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taeyegu · 1 year ago

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confession is not flashy — 002. just for a month

previous // next

word count — 909

warning(s) — none... except a painfully whipped chan <3

lunch time at the hospital was always busy. today's lunch crew consists of the interns along with dr. moon from neuro and dr. hong from gs.

dr. moon took a small glance over at y/n who was currently pacing back and forth talking to someone on the phone. he then turned his attention to chan, "dr. jeon told me you actually met up with him for shadowing today--how was that?"

"it was fine…" chan sighed, "but y/n was with dr. kim today. i should have just followed them."

"you know dr. kim thinks you're really fond of pediatrics with how often you 'try' to shadow him." dr hong chuckled.

"he's only doing it so he can keep an eye on his girl." vernon said through a mouthful of rice. "we clowned him earlier today about it and i guess it was enough for him to finally follow his schedule with dr. jeon."

"oh? my girl?" dr. moon smirked, "when did this couple become a thing?"

"w-we're not a couple yet… unless y/n has said something about me…?" chan said in a hopeful tone. the whole table softly laughed at the youngest's antics surrounding his very obvious feelings. "a-anyways! sure, so what if i like y/n? it's not like it's that obvious!"

"it is very obvious." vernon deadpanned. seungkwan nodded along,

"you're always buying y/n lunch and never us…" seungkwan listed.

"that one time when you tried to arm wrestle dr. choi after y/n mentioned how strong he was and then dr. choi almost dislocated your shoulder…" dr. hong added.

"i also remember during the previous hospital dinner party, dr. kim and y/n were talking about their interest in eating chicken breast for protein and then you proceeded to eat an obscene amount of chicken that night and threw up…"

"okay!" the youngest exclaimed, "i admit, i am a little obvious…"

"i think all of the departments know about your little crush." dr. moon comforted chan, "we're all supporting you so don't worry!"

after finishing the phone call, y/n walks back to the lunch table and sits down with a sigh, "sorry that took so long everyone, did i miss anything?"

"is something the matter y/n?" seungkwan asked, "you look really tired after that phone call."

"it was just my mom again--she won't stop bothering me about the wedding!" y/n rubbed her fingers against her temples, feeling an oncoming headache at the thought of thinking back to the conversation.

"what happened?" dr. hong asked, "if you don't mind telling us."

"yeah it's not a big deal. seungkwan, vernon, and chan already know a little." y/n sighed once again, "my cousin is getting married and her wedding is like a month away. my mom has been pestering me nonstop to bring a date." y/n crossed her arms across her chest to display her annoyance, "i know she's worried about me with how busy school and rotations at the hospital have been, but i feel like a relationship right now wouldn't be the best for me."

"why does your mom want you to have a date so bad?" dr. moon questioned.

"i know she's just worried about me," y/n said, "but i also think it's because most, if not all of my cousins are in committed relationships right now. my mom thinks that i'm too focused on my career. she wants me to find a significant other before it's too late."

"that sucks y/n," dr. hong gave her a small pat on the back, "i'm sorry you have to deal with that right now."

"what does y/n have to deal with right now?" dr. kwon interjected as he placed his lunch tray down at the table.

"y/n has a family wedding to attend and her mom keeps pressuring her to bring a date." seungkwan summarizes to dr. kwon.

"why can't y/n just bring a fake date?" dr. kwon states like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"a fake date? what do you mean a fake date?" y/n perks up.

"it's exactly like it sounds." dr. kwon says, "find someone to be your fake date for the night so that you can get your mom to stop pressuring you--there's a bunch of websites where you can just pay someone to do this for you."

"on this salary… i don't think i can afford that option." y/n says dejectedly.

"or you can just ask one of your friends to be your fake date for free!" dr. moon exclaims.

"i've never really thought of that… that's actually a really good idea dr. kwon." y/n turns to look at her three best guy friends, "seungkwan? vernon? would you guys be able to?"

"sorry y/n, seungkwan and i bought concert tickets for aespa that night… we've been planning it for awhile." vernon says.

"o-oh y/n i can be your fake date--if there's no one else!" chan stutters.

"that's perfect y/n!" seungkwan exclaims, "you and chan would be great together!"

"would you really chan? i'd owe you my life!" y/n beams at him.

"haha, no worries y/n!" chan smiles, "i'm down to be your fake boyfriend for the wedding…"

"then it's settled!" dr. moon laughs, "congrats to the new couple at the hospital! love is definitely in the air!"

"very funny dr. moon!" y/n chuckles, "it's just for a month!"

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kyoshithewriter · 3 months ago

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Level the Playing Field.

Warnings: mature themes (18+)

Part ten: Screwed.

A/n: Enjoy?

Mikayla and her family are her guardian angels; Sadé is convinced of that after today. Not only did the couple wholeheartedly agree to let her stay with them, they are already on a mission to help her find a job for the summer. Mr. and Mrs. Ahn had joked that she’s now their adopted daughter and she shouldn’t ever be afraid to ask them for help. Of course, she teared up a bit, but it’s so overwhelming experiencing such kindness from strangers when she couldn’t even get it from her own mother.

“Ryan is leaving for Spain immediately after exams and I’m already dreading it.” Sadé can’t see Mikayla’s face from her position with her head in her lap but she can tell her friend is pouting.

“Leaving for Spain? Why?” she asks absentmindedly, eyes glued to a yelling Gordon Ramsay on tv.

“To train with the first team until the international break since exams finish early in May. The manager wants to start getting them acquainted with teammates, facilities and what not Ryan said.” Mikayla scratches at a particular spot on her scalp that’s so good that she almost misses what she said. Almost.

“Oh, so are they all going?” She tries to sound nonchalant but she’s sure Mikayla knows what she really wants to know. Is Jude leaving as well?

“Yup, um, Jude is apparently going sooner as well since he’s currently suspended.” Mikayla responds cautiously. That’s okay. That’s fine. It’s not as if they’re even on good terms with each other at the moment. Especially since she made Annita mad enough to embarrass him last night. But in the back of her mind, she was expecting for them to just… find their way back to each other like they always do. He’d annoy her to see him until she relented and then they would… spend the summer break together? Sadé knows she’s delusional but she can’t deny that she feels crestfallen now that she knows her delusional daydreaming would stay just that.

“Oh. Good for them.” Sadé swallows thickly.

“Have you um, have you heard from him since that incident last night?”

Sadé shrugs her shoulders in lieu of responding.

“Why is this idiot trying to make an eclair in 30 minutes? Like I understand these shows are scripted but can they at least not make them do stupid shit like this?” Sadé comments angrily. Almost as if she needs something to take her frustration out on.

“You know, me and Ryan are going on a road trip to some hiking trail tomorrow. Jude asked to tag along, he seems to be… not himself. You could come too, breathe some fresh air… stretch your legs.”

Sadé cranes her head up to look at Mikayla who’s obviously avoiding her eyes.

“And um, are you sure he’s the only one tagging along?” skepticism clear in her voice as she eyes her friend’s chin suspiciously. Mikayla whips her head down to stare at her as if she’s lost her mind.

“Do you think I’d be going anywhere with Annita, Sadé?”

“Oh, well, I could use some fresh air. I don’t know.” She tries to play it cool.

“Well, if you decide to, we’re leaving by 7 am since the trail is a three hour ride away.”

“Okay.” Comfortable silence settles between them and surprise, surprise, the idiot who tried to make eclairs was eliminated.

“By the way, you and Ryan, is it serious?” Sadé asks warily.

“We haven’t really discussed that yet but I should hope so. He’s being so sweet with me and with a tongue like that he’s not going anywhere.”

Sadé immediately bolts upright, turning her scandalous expression in her friend’s blushing direction.

“Mikky?! How come you haven’t told me?”

“I wanted to but there was just a lot going on.”

And yea, she’s right.

“Well we have time now so start talking!”

******************

Sadé is ready 10 minutes earlier than she needs to be. She can’t stop the rhythmic bouncing of her right leg while she’s seated on her bed. She scrolls through the websites Jude had sent her, wanting to keep herself busy but also wanting to commit the dates the applications open to memory. She’s obsessed with being among the first applicants hoping this will put her in a better position to be chosen. She needs it. Badly. A notification from Mikayla pops up on her screen.

Mikayla [6:56 am]: You’re coming right?

Sadé [6:56 am]: Yes, I’m ready.

Mikayla [6:57 am]: good. I hope you’re dressed warmly enough. It’s apparently a lot cooler up there. I’m waiting in the kitchen.

Sadé looks down at her long, black tights, running shoes and her long sleeved fitted jacket. She did dress warmly, feeling the chill in the early morning air after it rained last night so she’s good to go. She heads for the kitchen to retrieve her water bottle while Mikky gathers snacks from the cabinet and her thermos filled with tea.

“Ryan says he’s downstairs.” Mikky says, hastily gathering everything to shove into her tote bag. Sadé gathers her small backpack off the counter following her friend out the door.

Sadé’s spine is ramrod straight in the back of Ryan’s Toyota Tacoma truck. Jude is seated to her left, barely any space between them because of how wide he spreads his legs. If she didn’t know him before, she would’ve thought it was on purpose just to piss her off. But that’s just how he always sits; like he’d be uncomfortable otherwise. She doesn’t want to think about why right now. They’ve been on the road for almost two hours now and the only word they’ve said to each other was the quiet greeting they mumbled when she first climbed in the truck. Ryan’s grin was wide, she’s sure Mikayla had informed him Sadé was coming but judging by the glare Jude sent him in the overhead mirror, he wasn’t in the loop. Despite the tension in the backseat, Mikayla and Ryan chatter away, uncaring of the other two people in the car. They might as well have not even been there the way the couple up front openly flirt and share laughs between them. Sadé turns to look outside the window, enjoying the wind against her face. The air already feels much crisper as the landscape gradually changes from an overabundance of buildings to trees and open fields. Sadé is almost falling asleep against the half cracked window when they finally make a turn onto a bumpy trail in the forest leading up to a wooden gate. Some woman greets them enthusiastically and hands them passes as well as a map that contains warnings and emergency numbers.

“Okay so it says no going farther than 15 miles in any direction, we’re likely to get lost or encounter wild animals then. There’s a creek five miles north! We should go. There are designated rest spots with benches just in case we need a break. Oh! And edible berries can be found too, they’re labeled and we’re allowed to snack on them.” Mikayla reads excitedly. Sadé’s sure she’s on the verge of squealing.

“You’re so cute.” Ryan follows up the statement with a gentle kiss to her forehead and Mikayla turns fifty shades of pink. Cute. Sadé smiles mischievously as soon they make eye contact.

“Let’s go see the creek first.” Sadé suggests. She wants to sit by it for a while. She really misses the sound of moving water and the calm it brings. The others, except Jude hum in agreement.

They’re five minutes into the walk and Sadé is in love with this place. She has always been a huge lover of nature, but the way they label the trees and give little facts about each is truly fascinating. She has stopped at every single one, squinting at the labels of each. They’ve already even gotten to gather and snack on some blackberries. She tries her best to ignore Jude’s presence lurking just behind. He’s been staring at her nonstop since they began their trek, always making sure to stay behind her. Ryan and Mikky are ahead but they’re still in sight, plus, there are arrows on every fifth tree that directs you along the path so she isn’t too worried about that.

“The least you can do is apologize, you know.” She almost ignores it, thinking she’s overhearing Ryan and Mikky’s conversation somehow. Maybe a few minutes of unpolluted air has unlocked some hidden superpowers she has. But when her brain catches up…

“Excuse me?” Her voice is tinged with annoyance but her pitch is low. She doesn’t want to yell and break the serenity. She turns to face his glare head on. “Why would I apologize to you?”

“Do you know how embarrassing that was yesterday?”

“And I should care about that because…?”

Jude surprises her by tilting his mouth in a small smile.

“You shouldn’t. I was just testing to see if that version of you I saw yesterday is still there. Glad to see it is.”

Sadé blows out a heavy breath.

“You asshole.” But she returns his smile.

“Look at you, standing up for yourself.”

“Well, I told off my mother a couple hours prior so I was feeling very brave.” She admits shyly.

“Really? What happened?” He asks as they fall in step with each other, continuing along the trail.

“Well, Summers had one more trick up her sleeve. Used her access to my file to contact my mom about me sleeping with male professors for grades and about our… the time we saw that movie weeks ago. I don’t know how she saw us kissing in that alley but she did.” Sadé scuffs her shoe against some pebbles on their path. “So yea mom called, threatened about what would happen when I go back home for the summer and that I should apply for local universities so I told her off. She cut me off but wow, it’s so freeing.” She looks up at him to see the furrow between his brows.

“I can’t help but feel this is somewhat partly my fault as well. How different your life would be right now if you didn’t see what you saw.” He says bitterly.

“Well, it would be just like it was before. A prison. Don’t feel bad about that woman being unhinged, in fact, I want to thank you. You’re the one who actually gave me the courage to think about actually living for me.” She gently bumps into his side and her stomach warms when she’s rewarded with a smile.

“I guess you’re right. What are you going to do though? About the summer and have you looked into the scholarships yet?” He asks, concerned.

“I’ll be staying with Mikky for the summer and yea I’ve checked them out. I’ll apply when they’re open.”

“Good. If you need anything at all please let me know. I’d love to help. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, I owe you big time for what you did but I wasn’t sure if you’d wanted to see me after everything cooled off.” He sounds almost… shy. Sadé twists her mouth to hide her smile.

“Well, I told myself I needed a break from you but I won’t say I wasn’t sad that you weren’t at least nagging me a bit.”

“Did you miss me, Sadé?” He’s smirking and Sadé rolls her eyes.

“Shut up, Jude.”

“Did you?”

Sadé picks up her pace to avoid answering his question. Because yes she did, but she doesn’t want him to know that. It takes him all of two strides to get caught up with her. Sadé’s body locks tight with tension at the feel of his hands around her waist before she’s picked cleanly off the ground.

“Jude!!” It’s a cross between a scream and a laugh.

“Tell me you missed me.” He playfully demands. At the first shake of her head, he starts spinning.

“Admit you missed me.” He tries again. Sadé’s a giggling mess but she’s starting to get dizzy.

“Fuck’s sake! Fine I missed you, Jude. Now stop!” Jude ceases his spinning as soon as she concedes. “Are you happy now?!”

“Ecstatic because I missed you too.” There’s an almost tender look in his eyes as he stares down at her still smiling face. Sadé ducks her head bashfully, gripping at his shirt for balance as she lowered to her feet.

“You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep picking me up, you know?”

“Tsk, I doubt that.”

They continue their walk side by side in comfortable silence.

“Jude, do you consider me a friend?” She’s suddenly interested in the trees again, not daring to look in his direction. Did I ruin the mood? Doesn’t matter, if he can’t answer this simple question it really just means one thing.

“No.” Her heart drops but he continues before she has a chance to respond.

“I don’t want to fuck my friends, Sadé.”

Her skin tightens at his crude choice of words. But a big part of her is still disappointed. She’s not enough to be his friend but he’s okay with sex.

“You have that look on your face that’s telling me you’re misinterpreting what I meant.” There’s an air of frustration around him now. His face twisted in a frown.

“Then tell me, Jude. Tell me what you mean.” She coaxes softly.

“I need you to believe me when I say that you… you’re making me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling.” He chuckles bitterly, “Like I actually miss you when you’re not around and I think about you more than I fucking should. I notice every detail, I think about how the world is just so cruel and I want to protect you from it all but I can’t. I can’t give you what you need and you don’t deserve to be anybody’s second choice but I’m so selfish and…” he trails off to suck in a harsh breath, “So no, Sadé. I don’t consider you as a friend.” He marches off leaving a stunned Sadé in the middle of the trail.

******************

Celine is waiting by their door when they get back on campus. Sadé can’t even react to that as her mind is still reeling from Jude’s speech earlier. The tension between them had returned but for a whole different reason. The car ride back was so suffocating that even Ryan and Mikayla had seemed to have caught on. Jude refused to look in her direction the entire time but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t stop taking his clenched jaw, his broad shoulders, his everything. Sadé was secretly going feral, of course he was attractive before but for some strange reason it seemed to have intensified after his confession. She needs him.

“Hey, where have you guys been?” Celine tries to sound conversational but the jealousy is easy to detect.

“Oh, um Ryan and I planned a hiking trip and I invited Sadé last minute because of… you know, everything going on.” Mikayla opens the door as she responds. Her tone cool and even. Well it’s not technically a lie…

“And I couldn’t have gotten an invite?”

Fuck. Celine looks like a kicked puppy and Sadé feels horrible.

“I’ll understand if you guys don’t want to be friends anymore but just please let me know now.” Celine says timidly. She avoids both their eyes with her watery ones.

“If you can admit that your obsession with Sean is a bit too much and you’ll take several steps back and swear on everything you’ll never try setting me up like that again then I’ll forgive it.” Sadé means it. She has been thinking about it and yes, what Celine did was foul but the outcome wasn’t anything too serious. As for her… thing with Sean that’s something she has to sort through on her own. She just knows now that she’ll never go anywhere Celine wants to lead her to.

“You’re right, I’ve been doing some thinking and I don’t like what it’s doing to me. So yes, I promise to start making efforts to get over him and I do swear I’ll never do anything like that to you again, Sadé. I’m so sorry.” Celine hangs her head in shame.

“Obviously the trust is fragile now, might be for a while and I’m not going anywhere you suggest we go but over time, maybe that will change.”

Celine’s shoulders sag, relieved.

“Thank you.” It’s barely above a whisper as she envelopes Sadé in a hug that she returns.

Mikayla giggles in pure glee.

“Finally! But don’t ever screw us again, Celine.”

Celine giggles through tears but moves to hug Mikayla.

“Alright enough of that, I’m going to my room. I need a warm shower and my bed.” Sadé groans as she rubs at a tender spot on her thigh. Hiking is not for the weak.

************

Sadé is fresh out the shower and only has one thing on her mind. Again. She bites at her thumb nail with her laptop idly playing New Moon in the background. Fuck it.

Sadé [8:02 pm]: You know, there are like five movies in the Twilight Saga?

She wants to throw her phone immediately as she hits send. Her leg bounces as she waits for the ping. It comes in within a minute.

Jude [8:03 pm]: Yea.

Sadé [8:04 pm]: We only watched one the other day.

She leaves it to him to piece the information together. Please get what I’m implying.

Sadé stares at the screen, waiting. It takes five minutes but it might as well have been an eternity.

Jude [8:10 pm]: Come unlock your door

Sadé leaps from her bed to pace in her room. She has a strong feeling that letting him in will only lead to one thing. She takes a deep breath and goes to let him in.

**************

Jude watches Sadé in his peripheral vision. Her posture is ramrod- straight and he can see the rapid rising and falling of her chest beneath her white shirt. She isn’t wearing a bra and her nipples are very hard and very visible. He clenches and unclenches his fist, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on the screen as he’s been distracted ever since stepping in her room. The room smells just like her, always a lingering, light scent of vanilla with something else layering it, something he can only describe as uniquely Sadé.

“Jude?” It’s so breathy it sounds close to a moan. He swallows thickly.

“Yes, Sadé?”

“I… I feel… I want…”

Jude watches her rub her thighs together, breathing harshly.

“Come here.” She’s crawling onto his lap eagerly as soon as he whispers the words. Her lips are plush, warm and eager and he wouldn’t have it any other way. His hands glide along the skin of her thighs, smooth, clearly moisturized and so soft. He teases her lips with his tongue and she opens for him. Her mouth is warm, pliant and tastes like the strawberries she was nibbling on. One stroke of his tongue at the roof of her mouth is all it takes to make her whimper, hips rolling on top of him. He would laugh at how eager she is if he didn’t immediately start getting hard as soon as she was on top of him. Her scent, her skin, her eyes, her lips- all too much. Breaking away from the kiss, he lifts the hem of her shirt up and over her head. Jude halts his movements briefly- she had nothing on underneath. She looks away from his shocked expression.

“Sadé.” It comes out as a groan.

“I told you, I found the right person.” She tries to shrug it off but he sees the goosebumps dotting her skin and the slight tremor in her limbs.

“You’re so beautiful, baby.” The pet name slips out but it feels so right. He quickly discards his own shirt, pulling her back in for a kiss. He teases her mouth until she’s almost sobbing, hips undulating sloppily. He can feel her wetting the front of his shorts but he doesn’t care, he relishes it in fact. Just knowing he could get her off with his tongue in her mouth is making him so dizzy he’s starting to see stars. Jude raises her off his lap by her hips.

“No! Please I was about to-”

“Need to taste you.” He responds gruffly while sliding down on her bed, positioning her directly above his mouth.

“What- oh!”

Her back bows at the first flick of his tongue. Wet. Just wet. She’s so warm he’s sure she could scorch his tongue, even then, he wouldn’t stop. Her hands grip at his hair tightly and she matches the movement of his tongue with her hips perfectly.

“Jude, so good. So so good.”

He groans loudly against her, hips raising to hump at nothing. He’s so turned on. He keeps his mouth on her clit while he gently eases two fingers inside. She tenses briefly but relaxes almost immediately. It only takes a few seconds for her to start dripping down his hands.

“Why are you so wet, Sadé what the fuck?” It’s almost torturous. She has drenched his mouth, his chin. He’s going to be smelling her on him for hours.

“You, Jude all you.” She sobs out in response. Jude squeezes his eyes shut feeling so overwhelmed by that little statement. She has to know what she’s doing to him. Her moans pitch higher, hips working faster- sloppy again. He immediately pulls his mouth away and stills the movement of his fingers.

“No no no not again.” Sadé cries out trying to lower herself back on his mouth but she’s not out-muscling him.

“I’ll make you feel so good I promise.” He reassures her, sliding her down his body. Her face is wet with tears, lips swollen. She looks absolutely wrecked already. He rolls her beneath him then reaches for the lubricated condom in the pocket of his shorts before hastily kicking them along with his boxers.

Sadé watches with fascination and a hint of fear in her eyes as he rolls the condom on, sucking in a sharp breath as he finally gets some contact. He knows he isn’t small by any means but he would never hurt her. He kneels between her opened legs, raining kisses along her thighs then her lower belly that flutters beneath his lips, then to her chest, tongue flicking to tease her nipples.

“Jude please” he can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Okay baby. It may hurt a bit, but if you want me to stop, say it and I will immediately.”

She nods timidly.

Jude is so desperate for it he’s almost shaking. He can’t believe he’s going to finally be inside her. He steadies his hand between them, teasing the blunt tip against her once, twice before he tries to slowly ease in. Sadé’s brows pinch tightly together and she squeezes her eyes shut. She whimpers loudly at the slight pinching she feels as her body tries to adjust to him inside her. Inside, holy shit. She’s doing it. She reaches a hand out to gently push against his lower belly. Too much, too full, too deep and he’s just half way in.

“Too much?” His body is locked tight with tension.

“Uh huh. Kinda hurts, so full.” She whines softly.

“Want me to stop?”

Sadé immediately shakes her head.

“No just, go slow.”

Jude knows he’s fucked. He pulls back slowly then slowly kicks his hips forward again. He tries not to go deeper yet, wanting her to adjust some more first. A few more kicks of hips and the glide is smoother. Sadé starts to relax, the hand on his belly no longer resisting.

“Oh…” her voice is breathy with surprise. She opens her legs wider. She turns her eyes up at him and the expression on her face makes him groan out loud.

“Sadé, fuck. Don’t look at me like that.”

“Can’t help it. More.”

Jude leans down to capture her lips before he slides deeper. She jerks but moans wantonly in his mouth, locking his hips in with her legs behind his back. And oh fuck. Her body swallows him in greedly. She was already so wet and the added lube from the condom makes it so good. He rolls his hips, hard and slow.

“Jude…”

Sadé can feel the orgasm that she was denied of bubbling under the surface of her skin. It makes her nipples tighten and her toes curl. She’s so full and where it was uncomfortable before, it’s just overwhelming in a way that’s so good now.

“Don’t stop, just like this, please don’t stop.”

The sound that comes from his mouth can only be described as animalistic. He eases away from her, hips still keeping the same rhythm but he does two other things that makes Sadé panic because it heightens the sensation so much. The first thing? He brings his left thumb to tease at her swollen clit. He doesn’t rub it harshly, he barely thrums at it- just teasing. She raises her hips to chase the sensation, and that’s when he does the other thing. He places his right hand flat against her lower abdomen and presses down. Sadé doesn’t know why it feels so overwhelmingly good but it does. It’s like all her energy is focused between her legs and nowhere else. And all the while, he doesn’t lose the rhythm of his hips. Not once.

“Jude! Fuck!”

He keeps going, brows furrowed in determination. Like his sole purpose on earth is to give her the best orgasm possible. Sadé’s body locks tight. The tension building, building. It’s so delicious it’s scary. This is it, this is how she goes. She’s going to explode into a million pieces of satisfied Sadé all over her dorm room. Literally fucked to death.

The orgasm tears through her so violently she screams to the high heavens. She doesn’t care. She can’t care about anything else except the fact that she is coming and coming and coming. She knows she’s thrashing but she can’t help it. It seems to be never ending. Maybe because he denied her twice before? Maybe because he’s just so good? Maybe just because it’s Jude. Whatever the reason it seems to go on forever. When she slowly gains her hearing back, Jude’s deep guttural moan is the first thing she registers. She cries weakly in response, feeling his hips stutter.

“Fucking, fuck, Sadé.” He moans softly once more before collapsing against her. She hugs him close, teeth chattering from how wrecked she feels.

They stay like that for a while. Skin to skin, just catching their breaths. Jude shifts to move away and Sadé whines, hugging him tighter.

“I’ve got to get rid of the condom baby.” He whispers reassuringly. He presses a chaste kiss to her lips before sitting up and slowly pulling out. She groans quietly at the feel of him slipping out.

“Come, let’s shower and get fresh sheets on the bed.” He coaxes softly. Sadé takes his offered hand following him to the bathroom. And reality sinks in.

She had already liked him so much before but after that life changing experience? Sadé is sure he’s now got her wrapped around his little finger. She’s so screwed, screwed with a capital S.

#football #black woman #jude bellingham x reader #real madrid #jude bellingham #jude bellingham x black reader #football fanfic

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sgiandubh · 1 year ago

Note

Although MPCs website clear about bring a business which contributes a portion of profits post admin costs, Sam regularly in videos and in print interviews misrepresents. He's says my charity abd he says 59% of signup fee goes to charity. If there is a problem l, it's on Sam, who according to original members, basically sold MPC control, in 2017. Your statement of knowing what he's doing with his MPC, is questionable, post corporate change of MPC. It's not just his alone. MPC has sketchy history, since Alex's involvement, and the rumors, look more as truths that a good portion of the administrative costs go to Alex pre-whisky, for a working, guaranteed salary before sales came in. It also begs the question, if Sam is interested in supporting charity with a portion of income sales, why hasn't 10% of whisky sales went to charity partners? The whisky is part of the GGC, Sam and Alex's business. Why wouldn't he plug a Newman Products design? Maybe he's not as interested in charity?

Dear MPC Anon,

It has always been 50%, which is logical. 59% sounds like a demented Asian astrologist suggestion - but you might be unfamiliar with Burmese recent history, so I shall give you a pass, on that one.

Who are the 'original members' who told you MPC was sold? To whom was it sold? When did that happen? I need paperwork to support this statement: the current corporate documents still list ONE officer - pay away from your wallet to find out it's very probably SRH: I am not doing it for you.

Like it or not, Norouzi's involvement in MPC is a reality since at least its creation. You will have to prove me the 'sketchy' part with much more than a stinking grenade thrown by Anon or fandom illiterate gossip.

I will have to see contracts between MPC, AN, SH proving that pre-whisky launching costs of The Sassenach were drawn from the MPC accounts. I will also have to see bank and accounting documents proving so. According to US law, I would also have to be a Court and have enough reasons to subpoena these people and entities to show me those. Stop spreading the shite written by Pufflander once upon a time and ask Puffy, in her retreat, what the fuck did she do with the crowdfunded money for the Harassment PI Report (you know, *urv and co). Now that would be a really interesting question, right? No answer? Bad day, baby. Bad day.

Whisky sales under the umbrella of Great Glen Company LLC, a different legal entity with no charitable mission, were never designed to represent a charitable endeavor. I think you know the difference between a charity and a company, right? Suggesting he should give 10% of all his earnings to charity is akin to a church tithe. This argument is, of course, ridiculous, in the business world, unless there is an explicit and public vow to do so, with a particular company's benefits.

Newman's Own and the Newman's Own Foundation represent Paul Newman's personal commitment to give away 100% of Newman's Own LLC profits to charity: the Foundation serves to direct the funds to the projects its trustees deem the most appropriate, according to the Foundation's values.

This is a different story and I also hope you know the difference between Great Glen Company, a business who wants to remain a business and a ground-breaking CSR commitment like Paul Newman's. Great Glen Company and MPC are separate projects - AN's loud involvement in both does not help, though, especially with an uneducated bigot, such as yourself, Anon.

Assuming he must give 100% of all his profits to charity is absolutely ridiculous, Anon. Why don't you give away all the profits of your lemonade stand to charity and set a blazing, luminous example in this fandom?

Unless you quickly substantiate what you wrote in anger on your phone, with links, facts and names, I am forced to tell you to kindly, slowly, but surely...

FUCK OFF MY PAGE!

[Later edit:] Should I start a US Tax Law 101 course for you, Anon? To me, this rather crude company/charity montage sounds legit. Also, MPC is not a charity, as shown in my previous post.

#anon #fandom #shitshow #business #legal #MPC #GGC

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wrenaspun · 6 months ago

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how about this:

Damen is an aspiring novelist who has previously professionally sold quite a few short stories and a couple of novelettes to reputable magazines. Now he has written a novel and Laurent is the chief editor at the publishing house where a manuscript reader has insisted that Laurent should buy this novel and publish it. But Laurent is, you know, a bitch. (And is also by the way, a skilled novelist himself although though he hasn't written anything recently because he's busy being a chief editor)

The process of shopping Damen’s manuscript around had been what his agent called ‘unexpectedly bumpy’ — Kashel hadn’t even wanted to tell them about it over email, so Damen had gone to meet her at her office and dragged Nik along for what he claimed was needed moral support and what Nik suspected was a blatant attempt at a set-up. Kashel was ridiculously hot, but he’d been more interested in what she was telling them, her voice low like she was sharing industry gossip.

One of the editors she’d reached out to had gotten back to her saying that Montaigu & Cotentin wanted to take on the project, but it wasn’t Kashel’s contact who would be working with Damen. The editor-in-chief had stepped in personally: a marvellous sign, Kashel told them. It was vanishingly rare that M. de Vere dealt personally with manuscripts anymore, much less anything from a relative unknown. His job description, strictly speaking, was chivvying around all the other editors, and he ran M&C like the navy. It was Kashel’s favourite house to work with for that reason; they hardly ever missed a deadline, though she added (voice lowering further) that she wouldn’t want to be working under M. de Vere, personally.

Nik should have known right then that something was wrong. Well, that mistake was soon corrected. Damen’s first email from M. de Vere was a laundry list of frankly ridiculous suggestions to strip all the originality, the romance, the creativity from the project.

If Damen’s novel had been the product of his holing himself up and writing alone for long stretches of time, Nikandros would be concerned with its fate simply for Damen’s sake; but social as he was, Damen had talked Nik’s ear off as the story took shape in his mind and on the page. Nik had faithfully committed himself to being a rubber duck that sometimes talked back, so he didn’t think he could be blamed for feeling a certain attachment to Mathéo’s limp and missing eye, or Ariston’s tragic cat hybrid backstory, or Gwyn’s fakeout death, which had been a brainstorming session that raged through their small flat for a fortnight before they figured out a plausible way for someone to survive five years on a desolate mountain planet with a poisonous atmosphere. De Vere wanted Damen to kill Gwyn for real, which felt like a pointed insult. What was the point of the whole story if one-third of the central romance was unceremoniously killed off by space pirates?

Damen promptly scheduled a meeting with de Vere — who also lived in Marlas, and who seemed oddly available for someone that Kashel had said was so busy — which meant that Nik was going solo on their usual Thursday evening viewing of the wrestling and Housewives of Ios, but that was a sacrifice he was willing to make on the altar of Damen’s creative integrity, or whatever they called it.

The wrestling had finished and Anafi and Aglaia were well on their way to an all-out slapfight over condiments before Damen finally returned.

“Well?” Nik demanded, sitting up. “How did it go?”

“Oh — fine,” said Damen. His tone was remarkably vague. His face, when Nik craned to look at it, was also remarkably vague, as though the bulk of his attention had been left somewhere else.

Nik knew that look very well. Suddenly M. de Vere’s lack of any profile picture on the M&C website felt deeply sinister. “Damen,” he said. “What’s de Vere like in person?”

“Oh,” said Damen again. And he floated — that was the only word to describe it, and Damen over six feet tall — into the kitchen to poke through the takeout Nik had ordered. Through the doorway, he said, “He’s very nice really… He's published three books himself. He’s younger than me, you know.”

“I was afraid of that,” Nik muttered.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing, nothing,” said Nik. And then, as a terrible thought struck him: “Is Gwyn going to survive the mountains?”

“What?” said Damen. What, like it was just some irrelevant side plot! “Oh,” he continued. “No, I convinced him to see it our way.” By his tone it was impossible to tell whether he meant by spirited debate or by doing unspeakable things to the younger M. de Vere in the restaurant bathroom. Nik decided he didn’t want to know. Damen settled onto the couch with a plate of leftovers in his hand and beatific smile on his face. Nik had an awfully bad feeling about this.

#obviously damen's romantic space opera wins ten million awards and he and laurent work together on the eight sequels #and also the rest of damen's bibliography forever and ever #captive prince #prompt fill

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exprecoposts · 2 months ago

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#local web designers #best business web support provider #generative seo #seo ai agency #business should commit to website

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sweaterkittensahoy · 5 months ago

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y'all, if you want me to participate in a boycott, you have to tell me why. I should not have to google the name of the thing and the date to get an answer.

In case anyone else has seen things about "economic blackout on February 28 ", it's about protesting DEI rollbacks from large companies.

But I had to look it up. You can't run an effective boycott if people don't know why, and you shouldn't want to run a boycott where people can't easily answer why.

Also, the info I saw about it said "Starting with one day, maybe going up to three."

You don't get to be wishy-washy on the length of your short boycott. That's not how this works. Are you doing a 24-hour boycott or are you doing a 3-day boycott? Because it feels like you're trying to have a ready excuse if the numbers aren't as devastating as you would like them to be in 24 hours.

Also, frankly, setting it for February 28th when Valentine's Day is FRIDAY and a day that large retailers usually get slammed makes me feel there's no real backbone in play here.

Look, if you wanna participate, participate. Here's a Newsweek article explaining it.

Also, here's Newsweek explaining who The People's Union is because i sure as fuck didn't know, and frankly from the what the founder of the union focuses on on his own Union website, I do not find them serious in the least. It's all buzz words and sob story background with nothing in the article actually indicating what this group does to actually effect change.

If Newsweek has to run an article explaining who the group is who is trying to run a boycott, and that article doesn't actually explain what the group hopes to achieve by having the boycott, it's not a serious group.

"But, Gayle! They want DEI offices back!"

Okay. But do you really think PBS cut its DEI department because it wanted to or because if they don't, the government funding they get will get yanked? Do you really think Target, that loudly made a point to talk about how less rainbow their capitalism was gonna be before Pride last year, is just chomping at the bit to put their DEI office back into place, or do you think maybe they showed up which side they were on and now they have an easy excuse to drop it?

Do you think Google, who was literally head-hunting me for nearly a year, and then suddenly stopped talking to me just as they got sued by female employees for sexist work practices geniunely care about what DEI can do?

Do you think Amazon, who has cut me out of interview cycles TWICE because when they ask "How do you innovate every day?" and I go, "I don't. I think it's an odd standard to judge all possible employees by especially in my department, where the focus should be on being able to communicate complicated information to anyone in any place at any time, which can lead to innovation but should not be a high-ranked goal" gives a shit about DEI? The Amazon that demanded workers come back to the office back in September while announcing everyone had until January? Thus making it possible for them to have a "voluntary headcount reduction" instead of a layoff to deal with whatever shortcomings the balance sheet showed?

"But, Gayle, I care!"

Aim it somewhere useful. Do a personal boycott. Email all those big companies The People's Union think they can hit on the bottom line within maybe 72 hours and tell them what you generally spend at their company and that you are taking that money away. Because, honestly, an email campaign that is "Hey, I did the math, and last year, I spent $500 at your business, and this year, I'm spending $0." Get your friends into it. Do some community organizing around it. Rather than this empty threat of 24-72 hours, commit to a long-term refusal to work with these private companies who do not have to answer to the government for their funding.

At the end of the day, for me, it comes down to this: A maybe 3-day boycott by an unproven group calling itself a "Union" whose main talking points are "government bad" and "I've been meditating since I was six" (that's not a joke, that's in the article about who the fuck People's Union is) isn't going to do jack fuck all for any DEI program. Literally every business they want you to target can easily handle three days of no shoppers. They can probably handle three years of slow sales, frankly.

The reasons boycotts work when ACTUAL unions call for them is because companies know their average sales. So, if a REAL union says, "Please show your support for the union on February 28 by refusing to buy from our place of business," and that place of business sees a HUGE drop in sales on February 28, they can only assume it's because the union asked customers to show they stand with the union. (By the way, if you ever participate in a boycott like that, please also send an email to customer service that says "I will not be buying from you on February 28 because I stand with the union," but also please only do it if you actually go to that business in general; lots of people call things a boycott when they mean they just don't and never have shopped someplace.).

Those 24-72 hours the People's Union want you spend not shopping but maybe shopping if they feel really powerful after the first 24 hours, will be much better spent bothering your elected officials to make them refuse the anti-DEI executive order.

This is a bragging rights boycott. It will not harm the businesses in the least, but at the end of it, all the people who participated can smugly announce they didn't buy anything at the Target for a whole 3 days because they're so morally correct.

#the people's union #go fuck yourselves #boycott #economic blackout #before anyone goes well maybe you don't understand what they want #i live in pdx #trust me when i say i know a useless leftist org when i see one #i'm currently pissed off at several

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sandiegoeats · 5 months ago

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If you're in San Diego craving an authentic, flavor-packed taco experience, there's only one name that should come to mind: Tacos El Gordo. This iconic restaurant has become a must-visit for locals and tourists, serving up some of the best tacos north of the border. While they have multiple locations, their hot San Diego spots, such as my favorite one in the heart of downtown San Diego, are known for their long lines, but trust me, the wait is more than worth it.

If there's one taco that defines Taco El Gordo, it's the adobada taco, which is my 10/10 favorite. Imagine thinly sliced pork marinated in a rich blend of spices and chilies, slowly roasted on a vertical spit. The result? Juicy, flavorful meat with crispy, caramelized edges that melt in your mouth. Served on a warm corn tortilla and topped with fresh cilantro, onions, and a dollop of their special sauce. The best part is that it's made right in front of you in just seconds! One bite, and you'll understand why people, including me, wait in line to get a taste.

Walking into Tacos El Gordo feels like stepping into a busy Mexican restaurant. The air is filled with the aroma of sizzling meats, and you'll see skilled workers slicing meat straight off the spit. The lines can be a bit chaotic, as each type of taco has its own line and station, but that's part of the charm. Whether you're eating at one of the standing tables or grabbing your tacos to go, the experience is always lively and authentic.

Tacos El Gordo originated just across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1972, and was founded by a family with a deep passion for authentic Mexican street food. Their commitment to tradition and quality quickly earned them a loyal following. As their demand grew, they expanded to the U.S., bringing their famous tacos to San Diego. Without any surprise, they are still thriving today as they are serving the same mouthwatering flavors that made them famous, staying true to their roots and keeping taco lovers coming back for more.

If you're a fan of bold flavors, authentic recipes, and an unforgettable taco experience, my favorite place belongs on your foodie bucket list!

Check out their website!

#food #san diego #San diego food #San Diego restaurants #San Diego tacos #mexican food #authentic

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windealagency · 4 months ago

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WindealAgency.com review:Account Types

Choosing a forex broker is never just about flashy websites or bold promises—it's about trust, regulation, and real trader experiences. In this review, we’ll take a close look at WindealAgency.com review and analyze whether it stands up as a reliable broker or raises red flags.

We’ll examine everything from its licensing, user feedback, and account types to deposit methods and trading conditions. A legitimate broker should check all the right boxes—so does WindealAgency.com reviews meet the standard? Let’s find out.

Account Types at WindealAgency.com: A Deep Dive into Their Offerings

When it comes to trading, flexibility and tailored experiences matter. WindealAgency.com reviews understands this well, offering a structured yet diverse range of account types to accommodate traders of all levels. Let's break down what they provide:

Account Type

Minimum Deposit

Bronze

$10,000

Silver

$25,000

Gold

$50,000

Premium

$100,000

Platinum

$250,000

VIP

$500,000

VIP+

$1,000,000

What Do These Accounts Mean for Traders?

At first glance, the minimum deposits might seem high, but let's analyze this setup. A structured tier system like this often indicates a serious brokerage catering to mid-to-high-level traders. Brokers that deal with professional clients or institutions usually set their entry points higher to ensure quality service, tight spreads, and dedicated support.

Bronze & Silver – These tiers are suitable for traders looking to get a professional-grade experience without committing massive funds upfront. Usually, accounts in this range come with basic perks like educational resources, standard spreads, and decent customer support.

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Platinum & VIP – At this level, traders are likely to receive premium analytics, risk management tools, and possibly even invitations to exclusive trading events. These accounts are for serious investors who demand top-tier trading conditions.

VIP+ – A $1,000,000 minimum deposit is an elite-level requirement. Brokers that offer this tier typically cater to institutional traders, hedge funds, or ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Expect customized trading conditions, personal analysts, and direct access to liquidity providers.

What Does This Tell Us About WindealAgency.com?

This tiered approach signals a brokerage that is not just catering to casual retail traders but instead positioning itself as a high-end trading platform. While the minimum deposit thresholds are significantly higher than entry-level brokers, this could also indicate a focus on serious traders who want quality execution, security, and premium service.

Would this account structure work for every trader? Maybe not. But for those looking for a premium brokerage experience, WindealAgency.com reviews seems to have a well-designed system in place.

How the Domain Purchase Date Confirms WindealAgency.com’s Legitimacy

One of the easiest ways to check a broker’s credibility is by looking at the relationship between its establishment date and the domain purchase date. Why does this matter? Because when a company secures its online presence before officially launching, it’s a sign of long-term planning and serious business intentions.

For WindealAgency.com review, we see that:

The brand was established in 2021

The domain was purchased on November 19, 2020

This means that WindealAgency.com reviews secured its domain before launching its services. That’s a great indicator of proper business structuring rather than a hastily thrown-together website. Many unreliable brokers often register their domain after they start operating, which raises red flags about their long-term commitment.

Think about it: a broker that purchases a domain in advance is likely investing in its infrastructure, platform, and compliance efforts before accepting traders' funds. This adds another layer of reassurance for clients looking for a trustworthy broker.

All in all, this timeline makes sense and aligns with what we expect from a legitimate brokerage.

Trustpilot Reviews: A Strong Indicator of WindealAgency.com’s Reliability

One of the best ways to gauge a broker's reputation is by looking at what real traders say about it. In the case of WindealAgency.com review, the Trustpilot score stands at 4.3, which is quite solid for a trading platform.

Now, let’s break it down further:

Total reviews: 24

Positive reviews (4-5 stars): 23

That means almost all traders who left reviews had a positive experience—an impressive ratio. In the forex industry, where brokers often receive mixed feedback due to the nature of trading, a 4.3 rating is a sign of consistent service, smooth transactions, and overall trustworthiness.

But here’s where it gets interesting. A low review count can sometimes raise questions, but the fact that 23 out of 24 reviews are positive suggests that the broker’s clients are genuinely satisfied. If there were major issues like withdrawal problems, platform failures, or shady practices, we would expect to see a much lower rating and a higher percentage of negative reviews.

Regulation & Licensing: A Key Factor in WindealAgency.com’s Legitimacy

One of the strongest indicators of a broker’s trustworthiness is its regulatory status. WindealAgency.com review operates under the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), which is known as one of the most respected financial regulators in the world.

Now, why is this important?

The FCA is a high-authority regulator, meaning brokers under its supervision must adhere to strict financial and operational guidelines.

It enforces transparency, fund protection, and fair trading practices, ensuring that traders are not exposed to fraudulent activities.

Brokers regulated by the FCA must separate client funds from company funds, reducing the risk of financial mishandling.

Some brokers operate under weak or offshore regulations, which often make it difficult for traders to recover funds in case of disputes. But WindealAgency.com being under the FCA umbrella automatically puts it in a category of trusted financial institutions.

So, what does this tell us? If a broker has gone through the rigorous FCA licensing process, it’s not a fly-by-night operation. Instead, it’s a platform that prioritizes legal compliance and trader security—two things that matter the most in the forex industry.

Is WindealAgency.com review a Legitimate Broker?

After carefully analyzing all the key aspects of WindealAgency.com reviews, the picture looks quite clear. This broker checks all the major boxes of legitimacy, making it a strong contender in the forex trading industry.

Regulation & Security: Being FCA-regulated, WindealAgency.com review operates under one of the strictest financial authorities, ensuring fund protection and transparency—a huge green flag.

Domain & Establishment: The fact that they secured their domain before launching the brand speaks volumes about their long-term vision and professionalism.

User Reviews: A 4.3 Trustpilot rating with an overwhelmingly positive response from traders indicates that real users have had a good experience.

Account Types: The structured tier system suggests that this broker caters to serious traders who value premium conditions and a high-end trading experience.

Looking at these factors, we think WindealAgency.com reviews can be trusted. It’s not just another unregulated, short-lived broker—it has the credentials, the reviews, and the structure of a serious financial platform.

#WindealAgency.com review #WindealAgency.com #WindealAgency

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nesiacha · 11 months ago

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A Few Points to Correct Regarding the September Massacres of 1792

The massacres at Châtelet and Bicêtre. Anonymous engraving, Paris, BnF, department of prints and photography, 1792

Contrary to a widely held belief, it was not the poorest people of Paris who carried out the September Massacres (or not as many poor people participated as legend has it). Among the "Septembrists" were artisans, small business owners, and small property owners. In fact, contrary to Heffron’s film, which portrayed the massacres as spontaneous and instantaneous, these Septembrists gathered in improvised commissions, conducting swift judgments, and ended up killing up to 1,300 people, if I'm not mistaken. However, during the same period, approximately the same number of prisoners were spared. For instance, the Marquise de Tourzel was spared.

Do not take this fact as an absolution of those who committed these massacres. It actually makes it even more frightening, considering the expedited nature of these commissions, especially since many of the prisoners were common criminals. Even in the case of prisoners who were counter-revolutionaries, extra-judicial killings should never be condoned, and these massacres remain an indelible stain on the Revolution.

Moreover, both the Girondins and the Montagnards are responsible. The Girondins accused the Montagnards (particularly Danton, Marat, and Robespierre) of being responsible for the massacres, but the Girondins did nothing to stop them. In reality, it suited them quite well, as many of their enemies were eliminated. However, they condemned the massacres for political reasons, using them against the Montagnards.

As for the Montagnards , they did not condemn the massacres and therefore tacitly endorsed them. Later, people like Danton acknowledged that to avoid such problems, it was necessary, in his own words, to "administer terrible justice to prevent people from doing so themselves." Indeed, with the Battle of Valmy, the perception that justice was not proceeding quickly enough against those suspected of counter-revolution, and the collapse of the old regime, it became clear that strict oversight was needed to prevent such excesses.

One should remember the second revolution in Russia, which deposed the Russian monarchy. There were quick lynchings, including in Kronstadt, to the point that Kerensky (if I'm not mistaken, or at least the Russian provisional government) had to promise exemplary judicial punishments. So, ultimately, this is not surprising.

Now, regarding the suspects of counter-revolution in France, the case I have in mind is that of the Princess de Lamballe. On the excellent website "Les Amis de Robespierre," Stefania di Pasquale explains that Marie Antoinette's friend was a counter-revolutionary spy, which I can believe given her frequent travels to England. But Madame di Pasquale believes that she was assassinated because of her role as a spy and because she "had numerous contacts with foreign spies and members of the Legislative Assembly and the government" and may have known too much about the Girondin government in power. Here is the link: https://www.amis-robespierre.org/La-Princesse-de-Lamballe-grande.

Sources: Antoine Resche Stefania di Pasquale

#frev #french revolution #1700s #history #france

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beardedmrbean · 6 months ago

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A Florida jury found CNN liable on Friday in a high-stakes defamation trial against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, who alleged that the network maligned him as an “illegal profiteer” with a report on Afghan evacuees being charged thousands of dollars to flee the country following the U.S. military withdrawal.

Following two days of deliberations, the jury ruled that CNN must pay Young $4 million in financial damages and $1 million for emotional damage, adding that Young is also owed punitive damages. After the trial entered a second phase to determine punitive damages, the network eventually settled with Young for an undisclosed amount.

“We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement after the settlement was announced.

Once both sides had moved to argue their case for how much additional money Young should be awarded, Judge William Henry told the jurors on Friday that during this second phase, the punitive damages against CNN could only apply to its actions in this specific case and not on any other stories or issues. Following an extended break in the testimony, during which the two legal teams engaged in discussion, Henry informed the jury that the two sides had settled.

One juror asked Henry if they could “have the privilege to know the settlement amount,” only for the judge to look towards both legal teams before responding: “Apparently not.”

Though the amount was not disclosed, the settlement came after a business expert for the plaintiff testified that, based on his review of CNN’s earnings, he estimated that CNN brought in roughly $150 million of revenue a month. He further suggested that it could be a fair amount to pay in punitive damages.

“The numbers represent the Plaintiff’s interpretation of a subset of data as presented in litigation, and they do not represent financial data for the whole of CNN’s business,” a CNN spokesperson told The Independent.

The verdict comes weeks after ABC News paid $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library fund and another million dollars to his legal team to settle the president-elect’s defamation lawsuit against the network – a move that First Amendment experts warned could have a “chilling effect” on the free press.

The jury in the trial, which was held in deeply conservative Bay County, Florida, was tasked with determining whether CNN acted with “actual malice” during its reporting on Young. The court defines actual malice as a reckless disregard of the truth while publishing false information. Additionally, the burden of proof in this case was lower because the judge ruled before the trial that Young was not a public figure.

Young, a security contractor who once worked for the CIA, sued CNN in 2022 over a story it ran the year before on private contractors charging desperate Afghans large amounts of money to help evacuate them from the war-torn country after the Taliban retook control. The investigatory piece, reported by national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, was first aired on Jake Tapper’s show and warned of “exorbitant fees” from “black market” rescue operations that had “no guarantee of safety or success.” Young was the only contractor named throughout the story.

In his complaint, Young said his inclusion in the story suggested that his activities were criminal, specifically because of an on-air graphic that used the term “black market.” That banner was also used when the story ran on CNN programming and the network’s website. Young said that he only charged corporate sponsors to extract Afghans and never took money directly from residents, pushing back on the story’s implication that he was exploiting people fearful of the Taliban.

CNN’s legal team and witnesses, meanwhile, argued during the trial that their intention behind the use of the term “black market” was to show that evacuations in the region were taking place in an “unregulated market” and didn’t explicitly mean the actions were criminal. Young’s attorneys, however, noted that the dictionary defined the term as “illegal.”

“Do not let CNN rewrite the English language to avoid liability in this case,” attorney Devin Freedman told the jurors during his closing arguments on Thursday.

Young has argued that the CNN story destroyed his reputation and left him unable to make a living, claiming his yearly salary went from six figures to zero. He also said that the network caused psychological damage to him, prompting Freedman to urge the jury to “send a message that news organizations must be held accountable.”

Months after the story first ran on CNN, the network issued an on-air apology after Young’s attorneys threatened legal action. Delivered by anchor Pamela Brown, who was substituting for Tapper, the correction stated that the term “black market” shouldn’t have been used in the report and the network “did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market.”

During the trial, however, Marquardt and other CNN employees testified that they didn’t feel the correction was necessary and that it was merely issued at the behest of the network’s legal counsel to avoid a lawsuit.

Additionally, CNN’s legal team argued in court filings that at the “time of its reporting, CNN knew little about Young’s financials, his model, or whether he’d successfully evacuated anyone because whenever anyone [including CNN] asked Young to explain his business, he obfuscated, behaved unprofessionally, lied, and hid.” They also stated last summer that Young’s “operation was very different from how he publicly portrayed it” and he never planned any evacuations.

“I reported the facts. I reported what I found. Everything in there was factual, accurate and, I believe, fair,” Marquardt said on the stand on Monday, defending his reporting. He also took issue with his story being described as a “hit piece” by Young’s lawyers, claiming he wasn’t personally going after the security contractor.

“You needed a bad guy for your scandal story,” Freedman told Marquardt at one point. “You hated him, did you not?”

Throughout the trial, Freedman presented a series of Slack messages and emails from Marquardt and other CNN staffers in which they referred to Young as a “s***bag” with a “punchable face.” In one message to an editor, Marquardt said they were “gonna nail this Zachary Young mf***er,” while an editor responded: “Gonna hold you to that one cowboy!” In another message, Marquardt said of Young: “It’s your funeral, bucko.”

In depositions and court filings, CNN and its lawyers defended the harsh remarks as “banter” that’s part of a candid newsroom and that it didn’t impact the editorial process. “I hear a lot of profanity at work,” one producer said. “Few things are more common in newsrooms than journalists using tough and indignant language to refer to persons whose misdeeds they believe they are in the process of exposing,” the network acknowledged in a filing last month.

In a December court order, though, Judge William Henry stated that while the network “downplays the ‘coarse and harsh language’” as “journalistic bravado,” a “reasonable jury could find with convincing clarity that the reporters acted with ill will, hostility or an evil intention to defame and injure Young or intended to personally harm him.”

The jury may have tipped its hand on Wednesday when they repeatedly peppered CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis — who first attempted to contact Young for the story — with pointed questions about the vague messages she initially sent the contractor. “Do you feel Americans are obligated to speak to you?” one juror asked, while another wondered: “At what point do you accept someone not wishing to speak or comment?”

Additionally, network lawyer David Axelrod (no relation to the CNN pundit of the same name) was severely reprimanded by Henry on Wednesday for “blatant misrepresentations” he made about a document related to Young. Saying Axelrod’s credibility with him was “none,” Henry urged the lawyer to apologize to Young for repeatedly calling him a “liar.”

The network’s editorial process and fact-checking also came under intense scrutiny during the trial, especially since some editors seemed to express reservations about publishing the story. “The story is full of holes like Swiss cheese,” breaking news editor Megan Trimble wrote, while senior national security editor Thomas Lumley replied: “Agree. The story is 80% emotion, 20% obscured fact lol.”

“I’m never going to publish a story that is factually incorrect or unfair,” Lumley said on Tuesday, insisting that he didn’t doubt the facts of the story. “That’s the red line.”

The trial took part in the Florida Panhandle, a deeply red part of the country that voted overwhelmingly for Trump. It also comes at a time when CNN, which the president-elect has repeatedly called “fake news,” and the rest of the mainstream media face ideologically polarized perceptions from the public. Conservative discontent has only grown more engrained as Trump has made legal and political threats against the press a regular occurrence.

Perhaps because of this, some legal observers called on CNN to settle before the case went to trial, especially in light of the “damning” text exchanges that had become public during discovery.

“The internal communications certainly make it sound as if the main journalist on the story wanted to ruin the plaintiff, and that there were reasons to believe that ... he was overplaying their hand factually,” University of Florida law professor Lyrissa Lidsky told NPR earlier this month.

“My advice to CNN would be to cough it up. Settle,” former Bloomberg News media legal counsel Charles Glasser added. “Admit you’re wrong. Admit your hyperbole was out of line, and move on.”

#nunyas news

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mariacallous · 7 months ago

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A 24-year-old Irish-American man with a military record was indicted on terrorism charges for traveling to Lebanon and Syria in an attempt to join Hezbollah, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Jack Danaher Molloy was arrested in Chicago in early December for lying to FBI agents while being investigated for his effort to join the Lebanese terror group, the Justice Department said in a statement. When FBI agents questioned whether he had ever had any intention of joining Hezbollah, Molloy said he had no plans to do so and had had no business or plans in Syria.

In fact, according to the department, Molloy traveled to Lebanon in August 2024 in an attempt to enlist with Hezbollah and, after being rebuffed, ventured to Syria to try his fortunes with the terror group there. At the time, Israel and Hezbollah were in the midst of a yearlong, escalating conflict on Israel’s northern border.

When Molloy eventually returned to Pittsburgh from the Middle East in October, he was questioned at the airport by FBI agents.

According to an unsealed affidavit, Molloy declared “a very fierce hatred of these Zionists” and was excited by the prospect of fighting them.

Molloy frequently employed antisemitic and violent names and references in usernames and social media posts, according to the affidavit, which said one of his email addresses was glassofjuice88@[REDACTED].com. The first phrase is sometimes used by extremists as a homophone for “gas the Jews,” while 88 is a common white supremacist code for “Heil Hitler.” The affidavit also said that around Oct. 7, 2024, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ invasion of Israel, Molloy created the email kikekiller696969@[REDACTED].com and googled how to join Hezbollah.

Molloy is a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland who served about a month of active duty as an American soldier in 2019 and later sought to join an Army training program at the University of Illinois Chicago.

He converted to Shia Islam in February 2024 and was known among his contacts as “Yahya,” per the affidavit. (Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, was the architect of the Oct. 7 attack and led the group until Israeli troops killed him in October.)

Molloy allegedly revealed to his mother in a Whatsapp message that he intended to join Hezbollah to kill Jews, and was also considering fighting for Russia, an ally of the recently ousted Syrian regime, against Ukraine in order to eventually join Hezbollah. When his mother asked him if his “master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews,” he answered that it was.

As documented in the affidavit, communication between Molloy and his contacts also shed light on Hezbollah’s recruitment and training practices and indicated that they were in disarray during the time he sought to join the group, as Israel ratcheted up pressure through a mass pager detonation in advance of a ground invasion. At one point, a contact urged Molloy to leave, saying that Hezbollah was “not accepting anyone and due to the high number of Mossad agents, and moles, appearing inside.” She told him that he should consider other ways to achieve jihad.

“Sometimes a voice is far more powerful than a weapon and sometimes a pen is far more powerful than a knife,” the contact told Molloy via WhatsApp, according to the affidavit.

Upon their confiscation, his cell phone and laptop were reportedly found to have multiple violent antisemitic memes, Hezbollah propaganda, and images that appear to show solidarity between a Nazi SS soldier and a generic jihadi soldier.

In mid-November, Molloy also allegedly visited a website that said where Robert Bowers, who committed the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, was imprisoned.

“As alleged, Jack Molloy, an avowed adherent of Hizballah harboring deep-seated animus against Jews, took many steps over a period of months — at home and abroad — in his effort to join and fight for this deadly foreign terrorist organization,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Eric G. Olshan said in a statement Thursday. “This case is yet another sobering reminder of the threat of radicalized violence against Americans.”

Molloy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both for the charge of providing material support for a foreign terror organization. Each charge of making a false statement to the FBI carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, according to the Justice Department.

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exprecoposts · 4 months ago

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