cup to fill with water. You stand facing away from him to gulp down the water. All day you’ve been wondering what you could say to him, but now that he’s here in front of you, all words are lost. It’s not just because you’re angry with what just happened, it’s that you don’t know how to even process it. 

“How many times can I say I’m sorry?” His chest presses to your back, the deep rumbling of his voice vibrates against it, your treacherous body leaning into him. He braces his hands on the counter, trapping you in place, and presses his forehead to your shoulder. “You didn’t answer your phone.”

“I put it on silent,” you whisper, turning your head so your lips skim his ear. The tips of his ears turn red even though you didn’t mean to be directly in his ear, you smile. “I forgot to put the ringer back on after Hobi scared me in the parking lot.”

He hums in reply, one arm sliding across your belly to hook around your waist completely, pulling you against him. The sun peeks through the window, having risen in the time he’s spent in your apartment. “Another late shift, then?”

“Mhm,” you confirm with a nod of your head. You meet his eyes when he raises his head to look at you. You glance down at his lips, tipping your head back just slightly and you swear he groans as he lowers his mouth to yours.

There’s nothing stopping him from kissing you this time. Not a damn thing stands in his way. That is, until there’s a knock on your door that has you jumping out of his embrace before he can actually do anything. He curses whoever is at the door, taking the cup you set on the counter to take a sip of water. His ears pick up the grating sound of Minseok’s voice, and he’s slamming the glass down on the counter before he can stop himself from getting even more pissed off. Striding to the front door, he reaches it just in time to watch you crumble to your knees, but he’s quick to stop you from hitting the floor. “Y/N?! What happened? What’s wrong?”

“She’s go–,” you sob out, tears streaming down your face endlessly. “She’s gone, Joon. She’s gone!” you shriek, gripping onto his forearms as your wails fill the apartment. Your throat is raw from screaming but you can’t seem to stop yourself. You knew it was coming, had always known, but you were never actually prepared for it.

Namjoon’s heart breaks with every body wracking sob you let out, and it hits him then just why Minseok was there. He holds you close, rocks you back and forth in hopes of soothing you, but it isn’t working. From the corner of his eye, he sees Minseok’s fingers twitch, trying to keep himself from reaching out to you, but Namjoon pulls you closer, refusing to allow Minseok to touch you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes you think the skies know when to be gloomy. The gray clouds that loom over the funeral procession feel as though they’re mocking you. Your mother loved rainy days, something you couldn’t come to enjoy as you grew older. You thought they were depressing, always lending a hand in her dwindling health, but she flourished in the rain. She came alive when the downpour would drench her to the bone, and as a child, you would giggle and dance in the rain with her. You remember kicking up puddles, getting your feet dirty and clothes wet, and it was everything to her. Growing older, though, you found that with the rain came runny noses, horrid coughs, sore throats, and missed days of school. You came to detest them until she got sick, and it was all she’d ask for; to see the rain. 

People, mostly Namjoon’s parents and friends, and some of your coworkers, gathered around you in comfort. They only want to help, you know this, but they’re not. Most people welcome the condolences and the sympathy, but you can’t seem to. You feel overcrowded, lost in a sea of people that you don’t want to see you break down. So you hold it in. Sometimes your breathing grows ragged as you try to hold back, but you manage to compose yourself before they can gather what’s happening. Namjoon is by your side the entire time, along with his parents, and they’re the only comfort you can find. The only ones you can stand to be around right now. They truly are your only family. Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook, Yoongi, Seokjin, Taehyung, and Nabi take their turns to cradle you close. They aren’t just Namjoon’s friends, they’re yours too even though Hoseok was really the only one you’d spent an extensive amount of time with. Recently though, they’ve been coming around to the apartment when Namjoon was busy, all of them doing their best to keep you distracted. 

You’re sat in front of your mother’s picture with your head resting on Namjoon’s shoulder while everyone else is lined up against the wall, giving you and Namjoon the space you didn’t have to ask for, they just know you need it. Namjoon grips your hand tight, linking your fingers together and bringing up your joined hands to kiss the back of your knuckles. You peek up at him through tear filled lashes, breathing easily when he drops his forehead to your own, but that serenity doesn’t last long. A commotion breaks out at the entrance of the funeral hall, people whispering and darting about in a hurry. Namjoon’s father grits his teeth and demands to know what could be going on, when your breath hitches at the next person who steps foot in the room.

Chunghee has the decency to look apologetic as he catches your eye, taking a moment to dip his chin in greeting before stepping aside to reveal his father, Kang Himchan. He sees Namjoon tense, standing to his full height immediately to back his own father. Chunghee steps towards them in hopes of gaining control of the situation, but Kim Taehyung is quick to meet him. “Taehyung,” he simply says as if this were at all normal. 

“Kang,” Taehyung says through clenched teeth, tipping his head in your direction. Jungkook and Jimin are the first to reach you, followed by Seokjin and Nabi. Hoseok and Yoongi take their place on either side of Taehyung. 

“What the hell is this?” Namjoon’s father levels Himchan with a look that would send most men running. “How dare you come here and disturb this girl’s grieving. Have you no sense of decorum, Kang?”

“I am here to offer my condolences, obviously,” Himchan keeps his voice steady. Your mother was unknowingly his mistress, but he had loved her dearly, and wants nothing more than to know and understand you. His eyes search the room, finally landing on you, and they soften. You are the spitting image of your mother and it makes him breathless for a moment. He forgets who you’re surrounded by, taking a step in your direction, only to be met by Namjoon’s hard glare. His hackles raise, face turning red with anger. “You dare keep me from my own daughter, Kim?”

All of the air rushes out of your lungs as you struggle to breathe. Your body begins to tremble, view being blocked by Jungkook’s body, but you catch his hand sliding into the back waistband of his pants. A gun, you realize, and look around to find that he’s not the only person hiding one. Hoseok’s hand rests on his hip, the holster becoming visible as his suit jacket moves with him. Jimin and Yoongi exchange a knowing look before they too reach for their hidden weapons. 

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want when it comes to her,” Namjoon snaps back at Himchan, causing the older man to step toe-to-toe with him. He smirks at the older Kang. “That’s not a smart move.”

Before anyone can blink, weapons are drawn, all aimed at different people around the room as more men come barreling in behind Himchan. They surround their boss, standing in front of raised guns without a second thought. You scramble back towards the wall, as if pressing against it enough will make you invisible. Nabi is at your side, shushing you and squeezing your hand tight. 

“Enough,” Namjoon’s father bellows, throwing his hand up to stop anyone from actually firing. Putting his hand on his son’s shoulder, he pulls Namjoon back. “This isn’t the time or place, Namjoon. Go to Y/N. We’ve frightened her on an already stressful day.”

“Y/N,” Himchan repeats as though unused to saying your name, a smile playing on his lips at the sound. It was so like your mother to have picked something equally as beautiful as you are. His smile fades as he straightens himself up to look Namjoon’s father in the eye once more. “I’m well aware of her ties to you, Kim, but that is no more. She is my kin. My flesh and blood. It’s time she lives as such.”

“I don’t know you,” your voice cuts through the room, shaky and trembling. “I don’t know what the hell is even going on right now.”

“Y/N,” Chunghee finally pipes up. If he had known this would turn out to be such a shit show, he’d have never told his father about your mother’s passing. Ah hell, he knew it was going to be bad, he just didn’t really want to believe it. “Please, you have to believe us.”

“She doesn’t have to do a damn thing,” Namjoon roars and his friends tense, unsure of what he may do next. “You come here, Kang, declare her your daughter, and expect her to up and accept it? You’re out of your fucking mind. Even if we did believe this bullshit, I wouldn’t let her go anywhere with you.”

“You?” Himchan sneers. “You think you get any say in this? She’s my daughter, Kim. I’ve bit my tongue and kept my distance long enough, but now she needs us. Her mother is gone, her family is nowhere to be found, she is alone. But not with us.”

“She’s mine.” 

You let out a small gasp at Namjoon’s tone. You’d only ever heard him use it against Minseok when he was mad enough. You’re not sure what the outcome of this entire standoff will be, but you know you wouldn’t be able to stomach it if anyone got hurt. You’re able to wrestle out of Nabi’s hold enough to slowly approach Namjoon’s side, tangling your fingers with his. “Joon, let’s not do this, okay? Not here and not today. Please?”

Himchan’s surprise is visible on his face when Namjoon heeds your words, backing down almost instantly. He knew you were close to the Kim family and, up until recently, he was under the impression that you and Namjoon were just friends. Everyone else in the room seems to be used to this, and so he has to wonder when the change came about. Hope blooms in his chest as the gears in his mind begin to whirl. 

“We should go home for now,” Taehyung suggests, though as Nabi stands at his side, he’s pretty sure everyone knows it’s not his idea, but hers. He tries to hold in a sigh when Namjoon shoots him a glare. “Y/N will come home with us, Namjoon, don’t worry.”

“But I—,” you try to object, unable to accept anything more Taehyung has to offer. Not when he’d already done so much for you as is. 

“Hoseok and the guys will move your things in,” Namjoon interrupts, leaving no room for argument. He tugs on your hand and leads you out of the funeral hall, bumping his shoulder against one of Himchan’s goons. He can feel the reluctant pull of your arm, but he refuses to let go, not until the two of you reach his car where he buckles you in safely before sliding into the driver’s seat. 

The ride home is tense, the car filled with nothing but silence and what you suspect is grumbling coming from Namjoon even though he thinks you can’t hear it. He’s angry. More like pissed. This isn’t something any of them were prepared for. Hell, it wasn’t something any of them would have ever thought possible. Of all the people on this planet to be related to, the Kangs were the last ones anyone would have figured were your relatives. Not only that, but Himchan had forced Namjoon to show his hand, to show you a world he never should have dragged you into. He never thought he could come to regret befriending you in that hall so many years ago, but now he does. If only because he doesn’t really believe he could protect you from the power the Kang family holds. His own family is rather powerful, there’s no doubt about that, but if anyone could hold a candle to them, it’s the Kangs. 

“Namjoon,” you try to get his attention, “you’re angry.”

“I’m worried, baby, it’s different.”

“Because you think it’s true?”

“Because if it is true, then I don’t know if I can protect you,” he begrudgingly admits. 

You’re confused as you take in his words. What could you possibly need protection from? Even as you question it, the memory of everyone in there, guns drawn, comes to the forefront of your mind, and you know. You know Namjoon is hiding something. You’ve always known, but you could never have guessed it was to this extent. “Tell me,” you demand quietly and he strains to hear you. “Tell me, Namjoon, what all of that was about. What you’re hiding from me and what you’re afraid of because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that if you’re scared, then I have to be too. So, please, tell me.”

So he does. Namjoon tells you everything, from beginning to end. What his life was like growing up in the mafia, what he’d had to learn in order to protect himself and those closest to him, and more importantly, why he had to distance himself during the 10 years of your friendship. The only thing he left out was how utterly obsessed with you he’d become. He sounded crazy enough as is, no need to tack on that he basically stalked you from the day you met him. You’re quiet after he’s finished, spending the rest of the ride home staring out of the window. Even as he pulls into the driveway, you only stare up at the giant house Taehyung had built for Nabi a few years ago. Once in the garage, you unbuckle yourself at an alarmingly normal speed, as if you hadn’t just been told that your best friend was in the goddamn mafia of all things. What’s more, all of his friends and family are part of it too, and he’s afraid you might fear Hoseok now, but when you step into the house and Hoseok is the first to sweep you up into his arms, you cling to him as you always have.  

“You’re not part of them,” Hoseok insists, mainly because from what little of his childhood he remembers, the Kangs were the driving force behind him becoming an orphan. “Even if you were, blood doesn’t make them family, Y/N. Himchan is wrong. We’re your family.”

“Do I have to go with them?” you ask honestly, pulling back to look up at Hoseok. He may not have been truthful with you, but he never lied or coddled you either. “If they come for me, Hobi, do I have to go?”

“Over my dead fucking body,” comes Namjoon’s deep voice and you gasp at the stark difference. How you were never able to differentiate his tones before is beyond you. Then again, you think you may have purposefully ignored the signs, wanting to believe he could do no harm. He snatches you out of Hoseok’s arms, pulling your chest flush against his own and raking a hand through your hair. “There’s nothing on this planet that can take you from me, Y/N, not even Kang Himchan or his son.”

“Chunghee,” you hum. Despite all of the commotion, the only thing he’d had to say was that you had to believe what his father had been saying. You could hear the plea in his voice, wondering why he hadn’t brought any of this up the day he’d run into you at the store. Then it hits you, the realization that he’d done it on purpose. Was he why Namjoon had been so scared that day after your fight? Did Chunghee threaten you somehow? 

“Speaking of the Kangs,” Taehyung says as he strides into the living room, dropping himself on the couch while Nabi gives him a stern look. “Princess, I’m tired, and I can bet everyone else here is too. Can I just sit for a second?”

Nabi rolls her eyes, cheeks turning a faint shade of pink at the pet name he’s given her since they’ve been married. She lets out a small squeal when he pulls her onto his lap. “You’re an idiot, Tae. But you’re right.” Turning to face you and Namjoon, she explains, “The Kangs are well known in our circle. Even my grandfather made a deal or two with them, and while they’d given us no reason to not trust them, they’ve made it clear that they’re not out to make friends. They’ve built themselves a solid reputation starting all the way down from Himchan’s great grandfather. They’re a prestigious family, Namjoon, not easy to break through, not like the Choi’s. If you want to fight them, it’ll have to be with some heavy artillery. I can ask my cousins for their support and they’ll grant it, but it’ll take more than that.”

“That’s hot,” Taehyung attempts to whisper in his wife’s ear but everyone still hears it and Jungkook audibly gags. He’s always loved how smart his wife is and he’s not ashamed to show it.

“Stop it.” Nabi swats at his hand, climbing off his lap to walk up to you. “Y/N, you have to understand what could happen if we go to war with Kang Himchan. I don’t want to scare you, but it’ll get bloody and it’ll get deadly, but you have to believe that if anyone can protect you from them, it’s Namjoon. I’m not saying you have to go with the Kangs if they come to collect you, but” –She raises her hand to stop Namjoon from butting in–, “you also don’t have to stay here. If you want to get to know your father and brother, that’s your decision. We won’t stop you from doing it and we most certainly won’t isolate you for their actions and wrongdoings.”

“War?” is all you can say. It’s the only thing that had really caught your attention. That and the blood and death. 

“War,” Namjoon confirms, tightening his hold on your waist. “The Kangs won’t let you go so easily, but neither will I. Give Hoseok your apartment keys. He’s taking Jimin and Jungkook to get your things. I don’t trust that they’ll pull some shit if they know you live alone.”

“I can’t just take up a room here, Joon,” you insist even as you hand off your keys to Hoseok.

“Oh, you’re not taking up a room,” Hoseok chuckles, taking the keys from your outstretched hand. “You’re sharing Namjoon’s room.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

“This isn’t happening.” You gawk at Jungkook and Jimin moving your things about Namjoon’s room a few hours later. They lug in a suitcase with a good portion of your clothes, most of which is jeans, t-shirts, and a bunch of pajama pants and shorts. Nabi had insisted on going with them to rifle through your clothes, throwing out the tattered pieces you’d shoved to the back of your closet and forgotten about. You turn to Namjoon lounging on his bed, looking as though a bomb hadn’t just been dropped on both of you. “You can’t be serious about this, Joon. I mean, this is your personal space, you can’t be happy about me invading it. The house is practically on full lock down, I’m sure there’s a spare room I can use.”

“No,” is all he says, reaching out to grab your arm and tugging you into the space next to him. “Taehyung’s taken every precaution to protect Nabi and I’ll do the same for you.” He looks as though he wants to say more but decides against it, getting up from the bed to slap Jungkook upside the head when he notices the younger man mocking him. 

“Nabi said Taheyung didn’t allow her out unless Jungkook and Jimin were with her.” 

Namjoon freezes at your words. Of course you’d ask Nabi what it was like living here, and of course Nabi wouldn’t spare any details. Jimin and Jungkook stare at him, waiting to take his lead and willing to downplay their roles as Nabi’s guards if necessary. He sighs and figures he’s done enough lying to you. He turns to see you with crossed arms and a look that says you already knew what to expect. “The same rules apply to you, Y/N. Until this situation is settled, you can’t go anywhere unless Hoseok and Jimin are with you, or I’m with you, or all three of us are escorting you somewhere. I’m not going to lie to you and say you’ll have everything you need here, but you’ll never be bored. I was going to have Seokjin or Yoongi assigned to you, but Jin’s helping Yoongi with something important and it’s taking all of their focus. Also,” he hesitates as you raise your brows, waiting for him to continue. “You can’t contact Minseok.” It’s entirely selfish of him to forbid any contact with Minseok, but it’s an opportunity he’ll take. 

With a roll of your eyes, you sink further into the bed, leaning back into his pillows. “Not that I want to talk to Minseok, but he did take care of my mom, Namjoon. I at least owe him a thank you.”

“Not right now,” he seethes, curling his hand into a fist, and Jungkook and Jimin take that as their cue to leave. Storming up to the bed, he grips your ankles and pulls you down to the edge. He smirks when you squeal in surprise, slotting himself between your thighs. When your squeal turns into a gasp, he knows it’s because you can feel how hard he’s gotten since you’ve been in the room. He plants his palms against the mattress, watching your eyes dart to the veins in his forearms, sliding forward until he’s nose to nose with you. “You can thank Minseok another time, sweetheart, but right now it’s best to keep your distance. If Kang thinks he can use Minseok to get to you, he’ll do it.”

Your brows draw together, regret settling in the pit of your stomach as you play with the collar of his black dress shirt. “My very existence is dangerous, isn’t it?”

“Not to me.” One of his hands comes up to brush the stray hairs from your face. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t even know who your father was until now.”

A light knock on his bedroom door lets him know that it’s Nabi and she’s going to give him about 10 seconds to be ready. He scrambles away from you just as she plows through the door, smiling sweetly before breaking the news. “Taehyung has accepted Kang’s request to meet with you, Y/N. I know we should have talked to you first, but I don’t want your decision to be based on emotion rather than rationale. Is that okay?”

You nod, grateful that she’s on your side and to have her as a friend. Sitting up as she approaches the bed, you note that she fusses over you like a mother would, righting your clothes and smoothing your hair down. You want to laugh, but then you remember that when you were little, your mother would have to step in to make you presentable when you’d been too rough on the playground. Your smile fades. “He’s here now, isn’t he?”

“Goddamn it,” Namjoon hisses, barreling for the door. “You could have given us a bigger heads up, Nabi.”

“That wasn’t my decision,” she barks back at him, and you blink at her in surprise. It’s not very often people can talk back to Namjoon and he’ll just let it happen. “Taehyung surprised me too when he said Kang would be here soon.”

“Let’s just go,” you sigh, getting up from the bed to follow Namjoon to the living room, Nabi not far behind. Your nerves shoot sky high as you get closer and closer to the deep voices of who you now know is your father speaking to Namjoon’s father. Two weeks ago, you’d been wiping down tables at one of your part time jobs, living off ramen noodles and sandwiches, and one more speed bump away from possibly losing the bumper to your junker car, but it had been worth it. You’d do all of it over again to take care of the most precious person to you. How your life got turned so ass backwards, you don’t know, and you’re not entirely sure you want to figure it out. 

“She hasn’t had to live up to traditions and customs,” Namjoon’s father sounds as if he’s on the verge of losing his temper. “You cannot throw this on her after she’s just learned of you!”

“That's why she should be moved under my roof!” Himchan snaps back at Mr. Kim and you pause at the entryway of the living room, neither of them even see you yet. “She can learn of those customs and traditions.”

“So you can pawn her off to some low life thug undeserving of her?” Mr. Kim scoffs. “I don’t think so. Y/N is as much a part of our family as she is of yours. Even more so since we’re the ones who have been there for her.”

“I didn’t even know she existed until Harin got sick,” Himchan mumbles, dragging his hand down his face as you finally come into view.

You sit next to Mr. Kim while Namjoon stands beside the couch and Hoseok parks himself behind it. You’re not sure where to begin or what you can even say given his position. If he’s as high up on the chain of command as Mr. Kim, then you’re pretty sure telling him to go fuck himself is off the table. You look around as if searching for something or someone, only to realize he isn’t there. “Where’s Chunghee?”

Himchan sits up straight as you finally address him, offering a polite smile in response. “Chunghee had some business to attend to overseas. As time goes on, I’m hoping your relationship will become less strained.” He frowns when you grow stiff, having misunderstood, though he’s sure the truth won’t be any better. “When I met your mother, Y/N, I fell in love with her at first sight. She didn’t know who I was or even that I was…married. My marriage had been arranged by my father, as his marriage was, and his father before him. In our life, it is rare to find and marry someone we’re in love with. We’re paired with someone we believe can carry a strong bloodline. Your brother is a product of a marriage neither I nor his mother had a true say in. He was only 10 when you were born, even younger when I started an affair with your mother. She didn’t know what kind of life I had and one day she was just gone. Somehow, she’d found out, and left town without telling me she was pregnant.”

“So, Chunghee hates me,” you gather from everything he’s said. “Because of you.”

“Yes,” Himchan admits, shame burning his throat.

Namjoon steps in front of you protectively, effectively cutting off any more access Himchan had. “Are you saying your own son is a threat? You want me to give her to you when your own son could hurt her?”

“I would never allow that,” Himchan insists, but it lands on deaf ears as Namjoon turns to take your hand, ready to drag you back to his room. “I only want a good life for her, Namjoon. I’ve only recently learned of her struggles, ones that you’ve allowed her to go through.”

“Allowed?” you question at the sheer audacity both of them have to treat you like an object rather than a person.

“I didn’t allow a fucking thing,” Namjoon interrupts and Nabi rubs at her temples in exasperation. “She wouldn’t let me help. She’s stubborn that way, but it’s what makes her so strong, Kang. Don’t think for a second I don’t know why you really want her under your roof. You already have someone lined up for her to marry, but that’s not fucking happening.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Nabi throws her hands in the air, stalking to the middle of the living room and commanding attention in a way that makes you envious. “Unless we’re all forgetting that Y/N’s here, I think maybe we should ask her what she wants. Mr. Kang, I understand tradition better than anyone here, but given that she hasn’t grown up in your care or home, you can’t implement traditional values without her knowledge of it. That’s dangerous and you know it.”

“Who is it?” your voice cuts through the room, stepping around Namjoon to face your father. 

Namjoon looks at you as if you’ve grown a second head, mouth gaping open in shock. “You can’t seriously be considering this.”

“I don’t know what else to even do, Namjoon!” You throw your arms up in frustration, turning away from him with tears in your eyes. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to deal with all of this.”

“Not by entertaining this stupid bullshit.” Namjoon’s hands curl into fists and Hoseok quickly takes up the space at your side in case his friend’s temper gets the best of him. 

“That’s what I was hoping to talk to Mr. Kim about today.” Himchan faces Namjoon’s father again, taking a deep, steadying breath. “I learned about my daughter 10 years ago, Kim, when she was 18 and forced into working job after job until her fingers bled, and through all of it, your son was there. From my understanding, my father and yours had meant to work together quite some time ago and those plans fell through.”

Namjoon inhales sharply. Is Kang suggesting what Namjoon thinks he is? Could he really be handed everything he’s ever wanted right here, right now? Would you even be okay with that?

“I want him to vet Han Youngjae in exchange for discussing a new business venture that could benefit us both,” Himchan continues, sending Namjoon’s world crashing down. “You know as well as I do that the Han family has been around far longer than either of our families. Youngjae seems to be a good man, but I trust your son’s judgment, especially when it comes to Y/N. I’ve worked with the Han family for awhile now and the arrangement for my son to marry their eldest daughter is being finalized soon.”

“Then why the fuck do you need more ties into that family?” Namjoon’s tone has gone dangerously low, sending a chill down your spine, but rather than fear it’s bordering on something else entirely. “You come into her life, our lives, after she loses her mother and you want to marry her off to a family like the Hans?”

“I want to give her time to adjust to the idea,” Himchan clarifies, searching for some kind of hope that you’ll just think about it. “I truly believe—.”

“I will not entertain this idea,” Namjoon’s father stops Himchan before he can explain any further. “Besides the fact that it’s entirely absurd, Y/N has already been promised to my son.”

“I’m so fucking confused,” you say aloud without meaning to, and Nabi giggles while looping her arm through yours. 

Himchan winces at your colorful language, sighing in disappointment. “Y/N, truly, you shouldn’t speak with such foul language, it’s unbecoming.”

“How my fiancée chooses to speak is none of your business,” Namjoon defends you, quickly growing used to the idea of calling you his fiancée. It makes his chest warm and body hum with need. 

You startle, bumping against Nabi’s embrace. Namjoon’s casual use of the word “fiancee” makes your throat dry. You rather like the way it sounds, but you have to remind yourself that it’s just to get your father off your back. But then, if that were true, what was all of that back in his room? Namjoon’s been acting rather odd lately, invading your space, holding your hand, kissing your cheek. It’s enough to convince even you that he might actually have feelings for you. You let out a heavy sigh while shaking the thoughts from your head. No, Namjoon was well aware of how much you cherished your mother. He was simply helping you through the grieving process, and now with the looming threat of your father, he’s doing what’s necessary to keep you safe. 

“It’s been quite the day,” Nabi’s smooth and commanding voice cuts through the men’s argument, effectively silencing them as they all turn to stare at her. “It’s late Mr. Kang, and while we understand your concerns for tradition and the need to keep up with them, we’ve taken your proposal into consideration and have deemed it unnecessary. As Mr. Kim has already stated, Namjoon and Y/N have been promised to each other. There is no need for her to marry into the Han family.”

“Now just wait a minute,” Kang says through gritted teeth. “Custom states that the engagement requires my approval, which I’m yet to give.”

“You’ve kept tabs on us all this time,” Namjoon reminds him with a wicked smile. “Surely you’re not so naive as to misunderstand just what we’ve been up to in the night’s I’ve stayed at her home.”

“Namjoon,” you hiss, cheeks flushing at his implication. True as it may be that Namjoon has spent a considerable amount of nights at your apartment, he really only slept on the couch and the one time he nearly slept in your bed, he’d conceded and left the room. “Stop it.”

“I’m stating facts, sweetheart, nothing more.” Namjoon turns to wrap his fingers around your free arm and tug you close to his chest. His arm snakes around your waist to keep you trapped against him. Your squeak of surprise makes him chuckle low and deep, making you shiver as he skims his lips across your cheek. 

Kang curls his fingers into fists at the display. While yes, he was well aware of Namjoon’s overnight stays, he’d never seen any open displays of affection. He’s not sure if it’s because Namjoon is truly a private person, or if this entire charade is a lie. Either way, he cannot allow the opportunity to tie more of his lineage to the Han family to pass him by. He breathes in deep and exhales slowly to calm himself. “Fine,” he says while straightening the lapels of his suit jacket. “I will let this rest for now, Kim. But be warned, should I find anything false about this ‘engagement’ of yours, Y/N will live under my roof and she will marry Han.”

“You can’t—,” you begin to argue, but Taehyung beats you to it by instructing Jungkook and Jimin to escort Kang to his waiting vehicle. 

“Understand this, Kang,” Taehyung seethes while he still has Kang’s attention, “I will not tolerate your persistence of taking Y/N from underneath my roof. If, and only if, she chooses to part ways with Namjoon, I will make sure she gets far away from us and you. Trust when I say this is not a war you want with me.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Take it as you wish,” Taehyung stands tall, sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks as if to show your father that Kang isn’t nearly as in control as he believes. “But, much like Namjoon, I’m only stating facts. However, I will take into consideration another meeting with you and your son.”

“What?” Namjoon snaps, and becomes pissed when Taehyung holds his hand up to stop him from speaking further.

“I know that customs and tradition are being called into question, and while I don’t agree to forcing a marriage between the Han family and Y/N, it is my duty to consider it should any arrangements between her and Namjoon fall apart.” Taehyung frowns in your direction, knowing that all he can truly do is help Namjoon keep up appearances until this entire mess is sorted out. He can’t step in and completely dissolve whatever deal Kang has made with the Han family, but he can delay it until Namjoon can talk you into a real marriage. He hates it, and is well aware that keeping you from the Han family by forcing you into Namjoon’s family instead is rather hypocritical. He turns back to Kang and sighs in defeat, “I swear to you that I will consider it seriously. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath, Kang.”

Your jaw nearly drops to the floor with the way Taehyung dismissed your father like a child, and the fact that your father actually leaves after being waved away is even more shocking. You look to Nabi for some guidance, but she only shakes your head with a reassuring smile, leaving you to believe that things might actually turn out okay in the end.  

#kim namjoon fic #secrets and lies fic #war of hearts universe #bts fic #bts smut #kim namjoon smut

[strangelockd]

You Can Tell Me Anything

Pairing: StephenStrange x !Reader

Synopsis: You forget to take you medication which lead to a disagreement. But Stephen comes up with a solution.

Word Count: 873

Warnings: Fluff, Comfort, brat taming, mentions of anti depressants and dark thoughts, mentions of self doubt, slight angst, happy ending.

A/N: This is dedicated to anyone out there who struggles with their mental health.

Stephen helped save my life in 2016 and became my earthly hero ever since, my comfort character. I hope this story makes you feel not alone and brings comfort.

If you or anybody you know, is suffering from a mental health crisis please contact the link below ❤️ You are not alone

“Fuck off Stephen Strange!”

Slamming the door anger washed over as you wept into your hands. Locking the latch, you slumped to the floor with your back against the door. Stephen was always a blunt man who hardly minced his words. It was one of the many traits you admired yet loathed about him. Usually you banter back and forth, but today his words cut you deep as the tears continued to flow. You knew he had good intentions about reminding you to take your medication, but there are days he felt more like a parent instead of a boyfriend.

Knock knock knock

“Babe come on open the door”

“No! I said leave me alone!” You screamed.

“Technically you said, ‘Fuck off Stephen Strange’,” he smirked behind the door keeping his temper.

Smartass…

He could feel you rolling your eyes, “but Im not leaving until you open the door.” Crossing his arms Stephen leaned against the tapestry wall drumming his fingers against his forearm.

“Babe Ive waited five hours by a doorstep in Kathmandu, believe me, I can wait.”

Rolling your eyes once more you brought yourself upright wiping the tears from your cheeks. Opening the heavy wooden door crossing your arms in defense you looked down at your feet. Stephen stepped towards you slowly stopping an arms distance between you. 

“Listen,” he trailed off rubbing the back of his head, “Im sorry for being so pushy earlier”

“No, its my fault, I shouldn’t have lied about taking my medicine,” clutching your shoulders Stephen saw you shaking, and it made his heart hurt. He hated seeing you in such mental turmoil. 

“Yes, that would have been the wisest option,” he whispered, “its just that, I wish you didn’t lie to me. You know you can tell me anything” His background in medicine reminded him of the consequences of suddenly stopping anti depressants, the symptoms can be terrible if not worse then before taking them. 

Dropping your arms, you muttered a little over a whisper, “I just don’t want to be on medication for the rest of my life. I feel like an idiot,” you could barely bring yourself to say the final part before the tears flowed once more. Stephens eyes grew wide as he stepped forward breaking the distance between you bringing you into his sturdy frame. His strong forearms braced you tightly as you clutched onto his robe for dear life.

“Shh…shh its ok babe. It will be okay. Take a deep breath,” he felt you exhale and admired your obedience, “Now look at me,” taking your chin with his thumb and index finger he looked into your eyes. Releasing a sniffle, casting your eyes up his cerulean gaze. 

“First off,” he demanded, “If I ever hear you call yourself an idiot again. I will put you over my knee and spank your beautiful ass till its pink. Your lucky I haven’t done that already for lying” Your cheeks flushed at the sudden dominance; you knew it was meant as a threat. But in an odd way it turned you on. Pinching your legs together you shuffled your feet.

Taking your hand Stephen led you to the bed setting you on his lap as you comfortably laced your arms around his neck while he supported your waist. He paused taking the time to choose his words carefully before speaking. 

Breaking the silence he beseeched, “Now, tell me why you stopped taking them”  

Fidgeting with your fingers you paused taking a breath, “I thought I could do it on my own. I was feeling better and figured I didn’t need them. I feel weak for relying on medication bc then that means that you’re not enough. And you make me the happiest in the world Stephen.”

Stephen sighed slightly shaking his head, “you’re not weak,” grabbing your hand he brought it to his heart, “Taking medication does not make you weak babe. For example, if there was something wrong with my heart, you would advise me to take medication for it right?” Nodding you shook your head giving a slight smile. “Plus, I still have to use a spell to tame my tremors” Nodding again he made a clear point.

“Then whats the difference between that and this,” your eyes froze to his kind yet stern expression. He was right, you hated to admit it, but he was right.

“Your right Stephen,” leaning in giving him a kiss his goatee tickled your chin as his lips trailed down your neckline, “Im so sorry”

Stephens hands gripped you tightly as you continued your kisses down his collarbone making him groan in your ear.

“Its okay,” he gasped as you placed a nip on his earlobe, “Just tell me next time. Maybe we can set up and alarm to remind you.” 

Pulling away you smiled back nuzzling his nose, “I like that idea”

With a gesture of his hands Stephen summoned your pills and phone. Tapping the screen, he opened you phone adjusting the timer to include a giant pill emoji when alerted. Tossing the phone aside he gave the orange bottle a gentle shake, “Now, shall we give this another go?” He smiled kindly kissing your knuckles. 

Nodding your head, you smiled. Knowing you never had to face anything alone. Good or bad you always had Doctor Stephen Strange in your corner to be your rock to lean on.  

Leave a comment if you liked it. Interact! It inspires me to keep writing.If you want to be tagged in future stories comment below.

A special thanks to the followers who request to read my work.

Back to Main Masterlist

@bakerstreethound @sassenach-on-the-rocks @sherlux @budugu @cemak @blxckdragonfly @seanbeansimp59 @geeky-politics-46 @withalittlehoney @icytrickster17 @kentucky-criedfricken @hunterofshadows04 @baharnoth @katehawke @thealleydog @stewardofningishzida @lady-harvey @asherloki @withalittlehoney @moonlover-tobefree @dino-fart @deepbatched @purplefeathersandblackleather @marvel-writing

#doctor strange #benedict cumberbatch #doctor strange fan fiction #doctor strange x reader insert #doctor strange x y/n #doctor strange x reader #benedict Cumberbatch fan fiction #doctor strange fl #dr stephen strange #dr strange #Stephen strange

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hi, idk if requests are allowed rn or if this one is gross to you (please ignore if it is-), but how do you think the SVE bachelors would treat their pregnant spouse during pregnancy? Also, how would they handle labor?

I recently answered a very similar question, only it was about Lance (well, also Isaac, though he's not a marriage candidate yet). So that leaves only Victor and Magnus! :D

(warning: pregnancy)

Victor:

Victor will protect and watch over his wife like 24/7. He's actually always done that, but here it was even more so.

A hundred and one books about pregnancy from his library moved instantly into his hands. He must know what he can and cannot do, and how to help his wife in case her water breaks.

He will constantly ask his mom about how her pregnancy went.

Victor will get absolutely anything his wife wants (if it is not harmful to her health and the baby's, of course): you want strawberries, but it's out of season and you haven't had time to plant them in the greenhouse? He will get you a whole box of strawberries from the other side of the world. You don't want strawberries anymore, but blueberries or bananas? You got it. All the best!

Sometimes he asks his wife again if she really wants... chocolate-covered bacon? Pickles and ice cream? But in the end, he agrees to his wife's food whim.

A mini heart attack every time his spouse grabs her stomach. Victor, like at the starting line before a race, is ready to assist his wife and get her to Harvey's clinic.

If it's possible, he doesn't leave his wife's side for a second during labour.

Cries like a baby when he sees his newborn child. Lots of kisses and praise for his wife for being so strong and beautiful.

Magnus Rasmodius:

Very calm about it: no panic about his spouse's pregnancy.

The moment the labor begins, he just instantly teleports himself and his wife to Harvey. Naturally, he will be a little nervous, but for his wife's sake he tries to keep his composure.

Magic, by the way, has become a very convenient way to get any fruits or vegetables his wife wants (if it's not bad for her health, of course).

He still can't believe his happiness that he is now a loving spouse and a future happy father. After past failed romances, he never thought he could be truly happy again...

Can be a little paranoid about the safety of his wife and child at times, if he feels his ex-wife is trying to make more trouble in the Valley than usual (if she lays a finger on them, Magnus will simply destroy his ex, mark his words).

It's pretty awkward taking his pregnant wife out of an aerobics class that Caroline is leading and has arranged for Farmer to do special maternity exercises.... But for his wife's sake, anything.

Not a step away from the bed where Farmer lies with her baby.

#thanks for asking! #stardew valley expanded #sve #sve victor #sve magnus #sdv wizard #sdv rasmodius #sve headcanon

[tetsunabouquet]

11, 17, 18, 24, please? :)

I honestly don't know how many and neither can I keep count (flip flops are like socks- there's always one that just disappears). They're mostly just regular sneakers or flip flops though. I mentioned this before in a post about my congenital claw toes, but most shoes aren't actually build for feet like mine. Other then my toes being shaped differently, my instep area is shaped also a little differently from other feet. Sneakers and flip flops are the only 'normal' shoes that are actually build for comfort so they are generally the only shoes I can wear. Inside my home I am always barefoot as even my good shoes feel like a bra to me- I am happy to take those off and have my feet just move and wiggle without something attached to them.

There are fashionable shoes that are orthopedic, but unfortunately the only orthopedic shoes I can get for free (or at an immense discount) through my health insurance are the boring grandma shoes, so I just stick to my sneakers.

Someone I can trust with my life and sees my happiness (and not just their own) as a top priority. Someone who isn't too stupid to annoy me, but I would like someone who is turnt on by my intelligence and is overall a 'little dumber' then I am because I am as vain about my skillset as I am about my beauty. Someone that loves animals and can appreciate the simple things in life. As a bisexual, for heterosexual romancde I'd say: A real man, and not a craven douchebag because the latter description befits both my father and maternal grandfather and I do not wish for history to repeat itself. That is my mom's mistake and it shall never be mine. When it comes to women I'd like: A woman with balls who doesn't accepts people's bullshit. I'm raised to be a strong bitch but I don't like being overtly dominant. I want someone who's my equal.

Also when it comes to women I'd like them to be strong but have a softer, feminine look about them. Have you ever heard of the Nickelodeon show House of Anubis? That originally was a Belgium-Dutch show that got remade in German and English. Nienke (the OG counterpart of Nina), was my sapphic childhood celebrity crush and she still heavily influences my taste to this day.

Fun story: But my third pair of earrings were actually done by this cute girl who looked a little like Loek Beernink (the actress name), and my heart was racing as she marked my body forever with those piercing needles. I still think about the piercing girl every once in a while.

Yes, I have always wanted them. However, with my various health issues I do want to make sure that if that stage in my life ever were to present myself that 1, am in an okay place with my physical health and 2, I have tested myself and my partner to how likely it is that our child is going to inherit something from me and my side of the family as almost everyone is neurodivergent and certain phsical conditions also run in the family. I want my child to be healthy and want them to have the gift I never had.

I do like to say though, is that with the current times, I am not sure if this is an enviroment I want my children to be born in and if I do have children, I am very much going to make sure wether their schools aren't teaching them propoganda or that they bring home the wrong friends. When I hear stupid things like that British schools are going to teach children things like afrocentrist lies that black people build Stonehenge and that they are the original inhabitants of Europe (something I've also heard is being said by some pro-BLM people in my country), I do very much fear for the current quality of children's education.

Baths. It's my dream to someday own a home where I can have the Jacuzzi my aunt used to have to be build into (yes my aunt had a Jacuzzi, because she was the luxurious middle class type). I remember bathing in it when I was a little kid, and that I switched the lights on to green and turnt on the bubble function. I pretended like I was being cooked in a witch's cauldron. The memory is dear to me.

#tetsutalk #huis anubis #nienke #loek beernink #jacuzzi #shoes #kids

[aussenskin]

Will Sunscreen Cause Acne?

Welcome to Aussenskin, where safe skincare is our utmost priority. We take immense pride in offering you our organic Australian-made Vegan SPF50 sunscreen with added hyaluronic acid—a product designed to provide superior sun protection without compromising your skin's health. Today, we'll tackle a common concern: whether sunscreen can cause acne. Join us as we debunk the myth and shed light on how the right sunscreen can actually benefit acne-prone skin.

The Myth Surrounding Sunscreen and Acne

It's not uncommon to come across claims that sunscreen can cause or worsen acne, leaving many individuals hesitant to use it regularly. However, it's crucial to separate fact from fiction and understand how sunscreen works in relation to acne-prone skin.

Understanding the Importance of Sunscreen

Before delving into the connection between sunscreen and acne, let's emphasize the significance of using sunscreen. Sunscreen is an essential component of any skincare routine, regardless of skin type or concerns. It shields your skin from the sun's harmful UV rays, preventing sunburn, premature aging, and reducing the risk of skin cancer. Safe skincare practices involve incorporating sunscreen into your daily regimen, ensuring your skin stays protected and healthy.

Sunscreen and Acne-Prone Skin

Some individuals with acne-prone skin may be wary of using sunscreen due to concerns that it could clog pores or exacerbate breakouts. The reality is that not all sunscreens are created equal, and some formulations may be more likely to cause issues for acne-prone individuals. However, it's essential to find the right sunscreen that suits your skin's needs.

Non-Comedogenic Formulas

The key to avoiding acne breakouts while using sunscreen lies in choosing non-comedogenic formulas. Non-comedogenic sunscreens are specifically designed not to clog pores, making them ideal for acne-prone skin. Our Aussenskin sunscreen is formulated with non-comedogenic ingredients, ensuring it won't block pores or contribute to acne breakouts.

Look for Oil-Free and Lightweight Formulations

Acne-prone skin tends to be more sensitive to heavy or greasy products. To prevent potential breakouts, opt for oil-free and lightweight sunscreen formulations. These types of sunscreens are less likely to feel heavy on the skin and won't add excess oil that could contribute to acne.

Patch Test New Sunscreens

If you have concerns about trying a new sunscreen, perform a patch test before applying it all over your face. Apply a small amount of sunscreen to a small area on your forearm or jawline and wait 24 to 48 hours. If no negative reactions occur, you can confidently use the sunscreen on your face.

Sunscreen itself does not cause acne. The key to safe skincare for acne-prone individuals lies in choosing the right sunscreen that is non-comedogenic, oil-free, and lightweight. Our organic Australian-made Vegan SPF50 sunscreen with added hyaluronic acid is a perfect choice, as it is designed to provide superior sun protection without clogging pores or contributing to acne breakouts. Embrace the importance of sunscreen in your daily skincare routine, and you can enjoy clear, healthy, and protected skin under the care of Aussenskin. Here's to a lifetime of safe skincare and confident beauty!

#acne #sunscreen #aussenskin #sensitive skin #australian made #skincare #organic skincare products #australian #sensitiveskincare #safeshoppingmovement #safeskincare #spf50

[barrenstars]

basic info & vague verses.

full name:  harmony ( verse dependent )

nicknames:  none

age:  verse dependent ( 24 - 1,000,000,000+ )

gender:  female

sexual orientation:  pansexual

occupation:  verse dependent

height:  verse dependent

verses.

main lore. the astral daughter of venus and mars, harmony is a planet located in the aquarius constellation circling an F type star.  a perfect blend of both planets, she is a misty pink colour, allowing flashes of gold to peek through lilac clouds.  being only slightly smaller than earth, she is 92% water and only 8% land.  the water on her world is not water, but in fact liquid gold, which is what astronomers see when they gaze through the pink atmosphere and through the pink skies.  the land that exists is mostly lilac rock.  despite how beautiful she is to look at, there is no life on her world as she is toxic, much like her mother's world.  while she doesn’t have raging volcanos, she does have a toxic atmosphere, and a world without water could not sustain life.  when discovered by astronomers they did note how alike she was to their sister planet, venus, though a much more peaceful version.  because of that they named her harmonia24b.  she is a young world, a young ball of feminine energy that is considered to be loving, passionate, beautiful, and a little jealous at times, like her mother, but also adventurous, direct, and forthright like her father.  when the news of what humanity was doing to earth spread throughout the cosmos harmony suggested that she go on an adventure and go to earth, to walk on two feet as a human does to try and help restore earth’s health.  planets, much like humans, have souls, and astral beings such as planets and stars can split their souls as many times as they wish and exist as several different beings at once.  so harmony, being eager and curious about humans in the first place, split her soul and travelled to earth, arriving as a flash of pink light, easily mistaken as a lightning strike.  as her energy manipulated itself into a human form, her eyes paled to a soft lilac, like that of her lilac clouds and rocks, her hair trailed down her back in a soft mix of pink, blue, and purple.  her fingernails, however, were gold.  from there she wandered curiously to the first city, excited to see what awaited her, and what she could learn from the humans and what she could teach the humans. 

goddess verse. much like her main verse harmony is the daughter of venus and mars, however, in this verse she is the astral goddess of the earth’s waters.  while different mythologies exist, there’s one just out of reach from humans, one that lies in the stars.  harmony, when born took a keen interest in earth and the life it bared, and after being granted permission by earth was allowed to reside within the world and become the cosmic goddess of its waters and oceans, taking on the responsibility to care for its creatures and protect its secrets from those who strive to do it harm.  her physical body is that of a human, seeing as after years of studying sailors and fishermen she became quite intrigued by their fleshy characteristics.  she’s not wandered to land as she’s not discussed it with earth, and quite honestly prefers dwelling in the world's waters.  but she hides just beneath the surface, curious lilac hues peering up towards the humans who happen to hang just above the surface in boats, or the ones that swim around with her, completely unbeknownst to them, of course.  she has, on a few occasions, come across some humans in the waters, and revealed herself to them in order to save them from dying or becoming prey to hungry sea swellers.  once they were saved she would take their memories of her so none would speculate, but there were a few people who got away with their memories and spread the word about a mermaid living in the oceans.  while beautiful and angelic as a storybook mermaid, harmony did not possess the tail of such beings, only two legs and feet like humans.  this was not the only occasion stories would pop up about her.  every so often harmony rises to the surface and perches herself upon a rock, abandoned ships, and even icebergs to communicate with her parents and earth itself, and other gods and goddesses as it gets a little lonely dwelling in earth’s waters.  there, she’s been spotted a few times.

rebirth verse. similar to her first verse, harmony is the astral daughter of mars and venus, although having died after a violent asteroid struck her world.  however, as an energy being, harmony could reincarnate, but choose not to be reborn as a planet or star, but to travel and reincarnate as a human being on earth, where she could live a life with her parents on either side of her.  venus on one side and mars on the other. it was an emotional death, which caused a lot of grief for both of her parents, but they were content with knowing their daughter could be reborn much closer to them, in a world they both knew so well, a world she would thrive in and be watched over.  however, unlike normal reincarnation where one would be born into the world as an infant and grow up, harmony chooses a dying vessel, the body of a young woman whose fate was sealed in a plane crash.  upon the moment of this woman’s death harmony guided the woman’s soul out, where it wandered off ready for reincarnation, and entered the deceased female’s body, healing her of her wounds and bringing her back to life.  at the moment of rebirth harmony, unfortunately, lost all of her memories.  all memories of living as a cosmic being, all memories of family, friends, and death.  she was a soul in a body with no memories.  not even the memories of the original body's soul.  harmony was found in the crash, in the seas of the indian ocean, and was confirmed to be the only survivor and rushed to a nearby hospital, where they confirmed the name of the girl’s body she now lived in.  her name was maeng dal-rae, she was in her early to mid-twenties, and had no recorded family. she is plagued with dreams of space, of travelling to other worlds and communicating with the stars and worlds, yet does not understand why.

cosmic witch verse. unlike her other verses, harmony was created by the universe, not by venus and mars, as a vessel to harbour mass amounts of cosmic energy and magic. she was born with no gender, no body, no solid vessel, just a name. harmony. she was tasked to protect the universe and its many inhibitors, to protect the magic and energy placed inside of her and learn to control it lest it falls into less pure hands. harmony is as old as earth itself, given the life expectancy of any other cosmic entity, no matter if she appears human, which she likes to do after first discovering humans when she ventured down to their rocky world for a witchy errand many aeons ago. now she likes to linger there, interacting with humans and protecting them from the threats just out of sight. she has changed her form to mimic that of a human, her only flaws are her characteristics, which are too vibrant to appear natural to any human. her hair, a mixture of soft pink, blues, and purple is not like any normal human on earth, along with her warm blue eyes and golden fingernails. harmony travels through the cosmos, alone, aside from her energy-being cat that she created after discovering one on one of earth's many streets. pluto, named after the planet in the solar system, appears like any normal cat, however, its body is no solid colour, but a mixture of many different colours, like it were the vessel for a galaxy all on its own. its eyes, glowing white, are a peek through the curtain to the power harmony holds. despite having this power, she is incredibly sad and lonely, too scared to make connections with people because she will outlive them and be forced to watch them pass on, which is a process she would witness with her own two, forged, eyes.

disclaimer: harmony is an oc that can fit into canon verses, but for the most part all her verses take place in a fandomless type of setting. if interested in interacting with her in a canon setting, place dm me to plot!

#HARMONY. / headcanon #i finally brought her here #AND ADDED HER WITCH VERSE #AHHHH COMIS WITCH H.ARMONY IS HERE.

[wealthypioneers]

Rare Wild Organic Chinese Black Goji Berries Lycium (Black Wolfberry) Seeds Organic Superfood Fruit Non-Gmo B10 Count: 10 Black goji berry is a magical biological resource that is rich in nutrition ingredients and medicine care active ingredients. According to the research report and the usage in folk, the black goji berry contains plenty of protein, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and other many kinds of nutrients. it can play a good role in anti-aging and beauty skincare. It can also be good food for cooking with some other things such as meat and fish and even drink for days. Goji Berry (Lycium ruthenicum) Wolf-berry is a spectacular plant, a super-food native throughout Central Asia. The black goji is known to be more healthful and potent than the more widely known red goji, and we find the flavor sweeter. The tasty, inky-black berries are exceptionally high in antioxidants and are said to boost the immune system and improve circulation. Thanks to their ability to fight free radicals, they have been hailed as food to promote healthy, graceful aging. It grows as a shrub reaching 35"-59" (90cm-1.5m) in height and the plants are self-fertile. (Black Wolfberry) This spectacular superfood is native throughout Central Asia. The black goji berry is very rarely found in Western cuisine but has long been celebrated in the Himalayan region as a powerful medicinal and healthy food. A native of Central Asia, the southern part of Russia, Northwest China, and Pakistan. In India, it grows in Kashmir, where native people use it to cure blindness in camels. It grows to 6 feet tall and can run out to 15 feet wide if left alone. The leaves turn a bronze color in the colder months. The bees, butterflies, and birds will visit from late Spring to mid-summer while in bloom. It grows in dry soils and is a drought-tolerant shrub. Black goji berries (Lycium Ruthenicum Murrray, Russian box thorn)are an incredibly rare and exotic fruit grown widely in the extreme and harsh environments of Central Asia. The sheer remoteness of the plant, and local reliance on it has meant it is relatively unknown outside its natural range. Black Goji grows as a shrub and reaches a height of about 9 feet with thorny branches dripping with clusters of plump, juicy, pearl-sized, sweet black fruits. Black goji berries are unique among fruits because they contain all essential amino acids, goji berries also have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. This amazing little super fruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. The fruit ripens from summer through early Fall. PLANT INFORMATION: Plant Name: Goji Berry Taxonomy: Lycium ruthenicum Life Cycle: Perennial USDA Zones: 3-10 - Goji dislikes extreme cold or heat Germination Temperature: 20-25°C (68-77F) Ideal Temperature: 70-85 F Plant Height: 90cm-1.5m / 35"-59" Germination Days: 10-40 days (depends on temperature) Light Preferences: 6-12 hrs of Full sun Sprouts in 14-21 Days Seed Depth: 1/4" Plant Spacing: 36" Frost Hardy: Yes Growing Tips: Soak seeds in warm (70-85 F) water for 24 hours before planting. Add sand to the potting mix. Goji prefers alkaline soil and prefers to stay fairly dry, but tolerates most soils. HOW TO GROW GOJI BERRY FROM SEEDS Goji berry plants can be grown from seed, but plants will begin fruiting two years after seeding. Germination Sow seeds 1/4" deep and lightly cover with a medium. Keep moist in a bright spot. Do not cover with plastic but maintain a temperature around 65-75F. Goji berry perennial germination takes around 7-14 days at 20-25 degrees C / 65-75F. However, it can be much slower - up to several weeks at lower temperatures. ✅ Sow indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. ✅ Sow 2 to 3 seeds in each pot, about 5mm (¼”) deep. ✅ Use a sterilized seed starting mix, and do not add fertilizer. ✅ Keep soil moist until seeds germinate, and then put it under bright lights. ✅ Optional you can use a grow dome or grow light ✅ After the third true leaf emerges, transplant each seedling onto its own individual pot. ✅ Goji berry grows well in slightly alkaline soil with a pH range of 6.8 to 8.1. ✅ If you’re growing Goji in a large container, use simple topsoil with some perlite mixed in for drainage. Avoid peat-based soils. ✅ Keep your goji berry plant indoors for at least one year, before planting outdoors. Planting outdoors is best done when the goji berry plant is at least one foot in height. Germination Instruction Soak the seeds in water that is from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for one to two days. This will increase their rate of germination. Combine sand with commercial potting mix or garden soil until it is very fine. The ideal soil pH should be between 7 and 8, although gogi plants will grow in soil with a pH lower than that. Plant the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep indoors in pots if you live in a colder area. Move the pots outside when the weather begins to warm. If you live in a warmer area, plant them outdoors in partial sun after the danger of frost has passed. Spray water on the soil. The temperature should be from 64 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the seedlings with a mist sprayer until two leaves appear. Irrigate them with a sprinkler after that if your seedlings are outside. Do not allow the soil to become soggy. Snip off the main stem just above third leaf when it appears. This will cause the plant to grow laterally as a bush rather than vertically as a tree. A bushy form will yield more berries than a taller plant. Transfer seedlings planted in containers to direct sunlight and water regularly. As the richest known plant source of OPC(Oligomeric Proanthocyanidin) it has magnificent antioxidant capabilities. OPC is one of the most effective water-soluble free-radical scavengers. It is 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E.As a result, black goji berries may have the ability to slow down the aging process, lower cholesterol, and to prevent and slow the growth of cancer. Goji berry plants establish fast, but they don’t fruit fast when starting from seed. The roots establish enough within a few months of germination to be transplanted in pots. Plant Goji berry outdoors at least 2 feet apart - it can be trained like a grapevine on a trellis or left as a shrub. The tasty, inky black berries are exceptionally high in antioxidants and are said to boost the immune system and improve circulation. Thanks to their ability to fight free radicals, they have been hailed as food to promote healthy, graceful aging. The potent berries create an outstanding blue color when steeped or added to foods. These tasty berries are quickly becoming a popular superfruit added to smoothies and brewed into tea. The dried berries are great in granola and muffins or snacked on alone; you can also eat the berries fresh off the plant. Steep the berries into a beautiful blue tea; adding a few drops of lemon will turn the tea a lovely purple/pink color. The benefits of drinking black Goji tea: it is helpful for kidney and sex it has the function of keeping the liver, improving eyesight, resisting fatigue, beauty and resisting tumor,s etc. can cure heart disease, cardiopyretic disease, abnormal menstruation, menopause and etc. its prospects are very bright whether as the common green and health care food or medicine. How to use black Goji berry? Take about Black goji 3~5g, and pour 50~70 degrees hot water about 300ml (10 fl. oz), keep for 5 minutes. It can be brawn about 4 times till the water is clear, and the brawn black goji is edible. Because Black goji is rich in natural anthocyanin, if use neutral water to brew it, the water will be purple, if use alkaline water is brewed, the water will be blue. It is highly recommended to use this black goji berry with soup. it can be delicious and good for your sex and kidney if you have it for a certain period. Gardeners will be pleased to know this exciting berry is highly prolific and easy to grow! Plants thrive in zones 5-10. It grows as a shrub reaching 4-6 feet in height, and the plants are self-fertile. The fruit ripens from summer through early fall. http://springsofeden.myshopify.com/products/rare-wild-organic-chinese-black-goji-berries-lycium-black-wolfberry-seeds-organic-superfood-fruit-non-gmo-b10

#Lycium ruthenicum #WOLFBERRY #BLACK GOJI BERRY #organic fruit seeds #goji nero #siyah goji #and kaokee #black wolfberry #Black goji berries #Russian box thorn

[tipsycad147]

Water Magick: How to Tap into it’s Powerful Natural Energy

The soothing sound of the rain, a beautiful moment of pure happiness, or that cool drink of water on a hot summers day; these are all sources of water magick.

Water flows all around us and within us everyday. Up to 60% of the human body is made up of water. It refreshes, gives life, rises, and falls. This element is full of cleansing, loving, and healing energy.

If you have been thinking about adding this life giving element into your own practice keep on reading!

Water energy represents purity, fluidity, and harmony. This powerful energy can heal, cleanse, and calm us but is often taken for granted. A lot of us can’t even manage to drink enough water on a daily basis!

This post is the fourth and final post in my four part series covering the elements; earth, air, fire, water. So  keep reading and if you’d like to check out the other elemental posts you can find them here: EARTH, AIR, FIRE.

Making Water Magick Part of Your Everyday Practice

I mentioned this in the other posts, but it’s worth repeating. It’s important for us to make space in our days for that powerful natural energy each element contains. Being mindful of this will enrich your connection to nature, bringing balance, and powerful magick to your practice.

Water energy exists all around us. Opening up and embracing it will allow it’s energy to heal, cleanse, and soothe us.

If you have been feeling chaotic, anxious or out of balance it may be a good idea to spend some time connecting with the water element. It may just provide you with that comforting energy you are needing.

Drink water, go swimming, listen to the rain, or allow yourself to let go and just feel joy. There are many ways to include the water element into your everyday routine.

I’ve included correspondences and ideas to connect below so lets get started!

Water Magick Correspondences

DIRECTION

West

ENERGY

Receptive

SEASON

Autumn

TIME OF DAY

Dusk

SENSE

Taste

CHAKRA

Solar Plexus

COLOURS

blue, green, grey, silver

MAGICKAL TOOLS

cup, cauldron, chalice

ANIMALS

frog, whale, dolphin, seal, salmon, otter, most fish

ZODIAC SIGNS

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

RULING PLANETS

Moon, Neptune

PLANT LIFE

lily, apple, lemon balm, mugwort, aloe, rose, belladonna, catnip, peach, chamomile, tulip, seaweed, gardenia, succulents

GEMSTONES

aquamarine, opal, moonstone, pearl, chrysoprase, kunzite, blue tourmaline, amethyst

DEITIES

Goddesses – Amphitrite, Damona, Danu, Li Ban, Aphrodite, Brigid

Gods – Poseidon, Manannan, Llyr, Neptune, Njord, Nodens

Types of Water Magick Rituals to Perform

Happiness

Cleansing

Dreams

Harmony

Love

Healing

Health

Divination

24 Ways to Connect with Water Magick in Your Daily Routine

have a ritual bath or shower

collect seashells

drink water

moon bathe

make moon water

watch and listen to the rain

visit a river, stream, lake, or ocean

spend a day at the beach

go swimming

appreciate the morning dew

play in the snow

collect rain water

go out on a boat

relax and go with the flow

do a cleansing of your space

start a dream journal

start a new healthy habit

spend time outside at dusk

perform a moon meditation or ritual

start a flexibility practice

eat balancing foods

don’t hold back your feelings

do movement exercises with flow like yoga or dance

practice water scrying

Continue to find new ways to connect with that mesmerizing water energy in your daily routine. You’ll discover there are lots of different opportunities where you may not have seen them before.

Your thoughts!

Do you feel an affinity with the water element? In what ways do you try and connect?

As always, I love to hear from you!  Please feel free to leave a comment or connect with me on socials.

And remember, if you enjoyed this post, you can check out my SHOP PAGE or ETSY STORE for some grimoire inspiration and printable pages (including for each ELEMENT) to help get you started on your journey.

You can also SUBSCRIBE to The Wholesome Witch Mailing List to receive a 20% OFF discount code for my website shop of digital witchy offerings, as well as some special freebies as a thank you and welcome gift!

Sending many blessings.

Yours in health and magick,

Krystle xo

https://www.thewholesomewitch.com/water-magick-correspondence-rituals/

[endless-season]

Lucien’s Weibo Posts (2020)

<< 2019 | [2020] | 2021 >>

2020-1-1

I look forward to finding the answers to unsolved mysteries in this new year.

2020-1-8

The ideomotor phenomenon, besides acting on external influence, is more the hypnotic result of hidden subconscious. Usually this will lean towards an outcome favourable to the individual.

2020-1-17

Perhaps the mystery of fate lies in the fact even without scientific proof it continues to exist and is unavoidable.

Lucien liked the following post on 2020-1-21

CCTV News: [Livestream! Zhong Nanshan speaks about the pandemic]

2020-1-21

For reference

Chinese Academy of Science: Article - Evolution of the novel coronavirus from the ongoing Wuhan outbreak and modelling of its spike protein for risk of human transmission.

T/N: Original paper is in English in case anyone’s curious. Also I probably should’ve realised earlier but the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Science is likely the base for Lucien’s research centre. It’s also the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Academy of Science hence why he’s following them on Weibo lol.

2020-1-24 (Chinese New Year)

Joy and good health ^^

Your new year’s wish will definitely come true!

2020-2-3

The harsh winter will eventually pass

2020-2-7

Forwarding a post

Lucien (2018-7-8):  "Indeed, just as light makes manifest both itself and darkness, so truth is the standard both of itself and falsity."

2020-2-14 (Valentines Day)

I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, blue-bells, dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses.

T/N: This post was in Spanish. Quoting ‘Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’ by Pablo Neruda. It continues with ‘I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees’.

2020-2-18

It is hard to define whether someone is truly independent, because independence isn’t just “relying only on your own strength to do something”, the psychological side of things is equally important.

2020-2-24

Monday morning

T/N: Grand Gateway Tower 2 in Shanghai

2020-2-29

The ‘anima’ part of ‘animal’ means spirit. Animism is somewhat like biological equality in a philosophical sense.

2020-3-7

Long time no see

2020-3-13

One could also say, its beauty comes from order.

T/N: Image of Shanghai Starry Art Museum

2020-3-19

“Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people”. The same goes for strengths, you must first understand yourself before helping others.

T/N: Quoting Carl Jung

2020-4-1 (April Fools)

Caught the tail of an April Fish

2020-4-8

Sharing pictures

T/N: Images from ‘The Turin Horse’

2020-4-15

This year’s treasure

2020-4-19

Rainy night

2020-4-23

When people realise there is a camera pointed at them, they subconsciously increase the restraint on their behaviour and thus the probability of distortion is also increased.

2020-4-30 (Disney Collab Event)

In a place full of childlike innocence, even the thought of teasing people becomes cute.

2020-5-5

Gracefully fluttering on the paper

2020-5-12

Sometimes losing something doesn’t mean becoming incomplete.

T/N: Black Queen Hypothesis

2020-5-25

Good morning

2020-6-1 (Children’s Day)

Growing up and seeing photos from your childhood gives a sense of wonder. But its even better when you can trade photos with someone else.

2020-6-5

Found a video from last year’s psychology conference.

Video translation:

The psychology conference just ended. I happen to have some time to explore. When it comes to Vienna, most people think of it as the music capital but it’s internationally recognised for psychology. The well-known Freud, Adler, Ringel all contributed to psychoanalysis here. [Goes on to talk about Vienna’s Philosophical School of Thought and Logical Positivism]

Perhaps just looking at the street is a bit dull, however if we were to discuss the musical history and figures of this place… it would definitely be very romantic.

T/N: The XXI Congress of the International Association for Analytical Psychology at the University of Vienna on 2019 August 25-30. He’s near the Mozarthaus (Mozart’s House).

2020-6-13

An accidentally discovery after the marine biology class.

2020-6-21

“I have seen seas as smooth as if painted, coloured like shot silk or blue as a kingfisher or transparent as glass or black and crumpled with foam, moving ponderously and murderously.”

T/N: Quoting a letter from Gerald Durrell to Lee McGeorge. This is later followed by ‘All this I did without you. This was my loss. All this I want to do with you. This will be my gain. All this I would gladly have forgone for the sake of one minute of your company, for your laugh, your voice, your eyes, hair, lips, body, and above all for your sweet, ever-surprising mind which is an enchanting quarry in which it is my privilege to delve.’ You can watch a reading by Tom Hiddleston on Letters Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE4msFl_Boo

2020-6-27

It’s precisely by not focusing on one thing that we can see more things and each thing has a chance of hiding a very important signal.

2020-7-1

Habits come from never, then sometimes to always. Good habits should be preserved, bad habits should be changed.

2020-7-6 (Day before National College Entrance Exams)

Calming the heart

2020-7-11

Different coffees have different scents, just as the differences in the world are made up of the diversity of all things.

2020-7-17 (End of Season 1, Start of Season 2)

The desire for personal growth is usually accompanied by the happiness of witnesses. Each time a new branch grows, a new individual is born.

2020-7-21

Forwarding a post

Lucien (2019-2-20): “All joy want the eternity of all things, wants honey, wants resin, wants drunken midnight, wants graves, wants tomb-tears’ solace, wants gilded sunset...”

2020-7-27

Sharing a picture

T/N: Image from Conwy Castle in Wales

2020-8-2

Studies suggest the brain recognise a social network of up to 150 people. Any more ‘good friends’ and the brain won’t have enough mental capacity or energy to sustain a stable relationship.

T/N: This is known as Dunbar’s number and was challenged by a bigger study in 2021 suggesting there is no limit.

2020-8-7

Occasionally taking a break from thinking, is a necessary rest.

Xia Lei, Lucien’s voice actor commented on this post:

2020-8-14

Every year I come to the book fair.

T/N: Image of Sinan Book and Poetry Store in Shanghai, it was formerly a church.

2020-8-20

This one took a bit longer to bloom

2020-8-25 (Qixi Festival)

Admist the bustling dots of lanterns carry wishes, it seems as though they can drift somewhere far far away.

2020-9-3

The means of artistic expression is compatible.

T/N: Image of ‘At Sea, The Mast Becomes A Cross’ at the Victor Hugo Exhibition at the Pearl Art Muesum in Shanghai again.

2020-9-9

Introducing a new friend.

Video translation:

Hello Little Xia, my name’s Lucien. I’ve heard about you over the phone from Nian Gao and now we can properly meet. Are you stepping on the ‘Little Prince’ I gave him? It seems you also like this story. Hmm… pointy beak, soft feathers… very cute. Xia Lei: Lucien, come eat! Lucien: Ok, coming! We’re a bit short on time today but next time, I’ll introduce another a new friend. Hmm… even nicer to pat than I imagined.

T/N:

I can’t make out whatever Lucien is calling Xia Lei… NianGao?!? Rice Cake?!!?!? Nian Gao (CNY Rice Cake) is Xia Lei’s kid’s nickname according to EphemeralPhantasm who translated this as well!

Xia Lei commented on this post:

2020-9-18

占有使得利益两端变成了拥有从属联系的物品——而物品是没有生命力的，利益双方的关系永远都无法鲜活起来。

T/N: Yeah I gave up translating this one

2020-9-27

A healthy life requires continuous perseverance in your principles and a bit of an innocent pursuit of joy.

2020-10-1 (Mid autumn festival)

Anything else you want to do besides eating mooncakes today?

2020-10-8

Like a long time ago

2020-10-16

There seems to be some regularity to irregularity

2020-10-22

Words on paper is not simply a straightforward record, but the emotions evoked when reading alo form part of it.

2020-10-31 (Halloween)

Since the children are obedient, I’ll only read one horror story tonight.

2020-11-5

“If people are educated, they should be passionate about differences. They should become less certain, not more certain”

T/N: Quoting ‘Tara Westover’, author of ‘Educated: A Memoir’, “Education should always be an expansion of your mind, a deepening of your empathy, a broadening of your perspective. It should never harden your prejudices. If people become educated, they should become less certain, not more. They should listen more, they should talk less. They should have a passion for difference and a love of ideas that aren’t theirs.”

2020-11-15 (Lucien Bday)

Will love always remain constant? Perhaps the answer was already revealed long ago.

2020-11-21

Lumen in Chinese is流明 – amongst many dull translations, this kind of simultaneously phonetic and definitional translation can’t help but make people smile.

T/N: It’s great tbh 10/10 made me smile. 1. 流明LiuMing sounds like Lumen phonetically. 2. The separate words, 流and明mean Flow and Brightness - Lumen is the unit for luminous flux.

2020-11-28

Sharing a picture

T/N: Referencing Hiking date ;-;

2020-12-5

If a camphor tree were a jigsaw puzzle, each leaf would become a point of confusion.

2020-12-12

Sometimes multiple choice questions with single answers make people think deeper about the hidden meaning in the question than those with multiple answers.

2020-12-20

A difference in sight

T/N: Image of FALLEN by artist Wu MengYuan

2020-12-24

Barnum’s Effect is a clever application of generalisations being used as individualisations but it cannot really be called a true personality reading.

<< 2019 | [2020] | 2021 >>

#still ;; about the xialei housevisit. so adorable #mlqc #mlqc lucien #stuff i post #temporary terrible translations tag #i wonder what kind of interactions the other guys VAs had with their character if any #ALSO GIVE US MORE MOMO UPDATES

[aitrendingblogs]

Top 10 Benefits of AI in Healthcare Industry 

The intersection of technology and healthcare has opened a new frontier, one where the lines between science fiction and reality blur. At the heart of this revolution lies Artificial Intelligence (AI), a beacon of hope and innovation. As we delve into the myriad ways AI is reshaping the healthcare industry, it's akin to watching a flower bloom in fast forward.  

The impact is profound, rapid, and beautiful in its complexity. From diagnosis to patient care, AI is not just a tool but a partner in healthcare's journey towards efficiency and empathy. Here, we explore the top 10 benefits of AI in healthcare, a journey made possible by pioneers in the field, including AI development companies and providers of custom chatbot development services. 

1. Precision in Diagnosis 

Imagine a world where the margin of error in diagnosing diseases is minimized to a sliver. AI brings us closer to this reality through advanced algorithms that analyze data with precision, potentially catching what human eyes might miss. 

2. Customized Treatment Plans 

AI doesn't just stop at diagnosis; it goes a step further by aiding in the creation of tailor-made treatment plans. By considering a patient's unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and other factors, AI crafts personalized healthcare strategies, enhancing the effectiveness of treatments. 

3. Enhanced Patient Engagement 

Through the integration of custom chatbot development services, AI transforms patient engagement. These chatbots offer 24/7 support, answering queries, scheduling appointments, and providing medical guidance, making healthcare accessible from the comfort of one's home. 

4. Predictive Analytics for Preventive Care 

AI's ability to sift through vast amounts of data enables it to identify risk factors and predict health issues before they manifest. This predictive prowess paves the way for preventive measures, potentially saving lives and healthcare costs. 

5. Streamlining Administrative Tasks 

The administrative burden on healthcare providers is hefty. AI steps in to lighten the load by automating tasks such as data entry, appointment scheduling, and patient triage, allowing medical staff to focus on what they do best—caring for patients. 

6. Improving Access to Care in Remote Areas 

AI bridges the gap between remote areas and quality healthcare through telemedicine and AI-powered diagnostics tools. This ensures that geography no longer dictates the level of care one receives, democratizing health services. 

7. Enhancing Medical Imaging 

AI enhances the analysis of medical images such as X-rays and MRIs, offering faster and more accurate interpretations. This not only aids in early detection of conditions but also reduces the workload on radiologists. 

8. Drug Development and Research 

The journey from a drug's conception to its market entry is long and complex. AI accelerates this process by simulating the effects of drugs and analyzing clinical data, making the development of new treatments faster and more cost-effective. 

9. Robotic Surgery 

In the realm of surgery, AI-assisted robots offer precision beyond human capabilities, leading to less invasive procedures, reduced recovery times, and minimized human error. 

10. Training and Education 

AI-powered simulations offer a dynamic learning environment for medical professionals, providing realistic scenarios for practice without risk to patients. This enhances the learning experience, preparing healthcare workers for a wide range of situations. 

Conclusion 

The fusion of AI in the healthcare industry is a testament to humanity's relentless pursuit of advancement and compassion. It's a partnership where technology serves not to overshadow the human touch but to enhance it, ensuring that care is not just effective but also accessible and personalized. As AI development company and innovators in custom chatbot development services continue to push the boundaries, the future of healthcare looks not just promising but transformative. The journey of integrating AI into healthcare is an ongoing saga of innovation, one that holds the promise of a healthier, brighter future for all. 

#ai in healthcare

[sandeepsrk007]

Seamless Journeys: The Convenience of Airport Taxi Pickup and Drop Services in Kerala

Kerala, with its sprawling backwaters, lush landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, is not just a destination for travelers seeking solace and adventure but also a bustling hub for business travelers. The gateway to this verdant paradise is through its airports, serving as the first point of contact for visitors. In this context, Airport Taxi Pickup and Drop Service in Kerala stand out as the unsung heroes, offering seamless connectivity and convenience to both tourists and locals alike.

The First Mile: Beginning Your Kerala Adventure

Arriving at any of Kerala's airports opens up a vista of the state's stunning beauty and warm hospitality. However, the transition from the airport to your destination can be daunting, especially for first-time visitors or those with significant luggage. This is where reliable airport taxi services step in, transforming your first mile in Kerala from a logistical challenge into a comfortable and welcoming experience.

Ease and Efficiency: The Core of Airport Transfers

The essence of airport taxi services in Kerala lies in their commitment to ease and efficiency. With services tailored to meet the diverse needs of passengers, including solo travelers, families, and large groups, these taxis offer a hassle-free beginning and end to your journey. Advanced booking systems, transparent pricing, and 24/7 customer support ensure that every traveler finds a ride suited to their schedule and budget.

Safety First: A Priority for Kerala's Airport Taxis

In the post-pandemic world, the importance of safety and hygiene cannot be overstated. Kerala's airport taxi services prioritize passenger safety, with regular sanitization of vehicles, health checks for drivers, and adherence to all recommended safety protocols. This focus on safety extends beyond health measures, encompassing reliable and professional service to ensure passengers reach their destinations safely, at any hour.

Exploring Kerala: Beyond the Airport

One of the unique advantages of opting for a specialized airport taxi service in Kerala is the opportunity to turn your journey from the airport to your destination into an exploratory tour. Many services offer the option to customize your route, allowing you to visit popular landmarks, scenic viewpoints, or local eateries along the way. This not only enhances the travel experience but also introduces you to Kerala’s rich tapestry of culture and nature right from the start.

Sustainable Travel: Eco-Friendly Options

Recognizing the importance of preserving Kerala's pristine environment, many airport taxi services now offer eco-friendly travel options, including electric vehicles and hybrids. These initiatives contribute to sustainable tourism, ensuring that Kerala remains lush and green for generations to come.

Making Connections: The Role of Airport Taxis in Kerala's Tourism

The efficiency and reliability of airport taxis significantly contribute to the overall tourism experience in Kerala. By providing a smooth transition from the airport to the heart of Kerala’s tourist destinations, these services play a pivotal role in shaping visitors' perceptions and experiences of the state.

In Conclusion: The Gateway to Kerala’s Heart

Airport taxi pickup and drop services in Kerala are more than just a mode of transportation; they are your first step into a land of unparalleled beauty and your last goodbye to a memorable visit. They represent the warmth and hospitality of Kerala, ensuring that every journey begins and ends on a note of comfort and convenience. Whether you're visiting for leisure or business, the reliability, safety, and personalized service of Kerala's airport taxis make them an indispensable part of your travel itinerary.

#wedding car rentals #self drive car rentals in trivandrum @lowest price #premium wedding car rentals in kerala

[swatu32]

Mehndi Moments: Timeless Beauty etched in Henna

In the vast tapestry of Indian culture, few art forms embody the essence of tradition, beauty, and celebration quite like Mehndi. Across generations, Mehndi—also known as Henna—has been an integral part of Indian rituals, festivals, and ceremonies. Its intricate patterns and deep cultural significance make Mehndi application not just an adornment but a cherished tradition, a form of self-expression, and a celebration of life's special moments. In this article, we delve into the enduring allure of Mehndi, exploring its roots, its contemporary significance, and the journey of obtaining the finest Henna powder in India.

The Artistry of Mehndi: A Tradition Transcending Time

Mehndi, derived from the Sanskrit word 'Mendhika,' has been practiced in the Indian subcontinent for over five millennia. Its history intertwines with various cultural and religious practices, symbolizing joy, luck, and spiritual awakening. Traditionally, Mehndi application is an integral part of weddings, festivals like Eid and Karva Chauth, and other auspicious occasions.

The process of applying Mehndi involves intricate designs drawn on the hands and feet using a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the Henna plant (Lawsonia inermis). As the paste dries, it leaves behind a reddish-brown stain, which intensifies over the next 24-48 hours, creating mesmerizing patterns that fade gradually over a couple of weeks.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Mehndi holds deep cultural significance. It symbolizes the bond between a bride and her groom, with the intricacy of the design often reflecting the strength of their relationship. Additionally, the application of Mehndi is believed to have cooling properties, making it particularly popular during the sweltering Indian summers.

Embracing Mehndi: A Celebration of Beauty and Culture

In a world where beauty trends come and go, Mehndi remains a steadfast symbol of timeless beauty and cultural heritage. Its allure lies not only in its aesthetic appeal but also in the stories it carries, the traditions it embodies, and the connections it fosters.

As we celebrate Mehndi moments, let us embrace the beauty of tradition and the artistry of henna. Whether it's adorning the hands of a bride on her wedding day or creating intricate designs for festive celebrations, Buy mehandi powder in India continues to weave its magic, leaving behind a legacy of beauty, joy, and tradition that transcends boundaries and unites hearts around the world.

In every Mehndi moment, there lies a story waiting to be told—a story of timeless beauty etched in henna.

Benefits of Natural Henna Powder:

The allure of Natural Henna powder lies not only in its vibrant color but also in its myriad benefits for the skin and hair. Unlike chemical dyes, Natural Henna is gentle and non-toxic, making it suitable for even the most sensitive skin types. Additionally, Henna possesses cooling properties that soothe inflammation and promote skin health.

Furthermore, regular application of Henna can strengthen the hair, improve texture, and enhance shine. It serves as a natural conditioner, imparting nourishment and vitality to dull, lifeless locks. With its antibacterial and antifungal properties, Henna also helps maintain scalp health, reducing dandruff and promoting hair growth.

Conclusion: Capturing the Magic of Mehndi

In a world characterized by constant change and flux, Mehndi stands as a timeless tradition—a symbol of continuity, beauty, and celebration. From the vibrant streets of Rajasthan to bustling metropolises around the world, Mehndi brings people together, fostering a sense of connection and community.

As we embrace the magic of Mehndi, let us also cherish the journey of obtaining the finest Henna powder in rajasthan Whether sourced from the sun-kissed fields of Rajasthan or from trusted suppliers across the country, the quest for quality ensures that each Mehndi moment is imbued with authenticity and splendor.

In the delicate patterns etched in Henna, we find not just beauty but also a reflection of the rich tapestry of Indian culture—a celebration of tradition, artistry, and the enduring spirit of joy.

So, as you embark on your Mehndi journey, remember to seek out the finest Henna powder, for in its purity lies the secret to timeless beauty etched in Mehndi moments.

[indulgeo2024]

Radiant Skin: Indulgeo's Rose Gold Oil

Indulgeo Essentials presents its signature skincare gem: the Indulgeo Rose Gold Oil. This luxurious elixir encapsulates the essence of opulence and efficacy, carefully crafted to provide your skin with unparalleled nourishment and radiance. Enriched with a harmonious blend of natural oils and infused with 24-karat gold flakes, this indulgeo face oil stands as a testament to our commitment to quality and luxury.

At the heart of this indulgeo essential lies the therapeutic properties of rosehip seed oil, known for its ability to deeply hydrate and rejuvenate the skin. Paired with the regenerative prowess of jojoba oil and the antioxidant-rich benefits of argan oil, this indulgeo face oil delivers a potent cocktail of nutrients essential for maintaining skin health and vitality.

The addition of 24-karat gold flakes elevates this indulgeo rose oil to new heights of indulgence and luxury. Gold has long been revered for its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to promote skin elasticity, making it a prized ingredient in skincare formulations. Each delicate flake of gold infused within the indulgeo Rose Gold Oil imparts a luminous glow, leaving your skin with a radiant and youthful appearance.

Indulgeo Essentials takes pride in curating products that prioritize both efficacy and purity. Our Rose Gold Oil is free from harmful toxins and artificial additives, ensuring a gentle yet effective skincare experience suitable for all skin types. Whether you're seeking to hydrate dry skin, soothe sensitive skin, or simply enhance your natural radiance, indulgeo Rose Gold Oil offers a versatile solution for all your skincare needs.

To indulge in the luxurious experience of indulgeo Rose Gold Oil is to embrace the transformative power of nature's finest ingredients. Elevate your skincare routine to new heights of indulgence with this decadent elixir, and discover the radiant, luminous complexion you've always desired. Experience the epitome of luxury skincare with Indulgeo Essentials and unveil the beauty within.

#rose gold oil #rose oil #dark skin #dull skin #skincare routine

[aaasonsblog]

In the serene landscapes of Wildomar, California, where picturesque homes and thriving businesses stand as testaments to the beauty of our region, there lies a hidden hero – A. Andrews & Sons Cleaning and Restoration. Since our inception in Orange County in 1974, we have been dedicated to preserving the sanctity of homes and businesses through our unwavering commitment to excellence in mold, fire, , and water damage restoration services in Wildomar.

OUR SERVICES

·        Water Damage Restoration

When disaster strikes in the form of water damage, time is of the essence. That's why our water damage services in Wildomar are available 24/7, ensuring a swift response to your needs. Our expert team utilizes state-of-the-art technology and proprietary techniques approved by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) to efficiently remove water, mitigate damage, and restore your property to its former glory.

·        Emergency Water Damage Restoration:

Emergencies don't adhere to schedules, which is why our emergency water damage restoration near me services are always at your disposal. Whether it's day or night, weekday or weekend, you can count on us to be there when you need us the most.

·        Leak Repair:

Don't let a leaky pipe or water heater dampen your spirits. Our skilled technicians specialize in leak repair, including pipe leak repair, plumbing leak repair, and even emergency leak repair. With prompt and efficient service, we'll nip the problem in the bud before it has a chance to escalate.

·        Mold Restoration:

Mold can be a silent intruder, wreaking havoc on your property and your health. Our professional mold restoration services include thorough inspections and personalized removal plans, ensuring that your space is safe and sanitized long after the mold has been eradicated.

·        Fire Damage Restoration:

In the wake of a fire, the road to recovery may seem daunting. Our fire damage restoration services offer a beacon of hope, utilizing powerful truck-mounted equipment and safe cleaning techniques to restore your property and peace of mind.

·        Tile and Grout Cleaning:

Let your floors and countertops sparkle like new with our tile and grout cleaning services. Our high-pressure injection and extraction equipment guarantee a thorough clean that revitalizes your space.

·        Floor Cleaning and Polishing:

Whether it's hardwood, stone, travertine, or marble, our floor cleaning and polishing services are backed by a money-back guarantee. Trust us to restore your floors to their original luster with dazzling results.

·        Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning:

Our licensed, bonded, and insured technicians specialize in carpet and upholstery cleaning using environmentally-friendly, soap-free chemicals that are safe for your family and pets.

At A. Andrews & Sons Cleaning and Restoration, we understand that our reputation is built on more than just our services – it's built on trust, reliability, and a commitment to excellence. As a local, family-owned business, we take pride in our over 50 years of combined professional cleaning experience. When you choose us, you're not just choosing a water damage restoration contractor near me – you're choosing a partner in restoration.

CONTACT US:

So why wait? When disaster strikes, don't settle for anything less than the best. Choose A. Andrews & Sons Cleaning and Restoration for all your restoration and water damage cleanup needs in Wildomar, CA, and beyond. Contact us today to experience the difference firsthand. Your property deserves nothing less than restoration excellence – and with us, that's exactly what you'll get.

A Andrews & Sons Cleaning & Restoration 35736 Country Park Dr, Wildomar, CA 92595. [phone]

FIND US ONLINE:

Visit Our Website: https://aaasons.com/

Location (Google Maps): https://www.google.com/maps?cid=2234659748657466268

Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/aaaadrew/

X: https://twitter.com/aandrews/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-andrews-and-sons-cleaning-and-restoration-wildomar-2

Proven Expert: https://www.provenexpert.com/a-andrews-sons-cleaning-restoration/

Next Door: https://nextdoor.com/pages/a-andrews-sons-cleaning-restoration-wildomar-ca/

Waze (Driving Directions): https://www.waze.com/live-map/directions/us/ca/wildomar/a-andrews-and-sons-cleaning-and-restoration?to=place.ChIJZ2v3LSSD3IARnIuXoDMbAx8

#Youtube

[mumbaipunetaxiservices]

Exploring Mumbai's Coastal Biodiversity: Preserving Marine Life

Introduction: Unveiling Mumbai's Coastal Wonders

In the bustling metropolis of Mumbai lies a hidden gem that often goes unnoticed amidst the urban chaos - its breathtaking coastal biodiversity. From the Arabian Sea gently caressing the shores to the vibrant marine life thriving beneath the waves, Mumbai's coastline is a testament to the marvels of nature.

The Rich Diversity of Marine Life

Coral Reefs: Nature's Underwater Cities

Mumbai's coastal waters are home to an extensive network of coral reefs. These intricate ecosystems provide shelter and sustenance to a myriad of marine species, from colorful fish to majestic sea turtles. Mumbai's coral reefs serve as vital breeding grounds, contributing to the overall health of the marine ecosystem.

Mangrove Forests: Guardians of the Coastline

Nestled along Mumbai's shores are dense mangrove forests, acting as natural barriers against coastal erosion and safeguarding against the wrath of tropical storms. These lush green havens are teeming with life, offering refuge to numerous species of birds, crabs, and other wildlife.

Marine Fauna: A Symphony of Life

Beneath the azure waters of the Arabian Sea lies a world teeming with biodiversity. Mumbai's coastal waters are inhabited by an array of marine fauna, including dolphins, whales, sharks, and rays. These magnificent creatures contribute to the ecological balance of the ocean, playing crucial roles in the food chain and ecosystem dynamics.

Conservation Efforts: Preserving Mumbai's Coastal Heritage

Sustainable Tourism Practices

As Mumbai's popularity as a tourist destination continues to soar, it's imperative to implement sustainable tourism practices to minimize the impact on the delicate coastal ecosystem. Eco-friendly initiatives such as responsible boating tours and educational marine expeditions can help raise awareness about the importance of conserving marine life.

Community Engagement and Education

Empowering local communities to become stewards of their coastal environment is key to long-term conservation efforts. By educating residents about the significance of preserving marine biodiversity and involving them in coastal clean-up drives and tree planting initiatives, we can foster a sense of ownership and pride in Mumbai's natural heritage.

Interrelation with Mumbai Pune Car Rental Services

Amidst the buzz of urban life, many residents and tourists alike seek respite in the tranquility of Mumbai's coastal retreats. However, navigating the bustling streets of Mumbai and venturing to nearby destinations such as Pune can be daunting. This is where Mumbai Pune car rental services come into play, offering convenient and hassle-free transportation options for travelers looking to explore the region.

Whether it's a weekend getaway to Pune's lush hills or a leisurely drive along Mumbai's picturesque coastline, Mumbai Pune car rental services provide the flexibility and freedom to experience the beauty of both cities. By opting for eco-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles, travelers can minimize their carbon footprint and contribute to sustainable travel practices.

Conclusion: Embracing Mumbai's Coastal Heritage

In conclusion, Mumbai's coastal biodiversity is a treasure trove of natural wonders that deserves to be cherished and protected for generations to come. Through collaborative conservation efforts, sustainable tourism practices, and community engagement, we can ensure that Mumbai's marine life continues to thrive against the backdrop of urban development.