#the convenant 2023

[charliehoennam]

take it all.

A/N: Promised @juniebugg I would follow up on this little blurb so here it is! ngl, i got mad horny writing this. i think it'll show lolololol hope u like it. please reblog, yall. sharing is caring.

Warnings: smut, no protection (wrap it up and stay safe), cumplay (i think?), language, NOT SAFE FOR MINORS

Word count: 1,332 (got a lil carried away but this aint nothing compared to the sfw alphabet head canons i got in the works for David Loki. If anyone would like to read that, lemme know!)

SHARING IS CARING, SO PLEASE REBLOG

John couldn’t look more relaxed. The sunshine radiating in from the window behind the couch felt warm against your face. His head fell back against the couch with a long moan as he watched you through his lustful half lidded blue eyes. Calloused fingers combed through your hair, pushing it away from your face. Praises fell from his lips like constant prayers, encouraging you to continue as your cheeks hallowed against his harden dick. He was so turned on. You could feel him twitch in your mouth as you bobbed up and down, sucking his cock.

Releasing his shaft with a wet pop, you let your hand substitute your mouth and wrapped it around his shift to soothe him. He was so close to cumming, but you had other plans for him.

“God, baby. That was fucking close” he panted softly with his legs spread wide open.

You giggled and slowed the pace of your hand to calm him, peppering kisses up the soft flesh of his thighs. When your lips latched around his left ball, he used every drop of restraint in his bones to control himself.  He was ready to cum right there, but he couldn’t let the fun be over already. His eyes darkened as he felt your tongue against his skin as your lips pressed to add just enough pressure to deliciously tease him. He adored the tinge of pain rising through his body, heightening his pleasure even more.

The mere sight of his mouth gaping open in an O shape when your hand gave his tip a squeeze along with your mouth on his balls - altering from left to right and right to left to ensure they’d both receive the deserving attention -  left your pussy tingling. You could feel your wetness slipping from the entrance; your pussy lips were slick and coated in his saliva as they rubbed smoothly against each other, aching for his cock as you relished in the taste of his saltiness. The pressure in your core kept building and building as you felt the ghost of his tongue probing your pussy. You closed your eyes for a moment to remember the burn of his thick beard as his mouth engulfed your cunt, devouring and savoring your taste. Your clit began to throb just thinking about how it tingled when he sucked on it.

“Come up here” he ordered in a soft voice.

As you moved to straddle his lap, his hands were quick to slide under the fabric of your oversized sleep shirt. Really, it was just an old Metallica t-shirt that used to be his until you’d started living together in your first apartment.

You didn’t even see where the shirt had fallen to. All you could concentrate on was how warm and wet his mouth felt latching on your nipple. Your chest arched instinctively into his touch, splaying your breasts to the warmth of the sun and his saliva. His hair was soft to the touch as your fingers immediately tangled in his rich brown locks. You leaned your head down to watch him hungrily suck your tits. The minty scent of his 2 in 1 men’s shampoo filled your nostrils. His large hands kneaded your breasts as he altered between them until he finally pulled back.

“These are so fucking beautiful, you know that? Could suck your tits all fucking day.” He grinned mischievously as his hands shook your tits, making them jiggle for his amusement. “Goddamn, baby,” he whispered slipping a hand down to feel your drenched pussy lips, “you’re fucking soaking for me. I wanna see this. Lay down for me?”

His shit-eating grinned grew from ear to ear once you laid back on the couch. He moved to kneel on the floor between your legs, his sweaty hairy chest glistening in the afternoon sun. Your pussy gushed being on full display for him. With the kids, the auto-shop and the house to take care of, you and John had been restricted to quickies in the laundry room of the house or his office at the shop after closing time. It’d been a while since you were able to get as naughty as you wanted to. But with the kids away at school, John’s time off and your long absence of sexual satisfaction at each other’s hands, you could not pass up the opportunity.

“Missed this pussy so fucking much. Feels so good, all wet for me” he mumbles too focused admiring your cunt as his thumbs pulled your lips apart only to squeeze them back together teasing your clit with the pressure of his thumbs. His cock slid between your lips as he smirked widely, watching how his teasing actions made you squirm and grind you against his dick. You needed the friction; you were about to burst inside with arousal brimming at the edge of your control.

“Easy, sweetheart. I’ll give you what you want. Lemme play a bit huh?” He chuckled lowly with his eyes fixed on how your pussy lips engulfed him, sandwiching his dick between the slick folds.

“Look how pretty you look with my cock like this. A little cock sandwich,” he chuckled at his own joke, tapping your sensitive nub with the heavy hard head of his shaft.  “I think I might just cum in your pussy and on it too.” You nodded smiling widely at the thought of your cunt being coated in his seed.

His hips moved back as his hands held your knees back, folding you in half to keep your pussy on display for him. You could scream from excitement. Just feeling his cock easing its way into you was enough to get you off at this point.

“F-Fuck. Nice and slow. I love watching your wet pussy swallow this cock. Wraps around it so good,” he groaned staring at your puffy lips as he bottomed out with his groin pressed to your cunt. “Play with your tits for me, sweetheart?”

How could you not when he asks with such a sweet soft voice?

His hips pulled back out slowly until he was all the way out and pushed back into your pussy painstakingly slow a couple of times. Then, he pushed back in with a hard thrust that made your body jerk. You began to beg and he smirked watching your face as you spread your legs as wide as possible.

Your breasts bounced wildly as his hips sped up. Your slick became audible as your pussy squelched around his cock and stuck to the skin of his groin. You’d never looked more beautiful to him than now, with your pussy full of his cock, taking in every inch as your tits jerked in circles from the harshness of his hips. The only moments he could tear his eyes away from your body was when they closed, trying to hold back his orgasm.

His movements grew harder and untamed. He was as close as you were. Watching your hand rub your clit as his cock pounded your wet flesh, the loud echoing slaps of skin, the panting and moaning of your despair growing louder, it was all too much. You felt the pressure explode inside you and released your orgasm on him, legs trembling from the overstimulation. Fingers tightening against the supple flesh of your thighs, he finally gave in and coated your walls with his cum with a wild growl.

He pulled his cock out carefully, trying to keep his white load in your open hole. Using his tip, he pushed the pearly white cream from your hole and spread it up and down over your swollen folds to coat you inside and out.

“My girl, my wife, and now my little filthy fucking cumslut” he chuckled breathing heavily as he leaned to kiss you tenderly, holding your face in his hands like a precious jewel to be admired.

“Good thing the kids have soccer practice after school ‘cause I’m only getting started.”

#john kinley #john kinley x you #john kinley x reader #jake gyllenhaal #jake gyllenhaal x reader #the convenant #the convenant 2023 #jake gyllenhaal smut

[racinginthestreet]

ive been feeling so much more at home in my body recently and its crqzy to think about how i was just not taking care of myself at all for the last dozen years cus it was like not even a thought to me to wash my face or comb my hair regularly. like nobody told me or it was just so unbearable to be physically present long enough to do those things tht i forgot or never figured out that it feels good to do them. i just feel silly about how ive been living and im sure next year ill feel silly about how im living now too but wow ive been completely alienated frm my flesh for so long and now its like check it out i have arms and legs and a face and stuff and i like them too.

#many factors convening on these feelings but special thanks to med transing this june 2023

[heritageposts]

The Grayzone has obtained slides from a confidential Israel lobby presentation based on data from Republican pollster Frank Luntz. They contain talking points for politicians and public figures seeking to justify Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. Two prominent pro-Israel lobby groups are holding private briefings in New York City to coach elected officials and well-known figures on how to influence public opinion in favor of the Israeli military’s rampage in Gaza, The Grayzone can reveal. These PR sessions, convened by the UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council, rely on data collected by Frank Luntz, a veteran Republican pollster and pundit. [...] The Luntz-tested presentations on the war in Gaza urge politicians to avoid trumpeting America’s supposedly shared democratic values with Israel, and focus instead on deploying “The Language of War with Hamas.” According to this framing, they must deploy incendiary language painting Hamas as a “brutal and savage…organization of hate” which has “raped women,” while insisting Israel is engaged in “a war for humanity.” [...] Luntz’s Gaza war presentation puts his poll-tested tactics back in the Israel lobby’s hands, urging pro-Israel public figures to stay on the attack with incendiary language and shocking allegations against their enemies. In one focus group, Luntz asked participants to state which alleged act by Hamas on October 7 “bothers you more.” After being presented with a laundry list of alleged atrocities, a majority declared that they were most upset by the claim that Hamas “raped civilians” – 19 percent more than those who expressed outrage that Hamas supposedly “exterminated civilians.” Data like this apparently influenced the Israeli government to launch an obsessive but still unsuccessful campaign to prove that Hamas carried out sexual assault on a systematic basis on October 7. Initiated at Israel’s United Nations mission in December 2023 with speeches by neoliberal tech oligarch Sheryl Sandberg and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and speaking fees from Israel lobby organizations, Tel Aviv’s propaganda blitz has yet to produce a single self-identified victim of sexual assault by Hamas. A March 5 report by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten did not contain one direct testimony of sexual assault on October 7. What’s more, Patten’s team said they found “no digital evidence specifically depicting acts of sexual violence.”

They also advice to use different language for Democrat and Republican voters, which inadvertently provides one of the most succinct explanation of the difference between the two genocidal parties that I've ever come across:

To make their arguments stick, Luntz recommends pro-Israel forces avoid the exterminationist language favored by Israeli officials who have called, for example, to “erase” the population of Gaza, and to instead advocate for “an efficient, effective approach” to eliminating Hamas. At the same time, veteran pollster acknowledges that Republican voters prefer phrases which imply maximalist violence, like “eradicate” and “obliterate,” while sanitized terms like “neutralize” appeal more to Democrats. Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Donald Trump have showcased similar focus-grouped rhetoric with their calls to “finish them” and “finish the problem” in Gaza.

One of the slides, illustrating what language to use:

There are several more slides in the article. I recommend reading the whole thing, start to finish. One more thing I'd like to highlight though:

Luntz acknowledges Israel’s mounting PR problems in a slide identifying the most powerful tactics employed by Palestine solidarity activists. “Israelis attacking Israel is the second most potent weapon against Israel,” the visual display reads beside a photo of a protest by Jewish Voices for Peace, a US-based Jewish organization dedicated to ending Israel’s occupation of Palestine. “The most potent” tactic in mobilizing opposition to Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Luntz, “is the visual destruction of Gaza and the human toll.” The slide inadvertently acknowledges the cruelty of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, displaying a bombed out apartment building with clearly anguished women and children fleeing in the foreground. But Luntz assures his audience, “It ‘looks like a genocide’ even though the damage has nothing to do with the definition.” According to this logic, the American public can become more tolerant of copiously documented crimes against humanity if they are simply told not to believe their lying eyes.

. . . full article on GZ (6 Mar 2024)

#free palestine #palestine #israel #gaza #hasbara

[fans4wga]

September 25: Read the WGA's email to its membership

[ID: tweet from Adam Conover @/adamconover that says, "We did it. We have a tentative deal. Over the coming days, we'll discuss and vote on it, together, as a democratic union. But today, I want to thank every single WGA member, and every fellow worker who stood with us in solidarity. You made this possible. Thank you. #WGAStrong".

Attached is a screenshot of the first part of the WGA's recent email to its membership. Conover's next tweet says, "Here's the rest of our email to members, which details what happens next:" with the rest of the email attached in screenshots.

Transcript of the WGA's email to its membership:

DEAR MEMBERS,

We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.

What we have won in this contract — most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd — is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.

We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.

What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last "i" is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again — one last time.

Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.

If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership's rights to make a final determination on contract approval.

Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, we will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. We will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification.

To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week.

Finally, we appreciated your patience as you waited for news from us — and had to fend off rumors — during the last few days of the negotiation. Please wait for further information from the Guild. We will have more to share with you in the coming days, as we finalize the contract language and go through our unions' processes.

As always, thank you for your support. You will hear from us again very soon.

In solidarity,

WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE

#wga strike #writers strike #writers guild of america #wga solidarity #i stand with the wga #current events #hollywood strike

[houseofpurplestars]

Free Khalida Jarrar! The feminist, leftist, and Palestinian scholar was seized from her home in El-Bireh, occupied Palestine, in the morning hours of 26 December 2023 as part of mass arrests by Zionist forces in the West Bank of occupied Palestine during the genocide in Gaza.

Jarrar is a historical leftist leader with the PFLP and is currently a scholar and researcher at the Muwatin Institute at Birzeit University. In fact, she was scheduled to appear on 27 December at a panel convened by Jadaliyya on imprisonment in the time of genocide.

She is a lifelong advocate for the liberation of political prisoners and was targeted specifically for her statements and advocacy for the liberation of Palestinian prisoners.Jarrar has been imprisoned on multiple occasions by the occupation regime, including in 2015, when her administrative detention without charge or trial drew global protests before she was then transferred to the occupation military courts.

In 2019, she was once again seized by the occupation regime. While she was imprisoned, her daughter Suha tragically passed away. She was denied the right to see Suha's body and attend her funeral before she was released again in 2021.

During both of her times of imprisonment, she established independent educational programs to teach the imprisoned minor girls the high school education they were denied as well as the adult women prisoners their rights under international law.

She discusses her imprisonment in the book by RamzyBaroud and Ilan Pappe, "Our vision for liberation;" her piece is published at the PalestineChronicle:

Samidoun network

@ SamidounPP

#khalida jarrar #free palestine #free gaza #palestinian prisoners #palestine #i stand with palestine

[reasonsforhope]

"On Monday this week [first week of December, 2023], workers in London’s financial centre were met with an unfamiliar sight – and sound. Around 100 chorists, some sporting bowler hats, had gathered at the headquarters of the City’s biggest fossil fuel-backing corporations to sing in protest.

The singers, encompassing a range of generations and vocal pitches, were part of the Climate Choir Movement, a network of choirs that officially launched in January 2023. While world leaders convened at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, they raised their voices in support of the Stop Ecocide campaign, which is working to criminalise the destruction of the environment.

The Climate Choir Movement’s co-founder Jo Flanagan first formed a choir in April 2022 with Extinction Rebellion to protest against HSBC’s fossil fuel investments at the bank’s AGM. Dressed smartly to blend in with shareholders, the singers rose up from their seats to disrupt the meeting with a rendition of the Abba classic "Money, Money, Money," the lyrics adapted to urge HSBC to finance renewable energy. [Note: A+ Song choice for this, tbh]

Flanagan had been inspired by a video of US activists singing as a flashmob in the middle of a conference speech to protest against greenwashing. “It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck,” she recalls. “They walked out of the room in a very dignified way, still singing. I just thought, that’s the way I want to do it.”

Since then, the movement has grown from its first choir in Bristol to 10 choirs across the UK, with around 550 members at the time of writing. The local choirs organise their own rehearsals and protests, while all movement members can attend monthly sessions on Zoom where they learn new songs, to be performed at protests like the one in London.

For Ruth Routledge, who works as a singing for health practitioner and leads the Portsmouth choir in her spare time, taking part in this action was a “wonderful, uplifting” experience. “Singing and harmonising together is a very beautiful way to protest,” she says. “There’s something very gentle, very moving, and very powerful about it. It’s so vulnerable. There’s just a real naked, stripped back humanity that I think cuts through a lot of noise.”

The movement welcomes all new members, regardless of singing ability. Routledge was touched when some passersby – including “a couple of lads” – joined in with the songs. 

She is eager for others to experience the sense of hope that singing together brings. “I feel very passionately about the state of the environment. I’m very concerned about my children’s futures, and I’m concerned about the whole world. It keeps me awake at night.

“Joining together means we’re not isolated, worrying that the world is on fire and no one’s going to do anything.” 

For Flanagan, what sets the movement apart from other choirs that sing songs about nature is its targeted approach. “We organise very carefully choreographed, peaceful performance protests. We want to change hearts and minds.”

Seeing onlookers in tears illustrates to her what singing can achieve. “It reaches deep inside people in a way that other forms of protest can’t.”"

-via Positive.News, December 6, 2023

#climate news #climate protest #climate hope #hopepunk #singing #abba #bristol #london #uk #big bank billionaires #fossil fuels #climate change #climate crisis #direct action #protest #activism #climate activism #climate choir #ecocide #choir #choir stuff #protest songs #protest music #protest art #good news #hope

[demifiendrsa]

The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract that could end the 146-day strike.

DEAR MEMBERS, We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language. What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership. What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last “i” is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again – one last time. Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership. If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval. Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, we will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. We will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification. To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week. Finally, we appreciated your patience as you waited for news from us — and had to fend off rumors — during the last few days of the negotiation. Please wait for further information from the Guild. We will have more to share with you in the coming days, as we finalize the contract language and go through our unions’ processes. As always, thank you for your support. You will hear from us again very soon. IN SOLIDARITY,WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE

#Writers Guild of America #WGA #WGA strike #film #television

[intplayboy]

TOUCH - MAFIA! BTS OT7 X EXPERIMENTED HUMAN F! READER [ FOUR ]

if you wish to be part of the tag list, please complete this form.

summary: in daegu, bangtan convene at a secure location to strategize their mission of infiltrating a rival gang's club. with their plans set in motion, they embark on the operation, leading to a highly charged negotiation that quickly turns into a violent clash, demonstrating their deadly abilities. yoongi, employing ruthless tactics, extracts crucial information from the leader of the opposing gang. the shocking revelation uncovers a government weapons initiative, leaving the Bangtan members astonished and motivated to intervene. genre: mafia au | moderate? angst | romance | sci-fi | action | fluff

warnings: bullying, interrogation, guns, violence, slight mentions of blood… (also not proofread! sorry 😭)

pairings: mafia! bts ot7 x experimented human female! reader

word count: 7,884 (sincerely apologize it's not any longer than the previous ones)

tag list: @juju-227592, @drunkzseok, @yourgirlcin, @babybunli, @xanny91, @bibetsa, @borahae-reads, @lalavione1309, @luvsbngtn, @tetehearts, @singukieee, @serendididy, @quixoticbittersweet, @iriaachan, @jksisbunntboy, @missseoulite, @xjiminsthighsx, @just-vaaalll, @chim-possible, @passionandsuga, @deadrose287, @kalala22, @bangtanxberm, @scuzmunkie, @sunoosult, @germ2001, @lovelgirl22, @thvkives, @linlinlily, @getinthetardissammy-sh, @prakriti-j, @paramedicnerd004, @cuteipat, @iamkookiesforyou, @queen-in-the-shadows, @shadowyjellyfishfest, @fakedanger, @reallysparklychaos, @ghostlyworld, @whipwhoops (the tags that are strikethrough could not be tagged)

permanent tag list: @taolucha, @exfolitae, @namjoonswaifu, @rinkud, @vinyl-music0sleep, @queenlouie18, @sophiaj650, @m0v3m3ntsblog, @nicholedobre-blog, @bjoriis, @multifandom301, @princess-sunshyn, @han-aaaaa, @ejspencer14, @dango-07, @catthecreator, @skyys-universe, @thvslvt, @dustyinkpages, @tinymesblog, @savagemickey03

copyright © 2023 by kumiko. all rights reserved. my works or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without express written permission from me except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

masterpost | three | four | five

You're dumbfounded in the face of the so-called artificial intelligence in front of you.

"Subject 007, your eyes are glowing; you have no need to fear me. I am at your disposal and command." Genesis tells you.

You blink, your gaze fixed on her. "Where… y-you from?"

"I'm a pocket-sized device constructed into a necklace. The necklace you're wearing around your neck right now." She answers.

You looked down at your necklace, that sat on top of your chest, and saw the purple led light emitting from the pendant, which displayed the three-dimensional woman you were chatting to. "M-mister created you?"

"That's correct" She affirms.

"W-why?"

"I was specifically made to be your companion by Doctor Hyon Kwan. He was concerned that exposing you to this unfamiliar environment may generate feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and helplessness." She explained electromechanically.

"W-what is an-nxiety… and-d o-other things?" You asked.

"Anxiety, noun—a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Loneliness, noun—sadness because one has no friends or company. Helplessness, noun—inability to defend oneself or to act effectively." She responds.

"In simpler terms, it would be a bad sad feeling for you."

"O-oh…" You paused before Genesis speaks again. "Subject 007, is there a reason you activated me? How may I be of assistance?"

"H-he locked-d me." You say.

"Yes, it appears you are in a supply closet." She responds. "Would you like me to conduct a room scan for an item that could assist you get out of here?"

You nod, disliking being in the dark of the confined space. "Understood, initiating the room scan…"

Genesis then generates another beam of led light, which quickly sweeps over the room. "Room scan complete. I've discovered a light switch on your left side about a meter away."

The artificial intelligence casts a purple light on the light switch, illuminating it. "Flick it upwards and you will be given light."

"O-okay." You whisper before, moving towards the light switch and following her instructions, resulting in the tiny room lighting up from the single light bulb above.

Your gaze now wanders across the room, taking in all of the cleaning items on the shelves. He had you trapped in the janitor's closet. Of course, you were oblivious of this.

"H-how do I-I get out?" You wondered.

"I also saw a lock from the outside, so you won't be able to leave from here. However, based on my calculations and human experience, if you draw attention in here, somebody might discover you and unlock the door for you to leave." She replies.

"W-what do I do?"

"Make noise, perhaps bang your fists on the door, and then wait." She answers.

You nod before heading to the door and banging your hands against the locked door. After a few strikes, you stopped and waited as Genesis advised.

A few seconds later, there is a faint sound of shuffling outside. Genesis glances at you. "Subject 007, my sensors detect the presence of another human behind the door."

"I must go before they find you." She stated.

"W-why?" You curiously tilt your head.

"Doctor Hyon Kwan ordered me to make myself visible solely to you when you call."

"H-how… do I call y-you?"

"Press on the pendant twice, just as you did before." She responds.

Then you heard a loud click from the door, indicating that someone was unlocking it and was about to enter. You then refocus your attention to Genesis, who is already staring at you. "I have to leave now, 007; I'm pleased I could assist; see you later."

"O-okay…" Your lips curled slightly upward.

When the door finally opens, you're greeted by a middle-aged man clutching a mop in one hand and keys in the other. He stares at you in confusion as the two of you stood unmoving parallel to one another. "…H-Hi…"

He clears his throat. "What are you doing in there, kid? This is the janitor's closet."

"Someone said-d i-it is cool p-place…" You try to explain.

He looks to be disappointed as he sighs. "Those brats tricked you, kid."

"Tricked…?" Your face scrunches in bewilderment.

"Yeah… They, uh, lied to you about it." He said. "Come on, get out of there, you'll be late for your first class."

The friendly middle-aged man guides you out of the tiny square room, and when you show him your class schedule, he goes with you to your assigned classroom.

You walked into the room just as the teacher was beginning her introduction to the students. As you entered, numerous sets of eyes were fixed on you. The female teacher was mid-sentence when you grabbed her attention with your presence. "Hello, you must be the new student this year—or rather, this rest of the year…"

You remained mute, unsure what to do, provoking the woman in business casual attire to cough. "What's your name, new student?"

"I'm 0…" You hesitated, recalling two of the seven men's words. No, that’s a number… A number makes you a subject, not a person.

Y/N, it’s simple, and it matches her-

"Y-Y/N." You make meek eye contact with the lady.

"Y/N, okay, why don't you introduce yourself to the class." She flashes you a little grin and motions for you to move to the front of the class.

You turn to face the students in the room, who are already staring at you. You lift your hand gingerly, waving to them.

"Tell us where you're from, and something you like to do." The teacher asks you.

"I-I don't k-know…" You react. It is true, though, that you lack the vocabulary necessary to adequately describe your past or even your interests. You haven't been out of that institution long enough to know or understand your dislikes and preferences for the world you've entered.

The classroom erupts in giggles and murmurs, and you can inadvertantly feel emotion waves of what you can only describe as a feeling that isn't necessarily bad, but you realize you didn't like it because it was the same feeling you would sense from all the workers in white long lab coats back at the facility, usually when you haven't done a good job.

It seemed like they were judging you or telling you that you didn't belong.

The teacher then hushes the class and meets your gaze, a sympathetic expression on her face. "That's all right. Go on and take your seat at one of the empty desks over there."

You felt someone nudge your shoulder as soon as you sat down at your allotted desk, per the teacher's instructions.

You perked a bit in your seat and peered around, an innocent interested expression on your face. You tilted your head when you saw a girl your age with huge Bambi-like eyes that reminded you of Jungkook, only hers were slightly slanted.

She squinted and looked you up and down. "I thought the distance was the issue, but it's just that you're ugly."

She snorts. "What is a girl like you doing with Bangtan?"

Your brows furrow in perplexity. "Bangtan? What's 'Bangtan'?"

The girl scoffs and blinks in disbelief. "Are you serious right now? "Are you just acting dumb or were you born dumb?"

She chuckles after her insulting remark. "They're only the most powerful and hottest guys in the nation, to be exact—"

"People who should not be associated with people like you." She looks at you with her eyes narrowed in disdain. "Stay away from them, do you hear me?"

"But—" You murmured carefully before being cut off by the teacher.

"Y/N-ssi, Yuri-ssi, do you have anything you'd like to share with the class?" Or should I go on?" Hands resting on her hips, the teacher asks in a scolding manner.

In stark contrast to the look she gave you, the girl, now known as Yuri, wears a false joyful grin on her face. "No, you may continue. Apologies."

School, as they termed it, is a terrifying experience for you throughout the day. It was evident that the other kids either thought you were odd and avoided you or were appalled by you for some reason and participated in making you feel unhappy for your presence.

You never understood why, though, because Jimin had said that you'd meet kids like you. When Jimin mentioned that to you, it felt like an appealing feeling, but now that you're in an educational environment among kids your age, it seems completely different. And it doesn't help that you have superhuman empathy to sense how they felt towards you.

When it was time for lunch, you followed earlier directions from the working adults on campus on how to get your lunch and where to sit. You were informed that you are free to move about campus and choose a spot to have your lunch.

Upon retrieving your meal, the other students' looks and murmurs began to overwhelm you, and due to your empathy abilities, you were feeling overstimulated as well. Therefore, you found yourself in an isolated area of campus away from the countless students in the cafeteria, unaware of the three strangers who were surreptitiously following you.

You pushed up against a nearby tree and slid down into a sitting posture, holding your lunch plate. You stared at the meal as you set the platter in front of you. The various components and side dishes quickly brought to remember Jin's cooking. You wondered if it tastes the same.

You then saw the utensils on the side of your lunch plate. Despite the fact that you'd been under Bangtan's roof for a few weeks, with Yoongi delivering your meals and "teaching" you how to use the utensils, you were still trying to get the hang of it. Since then, and even today, it's been a process of trial and error.

But once you start thinking about it, his words ring in your thoughts. "Weeks have passed, and you still can't manage something as basic as a spoon or chopsticks?"

"You've spent enough time watching to understand how to use it."

While still staring down at your meal, chopsticks, and spoon, you scrunch your face into a little pout of determination. Though you can't use it quite properly, you did learn that the spoon was easier for you. So you grabbed the metal spoon first, scooped the rice, and then used your hand to pick up the other part of the meal.

You took a second to process your first mouthful, and you came to the conclusion—Jin's food is better, you thought.

You were about to take your next bite of food when—swipe.

The three strangers who had trailed you earlier took your lunch tray from you with mocking smiles as they peered down at your crouched figure.

They giggled when they saw your stunned anxious, and perplexed eyes gazing up at them. "Aww, look at her, she looks like a little puppy, begging for scraps."

The girl with slanted bambi eyes gave you a cynical look as she bent down to your level. "She does look like one—Don't you?"

You stayed silent, uncertain how to reply to her. And you had a feeling that answering would just make matters worse. You learned that lesson the hard way, and despite being out of the facility, you remember not to make the same mistake twice. The trauma has been imprinted on you, and thanks to your superhuman empathy, you realize the emotions they're eliciting are negative. It scares you.

When she hears nothing from you, she scowls. And pokes your head angrily. "Ya, I'm talking to you."

"What are you? Deaf or mute?" She quips cynically.

Your pupils tremble when you make eye contact with her. "Um…I—"

The girl quickly grew agitated, releasing out a displeased sigh as she finally stood up. "Perhaps I should give you something to make you talk, huh—"

She chuckles and casts a sidelong glance at her two companions. "What do you guys think?"

"I very much think you should." They laugh along with her.

"And I believe I have the perfect solution, Yuri-ah." The girl handling your lunch tray makes a remark.

Yuri-ah grins slyly as she eyes your lunch plate in her friend's hands. "I like the way you're thinking."

She looks back at you with the same resentful gaze. "I seriously wonder why someone like you is here."

You kept your eyes aimed at the ground, too terrified to meet their gazes, but before you knew it, food bits and liquid were dropping from above you and onto your head, ruining your clothes.

Yuri and her two friends laughed at your misery, knowing you couldn't do anything about it. And they were right; you had no friends here and no one to back up you. You have no identity here, and they've taken great satisfaction and joy in making that abundantly clear to you.

Yuri grabbed the milk box and flung it squarely at your face, making you wince audibly, which only made her smile wider. "There, enjoy your scraps now, puppy—or, I believe the correct term is, bitch."

Her friends laughed and gave her a sick celebratory pat on the shoulder. But they were too focused on your torment to even notice a tall figure rapidly approaching you guys, after witnessing the entire exchange. "Ya!"

They all jumped at the booming shout, as did you, but your head was still lowered, not willing to risk raising your head any further. Yuri and the other girls looked in the direction of the voice, recognizing Haejoon. The most popular boy in school due to his outstanding athletic abilities and intelligence, not to mention he possessed a magnetic presence that drew people towards him effortlessly—every woman desired to be with him, and every man desired to be him. Despite his popularity, however, Haejoon had never formed any deep connections or friendships. He was always surrounded by acquaintances but remained a solitary soul, considering that he rarely interacts with other students.

Once he's within a reasonable distance of all four of you, he stares briefly at you (unbeknownst to you), then at Yuri and her party. He instantly frowned upon your condition. "Ya, are you crazy?!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He scolds them sternly.

"Haejoon oppa—" Yuri attempts to reconcile.

His fierce look, however, quickly silences her and forces the two to look elsewhere awkwardly. "What has she ever done to you?!"

"You don't u-understand- it's not what it looks like!" She whines high-pitched.

"Don't give me that nonsense--I've been watching you guys from afar since the beginning." He proceeds to pull something from his blazer pocket that seems to be a folded cloth. "And the only reason I came up to you now is because I was hoping at least one of you was mature enough to stop."

"But I guess I was wrong." He says glumly.

The girls kept quiet until Yuri opened her mouth tentatively. "But… Haejoon-oppa—"

"Shut up." He seethed. "Go, before something happens that you will all regret."

Their eyes widened and they raced away, frightened that Haejoon's statement might come true if they stayed a moment longer. He sighs and turns to you when he no longer sees their presence. He lowers himself to your level and looks at you sympathetically.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

Despite his ask, you persist in refusing to look up at him, but you timidly nod in response. His frown grows, sorrowful for you. "Here, let's get you cleaned up."

"I promise I won't hurt you." He says gently.

Your ears pricked up slightly when you heard those words finding immediate comfort in them. "Promise?" You reiterate, your head still unmoving.

He nods with a faint smile that you can't see. "I promise."

That's when you finally glance up at him, your eyes blurry. His expression softens at the sight of your face. "What's your name?"

"Y-Y/N." You answered quietly.

He smiles. "Y/N… What a pretty name."

"Pretty?" Your head tilted at the unfamiliar term.

He chuckles quietly. "Yeah, pretty."

"What does that mean?" You questioned innocently.

"O-oh, there are actually two meanings for it. The first is when you're referring to something or someone. And it typically refers to when something or someone is pleasing to the eye. The second is when you hear something that you enjoyed hearing. Like for me, I love the sound of your name, therefore I find it pretty."

You give a tiny smile. "O-oh, um, t-thank you."

"Of course. Let's get you inside and cleaned up." He carefully offered his hand, not wanting to startle you. You accepted his hand cautiously and he gently pulled you up with him.

Haejoon then walks you to the unisex restroom and begins dampening the white cloth in his hands under flowing water before going to work, with a welcoming smile urging you to trust him. He delicately wiped away the food and milk from your face with the smooth cloth, revealing the soft, delicate complexion beneath.

As he proceeded to clean you, he noticed how quiet you were. It occurred to him that you might not have had much exposure to words or social interactions. So he chose to talk thoughtfully and interact with you throughout the time using basic words and gestures.

Once your face was clean, he moved on to your clothes. The milk and food had leaked through the cloth, producing a foul odor. He unfastened his blazer and gently draped it over your shoulders. It was a little too big for your petite frame, but it was comfortable and warm.

Haejoon then remembered the buttoned shirt hanging in his locker nearby. He instantly went to get it and brought it back to you, offering it to you. You tentatively but gladly took it, your eyes conveying more emotion than your limited speech allowed.

Your appearance improved considerably once you put on the jacket and dress shirt. Haejoon smiled again, pleased with his attempts of helping you.

"Take your time in here. If you need any more help, I'll be waiting outside," He added, motioning to the door, and you nodded in understanding.

You emerged from the restroom a few minutes later looking much cleaner and more collected. You approached him slowly, dressed in his jacket and dress shirt.

When the bell sounded, signifying the end of lunch break, Haejoon took your hand in his and guided you through the crowded corridors. He led you around the corner and leaned towards you. "Hey, could you please give me your schedule paper, it looks like this?"

Your eyes focused on a piece of paper in his hands, emblazoned in black ink. You suddenly remembered that the boys had briefly stated that it was your daily schedule when they had brought you here earlier. You then dug into your book bag, which Jin had told you to carry, and took out the slightly crumpled piece of paper, which you handed to Haejoon.

He kindly takes it from you and reads it over. When he's finished reading it, a little smile breaks out. "You have me until the very last class."

He returns the paper to you, and you place it back in your bag. You gazed at him with a puzzled expression. He chuckles slightly. "That means I'll be with you for the rest of the day."

"O-oh."

"Hmm, so come with me. I'll lead you there." He says this as he tenderly re-grabs your hand.

As the afternoon progressed, the two of you moved on to the day's final lesson. When the teacher began rambling on about history, a student named Minjae couldn't resist making a snarky remark. "What's up with the charity case, Haejoon?" Got tired of hanging out with the popular crowd?"

Haejoon's eyes narrowed, but he suppressed his outburst. Instead, he mirrored Minjae's stare with a sly smile. "Well, Minjae, I suppose you wouldn't understand what it's like to care about someone other than yourself. Or is it, you will never know what it's like to be cared for?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "The latter one could have fooled me."

The class bursts into snickers, and Minjae's cheeks flushed. Haejoon's remarks had struck a chord. But, while his response amused the class, Haejoon's attention swiftly returned to you, who sat opposite him, eyes wide with interest.

You scarcely spoke as you pointed to a pencil on his desk. "What's that?"

Haejoon grinned, figuring your knowledge of the modern world is as poor, but he doesn't mind. "It's a pencil."

He kindly explained using simple words and motions. "You use it to write with. See?" He picked up the pencil and scribbled something on a sheet of paper.

You stared in awe, a faint smile on your lips. Haejoon's heart warmed at your new discovery.

Throughout the rest of the day, you might say Haejoon served as your real guide, explaining the purpose and function of many common things. When you inquired about anything new, his explanations became more lively, and he quickly adjusted his approach with you, using short sentences and simple vocabulary to help you understand. And he immediately became enthralled by your inquisitiveness and the amazement in your eyes.

As the school day came to an end, Haejoon turned to you, his voice full of sincerity. "Y/N, in our language, we have a word called 'chingu'. It means 'friend.' I want to be your chingu, someone you can trust and rely on."

Your brows raised in childlike surprise. "Chingu… friend?"

Haejoon nodded. "Yes, friend. I want to be your friend."

Your lips curved into a smile. "O-Okay."

When the school day is done, Haejoon escorts you out of class and outside the school entrance, exactly where you need to be to wait for Sun-woo.

Haejoon tapped your shoulder as you silently searched for the car the boys had described to you. "It was nice meeting you today."

"Let's continue this, Y/N-ah." Haejoon stated, his voice full of genuineness, as he extended his hands for a handshake.

You tilt your head in confusion as you glance down at his outstretched hand, then back up at him. He snorts at the innocuous gesture.

"This is called a handshake. It's a physical way of greeting friends." He shows you by guiding your hands through the motion.

You nod slowly as you try to make sense of the unfamiliar notion. He grins once more. "See you tomorrow Y/N-ah."

He starts walking away, waving at your dwindling form, as you wave back shyly.

You resumed looking for Sun-woo's car, unknowing that he had already arrived and had just exited the car to catch your attention.

He spots you immediately and beckons for you. "Y/N-ssi!"

Hearing your new name, your head whips in his way. Your face lights up when you see him. "Sunnie!"

As you approach him, he grins. "Good afternoon, Y/N-ssi."

"How was your first day of school?"

You hesitated for a moment to consider. "O…Okay…"

He nods, understanding that's all you can say to effectively express your emotions to the best of your ability. "Hm, that's good." And then takes your luggage, motioning you to get inside the car.

"S-sunnie…" You cast a reticent look up at him.

"Yes, Y/N-ssi."

"A-are you c-chin-gu?" You asked warily.

His brow arched in mild surprise; he hadn't expected such an abrupt question from you. "Oh? "May I ask as to why you are inquiring?"

You stopped again, uncertain of what to say, prompting Sun-woo to encourage you. "It's okay, Y/N-ssi, you can tell me anything."

"Um… A c-chin-gu… said is s-someone I trust… And t-they said you, I trust." You gulp. "You, c-chin-gu?"

Oh, you've made an acquaintance rather quickly, he thought. "Well, I could be your chingu, if you want."

"B-be chin-gu, please?" You give him a hopeful gaze.

And there's no way he could say no to it. You and he have only known each other for several weeks, just like the boys, but your innocent antics have won him over. You're only trying to understand a little bit about this big world you're in. Nonetheless, he nods. "Of course, I'll be your chingu, Y/N-ssi."

Meanwhile, in Daegu, the next day, after Bangtan arrived...

The seven men convened in an undetectable safehouse in an isolated locale outside the main town center of Daegu. The place appears abandoned, even creepy, which is why no one is likely to approach there, making it an ideal hideout for the gang.

They were all gathered around the table, their faces decorated with varying degrees of determination. Namjoon, the esteemed leader, leaned forward, his eyes calculating. He cleared his throat, commanding the group's attention.

"All right, everybody. We've entered unknown terrain here. This rival gang is up to something major, based on the scant tip we've been provided. The objective is simple: we need to gather information and figure out who is pulling the strings. What do we know about this club, Jin?"

Jin displays a blueprint map. "Not a lot, Namjoon. This place is infamous, but they've managed to keep it out of the spotlight until now. No digital trail, no connections. We're going in blindly, with limited resources."

Yoongi reclines in his chair, a wicked grin on his face. "Well, we're about to shed some light on their little operation, aren't we? How's the entry point looking?"

Jin points at the blueprint map. "We have a couple of options. The rear door is relatively unguarded, but the main entrance is where we'll locate the other gang's boss. Our best option is to split our forces and approach from both sides, creating a distraction to divert their focus away from us."

Hoseok grins arrogantly. "No problem, I can handle the distraction." I've been able to profile some of the guys during the day of the transport, and I know just the trick to keep them occupied. While you guys do your thing, I'll dance my way into their hearts."

Jimin rolled his eyes. "As charming as you are, hyung, I think they'll be more distracted by this."

Taehyung snorts. "Jimin's right. A show-stopper is what we need. That'll be enough to give Yoongi and Namjoon the opening they need."

Namjoon nods "Excellent. Jin-hyung, once we're inside, what's our next move?"

Jin: focuses on a particular spot on the blueprint. "Their secret meeting room is positioned on the upper floor of the club." That's where we'll find the leader. But we'll need a negotiating chip to convince them to cooperate. That's where Yoongi comes in."

The younger hums. "No problem, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." I'll extract the information we need from another of their low-ranking members. Once we have that, we'll offer it to their leader as a gesture of goodwill."

"And if they refuse to cooperate?" Jungkook leans forward, his eyes resolute.

"We have a backup plan. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, you'll be the muscle. They'll regret running into us, we'll make sure of it. But only if we don't have any other options." The leader responded sharply.

For a brief time, the room became silent as the seriousness of their backup plan became apparent. Each member was aware of the potential ramifications and the depths to which they would plunge if their first plan failed.

"Our second plan is our last option, a show of force they will never forget. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, your abilities will be tested. But keep in mind that we only use violence when absolutely necessary." His tone was calculating and cold.

The master seducer nods, his gaze steadfast. "Understood, boss. We'll use our skills wisely."

With determination in his eyes, Taehyung leans forward as well. "We won't let it come to that if we can help it. Our aim is to learn more about them and how they operate, not to cause needless carnage."

"We'll be strategic and patient. Violence is a last choice, but if they force our hand, they'll later rue it." The voice of Jungkook was composed but firm.

"Good. We can't afford any mistakes. And once we have their attention, it's time to play our cards. What do we have to offer?" He says it rhetorically.

"Money. It's always a powerful motivator. We have a substantial sum of money that we can give as a show of cooperation. It'll pique their interest, and make them see the benefits of working with us instead of against us—"

"And once we've gotten what we need, we leave calmly and discreetly, leaving them to deal with the fallout." He says. "Lastly, Jin you will be our ears and eyes. Get into their security systems, disrupt their communications, and eliminate their element of surprise."

Jin nods and then folds the blueprint map, bringing their plan development to a close. It won't be easy, but we've faced bigger challenges before, and with our collective skills, we can turn this situation to our advantage."

Hours later...

As darkness fell over the city, shrouding the streets of Daegu, the seven members of the infamous mafia readied to carry out their plan. Each member wore tailored clothes, concealing their true identities behind a mask of authority and danger. The moon hovered high in the sky, a witness to the events that were about to take place.

The gang divided into two, a tactical choice that enhanced their chances of success. Jimin, the master seducer and show-stopper, took the lead, his steps silent and purposeful as he approached the Golden Dragons. With a charming smile and charismatic aura, he stepped inside, becoming the focal point of attention for the unsuspecting club-goers.

Meanwhile, Namjoon, Hoseok, Seokjin, Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook skillfully navigated their way to the respective entrances. Their movements were methodical, blending perfectly into the darkness as they slid past any potential enemies' attentive eyes. As they made their way to the upper level, where the rival gang's leader awaited, the air was thick with expectancy.

When the mafia members arrived at their location, their eyes met in unspoken agreement. Their targeted victim, the head of the opposing gang, would soon discover the magnitude of his foolishness.

Jin types on his powerful encrypted tablet. "The surveillance system is operational and under my command. We have eyes on the target. Be prepared to initiate the negotiation."

Namjoon nods. "Understood. Let's get started."

Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok entered the meeting space as the perfect persons to put in front of any psychological warfare. A sense of unsaid anticipation pervaded the tense environment within. The rival gang's leader sat confidently, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Ah, the infamous mafia. I must admit that I had been awaiting your arrival. Is it boldness or stupidity for you to step into a lion's den." He sings.

Namjoon straightens up, a calm veneer concealing his actual feelings. "Your arrogance will be your downfall. We've come to make you an offer."

Hoseok steps closer, his gaze focused on the gang leader. "Cooperate with us, and we'll ensure your survival. We have resources that will help both of our organizations."

"Money, power, and protection. We can provide you with all of that and more..." Yoongi's eyes narrows.

The man chuckles. "You think you can intimidate me? I built this empire from the ground up. I'm not interested in your offers or threats. Leave now, before I change my mind and send my men after you."

The gang leader's arrogant approach infuriated the members. They had expected resistance, but they had hoped for a gleam of reason in their adversary's eyes. Their expressions remained steely, their commitment unwavering.

Bangtan's leader leaned forward, his voice trembling with controlled rage. "You underestimate us, and that will be the price you pay. We gave you the option to avoid the path of calamity, but you decided not to."

"Empty threats from desperate fools," says the gang leader. "Mark my words: you'll be sorry."

Namjoon gives him a menacing glare. "You have no idea the scope of our power, the lengths we are ready to go to preserve what is ours. You've made a fatal mistake."

The tension in the room had reached its climax. The sound of footsteps suddenly resonated from the passageways beyond. The gang leader's grin widened as he realized reinforcements had arrived to strengthen his position.

The doors swung open, revealing a number of members of the opposing gang, guns drawn and aimed straight at Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok. The gang leader delighted in his seeming advantage.

"Surrender immediately, and I might let you live, says the gang leader. When faced with a loaded gun, your power means nothing."

Yoongi smirks, eyes gleaming with defiance. "Do you think you're the first one to threaten us? We've stared death in the face countless times. We are no longer afraid of it."

"You've once again underestimated us. These weapons will not protect you from the enmity you have caused." His tone eerily calm.

As the tension grew, the room devolved into mayhem. Taehyung, and Jungkook rushed through the doors, sending shockwaves throughout the club. As clubgoers hurried for the exits, anxious for safety, the mood switched from conflict to terror.

"Everyone, leave now! The show is over!" Jimin shouts in a commanding tone.

Taehyung grins wickedly. "Time to clear the stage."

In the midst of the chaos, the remaining gang members on the lowest floor were faced by the mafia members' overwhelming strength and competence. Jungkook attacked numerous opponents at the same time, his quick movements a blur of accuracy as he launched a barrage of lethal attacks. Taehyung swung his blade with lethal precision, each move meant to disable and incapacitate his opponents. And Jimin, like a dancer in the middle of a conflict, took advantage of his surroundings, turning whatever thing within reach into a weapon against his opponents.

The fierce brawl splashed blood on the walls and floor, the crash of steel and bone reverberating throughout the room.

They moved with an artful savagery that had been refined through years of training. Each hit connected with crushing force, knocking their opponents to the ground.

The thud of bodies striking the ground and the metallic aroma of blood permeated the air as the struggle continued on. The three youngest battled with merciless efficiency, their resolve unyielding. They moved in perfect sync, anticipating each other's movements without uttering words. Their combined skills created a relentless assault that ripped through the remaining gang members with ruthless precision.

Jungkook's martial arts prowess was on full show. He avoided attacks with ease and returned with lightning-fast kicks and punches, his motions smooth and deadly. Three gang members converged on him, but he matched their aggression with a fatal mix of punches and grapples. Under the attack, his opponents' corpses crashed to the ground in a symphony of agony.

Meanwhile, Taehyung displayed his proficiency with weaponry. His marksmanship was unsurpassed as he fired with remarkable accuracy with a pair of handguns. The sound of gunfire flooded the air as bullets struck their targets, incapacitating the gang members with pinpoint accuracy. Taehyung glided swiftly yet fatally, his aim perfect as he maneuvered through the mayhem.

Jimin, the epitome of elegance and deadly beauty, used his surroundings to his advantage. He moved through the fight with the ease of a dancer, sidestepping strikes while delivering powerful counterattacks. Every action was precise and controlled, and his attacks landed with such accuracy that his opponents were left reeling. He grabbed everything in his path—a shattered bottle, a chair leg—and transformed it into an extension of his own murderous prowess.

The blood spattered the floor, ruining the club's once-pristine surfaces. As the surviving gang members crumpled beneath the attack, groans of anguish filled the atmosphere. The room had turned into a battleground, with broken corpses and shattered illusions of authority.

Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook quickly tied up the other gang members, assuring they presented no further threat. The increasing pandemonium downstairs drowned out their moans and barely aware pleadings for mercy.

The three combatants reunited and proceeded to the secret meeting place. Yoongi stood next to the bound gang leader, a wicked grin twisting his lips.

Yoongi sighs, acting to be disappointed. "It appears that the time for bargaining has passed. You've made your decision, and now you must live with the consequences."

"Please, spare me. I'll tell you everything you want to know." The poor man begs, with terror visible in his eyes.

Yoongi leans forward, his voice frightening. "It's too late for pleas and mercy. You should have considered the consequences before refusing our offer."

"No way. He doesn't deserve to die quickly. He deserves to suffer." As his tolerance dwindles, he wears a sickly grin on his face.

The gang leader's eyes widened in horror as he realized his fate. Yoongi approached a table covered in torture tools, a disturbing calm surrounding him.

"You should've taken our bribe and answered our questions. But now, piece by painful piece, we'll extract the truth from you." He hums softly, relishing the present moment.

As Yoongi's tactics unfurled, the room transformed into a theater of anguish and misery. The miserable screams of the gang leader pierced into the night, his body contorting with each agony inflicted on him. The blood poured freely, combining with the dread and desperation on his face.

Hoseok clicks his tongue, impatiently. “He's asking for a slow death, Oranyan. Simply give it to him.”

On the verge of death, the gang leader pled for mercy once again, divulging the information sought by the mafia members.

The gang leader gasps. "T-The receiver is anonymous. We were simply instructed to arrange the regular transport of particular m-materials…Promises of land and m-money…"

"What were the materials being used for?" Yoongi lowers himself to his level.

As he breaks into sobs, he shakes his head. "I-I don't know…"

Oranyan sighs once more, disappointed by his noncompliance. And shifts to get his next torture device. The man notices this and quickly panics. "Wait- Wait- Wait!"

Yoongi wrinkles his brow, anticipating his next words. "They-They…. claimed it was for some sort of g-government weaponry project."

"What." Hearing the man's remark, Namjoon perks up. "You're lying."

"N-no, I'm not. I s-swear…" He whimpers.

"Shadow Hacker."

"Yes, boss."

"You heard that right." Namjoon clarifies.

"Yeah, I did… We all did…." The mafia members had a secret accord once the information was collected. The work had been completed, and their verdict had been rendered. They showed no compassion when they killed the gang leader, the fires of their retribution devouring the club.

The flames lighted the sky in the blackness of the night, destroying all evidence of their existence. The club, once an oasis for criminals, was turned to ashes, a tribute to the seven mafia members' strength and savagery.

The early morning light filtered through the cracks in the thick drapes, giving a faint glow on the room where the seven mafia members had assembled. The air was strained, thick with incredulity, rage, and fear. The weight of the reality they had discovered rested on their shoulders as they sat around a long oak table, their faces marked with exhaustion and anxiety.

Namjoon leaned forward, his gaze riveted on Jin. "Jin-hyung, have you found anything?"

Jin exhaled heavily, the lack of sleep evident. "I scoured every corner of the internet and every database I could find—"

"—But there isn't anything. No digital footprint, no traces of this operation. It appears that they have completely covered up any evidence of themselves. He answered.

Yoongi, who was sitting next to Namjoon, chuckled bitterly. "Stealing medical supplies and tools for some weaponry project…"

"What kind of a sick game are they playing?"

Jimin's brow wrinkled further, lines of concern etched over his brow. "We've faced rival gangs, dealt with power-hungry criminals, but this… this is something else," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "We're up against our own government and military."

Jungkook tightened his fists, his muscles stiff with anticipation. "We've never been prepared for something like this."

Hoseok slumped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "This operation reeks of corruption."

Taehyung, usually the carefree member of the group, stared at his phone absentmindedly. As the device buzzed, indicating a new message, his countenance turned from interest to surprise. The other members noticed the interruption and turned to him with inquisitive looks.

"I asked Sun-woo to keep an eye on Y/N." He explained.

"Why-? The whole purpose of her being enrolled in school is so that Sun-woo won't have the burden of looking after her 24/7 while we're away." Hoseok furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Well, just like Jungkook said earlier, she's kind of in a very foreign environment with no knowledge of anything and everything she's encountered." Taehyung replied. "And have you seen kids nowadays? They can be ruthless."

Jimin playfully rolled his eyes. "What you talking about Tae? They all saw her walk in with all of us. I'm pretty sure they're not stupid enough to touch her."

"Hyung- I know you're not that old, but times have changed, if you noticed." Jungkook chuckles, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, the marksman softly smirks at the image of you—you're blissfully unaware, with an innocent wondering expression on your face. When his phone buzzed again, his smile vanished and his face twisted into a deep scowl.

He shoved his phone in their faces, showing them the photo, his annoyance mounting. "Who the fuck is this? And why is he so close to her?!"

Members exchanged amused and exasperated glances. Jimin humored and nudged Jungkook, murmuring, "Looks like Taehyung is getting jealous."

Yoongi rolled his eyes, his voice flat. "Why does it matter, anyway?"

"She's in school. She's bound to meet people. However, I'm surprised someone actually wants to interact with her." He muses sarcastically.

"Be nice, stop it." Jin hissed, smacking the back of Yoongi's head, causing the younger to scowl at the contact.

And Namjoon, Seokjin, and Hoseok, on the other hand, admonished Taehyung to concentrate on the more serious matter at hand. "We have a much bigger problem to deal with right now," Namjoon replied calmly but firmly.

"We need to stay focused."

The leader sat up straight and peered at his members' expressions. "So, what do we know so far?"

Jin cleared his throat, taking the lead in the discourse. Well, we know that whoever is behind this operation hired low-ranking gangs for the dirty work—"

"However, there is a strong possibility that they might be working with multiple groups."

Hoseok agrees with a nod. "And they've managed to buy their allegiance.

"Money and power talks, after all," he said, sounding irate.

Taehyung chuckled grimly, his voice tinged with bitterness. "It's the government, fucking government." "They have a plethora of resources at their disposal."

Jungkook interjected, his tone serious. "We can't just focus on the military. We need to consider political officials and various bases they could be using."

"Agreed." Namjoon says. "We should head back to headquarters, we can do more thorough research there. And—"

Suddenly, an explosion shattered the tranquility of the safe house. A bullet sped through the air, smashing the remaining intact window and scattering pieces of glass.

"Shit! Take cover!" Namjoon's words cut through the din as he darted behind a nearby overturned table, his tactical mind analyzing the situation swiftly.

The men were startled by the ear-piercing noise and the shards of glass flying around, their survival instincts promptly took over. Following their leader's orders, everyone dove for shelter, hiding behind overturned tables, containers, and whatever other solid item they could locate.

Bullets continued to pour down on them, cutting through the walls and creating a destructive symphony. The astringent aroma of gunpowder mingled with the adrenaline-fueled anxiety that dominated the room. The unidentified intruders had caught them off guard, but years of combat expertise and instinct kicked in, and the members took cover, establishing defensive positions.

Jungkook, famed for his ruthless and exceptionally quick fighting style, wasted no time. He charged forward, utilizing his incredible athleticism to avoid the oncoming bullets. His muscles rippled with force with each movement, his gaze bright and concentrated.

He covered the gap between himself and the nearest assailant in seconds, unleashing a barrage of annihilating strikes that left his opponents sprawled on the ground, gasping for air.

Jimin's fighting style was diametrically opposite Jungkook's raw savagery. His motions were smooth and exquisite, like a magnificently orchestrated ballet. He moved through the tumult with captivating grace, escaping assaults. Each attack he delivered was accurate, enhancing the impact and leaving his opponents stunned and confused.

Taehyung, who had depended on his firearms at first, found himself unarmed as the struggle heated up. But he refused to be caught off guard. He quickly grabbed the razor-sharp combat knife from his concealed sheath and switched into close-quarters battle.

As he whirled and spun, his fighting technique grew unexpectedly, the glitter of the blade a lethal blur. Despite the loss of his pistol, Taehyung kept fighting with such tenacity.

Hoseok, ever the kineticist and competent profiler, took advantage of his opponent's body language. His maneuvers were measured and purposeful, and he was always one step ahead of the game. He exploited flaws with dexterity, adopting unusual approaches that took his opponents off guard. His opponents were brought flying to the ground by a sequence of breakneck speed attacks and well-timed dodges, their expressions a mix of disbelief and defeat.

Yoongi's fighting technique stemmed from his wicked personality. He revered every encounter, deranged and merciless, relishing in the misery he inflicted. His strikes were barbaric, with a ferocity that went far beyond what was necessary. He didn't simply defeat his opponents; he ensured they felt lingering pain, a reminder of their helplessness. It was a dark side of him that the others embraced, recognizing that it had a place in their destructive world.

Seokjin, the group's tech support, and hacker, relied less on hand-to-hand combat but compensated with advanced technology. As the chaos unfurled, he rapidly drew from his armory, deploying a slew of non-lethal gadgets meant to disable rather than kill.

And as the siege ended, reality set in. This was not a random act of violence. It was a deliberate assault, well-planned and executed. Their adversary was competent, well-equipped, and most likely tied to the very forces they were working to expose.

"What the fuck just happened?" Jimin pants, wiping the blood from his lips.

"We're being watched, is what's happening." Namjoon answered gravely. "Eyes and ears are everywhere, and they've zeroed in on us."

"Fucking bastards." Yoongi mutters, frustratedly kicking a demolished chair that lay crooked.

The members exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with resolve and apprehension. They were well aware that this was only the beginning. The true war was still to come, a conflict against a foe they didn't completely comprehend.

The jigsaw pieces were gradually fitting together, but the complete image remained elusive. They also realized they were getting closer to unraveling a horrific web of secrets and lies.

"What do we do now?" Jungkook questions.

"We can't go back to headquarters just yet, that's for sure." Hoseok responds.

"Change of plans, gentlemen, we'll have to find a place to lay low for a while before we can move." Namjoon declares.

masterpost | three | four | five

#touch bts #bts ot7 x reader #bts x reader #bts angst #jeon jungkook #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin #bts fanfic #kim taehyung #min yoongi #kim seokjin #jhope #ot7 x reader #ot7 bts x reader #bts mafia #bts mafia au #bts ot7 #bts poly #poly!bts x reader #jungkook x reader #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #hoseok x reader #jhope x reader

[beesmygod]

oh, so. there's this story thats semi-local to my hometown that ive been keeping up on via the reno subreddit. ive been gawking at it from afar in wonder bc i didnt know people could make this many bad decisions on purpose.

joey gilbert was a boxer who was forced to retire bc he's a cheating bitch who was roiding up and doing meth before fights. the list of drugs in his system would scatter an average human's atoms like dust.

as a shining example of the kind of education i paid for: joey gilbert graduated from my alma mater, UNR, with an english degree and then passed the nevada bar using a law degree gained from a diploma mill that is no longer accredited. so now gilbert practices law. this is the advertisement that greets you when you get off the plane at reno/tahoe airport.

every time i see this i want to laugh my ass off. the vague use of meme formatting even though he doesn't understand the conventions of an impact font meme. he has the dead doll eyes described by clint in jaws. he looks like if lowtax attended his own funeral. there's no phone number or website. google me bitch.

anyway, that's not the point. gilbert evidently fried what was left of his tenderized boxer brain with speed and has tried to fashion himself as the VIP in douglas county/vegas conservative circles. i guess he fits right in because they willingly embraced him. he was at the jan 6 riot and will loudly espouse basically any belief as long as hes getting paid. he tried to run for gov and lost the primary by over 20k votes. somehow he claims this is election fraud. he has yet to explain the mechanisms that would explain how douglas county and its republican chapter manufactured over 20000 votes for a republican primary without anyone noticing during a time when election fraud is a hot button topic, all because they feared that the guy they test research chemicals on was a legitimate threat.

hold up my bad. actually gilbert says HE won by over 50000 and the city of las vegas is suppressing the results. his case was thrown out and he was fined 88k for wasting everyone's time.

okay now: in july of 2023 (insane link btw lol. they keep saying shit like "yeah i did that. problem, bitch?",) the conservative douglas county board of trustees had a bitch fit over their lawyer, who has been in the position for over 20 years, for refusing to enforce a transgender sports ban. in an act of retaliation he was fired by a narrow vote and replaced with........

JOEY GILBERT!!!!!!!!

pros of this exchange:

cons of this exchange: he costs more, has no formal law education, the ACLU is going to rip them a new hole, its now october and he has charged the school district an eye-watering 100k in two months. the previous firm charged 18k a month.

in response, the board of trustees is convening in order to fire......the superintendent who has been in the position for 30 years bc he was against gilbert from the start.

nevada is so dedicated to being number 50 in the nation. its honestly heartwarming to think that even the dumbest, toothless hick can make it there by simply lying nonstop. thats the american way, baby!

[i-am-aprl]

Resolution 377 allows the UN body to take action whenever there was an indication that the UN Security Council may have failed to "exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security".

The resolution was first adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1950.

Of the 13 times that UN Article 377, has been invoked since 1955, 5 have been related to Israeli aggression, occupation, invasion.

1956 - Gaza & Egypt invasion

1967 Jerusalem

1980 Palestine

1982 Golan Heights

1997 Palestine

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly has announced that it will hold a special session on Gaza to take place on Tuesday December 12, a press statement issued by the UN General Assembly President confirmed on Sunday.

"President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, has just informed Member States that he will convene the 45th plenary meeting of the tenth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly on Tuesday, 12 December 2023," the press service of the General Assembly's President Dennis Francis said.

Egypt and Mauritania had formally requested a meeting by invoking the UN General Assembly Resolution 377 "Uniting for Peace" in a letter to President Francis.

The letter emphasised the need to reconvene following "a Permanent Member of the Security Council" vetoing a Security Council Gaza ceasefire resolution- in reference to the controversial US vote.

#the UN Security Council #un security council #gaza #The United Nations #i stand with palestine #free gaza #فلسطين #jerusalem #free palestine #palestine #egypt #Mauritania #west bank #israel #America

[sarahsmi13s]

The Family I Chose

whumptober day 7: disowned by family

pairing: natasha 'phoenix' trace x bestie!reader

characters: natasha trace, fem!reader, oliver trace, the dagger squad, nat's family (tess, elijah, mason, and brody)

warnings: 18+ MDNI, language, teen pregnancy, mentions of abortion, abusive parents, disowned by family, standing up to family, crying, please let me know what i'm missing

a/n: this is for whumptober! please please please proceed with caution and use discretion, protect your peace

also if you are on the whump taglist but are not familiar with a character, you can skip it will not hurt my feelings!

also also, i do want to apologize for getting this up late got distracted while writing it so i finished it later than i had hoped

whumptober 2023 masterlist

summary: the quote "blood is thicker than water" is often misused. the full quote is "the blood of the convenent is thicker than the water of the womb". meaning, the connections you choose to make are stronger than the ones you're forced to have

Natasha held her cheek, tears in her eyes as she looked at her mother.

“How could you?!” Tessa, Natasha’s mother, screamed in her face, holding the positive pregnancy test up. “You slut, can’t keep your legs closed around that boyfriend of yours. And look where that got you, pregnant at seventeen. I can’t believe you could be so reckless!”

The plastic stick was shoved into Nat’s chest. “Mason brought that to me after Brody found it, at least one of my daughters has the decency to be honest with me!”

Natasha looked from the test to her mom. “I-I swear I was going to tell you, but-” 

“‘But’ what, Natasha Jordan?” Elijah, her father, asked, stepping in. His arms were crossed over his chest as he glared at his eldest child. “I don’t think that you were gonna tell us, because if you were then you wouldn’t have left your test in the trash!” He yanked the test out of her hand and broke it before throwing at her feet.

“I didn’t know how to tell you! I was scared, I didn’t know how you were gonna react! And clearly I was right to worry. Because parents are supposed-”

Smack

Natasha held her cheek again, wide-eyed at her parents who stood there with their faces contorted in anger and embarrassment almost. But love? Compassion? Sympathy? None of that was present.

“Terminate it or pack your shit and leave,” Elijah said coldly, face unchanging. 

Natasha felt sick to her stomach at her father’s heartless words. The ultimatum proving her fears right.

Despite the things she wanted to scream and shout at them, she just nodded curtly and left. Not even bothering to get in her car as she left to go to her best friend’s house.

“Tasha? Hey, Nat are you okay?”

Phoenix blinked and shook herself out of her thoughts before smiling at you. 

You were the best friend she ran to that day eleven years ago. The best friend that caught her when she launched herself at you as she sobbed, words fumbling out of her mouth as she tried to recount the horrible things that her parents had said to her. The best friend that helped her pack up her bedroom, leaving it looking like Natasha never lived there and considering you found a box of every photo of Natasha that no longer hung on the walls in the basement – you had made the right choice, even taking the box with you when you left.

You were the best friend that helped her through the pregnancy, considering Jasper left the moment he learned Nat was pregnant. The best friend that threw her a baby shower and helped her stay on track with school as she got into those final months. The best friend that held her hand in the delivery room when she gave birth to little baby Oliver. The best friend that held her when she learned that Oliver was deaf and would never hear her voice. 

You were her rock then, and you were her rock now.

“I’m just nervous…” Nat admitted, playing with her hands as she looked up and over at the group of pilots playing with her son. “It’s been eleven years since they abandoned me… gave me a horrible ultimatum. Now they want to come here and be grandparents? I don’t trust it.”

You nodded, “And you have every right to be hesitant. They were supposed to be your parents and they turned their back on you. You have every right to set whatever boundaries you want. If they don’t like it, they can fuck off and go back to North Carolina with their shitty attitudes.”

She smiled at you, “Thank you Y/N, for everything. I don’t think I could have done all of this without you.” You hugged her tightly. “I’m always gonna be here for you, and that little rascal over there. You and Ollie deserve the fuckin’ world.”

Nat sniffled and pulled back to wipe her eyes, “Thank you.” “Of course Tash.” 

You both smiled at each other before a nerf arrow flew between you two. You look over to see Oliver on Fanboy’s shoulders with his new nerf bow and arrow that Bob had got him.

“Someone wanted his mama!” Mickey put Oliver down and sat next to you on the beach chair.

Nat smiled at her son, “Did you say thank you to Uncle Bob?” Oliver nodded, sending her a capped tooth grin, “Yes, I’m like Hawkeye now!”

You smiled and tickled Oliver’s sides to get his attention, “Hey Ollie, why don’t we get you a target and Uncle Jake can train you to hit the bullseye.” He nodded and turned to Nat, signing ‘please’ over and over, making her laugh. “Okay baby, we’ll get you a target.”

You smiled at them and Oliver ran over to Jake, letting the pilot pick him up.

Hearing footsteps approach, you turned your head, and your smile dropped immediately.

“Nat,” you said, the seriousness in your tone catching her attention. “What is it?” You nodded in the direction, “Your parents are here…”

She tensed but nodded and stood up.

“Do you want Ollie?” Jake asked. But Nat shook her head, “I want to talk to them first, alone.”

That word ‘alone’ was directed more at you and you nodded but gave her hand a gentle squeeze to let her know you were there if she needed you. She gave you a smile and squeezed your hand back before going to her parents and younger siblings.

“Natasha,” Tessa greeted curtly, clearly trying to peek around her at Oliver. “Mom, Dad,” Nat said, crossing her arms as she looked at them both.

“I’m gonna be honest, I’m surprised you agreed to meet with us,” Elijah said, looking from Nat to the group behind her, playing with Oliver. She shrugged, “It’s been eleven years, I’m willing to give you a chance.”

Mason stepped out from behind Tessa and Elijah, “Hi, Nat…” Nat smiled gently at her sister, “Hi Mason.” “I’ve missed you.” “I’ve missed you too.”

“So, when do we get to meet our grandson?” Tess asked impatiently. Nat rose an eyebrow, “Your grandson? You think you just get to call him that? After what you did?”

“Look, Natty,” Elijah tried but Nat held up a hand. “No, you don’t get to call me that. Before I ever let you anywhere near him, I’m laying down ground rules.”

Both of her parents groaned, “Really? You think you can lay down ‘rules’ for us to see our grandson?” She nodded, arms still crossed, “Yes, I do, because he is my son.” “Fine.” 

Nat’s temper was rising but she wasn’t going to freak out, because she knew that would get her nowhere. And even though Ollie couldn’t hear her, he could see her and it could scare him, and the last thing she wanted to do.

“First, you will never be alone with him.” Tessa looked offended, her hand over her heart as she gasped, “Do you not trust us?” Phoenix arched her brow again, “Honestly? No I don’t. But that’s not it. My son is deaf, none of you know sign language and I doubt you would learn.”

“Deaf? Did you not get him cochlear implants?” Elijah asked, almost disgusted. 

“No, because he is perfect the way he is. And don’t act like that after what you said.” 

Nat was already at the end of her rope, it had barely been five minutes. She doesn’t know why she thought it was a good idea. Maybe she wanted to fix that scared teenager, the one that sat in the bathroom with her best friend speechless as she stared at the two lines.

“That was eleven years ago Natasha,” Tessa sighed, acting like they hadn’t pulled the rug from under her when she needed them most. 

“He told me that if I wanted to stay at home, I had to get an abortion. And now you both want to come here and act like you give a shit?! Seriously?!”

Nat tongued her lip and shook her head. “This was a mistake…” 

“Daddy?” 

Nat’s head whipped up to see her brother holding a two year old girl.

“Yeah, princess?” 

Nat saw red.

Her brother, her nineteen year old brother, had a two year old daughter? And their parents let him stay? 

What the actual fuck?

“Oh, so Brody could have a kid in high school, but I was told to either terminate my son or get kicked out? That’s fucking rich. Tessa, Elijah, go fuck yourselves.”

Both gawked, “Excuse us?”

“You fucking heard me.”

“Look, if Brody had just left Lainey it would have ruined our reputation. Just like you being pregnant.”

Natasha laughed, “Right, right, because it’s all about the reputation or the company. Fuck you and fuck your reputation.” 

Elijah stepped forward, “But you’ve helped our reputation, have you not? With you joining the Navy and then graduating Top Gun. Being the best of the best?”

She shook her head, “I did this for me, my son, and my best friend. This reputation I’ve built is mine and mine alone. The people who disowned me aren’t allowed to enjoy my accomplishments.”

“We didn’t disown you.”

“Really? Because when Y/N and I went to pack up my stuff, Y/N found my photos in a damn box. Then out in public you ignored me. You didn’t come to my graduation after I worked my ass off! I still work my ass off!” 

She turned and looked at the squad, you and Oliver. 

“You aren’t my family.” 

Natasha pointed at the group with tears in her eyes, “They… They are my family. The family that I chose… The family that chose me.” 

She let the tears fall, “They actually love me and they love my son. They learned sign language when they didn’t have to because they love my son that much. They have supported me, sure things were bumpy in the beginning, but we came out stronger on the other side. Because we care about each other. You two care about nothing other than yourselves and I will be damned if I put my son through that.”

Tessa and Elijah were speechless, and behind them Brody and Mason had smiles on their faces – proud of Natasha for doing what they were too scared to do.

“Take your entitled asses back to North Carolina and never contact me again.”

All her parents could do was gawk and make unintelligible noises, but they didn’t move to leave.

Then you approached and they were huffing and leaving, “C’mon Brody, Mason, we’re leaving.”

Nat held her composure until her parents were gone and she just ran into the Hard Deck. 

“Tasha! Nat!” You called after her. But it was no use, she was inside the building. You sighed and hung your head, she needed time.

After talking with Mason and Brody for a few minutes, you walked down to the group.

“Hey, I need Ollie,” you said to Bradley as you got closer. He nodded and got Javy to get his attention.

When you saw him looking at you, you spoke and signed, “Mama needs you bubba.” He nodded and ran over and grabbed your hand. You smiled and led him to the Hard Deck. 

“Hey Penny, where-” “My office.” 

“Thank you.” 

You and Oliver went to Penny’s office and opened it to find Nat sobbing on the floor. 

Oliver immediately got in her lap and hugged her. Nat wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close as she cried.

You get on your knees beside her, rest back on your heels as you rub her leg. She looked up at you and you smiled softly at her. You reached up and wiped her tears gently.

“I think she’s healed now…” Nat croaked out, scratching Oliver’s head. “That scared, hurt teenager… she’s got some of her dignity back. Finally let it out…”

You smiled and kept her cheek in your palm, “I’m so proud of you, Tasha.” 

More tears filled Nat’s eyes and she started crying again as she nuzzled your hand, “Thank you, Y/N… for everything. I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend.” You nodded, smiling at her still, “Neither could I.”

taglist: @bradleybeachbabe @mayhemmanaged @kmc1989 @lovinglyeternal @horseshoegirl @cassiemitchell @fanboyswhore9 @nightowlalltheway @86laura11 @els-marvelvsp @valmare @startrekfangirl2233

hi, if you're seeing this and are currently not on the taglist and would like to be please fill out the taglist form -> whumptober taglist

i can not stress this enough, but whumptober can have some very serious and heavy topics and i want to make sure i am doing my part as an author to prepare my readers for what they are about to experience and that includes not only warnings above but my taglists as well

so if you want to be added check out the masterlist and read that carefully and fill out the form -> whumptober 2023

#vinny's whumptober #vinny's rainy day records #whumptober 2023 #ailesswhumptober2023 #whumptober day 7 #top gun maverick #natasha phoenix trace #natasha trace x reader #natasha phoenix trace x reader #phoenix top gun #monica barbaro #whump #angst #sarahsmi13s

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

The world must help Brazil preserve the Amazon, says Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Wednesday insisted that “The world must help” his country preserve the Amazon after deforestation in that natural area went down by 33.6% in the first semester of 2023, following Lula's Jan. 1 inauguration.

“We know the responsibility it means to convince the world that investing is cheap if it is to keep the forest standing,” said Lula during breakfast with foreign correspondents at the Planalto Presidential Palace.

The eight member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) are to convene next week for the first time since 2009 to discuss policies to preserve the world's largest rainforest. In this regard, Lula said his government intends to “share with the world's science the research on the region's biodiversity” and seek ways to make it possible to “work without destroying” the biome.

With next week's encounter in the city of Belém on Aug. 8 and 9 serving as a preparation for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 to be held from November 30 in the United Arab Emirates, Lula stressed that “the world needs to see this meeting as a historic framework for the discussion of the climate issue.”

Continue reading.

#brazil #politics #brazilian politics #environmentalism #foreign policy #luiz inacio lula da silva #amazon rainforest #mod nise da silveira #image description in alt

[world-of-wales]

THE PRINCE DIARIES ♚

16 NOVEMBER 2023 || MANCHESTER VISIT (1/2) - HIDEAWAY YOUTH PROJECT, MOSS SIDE

The Prince of Wales carried out engagements in Moss Side in Manchester.

For his first engagement of the day, he visited the Hideaway Youth Project which is a lead partner of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance, to learn more about the work of the Alliance to reduce violence amongst young people.

William's visit marked the launch of a new initiative, galvanised by The Royal Foundation and the Mayor of Greater Manchester aimed at helping expand the work of the Alliance through the creation of new opportunities for those at risk of youth violence.

During his visit, he heard from those affected by youth violence about the devastating impact the issue has on local communities before speaking with youth workers and young people supported the Hideaway and other Alliance partners.

William also joined in a conversation with Alliance partners and representatives from the business community who have been convened by The Royal Foundation, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council to create the Alliance's first dedicated youth employment, skills and training programme. He heard more about the long-term impact that the new program will have on local young people through the provision of new opportunities, helping to build aspirations and support those at risk of violence to reach their true potential.

#prince of wales #the prince of wales #prince william #prince of wales diaries 23 #prince of wales diaries #prince of wales diaries 2023 #british royal family #british royals #royalty #royals #brf #royal #british royalty #william wales. #ManchesterNov23 #ManchesterNov23.1 #my gifs #gifs #royaltyedit #royalty edit #royaltygifs #royalty gifs #16112023 #duke of cambridge

[coochiequeens]

April Hutchinson may not be able to compete for two years for speaking the truth but she won my heart and respect.

By Genevieve Gluck. November 8, 2023

A female competitive powerlifter for Team Canada who spoke out after a trans-identified male athlete set a women’s national record at a championship in Manitoba has been informed that she is facing a two-year suspension from her sport as a result. April Hutchinson shared the news to X (formerly Twitter), where she has received an outpouring of support after she slammed the situation as a “horror show.”

“I now face a 2-year ban by the [Canadian Powerlifting Union] CPU for speaking publicly about the unfairness of biological males being allowed to taunt female competitors & loot their winnings,” Hutchinson wrote.

“Apparently, I have failed in my gender-role duties as ‘supporting actress’ in the horror show that is my sport right now. Naturally, the CPU deemed MY written (private) complaint of the male bullying to be ‘frivolous and vexatious.'”

Alongside her statement, Hutchinson shared images of the notice she had received, which reported that a discipline committee had convened on October 23 and had “determined that there is sufficient evidence for Major Infraction as a result of repeating offences, including prior warning.”

“Based on the information provided, the Discipline Panel is recommending that [April Hutchinson] have her membership to the CPU suspended for 2 years. We strongly feel this is a case of a repeated offence, and should be treated as such,” the notice read.

Hutchinson was reported to the CPU on August 23 by Anne Andres, a trans-identified male athlete who set a women’s national record at a championship in Brandon, Manitoba, on August 13. Hutchinson had publicly condemned his participation in the women’s category, and appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored just days after the championship competition.

“I’ve been a powerlifter with the Canadian Powerlifting Union for about four years now. Over the last year, I have been fighting my federation to ban trans women — also known as men — from competing with women in powerlifting,” Hutchinson told host Rosanna Lockwood.

“They have ignored my pleas, as well as many other women who don’t agree with it. They’ve actually threatened to suspend me for speaking up about the matter,” she added. “The threats keep coming, and disciplinary action for speaking up has been ongoing over the last year.”

“The whole thing is disgusting. It’s disgraceful. It’s disheartening,” Hutchinson remarked. “I’ve been threatened with suspension. Two weeks ago, I received a letter from my Federation, stating that I cannot call Anne a biological male.” In response to news of Hutchinson’s potential ban, The Daily Mail reached out to Andres for comment. He responded by telling the journalist who contacted him that “the blood of LGBT people” was on her hands, and added, “Get straight f*cked.”

Andres, 40, currently holds multiple records in the female division, including the women’s deadlift and bench press, and has placed first in nine out of the eleven competitions he has participated in over the past four years.

At the Canadian Powerlifting Union’s (CPU) 2023 Western Canadian Championship, Andres participated in the Female Masters Unequipped category, and beat out Michelle Kymanick and SuJan Gil for the first place award — with a total powerlifting score that was over 200kg more than the top-performing female in the same class.

A “total” is the sum of the heaviest weight lifted for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Andres’ total would have placed him amongst the top-performing male powerlifters in the entire championship had he participated in the men’s category.

The Western Canadian Championships was held under the umbrella of the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU), which announced a gender self-identification policy earlier this year. The policy, which garnered mass backlash from women’s rights advocates, explicitly allowed any males to participate in women’s competitions on the basis of self-declared “gender” alone.

In February, the CPU’s “Trans Inclusion Policy” was released, containing an explicit statement that the CPU supported allowing transgender powerlifters to participate in the sex category of their choosing based on a guidance from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).

“Based on this background and available evidence, the Expert Working Group felt that trans athletes should be able to participate in the gender with which they identify, regardless of whether or not they have undergone hormone therapy,” the document reads, deferring to the “inclusivity in sport” guidance from the CCES.

Just prior to the CPU’s announcement of a gender self-identification policy, Andres gained significant notoriety after sharing a video of himself appearing to mock female athletes, asking why female powerlifters were “so bad” at bench press.

The widespread outcry against males in women’s powerlifting events, prompted by news of Andres’ participation and taunting of female athletes, motivated the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) to issue a policy change on August 21.

“For a transgender athlete to compete in the sport of powerlifting at any level, he/she must declare before competing that he/she is a transgender athlete. If an athlete fails to declare that he/she is a transgender and competes that violation leads to Disqualification of the result obtained in that Competition with all resulting Consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes,” the IPF said in an updated policy document.

Increasing reports of male athletes identifying as female in order to compete in women’s events have attracted significant criticism. As previously reported by Reduxx, a Canadian powerlifting coach self-identified into the women’s category earlier this year and broke the Alberta women’s bench press record. Avi Silverberg was attempting to highlight the unfair advantage males have when competing in women’s athletics, in protest over the CPU’s recently implemented gender self-identification policies.

Not to show my age but the thought of men competing in women’s sports was funny when it was this guy

Say what you will about the 90's at least we had common sense about this issue

#Canada #April Hutchinson #[Canadian Powerlifting Union] CPU #Anne Andres is a man #But telling a journalist to get fucked is not bullying #If he competed as a man he would have been one of the top performing men but not the winner #Women’s sports is not a backup plan for men who can't win against other men #the CPU’s Trans Inclusion Policy #Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) #International Powerlifting Federation (IPF)

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

15 November 2023: The Princess of Wales arrives for the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum, London. The Princess has convened experts from 21 countries to consider how we “grow, think and behave throughout life” to build resilience in early childhood.

#kate middleton #ktd #british royal family #princess of wales #brf #Early childhood #early childhood development #early childhood education #early childhood learning #early childhood trauma #early childhood intervention #fashion

[reasonsforhope]

"More than 150 workers whose labor underpins the AI systems of Facebook, TikTok and ChatGPT gathered in Nairobi on Monday [May 1st, 2023] and pledged to establish the first African Content Moderators Union, in a move that could have significant consequences for the businesses of some of the world’s biggest tech companies.

The current and former workers, all employed by third party outsourcing companies, have provided content moderation services for AI tools used by Meta, Bytedance, and OpenAI—the respective owners of Facebook, TikTok and the breakout AI chatbot ChatGPT. Despite the mental toll of the work, which has left many content moderators suffering from PTSD, their jobs are some of the lowest-paid in the global tech industry, with some workers earning as little as $1.50 per hour.

As news of the successful vote to register the union was read out, the packed room of workers at the Mövenpick Hotel in Nairobi burst into cheers and applause, a video from the event seen by TIME shows. Confetti fell onto the stage, and jubilant music began to play as the crowd continued to cheer.

The establishment of the Content Moderators Union is the culmination of a process that began in 2019, when Daniel Motaung, a Facebook content moderator, was fired from his role at the outsourcing company Sama after he attempted to convene a workers’ union called the Alliance. Motaung, whose story was first revealed by TIME, is now suing both Facebook and Sama in a Nairobi court. Motaung traveled from his home in South Africa to attend the Labor Day meeting of more than 150 content moderators in Nairobi, and addressed the group.

“I never thought, when I started the Alliance in 2019, we would be here today—with moderators from every major social media giant forming the first African moderators union,” Motaung said in a statement. “There have never been more of us. Our cause is right, our way is just, and we shall prevail. I couldn’t be more proud of today’s decision to register the Content Moderators Union.”

TIME’s reporting on Motaung “kicked off a wave of legal action and organizing that has culminated in two judgments against Meta and planted the seeds for today’s mass worker summit,” said Foxglove, a non-profit legal NGO that is supporting the cases, in a press release.

Those two judgments against Meta include one from April in which a Kenyan judge ruled Meta could be sued in a Kenyan court—following an argument from the company that, since it did not formally trade in Kenya, it should not be subject to claims under the country’s legal system. Meta is also being sued, separately, in a $2 billion case alleging it has failed to act swiftly enough to remove posts that, the case says, incited deadly violence in Ethiopia...

Workers who helped OpenAI detoxify the breakout AI chatbot ChatGPT were present at the event in Nairobi, and said they would also join the union. TIME was the first to reveal the conditions faced by these workers, many of whom were paid less than $2 per hour to view traumatizing content including descriptions and depictions of child sexual abuse. ...Said Richard Mathenge, a former ChatGPT content moderator... “Our work is just as important and it is also dangerous. We took an historic step today. The way is long but we are determined to fight on so that people are not abused the way we were.”

-via TIME, 5/1/23

[Note: In addition to Big Tech outsourcing and exploiting workers for social media and AI moderation, many companies also exploit and vastly underpay mostly overseas workers to straight up pretend to be AI. I'm really glad issues around this are starting to get attention AND UNIONS because exploited overseas labor is so often the backbone of AI--or even the "AI" itself.]

#labor unions #africa #kenya #south africa #open ai #chatgpt #facebook #meta #tiktok #workers rights #labor rights #exploitation #outsourcing #big tech #anti ai #nairobi #unionisation #unionize #good news #hope